Found on the web: before and after photos of (ahem) joggers

Ok, I'll leave aside my angst at the title of Miss Alice's post (We are not JOGGERS. We are RUNNERS.) and share with you some clever photography recently posted to My Modern Met, and shared with me by my wonderfully art-minded friend R.

The photographer is Sacha Goldberger, who photographed "joggers" (the artist's and Met blogger's term, not mine) after a run near Paris. (Side note: Sacha's website is an amusing diversion, definitely worth a look if you haven't seen it.)

The photography is beautiful, if clearly staged. (I've never seen a runner with one shoulder of a jacket dangling provocatively halfway down an arm. That would be annoying. The zipper would chafe. A runner would be more likely to stash the ill-fitting jacket on a tree limb than run with it flopping around.)

But photo-staging aside, the images are beautiful, and telling. Bedraggled-looking runners are polished and transformed with glamorous day- and evening-attire. And from a purely aesthetic perspective, I find the monochromatic palette to be visually appealing.

Hmm... Makes me wonder what I really look like after a long run?

Have you ever taken before/after photos from your races or training runs?

And, for my own curiosity, do you get annoyed when people say you're a "jogger?" To me, "jogging" implies 1980s track-suit-and-leg-warmer-clad people who pretend to run, but who never actually break a sweat. Am I alone in this pet peeve?

For full, original post, please see:
http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/before-and-after-shots-of-jogg

Exercise and the workplace

I've written several times about the work-run-life balance. I am fortunate to work for a group that values exercise and active lifestyles. There is a locker room with showers in our office. Many co-workers bike to work. I have run as a means of commuting to the office, and am not the only person who has. No one thought my run-commute was crazy. In fact, many of us share tips about the best way to pack a change of clothes.

In a funny twist of fate, I almost scared off a long-time friend when she applied for a job at my company by telling her that "Not everyone there runs, but everyone does something -- hiking, kayaking, swimming, biking. It's a pretty active place." At the time, this friend never worked up a sweat for anything more active than a few holes of golf. With a cart. And cocktails. Fortunately she ignored my commentary and accepted the job offer anyway. It wasn't until months later that she admitted that the active-lifestyle crowd nearly scared her off!
(Side note: That conversation took place a few years ago. Since then she's completed a handful of 5ks... Maybe it's contagious?)

However, as this week's Dilbert comic strip points out so well, most companies don't understand the need to run during a lunch break:



The cartoon made me chuckle, so I had to share the running humor.

So... what's your workplace like? Are you considered a slacker if you run?

Or are you considered a slacker if you don't run?

Stockholm Syndrome

It's official. I've lived on the Gulf Coast for too long. A few of days of rain dropped the temperatures down to a reasonable 81 degrees, and 78 percent humidity.

Yes, I said "reasonable" in the same sentence as 81 degrees and 78 percent humidity.

Break out the white jacket and restraints. Clearly I've lost my mind. The first sign of Swampholm-Stockholm Syndrome is thinking 81 and humid is "reasonable" weather.

Nevertheless, crazy or not, I used the lovely "break from the heat" as an excuse to squeeze a run into my work schedule yesterday. I couldn't risk waiting until after work to lace up my running shoes, because the evening forecast predicted severe thunderstorms - and even crazy people have their limits.

So I took a late afternoon "smoke break" and went out for a 30 minute run. (Hey, if the smokers can take 15 minutes off two or three times a day, I see no reason why I can't run in between meetings. Smoking or running, we come back to the office smelling gross. But at least running doesn't increase group insurance premiums!)

After the run, I plopped right back down in my office chair (which I covered with a towel, for the chair's protection -- I was still soaked through with sweat) to work late and wrap up a project that's due.

So, the moral of this story is: I'm not sure what the most shocking symptom of craziness is:

1. being psyched about sneaking in a sweaty run,
   
2. covering my chair with a towel so I can get back to work post-haste, or
   
3. admitting to the blogosphere that I did 1, and 2 above.
   

What's the craziest thing you've ever done to make sure you get to run?

Thursday thanks

Today I am thankful for neighbors who leave their sprinklers on in the mornings, so that I may run through them to cool off.

What?
The sprinklers are not for my personal enjoyment?
The neighbors don't want me running across their lawns?
Bah!

The sprinklers are on. I need cooling. And (jokes aside) there is so little accuracy in sprinkler spray that I never need to leave the pavement to get hosed down.

