Blew Off Run The Woodlands ... and 3M!

When you don't feel like it, I guess the best thing to do is not to do them.

I had wavered all week about whether or not I was going to go over to Austin Saturday night and stay in a hotel before this morning's 3M Half Marathon. I couldn't find a Marriott property at a rate that I liked, nor that I wanted to use any of my points for.

Since I was going to make an early morning drive over, run the race and come back, Waverly is at Mom and Dad's house so she can go to church this morning.

However, I still didn't feel like going over. Not sure what it is. Not sure if it is the fact that maybe I'm a little bit burned out. Not sure if I think that I couldn't go over there and do well, especially after having run 2:12 twice and 2:15 in the last three years there.

I think the weather was going to be close to what I was liking, but it wasn't enough to get me to run. I had some extra motivation to go run it last year, but that wasn't going to be there this time around. But I don't think that was it as that dynamic has changed since a year ago.

Before and while Run The Woodlands 5K was going on (which I was going to run if Bill did), I rode 13.33 miles on Alden Bridge - 8.19 miles before the race and two loops of Alden Bridge (2.57 miles each) during. Thought I did a little more.

TWRC was represented at RTW yesterday by Lou and Nora Wilson, Vincent Attanucci and Randy Bradley. Mick Long and Rick Cook worked the race. Skip Moschell, who ran 3:08 at Houston, came up as the race was ending. John Slate, who lives in The Woodlands, and Ken Johnson from Seven Hills were there as well.

I waited for Ken at the 2.3-mile mark and rode with him the rest of the way in.

I then met Dana-Sue Crews and Bill Dwyer as we reviewed the site of Saturday's Bill Crews Remission Run 5K. Dana-Sue and I walked the almost 2 miles of the trail that we are going to run. The first 1.2 miles or so will be on grass around the softball and soccer fields of Carl Barton, Jr. Park. We need to go this way to thin the field out some before hitting the trails.

The trails are not all single-track, but in some places they are.

They'll be a little bit of a different challenge than Huntsville State Park. I'd say that there are more switchbacks, but the surface is firm, doesn't have as many tree roots as Huntsville and will be a completely different experience.

We're getting a ton of cooperation from the City of Conroe Parks and Recreation Department. They had volunteers from Caney Creek and Oak Ridge High Schools clearing the trail on Saturday morning and they look great.

I spent 2.5 hours completely measuring the course. We'll be a little bit over 5K but by no more than 100 or 200 feet. If you're coming to race it, wear trail shoes or not the pair that you just bought at your favorite running specialty store - especially if it rains a little bit.

We've got a great group of volunteers - which includes Buck and Kerri Snyder (registration) and Gena and Greg Alvarez (parking and volunteer control) - that we hope will provide a unique racing experience as we celebrate life and have a reminder that cancer - as Dana-Sue puts it - sucks.

Waverly, of course, will be singing the National Anthem.

If you haven't seen the video from New Year's Day, it is out on youtube.com. You just need to search on Waverly Walk or look for the profile, "walksports".

I'm hoping that Saturday will be a positive experience for her. She didn't make Region Choir yesterday after her audition. She and another girl (and a friend of hers) that their Choir Director expected would make it didn't. She was disappointed, as she should be. I'd be concerned if she wasn't. I told her that this one event certainly didn't define her and if that she gave it the best that she had, then that's all that I or her Mom could ask of her.

I told her that I'm proud of her no matter what, but especially so for attempting some things that many, many other young men and women will never do. That makes her a winner. Period.

I think I'll work through my sorrows of not being motivated of going to Austin this morning by getting a little bit more sleep and join Cassie and Manny doing the Frost Bike 45/55 in Cypress this morning. Have to represent against those Road Warriors that we now will be there.

