Heights 5k

Race: Heights 5K
Date: 2003
Weather: Hot

The Heights 5k was one of the first races I ran in after moving to Houston back in 2003. I had been training pretty consistently as a by-product of not knowing anyone in Houston and looking for something to do to keep me busy. Lucky for me, a buddy of mine from college was interested in running this race and I agreed to help pace him to a personal best.

So, the goal was to run under 24 minutes and the first mile was well under 7:40 which was at or near where we needed to be to hit 24 minutes. The pace was probably closer to 7:30, maybe a little less, so I was pretty confident we would have some breathing room if needed.

Mile number 2 was just as fast and I could tell we were going to need a little focus if Shelby was going to keep the pace up for the last mile. I started talking to him about how easy that final mile was going to be and tried relating it to the 2.9 mile training loop we ran.

I think that tactic might have worked, although I got a lot of evil looks from him as we crossed the finish line. I would later learn those looks were because I was able to maintain a lengthy conversation during the run with little to no effort while he was suffering. I was lucky not to be strangled in the final few meters of the run.

The good thing was that Shelby finished the race in 23:31. That was a solid finish at just over 7:30 per mile. We ended up running a couple of other races together that year, but none as rememberable as this one. Well maybe one, the Canaan Baptist 5k... but I'll save that for a later date.

Gonzo Duathlon

Race: Gonzo Duathlon
Distance:
~ 5k Run - 19:05
~ 40K Bike - 1:24.05
~ 5k Run - 22:47

This was my first Duathlon and turned out to be a great race even though I flatted during the first 5 miles of the bike. I went and stayed with Friends in San Antonio and had a Cheese Steak Sandwich with fries the night before the race.

Not the best pre-race meal I have ever had, but it did not seem to interfear with my race.

My first 5k was solid and my legs felt good in the hills. The route was a large 5k loop with rolling hills. The bike route was much of the same and I got a flat during the first few miles. I probably lost 5 to 10 minutes waiting for someone to offer me a pump (my CO2 was out). It turned out to be a great ride. All the slower riders had passed me so I had a lot of catching up to do. After finishing up the bike split, the second run was a little slower than anticipated due to the punishment I put myself through to make up for lost time on the bike.

Overall, this was a great experience even though the race didn't go exactly as planned. But overcoming the unexpected is why we get out there in the first place...