Running 5Ks with Miss Ima and the Dogs

Great trip this weekend.

There’s a really fine delicate balance that I go through:  As an introvert, I like my “me time”; however, there are also times that I enjoy connecting with others.

In running, I’ve long since surpassed my goals, which I think might have been to run a marathon at the beginning.

Now, running races is something that I just enjoy as something to do – and it has always been a catalyst for me to work out – hopefully, more consistently and regularly than the day before.

I started Saturday with the inaugural Miss Ima 5K in Quitman, the county seat of Wood County.  It was a race in Texas county #89 for me.

Race time was at 8 a.m. and I arrived from Van at about 7:20 a.m.

I parked in a lot along Highway 37 and away from the Wood County Arboretum, which was hosting the inaugural race.

I walked over, got my packet, took some pictures around the grounds, went back to the car and then to the restroom before ambling back toward the start.

There were approximately 25-30 runners for this first race.

You could see where the finish line was as there was already a clock positioned there, but the start line – which was marked by flour or chalk – was a tenth of a mile back (or in this case, to the right).

I always have a tendency to give first-year race some slack, but there was no need to here with the two gentleman that were in charge.

One of the two said that he had measured the course twice with a wheel – and that it should be spot on (distance-wide)!  And I strongly believe that it was.

It was an out-and-back course that took us south out of the Arboretum grounds on McAllister Street (which was a flat, smooth concrete street) before making a right-hand turn on to Richards Street.

Then we made another right onto Clark Street, which reminded me a lot of the race a few years ago I ran in Hopkins County and Sulphur Springs.

I passed the mile 1 marker at 9:27.06 and there was a water station in the vicinity, which I bypassed.

We then took a left onto Bermuda St. / Highway 182 and stayed on the shoulder, going over Dry Creek, before turning around and heading back.

On the way out, we ran down a hill that we started to come back up after passing mile 2.

My time was 15:04.81 to the turnaround (at 1.6 miles) and 19:09.81 through two miles.

However, with the uphill, I couldn’t pull it all together to get under 30 minutes.  Mile three was 10:17.79 followed by my best sprint, covering 47.88 seconds over the last tenth of a mile.

I was twelfth overall in 30:14.47.

For traveling and it being a bit humid out, I’ll take it.  I just want to be back under 28 – and maybe 27 – again once we get to cooler weather later in the year.

I left as soon as I finished.

I got a quick bite to eat in Mineola, then drove back to the Fairfield Inn & Suites in Van, showered and hit the road.

I made stops at the following museums along the way:

Van Area Oil & Historical Museum (Van, TX) - Outside only.
No. 1 British Flying Training School Museum (Terrell, TX)
Ennis Railroad & Cultural Heritage Museum (Ennis, TX)
Ellis County Museum (Waxahachie, TX)

Before visiting the one in Ennis, I was still pretty hungry and wasn’t looking for a big meal, but I found a local place:  Bailey’s Café.

When I went inside and got the menu, the portions were really geared toward dinner, so I chose a sandwich, but still left feeling stuffed.

I ended up making it to Waco a little after 6 p.m. where I checked into the Courtyard by Marriott near Indian Springs Park where the second annual Howl At The Moon 5K would start and finish.

I did the race a year ago, and was fortunate enough to fit it into the schedule again this year.

My favorite Waco native, Nancy Goodnight, was down here in the greater Houston area riding the Katy Flatland 100 today so I didn’t get to see her as I normally do.

I was already pretty beat so I set the alarm for 9 p.m. – as I was close enough to walk to and from the start – and took a short nap.

I got up, walked over and got my packet, which was a medium shirt (that went to Waverly, my daughter) and a bib, and came back to the hotel until about 9:50 p.m. before making my way back to the start.

Just before the start, a woman noticed that I was wearing my 2013 Blues Capital of Texas 5K tech shirt from a race in Navasota and she and her husband noted that they both had done the race in 2012 (and had the grey shirt, which I also have.)  That race might have gone on for another year, but is no longer held.

This race, though, also got started right on-time.

We crossed north across the Brazos River and the Suspension Bridge and then ran all the way past McLane Stadium -- #goflames, veered to the right over the pedestrian bridge to University Park.  There we made a left down to in front of the Rayborn building then turned around and came all of the way back.

Mile 1 - 9:54.61
To Turnaround - 5:33.96 (15:28.57)
Back - 15:21.02
Total = 30:49.59

The first mile appeared to be marked just before the pedestrian bridge, which came in at 9:54.61.  Given the humidity, I kind of didn’t care what my time was.

At the turnaround, my watch showed 15:28.57.

As I usually fade a little bit on the back half, I thought that I might be in for an over 31-minute showing.  However, the way out seemed to be a bit more uphill than the return.

I made it back in 15:21.02 – to keep it underneath a 10-minute per mile pace – for an overall time of 30:49.59

But, man, was it humid.

I grabbed a bottle of water and started to walk back to the hotel.  Once there, I put both rooms in my hotel room down as low as they could go – temperature-wise, showered, dried off and was getting ready to do some work on my computer and I was still sweating!

Got a pretty good night’s sleep, filled up with gas, got breakfast and made it to College Station by 9:45 a.m. for this morning’s worship service at Central Baptist Church.

It is the second time that I’ve had the chance to visit this church.  If I lived in the area, I might attend there on a regular basis.

On the way home, I texted Waverly and we agreed to have lunch at Crave, a new hot dog and BBQ place near Spring Steubner / Kuykendahl and 99.  The food was excellent, but the turnaround time – 16-17 minutes – caused for people to not only stand to wait to get their food but also a place to sit.   Best to go here at an off-hour.