Updated Career Stats

The year-by-year breakdown of events (as of 1/19/09) is as follows:

2003 - 19
2004 - 61
2005 - 63
2006 - 58
2007 - 41
2008 - 49
2009 - 4

Total - 295

Event mileage as of 1/18/09 looks like this:

2003 - 84.1
2004 - 410.3
2005 - 420.58
2006 - 560.52
2007 - 392.16
2008 - 478.64
2009 - 68.6

Total - 2,214.7

Months of event miles ranked:

84.8 - February 2006 (Mardi Gras, Surfside and Austin)
82.4 - February 2008 (Rocky Raccoon 50-Miler)
77.9 - October 2004 (Month of first marathon)
68.6 - January 2009 (Kingwood, First Light Half, Houston)
68.6 - January 2008 (Kingwood, Houston and 3M Half)
68.4 - December 2006 (Sunmart 50K and Jacksonville Bank Marathon)
64.1 - November 2008
62.26 - June 2006
61.7 - January 2006
61 - October 2005
58.8 - November 2005
54.4 - January 2007
52.95 - April 2006
51.7 - April 2008
49.8 - November 2004
48.6 - March 2006 (Month of half marathon PR), October 2006
47.8 - July 2007
44.8 - January 2005, April 2005
44.06 - May 2007
39.3 - March 2007, October 2007
38.6 - November 2006
37.9 - December 2004
37.4 - February 2007
36.8 - May 2004
36.7 - September 2004, December 2005
36.5 - December 2008
34.8 - April 2007
32.4 - August 2005, May 2008
31.7 - March 2004
31.6 - August 2008
31.2 - June 2004, August 2007
30.5 - November 2003
29.3 - December 2007, October 2008
27.94 - March 2008 (Odd mileage includes TIR)
27.4 - January 2004
27.38 - May 2005
26.8 - September 2005
26.01 - July 2006
25.5 - August 2006
25.3 - November 2007
24.7 - September 2006
23.75 - February 2005
22.7 - July 2005
22.4 - April 2004, August 2004
22.15 - March 2005
20.6 - July 2004
19.3 - June 2005, September 2008
18.6 - October 2003, July 2008
16.2 - June 2008
15.5 - February 2004
12.4 - September 2003
9.3 - December 2003
6.2 - May 2006 (IT band flare-up after Fort Worth 10K), September 2007
4 - January 2003
3.1 - April 2003, May 2003, July 2003, June 2007

2009 Results / Calendar

1/1 - 10th annual Texas Marathon ($40, Kingwood, TX) - 5:43:12 (Marathon No. 22)
1/10 - Run The Woodlands 5K #216 (The Woodlands, TX) - 41:01.89 (PD)
1/11 - First Light Half Marathon (Mobile, AL) - 2:14:09 (State no. 24)
1/18 - Chevron Houston Marathon (Houston, TX) - 5:34:37 (Marathon no. 23)

295 career races since 2003
88 races of 13.1 miles or more (1 50-miler, 23 full, 56 half, 2 30K, 1 25K road, 3 25K trail, 1 15M, 1 50K)
23 marathons since October 31, 2004 (12 states)
56 half marathons since November 1, 2003 (23 states, 1 province)

2009 Calendar
1/24 - Run The Woodlands 5K #217, The Woodlands, TX (With Bill Dwyer)
1/25 - 15th annual 3M Half Marathon, Austin, TX (Paid; $64.99)
1/31 - Bill Crews Remission Run 5K, Conroe, TX
2/14 - Surfside Marathon (Paid; $50)
3/7-8 - Texas Independence Relay
11/27 - The City of Conroe Turkey Trot 5K, Conroe, TX
11/28 - Run The Woodlands 5K, The Woodlands, TX

2009 Miscellaneous Activities
4/11 - Davy Crockett Bear Chase, Groveton, TX (Public Address Announcing)
11/26 - Run Thru The Woods (Finish Line P.A. Announcing)

2009 Social Appearances

Finish Line Picture from Mobile on Sunday

I don't think I was shaved and it isn't the most flattering, but check out that time!

Always Fun: Chronicle Marathon Coverage

Let the spin season begin! Seriously though, it isn't as bad as it has been in the past.

Interestingly enough, today's column by Jerome Solomon about "Steve H." is typical of what we'll see all week. Good story, but check it - and the comments - out here. Fun stuff!

