Half marathon recap...and number 7 on my to do list

Hey folks,

Yes, I'm slacking -- again! -- when updating my blog. So sue me. I'm trying to write more frequently, but being lazy is a constant issue I struggle with...hence, delayed postings.

Moving on...

So YES -- I ran the Houston half marathon last weekend! I would put the professional photos up but 1) they are awful and 2) I can't bring myself to pay for photos of myself. I am sure my dad will find the pics online, buy 'em and send them to me. If that happens, I'll post a couple here and on FB. But like I said, they are bad. I look miserable and SUPER pale in all of them.

But, enough about how I look when I race. How did I run? Not badly! If you recall, my goal time was 1:48, and I crossed the finish line at 1:48:17. Close enough in my book -- I'll just round down. Sadly, this run was NOT as much fun as my half last year. Not sure why, but I couldn't get into a groove.

If you want a full recap, my split times were as follows:

Mile 1: 8:29
Mile 2: 8:20
Mile 3: 8:18

At this point, I'm feeling pretty good. On track with my usual negative split percentages to average under an 8:15 pace...maybe I could do a bit above an 8 minute pace??? I'm getting stoked! The other thing that made this part of the race pretty cool: I wasn't the tallest person running! I ran behind Clyde Drexler for miles .5-1.5. His legs were super long -- he looked like he was running in slow motion. I bet I look that way, too. Anyway, after a mile or so trailing him, he sped up and I stayed behind to keep the people with shorter legs company.

Mile 4, 5 and 6: 8:11, 8:10 and 8:04. This is when things got hard. At mile 5 I began to get a side stitch, so I did my obnoxious pregnant lady breathing and (luckily!) it went away when I got to mile 6. I struggle with side cramps a lot...very annoying. Anyway, despite the cramp, my pace increased because I (figuratively) ran into one of my cycling instructors, a tall South African guy named Hans. He was doing the full and averaging about an 8 minute pace, so I followed him for a bit. The guy is a big Ironman, so like my pal Clyde, he soon went ahead and I kept on (more slowly) trucking.

So now the race wasn't much fun. It was rainy and humid, I was sweating a ton and I was tired, even a little out of breath. Y'all know that I don't like to get out of breath....

Mile 7: 8:07
Mile 8: 8:16
Mile 9: 8:11

So I slowed down a bit. I also accidentally high fived a homeless guy. He looked really excited...and then I saw the grocery cart. Oh well. I'm sure at that point in the race I was way grosser and germier than he was.

More split times:

Mile 10: 8:15
Mile 11: 8:09 (A boost of energy thanks my awesome friends cheering me on from my running club, BON!)
Mile 12: 7:56 (Almost there....I should have been going a lot faster though. :( )
Mile 13: Not sure...guessing about 7:50. At this point, I was too tired to click the "lap" button on my Garmin. Yes, I realize this is pathetic.

So there you have it. Half marathon #2 done. Thus far, I've done one half marathon injured and one without much training....I think if I can combine an injury free season with a training regimen I actually follow, 1:45 will be easy to break. So that's the goal for next year -- 1:45. (Or even 1:43 'cause I like random numbers better...)

I'm running the Austin half in a week and half, but it's for fun only. Or at least, that's the plan. I do get competitive, so that could change. God, I hope the weather is better than it was last weekend....I HATE HUMIDITY.

So to close out this post (I need to crash): to-do item #7 for 2011 is...STOP CURSING. I realized over the weekend that I curse way too much. It's really not necessary -- and it makes me sound like I was raised in a trailer park. So...I'm going to try cut back on the R-rated words. No more! (And yes, please yell at me -- even curse at me, that;s ok! -- if I break this to-do list item. I'm sure I will.)

Night folks! xoxo