If you’re new around here, you may not realize that once upon a time, this was practically a running blog! Before I had kids I did running races and triathlons all the time — at least a couple times per month — and I’d drive all over the greater Houston area for them. But life goes on and running multiple races per month isn’t on the agenda anymore, and I’ve gotten a lot pickier about how far I’m willing to go for an event.
All that said, I couldn’t resist finally tackling one of the races in the Run Houston series. They’ve been putting on several races throughout the year for a few years now and the Clear Lake event is held at UHCL which is now a mere 5 minutes from my house! I signed up for the 10K and planned to just enjoy it.
The forecast was calling for lots of rain but we totally lucked out. I arrived at ~7:10 to some very light sprinkles, which quickly went away and we didn’t get rained on at all. (The humidity was another story, but it’s June in Houston, so high humidity is just a given.) I had picked up my bib on Friday so I hung out at the start line until we got underway at 7:30. Because of the threat of storms, I left my phone and earbuds in the car so I was running almost entirely free of any tech — all I had was my Fitbit, which doesn’t have a stopwatch anyway. Instead of relying on my phone to time run/walk intervals, I just had to run on feel…
…and that, as it turned out, worked really well! I decided to just run steady until I felt like I needed a break. The first mile passed, then the second, and then I decided to just keep on running and see what happened. (I should add that I’ve been doing 5-6 miles every couple weeks this year, so the distance wasn’t an issue. But I’ve done them all as a run/walk.)
I walked for a minute or so at each of the aid stations, but ran the rest of the way. I could feel it in my legs — and they’re a bit sore today — but overall it felt pretty good. I finished in 1:12:41 for an 11:42/mile average! I ran the first 5K in 34:22 so my second half was almost 4 minutes slower but I’ll take it. It’s not my fastest 10K by any means but it’s also not my slowest, and it’s a few minutes better than I expected to do yesterday. Sweet!
I really liked this race and am now considering doing Run Houston’s UH race later this year. The series is a bit on the pricey side in my opinion, but the organization seemed good and the course was well supported and policed. The medal was huge and hefty, and is probably part of the draw for a lot of people since I know “race bling” is a big motivator these days. They’re not as big of a deal to me — I joked to Jose last night that the medal I got for this 10K is three times bigger than the medal I got for a full marathon in 2005 — but as medals go, I admit that this one is top notch. There are magnets on the back so you can stick it to your fridge, and that cutout at the top is a bottle opener. Bling indeed.
Two races so far this year! Don’t call it a comeback! 😉
Nice! Love the rocket on the medal.
There is a lot to be said for convenient, local races.
Yes! Pricey! I thought about signing up for the 5k, but the price of $50 deterred me. At my pace that is a cost of more than $100/hour!
I did the full series 2 years in a row. I love Run Houston! races. I’ve taken this year off completely, but MAY start back next year. I don’t know…I kinda like just doing my thang. I know Houston opens tomorrow and I have it on my calendar: Sign up for Houston (half)? LOL.
If you sign up early, it’s only $30 for the 10K, which is a great price for 6.2 miles, considering you get an awesome metal, shirt, and the race is well run. This is my 3rd year doing the series and I always sign up early. This year I had to do the CL race as a virtual due to a pre-planned trip. I love Run Houston! and the metal rack at the end of the series is totally awesome.