My only beef about today's story is regarding this line - "Having had hernia surgery in October, Steve H., who prefers not to use his last name, won’t break a personal record, but he should finish feeling better than ever. The black shirt he’ll wear will have a homemade sign on the front. “Sober.”"

You make yourself available to be covered, but you don't want anybody to know who you are. Kind of odd if you ask me. Especially when his picture is included in the online edition (I haven't seen the print edition).

But the writer, who I know from my days covering high school athletics, gives enough clues to figure out exactly who he is.

1. Steve came close to his longtime dream of qualifying for the Boston Marathon, which then required a time under 3:11:00, with a heartbreaking 3:11:01 finish in San Diego in 2000.

Check marathonguide.com as results are available from 2000 forward.
Rock 'N' Roll Marathon? Nope.
Carlsbad Marathon in early January? Possibly.
Look at this link ... there it is -- Steve Halterman (M), M30-34, 3:11:01, New York, NY

2. Steve finished the 2006 Chevron Houston Marathon 25 minutes off his personal best.

That just locked it in. And the writer had indeed researched the time as it was 3:36 and change.

My point? I'm just curious to know why not put "Halterman" there.

The only thing that I can think of is so as to not have somebody give his 7-year-old daughter grief that her Dad was a drunk and did "cocaine". That I get and understand (and is something that I saw AFTER I started this post.)

If it is something else non-criminal, let's say, print it. In my mind, it really has to be something to get the OK not to print it. Perhaps Edwin can chime in since he works for the Lufkin Daily News again.

When Lisa Foronda had her blog, you really couldn't tell for sure that it was her. However, there was a time mentioned at a specific race ... and one was able to figure it out. Why did I? I'm a numbers' guy - plain and simple. But we respected the fact that she was a major public figure and we always used her lisaleese monikor.

Here's a question for you? Do you really think that Merga came to Houston without the event paying an appearance fee? I don't think so, but I think that things are probably structured a little differently for him. When I talked with Steven Karpas at the 25K, he didn't tip his hand other than that the sentiment expressed in Sunday's story about the record not being broken was real.

I think it all part of their marketing plan, which is smart. The increase in runners and the increase in price? It's going to appearance fees (or the like). I did check the Marathon's income tax return through guidestar.org for the most recent period a number of weeks ago; however, the "net assets" line was basically the same as it had been before.

First Light Half Marathon Race Report

Weather was perfect for me for this race in Mobile, Alabama - the First Light Half Marathon.

It was just under 50 degrees at the start and it might have gotten colder (it was 47 on the car thermometer when I got back in it) as the race progressed.

I normally hit my watch between the gun and the start and then deduct the time for my "chip time"; however, I didn't do it today. But I saw 12 seconds on my watch. Well, I saw 13 but I was a step or two across the line.

Those 12 seconds are important. Why? I reeled off my fourth best half marathon ever this morning - 2:14:21 will be the gun time. This coming after running on the treadmill Friday night for an hour, an easy 5K with Waverly Saturday morning, going to Conroe to order trophies and plaques for the Bill Crews Remission Run, renting a car and then driving to Mobile!

I'll add more later, but here are the splits (as I want to get a shower and get on the road):

Mile 1 - 10:00.35
Mile 2 - 9:52.29 (19:52.62)
Mile 3 - 10:03.68 (29:56.32)
Mile 4 - 10:13.19 (40:09.51)
Mile 5 - 9:57.59 (50:07.10)
Mile 6 - 10:18.73 (1:00:25.83)
Mile 7 - 9:56.96 (1:10:22.79)
Mile 8 - 10:27.45 (1:20:50.24)
Mile 9 - 10:11.15 (1:31:01.39)
Mile 10 - 10:18.63 (1:41:20.02)
Mile 11 - 10:29.77 (1:51:49.79)
Mile 12 - 11:02.41 (2:02:52.20)
Last 1.1 - 11:29.78 (2:14:21.98)

I know that this sounds totally insane, but I'm thinking about completely resting, skipping Houston and then try to throw everything at the 3M Half Marathon in two weeks in Austin.

