Koala / Luke's Houston Half Marathon

It's a lazy Friday evening here in the metropolis of Spring (and I can hear Waverly's practicing Christmas songs in the next room). Therefore, it is a good time to try and recap last weekend before I get involved in this one!

I thought about driving to Panama City Beach, Florida to watch Ironman Florida in person, but I'm going to pass. I ran for an hour last night at the gym and another 45 minutes earlier this evening (plus a short 10-minute spin on the stationary bike.)

After I was done with the Moonlight Bike Ramble, I went in search for a convenience store that was open to get something quick to eat. I found a Valero station open on Memorial Drive and then I headed back downtown to find a place to park. I then saw a myriad of people as I was waiting for Bill to make his way to setup the TWRC tent.

They included the following:

+ Doug Spence and John DiMarco - both of them did the Chicago Marathon, but didn't know that the other one was there.
+ Whitney La Rocca - the Striders' new president. Whitney is a very good friend of mine. We ran most of the Longest Long Run together in December 2004, and have been friends ever since. She's one of those individuals that I wouldn't hesitate to help out in a heartbeat.
+ Noah Matthews - a longtime Strider who was in charge of helping the other clubs with their tents and he helped Bill and I put up the TWRC tent. One of the nicest gentleman that you'd ever want to meet.
+ Lisa Ruthven and Stacy Stepler - the new race co-directors. Both have been Striders since I joined the club back in 2004. Stacy was in my Power In Motion group in the fall of 2004. Whitney had arranged for me to ride the course, but I decided against it and let Lisa know (as well as thanking her) that I wouldn't be doing so. Primarily because I hadn't taken the road bike with me for the Bike Ramble.
+ Lee Baughman - He told me that 992 of the over 2,600+ registrants signed up in the last three days before the race. Interesting. I told him that Bill and I would help establish a northside packet pickup point next year, if Luke's decided not to do so.
+ Jay Hilscher - Race director of the Texas Independence Relay.
+ Edwin, Cassie, Manny, Holden and Norman - It was a Battling Bloggers reunion. Just four more months until the annual rolling party from Gonzales to the San Jacinto Monument.

The people that I saw - even before the race - are almost too many to remember or recount. I'm very fortunate to know all of the people that I do.

When the race got started, I took off on my bike out on Allen Parkway. I caught up with the leaders as they were hitting mile 1. There was a pack of five of them (Wade, Armenteros, Colin Carroll, Jose Lara-who was running the relay and maybe Alex Moore). But the second mile required me to go up to the intersection because I gave Whitney my word that I wouldn't be out on the course without agreeing to a couple of provisions.

I saw the first 15 or so runners come back to the second overpass (heading back, first going out) and then I went to the other side as runners were going out on their first loop to see more people -- and that is where I camped out.

I saw a majority of the TWRC members - Nancy Prejean, Jim Braden, Stephen Smith, Vincent Attanucci (never saw Michael), Joe Martinez (but didn't see Missie), Mitch Hall (actually saw me first), Wayne Rutledge (he saw me first too) and Greg and Gena Alvarez.

I saw Edwin, Holden, Jessica, Norman and Cassie out on the course. Yes I'm guilty of taunting Holden that he was the fourth blogger (not counting Cassie). It is my job to motivate my TIR teammates. :)

I saw anybody and everybody - Madame President Anna Helm, Veronica Hoge, Russell Meyer and so on. I even saw Steven Karpas and gave him a shout out!

Cassie came walking back from the exchange point and she and I stood and chatted until we saw Manny pass us. We weren't paying attention for him on the return though and we thought that he beat us back to the finish line (as we walked back). We were right.

We saw Edwin start down the last overpass back towards downtown. I hollered at him that I could see Jessica. (Actually, I couldn't.) Lo and behold, no sooner had I said that, there was Jessica going full steam ahead down the last underpass.

I looked and Edwin was just going up the uphill part of the underpass. Cassie and I figured that Jessica would catch him, and she did!

Once we made it back in, I hung around the post-race party for a good long while doing what I do well - socializing. But I gather a lot of information that way too.

I talked to a lot of people. Kevin Regis and Rich Siemens were among the many runners that I conversed with post-race. I stuck around and got pictures to use for Footprints, Deer Tracks and whatever else they come in handy for. I'm already looking to do the same at the HMSA Classical 25K.

I love our HARRA Fall Series events, but I don't like running the triple concrete courses. I know why they have to be used - to minimize the amount of traffic that is shut down, etc. - but that doesn't mean that I have to like them. God bless those that do run them.

I helped Bill pull the tent down. Russell helped him get it to his vehicle. And it was north to go get Waverly from my parent's place after she went to Sunday School and church that morning.