Lake Houston 10K (Kingwood) Race Report

I wasn't completely sure of the objective when I originally signed up for the Lake Houston 10K, but I figured that it would be another opportunity to push myself a little bit and continue to see where I stand as part of the long build-up for Rocky Raccoon 100 in February.

I had a couple of good workouts this week, but my sleep has been erratic recently.  However, I'm thankful that I have no major stress in my life.  It hasn't been that way in a long, long time.

I enjoy racing as much as I do because invariably it is time that I get to socialize with friends that I wouldn't necessarily do separate things with.

I guess since coming back from Alaska, the humidity has been pretty oppressive to me. 

And it did a number on me on this morning.  Well, that and a rookie mistake.

Two weeks ago, I went to Navasota to run the Blues Capital of Texas 5K with Leanne Rosser and the humidity brought me to a halt a number of times over 3.1 miles.

After the first 6-7 miles last Saturday, during a planned 14-mile run, the humidity left me completely soaked and spent by mile 8.  So much so that I was starting to take chills.

The rookie mistake?  Too much pre-race fuel too close to the start of the race.

Since I've run the Bridgefest 5K in Kingwood before, I knew that this was generally going to be a flat course.

I tried to keep things controlled the first mile, and I was pretty successful with a 9:27.01 mile.

I had the traditional drop-off in mile 2 with a 9:59.02 and with a 10:08.02 third mile, I was sitting at 29:34.05 for three and thought that if I could hold it that I could be close to an hour.

Obviously, the humidity had other thoughts on its mind and my legs wanting to try and run 9:15's but the rest of my body resisting.

Miles 4 and 5 went by in 10:44.14 and 10:58.05 and Curtis Hooper probably saved me from a 1:03-plus by coming out and running with me for a good bit of the 6th mile.

So the final time on my watch was 1:02:56, but the timer had 1:02:42. 

This may very well have been because I remember hitting my watch when people started to move, but am not sure that I did when I crossed the mat.  I thought I did, but possibly not.

A couple of side notes:

I had one of my best friends write me this morning, to follow-up on a post-race conversation, and they said, "You look good -- happy, healthy, and when I saw you running you looked strong and steady."

I think it was somewhere close to the mile 4 marker, but strong and steady had about left the course. 

Healthy?  Generally, I am.  My weight is in a good spot.  Clothes fit well and I'm working out regularly.  I just would like to be in a good spot to be successful in February.

Happy?  That's probably a fair statement too.

My daughter and I had a conversation today after church this morning and I shared with her that I think that people's perception of me is that I'm on top of everything and that life is grand.  But, of course, I have challenges, fears, insecurities and all just like the next person.

Do I purposedly go out of my way to mask them?  No, but if they're greater one day than another, I'll say that I'm "good" as opposed to "well".  I won't lie, but I'll do my best to pick the right word that is truthful.

I had another friend a couple of months back ask me at lunch if I was doing Rocky Raccoon for the belt buckle.  Honestly, I could care less about that and it isn't something that I'm going to wear out anywhere.

Even the one reason that I've joked about a little bit really isn't important either.

And I shared this with Waverly today, I hope to finish it for the same reasons that I was excited for her to do the half marathon that she did at the age of 10 and that was that she could set her mind to something greater than herself whenever she "wanted" to.

With "want" being the operative word.

Never to "want" to be selfish as if to say, "Look at me and look at what I've accomplished and I'm better than you because of it." But rather, I'd like to do that just to see if I can.

I'm very fortunate to be able to finish a marathon at just about anytime.  Not everyone has that specific desire nor drive.  It is a little bit quirky, but it gives me the ability to tell others that if I can, where I'm at, they can if they "want" to.

And if they don't, that's all well and good too.

The "Who was there?" report:

This, of course, is the most fun part, for me.  Because it is easy to forget a race, but hard to forget the people that I come in contact with - even if their life doesn't agree with mine.

I knew Robby Sabban and Richard and Kim Mac Namee were going to be there and I knew that Jack McClintic's timing company was going to be there.  And Jack was there to do the timing himself.

Beyond that, Ron and Karen Berglund from Kingwood; Curtis Hooper and Rick Frank (yes, they kind of go together!); Jay, Kelly and Nathan Oswald; Randy Bradley and Randy Smith from The Woodlands Running Club; George Roffe and Trudy Regnier; Benjamin and Sydney Zywicki; Bob Milligan from BARC and the Clear Lake Fitness Club, and I even talked to Cindy (Middleton), I think, who had been a personal trainer at the Bally's that I go to in Humble.

Really, really good day that was finished off at Hubbell and Hudson in The Woodlands with a visit with Michell Bradie, Mary Carter, Bill Dwyer and Debbie Tripp.

Next up?  The 8th annual Beneezy Purple Monkey 10K in Alvin next Saturday morning.

Two marathons on the dance card as well:  Bozeman (Montana) on Sunday, September 9 and the Maine Marathon (Portland) on Sunday, September 30.