Maybe I'll just work on busting my butt and keep running halves for awhile - and then after (if I could work at it and lose some weight) that, work back on doing marathons.

But I'll say this, a flat course allows for you to completely think about nothing but putting one foot in front of the other and developing a nice, steady rhythm - and never having to worry about hills, etc. (and especially the mental head games that come with running on and over them).

And I just became a "completer" for half2run.com today!

Arrived in Mobile

I made it to Mobile, Alabama in pretty good time - except for a stretch on the other side of what I call the "double swamp bridges" before you get to Baton Route.

I left the IAH rental car lot at close to 2 p.m. and made it here in under 7 hours and 30 minutes, which only included two stops for food and gas - once just inside of Louisiana and the other in Gulfport (where there was actually a fast food worker at Wendy's who was kind of cute.) Go figure.

Anyway ... my biggest concern is whether or not the front moves through. I drove through a lot of rain around Baton Rouge and beyond - all the way to and just past Slidell. And the temperature when I got to the hotel was still in the 69-72 range and humid. Ugh!

I looked at this event because the 10-day forecast put the temperatures of what it is in Houston right now. The one thing about it all is that you just don't know what for sure that you're going to get with the weather.

More to report tomorrow after the First Light Half Marathon!

Run The Woodlands 5K #216 Race Report

Waverly and I did this simply to get ready for her to be able to run me in next Sunday at the Chevron Houston Marathon.

However, her leg started to bother her.

Mile 1 - 12:29.44
Mile 2 - 13:59.29
Mile 3 - 13:30.03
Last .1 - 1:03.13
Total - 41:01.89

Mick Long and company were there running the race for Luke's Locker.

Among those seen in attendance included Wayne Rutledge, Vincent Attanucci, Karen and Tim Bowler, On The Run assistant manager Vera Balic (guess my Fortitudes weren't in yet), longtime Run The Woodlands regular Lloyd Swanson, Nora and Lou Wilson (we got passed by Lou as he's coming back off a four-month injury) and I met Sheila Carmody and Bill Travis for the first time.

Event #293. I'm catching up with Ken Johnson.

More from Mobile, Alabama today or tomorrow as I hope to get state/province no. 25 to be a "completer" on half2run.com.

Nice English from a Future U.S. Senator

"There was certainly no pay-to-play involved, because I don't have no money," (Roland) Burris told reporters after his Senate meeting, previewing his sworn answer to that question. [Click here for the full story.]

(I know that I've been buried deep in many things and haven't been keeping up with blogging and other things, but this was just too good not to pass up.)

Texas Cities Run In

Prior to Thanksgiving weekend of 2006, I had run a race in the following 36 Texas cities or towns:

45 - The Woodlands
33 - Houston
8 - Huntsville
7 - Austin
5 - Sugar Land
4 - Clear Lake, Dallas, San Antonio
3 - Brenham, Fort Worth, Kingwood
2 - Alvin, Galveston, Helotes, San Marcos
1 - Angleton, Arlington, Beaumont, Bellaire, Centerville, College Station, Corpus Christi, Cypress, Deer Park, Flower Mound, Keller, La Grange, Missouri City, Pasadena, Pearland, Round Rock, Seabrook, Surfside, Tyler, Waco, Wharton

Without counting TIR towns and the October 2008 DNF at the Cross Roads Marathon and by only counting Marathon (for Marathon 2 Marathon), the total now stands at 54!

60 - The Woodlands
40 - Houston
13 - Austin, Huntsville
6 - Dallas
5 - Fort Worth, Kingwood, San Antonio, Sugar Land
4 - College Station, Conroe, Clear Lake
3 - Brenham, San Marcos, Willis
2 - Alvin, Centerville, Corpus Christi, Galveston, Helotes, Pearland, Tyler
1 - Aledo, Angleton, Arlington, Beaumont, Bellaire, Bremond, Caldwell, Cypress, Deer Park, Flower Mound, Fort Davis, Keller, La Grange, Lampasas, Livingston, Lufkin, Marathon, Milano, Missouri City, New Braunfels, Oak Ridge North, Pasadena, Pilot Point, Round Rock, Seabrook, Surfside, Temple, Texarkana, Waco, Webster, West, Wharton

Late 2006 / 2007 Results

Prior to November 12, 2006, all of my results were carefully cataloged on web pages at walksports.com.

