Sugar Land Turkey Trot 5 Miler

I decided that I needed to run a turkey trot this year on Thanksgiving. There are probably four or five different ones in the Houston area. I chose the Sugar Land Turkey Trot because it started at a decent time, and it fit the mileage I needed for my training plan that day. The race started at 8:30 which is later than most races, but I wouldn't have to get up too early on my day off so I was happy.

The race started off at a fast pace. I ran my first mile at a 7:00 pace. I had planned to start off about 7:15. I could tell about 1/2 mile into the race I was going to struggle a little bit. I had done a pretty tough speed workout on Tuesday so my legs felt kind of dead. My pace continued to slide through out the race. My splits were 7:00, 7:05, 7:07, 7:12, and 7:13 according to my Garmin. There was also an extra .06 miles that took 22 seconds on my Garmin. My official time was 36:00 even. It figured out to a 7:12 pace over the five mile course.

I was fairly satisfied with my time, especially, after I felt how tired my legs were 1/2 mile in. I think it ended up being a great idea to run. I didn't feel bad about eating some extra calories this year at Thanksgiving. I also know that I probably would not have run on my own that day. I would have slept in, and I would have watched the Aggie game in the evening. I might have to make this part of every Thanksgiving.

New Stuff

So I got some new stuff about week and a half ago. It's not very exciting stuff, but I still like getting new things. It's actually just some safety stuff for when I run. I got a Road ID for my shoes and a Supernova Firefly light to wear when I run in the dark.


The Road ID has all my emergency information so that if something were to happen to me, and I would be found laying in a ditch, whoever found me would know who to call. Road ID will engrave whatever you want on the plate. I got my name, birth year, Sarah's cell and work numbers, NKA (no known allergies), No Medical History, and my insurance policy number engraved on mine.


The FireFly Supernova light is small, but it is bright. It clips on your waistband and flashes so cars can see you in the dark. I think that if I get hit, the driver did it on purpose because I can see it reflecting off of houses in the neighborhood when I run. You would have to be blind not to see it.

Hopefully, I won't get hit by a car now, but if I do, they will know who to call when they see the Road ID on my shoe!!!

HMSA Classical 25K

Yesterday (11/14/2010), I ran the Houston Masters Sports Association Classical 25K. 25K is almost dead on 15.5 miles for those of you not familiar with the metric system. It is the second race in the warm-up series for the Chevron Houston Marathon. I'm using the warm-up races to get ready for the marathon. I'm trying out my pace on some longer runs, getting used to running in crowds, figuring out when to take fuel, and learning how to use the water stops. This was the fourth race I have done this fall, and I feel more accustomed to all of this each time. It's way different than running by yourself and just reaching down to your Fuel-Belt for a drink or a shot of gel.

The race was a triple loop course so it's kind of a three chapter report. My plan was to average 8:00 per mile for the race. I chose this to see if my marathon goal of 3:30:00 is realistic. To meet this goal, I would have to average 8:00 over the full 26.2 mile course. I decided to try to run negative splits. Planning my pace to be 8:15 for the first loop, 8:00 for the second, and 7:45 for the final loop for an 8:00 average.

Now, here are the details of what happened. I did a good job of holding back and not going out too fast. I finished the first lap at an average pace of 8:19. It was a little slower than plan, but not too far off. On the second loop, I went a little faster than the plan. I saw a guy I work with about a 1/4 mile ahead of me when I made the half-way turn so I ran to catch up with him. The second loop finished out at 7:51. It was faster than planned, but I made up the time I was behind after the first loop, and I gave myself a small cushion in case I started to run out of gas on the final loop. On the final lap, the wind was blowing so I just tried to focus on staying smooth and keeping my pace up. The final hill was a little bit of a struggle, but when I got to the top, I could see the finish line. It was literally all down-hill from there. I finished the third, and final loop, at a pace of 7:44. I ran my planned time for the final lap, and even added another second per mile for cushion. My official time was 2:02:48.1, and I had an average pace of 7:54 per mile for the race.

I was able to run my goal pace of 8:00 per mile, but I think it might not be realistic for the marathon. I may have to tone it down a bit for the "Big" race. I was pretty dead at the end of the race. I will give it another shot at the Finish Line Sports 30K on December 12 in Sugar Land. The 30K is the final race in the warm-up series. I will just have a couple more long runs after that. Then, I will start my taper for the marathon on January 30.

New Marathon Goal

I haven't really set a time goal for the marathon this year. I really just thought I wanted to finish, but training is going better than expected. I also have learned about my abilities running the warm-up series. After not running for five years, I had no clue what times I was capable of running. I have set an aggressive goal of finishing the marathon in 3:30:00. I will get a gauge on the reality of this in the final two warm-up races on November 14 and December 12. I may have to scale my goal back to 3:40:00. I will still be happy with time. It would be 27 minutes faster than my last marathon in October 2005.

Because I just figured out how to post pictures, these are some pictures from the 2005 Marine Corps Marathon I wanted to post a few months ago, but I just couldn't get it to work.

Cold Weather Running

This weekend was the first time it was cold since I started my training. Well, cold for the Houston area anyway. When it has started to cool off in the past, I have just decided to pack it in until Spring and go sit on the couch. However, I have a marathon at the end of January so I have to continue training this year. It was 39 degrees at 5:45AM when we started our run this morning. Luckily, the wind wasn't blowing.

Being from the southern half of Texas, I don't really own any cold weather running gear. I dressed in running shorts, a technical t-shirt (short sleeved), and a pair of running gloves. After I got started, it warmed up quite a bit. Well, I warmed up. The temperature actually got a little cooler as the sun rose. I bought the gloves a few weeks ago in preparation of the upcoming winter. Best $20 I have spent in a while. Another guy in our group was dressed like I was, sans the gloves. His hands were miserably cold when we finished. I can highly recommend the ASICS Thermopolis glove shown below. Not too hot, and not so thin the wind goes through them.


I have also ordered some other cold weather gear so I am prepared in case we actually do get a cold spell hear in the Houston area. I have a pair of running pants and a hat on the way. I've gotten a couple of long sleeved technical shirts at races lately. Even if I'm not that fast, I'll at least look good.

Under the Night Sky

Tonight was a great night for running. The weather was cool, the sky was clear, the stars were out, and the neighborhood was quiet. I found myself thanking God several times in my run. Thanking him for the weather, for being able to run, for living where I do. I saw this video on YouTube a couple of weeks ago when I heard Ryan Hall was going to be a Luke's Locker in Houston. I was looking for his finish from the Aramco Half-Marathon in 2007. I remember watching it on TV when he set the American record, and I see his autographed picture crossing the finish line every time I go in On The Run here in Pearland. Ever since I've seen this video, I've had a different attitude about running. I used to constantly be trying to figure out how much farther I had to go. Now, I just enjoy it. My training has taken another step, and I'm beginning to think I might need to set a new goal for the marathon. Watch the video. Who knows, it might inspire you to start running. Even if it is just for some time alone.