The Miles for Smiles race was a one off kind of thing for me. It was only $10 so I figured why the fuck not. Never mind I was going to be running 10 miles the next day, no need to think about that. Thing I really liked about the this races was that it took me to a part of Houston I wouldn't have otherwise checked out. Turns out there is ssssooooo much more to run than just the few big running areas. This was the inaugural race for the GMS Foundation, they provide dental work for those who can't afford it. So the cause was good. This was a no frills race, RoadID bibs (which are 100% free if you stuff racers packets with information about them, not judging it's a great idea for small races), no medal, no timing. NO TIMING! For me that was probably the best thing this race had to offer, not b/c I am a "back of the pack" runner but because it took the pressure off, I could take the whole race easy and not feel bad b/c somewhere there was a clock watching me. I really enjoyed the location, Stude Park. It's a very active park, 3 run/walking paths, 1 mile, 3/4 mile and 1/2 mile loops that all came back to each other making varied routes if you wanted one. B Cycle has a drop/pick up spot here also. Why you might ask, well because this park also has a GREAT paved trail that runs along side the bayou along I-10. From what I can see on the online maps it hooks into the Height Bike Trail around Hogan St. on the other side of I-45. The path looks as if it lined for runners to bust out speed work. Which is also a bonus. Thing that killed me about it is that it has actual HILLS, OMG! Pretty much all downhill to 45 and then the course was uphill most of the way back. This is where I took it slow, I knew if I tried to bounce up to the top of the hill I would be in no condition for my race on Sunday. Unofficial time 38:11. Oh and a wore the sparkle skirt I made to run in. The Texas 10 Series came to Katy. For once, a race that was about 15 minutes from the house. Not that I didn't leave super early, like always. One of these days I swear I am going to show up for a race well before the race crew does. I passed the cone truck on the way in, so yea I was a bit early. It was a humid day for a race, it had been raining off and on all night so dawn brought on more of a sauna than an actual day break. Met up with the Mom Run This Town Katy group for a little prerace moral support. They are really a good group of runners. We all realize we have our own races to run and were there to cheer on each other. So we break the group about 15 minutes before the race so we can all get our prerace activities done. For me that meant finding a place to get a warm up in. I got about a half mile in, just enough to warm up my ankles and calves. The race started a few minutes late and like with most bigger races you couldn't hear any announcements but the start horn was no issue. I took the first few miles too fast, I kept trying to coach myself to slow down and finally about mile 4 I found my stride. I was running 12 m/m at a 8:1 I was really comfortable there. I think this is where I am going to sit for the next few races I have coming up. Mile 5 came and my first lap was done 59:06. I was well above the pace I had set on my pace card, trucking away. Mile 6 hit me like a brick, GI issues. You know that saying "never trust a fart" well...I slowed down to a 13m/m pace and hoped I would not be the next runner caught having a "Bad Human" moment. One of the ladies in the MRTT group came up behind me, I told her of the issues I was having and she nodded a knowing look, we've all been there, and reminded me that there is a port-a-potty just up ahead. Yep she was right, right at mile 7 was a port-a-potty and it's finally started to rain. The rain was a blessing for the few minutes that it happened. This is where my race went to shit. I thought I was going to die in there. Lord knows I killed anything living in there. It felt like it was never going to end, in my mind I really thought they would find me at the end of the race passed out in there. I finally pulled it together, put my big girl panties back on and got out back to my task at hand. I walked half way to mile 8 then began my race again. I looked ahead and I picked a rabbit, this girl who had been annoying the crap out of me sprinting 100 feet and then walking then sprinting again, she was wearing a bright blue shirt so she was easy to keep in sight and I began to haul my ass to her. I got stuck in an 11m/m pace and it started to kill me. By the time I rounded the corner and the last water stop I passed her when she stopped for water, a little past I ran up to the MRTT runner who I had left at mile 7. I asked if I could pace with her for the rest of the race, she was cool with it so we pushed each other to the finish line. My time at this point was really good. If I hadn't lost my shit at mile 7 I would have made this race easily in under 2 hours. Finish time was 2:02:26. I stayed to help cheer in the rest of the MRTT group, which if you know me is something I really never do, when my race is done I'm done and I go home. I ended September on a high note!
September mileage - get this - 93.85 miles.
Coming up in October: Connect to C.A.R 10k and the Houston Half Marathon
Running 7, 11, 12, 13.1!
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