Last Saturday of Fiesta

I didn't participate in many Fiesta events this year, but this Saturday I was in the King William Fair Parade and Fiesta Fandango Run (before the Fiesta Flambeau Parade) - both in high heat and humidity and dressed in the finest Santa Claus suits Chinese children could construct (that last part may not QUITE be true).  But the rest was - it was uncomfortable, but fun.

First up was the King William Fair parade in the morning - this was a nice walk, handing out candy and seeing friends along the route.

Then, in the evening was the Fiesta Fandango ~2.6ish mile run.  With 1000s and 1000s of fans waving turkey legs and cheering us on.

Before:

During

we took off our pants around mile two (just kidding)

and after (yeah, those jackets came off FAST)

Whew - looking L-A-R-G-E and ugly - but fun running with the Brak Pak.

Here's a video by Ceci of us being goofy...

Thanks to Victor, Darlene, Dulce, Fumi, ScottyDog, Ceci, and Tom Lake/SARR for the pics!  Next up - 200 miles in Cape Cod.  Then, some more races and travel.  Then, I sleep (at the end of May).

Yep, another half marathon

The great thing about half marathons is that they don't require much training (if your goal is completion) - I repeat: MUCH training.  Then again, some idiots just wing them, asking for pain and injury.  Exhibit A:  me.  My training has been pathetic at barely 20 miles per week, yet I 'winged' my fourth half marathon of 2013 on March 24, 2013.  And it did hurt a little, but last year, I ran it on a recently dislocated patella, so there was plenty of room for improvement.  So here's the Alamo 13.1 Half Marathon...

On Sunday morning, I parked my car and jumped on a BCycle to ride down to the start/finish at the Alamo.  After I checked the BCycle in and got ready for the start, the wind picked up and the temperature dropped ten degrees.  So, the first half of the half was run into a 35 mph headwind (I hate running in wind).

The wind ruffles the feathers of the crazy running chicken.

and, somehow, after climbing the hills of Trinity University and turning around, the anticipated tail wind turned into a crosswind - but I had some fun on the Riverwalk

zombie-style.  And I finished - probably my best HM of this (non-training) year - but puro crazy running chicken, about to launch.

Then I jumped back on a BCycle to cycle back to the car - and got knocked over by a wind gust.  Yeah, I was pretty sore the next day - maybe I train for the next half, no?

Thanks to Victor and PhotoWolfe.com for the pics (PhotoWolfe actually posted all of the pics for free downloading, which was very, very cool)

Marathon #6 - Hartford

About 19 years ago, my good college buddy, Tara, suggested that we try out the Army - and I said "sounds good" - and off we went to Basic in Fort Knox, KY....

and I ended up in the real Army for the next 8ish years.  (We were about six years old in that pic.)  Fast forward to 2012 - the year I dislocated my patella, became hypothyroid, and discovered I have terrible arthritis under my kneecaps.  But, dangit, I was still going to run a marathon and searched for a flat, cheap-ish one. 

So, Tara suggested that I come run the ING Hartford marathon "with" her - and I said "sounds good."  So, there I was on October 13, 2012, freezing my buns off at the 35 degree start.  Didn't sound (or feel) good. 

(We're still about 25 years old.)  And here we are with team MAD (Making a Difference) - don't hate me because my pants are cool.  This group rocked - 7 private portapotties for 44 folks - most excellent.

This was my slowest finish - but it was the first marathon where THAT voice did not creep into my head and say "maybe you can't do this."  (Somewhere along the 26.2 miles, that voice always finds me and haunts me for a mile or so - until I grab it by the throat and choke the life out of it.)  This time, I was just taking it easy, and that voice never found me - maybe the voice found the Kenyans (or Tara - who finished in a blazing 3:37ish - but that's unlikely), and it didn't get me. 

The ugly race pics did get me, however.  Here are my cold running pics along the route:

Man, the fat face got me!

And then there was the inglorious finish....through the arch

That was pretty cool.
And they announced "Sally Seeker from San Antonio" - and I did a crazy running chicken warm-up

Then, I went full out crazy running chicken to the finish - check out the chicken wings

And that I did - finish.  But why does that chick in the blue look so happy about it?

I caught up with Cliff around mile 24 and we finished the run together (nevermind that he carried that flag the WHOLE time)

and then I finally looked at my watch and said "really? you couldn't break 5:00?"

But, in the end, I did it - broken-ish elbow, bad knee, and all.  And Tara managed to capture a not-so-ugly-I-rock-this pic

And then I froze a little more

But it was good. And now, Tara says, "we should run this"

And - wait for it------I say "sounds good"
Thanks to Tara, Kevin, and Brightroom for the pics - and super thanks to Tara for hosting me - it was really a great trip (especially when it warmed up).

Proof that lousy dinosaurs and birds are related

Well, lousy was a good way to describe this weekend's running.  I was supposed to run 18 miles on Saturday, but started late and was quickly becoming overheated in the un-shaded route I selected.  So, I relocated, but only finished about 12 miles before I decided that risking heat injury was not worth the extra training miles.  So, I'll get to make that up this weekend.  When it's just as hot.  Dang San Antonio Summers.

On Sunday, I ran the TNT Lousy Tshirt 5k.  It's really not such a lousy race - and a fundraiser for a buddy's Team In Training fundraising.  Now, don't get me wrong, it was hot and humid, and the course was about .4 miles long, but at least I felt less lousy than Saturday.  Here are some posed pics:

with my dirty ol' men running buddies Scotty (frequent fotog) and George

And here's the proof that dinosaurs and birds are related - as I finish with a combo of crazy running chicken and t-rex

 Yep, if a crazy running chicken and a T-rex had a baby and it ran a 5ish-K, this is EXACTLY what it would look like, before it matured enough that its eyes opened

Next up - making up an 18 miler and the Whine Run.

Thanks to Lisa Ramos Photography and Scottydog for the pics.

Back to the training schedule

Well, more or less.  I have been running a bunch, trying desperately to get (minimally) prepared for the Hartford Marathon in October.  This may be ugly - both the marathon and the pics below.

I ran the Alamo Beer Series race #2 (Battle of the Mac Pack) 16k last Saturday - but had to divide my long run and add about 6-7 miles in the morning.  So, here was the second run of the day:

It was a hot one.  So was Thursday night's Brak Pak run - here's my backside (thanks, Michele) -- as I look like a crazy running chicken - or maybe a T-Rex, chasing down small Valerie prey.  Awesome.

The after shot.  It was supposed to be 6 miles - but it was long (Joe lied!).

Next up, Sunrise 10k on Saturday, a bunch of other life stuff Saturday, and then the big bad 17 miles on Sunday.  Then?  You guessed it - I sleep.  Thanks to DL Morrison and Michele for the pics!