Jalapeno story II

Every very race has its story, and here is the second story of the Jalapeno del Sol run, as told (thus far - they have a lot of photographers) by Hill Country Ramblings.

In this incantation of the race, I chased down this poor 8 year old - gaining ground on the easy parts of the trail.

And finished looking like a crazy chicken.

But my child nemesis wasn't far behind, looking normal and awesome as an 8 year old who ran the trails like a true champ (those pics are deceptive - the trail was mostly not that sweet).

Thanks to Hill Country Ramblings for the pics

Jalapeno Zombie

This morning, I ran the Jalapeno del Sol 10k trail run. It was similar to the Chupacabras and the Cupid, but run IN THE LIGHT! Yes, it is much easier to run when you can see where you are headed. And, I did not fall down or injure myself, which is quite remarkable for me on a trail run.

This eight year old paced me for the first 3-4 miles - he was great - energetic, steady, and easy to see over. Then, he slowed down a bit and I managed the rest of the race on my own. (Family - notice that he has a Nantucket shirt.)

I decided to take a break from the crazy chicken look and go for zombie. Do I have eyes?

ah, yes, there they are - pretty close to salted shut.

And here is the inglorious finish. Thank goodness I did not fall down, since I have to run 17 miles tomorrow.

Thanks to IAAP for the zombie pics. Thanks to the kiddo for leading the way.

Jalapenos and Little League

I do not normally follow Little League play. This year, however, San Antonio's team has been crushing their opponents and made it to the US Finals. On Saturday, they will play Chula Vista - who they beat in pool play last week. And, ironically, before the game, I will run the Jalapeno del Sol at their home field park - McAllister Park. Hopefully, since it is not dark (like the Chupacabra), I will not hurt myself. Too badly, anyway. Then, it is 17 long miles on Sunday!

In memory of Dr. Maria Yeung

This past Wednesday, the zoo run was run in memory of Dr. Maria Yeung.

Registration table - Sam, Me (Sally #2), Joan, Sally #1, and the Yeung brothers.

Dr. Maria E. Yeung was a faculty member Department of Pediatric Dentistry from 1987-1999 and an avid runner. On August 19, 1999, she was hit by a car and killed while on her morning run. So, her non-runner brothers decided to celebrate her life with a 2-mile zoo run with San Antonio runners.

After a little warm up, we wait for the start (Me, Adrian, George, and Jim)

On your mark...

Accepting my first place ribbon (okay, okay, there were only 2 of us in the age group that night)

Thanks to Moses Yeung for the pics

8 miles tonight, 102 degrees

'nuff said

Run, snap ugly race pics, eat, sleep, repeat

So, it rained again the night prior to the Sunrise 10k - just as it did last year, making downhills a bit hazardous. This was surprising since we are in crazy drought conditions, and made it ultra-miserably hot and humid once again. I kept it steady and chased the shade from one side of the street to the other, but was still soaking wet by the finish. As you can see here, #676 was trying like hell to get away from my sweaty mess:

There were over 800 runners and about that many hills, so my finish time was mediocre, so I managed a mediocre crazy running chicken pose while crossing the mats:

Lovely. Here is an even lovelier shot - wow, nothing like hanging out in the hot sun afterward to be 32nd in your age group!

Eek. That's bad. So, after the race, I refueled on Hatch chile cheese bread (super yum) and rested. Then, Sunday morning, I decided to run the 'long' (step down) 12 miler at Fleet Feet - and it was the SAME HILLS I ran the day before. Yep, pretty brutal.

During my last 3-mile add-on (they were only running 9), I spotted a collared dog in traffic. He waited for cars to pass, then crossed the street. I was going to grab him to see if he lived neary, but, he ran into a yard and grabbed the Sunday paper, returned to cross the road, and ran three doors down to drop the paper and lay down on a doorstep. Funny. And now, I am trying to save myself $19.80/week subscription fees by training Dingo in this discipline.

Thanks to IAAP for the pics and Fleet Feet for back-to-back hellruns

Hills and chiles

Well, the temperatures have mostly cooled off into the high 90s, so it is time for some races. This Saturday, I will be running the FF Sunrise 10k. It's only 10k, but it is pretty brutal - especially with a 'turf toe' that does not want to run up hills:
And afterward, I will get my Hatch chile on! I was born in New Mexico, which must explain my true LOVE for green chiles. And the best ones come from Hatch, NM. And they will be roasting them here this weekend - yum! A couple of years ago, I actually bought several pounds of fresh chiles during Hatch season and roasted them in my oven - smelling up the entire apartment complex. Maybe I will see how many pounds of roasting chiles it takes to smell up the neighborhood.

It will definitely be a hot weekend all around.

More weather and running

The bad news: it is still HOT and my air conditioner died

The good news: it was just a bad wire in the a/c and it rained for almost 10 minutes on Wednesday

No races this weekend, but continued heat - just in the high 90s - it is practically a cold front. Tomorrow brings a 15-miler, which I have not run since January. It should feel like this:

Photo: Flickr/Sheffield Tiger

Hot, no race weekend

Guess what? It is still hot here. I think today is the 42nd 100+ degree day of the year. At least I have not had to mow all Summer, since the grass is dead!

As is typical for August, especially a potentially hottest-August-ever, there is no race this weekend. I am going to enjoy a First Friday cruiser bike ride through downtown tonight - stopping along the route for refreshments. And, tomorrow morning, Bernice and I are running a 14 mile training run. And then I will likely decide to amputate my 'turf toe!'

So, in lieu of ugly race pics, I present "The Cold Front"

See? There where it falls to double digits? Yay!

Record Breaking

Nope, certainly not my running. Today's 4 mile easy run was tough. Maybe that's because San Antonio broke a record - today was the 37th day of the year that temperatures hit triple digits. And that's not all -

By Jamie Klein - Express-News (August 1, 2009)
It should come as no surprise to anyone who stepped outdoors last month that July’s daily average temperatures lit the city’s records on fire. Not only was it the hottest July on record, it also was the hottest month — ever.
Since May 1, San Antonio has recorded 35 days of 100 degrees or higher, 22 of them in July.
The stretch of what feels like never-ending heat has been caused partly by a summer subtropical high hovering over North America, suppressing rain formation, said Robert Blaha, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
And the absence of rain means little moisture on the ground, which then causes warmer temperatures — with seemingly no relief in the immediate future.
Blaha said the past 23 months, from September 2007 through July, have been the driest the city has ever recorded.
“It’s been so dry in the area, and that helps things heat up much more efficiently,” Blaha said.

What a time to be training for a marathon.