After the "Run For Hans" Run The Woodlands 5K Saturday, things went awry.

Late 2006 Results
11/24 - Run Thru The Woods 5-Miler (The Woodlands, TX) - 51:36.25
11/25 - 2nd annual City of Conroe Turkey Trot 5K (Conroe, TX) - 33:12
11/26 - Run The Woodlands 5K #166 (The Woodlands, TX) - 31:25.29
12/ 9 - Sunmart Texas Trail Endurance Run 50K (Huntsville, TX) - 7:15:55
12/10 - Chevron Jingle Bell Run 5-Miler (Houston, TX) - 1:00:33.35 (Paced Waverly Walk)
12/16 - 1st annual Willis Wildkat 5K (Willis, TX) - 30:19.66
12/17 - Jacksonville Bank Marathon (Jacksonville, FL) - 5:25:38 (Marathon No. 11)
12/23 - Run The Woodlands 5K #168 - 29:15.02

2007 Results
1/ 6 - Run The Woodlands 5K #169 (The Woodlands, TX) - 32:03.18
1/14 - Chevron Houston Marathon (Houston, TX) - 5:14:57 (Marathon No. 12)
1/21 - River Road Run 12-Miler (New Braunfels, TX) - 2:02:06.18
1/28 - 3M Half Marathon (Austin, TX) - 2:12:26 (Half Marathon No. 31)
2/10 - Park to Park Run (Houston, TX) - 48:09.41
2/18 - AT&T Austin Marathon (Austin, TX) - 5:43:12 (Marathon No. 13)
2/24 - Smelt Run 10K (La Conner, WA) - 1:01:34
3/ 4 - Alpharetta Marathon (Alpharetta, GA) - 5:16:17.63 (Marathon No. 14)
3/25 - Mercer Island Rotary Run Day Half Marathon (Mercer Island, WA) - 2:22:44 (Half Marathon No. 32)
4/ 7 - Resurrection Run 5K (Houston, TX) - 30:25
4/15 - Vancouver Sun Run 10K (Vancouver, BC) - 1:03:41
4/21 - Yuri's Night 5K (Webster, TX) - 37:50 (Paced Waverly Walk)
4/22 - Around The World 5K (College Station, TX) - 31:05.95
4/28 - Fort Worth Zoo Run Run 10K (Fort Worth, TX) - 1:03:16.28
4/29 - Oklahoma City Memorial Half Marathon (Oklahoma City, OK) - 2:23:20.02 (Half Marathon No. 33)
5/ 5 - Apple Blossom Run 10K (Wenatchee, WA) - 1:01:26.98
5/ 6 - Bloomsday 12K (Spokane, WA) - 1:17:57.63
5/12 - Run The Woodlands 5K #177 (The Woodlands, TX) - 30:31.64
5/12 - YMCA Trail Run 5K (Conroe, TX) - 34:26.83
5/19 - Fargo Half Marathon (Fargo, ND) - 2:18:16 (Half Marathon No. 34)
5/20 - Apple Blossom Half Marathon (Hastings, MN) - 2:26:46.34 (Half Marathon No. 35)
6/23 - 20th annual Polish Pickle Run 5K (Bremond, TX) - 30:52
7/ 4 - 28th annual Lander Half Marathon (Lander, WY) - 2:45:29 (Half Marathon No. 36)
7/ 7 - 2nd annual Leadville Trail Heavy Half Marathon (Leadville, CO) - 5:41:10 (15.4 miles; Half Marathon No. 37)
7/14 - Liberty Days 5K (Roaring Spring, PA) - 37:37.10 (Paced Waverly Walk)
7/15 - Presque Isle Half Marathon (Erie, PA) - 2:19:14.40 (Half Marathon No. 38)
7/28 - Run The Woodlands 5K #182 (The Woodlands, TX) - 38:20.72 (Wasn't racing; Ran with Waverly Walk)
8/ 5 - Prude Ranch Races Half Marathon (Fort Davis, TX) - 2:37:42 (Half Marathon No. 39)
8/18 - News and Sentinel Half Marathon (Parkersburg, WV) - 2:24:05 (Half Marathon No. 40)
8/25 - Oak Ridge Track Club 5-Miler (Oak Ridge North, TX) - 52:33.42
9/ 2 - WestFest Kolache 5000 (West, TX) - 30:46.36
9/ 8 - Kolache Krunch 5K (Caldwell, TX) - Time N/A
10/ 6 - Grete's Great Gallop Half Marathon (New York City, NY) - 2:38:39 (Half Marathon No. 41)
10/ 7 - 31st annual Ridgefield Pamby Motors Half Marathon (Ridgefield, CT) - 2:38:37 (Half Marathon No. 42)
10/13 - Huntsville Half Marathon (Huntsville, TX) - 2:29:17 (Half Marathon No. 43)
11/17 - 1st annual Tyler Half Marathon (Tyler, TX) - 2:30:39 (Half Marathon No. 44)
11/22 - Run Thru The Woods 5-Miler (The Woodlands, TX) - 49:03
11/23 - 3rd annual City of Conroe Turkey Trot 5K (Conroe, TX) - 31:59
11/24 - Run The Woodlands 5K #189 (The Woodlands, TX) - 34:10.76 (Wasn't racing; Ran with Ken Johnson)
12/ 2 - Tucson Marathon (Oracle to Tucson, AZ) - 5:26:07 (Marathon No. 15)
12/15 - Willis Wildkat 5K (Willis, TX) - 36:27.14 (Paced Waverly Walk)

