The race that shall remain unnamed

It was the worst race I've ever run - and I've run a fewtwofour?hundreds of races.  Where to start?  How about at the start - wrong start location posted, no potties, no parking, 20ish minute start delay, a 4-mile 5k, bad water stops, no course marshals, no course markings, trains, buses, 3 hours until results posted, and on and on.....BUT they did placate us with wine and I placed in the 10k - oh, wait, I ran the 4 mile 5k?!  And, the beer is STILL on its way....

I don't want to be completely negative, so here's my positive person spin.  The San Antonio Run, Rock, and Wine 5k was the best 4 mile late-starting, train-stopped, almost-run-over-by-two-busses, 5k I've ever run.  Really. 

(Disclaimer:  I put a LOT of [editor note: OCD] work and planning into the SARR Women's 5k [editor's note: an ACTUAL 5k, or 3.1 miles], and it really pisses me off that races charge more and do a REALLY terrible job of race planning.  Especially when I gave the race director an advance heads up that her course was WAY long, and she blew me off.  So, I'm an OCD grouchy race director, apparently - who just named names.

But, at least we took some good pics....

before the race con Veeeeector

one of the trains...

It's always that 4th mile of a 5k that gets you....and turns you into a crazy running chicken (I let Nate win...)

And it's not a wise idea to take 3 hours to post results....we're good at getting back into the wine line...

So, unless you are into 4 mile 5ks with no potties, much water (in the 90s), no frills, not much of anything - except for trains, buses, and a good band, I'd avoid Victory Runs-produced races.  Dang, another name...

Thanks to Victor and Michele for the pics

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

Catching up

Well, crud.  Somehow life and running and all kinds of stuff got in the way these past months, and I have not graced you all with my abundant ugly race pics.  So, since I last posted, my runs have also been quite cruddy - here's a synopsis:

Probably my worst HM finish at the SA Rock N Roll - definitely the worst leg cramps in my history, but here I am hamming it up

Later, around mile 11, other runners kept me from falling over with crippling leg cramps. But then, I ran the SABA Courthouse 4 miler - also pathetic.  And then, there was the Santa Antonio 5k - I rode the course twice by bike - and was hurting

But enjoyed a little 'recovery'

And then, this weekend was the Sticks and Stones 16.04K road or trail race (I picked stones/road, given my injurious history on this dang trail - I still have a scar on my left knee from earlier this year).  But, somewhere about mile 7, I got really grouchy - and at mile 9 in the humidity, the calf cramps hit again - right here-ish

But, again, I recovered with the help of some friends and libations

All that said and given my history of pretty cruddy performances at my races as of late, I was debating whether to run the SARR 5 mile or 10 mile run this weekend.  After posting a request for advice, I got pushes from two high school buddies - one of whom who has multiple autoimmune diseases - from the 'usual FM' to some really unique and untreatable disorders - and the other who recently underwent a liver transplant and is experiencing some complications.  So, my "I'm sleepy in the morning" and "my knee hurts" complaints pale VERY MUCH in comparison.

And, therefore, I have registered for the SARR 10 miler on Saturday - the first 5 miles will be for Anney and the second 5 miles for Jennifer.  Maybe a little positive run will do us all better in the overall spiritual realm?

Whining

It was a dark and hot and humid morning....oh, heck, it was just another dang Summer morning in San Antonio.  But I made it out of bed to hit the Labor Day Whine 5 Mile Run.  Sunday, I ran 14 somewhat hilly miles and dropped 5 1/2 pounds of sweat - really, I weighed before/after.  So, I spent the rest of Sunday alternating water and juice and water and juice and....I actually was rehydrated for this morning's race.  But I was tired and my feet/knee were sore, so I took the 5 mile sunny, hot, humid, and HILLY run easy.

So - here we are after the 45-minute drive, waiting to start

And I started off slow, made it up the first hill, down the next, then got slower.  And basically just coasted - and took it really easy (e.g. I was slacking). 

Until, just after mile 4, when I was pounced by 2-time Olympic marathoner, Liza Hunter Galvan.  I had joked with her a couple of weeks ago that, after she won, she could give me a piggy back ride up the last hill (at about mile 4.7).  Anyway, she had already finished, was running some cooldown miles, turned around, and dragged me in to the finish line - but no piggy back ride. 

