And the Hip Bones Connected to the Thigh Bone . . .

Dem bones, dem bones, dem running bones. [Skeleton dance.]
Dem bones, dem bones, dem running bones. [Skeleton dance. Move to the right.]
Dem bones, dem bones, dem running bones. [Skeleton dance. Move to the left.]
Doin' the skeleton dance. [Skeleton dance.]
The foot bone's connected to the leg bone. [Point to your foot, then to your lower leg.]
The leg bone's connected to the knee bone. [Point to your lower leg, then your knee.]
The knee bone's connected to the thigh bone. [Point to your knee, then your thigh.]
Doin' the skeleton dance.
The thigh bone's connected to the hip bone. [Point to your thigh, then your hip.]
The hip bone's connected to the backbone. [Point to your hip, then your back.]
The backbone's connected to the neck bone. [Point to your back, then your neck.]


It this case its really more about the muscles and ligaments that are all connected together. The good news is that my hamstring is not in pain anymore, but running earlier this week my knee and calf were very tight.

You know you have young kids when you start singing the Skeleton Dance to yourself well you are running and thinking about how they hamstring and calf are all connected together.

Speaking of singing/music maybe I need to rethink my running play list some. "What is this Feeling?" From Wicked - although a great song is probably not the best song to come on the playlist when running. I probably don't need to think about loathing anything on a rough run.

I've been easing back into my running routine. I'm looking forward to getting back on track, but its been good to have a couple of slow weeks.

I am so happy to have daylight savings time back. I hate losing the hour but I love having daylight in the evening so I can take the kids for a walk to the playground after work. I would be happy to keep daylight savings time year round. Somehow it also makes it feel lighter when I go for a run at night, even going after the sun goes down.

Spring is trying to fight its way into Houston. I'm hoping that we have seen the last of winter for the year. I know it hasn't been that cold in Houston compared to most of the country, but for Houston it has been a very cold winter. I do hope that doesn't mean it will be a miserably hot summer.

The Woodlands Half Marathon - March 1, 2014

I so didn't want to run this race. I probably should have listened to my gut and not run this race but I will get to all of that.

I registered for this race in December of 2013. It was a spur of the moment decision. I was trying to decide on one more half marathon and got an email from someone in my Galloway Running group with a discount code so I signed up. It was a "local" race the first of March so it should be pretty easy. Plus it gave me a goal to keep up with my training. I had done a good job post Wine and Dine of keeping up with my 10-12 mile long runs and wanted to get one more medal for the season.

About a week later another one of my friends from Galloway convinced me to sign up for the Rhythm an Blues Half Marathon on February 9th. She and I had done all our training together so I thought it would be fun to run with her. I had pretty much decided when I signed up for that one that the Woodlands one might not happen as it was only 3 weeks later. As the weeks went on other things kept popping up and in my mind I had decided I wasn't running it.

Of course as we got closer to the race I started thinking, well I have paid for it so if my list of "road blocks" would go away I would run it. My list included, figuring out a way to easily do a birthday party that day, my sinus infection clearing up, the blisters on my feet clearing up and how I was going to get my race package as I couldn't figure out how I was going to get to the Woodlands anymore. Wouldn't you know it, Tuesday I had a friend offer to pick up my race package and that was my last road block, so I guess I was in.

I packed all my stuff on Friday night so I'd be ready early Saturday morning to leave for the race. There was no question this time as to what I would wear. The forecast was for a low of 60 and a high of 71 and 0% chance of rain. Skirt and short sleeves it was. Since I knew it would be warmer and water stations were on scheduled every 2 miles, I did decide to run with my water belt this time though.

The race was to start at 7am. It is about an hours drive from my house to the Woodlands with no traffic so I decided I needed to leave by 5am to get there on time, so I set my alarm for 4:25.

As I was getting everything ready Friday night I was seriously questioning my decision as my legs felt dead and I really hadn't done anything all week. But when I woke up in the morning I was feeling better so off I went.

I drove to the Woodlands with no incident until I tried to find the parking lot that is. I turned one turn too soon and ended up stuck in areas getting blocked off for the race. I started to follow some arrows thinking they were directing me where to go and ended up on the tram only path along the water front. I later learned those arrows were for the runners to show the direction to the finish line. I'm amazed I was able to turn around and get out of there. As I was pulling out someone else was about to make the same mistake so I rolled my window down and told her she really didn't want to go that way.

I finally found the runners parking lot, parked my car and made it to the prerace area. I tried unsuccessfully to find some of my training buddies and then checked my bag at gear check and got in the very long port-a-potty line. It was 6:25 so I figured I had plenty of time. As I waited in that line I honestly thought I would not make it to the start of the race. For a city the size of Houston I tend to run into people I know in random places and this was no different I turned around and saw a coworker and his wife who were running the full marathon walk by.

I finally got out of there and tried to find the start corrals. They were much further away than I thought and when I got there I found rows and rows of empty port-a-potties. I wish I knew about those earlier. As I was approaching the corrals they started the national anthem. I finally made it back to the 2:30 finish time pace group in the corral and settled myself between the 2:30 and 2:45 group. My PR was 2:37 and in perfect conditions I think I could probably do a 2:30 half but I was pretty sure today did not have perfect conditions. It was already 70 degrees at the start and as for the 0% chance of rain. It was so humid it was drizzling the entire time I was at the prerace area.