2007 Miscellaneous Activities
2/ 3 - Rocky Raccoon 100 Miler, Huntsville, TX (Paced Rick Cook for 20 miles)
2/10 - The Woodlands Spin For ALS, The Woodlands, TX (Rode stationery bike for 5 hours)
8/12 - 9th annual Midnight Bike Cruise, The Woodlands, TX (20 miles)
8/25 - 7th annual Bay Area Running Club Pub Crawl, Clear Lake, TX
9/ 3 - The Woodlands Adventure Race, The Woodlands, TX
10/27-28 - Pre-Inaugural Texas Independence Relay, Gonzales to La Porte, TX (Ran 17.5 miles)

2007 Social Appearances
1/ 1 - 8th annual Texas Marathon, Kingwood, TX (Volunteered)
1/27 - Run The Woodlands 5K #170, The Woodlands, TX (Volunteered)
3/ 3 - Spring Fever 5K, The Woodlands, TX (Spectator)
5/26 - Run The Woodlands 5K #178, The Woodlands, TX (Volunteered)
6/ 9 - Run The Woodlands 5K #179, The Woodlands, TX (Timed the 7HRC/TWRC Challenge)
6/24 - Buffalo Springs Half Ironman, Lubbock, TX (To watch Kim Hager and Andrew Perry compete)
9/21 - Bear Branch Junior High XC Meet, Magnolia, TX (To watch Waverly compete)
9/29 - Brenham Hillacious Invitational XC Meet, Brenham, TX (To watch Waverly compete)
10/14 - United Space Alliance 10-Miler, Houston, TX (To watch Kim Hager compete; Spectator)
11/11 - HMSA Classical 25K, Houston, TX (Informal public announcing duties)
12/ 8 - Sunmart Texas Trail Endurance Runs, Huntsville, TX (Spectator)

The Best of 2008: Happy New Year!