In drought-parched Southern California, I used to be peeved when my neighbors would water their lawns. But my views of lawn watering have changed on the Gulf Coast. I embrace my inner 5-year-old, and head straight for the water every time I see a sprinkler that's spraying into the street along my running route.

Photo courtesy of the State Library of Queensland, Australia

Word of the day: Gallivant

Do you get word of the day emails?

I signed up for the ones from Dictionary.com and Merriam-Webster a couple of years ago. Truth be told, I just trash the emails when I'm on vacation, or over-busy (like now, with the two jobs and the travel), but more often than not, I read them. Occasionally a word becomes an excellent addition to my repertoire, or strikes a chord given the circumstances in my life on that day.

Today's word falls in the latter category:

gallivant \GAL-uh-vant\
verb
1: to go about usually ostentatiously or indiscreetly with members of the opposite sex
2: to travel, roam, or move about for pleasure

OK - Definition #1 doesn't suit me at all, unless going for an evening run with Hubby counts as ostentatious "going about" with a member of the opposite sex? I will have to ask him about this when he gets home. Heaven forbid he ruin my sterling reputation!

But the second definition - traveling, roaming, or moving about for pleasure - suits my lifestyle, especially for the next few months, perfectly. This word-of-the-day showed up in the same pile of emails that contained travel reminders for trips I'm taking over the next three months plus a boatload of race registration suggestions for 5k, 10k, and half marathons to run in the fall.

The travel definition fits.
And maybe running should be considered "mov(ing) about for pleasure?" Certainly hiking must be gallivanting.

This is where I was a year ago this month: Gallivanting in Olympic National Park.

I suppose this mountain goat was gallivanting, too?

In conclusion: I gallivant!

Have you done any gallivanting lately?

Strange cravings

You know you're a runner when:

... you've been sitting at your desk for the better part of 10 hours (on top of 2 hours spent lecturing 30 college students) and what you start daydreaming about is a nice,

long,
RUN!

Seriously, in the 30 minute break I took for dinner tonight my one complaint to Hubby was "I really just want to RUN. I know my legs need a break from the weekend long runs and lifting. I know I have prep work to do for tomorrow's class. But.
I. WANT. TO. RUN."

Usually having a workout schedule keeps me on track to make sure I'm hitting my mileage targets. Today the calendar serves a bizarre alternate purpose: to remind me to take a day off.

I need this rest day for muscle recovery.
I need this rest day so that I can get my work done and get a good night's sleep tonight.

(Maybe if I keep repeating those sentences over and over, they'll sink into my brain. My feet still itch to get a move on.)

So am I alone in this?

Do you ever "crave" a run?

PS - Can we make marathon workdays an Olympic sport? I'm sure I'm not the only person out there who has had some insanely long days. It would be nice to take a medal home for it!


Photo courtesy of the Library of Virginia

Sunday superlative

My hat goes off to Diana Nyad.

While we may all go to the beach and play in the surf this weekend, Nyad is preparing for a 100+ mile swim from Cuba to Florida.

Nyad still holds a world record for the longest swim in history - a record that has stood, unsurpassed, since 1979, when she swam just over 102 miles from Bimini (in the Bahamas) to the coast of Florida.

And if the record is broken this summer it will be Nyad who will break it. At age 61. By swimming from Cuba to Florida. Without a shark cage to protect her from marine predators.

Yes, yes... I know Nyad is not a runner.

But she is one hell of an athlete. She was the Michael Phelps of the 1960s and 70s. Heck, given her hours in the water, she might have been better than him - maybe not faster, but has Phelps ever swum around the island of Manhattan?

After a ten year career, at the end of the 70s, Nyad hit the wall that is athletic burnout. Repeated 30-hour swims and 100-mile swims could do that to a person. So after 31 years without swimming a single stroke, Nyad rekindled her dream of swimming from Cuba to Florida. She started training again. She planned this swim last summer, only to have it called off for bad weather and lack of the proper travel paperwork. But, rather than let her dream fade away, she trained all over again this year.

That kind of single-minded dedication is inspiring, to say the least, for any athlete.

And to top it off, she's a smartie: Phi Beta Kappa, fluent in four languages, and her resume includes commentary and/or writing for National Public Radio, the New York Times, Fox Sports News, ABC's Wide World of Sports... (and I could go on, but you get the idea).

