Sunmart 50K Race Report

My first trail run was the Sunmart 50K in the Huntsville State Park. The weather was absolutely beautiful, and the course was fantastic! The scenery in the Park was consistently beautiful, and the varieties of foods and snacks prior to, during, and after the race were absolutely incredible.

The race expo/registration the night before the event featured as speaker the famous New Zealand coach Arthur Lydiard, of whom we learned days afterward that he had tragically died in Houston the day after the event.

I ran with Tim, Paul and Mary Beth for stretches of the run, and finished slower than all of them - but I truly didn't mind! That's the great thing about trail runs; one's time and pace is far less important than simply enjoying the experience.

Official Race Results: Time: 05:56:17; Age 45-49: 26/58; Male: 155/343; Overall: 217/620

Uptown Place 10K Turkey Trot

Very fun first "Turkey Trot" 10K run.

Oshman's 25K Race Report

While this was a great prelude to the Houston 2005 marathon, it was an unbelievably BORING out and back and out and back "course" basically just along the Memorial Drive course. While my time was good I vowed never to do the Oshman's 25K again (too boring, course has an ugly overpass which of necessity you need to cross over several times, and it's entirely on a concrete surface.... so it's very tough on the body).
Official Race Results: Time: 01:59:24; Age 45-49: 45/174; Male: 205/1011; Overall: 241/1730

J.P. Morgan Chase 3.5 Mile Corporate Challenge

Ran the JP Morgan Chase 3.5 miler this evening - representing ExxonMobil! Great time, we finished highly. See http://connect.garmin.com/activity/3010285

Chicago Marathon Race Report!

My first Chicago Marathon! I loved it - for MANY reasons. First, Chicago is my original home. Born and grew up here. Second, Chicago has a BEAUTIFUL marathon. Unbelievably beautiful course, staring at Grant Park, running north through hoards of screaming Chicagoens. Dozens of different ethnic neighborhoods, each of which turn-out to show support. Of course, the city is flat as a proverbial pancake, so it's well suited for P.R.'s, which this one was - allowing me to knock over an hour and ten minutes off my first marathon (the primary reasons for the improvement is my having trained much better and longer, and with the benefit of running partners - primarily from the Houston Fit group).

Official Race Results: Time: 03:50:50; Age 45-49: 648/2089; Male: 6142/19005; Overall: 7867/32989

FIRST Marathon Race Report!! (Houston)

My FIRST Marathon. Completed!!!! My sole goal going into the marathon was to finish... and ideally with a time of less than 5-hours. I did both... with 13-seconds to spare!!

In retrospect, my preparation was TOTALLY inadequate. I trained solo, and while I had a great reference book, Jeff Galloway's "Marathon", I chose to only read the few chapters that really interested me... and ignored the vital discussion regarding not increasing one's running distance too quickly, and being sure to follow the prescribed training regimen. These critical mistakes cost me at mile 20, when I was forced to walk for the final 6-miles. Amazingly, though, with 0.2 miles to go, and a complete stranger screaming that I RUN my legs found energy that 30-seconds prior I didn't have, and I managed to sprint in the final 1/4 mile with the dreaded 5:00 clock rapidly ticking down!

At that point the memories are complete joy and a strong feeling of accomplishment and pride for what I'd done. Additionally, I secretly (unbeknown to my wife and daughter) was plotting my second marathon!

Official Race Results: Time: 04:59:46; Age 45-49: 507/584 ; Male: 2951/3527 ; Overall: 4108/5384