I swam with the Brazos Splash Master’s Team today. That’s right. It’s been almost 3 weeks since I last posted and said the famous last words “Tomorrow is the day that I start swimming.”  There are way too many excuses floating around in my head as to why I never went so let’s just pretend like I meant to start this week.

I was pretty nervous like I said in the last post not knowing anything about swim teams/swimming in a group. The coach was really nice though and helped me a lot. I’m a complete disaster when it comes to freestyle form. I mean a complete disaster. It doesn’t help that the lady in the lane next to me swam for Texas A&M. It was quite embarrassing but I knew it would be. That’s the whole idea of joining the team for me. I need some major help. I don’t look at the bottom of the pool and when I concentrate on looking at the bottom of the pool, my arms decide to do whatever they feel like doing. She said she wasn’t even sure how I managed to contort my arm in the position I had them in. Great. After a warm up that would usually be my entire work out, the coach told us the main set…10x200m on 3:30. Accept for me. I got to use fins because I don’t kick at all and did 10x50s only concentrating on looking at the bottom of the pool and doing arm drills. Then waiting on the team to finish their 200 and starting back over. Luckily I was in the far left lane near the heated jets because all that waiting around made me super cold.

She told the team the cool down #s and swam to my lane and said “Show me what you feel like the breast stroke looks like.” I was thinking to myself…haven’t I been embarrassed enough for one day. Luckily I’m not terrible at the breast stroke. Too bad the breast stroke isn’t easy to do in a triathlon or I could start “sleeping in” on Tues/Thurs.

I didn’t feel like I worked too hard this morning but I’m on my 6th bottle of water. I usually drink 3-4. Excessive much? Not compared to how ridiculously hungry I am. Off to eat again…I should make eating my new sport.

I think tomorrow I have to bite the bullet and just go. No more excuses. I have to become a better swimmer if I want to do triathlons and needing to take a break at the wall every 200m is not going to cut it. Tomorrow morning it is…swimming in the outdoor pool that I wish would be heated to hot tub levels but is sadly heated to the mid 70s. I think I’m going to cry.

It’s official. I love working out at the gym in the morning much better than the evening. I’m still not a morning person and haven’t quite gotten over the 4:30 am wake up call for Crossfit but it definitely has its advantages. I get done with Crossfit so early that I’ve decided to go ahead and get my bike or run (depending on the day) workout over with. I should go home and get ready to go to work and actually get there early but I realized a long time ago that I work better in the afternoon/evening and now I don’t have to rush around after work to get in a run. (Everyone said I would get used to getting up in the mornings and it would get easier. They were wrong).

I headed to Gold’s Gym this morning to run on the treadmill because I don’t do 27 ° unless I absolutely have to. The reason I say I like mornings at the gym is everyone was actually working out. Minding their own business. During the evening, it feels like the gym is social hour where you can’t get a treadmill because two people are walking so slowly that I’m not sure if the belt is even on while talking to each other. It takes a long time to walk a mile with a setting of 1.0 on the treadmill. That’s like a 30 min pace or something. Or the people on their cell phone. And it seems the few people who are actually working out are always trying to compete with the stranger next to them. I used to always wonder why so many people bring a towel and drape it over the treadmill screen. I thought maybe it was so they wouldn’t keep looking at the clock like I do and seeing that they’ve only completed a mile; not the 4 it felt like they completed. I’ve changed my mind. It’s definitely so your neighbor isn’t staring at your pace/mileage trying to one up you. I don’t run fast…see Houston Marathon post where I finished in 5 hrs…unless I have to do repeats. I can run fast sorta fast for shorter distances when I know I get a break in between. I like to do my repeats on the dreaded treadmill because you have to make your splits or risk flying off the back. -Hasn’t happened yet but knowing me, it’s coming. – And it’s something about the evening crowd. There is always some guy and every know and then girl that comes up in the middle of my workout and revs his mill up a little faster than what I am going and then looks over to see if I’m struggling just about every 30 secs while looking very miserable himself. Very bizarre. And then I feel like I should say something like…dude, I’m doing repeats meaning I’m getting a break in between sets not running 5 miles at this pace. Slow it down, you’re about to pull something.

I honestly didn’t even realize that these antics even bugged me until I went this morning and didn’t see any of the above rants going on. I looked around while I was setting up my ipod and it was shocking to see everyone so serious about whatever workout they were doing.  I think  its a different breed of “exercisers” getting up before work to get their workouts in. And the best part of early morning workouts…one shower a day instead of two. I was getting worried that my hair was going to start falling out with all the washing/blow drying going on. Now if I can only break my snooze button on my alarm clock, maybe I’ll do more of these morning workouts.

