GUR

So I'm a little late on this post, but we had such a great time at the Great Urban Race. For it's first time in Houston, it had a great turn out. Around 450 teams showed up! Let me tell you, there were a lot of crazy looking people running around Houston and filling up the buses. Here's our costumes:

We rocked it! People were driving down the street hanging their heads out their windows and yelling at me. It was really funny. We tried for best costume, but I guess we're just not as outgoing as some of the other teams. All in all, we finished all of the clues in 3:09, but we did get lost finding the bus that we needed to get to 3 of the clues. We think if we would have remembered to bring a bus schedule along, we could have shaved almost an hour off our time (which would have put us in the top ten teams). But, oh well, something to strive for next year (and learn from).

Ha!

Running?! I don't think I know what that is anymore. Sad, but true. My right shin started giving me a little trouble, so I quickly forgot about that new year's resolution and went to resting. I have another half marathon coming up this summer and I really want to rock it. So, instead of continuing my hard training, I opted to give my legs some rest. I've taken to morning workouts (!!!). I'm actually finding it easier to get up and go work out than to get up for work. I'm doing spin 4 days a week and weight training 2 days. It's keeping me in shape, but I'm ready to get back out there. My first run back was going to be yesterday (thank you snowy/sleeting/rain in Houston), but weather allowing will be tonight or in the morning.

This weekend is the Great Urban Race. I'm so excited. Stay tuned for pics of me and the hubby dressed as Street Fighters!

If I run 4 miles every day for the rest of the week, I can hit my 20 mile goal. Do it Do it Do it!

(That's what's going on inside my head right now while I'm sitting at work pouting about missing the last remnants of daylight.)

13.1 Pics

I finally got my camera back so I could post pictures from the half marathon.

First, my stats from the race website:

Those stats just completely excite me. Although after telling my coworker how I did in the race, he immediately started calculating and decided I could beat 1:55 if there weren't so many runners crowding the streets. Leave it to an engineer to play with the numbers and say I could do better. Whatever Coworker, I'm still going to relish in this victory. I'm not aiming for anything faster (yet).

This is at Mile 10. I'm pumped and ready to finish. That's me high-fiving the Hubby so I didn't have to stop.

And at the finish! I even had my picture taken for the local paper and it was posted online.

Week 3

New Year's resolutions never go as planned. I hit the first week just fine, but races sure do get in the way. (So does work, but I'm trying not to complain.) Week 2 I was just shy of my 20 mile goal -by 4 miles I think. But after rocking my half marathon, I don't really care. Week 3 I was way too sore to really get any runs in. (By the way, what's the appropriate amount of time to wait after a hard race before you get a massage? I've heard 48 hours...)

My totals for week 3: 5.3 miles.

Which I'm not complaining about. That run on Friday night around the Heights felt great. I was only going out for 3 miles, but I didn't want to quit. It was effortless and the temperatures were perfect. The only thing that made me quit after 5 miles was the chaffing on my legs. I hadn't worn shorts in so long, I forgot the Body Glide. And let me tell you, that eff-ing burns! You'd think with all the running and other workouts that I do, my thighs would get smaller and quit rubbing together, but no dice.

Oh, and it might be a little late, but I haven't forgotten. The things I learned this weekend:

• It is not possible to not get wasted during a pub crawl. Best I try, I always fail.
• Running through the neighborhood at night in the dark is actually fun and exhilarating. There's just enough light to see and enough people around to be fairly safe.
• Bowling is not my sport. Fun as it may be, it will be a miracle if I ever bowl over 100. But you can guarantee that I will jump up and down and scream like a girl when I get a spare. I don't want to know how I'd react if I actually bowled a strike!
• Dodgeball is a very competitive game and my team will never win. I will do everything in my puny little body to get us a W this weekend before the season is over.

So, here's to a new week and getting back on track with my goals. I'm looking forward to a run with the BON group tonight and a gorgeous weekend for a long run.

