Run The Woodlands 5K #203 Race Report

Not too much to report here. It is warm. It was humid. Mile 1 was OK. The next two weren't. But unlike my business partner and TIR competitor, I ran it this morning. :)

I'm relentless in my pursuit of getting Bill to run these things. On the second loop of the Barbara Bush Elementary parking lot, I bellowed out to Bill, "I hope you've picked out a good trail shoes for Rocky in February."

On the first loop, it was just a simple, "Bill, you should be running this today."

Even Kim Hager agreed as I exited the parking lots for the pathways. I think I faintly heard a remark that Bill's uncoachable. Very true. :)

My effort today wasn't anything to write home about. However, since it is my job to write about, regardless of how painful it was, here it is -- 30:53.16.

Mile 1 -- 9:18.48
Mile 2 -- 10:12.17
Mile 3 -- 10:29.54
Last .1 -- 53.97

As long as it beat Ken Johnson's time at the Polish Pickle 5K Run in Bremond this morning, I'm good.

Mile 1 felt pretty good, including the downhill to the bridge. The worst part of the race came before we turned on to Alden Bridge though. I had to quit following the female runner who had some of the best looking calves that I've seen (and she was running on the forefront of her feet too.)

I thought mile 2 would have been the worse of the two as I stopped a little bit more than in the third mile. I caught Kim Driver's youngest daughter and asked her if Kim had dragged her out this morning. She confirmed my theory. (Kim graduated a year behind me at Spring High School and her family lives out in Montgomery.)

I was about ready to take another quick breather before the turn back into the parking lot, but darn ... there was Kim Hager cheering runners on in. I couldn't stop now!

What's fun about the $1 Run The Woodlands 5K race is the social opportunities that abound. Here's who I remember talking to or with a little bit:

+ Rick Cook
+ Vincent Attanucci
+ Paul "Skip" Moschell
+ Tim Vibrock
+ Donna Ryals
+ Karen Felicidario
+ Barry Blanton said "Hello"
+ William Banes

I saw the usuals - Mick Long, Stephen Smith, Kim Hager - but didn't get a chance to visit with any of them this morning.

Yes, the list is typically longer.

I'll write about our day on Friday a little bit later, but basically Waverly and I ran from the hotel to the gates of the Rose Bowl and back. About 3.2 miles roughly, and then I added another 30 minutes on the treadmill while she went to the room to shower for breakfast.

This was before a 6-hour drive to San Francisco, a 3-hour wait for our flight, the flight home and then not getting to bed until 2:30 a.m. this morning. (I just cranked out a yawn while typing the last sentence.) If we couldn't be in Squaw Valley, California this morning, it is just as good to be home.