Downtown

Front runners. They look like they are floating.

I’m in the red sweatshirt/pink hat…way to clash…in the middle of the pic

I remember running by this fountain. It was way light outside by the time I made it around and I really was over taking in the sights.

Weaving in and out of people in the first few miles.

Must be early on…my face is still pretty relaxed. Trust me, you’ll see some ugly faces below

Just saw my parents & Casey

Waving

Halfway.

Neiman Marcus in the background means about mile 16. The major pain is starting.

Ouch

I must have spotted the photographer and decided to put my head down and pretend to not be hurting as bad as I was.

Trying to push it in at the finish.

Finished….Yeah!!!

It looks like Casey just started taking pictures of people in red...none of them are me

My photographer must have gotten bored. Minute Maid Park

The gun went off and I made it to the start line about 2 minutes later. 22,000 people is a lot of runners…even with a split start. The half marathoners were on a parallel street and we all merged a few miles in and it was still packed. Lots of weaving around runners and walkers. My garmin decided to not find any satellites and it kept asking if I was indoors. Not exactly. It ended up searching till I hit the 5 mile mark. I had no idea how fast I was going but I felt really good. I know the first mile was slower than I usually go because of all the people but after looking at the results, I made it up somewhere in there and ran a 62 min 10k (6.2 mi) which is good for me for a marathon distance.

I really liked the route the marathon took us on compared to Austin. The first few miles took us to the outskirts of downtown through really the only older section of town we went through. Those sections usually don’t have a lot of spectators but because it was so early in the game, I didn’t even notice. The first few miles are always a blur. There are people everywhere, you’re fresh and are concentrating on not getting tripped instead of your surroundings. My friends from high school were running (Brandy the half and her husband Brian the full). I ran with Brian for a little bit around mile 4 or 5.

Mile 6-12 were a little boring going through Rice Village. There were spectators but after going down Montrose it didn’t quite compare. Those guys were fun.

We had decided on locations for my parents and family to go to watch at dinner Friday so after the half-marathoners headed back downtown I started looking for them at mile marker 10. First I saw my Aunt V. and then a few feet later my Uncle Jimmy who is running the Cowtown Half with me in 26 days and counting. They were right in front of a church and the priest was sprinkling holy water on all the runners which was interesting. My parents weren’t there but I just figured they decided to split up. Sure enough at the halfway point, I saw my dad. He of course was looking right past me and I had to yell and frantically wave to get his attention. As I rounded the corner, I saw my mom & Casey waiting to take pictures.

My dad in the corner

I found out later that my parents and Casey were planning on going to the 10 mile marker but didn’t quite make it in time. It took me about 2 hrs to get there which makes it all the more funny. Apparently Casey took over the driving duty after that mishap.

Mile 13.1...whew...finally halfway there

I started noticing my infamous plantars fasciitis around mile 9 and new trouble was a’comin’. I could feel the bottom of both feet start to tighten but that pain usually doesn’t slow me down any. I was just hoping that my IT band would stay calm, cool and collective for a little bit longer. I felt really good still at the halfway point. We ran about 1/2 mile more and then headed up the only decent sized hill of the entire marathon…a bridge that was either Westpark or going over Westpark…somewhere in that direction. That put my old IT band right over the edge and for the rest of the marathon it felt like someone took the tendon on both legs, cut a half inch off and then reconnected it. It started to physically quiver at about mile 17…very gross looking. Till mile 16, I was running a 10:20 mile pace which is exactly where I wanted to be. I walk through the aid stations every mile to make sure the water actually gets in my mouth so I was running at about a 10 minute pace. At mile 17, my stride shortened but I still felt decent. I started stopping longer at the aid stations to stretch but it’s almost impossible to stretch out the it band. I can usually get it loose with some major roller work or a massage so I was out of luck.

I was so happy to see Lyman when I was getting close to the Galleria (mile 16). I was needing a major boost of energy. He ran with me till we got to Ryan, Julia, & Aunt B. I had originally decided I would stop for a second when I got to them but I was at the point of no return by then. I knew that if I stopped I would seriously contemplate asking them to pull their car around. I do remember Ryan yelling run faster, so I think I tried. That didn’t last very long though. My short strides (not quite the marathon shuffle yet) came right back.

I wasn’t sure when or if I would see anyone else until the finish so I kept trudging along. My pace was still pretty decent for me…around 10:50s but I spent a bunch more time at the aid stations stretching, switching my knee brace from one leg to the other. I usually only have problems on one side so I only have one brace. Not a good thing when both IT bands flare up. Oops.