An Update on My Resolutions

I've been so busy relishing in the glory of beating my goal half marathon time, that I've completely neglected my New Year's resolutions. I've done well with my food intake, but that's also something that I've been working on for a long time. I've been so sore and busy with work this week, that running hasn't even been an option. Today is Friday, so it's time to get out there. Hubby wants to run tonight, so I think I'll try for 4 miles. If I want to make my 20 mile per week goal, I'll need to do another 16 this weekend. Wish me luck, but I won't feel too bad if I miss one week.

Houston Half - Take 2

Once again, I signed up for and ran the Houston Half Marathon today. It was a perfect day for a run. 42* at the start before the sun came up. Not too much wind either. I felt great. Two eggs and peanut butter toast for breakfast 2 hours before the start. Plenty of stretching and jogging to warm my legs up before the gun went off. I secured a bib in the first wave this year, but I knew if I was too close to the start line at the beginning, I'd let everyone around me make me go out too fast. I started in the back and crossed the line about 4 minutes after the gun. The first mile and a half of the Houston run is on a bridge across I-10. It was windy and COLD up there, but as soon as we made it to the ground, everyone started to warm up. Gloves and sweatshirts were thrown. I took it slow and enjoyed the crowd and the runners around me. There was a family hanging outside the windows of their house singing karaoke to us. The best sign I saw was "Simon Says Run Bitch Run". There were tons of other good ones, but I was focused on running. I had been bragging to Hubby yesterday at dinner that I'm a negative splitter and I was determined to prove it today. My 10K split was 1:01. I took my first GU at the 5 mile mark, which was also my first water. I never stop for gatorade because it makes me burp, so I'm a water all the way girl. I felt great then, the sun was coming up and the crowd was getting thicker. At 7.5, I passed Hubby and my old running partner, handing off the clothing I'd shed and grabbing some GUs to finish the race with. I told them I was on time and kept on going. The half marathon turns around at mile 9 and comes back down the same street so the spectators get a chance to see the Halfers twice without moving. The bands along the street were all doing awesome and I was kicking up the speed. I figured if I wasn't going to make my goal time, I was going to cut it close. I had my second GU at 9.5 and checked my watch - I was1/2 a mile under the 10:00 min/mile pace. I was stoked. I focused on my stride and watched where I landed my feet - I couldn't risk stepping wrong. When I passed Hubby and M again at mile 10, I high fived them and told them they better hurry to the finish because I wasn't about to slow down. I couldn't believe how awesome I still felt and I wasn't about to slow down for any reason. I was passing people like crazy and kept trying to tell myself that I still had 3 miles in front of me. Last time I ran this race, I was dead by mile 12. There are hardly any spectators in downtown there so there's no one to encourage you but yourself. A tall, fast girl passed me, and my mind told me I needed to keep up with her - we had 2 miles left. I managed to keep up with her for a little over a mile. The streets downtown were shady and cold, but I was determined. Two ladies on my right mentioned that there was a kid in front of us, laughing at themselves that they were going to be beaten by a pre-teen. I wasn't going to let that happen. I needed motivation, and that gave me what I needed to pick it up even more. There was 1/2 a mile to go. I let my legs take over and focused on my breathing, I could see the finish line in front of me. I kept scanning the crowd hoping that Hubby and M made it in time. My watch told me it'd be close. I raised my arms and crossed the finish line - I hope there was a smile on my face. I'd beat my goal by 45 seconds. I was so happy I almost cried. I walked inside, struggling to breathe and almost cried again as they lowered the finisher's medal over my head. It took me 3 tries, but I made it. I honestly never really knew I had it in me, turns out, sometimes you just don't know what you are made of until it comes down to it. I'm so completely excited and proud of myself!

Mile 1: 10:04
Mile 2: 9:46
Mile 3: 9:29
Mile 4: 9:16
Mile 5: 8:59
Mile 6: 9:11
Mile 7: 8:53
Mile 8: 8:55
Mile 9: 9:09
Mile 10: 8:35
Mile 11: 8:40
Mile 12: 8:36
Mile 13: 8:23


Total Time: 1:59:15 !!!!!!

(I lent my camera to my friend because hers died and her brother was still running the full marathon. Pics to come soon!)

Hubby and M didn't make it to see me finish. Parking and the crowd of people and the road closures prevented them from making it. It didn't stop me from jumping on him the second I saw him though! I had just enough energy left for that.