Run The Woodlands 5K Race Report

Yes, yes, I know that I still owe everyone a Chevron Houston Marathon race report. (In fact, I was forced to write down the splits last weekend before the track meet at the University of Houston.)

I ran most of the way with Debbie Tripp and we had a good run. We probably could have pushed ourselves a bit more in mile 3, but it was a good workout for the both of us.

She probably ran harder than she wanted to in the first mile as she was running - and talking - with the Van Kuikens and talking about their upcoming trip to Sedona when Gary gets in state No. 50. Then when she backed off, here I came!

Our splits and overall time looked like this:

Mile 1 -- 9:18.35
Mile 2 -- 9:58.01 (took 35 seconds at the beginning at the mile marker)
Mile 3 -- 10:39.55 (took 1:45 at the beginning of mile 3)
Last .1 -- 54.12

Overall -- 30:50.03

Debbie has normally been doing a run/walk she said; however, she commented coming down the back stretch about being thankful that I made her work.

Though I said we weren't going to race each other because neither one of us needed a knock-down-drag out! (We talked about the 2006 3M Half Marathon where I was surprised to see her ahead of me past the mile 6 marker. I worked pretty hard the rest of the way to make sure she didn't beat me -- even though I didn't crack 2:10 that day.)

Mick Long, Rick Cook and Dave Smart worked the race from Luke's perspective today.

Karen Felicidario and Holden Choi both ran for our TIR team and Karen had a new PR - breaking 27 minutes - and Holden was back, as expected, in the 25-minute range. My 10K estimates for the two of them are right in line. I may have to upgrade Holden's a minute or two though.

Doug Spence was out for Bill's team and ran in the 35's and Bill ran the course before we all did. He got to Kuykendahl, probably about 2.7 miles or so, in 30 minutes and then he said he walked it in. (I reminded him that Debbie and I both got there in 26:10. I know that'll motivate him.) I told Bill that we could go run the RTW 5K course again tomorrow after I get back from Austin.

I saw three of Bill's runners - Delia Akers and Greg and Gena Alvarez - starting their long run from Skeeters parking lot this morning at about 7:30 a.m. as I was heading to RTW. So, they're working, but we're still going to win! :)

The rest of the "Who's Who" went like this:

+ Skip Moschell was the overall winner. (He said, of course, that there were no high school kids or Jacob Mazone from Spring there.)
+ Vincent Attanucci was wearing his Wake Forest shirt, courtesy of his oldest son's girlfriend who ran her first marathon in Kingwood on New Year's Day.
+ Ron Longtin belted out a new PR, breaking 27 minutes for the first time. As Bill pointed out, Ron was a walker two years ago. (Ron will be challenging Mike Mendeck in their age group now!)
+ Nora Wilson was out volunteering and George Roffe was shooting pictures.
+ Dawn Craig was getting 100-mile running advice from Rick. (My plan for next Saturday: Just go run and let what happens happen.)
+ Ruth Fields and a couple of runners from their TIR team were there.
+ Joe and Missy Martinez of the Tejas Renegades were there as well.
+ Carlos Ortegon, Ann Leoni and Wayne Rutledge ran before and then the 5K.
+ Tom Pinney and Rjole battled it out with one of Ruth's teammates for the runner-and-animal winner today. Rjole is one of Tom's salukis.
+ Fellow TWRC club members Susan Meyer and Joe and Lori Eubanks also ran the race.

It was a good morning overall!

A better day will be to find out that Waverly made Region Choir this afternoon. She was singing in the afternoon, but was helping out - volunteering - this morning.

She was invited to join the National Junior Honor Society this week at school and will be running track. I'm very proud of her desires to be as involved as she is.