Each Day Is a Gift

Nice temp, calm, cloudy sky.   We ran 1.5 mile to access the canal trail, muddy at some spots but no biggie.  Wore double socks with the Ascend solved the blister problem.  :)

Ran the entire dirt trail round trip while the gang peeled off for their desired distances.  4 with Karen (Sky), 6 with Wendy & Carolyn,  2.5 tempo by myself.

Myrtle.  3 circuits CSE.  Bicep tricep w/ resistant bands. 

Need to sign up for some March races before fees go up.  :)  Pretty sure I will run Lake to Lake (for SG runner series),  Red Rock Canyon Marathon and Riverton Half.  

Another beautiful day running with friends.  We took a new route running south down 3rd West, turned east thru the Woods to the cemetery where Carolyn and Wendy turned back (they wanted 5).  Karen and I continued east to Cedar Hollow then north up on 1200 E, then turned east thru the CH7 neighborhood to Freedom Elementary where we got a drink.  Turned north on 4800W to SR92 where we turned west to head back home.  Ran Karen home for her 9 miles.  Ran my last mile home solo at mp.  It was a nice route with some good rolling hills.

Potluck lunch at Wendy's house, good friends, good food! :) :) :)

Shopping at Ikea mid afternoon.  One stop shopping for toys, games, stuff animals to take to my TX grandkids, and a nice chair for my new bathroom.  This is the first time we've ever shopped at Ikea.  We ate dinner there, had yummy white fish, carrots and mashed potato for 4 bucks.  Did you know kids eat free on Tue.?  Wish I knew that when my grandkids were here! :)

Yoga and movie tonight. :)

76 days to Boston!!! :)

New month!!! :)  Shoes with over 500 miles started to nag at the top of tibialis last couple weeks.  Got 2 new pairs of Elixir for a song over the weekend.  Ran 10 miles in them yesterday and immediately could tell the difference!  Gotta LOVE new shoes!!! :)

Nice running temp with cloudy sky.  5 with Karen on Bull River and paved rail trail, 4.5 by myself to Smith and back!  Didn't eat or drink other than a cup of EmergenC pre-run.  A little dehydrated, mp felt harder than it should. 

Mrtyle (10-15 reps).  3 circuits CSE (30 reps or 30 sec. hold).  Bicep tricep with weights and resistant bands!

Blustery day!!!  Opted for home gym with Karen's company.  She did 25 min on the bike and 25 min. on the elliptical.  I did 20 min elliptical and 6 miles on the TM.  Finished with 12 reps Myrtle. 

My friends are so nice to run long with me today.  We started at 8:15 after their kids are off to school.  Ran a different route today.  Cold, no wind, lots of icy spots!  We ran on the dirt shoulder quite a bit...good thing I wore my Ascend.  Ran east via SR92 and south to Highland.  Explored the dirt canal trail and the neighborhood that Karen used to live 20 yrs ago; all over the gated community south of golf course, turned around at the creek north of Lone Peak.  Gu'd and pit stop at Mtn Ridge Jr High then west back to Karen's.  Wendy and Carolyn got 12, Karen got 13.  After bidding them goodbye, I continued on west to end of canal trail and home for 15.  Only had an EmgenC, one Gu with sips of water...am femished and a bit dehydrated.

Off to finish packing and head to airport.  Plan on running the kid mile with my granddaughter and 5K with my daughter tomorrow morning in Kingwood Tx.  Will take it easy next week, sorta mini-taper for Orphan Hope. 

:) :) :) Have a great weekend, fellow bloggers! :) :) :)

Lake Houston Bridge Fest 5K

Woke up numerous times, finally got up at 6.  Took one look at what Larissa (my daughter) was wearing, immediately ordered her to change into the cute RHPC shirt and skirt I brought over for her.  Jade wore the race shirt, a cotton T.  Put on a light jacket and grabbed couple of umbrellas then headed to pick up her neighbor, Beth and her daughter, Grace to the race.  It was raining cats and dogs, thunder, dark.  We got to the YMCA and parked fairly close.  They had already closed off the road.  The kid mile was supposed to start at 8.  But due to the thunder storm, it was posponed till 9:15.  We had 2 hours to sit around and visit and eat waiting for the thunder storm to pass.  