I was a little disappointed when we got past the Galleria. I knew we would be heading to Memorial Park soon and for some reason I assumed we’d keep on Post Oak and then maybe hit the feeder to Memorial. I was not thrilled when I got to San Felipe and we turned left away from downtown. That was a major low point. I guess I should study the map a little better next time.

Brian at mile 18

I came by mile 18 about 5 minutes later. Don't let the smile fool you...ouch.

I got another surprise at about mile 19 or 20 on Woodway. President George Bush Sr. was on the side of the road shaking runners hands. I ran up to him and thanked him for coming. He told me I was looking strong…he had to be lying but wow that made me feel really good and I gave him the most passionate (best way I can describe it) handshake I could muster. I’ve run into him a few times at A&M. He seems like a genuinely nice man that always wants to be around people. He used to work out in A&M’s huge gym with all the students. So fun.

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/video?id=7223811

Apparently where my dad spent most of his time during the marathon.

I finally made it to Memorial and heard my Uncle Jimmy yelling for me. I wasn’t expecting to see anyone so that was great. I think it was around mile 21 or 22. I was needing some encouragement because switching my knee band from leg to leg was no longer working. I had now resorted to beating my quads to try to get that tendon rubbed out.

My parents and Casey ended up making it to mile 23. I’m not sure if I even mustered a wave. I was ready to be done for sure. Every training run I’ve done since September has been 3 mile + so I kept telling myself that I could run 3 miles in my sleep and just suck it up and get this over with.

I picked up the pace at mile 24. By the time I made it to the finishing shoot, I felt like I was sprinting. My “sprint” at the end of a marathon is apparently my normal pace at the beginning of the marathon. My last mile was a 10:15 but it felt like I was flying. I saw both aunts, my uncle & cousins in the last 400m. The finish is definitely exciting with everyone cheering like you’re about to win the race just for finishing.

My photographer did not make it to the finish line in time.

http://houstonmarathon.finishcam.com/Media/BibNumber8304-1.wmv

The race organizers usher you into a line for pictures at the end and then send you straight in to the GRB to get food, your medal and finishers shirt. They had quite a spread but I wasn’t hungry yet. I came out of the “runner’s area” to find my family with bananas, a chocolate milk and girl scout cookies because volunteers just keep handing you stuff and telling you to eat.

Thanks for coming!

Casey and I hurried back to the hotel so I could get cleaned up and then we met my parents and Uncle J./Aunt V. at Pappasitos. What is with my craving Mexican food after running for 5 hrs?

We were finally off to Houston around 2 and headed straight to the hotel downtown. We checked in and road the scary glass elevator to the 2nd to the top floor. I think it was floor 28. I didn’t know Casey was afraid of heights. I do now. 

My parents had already checked in so we met them in their room to head over to the Expo at the George R Brown Convention Center. Everytime I walk in that place, I seem to be ridiculously nervous. First the PE test and now a marathon. I’m starting to really dislike that building. And we decided it looks like a Carnival cruise ship and that’s just weird. 

I headed straight to packet pickup and we started our touristy photo taking. Casey told the guy giving me my race packet (in his best hillbilly voice) that we’ve never been to the big city before. I think the guy thought we might be serious. We were pretty convincing. 

Entering the packet pick-up line

Bib #8304

I think we were told to pose and this is the best we came up with

Getting my stuff together

Posing with directions from the photographer

Picking up my drop bag and t-shirt

There's a lot of odd vendors at expos

Casey wanted to win so he stood in line to spin the wheel

Did he win?

Tokens to a brand of water C/S doesn't have...so sorry

Thrilled to be here

Some people buy gels at the expo, running shoes, maybe a plaque to commemorate their race...my dad buys AAA...and suffered all weekend with Casey's endless ragging on his purchase. I think it was worth it for that free bag.

I wanted to stop by the Galleria to show my mom her Christmas present. We had to do a little switch-a-roo Christmas night and now the present is on backorder. After we got squared away, we headed downstairs to the men’s dept. Casey was showing me some shirts he liked and dad took a little gander at the price tags for measly little t-shirts. Then he decided to show us what he thought about this dept. See below: 

 

I wanted to eat Italian for my last meal so we headed to my new fav restaurant Grotto’s across the street from the Galleria. It was as good as ever.

Grotto's

We went back to the hotel. I had a marathon to run in the morning so I needed to pretend like I was going to get a ton of rest by going to bed early. We set 4 alarms…neurotic much…, I laid out my race outfit and then looked at the ceiling for 4+ hours while I tried to will myself to sleep.