So I'll keep my fingers crossed that the weather holds out, the paperwork lines up, the currents are helpful, and the sharks have brunch elsewhere...

Photo courtesy of the National Library of New Zealand

More Christopher McDougall

I thought Christoper McDougall's best work was Born to Run... but I might have spoken too soon. He did a TED talk last July that was finally published a few months ago (and if you haven't seen TED yet, you should*).

Watch the first 2 and a half minutes of McDougall's talk, and tell me you're not hooked.



My personal favorite quote (and it was difficult to pick just one, because there were several gems):

We think Usain Bolt is fast?
Usain Bolt can get his ass kicked by a squirrel.

Even if you are not sold on barefoot running (and I'm not), the video is fun to watch.


*What's TED?
TED is a nonprofit dedicated to "ideas worth spreading" (for free). TED serves as (in their words) "a clearinghouse that offers free knowledge and inspiration from the world's most inspired thinkers, and also a community of curious souls to engage with ideas and each other." My take on it is that TED videos truly are amazing, thought-provoking, and inspirational, and cover such a wide variety of topics that there is something to catch the eye of almost anyone. I've used clips to improve my own knowledge, as a resource in my classroom, and for personal inspiration.

For the original McDougall video, please see: http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/christopher_mcdougall_are_we_born_to_run.html

Book review on the run: Born to Run

Born to Run made me want to be a better runner.

Seriously.

And clearly I am not the only person bedazzled by the book. Amazon reviewers give it 4.5 (out of 5) stars, the Seattle PI reviewer writes:

Part adventure story, part runner's diary, and part popular science, McDougall's book ties together unforgettable real-life characters, the close calls of off-the-beaten path investigative journalism, and ongoing research in evolutionary anthropology to produce something epic... You might not think long-distance running sounds as edge-of-your-seat as mountain climbing, but you'd be wrong. Whether you've run a mile recently or not, this is a fascinating and thought-provoking book.

and the Washington Post called it "a thrilling read, even for someone who couldn't care less about proper stride and split times and energy gels."

So when I say that the book made me want to be a better runner, I do not exaggerate.

I read quite a lot (to the point where I really should consider a second job just to keep up with my Kindle habit.)

Despite all that reading, rarely does a book make me want to get up and do something. I wanted to drop everything, tear off my shoes, and cruise barefoot around my neighborhood for a few dozen miles.

But clearly that's not practical without risking injury. So to be both inspired and practical, I've reworked my summer training plan to gradually increase my mileage, and I added some drills to shorten my stride and improve my midfoot (rather than heel) landing when I'm running.

While I'm not out running 50 miles at a time (not yet, anyway) I am taking a page from McDougall's book and running even when it's hot and miserable outside. Being new to the Gulf Coast, prior to reading Born to Run I had resigned myself to mostly indoor running and stationary bike work for the long, hot summer.

But if the Tarahumara (aka Raramuri) people can run in the heat of the Mexican canyons, surely I can put in my regular weekly mileage outdoors.

Thursday thanks

This morning while lugging the trash bin to the curb, I stopped to pass the time of day with my neighbor.

A few minutes later, heading down the road with my running shoes on, a fellow runner trotted passed, waved, and yelled (with a wink) "Can't wait for the real hot weather, right?" In the next 30 minutes, I got "good mornings" and friendly waves from half a dozen other runners, dog-walkers, and neighbors in their cars.

So... today I am thankful for small kindnesses. It has been a (surprisingly) difficult transition for me to leave my beloved San Diego home and move to this new place.

The daily dose of neighbor friendliness helps immensely.

Run San Diego

My recent trip was the inspiration for a series of travel-run posts about San Diego. Here is the final installment of gratuitous commentary about running in So Cal:

Having to pick a favorite run in San Diego is like having to pick my favorite wine: sometimes I want something bright and floral, sometimes I want something more intense. So here, in no particular order, are runs that I keep going back to over and over again:

Ocean Beach, from Dog Beach to Sunset Cliffs

6 miles that encompass the hippie/gritty OB seawall, urban alley running, trails so close to the bluff edge that you sometimes wonder whether or not you'll fall off (and at least one runner has, so be careful, folks!), and it's all topped off with view from the top of Ladera St hill out over the Pacific that is worth the effort expended to get up there.

Balboa Park
On-road in Balboa Park there are endless variations for runs ranging from a couple of miles to a dozen. Off-road, there are well-groomed dirt trails with shady scenery and some killer hills. (See here for more details.) The scenery and people watching in the park are fantastic, too.

