Pretty good weekend. Can't complain too much. Hey, I don't want to lose my six readers. :-)
Seriously, Saturday overall was great. So very, very thankful and grateful.
I'm not going to lie. I had looked at the race calendar and saw a few different places I could have gone and run at that would have been new to me, but I decided to return to Bellville for my second race there in four weeks.
This past Saturday morning, we were at Clark Park, which was on the city's north side. Had no idea how the course was going to go, but I didn't have to worry about leading so you don't worry about things out of your control.
When I got there most all of the people that I knew had already arrived -- Bellville police chief Jason Smalley, Ken Johnson, Becky Nesbitt and Donnie Artley with Run Houston Timing. Kim White and Julie Stevenson with Bill Dwyer's Volte Endurance Training group arrived a little bit later.
I had the opportunity to introduce Jason to Ken. I think Ken had already gotten his packet. Becky and I walked up and got ours.
I'm continuing to heal and recover from a bad personal situation that was really hoisted upon me and I appreciated Donnie sharing a little bit before the race that he and his wife - with some friends - had experienced some similar type issues. It's great to know that sometimes you're not the only person in the world dealing with issues that are minor in reality, but when you're in them -- oh my.
The race that we all were at was the Mindy Moses 5K Memorial Fun Run.
It was organized by 13-year-old Levi Malinowski. The young man had the most straightforward video appeal to come run the race. Jason had put Becky and I on to the event when we ran Run With The Lions 5K four weeks before.
He had 230 participants registered the night before the race and there 193 timed finishers. The young man hustled and did a great job.
Jason introduced me to him and I told him that between Ken and myself that we had probably done 2,100 or more races and that he had done an incredible job. It was such an honor to meet an incredibly poised young man.
When you go to a race in a smaller town, schedules sometimes go right out the window and it was perfectly fine that we didn't get started until about 8:15 a.m.
The only issue that the rains, at some point, would eventually come calling. (We learned later that Donnie, after getting some help breaking down his timing equipment and setup, had just dodged a bunch of rain.)
We got folks a short, quick countdown, the airhorn was sounded and we were off.
After a straightaway south and a quick turn to the east, we made a right and went on a long straightaway that ran us through downtown Bellville and by the Austin County Courthouse.
The course wasn't completely void of inclines, but there weren't as many as the course we ran four weeks before.
We went as far south as we were going to go and we made a pair of lefts to head back to north and then a right and a left that led into the straightaway that brought us back to town.
Essentially, it was an out and back with a few turnouts.
I ran OK. 31:18.3 was my time. I had 30:20.77 on my watch, but I don't think I was able to hit it with the quick airhorn.
When I had made it back, I was leaning on Ken Johnson's truck, waiting for him to finish and Becky to finish talking with a runner that had been at the race four weeks before.
I asked Becky, "Did you win?" She smiled, almost embarrassed to say, and said that she had.
She was the fourth overall runner in 22:03 and the next closest female finished in 24:30. Julie was third overall in 25:28, edging out a high schooler by a second to snap the last podium spot.
I had run off to my car to change shoes and shirt and I think I heard them announcing Becky's overall win and when I returned I was there for Ken's second place age group finish and grabbed a picture (that is on my Facebook page).
We all had a great visit. Jason had also introduced Becky and myself to the new race director of the Watermelon Run For The Fallen 5K in Hempstead on Saturday, August 21. It is a city that I haven't run a race in before.
Ken said he had to go cut his grass before he had a group of family over for his 80th birthday on Sunday.
I had told Becky three weeks ago as I hung out with her - after running the Vintage Park Half Marathon that she was volunteering for - that I would treat her to breakfast if she was interested.
She was. And we had a good visit at Newman's Bakery after the race. Great chance for us to learn a little bit more about each other as we just pass each other at different races.
I left, hit Buc-ee's in Waller on the way back home (had on the way there too) and then prepared for have dinner with Waverly for her 26th birthday at The Cheesecake Factory. I had also put in 10 miles on the Air Assault bike before heading to the mall to pick up a few things for Waverly for her birthday today.
I was a little slow moving this morning.
But I did get out to The Woodlands Waterway after breakfast and put down 8.53 miles in one pop.
Out - 14:18.38 + 17:23.67 = 31:42.05
Back - 29:05.31
Total = 1:00:47.36 (15:12 pace)
After the first four-mile loop, I took the jacket that I was carrying and put it in the car.
Out and back - 4:01.47 + 4:01.92 = 8.03.39 (0.53 miles)
But after starting out for about four minutes, it started to rain. I turned around, went back to the car and carried the jacket the rest of the way. And, yes, it didn't rain.
Out - 14:01.16 + 17:11.47 = 41:13.03
Back - 28:59.25
Total = 1:00:12.28 (15:03 pace)
GVRAT miles = 122.751
On pace at 23 days = 121.20 based on 642.9 miles
I'm going to do this a little bit more often as I've got to get ready for a long distance race in December and I'm considering on my week's vacation in July going to Miami Beach and doing eight miles with Robert Raven Kraft.
Ken Johnson told Becky and I his story about running with Raven and how he got his nickname from Raven as Two Bucks. You'll have to ask Ken when you see him next in person.
Have a great week. If you're reading, and in my corner, thank you.
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