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Hill? No.

11/26/2014

Because I’m glutton for punishment, I signed up for the San Antonio Rock ‘n’ Roll Remix Challenge (right before I complete the RGV Run the Valley Triple Race Challenge). The Remix includes a 10K on Saturday, followed by the half-marathon the next day. It could be the full marathon or most of the other events. But I’m signed up for the half.

Why did I do this? Curse their marketing campaigns. They emailed me a photo of the 10K medal and then said I’d be eligible for another medal. I learned years ago I can just buy trophies, but I keep falling for it.

Having two races two days in a row isn’t what really makes me nervous. It’s what the half-marathon includes that has me apprehensive.

San Antonio has hills. TNT training including hill training. Yup, that one lovely hill in the area was part of our regular training. That little practice was probably the only thing stopping me from vomiting after that evil steep hill next to the San Antonio zoo.

After that was what one runner called “Trinity Terror.” We ran through part of Trinity University. They weren’t large hills, but they were hills. One man cheering runners on was waving a sign and yelling, “That is not a hill. That is not a hill.” That Jedi mind trick didn’t work.

I’ve been spoiled by the local runs that don’t have hills. And I haven’t been practicing on any hills, so… this a concern.

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Bobbing and Weaving

11/24/2014

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Bobcat

During a morning run, a bobcat crossed in front of me. It was about 10 feet away. I wasn’t sure what to do. I don’t like to stop when I’m running, but there was a bobcat in front of me.

He (or she) seemed equally confused on protocol. We made eye contact and then I tried to stop making eye contact in a way I hoped wasn’t interpreted as anything aggressive (or rude). After I passed him (or her), I wasn’t sure whether to look back to check if I was being followed.

There was another runner heading in my direction. I could only imagine my face. I asked, “You saw that, right?” “Was that a bobcat?” “Yes.”

It was actually the end of my run ,and I had to turn back toward the area the bobcat was at. I don’t know how he (or she) got back to the side he (or she) came from. But the bobcat crossed again. I’m hoping it’s the same one. Otherwise, that’s much scarier.

This time, I waited until he (or she) was further away and grabbed my phone to take a photo. (It's in the center, facing away from the camera.) Similar to the ghost story experience, my time didn’t improve at all.

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Harlingen Half-Maarathon Highlights

11/22/2014

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Photo credit: Marty Infante Photography

The inaugural Harlingen Half-Marathon was great. FootWorks and all the organizers did a wonderful job. Here are my 13.1 things about the Harlingen Half-Marathon.

There was a bit of a hiccup at the start. The announcer counted down to zero, but we didn’t start. Some people murmured something about the clock. I wouldn’t call it complaining. Everyone was in positive mode. We started a little after.
Water. Water. Everywhere. With new events, I’m always afraid there won’t be enough water stations. There were several. I usually get water at every station, but there were so many, I couldn’t do that (and felt a little guilty about that).
I confess I probably would never consider volunteering at an event. That’s why I’m always amazed by those who do. They were wonderful. This one student had so much energy. I didn’t use that much energy to complete the run.
Others that amaze me - seemingly random people cheering on runners. Some people were just on their porch or outside their house cheering. I don’t know if they knew someone involved, but they cheered for everyone. We backtracked on the path. I expected them to be gone, but hours later, they were still there.
The lead runner passed me on his way to the finish line as I was about to reach Mile 4. He just made it look effortless. I said a quick congratulations to him. A few seconds later, the runner next to me realized what happened and said, “Wait. What?”
I almost followed the runner in front of me to the restroom. There was actually a crowd lining the route, but I never trust the obvious. Fortunately, I asked and they saw the confusion in my eyes and pointed me in the right direction.
Around Mile 6, I found my pace setter. She, of course, had no idea I was using her as a pace setter. I was planning on thanking her after the run, but I lost track of her around Mile 10, which was weird, because it was a straight path and I could see ahead. She might’ve stopped to use a restroom when we passed a water station.
During one of my “pour cup of water on head” moments, I aimed too well and the water got into my ears… and headphones. This has later consequences.
This is the first half-marathon where I know the route, as it’s my hometown. I enjoyed the chance to slow down and see stores and houses I usually just quickly pass. The bad part is I was always conscious of exactly how far away the finish line is. Usually, I just have a general idea and I can lie to myself about the distance.
Around Mile 11, a gentleman offered fruit. I’ve fallen for this siren’s call before and it ended badly. It was a kind offer and looked great, but I passed.
On Mile 12, I got a phone call. As it was Mile 12, I wasn’t annoyed (unlike earlier instances of badly timed phone calls). It was my sister. Because my headphones had gotten wet, I only heard bits and pieces. She said something about a street. I told her I was almost done. I said I’d be finished soon. Neither of us understood the other.
I had made signs for my family to hold at the finish line. I was teased for doing so. I replied, “If you made them for me, I wouldn’t have to do this.” I took silence as acknowledgment. I happily spotted someone jumping up and down passed the finish line with one of the signs. It was great to see him. I got my medal and ran to hug him. He said, “Finally. I’ve been jumping up and down forever. My knees hurt.” Ah, love.
I didn’t see my sister and called her. She said they were parking and just a few hundred feet away. We found them. I thought they missed me crossing the finish line, because I was a little ahead of my expected finish time (PR, baby!). But no, that wasn’t it. “We saw traffic being blocked and thought there was an accident. Then we saw some runners and remembered today was the race. We had to flag down an officer to find out where it ended.” *Sigh* Ah, love.

13.1 Well, that’s two races down to complete the RGV Run the Valley Triple Race Challenge. The last one, the McAllen Marathon, is next month. Wish me luck.

I didn't take any photos, but if you're looking for some, search for the hashtag #footworkshalf.

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Hill? No.

Bobbing and Weaving

Harlingen Half-Maarathon Highlights

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