The only downside to the park: I am certain I have spoiled more than my fair share of wedding, engagement, and quinceanera photos by being "that sweaty runner" in the background. If you are one of those people who has been sweaty-runner photobombed: I'm sorry!

Torrey Pines
Oh, that hill... One quarter mile and 400 feet of elevation change with some of the most break-your-heart beautiful scenery in the 360-degree view from the top. In all my travels, I have never found a prettier place to do (painful) hill repeats.

Photo courtesy of: SDR

Heading "home"

Tonight I'm blogging from the Atlanta airport. (Thank goodness for mobile broadband on long layovers!)

I still have one more hop to go to get home to my hubby, cat (Peanut), and my bed. But, despite the long hours of air travel, I am sure I woke up at home this morning. By "get home" I mean returning to the Gulf Coast. But by waking up "at home" I mean San Diego. Seven months after moving to Florida, my brain is still reeling, trying to figure out which one is which.

When I "get home" hubby will greet me with hugs and kisses. Peanut will head-butt me (her sign of affection) then flop over and expect me to rub her tummy. I will be glad to get home, because I miss them both terribly.

But when I woke up "at home" this morning I had the good fortune to run with more than half a dozen of my very good friends, at one of my favorite running places in the world: Sunset Cliffs in Ocean Beach. The weather was cool -- there was no need for "beat the heat" tricks I use in Florida. (The rumors are true. San Diego weather really is perfect running weather year-round.)

We ran along cliffs towering above the Pacific ocean. We watched dolphins searching for their breakfast. My friend C baked the most amazing peanut butter and jelly cookies for our post-run breakfast. (C, if you're reading this, those are the best cookies I have ever eaten. Period.)

I've covered more than 4,500 miles (in air) over the past four days. I'll probably forget every single one of them. (Heck, I slept through several thousand of them.)

But the six miles I ran this morning will stick in my memory for years to come.

Sunny San Diego

I have a thing for urban running. You might call it a crush.
This crush is especially intense in San Diego.

This afternoon, after wrapping up my work for the week, I rushed back to my hotel to change into running clothes and hit the pavement.

Temperatures have been in the mid-70s, with a cool breeze. There is not a cloud in the perfect San Diego sky. I know exactly why this place will always be "home."

I took off heading West, toward the water. Looped around the County Administration Building. Crossed over to the Harbor. Passed the Star of India (a historic sailing ship). Dodged crowds of tourists. (Oh yes... I forget how much like sheep the tourists are!) Sprinted past the USS Midway.
Skipped Seaport Village (the ratio of tourists to sidewalk space was not in my favor today).

Turned instead toward one of my favorite features in downtown San Diego: the Martin Luther King Promenade, a linear park that runs along Harbor Drive. Passed locals walking their dogs. (San Diego is a canine kind of town.) Breezed by Giants fans, in town for a game. (Why are there so many more people in Giants orange than Padres blue?) Turned and ran, for the first time, over the new and amazingly beautiful Harbor Drive Pedestrian Bridge. Wound around the ballpark, past throngs of laughing fans and bands belting out tunes on the sidewalk. Ran north, through the grittier blocks, past clusters of homeless San Diegans, airing their sleeping bags out in the sun. Wrapped up with a slight uphill climb past Symphony Hall, toward Balboa Park. Walked back to my hotel with a smile on my face.

I love the energy in a bustling city. I love the movement and the laughter. I love the honking, and yelling, and noise. I love watching the tourists posing for photos, and the locals lying in the grass reading their books.

This is the happiest four miles I've run in a long time... I might just go out and do it again.

Photo courtesy of: Jeffrey Beall

The things in my suitcase

I should be am packing for (yet another) flight across the country. Duty calls, and I'm off to San Diego for two and a half days. While this is a work trip, the contents of my suitcase speak volumes about what I'll be doing in the few spare moments I'll have.

