27th annual Lunar Rendezvous Run 5K Race Report

Career Event #114 (34th this year)
Career 5K #59 (22nd this year and 53rd in Texas)

The primary reason, other than to get in a race, that I decided to drive to Clear Lake to do the 27th annual Lunar Rendezvous Run 5K this morning was because On The Run (and the Bay Area Running Club) was hosting the event. I've always been impressed with the work of Jay Lee and Kevin and Jana Landry in putting on events. And today, they didn't disappoint.

(I ran, but Waverly came home with a prize. Well, it's a prize to a 10-year-old. Jay announced that they had 200 of the green "Return To Flight" wristbands to give out. Like her Dad who counts things, she noted that she has 13 of them now.)

Although it wasn't chip-timed, the cost was $15 with a $1 discount for HARRA members. Very reasonable for a 5K with a full component of drinks after the race. I got a chance to see the awards for the winners of both the Open and Masters divisions and they were big bronze eagles mounted on blocks. Very nice, but I'm not going to be catching Luis Armenteros anytime soon. (Luis won today for the third time in the last four years.)

The course started just outside where the Space Center Houston tour begins and then went through the Johnson Space Center complex, including two passes by Rocket Park. (I realized for the first time that they had enclosed the old Saturn V rocket inside a building to protect it from the elements.)

I must say that I actually ran pretty well today (considering the comeback) and was pleased with the effort and the outcome. My mile splits (and notes) are as follows:

Mile 1 - 9:27.17
Mile 2 - 9:53.03
Mile 3 - 9:59.92
Last .1 - 51.04
Overall - 30:11.16

I felt for once that I was pretty well hydrated before the start despite the humidity in the air. It wasn't too hot actually either.

Waverly and I got to the race plenty early to make sure that I had picked up my race packet. (It was a 50-mile one-way drive and we got slowed up on 45 South around FM 1959 for road work. Glad we left the house at 5:35 a.m.) It is interesting to see people like On The Run's Christopher Bittinger and others begin to notice me because of either the blog here or the Run The Woodlands 5K Series.

As the beginning of the race started, I saw fellow blogger and now-Strider Jessica Alexander racing to get her packet picked up and back to her vehicle. (Neither one of us saw Sarah Graybeal at all -- and as I found out while writing this entry, she overslept. However, Jessica had Waverly get a picture of the two of us for our respective blogs.)

I saw Jessica with her bright green shirt that said, "It's My B-Day," taped in red letters on the front and the back. I started to the left of the pack, exactly 12.78 seconds off the start, and Jessica was in the middle.

Within the first 300 yards, Jessica went flying by me before we made the first turn. I hollered ahead, "Not too fast now, Jessica." She suddenly realized who it was that said it and laughed. We chit-chatted a bit and asked if the other had seen Sarah.

Somewhere before the mile 1 marker (probably around three-quarters of a mile), I passed Jessica and ran through the first water stop in a time of 9:27.17. (I thought to myself that the time was OK as long as I don't do the one minute-plus slip like I have been.)

As I went into the second mile, I actually felt pretty good, was relaxed and breathing well and didn't feel like my legs were going to give on me and force me to stop and walk. (I wondered if the elliptical machine workout with the treadmill run the night before was an asset or not. I secretly hoped it had.) I heard the timer call out at the mile 2 sign a time under 19 minutes. I'm thinking, "Wow!" as well as "No Jessica!"

But I knew two things: 1.) I hit the water stop and took a short 50-step walk break while getting it down and 2.) I knew that Jessica put together a great kick in the last 1.2 miles of the Toughest 10K in Texas last Saturday in Lampasas.

Just as soon as I was starting to run again, I felt a pat on my back and it was Jessica saying, "C'mon, let's see if we can both break 30!" She did and I didn't, but I didn't miss by much.
The 25.46-second difference between mile 1 and mile 2 was the smallest drop since the 5/12/05 HYLA Tie One On For Charity 5K in which I got a chance to meet Cassie Cowan.

Then I rattled off a consistent mile 3 with a time of 9:59.92. I was glad the I refused the desire to take a walk break, but I wasn't pushing myself at the end of my aerobic range.

The 6.89-second difference between mile 2 and mile 3 turned out to be the smallest drop since my back-to-back sub 29-minute 5Ks in February. (This is really good news!)

As I passed the mile 3 marker, I could see race photographer Karen Thibodeaux in front of me taking pictures of runners before turning down the stretch. I tried to get in position to give her a good shot! Then after making the turn, I knew that I could get in the low 30 timeframe so I continue to kick it as much as I could, I high-fived Waverly on the left and then passed a female runner right at the finish line. The 51.04 in the last .1 of a mile was the third fastest this year.

After finishing, Jessica and I spoke at length about a wide range of topics. I introduced her to Karen, who told me that she just won the business for the Little Rock Marathon in March. And we stayed around to see some of the awards given out, including an age group finish by Strider John Yoder.

I got a chance to talk with John at length: something that I always enjoy doing. (Actually I was flattered that he took the time to track me down as I wasn't going to interrupt a conversation or two that he was having with Suzy Seeley.) He keeps looking at the results from the Run The Woodlands 5K and is plotting his debut race. I gave him a course rundown and told him that I would love to get a whole host of Houston Striders out there one day. It could be a cheap "Race Of The Quarter" for the club!

I also got a chance to talk to Strider/HMSAer German Collazos for the first time and asked him what he thought about Scott Jurek winning Badwater two weeks after winning the Western States 100 for the seventh straight year. His response was "Unbelievable!" German completed the WS 100 this year for the second time in his career and he said he did so this year despite not really training for it.

A good day all in all!

Notable results:
Striders (Jessica Alexander, 29:37; John Yoder, 16:43 (first in 30-34); Elias Deetlefs, 18:43 (third in 45-49); Sara Collazos, 20:55 (2nd in 15-19); Yong Collins, 22:09 (second in 50-54); Tom Woltz, 24:20.)
Run The Woodlands participants (Christopher Bittinger, 18:04 (4th in 35-39); Predrag Bojovic, 19:27 (3rd in 40-44); Danny Gilbreath, 24:09.)
Winners (Luis Armenteros, 15:12; Francisco Perez, 16:49 (Masters); Debbie Rudisill, 19:39; Liz Schwandt, 20:38 (Masters).)