Plan was to run the kid mile with Jade and Gracie (both age 9), then run the 5K with my daughter.  But found out they have asked the adults to cheer the kids off-course and encouraged the kids to run the 5K with their parents.  So after sitting inside for over two hours, we walked outside and got the kids lined up.  There were 66 kids running the half mile race and 15 min. later 178 kids running the mile race.  The official gave some instruction of where to turn around, a prayer was said, then the gun was fired.  Oh man, I was so itching to run, instead we stood behind the start line, cheered and waited for them to run back.  Jade did awesome, 8:38 and took 11th in her age group (9-10 female).  Excellent for her first ever race.  So so so so proud of her :)

15 min later, I lined up with Jade, Gracie, Larissa, Beth and their friend, Julianne, Jill and Rhonda for the 5K.  I let Larissa wore my Garmin, giggled while hubby was beaming with pride.  A prayer was said, then gun went off and a huge downpour began.  It was SO FUN running in the heavy rain storm.  We stayed together for about 100 yards weaving around people and having a great time.  Larissa was the fastest among our little pack.  I'd run up to her and she looked at the Garmin and panicked when she saw that it read 7something and said: "Am I running too fast?"  I said: "No, that's current pace, your average pace is probably in the 8s and you are doing great."  She said they've never run that fast ever.  She's only started running the last couple months, 2-3 miles, 2-3 times a week with her friends running in the 11-12mm.  But I know she could run much faster than that.  I ran back and forth to get Jade and Gracie.  When Gracie started walking, her mom didn't stay with her, I debated whether to stay.  But I didn't want Jade to walk, so I told Jade to keep running and don't let her mom get away too far. 

We ran up the Lake Houston Bridge to the other side and turned around.  Saw the first runner soon after aid station #1 around mile 1.2.  Jade took a water.  I pointed to her that the winners are coming towards us...so let's run to the lane divider and cheer them on.  She would weave around those round metal bumps lane dividers and watched for familiar faces.  She saw her music teacher then her mom.  At the turn around, she said, "FINALLY!"  I noticed her shoe lace was untied and she was slowing down.  I asked if she's ever run 3 miles before to which she said, "No!"  She was such a trooper...she tried really hard to stay with me.  Whenever a boy would pass us, I'd say, "Don't let that boy beat you!"  Other adults passing would point to her un-tied shoes.  So to ease the minds of the adults, we stopped to tie her shoes.  That took at least 30 seconds, it was hard to untie a dead wet knot.  At mile 2, a little boy around the age of 6 was running with his dad passed us.  He was wearing a matching blue and black shirt, shorts and shoes, SO CUTE!!!  I could tell his dad was a runner...none of this wearing race cotton-T stuff.  Soon we passed them and I heard the little boy crying and saying: "I'm going to fall."  He didn't want to run any more.  So I ran back to hold his hand, while his dad held his other hand.  Together we ran and encouraged him.  He stopped crying and Jade was saying kind words to him.  With 50 meters to go I told him, we'll let go of the hands and it's up to him to run strong and fast to the finish.  I told him and Jade to raise their arms when they cross the finish.  I peeled off to get around the timing mat and high fived the kids.  Then I went back to look for Gracie.  So so so so proud of my daughter and granddaughter.  We were completely soaked from head to toes.  We waited freezingly for the rest of the girls to come in; then went inside the YMCA building to grab some refreshment.  Our shoes are still wet 2 days later! 

Larissa finished in 28:06, 11th out of 79 in her AG (30-39 female).  Jade finished in 30:55 13th in her AG (1-12 female).  There were 630 total finishers.  The overall winner was 18 yo male in 16:07.  The overall femaile winner was 16 yo in 18:24. 

It was a fun fun memorable run with my sweet daughter and granddaughter.  Later in the afternoon, Larissa and I went to the grand-opening of the Fleets Feet in Woodlands and got her a pair of running shoes.  Her friends came over and gave her a foam roller for her 33rd birthday (the next day 2/6).  :)