Here's a peek into (most of) my suitcase for this trip:

• one grey wool gabardine suit and matching top
  
• one pair of matching dress shoes
  
• toothbrush and paste
  
• two pairs of running shorts
  
• two sports bras and two sleeveless tanks
  
• four pairs of injinji toesocks (because I might wear a sports bra twice if it's not too hot outside, but I will never re-wear a pair of socks without proper laundering)
  
• Mizuno, Wave Riders, size 8.5
  
• shampoo, conditioner, and comb (gotta' shower after a good run)
  
• one dress (that can be worn anywhere, and never has a wrinkle)
  
• flip flops, to wear after soaking my feet in the hotel pool after a run
  

Look out San Diego, here I run! Photo courtesy of: University of Washington Libraries

Short attention span workout

Maybe I have a short attention span because I watched too much Sesame Street as a child? Or maybe it's the daily digital technology overload?

Regardless of the reason, I get bored with stationary workouts. Quickly. To keep motivated, I gravitate toward interval training whenever I am parked on a stationary bike or dreadmill.

So a few weeks ago I convinced Hubby to join me in an in-home interval workout session:

3 x 10 minute sprints on the stationary bike, followed by 10 minutes of weight lifting and core work.

Every 10 minutes we trade off between the bike and weights. We each complete half an hour of cardio plus half an hour of strength training. All without leaving the living room. All without getting bored. This is quickly becoming my favorite non-running workout.

So today I have two questions:
How do you keep from getting bored at the gym?
and
What is your favorite cross-training or interval workout?


Photo courtesy of: The Library of Virginia

I need destination race ideas

By now you know my love for running-related travel, but (hate to admit) I have never raced out-of-country.

A long-time travel buddy of mine, who recently caught the running bug, has convinced me that we need to meet for a "destination race" sometime in the next year.

I love this idea!

But HELP! There are too many to choose from!

What is your favorite international race (especially 10k or half marathon)? And why?

And

Are there any tips or tricks we should know for international racing?

Follow that hare

Last night was another entertaining run with the Hashers. Slowly, but surely, I'm learning the "traditions" (because there are no rules in hashing, only traditions). For example, pointing with your fingers is a major breach of etiquette, but pointing with an elbow is perfectly acceptable. (Ignore the fact that in pointing with an elbow, everyone looks a bit like they're doing the Chicken Dance.)

I think what I enjoy most about these runs, in addition to the fact that all of the participants are fun-loving and very friendly, is that in the thrill of the "chase" you almost forget how far you've run. It was a hot night, so the planned route was only 3.5 miles, but with all of the twists, turns, and turnarounds we ran more than 4. If I had been running on my own, I am certain the heat would have worn me down, but there was a trail to find! There were Hares to catch! There was cold beer to be had!

On on!

Book review on the run: Bad Shoes & The Women Who Love Them

Given the barefoot running craze, I thought it would be interesting to explore the other side of the sartorial spectrum. I picked up Bad Shoes & The Women Who Love Them and devoured the book in a single flight.

I was fascinated by the chapters on foot physiology and the damage constant high-heel wear does to tendons and calf muscles. But I have to admit that I was not pleased by the utterly bizzare chapter on the Freudian sexuality of feet (chapter 6). If you read the book, you'll know what I mean. I was scratching my head, wondering "Where is she going with this?" But then again, I've never been a fan of Freud's theories.

Freud aside, this book was well researched and well written. The author, Leora Tanenbaum, is not a bra-burning extremeist. Rather, she suggests that we should treat our heels like candy - reserving them for special occasions, instead of indulging all day every day. Because just like too much candy is bad for our health, long term high-heel wearing can have some deleterious effects including (gross out alert!) bunions, corns, shortened tendons, and a host of other problems - all of which (not incidentally) are bad for runners.

I gave up my heels a few years ago (except for a recent calf-strain incident, in which wearing heels allowed me to walk without having to painfully flex my foot). My fancy, pinchy, pretty-heeled shoes were noticeably affecting my running. So out they went!

This book made me feel better about my choice to swap my stilettos out for sandals and ballet flats for everyday wear. The best quote:

The practice (of wearing heels) proves that one is able to handle pain and exert a sense of control and discipline over her body, demonstrating a perverse kind of strength.

The sociologist in me recalls all the times I have listened to women (myself included) talk about how our heels make us feel powerful, sexy, and strong. Heck, there's even a new song titled "Hell On Heels" by the Pistol Annies.

But when it comes right down to it, I'd rather feel strong running 400s at the track.


If you enjoyed this post, you might also like my review of Wonder Girl: The Magnificent Sporting Life of Babe Didrikson Zaharias.


Photo courtesy of: The State Library of New South Wales

Smokin'

Today is all about the smoke.

