One Down, Two to Go

Here's my Houston Aramco Half-Marathon 2006 run-down...

Before the run: Woke up at 4:15am, quickly dressed and left, stopped off at CVS for a wonderfully tasty HOOAH bar (chocolate, of course). Arrived at GRB, parked OUTSIDE the course (for easy exit afterwards... I learned from last year's mistake). Went inside the GRB and hung out in a variety of places until the race began. Saw the TNT'ers, the Houston Running Bloggers (Cassie was very color-cordinated in her Tigger orange ensemble)...

When it was time to line up, we found a problem. The half started on the next street over from the full, and we couldn't get across! We were in the middle of crossing through the full marathoners when the gun went off for everyone to start. So we had to get through the marathoners while avoiding a stampeded and then walk over to OUR street and OUR start. Sigh.

Finally, we are going towards the start and... we cross!

I felt great. I was a little trepidatious at first because the last race I did (the Uptown Turkey Trot 10k) was hard. I had an good finish time, but I felt it. I pushed hard for it. This time I was smiling from the beginning and just felt healthy. I attribute it to the fact that I've been filling myself with healthy foods for the past two weeks (and even last night's chocolate cake didn't have an ill effect on me). I am determined to now continue with South Beach for a while, just because of how good I felt. I felt better today than any other race I've done.

I finished in 2:56, which is great. Actually, it's a PR, not only because it's my first half marathon, but it's better than my splits at my full marathons. My split at MCM was 3:03. I finished in 2:56 despite several stops: a shoelace re-tying, a chat and photo op with my mom at mile 9, and a chat at the TNT station at mile 10.

Here's how the miles went...

Mile 1. Getting out of downtown. Going up and down and over freeways. Passed a man with a mullet. I'm thinking he's from Pasadena.

Mile 2. Getting into the barrio. Passed a house with a rooster crowing in the front yard.

Mile 3-4. My fastest mile, 12:15. Woo-hoo! (It made up for 2-3, which was close to 14)

Mile 4-5. Random (yet attractive) man shouts out at me: "Hey Erica - Nice tits!" If he wanted to distract me it worked. I started laughing as I whipped my head back and said, "What the hell did you just say?" I kept running and laughing.

Mile 5. Going through the Heights, and found a group of Native Americans playing native instruments. Very calming. Very random.

Mile 6. Freezing. Where did that breeze come from?

Mile 6.2 Ran under a street, in which a sign was dangling, "It you were running the ConocoPhillips Rodeo run you'd be done by now." I am running that 10k in February.

Mile 7. Realized that the smell from the donut shop on W. Gray and Montrose doesn't smell that good when running. In fact, it was slightly nauseating.

Mile 8. Saw the huge TNT tent. Passed them up. Bill ran up alongside of me with a donut and said, "Want one?" Umm. No.

Mile 9. Where the hell is my mom? She's supposed to be around here! Marathoners split off (but most of them are long gone by the time I get to mile 9).

Mile 9.3 There she is! Ooh, she's got Gatorade and it isn't green or yellow. It's LSU purple. Took a swig. Eew. It's grape. Photo op with Mom.

Mile 10. Back to the TNT tent. Stopped for water and salt because I was crusted with salt (I forgot to take a packet before I started).

Mile 11. Thank god. 2 more miles to go. We are joined by the marathoners. Damn. They're passing me up, and they've run 13 more miles than I have in the same amount of space. Humbling.

Mile 12. Where the hell is the mile marker? It should've passed by now. There it is. It was long.

Mile 12.5 This is the longest mile ever. Where the fuck is the finish?

Mile 12.7 There's the finish!

Mile 12.8 I swear the finish is not getting closer.

Mile 12.9 Am I moving?

Mile 13. Run Forest, run! I hauled ass.

Mile 13.1 Woo-hoo! Mission accomplished. 3 more weeks until the next one.

Upon re-entering the GRB... We are offered Cold Stone Creamery Ice cream. Yum. Ooh, there's more food. I just ran 13.1 miles, don't waste my time with a banana.

I feel pretty good now. My left knee is a little sore, but I know it'll be gone by tomorrow.

Last year, Christine and I were running the 5k and we were both wishing we were running the half. Here I am now, running the half, and I was envious of the fulls. Next year, I will run the full. Right now, I am focusing on getting my half time down to 2:30 and dropping weight. As of 4pm, I'm back on South Beach, more determined to eat healthy now because of how good I felt.

Cheers! It's time for bed. I'm exhausted.