It's been a while...

A lot has happened since my last update.  There's been an election, we're back in a drought here in SE Texas, the Houston Texans football team is 10-1 on the year. The only thing that is still the same as before?  I am still not running.  Seemingly never-ending struggle with plantar fasciitis.  Now in a boot, will give it a try for about 6 weeks and may then consider surgery.  As a result of not running - and a few other factors - my weight has increased quite a bit, to just under 180 lbs.  The mountain biking helps, but you can't go from running 40 to 50 miles per week to zero, and not expect to gain some weight. 

Kath and spent about 3 weeks in South Africa and Zimbabwe in early November which was great - some photographs etc. to follow soon.  However it meant practically zero chance to exercise, and a lot of delicious food and drink choices...

So before things get totally out of hand, I am reverting to the tried and tested 'No S' Diet:  No Snacks, No Seconds and No Sweets on any day of the week except those starting with an 'S'.  Plus I will be a bit more diligent with my exercise routing, add some rowing in addition to the biking, to up the aerobic exercise volume.  Here we go. 

Last chance for abs

Not having run for nearly 8 weeks now has not helped my waistline.  At 171 I’m 6 pounds heavier  than I was at the end of April.  Something has to be done, as I likely won’t be able to resume a regular running schedule until early August. 

I am still mostly following the ‘No S’ Diet, which is no snacks, no sweets and no seconds on any day except days starting with ‘S’ (Saturday, Sunday and ‘Special’ days such as holidays or birthday).  Lately I’ve been a bit slack on the ‘no snacking’ part of the deal, with a few peanuts and some ‘natural’ pita chips and hummus somehow slipping through the blockade. 

So we will tackle this with a renewed emphasis on sticking to the ‘No S’ rules, watching the consumption even on the weekends, cutting down on the fun calories (candy, wine, beer etc. – you know who you are!) and stepping up alternative exercise.  By that I mean some more walking with the dogs, rowing on the C-2 (boring but effective) and working out with a Personal Trainer 2 to 3 times per week. 

To give this a bit of structure and a tangible goal, I will restart my (by now) almost quixotic search for my long-lost abs.  The one or two of you who have followed this blog from when I first started it a few years ago, may recall a couple of posts on this topic.  To the effect that my abs were last seen in c. 1982 and that they have since proven to be more elusive than the last resting place of Jimmy Hoffa. 

Even at 60 I know I have a few of them left.  They have just become extremely shy after so many years in solitary confinement.  Nothing seems to work to coax them out:  I have tried running, working out, boxing, rowing, Swiss exercise balls, barbells and dumbbells, medicine balls and rubber bands. 

So I am giving my abs one last best chance to see the light of day and join the 21^st century.  Everyone enjoys their 15 minutes of fame nowadays, so maybe that will work.  They are going to hate it at first as they are clearly not ready for prime-time yet, but here goes.

 

Update

It's been all quiet on the blogging front mostly because of  my plantar fasciitis.  No running equals no enthusiasm to put pen to paper about much of anything.  After literally months - actually more than a year - of struggling with the PF we seem to have turned things around.  Once I started to sleep with a Strassburg Sock on my left foot and wearing orthopedic flipflops instead of going barefoot around the house, the PF is just about under control, probably 90% healed.  Treatment also included 2 cortisone shots, lots of stretching and icing and - no running.  I hope to be back running by the beginning of August. 

Rwanda and Uganda trip

A lot has happened since my last post.

 

Kathy ran and successfully completed the Boston Marathon so she has her medal and very happy about that.  It was quite an ordeal being very hot (record high temperature in Boston on the day of the marathon) and she suffered pretty badly from heat exhaustion and (suspected) hyponatremia.  Actually ended up in the emergency room the night after the marathon.  A story unto itself but all is well that ends well...

Just days after we got back from Boson, I was off to East Africa on a familiarization trip with The Far Horizons, based in Kampala Uganda. Great people - really enjoyed working with them and traveling with a small group of other agents and tour operators from Mexico, the USA, Switzerland, Germany, South Africa and Kenya.  

Why Uganda and Rwanda?  Rwanda stirs up lots of questions about genocide and internecine strife, while Uganda is still suffering from the damage done to its image by the despot Idi Amin.  The country was also unfairly the victim of more recent bad publicity surrounding Charles Koni - who has not been in Uganda for many many years.  

Well, the answer is that both Rwanda and Uganda have moved on from those years.  Uganda and Rwanda are very stable and safe countries to travel in; there is a high level of visible security in the urban areas (police and military) and even in the remote rural areas there are regular and on-going military patrols. This was clearly to be seen in the Volcanoes National Park area of Rwanda, and also at Bwindi in Uganda.  Kampala itself is to be avoided simply because it is messy and dirty with bad traffic congestion, but no real reason to stay there: first night could be at The Boma Guesthouse in Entebbe and then move on from there to either Murchison Falls or the western part of the country.  Kigali is clean, modern and actually quite an inviting place to spend a day or two, I would certainly recommend that clients visit the Genocide Museum, very impactful. 