First smoke of the day

A nearby wildfire forced me into the gym this morning, which is probably for the best, as I find speedwork unbearable in this hot weather. Going to the gym resulted in a 4.5 mile run at a 9 minute pace, followed by 6 x 400s at a 7 minute pace. (Intervals are the best way to power through a dreadmill workout!)

I feel good!

Second smoke of the day

I took a coffee break from my day job this morning to watch the last shuttle takeoff. I was glad to witness a little piece of history as Atlantis began its final journey. The most amazing and oddly beautiful thing, to me, was the smoke plume from the rocket at takeoff.

...and the shuttle moves at 2,000 miles an hour! Now that's smokin'.

Third smoke of the day
In a sleep-induced fog this morning I mentioned to hubby that I was craving the smoked potato salad from a nearby store known as BBQ Heaven (not the deli's real name)... So, where is hubby now? Buying smoked potato salad on his way home from work...

True love!

(Note: The potato salad from BBQ Heaven is incredible. The ingredients are traditional, but the deli "bakes" the potatoes in a smoker, which turns them into magical spuds that are completely addictive.)


Photos courtesy of: The Library of New South Wales and NASA
Potato salad fix courtesy of: Hubby and BBQ Heaven

Running porn

My friend R recently posted a series of links on Facebook under the title "running porn."

After watching, I have to agree.

The most breathtaking is a slow-motion video of the male elite runners at this year's Boston Marathon. The video was shot at 300 frames per second at (approximately) mile 17, by Runblogger.



Is it weird that I find this video so beautiful?

Their running form is so fluid, graceful, and seemingly effortless (in slow motion). This is the kind of video that kindles the desire... to be a better runner.
(Hence: porn.)

And contrast that with Runblogger's video of mid-pack runners at the 10k mark of the Manchester City Marathon (2009). Ouch - the heel-strike on runner 2 and runner 4 makes me wince (and makes me hope I don't look like that when I run)!



Do you ever wonder what your own stride would look like in slow motion?

Priorities?

My life is getting in the way of my running (and my blogging).

Last week I started teaching a 6-week summer session of Sociology. 2 hours a day, 4 days a week, plus grading and prep time in addition to my regular "day job" (which kept me pretty busy as it was).

I cleverly scheduled a my training "rest week" to coincide with the first week of classes, but now I'm supposed to be back to a normal two-a-day workout schedule. I did both scheduled workouts yesterday.

But today my choice is clear: run or sleep. After working from 8:15am until (what time is it now?) 10:56pm, I think sleep wins...

But just this once.

I will run tomorrow. Even if it means taking an extra long lunch from the "day job."

What do you do to keep on track with your running when life gets hectic?

Sweltering but successful fourth of July 5k

94 degrees.
3.1 miles.

A course described as both "flat and fast" and "shady." The flat part is 100 percent accurate. Fast is relative when it's 90+ degrees. Shady required a total stretch of the imagination. (Note to race organizers: Your use of the term "shady" because of a few trees along the route is only relative to Fort Worth's complete lack of shade in general. You might want to reconsider the "shade" terminology for next year's run.)

This was the Independence 5000, hosted by Cox Racing Services.

I won my age group. So, heat or no heat, it was a good morning, especially considering that I was nursing a calf injury all week.

Hubby placed second in his age group (a category more competitive than mine... but let's not dwell on those details) and 11th overall. My favorite part of the race was counting the winners passing me after their turn-around, and being able to yell to hubby "there are only 10 people ahead of you, go get 'em Speedy!"

The Fort Worth Independence 5000 had a few key features that I look for in a good race. The start/finish area was well organized and uncrowded. There were plenty of port-a-pottys (key feature in any race!). There was plenty of pre- and during-race water, and decent food and beverage after the run. And for short-course races, I really do love an out-and-back course. I get a thrill from watching the fastest runners speeding by toward their win.

On the negative side, the race was gun time, not chip time. Age group winner or not, my recorded "gun time" finish was a full 20 seconds slower than my watch time. It was a slow day for me anyway, so I'm not sure why this bothers me, but it does.

But overall, I'd run this race again. In true Texas style, the runners were friendly, exchanging "good mornings," commiserating that "my god it's hot" on the course, and encouraging each other to push through the final few hundred yards to "finish strong."

Quotes (on the run)

I've added a quotes page... Drop by, let me know what you think.

Have I missed any really good ones?

What are your favorite running quotes?