Last Week: Park to Park 5-Miler

40¾ miles for the week of February 18th through 24th

M – sleep, 52°F at 4AM
Tu – 6¼ miles, average pace 6:43 mpm, with the Dow- measured two miles in 12:34.3 and 12:29.5, very nice 51°F at 4AM with no wind [Ol/Dow/BS]
W – 6 miles, average pace 6:55 mpm, progressively faster general aerobic run on the track, from 7:27 to 6:33 mpm, 68°F at 7PM [B’Wood track]
Th –4¾ miles, recovery run, average pace 8:35 mpm, warm and humid 73°F at 4AM with a Gulf breeze [Dow]
F - 5½ miles, general aerobic, average pace 8:33 mpm, 59°F at 11AM [PlantBr//FlagR-P-P]
Sa – 9¼ miles with a 5 mile race at an average 6:02 mpm pace, very nice race conditions overcast and 48°F at 8AM [ParktoPark5M]
Su – 9 miles, at an average pace of 7:04 mpm, very sunny with a drying west wind 75°F from 10AM [SeaC/NTrail-2M/SeaC]


I ran the Park to Park 5-miler Saturday, part of the HARRA Spring Series. The weather was nearly perfect and there was plenty of good competition. Unfortuanately, the first three mile markers were way off. The first mile split was 4:22 [NOT]. I spent the whole race worrying we skipped a block at the start and we were running 4.X miles instead of a 5-miler. One of my greatest weaknesses is losing intensity when a race isn't going well and I succomed again. Throughout the race I kept on questioning why I should push hard when the course most likely won't be a standard distance. I wore my GPS and the course showed 5.08 miles and later I verified we actually did run the TX04104ETM USATF certified course . There's also a TX05116ETM certified course; I wonder if the mile markers were placed for the other course? I ended up with a 30:12, a new PR for 5 miles and 8K. I'm happy with the PR, but frustrated that I blew a chance for sub-30 and sub-6 mpm. Aaargh
My weight is also way up in the upper 180s. I'm sure that doesn't help my running. I need to quit buying the super-cheap Valentine's Day candy.



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I had an enjoyable cooldown run through the Rice campus.

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I have to admit I was disappointed to see the monstrous 35 story Memorial Hermann tower looming over the academic quadrangle like a death star. What's up with that trapezoid on top of the building? It looks more like a hopper rather than the "lantern" it is supposed to represent.

There was also a 5K in West Columbia Saturday. The race was won by Jason Johns. He's a new Clute resident and looks to be a national class runner in the Rudy Rocha league; he ran the Aramco Houston Half-Marathon under 1:12! Here's the story from the Brazosport Facts.