More Marine Corps Marathon

Well, marathonfoto.com continues to ID pictures and has ID'd some ugly crazy chicken pics from the Marine Corps Marathon for me:

Okay, guy on my left in black, first ya gotta stick your wings out like this.

Then you just basically cluck like a chicken and run at the same time.

It's a piece of cake.

Marine Corps Marathon

Brak Pak

Thanks to marathonfoto.com

Marine Corps Marathon ugly pics

Well, the Marine Corps Marathon was GREAT!  The water stops were a twee bit far apart, and I fought BAD leg cramps for the final 10k, but I managed a PR and had a good time doing it.  Oh, and I managed to pose for some semi-ugly marathon race pics...

But, alas, I could not finish without a "crazy chicken goes to Washington" pic!!

pictures swiped from marathonfoto.com.  You can order BIG ones for your collection from them, if you would like.  Next up, more ugly marathon pics, I am sure, and the Purple Stride 5k next Saturday.

Marine Corps Marathon

And it is done

Part of the crew on the way home in Houston International - (front) Joe, Bernice, Christina, Me (back) Mikey, JohnnieO

More pics to follow.  And I promise they will be ugly :)

More Spurs 5k

Since it may be awhile until ugly marathon pics are posted, here are some more from the Spurs Fastbreak 5k last weekend.

Thanks to (you guessed it) http://www.brightroom.com/ for the pics

you can order poster-sized ones there if you want and I'll autograph them ;-)

Marine Corps Marathon

I don't know if I'm really ready, but it is time...

Spurs Fastbreak 5k

I dumbly ran this 5k this morning.  I always start out too fast, especially when I should be resting.  But I slowed up and finished, and the Silver Stars Fox passed me in the finish chute on wheels.  Dang. So, that's what it was.  Marathon in about a week.

Next up - Spurs Fastbreak 5k

Yes, it is somewhat foolish to run a 5k the week before the Marine Corps Marathon.  But I am often foolish and will consider this the "Spurs Slowbreak 5k" by taking it easy.  Really, I just want my free shirt for completing 5+ races in the Alamo Series.

Because I SURE need another tshirt!

Have a good weekend. 

"Cross-training"

I'm generally pretty lax about cross-training.  I'd really rather run, unless it involves the First Friday Cruiser Rides, but I do not think you can really consider those rides as actual exercise.  Additionally, under most training plans, when tapering for a marathon, intensive cross-training is not advised.  So those are my excuses, and I'm sticking to them.

Yet, tonight, I took on cross-training by force.  So, I engaged a pumpkin piñata in mortal combat at the Brak Pak October BBQ.

First, I gave the piñata a fighting chance, by taking it on blindfolded.

Then, I cornered my adversar(ies) - the piñata and Ruben, the piñata puller.

It was a fair-ish fight.  I had run 4 miles, drank a beer or two, and been spun around by Lorie.  But then, I launched my cobra strike and CONQUERED!

And I was VICTORIOUS! Bwahahahahaha. 

Actually, about 10 folks had whacked the crud out of the poor piñata before me, and I just finished it off.  To put it out of its misery and all. 

Thanks to Bernice for these action pics.  ALL of the Brak Pak BBQ pics will be posted here sometime this weekend.

Texas MedClinic Half Marathon

As I said, I love the half - here is proof of me smiling throughout (you can use a magnifying glass, click on the screencaps below to enlarge them a bit, or go to Enduro Photo and order some poster-size pics).

I have FANS!

Fans, I tell ya!  Well, a fan.  Unless you count my family, then it's fans again.  This is a shout out to the chick at the Texas Med Clinic Half Marathon who came up to me to say she enjoyed the blog. (Hey, chica!)  Sorry, I did not catch your name, since you were somewhere between the end of 13.1 miles and a cold Alamo Ale, but thanks for reading and running!

So, after some demoralizing runs lately, including the super-tough Wounded Warrior and the "20 mile" wade last weekend, I enjoyed an AWESOME half marathon today.  I ran it nice and slow, at marathon pace, and really had a nice run.  The starting temperature was 54 degrees!  Fahrenheit, even.  Do you realize that I have been running in almost double those degrees for most of the Summer?  So, the pics may just not be quite as ugly as usual, for once.  But, I will be sure to post them when I get them and....ooooo....shiny medal....

Further proof

Lest you thought that I was exaggerating the flooding on Sunday's run, here is a not-so-ugly (except for that current and undertow) pic of fellow Brak Pak-er, Christina.  This was after the run/wade/swim - this was on the road where we were running, after the rain, thunder, and lightning had ceased, but the flooding continued. 

Yep, that was flat out cah-razy. 

Thanks to Christina O for the pic, taken by Veeeeeeeector

Next up - Texas MedClinic Half Marathon

So, I'm still drying out and bemoaning my failed 20 mile run/wade/swim last Sunday.  But now is the time for tapering, so I'm sticking to the training schedule with some extra weekday miles.  That said, Saturday (barring torrential downpour) is the Texas MedClinic Half Marathon.  It should be a nice run through the newly-opened greenway.  Or a terrific swim, since the greenbelt is right along the 'creek.'

Lest you think I was story-enhancing

Yep, that's a firetruck caught in the flooding this morning - not too far North from where I was running/wading.

thanks to News 4 WOAI for the pic

20 mile FAIL

I have done some dumb things under the guise of running.  There are those crazy nighttime trail runs, where I inevitably fall and hurt myself.  There was the run where I headed out during a drizzle and ended up getting pelted with golf-ball-sized hailstones.  Last year, there was the half marathon on Saturday followed by a 20 miler on Sunday.  And today's run ranks right up there in sheer dumbness.

I was awakened at 3 a.m. by a LOUD clap of thunder and the presence of a shaking doggie crawling under the covers.  There was a huge storm moving through, and the thunder and lightning scared Dingo, who jumped her babygate and came to find me.  I went back to sleep, thinking that the weather should pass by the 6 a.m. start of my 20 miler.  It did not.

But I was not about to be stopped by some lightning, thunder, and (lots of) rain drops.  I strapped on my shoes, threw on a poncho, and headed to Fleet Feet.  At the start of the run, I realized that this probably was not a good idea, but with every flash of lightning, I ran a little faster and tried to keep up with the tall guy (lightning hits taller objects, right?).  But the worst part was trying to cross streets where the water was knee deep, with a CURRENT and an UNDERTOW.  We locked arms on some of those crossings so nobody got swept away.

So, with nowhere to run that didn't involve whitewater, we bagged the run at just over 9 miles.  And I'm not sure I can get that run in early this week so I can begin tapering for the marathon.

Then, to top it off, after I negotiated high water crossings in my car, I came home to a broken a/c motor that is going to cost about 18 hours of overtime pay.  At least I will be working from home when the a/c guy comes tomorrow to install the motor and collect his pound of flesh, so I do not actually have to take vacation time.

I cannot wait until I can look back at this and laugh.

No race weekend.

Oh yeah, but I have to run a 20 miler.  Ugh.  At this point in training, I cannot seem to eat or sleep enough.  Fortunately, I start working from home next Monday and Tuesday (2 days per week).  Not that I can eat and sleep on the clock, but that easily gives me another hour or so per day not preparing for and driving to/from work.  The dogs are psyched too - stay at home dogmom for 4 days of the 7 day week.

Tomorrow is the First Friday cruiser ride, then I rest until the 20.  I'm already dreading it a bit.