SARR annual party

No races this past weekend for me. I planned an 8-miler on Saturday, which turned into a hot 9.5 miler. I really need to get a sense of direction or GPS or something. Later in the day, I attended the San Antonio Roadrunners annual party. SARR gave out 4 scholarships to young runners. Here is the scholarship committee - Veronica, Hugh, Jane, and I. I will not be wearing that shirt ever again, now that I see how it actually looks!

Maybe it's just the angle? Hmmm....apparently not. Shirt is on its way to Goodwill.

Must stop falling down

I have had many friends and relatives who have fallen in the past year and sustained major injuries. Thankfully, I am the idiot that gets to fall without serious injury. Like tonight. I bought the dogs (I did accidentally type that as "gods" first) those evil-looking prongy dog training collars. And they have been great - walking each dog by herself. Since they had been doing so well, I took them out tonight together and it was great - two dogs, walking aside me, not pulling, just trotting along UNTIL Dingo ran behind, then in front, of me, cutting my feet out from under me and sending me flying.

Nice. I managed to hold the leashes while I fell to the ground, but I got major roadrash, contusions, and just realized that my hand is bleeding on the keyboard. dumb dogs. I was going to post pics, but I'm just going to clean up the cuts and ice my arm, instead.

Yes, I run at 6:30 p.m.

Why do you ask?

Yes, it is very hot. And even in the extreme heat, I feel it necessary to have a photo shoot with Gwen the Pitoodle:

All those degrees make us all a bit crazy, I guess.

Thanks to WOAI for the awful forecast and Gwen for being very, very tolerant

Such smart girls, such horrid/terrible/[insert adj here] decisions

That's what my college buddy, Candide's, mom used to say about us. And she was right. Now, I have made some poor decisions which I will never repeat (i.e.: marrying, divorcing, taking a bite of a black widow, dating the neighbor, catching a ride back from Matamoras, MX in a mystery-machine type van, etc.). And I didn't repeat them. Because I am smart enough to learn from my mistakes (and near-mistakes).

Except when it comes to the siren call of the dumb nighttime trail run. *sigh* Yes, it is the time to run Los Chupacabras de la Noche 10k trail run once again. And I'm in. Dang, last time, I fell and hurt my hip. Then, I ran its twin, the Cupid 10k, and separated my shoulder (which has still been killing me). The painful memories fade, though, when I desire this shirt:

Yeah, I'm pretty sure it is worth any injuries. The 5k the next morning will just suck royally. And I will swear SWEAR never to do it again. Riiiiiight.

P.S. Tim and Dad - let me know if you want me to snag some t's for you!

HOT, Part Deux

Okay, all you midwestern wussies. Yeah, you. You know who you are. The ones crying because it is 88 degrees and feels like 92. You think I'm being mean? Well, maybe I'm just grouchy because this is what I'll be running in tonight and the rest of the week:

Yep, those 3-digit temperatures are NOT "feels like" heat index ratings - those are 103-105. Last night, I think I ran an extra 1/2 mile by crossing the street repeatedly, chasing shade. I am already drinking my 9th bottle of water today in a vain attempt to hydrate before zoo run tonight. What a great time to start training in earnest for the marathon, hey? And it doesn't get any cooler from here. (Incidentally - how the heck did I drive around here for six years without air conditioning in the car?!)

Thanks to WOAI for letting me click/steal the forecast

Sorry to call anyone a wussy. You can get me back when my teeth are chattering because the temperature dropped below 60 degrees.

Carrabbas Half Marathon Relay

Well, it was a hot one out there, but 1,500 runners ran the Carrabbas Half Marathon. This is a great race, followed by Carrabbas food - chicken marsala, salad, rigatoni pomadora, and wine. Yum.

The Brak Pak Chiks finished in about 2:10. These guys - Joe and John - part of the Brak Pak Male Masters team - actually placed.

And afterward - Carolyn, Sue, and me, making sure we consumed enough to make up for the entry fee!

