1st Street 5k

How do you get more races to come to your town? You come out an support the ones that do come to your town, whatever the distance. When the guys over at Run In Texas announced that they, in conjunction with No Label Brewing Co. were putting on a new race in town I jumped on it! As more race directors move races to the west side of Houston I'm trying to do all of them I can. There are so many races to do downtown or in the NASA/Gulf area it's nice to have ones now popping up closer to home. FYI, I also hear that Onurmark Productions is getting geared up to run a half marathon in Katy in February 2015. There are a few smaller events 5 and 10k's in the area and last year the Texas 10 series brought a 10 mile event to the area but if this half comes together it will be the longest distance I have heard of run in Katy proper. Back to the 5k, this is the first time I get to run in what is known in the area as "Katy proper". Katy is really 3 different areas, south of I-10 where all the newer construction is happening, Katy proper, which is the historical Katy and the area where I live, which really is far north and smashed between Houston and Cypress. I almost never have any reason to go to that side of town so this race was a good excuse to get out and see the "town".  To take full advantage and the late start time (8:30) I got to No Label a little after 6 so I could get some miles in before the race. I headed out along 1st St, and decided to run until it dead-ended and then run back hoping to get in at least 4 miles. This section of town got me to thinking about my home town, Pleasanton CA. Small mom and pop shops, the tree lined street complete with railroad tracks running along side the road. Just not as hot. Or humid. And less mosquitoes. 

Rice Dryer and silos

Katy is/was an old rice farming town. Along the high way the old rice silos remain. No Label has moved into a warehouse along side of them. For me being a lover of all old buildings it was a special treat to be able to get up close to them. The was very well organized except for 2 things (other than the late start time) 1. the "instruction" announcement was a bit long and late and 2. the start line is about a 1/4 mile from the point where they had runners gather prerace, which meant moving 500+ people the distance and then getting them to turn the corner. Which led to #3, 10 minute late(r) start. The course itself was good, fast and shady until the finish. The last 1/4 mile was on a pot holed filled gravel road.  

The hardest part at the finish was waiting in line for my finisher pint glass. Must have taken a good 10 minutes to get to the front of the que. Only real problem there, only 2 people checking bibs and handing out glasses. The beer lines, on the other had were quite empty (everybody still in line getting their glass). On a day like today this pint glass is better than any medal they could have put around my neck, it's hot and something cold to put in it was well earned. Will I come back if the do another one? You betcha, anything to support my local community. 

Still having issues getting my motivation in check but I have no choice right now but to get out there and run, if I don't the heat will drag me down and kill me. No not really, but I will end up struggling my way thru the summer wishing I were dead during races. No more races left for June. :(

Up coming races:

July 4th - Baytown Heatwave 5 miler
July 12th - Magnolia Hills Half Marathon

August 9th - Lazy Hazy Crazy Days of Summer 5k, Downtown Houston

August 23rd - Lake Houston 10k.

And a whole lot of marathon training in between.