MERRY NEW YEAR!!!

I know we are bit into the New Year but I have finally found the time to reconcile how well I did on my running resolutions for 2014 and set some goals for 2015.

So how did I do?

I think I did well. My main goal of getting out and being more social of runner was very successful. I ended the year with 2 really good running partners. Both have rather busy lives but I know when time permits for all of us I can message them and they will be willing to run with me. Having company really makes the miles go faster.

I also cracked open my runner's shell by joining a running group. The USAFit Cypress group has done some much for me. It really gave me something to look forward to besides just adding on more miles as I trained for my #4 goal for 2014. And how about that marathon goal...I not only have 1 on tap for 2015 but 3. By the time the beginning of March rolls around I will have qualified for the big leagues, the Marathon Maniacs.

My goal to get my family involved was a bit more challenging. I did get my eldest daughter out for 3 5ks. And I have roped my husband into running the Advocate 5k, as part of my first marathon weekend.Yes, my first marathon. YEA! I am running the Louisiana Marathon on Jan 18th. A week and a half from now I will be a marathon runner.

So now what, going forward in 2015.

#1 I am going to volunteer more. I have already signed up to help out with the Bayou City Classic. (look for this race to go on sale Houston Marathon weekend, Jan 16th-18th use code BCCEXPO during those days to roll the price back to the early bird pricing.)

I am also looking into helping out with the Green 6.2 or the 4 the Park races in April. I loved helping out at the Houston Half in 2014 so much I will do it again in 2015.

#2 I'm going to stick with the Cyfit group thru the winter 2015 season. I am not sure what I am going to be running yet in the fall/winter but I think I would really like to get to know this group better. I have learned so much from them and I know there is so much more for me to learn.

#3 this one is simple a sub 2:30 half marathon. I mean if I can get to 2:31 in Beaumont in May...

Here's the line up so far for 2015:

Jan 17 Advocate 5k, Baton Rouge La
Jan 18 Louisiana Marathon, Baton Rouge La

Feb 1 USAFit Marathon, Sugarland Tx
Feb 7 Katy 5k

March 1st Little Rock AR Marathon
March 14th Bayou City Classic 10k, also volunteering in some manner
March 28th San Felipe Shoot Out, 5k, 10k, Half Marathon all on the same day, some state park in TX.

April ? volunteering for either the Green 6.2 or the 4 the Park race.
April 25th Brazos Bend 25k? (new course, same medal as last year only w/a different ribbon)

What are your goals for 2015?

Limbo

I find myself in an odd runner's limbo.

As races are opening registration for 2015 I am finding it hard to decide on what my next move is. I am not sure if I want to keep training to run at the Marathon distance level or scale back to the old comfy 6-8-10 Half marathon routine.

I know I should wait until I the 3 marathons I have on tap have been run but I sort of feel the need to begin looking beyond that to a the winter goal for the 2015-16 winter season.

I would LOVE to go back and run BCS again but not sure what distance. I would also like to add the Kingwood Marathon to my list of accomplishments. And now that the lottery has been removed from the Chevron Houston Marathon decisions about it have to be made pretty much on race day 2015.

As always I am also struggling with finding new races to run. We all have our handful of go to's but I really am looking for races that have me running where I haven't run before.

So far 2015 looks like this:

Jan 17 Advocate 5k (part of the Louisiana Marathon weekend)
Jan 18 Louisiana Marathon
Feb  1 Usa Fit Marathon
Feb  7 Katy 5k
Feb 28 The Woodlands Half   (although I may defer to 2016 due to having to get to LR before the Expo closes)
March 1 Little Rock Marathon
March 14 Bayou City Classic 10k
March 28 The San Felipe Shootout

In April I am looking to take a break and am hoping to volunteer for the Green 6.2 and then maybe do the 25k out at Brazos Bend again.

May - August become all about the 5k and 10k, with maybe a trail run of a bit longer distance. These are the months in Houston that are hot and humid and if you can make it through them without giving up you can come out on the other side in mid-December feeling like a champ.