This will appear in The Woodlands Running Club's January 2009 edition of "Deer Tracks" --

Most of you who know me know that I do some crazy things, but you know what? I support our sports and I'm having fun doing it. (And that's the goal isn't it?) 2008 has been a busy year and I just never realized how busy it was until I did a little tabulating. Here's what I uncovered:

51 - Races run, which includes a marathon DNF, 6 marathon finishes, 11 half marathons, a 50-miler, an adventure race and a 203-mile road relay.
42 - Minutes in which my Texas Independence Relay team beat Bill's team
28 - Days representing the longest stretch that I didn't run a race in (from April 26 to May 24 and July 26 to August 23).
26 - Texas towns that I started or finished a race in (Kingwood, Houston, The Woodlands, Austin, Huntsville, Texarkana, College Station, Fort Worth, Aledo, Pilot Point, Dallas, Temple, Centerville, Lampasas, Milano, San Marcos, Odessa, Alpine, Marathon, Lufkin, Pearland, San Antonio, Conroe, Willis, Livingston, Corpus Christi). This doesn't include running through Nassau Bay (during the Resurrection Run 5K) and Gonzales, Flatonia and Wallis as part of the Texas Independence Relay
23 - 5K's, including six Run The Woodlands 5Ks
20 - Additional races or triathlons that I covered as a member of the media, performed public address announcing duties or cheered on friends (and total strangers).
6 - States run in other than Texas (KS, MO, OK, MN, SD, LA)
5 - Marathons or half marathons that I ran a 5K race the day before
4 - 5K's in less than 48 hours (April 17-19 in Fort Worth, Aledo, Pilot Point and Dallas)
3 - Races that I paced friends in (two 5Ks and a 10K)
2 - Races in the same day (December 13 in Willis and Livingston)
2 - Organized bike rides
2 - Triathlons attended to watch friends compete in their first triathlons

My five best races - from a performance standpoint - were as follows:

1. Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon, April 26 - 5:08:30 (Best marathon of the six finishes.)
2. Austin Runners Club Decker Half Marathon, December 7 - 2:19:29 (Hilly course that came two weeks after running the same time on a completely flat course in New Orleans.)
3. 3M Half Marathon, Austin, January 27 - 2:15:31 (Two and three minutes, respectively, off the times of the last two years, but two weeks after a mediocre Houston Marathon performance.)
4. Rocky Raccoon 50 Miler, Huntsville, February 2 - 13:46:21 (The time isn't necessarily pretty, but not too many people cover 50 miles in one swath of time.)
5. Super Cooper Heart Run 5K, Lafayette, LA, November 22 - 29:02 (It's been too long since I had been in the low 29s.)

My ten (Ok, 11) most memorable moments included:

1. Waverly running the last three miles of the Chevron Houston Marathon with me (after she worked Andy Stewart's Finish Line Sports mile 23 water station).
2. Putting on the Montgomery County Triple 5K at Barbara Bush Elementary on Saturday, November 29 and having the event's runners contribute up to $250 towards the Hagemeister Research Fund.
3. Passing Bill during leg 23 of the Texas Independence Relay to put our Battling Bloggers of The Texas Republic team in the lead for good.
4. Finishing the Rocky Raccoon 50 Miler. (Bill's comment after the race, "You just ran from like Huntsville to Spring.")
5. Doing the "We Are ... Penn State" cheer as I crossed the finish line of the Ramp Romp 5K at Kyle Field on Saturday, February 23 only to be met with a collective groan from the Aggies' Men's Lacrosse team.
6. Finishing The Woodlands Adventure Race in Bigfoot costumes (winning Best Costume, of course) with Bill Dwyer on Labor Day.
7. Doing public address announcing with Sunny 99's Dana Tyson at the Light The Night Walk in The Woodlands (as well as P.A. duties for the Davy Crockett Bear Chase in Groveton, the Huntsville Half Marathon and Run Thru The Woods on Thanksgiving.)
8. Manning the near mile 8 water stop of Ten For Texas with fellow club members Bill Dwyer, Holden Choi, Karen and Emma Felicidario, Debbie Tripp, Waverly Walk and her friend, Natalia.
9. Being in attendance for the first triathlons of two of my Texas Independence Relay teammates, club member Katy Lampson of Huntsville and Cassie Mondragon of Houston.
10. Pushing John Laskowski at the end of the Armadillo Dash Half Marathon in College Station on Sunday, February 24.
11. Watching as many as possible of our club members - including John - finish their Ironmans in Arizona (in April and November) and Florida over the Internet.

My challenge to each of you who run a race in 2009: Please contribute at least one race report for Deer Tracks!