Here's the proof that I beat her (okay, yeah, she'd already finished a first and maybe a second time before this, and was practically running backward to 'maintain' my pace, and maybe went home to feed the chickens too, but still - photographic proof!).  What it really is is me repaying the favor by showing Liza how much easier it is to pose for crazy pics when you run a twee bit slower than a sub-6:00 pace!  Thanks, Liza.

After the race, I again "rehydrated" - with Sangria.  (The race is held at Dry Comal Creek Vineyard - and I always support our sponsors.)

Incidentally -  the "bib bag" (Am'o bag) I have there was made by Liza & her family - you can check them and other 'recycled material bags' out at http://www.geegeebags.com/GeeGee_Bags/Welcome.html

Thanks to Ceci, IAAP, Scottydog, Tom Lake, and SARR for the pics!

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.

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

Back to back

Well, the knee still hurts (pretty badly).  But I still made it through two 5Ks last weekend.  First up was the Culinaria 5k at La Sonterra.

with one of my favorite fotogs - Scottydog (this was his 17th or 18th race of the year)

On Sunday, I ran the Get Your Rear in Gear 5k (for colon cancer, which Scottydog beat - and never gave up - he ran too)

Next up:  more back to back -- I'm running the Tapatio Springs 5k (I dropped down from the 10k) on Saturday night and the April Fools' 5k on Sunday.

And then, I am putting on my big girl pants and going to the damn doctor about this knee.  I hate it - I just know the first words are going to be "stop running." (but I won't listen - my big girl pants cover my ears)

Thanks to Scotty for the pics!

Everybody gets knocked down - how quick are you gonna get up?

One of my favorite songs to run to is The Hours's Ali in the Jungle 

It's, not, how you start, it's how you finish,
And it's, not, where you're from, it's where you're at,
Everybody gets knocked down,
Everybody gets knocked down,
How quick are you gonna' get up?
How quick are you gonna' get up?
Everybody gets knocked down,
Everybody gets knocked down,
How quick are you gonna' get up?
Just how are you gonna' get up?

I was pretty much humming those lyrics all weekend. 

It started with a normal run with the Brak Pak on Thursday evening.  Just a regular, mostly road, run.  Until I rolled on a rock and found my face accelerating toward the asphalt at an alarming speed.  Luckily (?), my right knee took the brunt of it.  After finishing the run and heading home - I realized how BAD the knee looked.  I would have taken pictures, but it made me queasy to even look at it - like a golfball was sitting on top of my kneecap under the skin.  SCARY - so I ignored it, took a boat-load of ibuprofen, and covered the knee with ice (my medical treatment for 90% of all ailments).

Luckily (again), by Friday morning, after ice, compression, and elevation, the golfball-kneecap receded, and I was left with a sore, bruised knee and an aching body.  So, I went for a test run/walk with a buddy who just finished the bar exam on Friday night and killed my pain with margaritas and ceviche (my medical treatment for 90% of all ailments).

On Saturday morning, I ran the Hispanic Women's Network of Texas 5k.  It hurt, but my knee (and aching body) made it. Without falling.

 AND came in 1st Female 35-39.  Partly because the fast chicas - like Roche on my right - ran the 10k.

  and then I went home and iced my knee (the right one) and munched on ibuprofen.

Sunday morning was the Paesano's 10k trail run.  I fall on trails, but have never fallen during this (pretty technical trails) race.  Until now.  It all started out well enough - nice weather, and nice and easy on a sore knee and achy body.

It was a nice run until almost mile 5, where the trail smoothed out some, with just occasional rocks.  Unfortunately, I found one and went flying - hitting my left knee and knocking the wind out of myself.  But I got up - and finished pretty bloody.

and looking like a crazy running chicken in pain

Here's what THAT injury looked like, even after it had been cleaned and bandaged by the EMT (that sucker would NOT stop bleeding - pretty gruesome).

So, all told, I hurt, but it could have been MUCH worse - both falls, that is.  And I got up - both times. Because you just gotta get up.

Thanks to Ceci, IAAP, SAPhotographers, and Kevin G. Saunders photography for the pics.  Thanks to the running gods for allowing me not to land on my head or break anything (hopefully).