Felices Fiestas

I ran a nice Christmas Eve run with the folks from Run Wild Sports along the Riverwalk North - and then proceeded to enjoy some 'hometown' holidays with friends/critters - sleeping in with Simba the cat on Christmas, a movie on Xmas, Momo's birthday party (which she shares with Jesus), Packers beating the Bears AGAIN, and more.  Here are some of the pics - thanks to Ceci and Dorine for the pics. 

 We WERE playing, and killing the Bears, after all - and I removed my cheesehead before leaving the house

Momo, the birthday chica

 the chicas - we didn't need a picture of the boys

my fave fotog - and good buddy - Ceci

In place of running - cross training - arm wrestling style!

Two a day

This past Saturday, I ran two races, beginning with the SARR Mission 10 miler - which was not held at the Missions this year, due to construction.  It was run at OP Schnabel park, and it was a chilly start - here's me cold:

 and with my buddy, Dulce, at the start

After the 10 miles, I went home, showered, tried to warm up, and napped.  Then, there was the Jingle Bell 5k, which I ran with my 12 year old running buddy from Girls on the Run/Girls on Track.  It ended up being 30 minutes of fartleks among 998 other runners (sprint-stop-walk-repeat), but it was pretty cool to encourage someone through her first 5k - even if it was a big chase.
here's where I look fast:

And the sprint to the finish - the one in the red shorts is the running buddy who tried to kill me

and here is my buddy and fotog, Scottydog, who also ran both races (5 miler in the a.m.) AND another race on Sunday morning - races #71-73 of the year for him, I believe.  Yep, he's crazier than me!

Thanks to Scotty, Ceci, Tom, and JohnO for the pics!

hurry.....

and go check out www.iaapweb.com  - I'm on the 'cover' with my Girls on Track running buddy - for a limited time!

or, if you are really lazy, it looks like this:

 

Thanks Ceci & IAAP!

Roar. or more of a rawrrrr, cavebear style

Thanks to Bo for this one... as you can see, that climb out of the cave was fairly slow, since I managed to negative split the second 2 mile run after riding hell hills.  I really can't say much about the bike, except that I made it - for some reason, I was planning on more of a 45 minute spin/cruiser ride.  NOT SO.

But, by far the most important - cool pic.  Which is the real reason I actually enter all events - to amuse everyone with my ugly race pics.

RRP is directing a half marathon that starts in the cave in February - I'm tempted.

The Santa suit wins AGAIN!

Really!

Yep, I wore my Santa Antonio jacket on a (HOT) River lights run, sponsored by Run Wild Sports and the SA River Authority - and won a goodie bag from RWS for my costume! 
Full disclosure requires me to admit that I was 1 of 3 runners who showed up in any semblance of a costume, so all 'costumes' received awards :)  Doesn't matter - I WIN!

Streaking Santa?

So, since I 'invested' in the Santa Antonio 5k suit, I'm on a streak wearing it to all Jingle Runs and, here, at the downtown lights running tour.  To clarify - running streak, NOT streaking under the suit.

Thanks to the SA Office of Historical Preservation for the pics of my backside!

 that's one of my old haunts illuminated in the background ^ (Bexar County Courthouse)

Downtown lights running tour

Last Thursday, I hit the streets for the Office of Historical Preservation's downtown lights running tour.  I love these tours - and this one was neat with the lights (plus, I got even MORE mileage out of my santa suit). 

Next ups:  Mission 10 miler Saturday morning and Jingle Bell 5k in the evening (I'm a running buddy for a Girls on the Run 6th grader).

Jingle Bell Run 2011

So, I've found my niche.  It's not the fastest runner.  It's not the age group finisher.  It's that runner in the costume - tonight I won the female 'Santa-est' in part of my Santa Antonio 5k get up from last weekend at the Jingle Bell Run. 

We meet at a buddy's house, run to designated houses, shout/sing carols at them until they make us stop by giving us libations and chow.  Then repeat.  But I cheated and just ran to the first house, sang/shouted/ate/drank and headed back - I can't keep up a speedy pace with some of those pros.  I didn't want to be a lost running Santa in the dark.

And then I won the costume contest (female) and was awarded a nice bottle of prosecco. 

Awesome.  And we ate and drank some more and slaughtered the lyrics to carols.  That's what the holidays are about.  Next up - holiday lights running tour tomorrow night.

In the meantime, while I was rocking my Santa suit, Simba apparently napped hard on my laptop - resetting my supersmart home thermostat to 50 degrees (really) and making the type on this page really REALLY small.  Dangit.

Inaugural Santa Antonio 5k

Well, we did it - we (Brak Pak) helped the BISH foundation pull off this inaugural run. And, though the weather was cruddy (drizzling and we had to change the route, due to flooding concerns), it was so cool to see over 320 Santas running to raise money for cancer research/treatment.

and here is where I can take ugly race pics even when I run the course BEFORE the race (to 'plant' the course marshals)

the eleventy reindeers I made for finisher medals

Even my friends/co-workers, Suzy and Alexis, came out to race in the drizzle!

and most of the organizing committee and volunteers

Thanks to EVERYONE for the support - we're looking at December 9 for next year!

Thanks to Scottydog and Ceci/IAAP for the pics!

Cave Bear - again

Here are the updated pics - yep, when you jump into a duathlon untrained solely for the purpose of getting good pics, you actually buy them :) Rowrrrr.

Almost Famous again

I took this morning off - and ran around in a Santa costume (#5)....and I'll be doing it again in McAllister Park tomorrow at 0830, just with more Santas! click on the box to the lower right of the screen to maximize or check here for the story.

Running with my seeeeester

So, I have two sisters - and I love 'em both.  But one of them chronically keeps catching up to my age group - and beating me before I can get old enough to advance to the next, even tougher, age group.  I really can't wait to be 80 years old and kick some major butt.  Including my sister's 2-year younger butt.

As you may recall, this sister tricked me into running my first marathon in Dallas (read it here).  That time, we tied.  In and around and since that time, she beat me in a 5k, pushing a double stroller, beat me in a turkey trot 4 miler in my town, and just keeps running faster after every nephew she brings into life for me and my future Green Bay offensive line.

So, this past weekend, she turned an age between 35-39, and her boys (and her husband) planned an inaugural birthday 5k for her.  I couldn't miss it - so I drove out to the Seeker Ranch in Prairie Lea, TX for the big event.

In any inaugural event, there are last-minute route changes

but they got the postrace chow right!

Here's the start - it was pretty chilly and WINDY - Mom also finished (so did Dad, but he was behind the camera)

The oldest three nephews each ran at least a mile leg of the route with their mom, with the 4th son running the last .1 mile on pavement - shoeless (he wasn't being trendy - he couldn't find his other shoe).  The dog chased off cows as we ran.

coming into mile 1 - extreme danger (according to my nephews and bro-in-law, Ron, who marked/measured the route, crewed it, and transported relay nephews).

back into mile 1.5 - dodging cowpies

This was the only nephew that didn't run - he was born in July.  I'm pretty sure he'll be running by Christmas.

Thanks to Gretchen for running with me, Ron for the race, and Dad for the pics.