UGHH what is a runner to do?

September Recap

Yup, it's Fall! or at least it was in Texas for about a week. And now sadly, the heat and humidity have crept back into our weather pattern. There is hope I hear rumor of a "cold front" coming in for the weekend. I mention it because this weekend is also the official start of my Fall racing season. Some how for October I have 4 races on the books. Two half's, one 10k and 1 Halloween themed 5k that I will do with my daughters (so it really doesn't count). I have even signed up to volunteer at the bag drop of the Houston Half. I am really looking forward to a full and productive running month. By the end of the month marathon training will take me to the 15-16 mile range and right now I couldn't be more excited about running distances further than I have ever trained past before. The next 3 months are it, this seems so much closer than when I started this marathon journey in June. This marathon thing is really going to happen. That being said I need some goals to help work my way to it.

My first sub 2:30 half. My PR is 2:31 and change and that was in Beaumont in May in the heat so I am thinking I may be able to pull off something more like a 2:25 finish by the end of the winter season.   My first under 30 minute 5k. I've been real close a few times and even tho I don't have a 5k set to "race" until February I am hoping any speed I pick up over longer distances translates to a better 5k or even 10k time. So for 10k I am going to try for a 1:05. I think the Bayou City Classic is going to be the best race to try for that goal. 

Nutrition wise I am still going strong using Tailwind. Last fall I was a GU sucker every 4 miles but since the switch to Tailwind I have managed to work my way down to no GU up to 13 miles. Not that I didn't supplement with a little sugar, 5-6 sport beans and a honey packet but they are a far cry from the 3 GU's I normally would have eaten. After a long run I haven't been getting runger as bad either. In fact I am have actually lost a few pounds in the past month. Another testament to proper fueling.

So September wasn't my month. 55.67 total miles. I have finally managed to get back on track. I even finished the month with 1 minute repeats with my fastest being at a 7:43 pace. Not to shabby for a back of the pack runner.

Bayou City Classic

Still having a slow running week because of the cold weather. Thankfully it has finally past and I had the Bayou City Classic to get me back in a runner's mind. The race is put on by HARRA which is the umbrella group for the Houston running community. This is the only race 100% put on by HARRA so there is a really good turn out. I like to think of it as Houston's answer to SF's Bay to Breakers only there is no Bay or Breakers and I have yet to see a naked runner but it still has that groovy vibe to it. It is really more of a traditional kind of race, packets consist of bibs and sponsor flyers, nothing more. Sadly for you bling whore's there are no medals, but you do get a tech finisher shirt (and one year maybe they'll have them made more true to size but they do run small).

You also get a really tough race. After the first mile around some buildings downtown you head out down Allen Parkway which is rolling up and down to Sheppard and then more up and down and up to the finish. Water stops are plentiful but if you require more than water for a 10k I would advise you to bring your own. The 5k starts after the 10k and then merges into the 10k about the 8k mark and about 1/4 to the finish they separate the road so each had it's own finish line. Spectators are pretty nonexistent but they do have dj's along the route, this year Other Brother was blasting some of my 80's favorites in 2 places. My goal for this race was to finish before the slowest centipede. As they all past me I figured my goal would have to be just to finish but after the turn around I saw that there was still one behind me and then I came across a lady who was part of another that it seems left her behind and then when I came to the last two turns I found the rest of her centipede and booked my butt past them. I finished in a new 10k PR time of 1:10:24.  Tips for next time, parking - the garage @ Bagdy and Rusk yellow section, just a short walk up the stairs and you are within a block of the start and finish lines. For the finish stay in the street and walk to the next enterance into the park, this allows you to get past the running club tents which are now crowded and puts you right next to the tents for your finisher shirts. Food is plentiful but the lines are long however the band makes it an easy wait.

Up next Seabrook Lucky Trails weekend. Wish me luck.