Thanks to Tom Lake for the pics

Next up

Saturday is the Carrabba's Half Marathon Relay. It is a 4 member relay, so each runner only really runs a 5k, then enjoys a Carrabba's 'dinner' afterward - usually chicken marsala, yummy salad, bread, and wine. The Brak Pak Chiks will be running toward the feedline!

Fighting the Crazy Chicken

The Flag Day 10k was a hot one last Saturday. Even taking it easy, by the end of 6.2 miles, I was soaked with sweat. But I fought off the crazy chicken. Here was the crazy chicken pose on the far left (in red, chicken wings sticking out). [chick in the pink shorts to buddy behind her: "OMG. Did you see that crazy chicken scutter by? WHAT WAS THAT?"] [Guy in the green: "Peace out, I'm past that crazy chicken, thank goodness."]
Then, I began to fight off the crazy chicken pose and went for straight out crazy legs:

Coming into the finish, I tucked the crazy chicken wings in -

Then I laughed at my victory over the crazy chicken pose (and my sorry finish time)!

Thanks to Hill Country Rambling for the crazy chicken pics

Be the Match

When you join the Be The Match Registry (SM), you become part of every patient's search for a bone marrow donor. You could be the one to save a life.

And now, during the Be The Match Marrowthon, you can join online for free June 8 - 22, while funding remains. Our Marrowthon goal is to add 46,000 new members to the registry. Be one of them!

Registration is easy - you can complete the form online or find a registration site. You will then be mailed (if registering online) swabs to collect cheek-cell samples. It is painless - even I managed to do it without passing out. For more details and to read about the Marrow Me? project, just click.

Weekend is over

Wow, for the last several hours, I have been making a list of tasks that I will accomplish tomorrow - on Sunday. Sadly, I came to the realization that it is, indeed, already Sunday. *sigh*

This weekend was busy and pictures are forthcoming. I watched Jason's great performance of Puppet, signed up for the tissue (marrow) donor list, ran a VERY hot and sweaty 10k, walked a nice 2 mile benefit walk with a 5 year-old who has survived inoperable brain cancer for 2 years, cleaned the house, worked in the yard, and tried to catch up on sleep (that last one did not really work). And it was fun. After all that, I grilled some soup bones for the doggies and some salmon for myself (I could not hit the farmer's market for fresh tilapia this week, due to the race). So, after realizing the weekend was, in fact, over, I enjoyed a (my-style) salmon nicoise salad for dinner - but I think I was being watched.

Next up

It should be a fun weekend, as soon as I can get through the workweek. First up, Friday night, is The Puppet:
This is a fundraiser/donor signup for The Marrow Match put on by an amazing guy (seriously - film actor, triathlete, ballerina, children's book author - he can even get hit by a car while riding his bike and sustain only minor injuries. It's like that dos equis commercial - he is the most interesting man in the world).

Then, Saturday is the Flag Day 5k/10k at McAllister Park. I will be running the 10k so that I get more distance for every registration dollar I spent. At least it will be a well-shaded run, because it will be HOT.

Sunday morning is A Walk in the Park at Six Flags Fiesta Texas. This ~2 mile walk benefits Cure Kids Cancer. I will be walking on Conor Lint's team. He was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor at 3 and continues to survive at age 5 and hope for the future.

And then I will try to catch up on sleep.

Doomed, I tell ya

'They' say that those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it. I say that those who know history, but are dumbarses, are surely doomed to repeat it. [Enter stage right]: me. Today, I again registered for back-to-back July races - a nighttime trail run followed by a morning race. Yes, it is once again time for the Friday 9 p.m. Los Chupacabras de la Noche headlamp 10k trail run, followed by beer and a veggie burger, with a topping of the Saturday 7:30 a.m. Women's 5k in hilly Alamo Heights. If you'll recall, the last time I've attempted these maniacal runs, I fell on my hip (and spent all marathon training season battling - possibly unrelated - piriformis syndrome, then had a 'good fall' on the last one, resulting in a still-healing separated shoulder). Yep, I'm a dumb arse.



