Beach to Bay Marathon Relay

I'm a little behind in posting - and, really, everything.  I was going to catch up on EVERYTHING this weekend, but I got tired and, well, this happened Friday night/Saturday morning...

Yeah, that purple section in the center - that's me.  We got around 12 inches of rain in 24 hours.  And San Antonio does not know what to do with rain...

 that's a city bus - about 1.5 miles from my house

and US 281 - about 2 miles from the house.  It didn't open until early evening on Monday.

So, while I'm paddling/drying out - here are the ugly pics from the Beach to Bay Marathon Relay on May 18, 2013 - from Padre Island to Corpus Christi, TX.  It was HOT - and I ran the last leg, after sweltering in the sun in the middle of a park for about 3 hours.  (I know, I'll be running in 100+ degree temps soon and laughing the whole way - or maybe just running - but May is always a difficult acclimatizing time.)  All the better to make some funny finish line pics....

that's a bit of crazy running chicken

but I didn't want to leave other birds out - so here's a little goose-step

And here, the buzzards were circling this full-out crazy running chicken.

Thanks to MV Productions, WOAI, and TransDOT for the pics.

Ragnar Cape Cod

Even though I may have mentioned that I'd never do a crazy 200-mile, 2 day relay again, I rejoined my teammates from team Don't Tell Deb in Massachusetts for the Ragnar Cape Cod relay on the first weekend of May.  We ran from Hull to Provincetown, Massachusetts on May 3-4 - almost 200 miles.  And it was WINDY, but fun.

home for two days - Van 2
(when not running)...

Channeling the Crazy Running Chicken, while fighting the headwind, on my last leg

My next costume for Dia de los muertos?  ELECTRIC crazy running chicken?
And - Team Don't Tell Deb at the finish

After the race, John and I headed to Nantucket for a day - and saw a seal!

Sally Seeker likes seeing seals on the seashore.

We're already semi-planning the next relay...

Thanks to Team Don't Tell Deb, John, Tara, Alyssa, Erin, and Mike for the pics and great time!

Back to back - And I don't wanna miss a thing

Cue Aerosmith.  Let me try this - listen here while you read?

So, to finish out almost 65 miles of racing in January, I ran the Endurathon (hilly) half marathon on Saturday and the Herothon half marathon on Sunday.  Because, I don't wanna miss a thing (and I'm dumb).  I laid back in training - just 12 or so miles per week - but laid on the racing mileage this month.  I do NOT recommend this approach.

So, Saturday I headed out in the drizzle to run the Endurathon HM through the hills of Bulverde.  It was not pretty.

Ironically, though I did not get eaten earlier this month during ~20 miles in Florida by an alligator or 25k in Big Bend by a mountain lion/bear, I almost got crushed by a deer in this race.  But I saw a llama, a pig, goats, horses, cows, and many doggies.  But it still hurt - especially during the uphill finish - this certainly ain't pretty

And then I took some food, a shower, and a nap - and continued on the weekend-long marathon.  (Note: it's almost easier to just run 26.2 in one shot, rather than taking an 18-hour break in between half marathons).  So, I went to pick up my race packet at the expo as "Laura Guerrero" (not my usual alias - but it is now my superhero name).

and I tried to look tough - but I really just went to go eat and sleep some more.  'Cause that's what superheroes do.

And then I hit the road again for another 13.1 miles.  I won't lie - my mind was beat and my body was beat (and really not decently trained), but I did it (albeit in tights - I hate tights, but I needed some reinforcement to keep my legs and knee from spontaneously exploding).

yeeks.

But, there's worse --

yep, classic crazy running chicken form. Cluck cluck.

But, I am not a one-show/pose pony - I still can put on a great running zombie closer to the finish

 Wait, no, upon closer examination (I dare you to zoom that pic) - that is clearly surprised crazy running chicken form.

And then, there is that wonderful moment.  That moment when you realize that you have 0.1 miles to finish 65 miles of race route over the mere 31 days of the month.  Because you clearly couldn't miss out on a thing, because you are dumb, because it is almost done...

And then it is - in perhaps the worst finish time ever

But I finished and got a sparkly medal

So, I made it through a 5k, 197 mile relay in Florida, 25k trail in Big Bend, and 2 HMs in a month.  I didn't die, but I may need to edit my races and only do what is sensible, and not what is available.  Riiiiiiiiight - I don't wanna miss a thing.  So, next up, Superbowl 7k on Sunday.  Yeah, I don't learn lessons very well.

Thanks to Belinda, Tom Lake/SARR, and Endurophoto for the pics

I don't know why I'm always so tired

Well, maybe last weekend will explain.  First, there was the Zoo Relay on Friday night - it's a 4 x 2 mile relay - with part of the route going by the alligators.

Here's most of the Brak Pak contingent.

The next morning, I ran with my buddy, Lorie, in her retirement run at McAllister Park - she's retiring after 33 years in the USAF.

Then, I frantically cleaned the house, chopped, peeled, cooked, etc. for wine book club.  Which brought on Sunday - and rain - and muddy dogprints across my clean floors.

Sunday morning was the Loteria 5k at Brackenridge park.  I dressed as Loteria card #33 - La araña

For those of you who don't know -- this is ironic, since I LOATHE spiders.  We have a hate-hate relationship.  I once took a bite out of one, and she took a bite out of me - landing me in the hospital (dumb black widows).  Disclaimer - I was 9 months old and everything on the floor was food.

So now, when I see a spider, I usually douse it with the hose - until it writhes in the water - like this:

Then, just before it shrivels up and dies, it looks about like this:

Maybe I'll be nicer to spiders.  Or I'll just give them a beer after the dousing - it helped me perk back up.

Then I went home, dried off, mopped up dogprints, and cooked some more - for my feast of Michoacán book club - and it was tasty, but I was TIRED.

Thanks to Ceci, Victor, and Scottydog (below) for the pics.

Catching up

I sure love 3-day weekends - I get a chance to (try to) catch up on everything.  So, here's what's been happening. 

Last weekend was the Beach to Bay Marathon Relay from North Padre Island to Corpus Christi.  It was a hot one - I ran/limped the 2nd leg of 6 and the Brak Pak Chiks finished in under 5 hours.

Here I am at the start of the leg on the beach - on my bad knee, thinking "man, this is going to hurt."  It did. 

But I made it and rested my knee on the beach. 

Then, this weekend, I ran the Witte Museum Boot Scoot 5k fun run - it also hurt, but was fun.

 Awards - I did not win any of those - because I do not own a pair of cowboy boots in which to boot scoot.

Then I tried to tackle the jungle that is my back yard and tried to nurse my cardiac cat, Vaca, back to health.  In my jungle-tackling, I was really looking for a heart transplant donor wildcat (not really).

Thanks to Ceci, IAAP, Scottydog, and Brightroom for the pics

Zoo Relay and art

Tonight was the 4x2 mile zoo relay, which I ran with the Brak Pak Chiks.

I was a little tired after that (AWESOME) Packers game last night and that crud called work in between, but we still ran a decent race.

Afterward, I headed over to Ceci's Exhibit of La Malinche
My pics (of her wonderful pics) are a little blurry - I think my camera was stored in the cooler while I was running.

 My favorite photo is the one on the right - is it still available, Ceci??