Frozen Hot Chocolate 10K 2014

This 10K in Austin was one of the toughest I have ever done. At the race's 8:15 AM start, it was 78 degrees with 97% humidity, and it went downhill from there.

Friends at the start

Pace guidelines at the start

Pre-race 

I had done the Frozen Hot Chocolate race in Dallas three years ago in March, and at that time, we battled freezing weather: 21 degrees at starting time! Yesterday's Austin race was HOT, very hilly, and a large part of the course was over gravel.

Killer hill at mile 5!

MORE hills!

The race was held at the Circuit of the Americas race track near the airport. I had never been before, so it was very cool to get to see the complex. I met up with friends at the start, and that's always the best part of

doing these events: the camraderie we all feel.

Running along the perimeter of the race track

Motorcycle race in progress as we ran

Overall, this was a good race, but my recommendation is to start the 10K people at 7AM, have more water stops along the way, and let people know ahead of time how hilly the course is going to be given that there was a 15 minute per mile pace restriction.

Chocolate at the end

The SWAG!

Victory!!

Next up for me is the Waco Wild West bicycle ride on Septemeber 27th. I am already looking forward to another great time!

Howl at the Moon 10K

Today some of my friends and I got together for an early morning run and a pot-luck breakfast. We all signed up for a "virtual race" through US Road Running online. The way it works is that you choose a medal you'd like to run for, sign up for a distance (5K, 10K, or half marathon), complete the mileage within a certain time frame, and then email your results back. This way, you can still get together and run for fun with friends without having to spend money on hotels or travel.

One of my friends hosted the event, and she and her husband went out a few days before and marked the course. We all agreed to bring a breakfast item to share after the run. Our start time was set for today at 6 AM,  but life being what it is, we had a few stragglers who arrived a little later. We waited for them since it was still a little dark at 6 AM anyway. There were 8 runners in all, and there were two people who stayed back at the house to get all of the breakfast stuff together and make sure there was plenty of coffee.

The route was through a beautiful neighborhood on a perfectly clear yet humid Central Texas morning. It was a wonderful day to share fitness, friendship, and fellowship, and now we are planning future events. Once we all completed the race, had our share of breakfast and coffee, we all took a little dip in the pool.

It was a great day with sweet friends, and for that, I am so very thankful!

Pre-race

The start

 Along the way

 Our medals!

My race bib and medal

 My breakfast. Yum!! I got the special London mug. :)

 Pool time!

Fantastic after-race relaxation!

Back in the saddle again!

Actually, I am back in TWO saddles: my bicycle and my motorcycle. I was sidelined for about 6 weeks and unable to ride, run, or lift weights. The flip side of that, however, is that I did get lots of rest and am now ready to take on the world!

Things are starting to come together in my short term plans, and job offers continue to come in daily. Many changes coming up for me in the next year!

For the moment I am focused in training for the Hotter Than Hell bicycle ride scheduled for August 23rd:

http://www.hh100.org/about/

I do training rides with a great group of people. Since it is now hitting the 100 degree mark here in Texas in July, we start our rides at 6 PM. There are people of varying skills, but no one is ever left behind. There are hills, hills, and more hills where we train, so it is always a great workout. I love this group!

I also ride with a motocycle group and go solo as well. There are some great things to see around here, and I love the freedom of riding my own motorcycle. I love murals and doing some "tagging" for a motorcycle site.

I couldn't believe that a pay phone still existed!

I also belong to a couple of Lady Biker groups, and it was through these wonderful ladies that I learned about Guardian Bells. We did some exchanges, and I ended up with 4 beautiful bells from three different states and one from Canada!

Life is very, VERY good right now, and all areas of my life are falling into place. I couldn't be more excited or happy about the way things are turning out!

Ride on!

The Army 5klicks Run, 03/02/2014, Temple, TX

This was the second year for the Army Marathon here at Ft. Hood, Texas. They added a half marathon and a 5k this time, so I thought I might as well try it out since they were offering a finisher's shirt, a jacket, and a medal! The 5klicks was my race of choice for the day.

Texas weather can be totally crazy, and it is not uncommon to have a 40 degree temperature difference in just a few days. The day of this race was no different, and when I pulled out of my driveway at 5 AM to head toward the starting line, my car temperature gauge registered about 60 degrees. I had heard that there was a cold front coming in, so I ran back into my house to grab a hoodie just in case. Later I would be VERY glad for that decision!

By the time I reached the parking lot where the shuttle busses were loading up people to get them to the start line, the temperature had dropped to about 30 degrees and the rain hit. The temperature just kept dropping, and by the time the starting gun went off, the wind chill was 17 degrees accompanied by sleet and lightning! Thank goodness I had my sweatshirt, but I had not thought to bring gloves, and I had worn shorts instead of long pants fearing that I would overheat if the cold front didn't hit as predicted. We froze our assets off, but I am so glad I signed up for and completed this event!

I have to say that this is one of the best organized races I have ever participated in. The organizers thought of everything to make this race run as smoothly as possible. All runners (about 1200 of them) were provided  with jackets at the start of the course,  and they provided heat tents at the finish line as well. The course was very well marked, police officers or volunteers were at every intersection, medical personnel were on hand, water stations every two miles with a couple of gel stations as well, and the few spectators along the route were amazing. 

I will be doing this one again next year!

Calm before the storm

 Waiting for the start

 The SWAG!

Gwinnett schools hiring 850 teachers this fall-----always have a Plan B!

This looks like a good one! Salaries are pretty sweet, too!


Gwinnett schools hiring 850 teachers this fall - CBS46 News

Ft. Worth Cowtown 1/2 Marathon, Feb. 23, 2014

                                  I ended up with three shirts and a medal for my $45 entry fee!

This was the first year for me to do the Cowtown 1/2 Marathon. Ft. Worth has so many very cool places to visit, and I had gone last year to visit the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame (a place I highly recommend!), so when my friends asked me to sign up for this event, I just couldn't resist.

Cousin's BBQ in Ft. Worth...fantastic!

I left my hotel about 5 AM to head to the race start which had a 7 AM start time. I knew that parking had the potential to be crazy, so I made sure to get there early enough to get first dibs on a good parking spot.

It's always fun to be at the start of a race and to see the excitement on people's faces as they prepare themselves mentally to run. There were different groups gathered around in the early morning darkness taking advantage of photo ops, but one of my favorite groups is Team RWB! I am a member myself, and I am proud to "wear the eagle" and support all veterans. I served in the Army myself, I have a sister and a brother-in-law who are retired from the Navy, and my youngest son is currently serving his country as a Navy pilot. I am a proud mother, veteran, and patriot.

Team RWB pre-race photo op

It's a great feeling being in a crowd of runners in the pre-dawn light where you can feel the nervous excitement in the air.

The route took us through some interesting neighborhoods and also through the historic Stockyard Station.

The Ft. Worth PD did a great job keeping us all safe!

    Along the route

Crowds cheering us on at the finish line!

I enjoyed doing the 2014 Cowtown 1/2 marathon. I get such a rush from meeting up with my friends and then making new friends along the route. This was a perfect race: nice expo, gorgeous city, and perfect weather.