But I am learning a bit. I have always run these crazy trail runs in road trainers (shoes), mostly because I was too cheap to buy trail shoes for the 2-3 trail runs I attempt each year. However, after talking with a buddy who, while embarking on a trail run on these trails IN THE DAYLIGHT caught a piece of wood through the sole of his road shoe and ended up with a nasty staph infection and surgery, I got a little less dumb-arsed. And I decided to invest in a pair of trail shoes for the few dumb trail runs I try each year. These puppies should last forever since I am a halfarse trail runner. As for the rest of me, we shall see.

I took them on a spin around the (tiny) backyard tonight. Pretty neutral - not as much stability as I like for long runs; however, they are CUSHY - I did not feel twigs/branches/logs (the primos de mi vecino came by to trim the 85+ year old pecan tree in the back), assorted dog toys, and the cwap that my house-seller called "fill" (including, these days, rebar). That was nice, since, other than the falls, it's my feet that hurt after one of these runs due to trail beat-up.

And I pretty much need to be happy with those shoes, since they picked up dog poo on the 'backyard run.' It's hard to return them at that point.

HOT

It was almost 80 degrees (and heat index of over that) when I got to work at 6:45 a.m. I am pretty sure I will be melting when I get to zoo run at 6:30 p.m. Ah, South Texas Summers!

Buddy In Training

Those of you who know me know that I cajole, coax, and encourage all friends, enemies, ex-boyfriends, co-workers, and strangers to go for a run. Well, I cannot take credit for this one, but a buddy of mine and fellow attorney has joined us on the road and needs a little support - money, MP3 suggestions, encouragement, thoughts, etc. Please welcome Shanti to the roads:

I am raising funds for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) as a participant in their Team In Training program and I'm asking you to help by making a donation to my fundraising campaign. I'm running a half marathon in October in San Francisco. Running is not one of my favorite things to do - by far. But with a goal and a great cause to support, I think I can do it. I'm not asking you to join me in the Texas heat to train, but I am asking you to click a button in your air-conditioned office and donate to this great cause. Although the big donations are great, and make getting to my goal easier, everything helps. So please, give what you can afford. Please use the link in this email to donate online quickly and securely plus learn more about my progress. You will receive a confirmation of your donation by email and I will be notified as soon as you make your donation. http://pages.teamintraining.org/stx/nikesf09/sdayvb On behalf of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, thank you very much for your support. I greatly appreciate your generosity.

I know who tried to kill me

Well, I am not running any races this weekend, so this is tangentially running-related. It happened when I was on my way to run with some Brak Pak folks last Saturday morning. We were due to take off at 7 a.m., so I stayed in bed until the very last minute, rushed through my open-type house, in the dark, to the bathroom, brushed my teeth, rinsed off in the shower, put my hair up, and headed back to the bedroom, thinking "get dressed, shove down a banana, let the dogs out....." Then I stepped down the step between my kitchen and back room - into a PUDDLE of cat pee. Yep, big ol' prat fall on the floor - into the pee and onto the ugly-vinyl covered concrete floor. As I assessed the damage (nothing broken, no head injury, foot cut from sliding into the table, covered in yuck, wanting to KILL), I was okay. Just stinky.



So, I ran back into the shower, scrubbed down, again passed the culprit (on the right - located pretty much where he is in this file picture), and rushed to get out the door - sans banana. Yes, it was Driver the military foster cat. I am not sure why he tried to kill me, since without me, he has no feeder. Lucky for him, I ran off my anger, but then had the joy of sweeping and mopping after the run. To his credit, the inappropriate urination was next to his litterbox. I guess there was one turd too many in there. Silly me.


I am simply posting this in case you see a headline that says "Crazy critter lady clad in running gear found dead in a pool of cat pee." Yeah, that would probably be me. And if the story is accompanied by a pic, I'm sure it will be the ugliest yet.

Note: no cats, foster or otherwise, were harmed before, during, or after the events depicted above. A certain cat was just the recipient of really nasty looks when I was mopping up peepee.

Happy National Running Day!

Hopefully, it will not pour like it looks like it is going to do, and I will get to celebrate it at the zoo run. Last night consisted of a nice run on the River Walk extension. It has wide pathways, many cops, and pretty landscaping and is only lacking WATER. Really, there is not a water fountain (bubbler) in sight. That made for a hot run.