At least I didn't have to wait long for the race to start. I got to the first mile and was excited to see that my Garmin hit the mile mark at the exact time I passed the mile sign. This was the only time that happened on the entire course. I did the first mile in a way too fast 10:52 and started to slow it down a little.
I ran the 2nd mile in 11:41 which was right in line with where I would have liked to run this race. I made it through the first water stop around mile 2-1/2 and as I was getting close to mile 3 I felt my right hamstring get really tight and sore. I don't know that I had ever had that happen before. I finished mile 3 in 11:47. Over the next mile I was in a lot of pain and had almost decided to quit at the next water stop when there should be a medic tent. I got to the water stop at mile 4 and was very disappointed. Not only was there no medic tent but I had to physically stop to wait for them to fill the water cups. This station was so disorganized. I decided then and there if there wasn't water at the next stop I was defiantly done. I know I'm not the fastest runner but at this point at least 1/3 or more of the runners for the half were still behind me. There is no reason for them not to have had water/Gatorade cups ready at this water stop. I finished that forth mile in 13:06. I was sore and hot and already drenched with sweat.
Over the next mile and a half I almost convinced myself to quit to run another day. I ran mile 5 in 13:10. As I approached the water stop at around mile 5-1/2 the song "Anything Can Happen" from Mary Poppins came on my playlist. Darn music pushing me through to the next medical stop. Fortunately this stop was much better run and there were tables and tables of water and Gatorade.
Mile 6 was 13:52 - I didn't even care about time at this point. I knew that now I had made it past the sweepers and I would be able to finish this race even if I had to walk the rest of the way home. I was still in a lot of pain. I stopped several times to try to stretch out my hamstring. I crossed the mat at the halfway mark in 1:18:31 (clock time).
Even though I was halfway through I was still thinking of quitting at the next stop right after mile 7 but ran into another running friend. Allison and a few friends were near mile 7 cheering. The sight of a familiar face telling me I was doing great was just enough to keep me going for another couple of miles. I ran the 7th mile in 13:42.
Somehow I found a groove with my hamstring for the next mile and managed an almost respectable 12:35 for that mile.
It was near the next water stop between mile 8 & 9 that I think the first male marathoners passed me. Yes I'm on mile 9 they are on mile 22 and they are passing me and they make it look so effortless. I will happily say only one female marathoner and nine male marathoners finished before I finished my half marathon. I thought it would bother me to see the marathoners pass me but I actually found it inspirational. Mile 9 was 13:42.
At this point it is all downhill. I knew I only had 4 miles to go and I knew that someway I could cross the finish line. I no longer thought about quitting and just thought about moving forward. Just keep running, just keep running. I don't remember a lot about miles 10 and 11. I ran 10 in 13:27 and 11 in 14:20. I was definitely walking more than running at this point but I was still moving forward. I do remember the bridge before mile 11. It wasn't a lot of fun.
We made the turn after mile 11 and I got a little worried about slipping in some mud on the street for a bit. Around mile 11-1/2 or so we entered the mall area. I remember seeing people walking back with their medals and shirts. I got really excited when I saw these beautiful blue finisher shirts. I could finish for one of those. I ran mile 12 in a race worst of 14:46. Coming down around 12-1/2 I saw the yellow arrows I followed earlier in my car in the dark that lead me down by the water front. So that is what the arrows were for. :)
My watch now says it is mile 13 so I'm getting excited that I am close to the end. There is a bridge up ahead where they split you to marathon finish on one side and half finish on the other side. I was certain the finish was on the other side of the bridge. I got to the other side and saw a sign that said 3 miles and knew then that was the 5k sign and I still had .1 miles to go. I know that doesn't seem like much but I had pushed for that finish and still had another .1 to go. I did mile 13 in 14:12 and the last .3 (according to my Garmin that is) in 3:25 or an 11:19 pace to finish.

So I did it. I made it. My official chip time was 2:54:36. It was miserable. It was muggy, it was hot and my hamstring hurt like nothing before but I finished it. I got my medal and my finishers shirt. To my great disappointment the men's shirts were the beautiful blue I saw but he women's finisher shirts were white. Yes white. Note to race directors - I haven't met a single female runner that actually wants to run in a white shirt. I know I was not the only one grumbling that the men's shirts were nicer.

Here is my medal

I wondered over to the finishers area and got into the very long line for food. That line seemed to go on forever. But it was a chicken biscuit from Chick-fil-a so I won't complain too much. At the end of the food tent I found Roy who is also a Galloway runner and we chatted about the race and ate our breakfast together before heading out.

I had decided to go to the Woodlands YMCA for a quick shower before driving an hour home. I was very glad I decided that as I felt so very icky and covered in sweat from that fun run.

And because it is a small world, as I exited the locker room at the YMCA I ran into my boss and his wife who were at the YMCA to watch their daughter play Volleyball.

It felt like an even longer drive home after the race and I realized how often you use your hamstring when driving to hit the breaks or gas along the way. It made me question what I consider a "local" race in the future.

I got home and rested for a bit, took a nice long soak in the tub and an ice massage on my leg before having a great playdate at Jimmy Changas with some friends the friends of my youngest. They kids had a great time on the playground and the adults had a nice time chatting and getting a drink or 2. It was a great end to a very long day.

And with that my race season is now over. I have a nice collection of bling from the year (picture of race bling minus the latest from the Woodlands Half)

I learned a lot about myself and running. I look forward to the upcoming season which will include training for a full marathon in December in San Antonio for the Rock n Roll Marathon and the Princess Half marathon with my sister at Walt Disney World in February. Official training will start in July but until then I hope to get some speed work and hill training in between now and then. I also want to maintain my base and try to keep up with an 8-10 mile run every 3 weeks or so.