TexasLindsey

We're visiting my in-laws here in Conroe, Tx before we head to Galveston, Tx for vacation at the beach.  I met up with a running group in the neighboring city called The Woodlands and I ran 6 miles.   This area of Texas is the piney woods with 100 foot pine tress.  It seems like your in the middle of the woods but behind the trees are every kind of business you can think of.  They have a great running club in The Woodlands!   Lots of people and very friendly.

I was wanting to run less than 10 miles because I ran 16 on Saturday... also I wanted to run about 8:30 pace.  Based on that, it was suggested I run with this young girl.  There were several routes and trails we could take.  She said she was running 7 miles and told me there would be water stops so I didn't need my belt.  I thought she might be about 20 years old but it turns out she was 16.  Sweet girl and very dedicated student and athlete... but she did not know the trails and she got us lost.  We ran 4 miles at 8:30 or better but then we started back tracking and getting lost.  She was panicky because we didn't have water and then she started getting upset because she had shinsplints.  She wanted me to leave her and go on... but A. I wouldn't know any better which way to go than she would and B. I'm not leaving a 16 year old lost girl in the woods! 

So we made our way to a main street (with no sidewalks) and were running along doing about a 9 or 10 min pace for a couple miles and then one of the running group people spotted us and offered us a ride back to our cars.   Thank goodness! 

So it was an interesting day.  I'm running with this group again next Sunday for my long run.  Their schedule has them doing 14 but I'm supposed to do 17 according to my schedule.  I met a guy who is the cross country coach at the high school there and next week I'm running with him and his pace group... he says they do 8 or 8:30... so I'm looking forward to it. 

We're out of town for the week.  Ran 7.3 miles around my in-laws neighborhood here in the piney woods of Texas.  So beautiful!  It's really humid here near Houston... but the trees are sooooo tall (100 feet) so it is completely in the shade.  This was a wonderful run.  I wish I could have kept going but I said I'd only be gone a hour so I had to get back.

Tomorrow we leave for the Texas coast to stay for the rest of the week.  I've never run on a beach before.  I've heard I should still wear running shoes so I've brought some old ones that can get dirty.

Splits

8:59

9:05

8:58

9:04

9:04

9:06

8:41

8:04 (last .3 mile)

Ran on the beach this morning!!! It was alot more fun than I thought it would be. The sand was packed down. Great view!  There was a great breeze at my side.  It felt a little like running on grass but without the potholes to roll my ankles.  I'm going again tomorrow but I'm going to do 8 miles.

In case anyone was wondering about the Texas gulf coast... I was surprised but there were no signs of oil from the big BP spill... I guess all that just went in different directions... lucky for Texas.  There were lots of shards of plastic, plastic bottles and other debris... it's so sad to me that people pollute the ocean like this.  

Splits

mile 1 - 9:13

mile 2 -9:30

mile 3 -9:36

mile 4 -9:05

mile 5 -8:30

mile 6 -7:58

Today was more difficult than yesterday at the beach.  I woke up this morning and I was actually a little sore from yesterday.  Sand running is a good workout.  The difference today was that the sun was out whereas yesterday it was cloudy most of the time... also yesterday it even rained a little toward the end of my run.  Today the wind was also blowing toward me... whereas yesterday it seemed to be blowing more to the side of me.  I went 4 miles out in the direction of the sun and against the wind.... then 4 miles back.  The sun makes a big difference... really zaps your energy.  The return trip was much easier but I was really worn out from the first 4 so I still didn't speed up much.  This was a difficult workout but I'm feeling pretty good now. 

Splits

10:11

10:27

10:14

10:22

10:33

9:56

10:00

10:01

9:28

Beach running again this morning.  There was less wind today but it was very sunny.  Saw a 4 foot long dead fish on the beach.  Found a cool sea shell to go along with the sand dollar that I found on yesterday's run.  I'm going to keep them with my race medals as I think the universe must have put them on beach on these mornings in these exact spots in order to reward me for running... because it occurs to me that I found them both at the turn around point.... so I wouldn't have found them if I had wimped out and ran less than I had planned.

Splits

10:23

10:11

10:17

9:59

9:17

8:53

Last day at the beach. There wasn't as much wind as there has been but it was sunny.  Overall, I like beach running!  It's alot more fun than I imagined it would be.  After a few days of this I bet when I get back on concrete, it'll feel like I'm running on air.  I Tomorrow I'm running with The Woodlands running club again.  I think we're doing 14 miles.

Splits

9:56

10:09

10:01

10:20

10:02

9:47

9:01