Boy ohh boy...we have a pile of intrepid racers this weekend!!!!
02/17 analogkid - Lake Houston Family YMCA Bridge Fest 5k - Kingwood, TX
02/17 Quickadder - Park to Park HM, Sulphur, La
02/18 Opie - Lost Dutchman Half Marathon, Apache Junction AZ
02/18 fatozzig - Hagg Lake Mud Run 25K, Gaston OR
We can't wait to read the race reports!
"Champions are everywhere; all you need is to train them properly..." ~Arthur Lydiard
Park to Park HM, Sulphur, Louisiana
This was my 3rd year of running this event. In 2016 the weather was 45F and sunny and I broke 2 hours. In 2017 it was 70+F and 90% humidity and I struggled in in 2:04. This year was 65F and 100% humidity - that's Louisiana winter weather for you. The course is flat and is basically an out and back with loops of McMurry Park at start and finish and Frasch Park in the middle. Just over a hundred runners.
Decided to run in my Saucony Cohesion shoes with cotton socks, shorts & short-sleeved shirt. The roads were dry when we started otherwise I'd have changed to different shoes as the Cohesion lack adhesion when the soles get damp - but once we got to tree-lined sections the humidity was dripping from the trees and I was regretting my choice a little. I decided to keep the shirt on as a) everyone else had, b) we start and finish at a church and c) Facebook kindly posted reminder photos from the race last year where I tossed my shirt after a couple of miles.
I started off running at my normal HM pace (8:5x) for the first 2 miles and then began a slow fade. This year I have a full marathon just 15 days later, so I decided that as soon as a PR was out of the question I would play it safe. Miles 3 through 8 were run mainly in the 9:2x range and then I gallowayed the rest of the way. Apparently I was leading the 60+ age runners until about mile 10 but had nothing much left in the tank when I was passed in the final miles by two in my 60-69 age group and the winner of the 70+ age group. I did pass the same 2 guys in younger age groups that I passed in the final stages of my last HM in December, though one did outsprint (not sure sprint is the correct term!) me right at the finish.
Finished 52/108 overall and 3/4 in 60-69 AG. Official time was 2:08:50.1, which is over 10 minutes slower than the December HM, but in line with most other runners' performances between the two races.
Started running at age 60.
AG 60-64 PR - 5K 25:45, 10K 53:28, HM 1:57:39, Marathon 4:32:09
AG 65-69 PR - 5K 26:11, HM 2:02:39, Marathon 5:04:47
protector of my dad
Mom and Dad got ready to go for a bye bye ride. I wanted to go too but I wasn't sure I could go. Dad got one of my old shirts out and put it on me. It's not as much fun as when I was little. When Mom went into the bathroom, Dad told me I was going to go to a race! I got soo rexcited!!
A race is the best thing ever!!! I started bugging my parents to hurry up!! Mom got mad an Dad and grumped, "Why did you have to tell him? Why?". Just hurry! We have to go!!!
We went for a long way and stopped to see people. Me and Dad stood in line and lots of people stopped to pet me. The two people who make the race came and talked with me. They told me I was a good boy. Mom drived us up the big hill and we waited for everyone else to get there too
. Dad wanted to wait in the truck until everyone was ready to go. I was getting too worried that we were going to miss the race and got wound up.
Dad took me to the front on the truck and I could not see what every one was doing. I just knew we were going to miss the race!
I was not going to miss any of this!!
Dad stood so I could not see what was happening but I really wanted to see.
Dad said the race was starting late. !! OH NO!!! We were going to miss it!!! I was not going to let that happen.
People were starting to line up and we were going to miss the race!!
A person started talking and I just knew we were going to run run run with out me!!
Seriously dad!! We're going to miss it!!!
We heard a loud "bang'! Finally me and dad got to go run run run!!!
Oh my gosh it was so fun!!! All the everyone and dogs going run run run at the same time!! This is the best part of life!
Dad got a dumb shirt. I got pettings from lots of people and kids! This was soo great!!!!
I got a hardware necklace too!
Even though Dad was last in his group. If I didn't have to drag his fat butt, I would have been the fastest one every.
Sniffing Butts, Tag
MM #5615
Way to go, Avenger Doggie!
congrats quickadder and AD for great races and write-ups
We ran a 5K in Naples FL - spur of the moment having arrived yesterday. Henrun wore his New England 65+ shirt, so we probably got a new member to our club and talked to lots of folks. I ran a 32 and change good enough for first in AG and henrun got a 2nd AG. we also came back with two glasses.
our pic is not as cute as Avenger Doggie - but then we're not dogs...
Your pictures are equally as adorable. Less chance of fleas as well.
SteveP
MM#209 / JapanJoyful#803
Avenger - no particular reason, but, if you don't mind someone even slower than Batman,
I'd love to have you pul. . ., I mean run with me too in next weekend's Lunar Year-of-the-Dog 5K.
ps - let me know if Steve makes you wear one of those Batman shirts and I'll send you this year's Lunar Year-of-the-Dog one. You know, it being Year-of-the-Dog means Steve has to be nice to you all the time and give you whatever your want. <<<(ice-cream/ice-cream)>>>
. .. . . Dad got a dumb shirt. I got pettings from lots of people and kids! This was soo great!!!!
. .. . .
"Enjoy yourself. Your younger days never come again." 100yo T. Igarashi to me in geta at top of Mt. Fuji (8/2/87)
I've said it before and I'll say it again that I'd buy a running calendar at the drop-of-a-hat if it had the kind of inspiration I get from henrun and marj.
Year of the Dog? I’ve got to change the date when I write a check.
I was always told that one human year was equal to 7 dog years so it won’t be long before the date changes again.
Congratulations all. Humans, dogs, whatever! Quickadder good call to take it easy with a marathon coming up in a couple of weeks.
Live like you are dying not like you are afraid to die.
Drunken Irish Soda Bread and Irish Brown Bread this way --> http://allrecipes.com/cook/4379041/
I agree and I loved having drinks with them in Boston in the fall!
It wasn't my day, with very high humidity which of course is unusual for the SW. I thought it was just me that always struggles in that situation but my Coach says high humidity is really tough and stresses the system and puts you in a hole from the beginning if you're trying for a good time.
2:10 and change, 341 overall and 19th AG (M 55-59)
"I didn’t run a race until I was 41 and that was a marathon! Let that sink in for a minute." -me
It wasn't my day, with very high humidity which of course is unusual for the SW. I thought it was just me that always struggles in that situation but my Coach says high humidity is really tough and stresses the system and puts you in a hole from the beginning if you're trying for a good time. 2:10 and change, 341 overall and 19th AG (M 55-59)
High humidity is not unusual in Louisiana and I can confirm that your Coach is correct - see my race report towards the top of this thread.
I saw that and wasn't sure I should say anything because it wasn't dripping from the trees out here (no trees unless saguaro cactus count)!
Marathon Maniac #957
Wow - great racing and pictures! And quite a range of temperatures, too...
Life is a headlong rush into the unknown. We can hunker down and hope nothing hits us or we can stand tall, lean into the wind and say, "Bring it on, darlin', and don't be stingy with the jalapenos."