Here is a brief summary of my familiarization trip with The Far Horizons. Also here is the link to Part 1 (of 2) of my Uganda and Rwanda trip report; Part 2 being written. 

http://www.fisheaglesafaris.com/URTrip2012p1.html

There are also links to Flickr where most of the pics have been uploaded with captions, in 4 categories. 
Among the highlights were our stay at Murchison Falls NP and in Queen Elizabeth National Park, particularly the Kasinga Channel boat trip - awesome with lots of birds and plenty of other stuff as well (elephant, buffalo, hippo, crocs etc.). Excellent game drive in the Ishasha region as well although we missed out on the tree-climbing lions (our trip was too short). They are there; visitors should just spend a bit more time than we did!

Of course the primary reason for going to Uganda is the abundance of apes and monkeys: we had some superb chimp sightings in Budongo Forest Reserve, which made up for the Kibale Forest chimp trek which turned out to be rather unsatisfactory with the chimps mostly way up in the trees and moving around.

The gorilla trek in Uganda was good if somewhat tricky: very steep slope, not for everybody! Can't do it without good walking boots. We got very close to the gorillas but photography was difficult: they kept turning their backs on us or dodging behind the vegetation - inadvertently one assumes. I did not have the right photo equipment for a gorilla trek. My 200-400 zoom lens was too much glass and too heavy; I could barely pick it up towards the end. The ideal lens would be a 70-200mm 2.8: will have to get one of those before the next time! Or maybe a 100-400mm zoom.

The gorilla trek on the Rwanda side (Volcanoes NP) was easier although not by much - quite a long walk with some pretty rough spots towards the end, close to where the gorillas were. This time the gorilla family was in a wide open area and I would have gotten some great shots if the weather played along. That didn't happen: it started to pour just minutes before we got to the gorillas and never let up, in fact it got worse. I took a couple of quick shots and then packed my camera and lens away; I did not want to risk potential serious damage to the camera and/or lenses - just too much water around. I am still finding damp money in my wallet.

We did several other fun/interesting activities including a mongoose trek, a long hike through Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, a couple of cultural excursions, and spent one night each at some fine lodges. A few of them have their limitations, might not appeal to everybody - but what they may lack in luxury they make up for in location. Without exception, we bumped into consistently friendly people everywhere.

In summary I would say the best reasons to visit Uganda and Rwanda are the apes and monkeys with chimps and gorillas at the top of the list; scenic beauty; and then wildlife (mammals, reptiles, birds etc). The people and cultural experiences also rate very highly in my book - some of my most memorable moments were all about connecting with people while running or on activities.

For anyone with more than a passing interest in birds and birding, both Uganda and Rwanda are loaded with spectacular and in many cases endemic or near-endemic species, and notably the rare and exotic Shoebill.

Here is a link to some of my photographs:

Uganda/Rwanda Birds

Uganda/Rwanda People and Culture

Uganda/Rwanda Wildlife and Nature

Uganda/Rwanda Apes and Monkeys

Uganda/Rwanda Camps and Lodges

 

600 miles for the year to date

Probably the earliest in the year - ever - that I have reached the 600 mile mark.  This works out at an average of 6 miles for every day of the year to date.  In reality it means quite a few days of around 8 miles per day and several longer runs as well.  The high mileage is starting to pay off with faster times - it has been a while since I was able to maintain a pace of under 7:30 for a 5k+ race.

Looking forward to average pace dropping more with increased weight loss.  New age group is looming - just more than a month away - and I definitely want to be close to sub-7 minute pace by the time the 4th of July race - we always do the Run Wild race at Uptown Park - rolls around. 

Injury update:  the plantar fasciitis is not as bothersome as previously - with regular icing and stretching it is manageable and it hasn't gotten any worse.  I am now using Superfeet inserts in my running shoes; hopefully that will slowly resolve the issue.  It didn't happen overnight, so it will probably take a while to heal.  

Four the Park Race @ Memorial Park, Houston

Kathy and myself, a bunch of our Striders running friends and about 2,250 other people showed up yesterday morning for the 4th running of the '4 the Park' 4-mile run, capably organized by the Memorial Park Conservancy.  This year, more than ever before, the race proceeds are going to be used to replant Memorial Park where thousands of trees have died due to the 2011 drought.  The record number of participants had a great time - I know Kathleen and I did as we both scored age-group placings, second and third respectively in the 55-59 age group.  Many of the other Striders went home with age-group wins and places as well. 

The race is fast and mostly flat, including a  loop inside Memorial Park forest as well as a long and rather hot and sunny out and back on Memorial Drive itself.  If I had any criticism I would say the race could have been started at least one hour earlier.  When we first got to the Park at 7:00A running conditions were near perfect.  By 8:30A - not so much. 

As previously the Conservancy came up with a nicely designed race shirt, this time a dark blue technical t-shirt.  The post running party lived up to its reputation as being one of the best in Houston.  Runners had their choice of a bunch of food and drink options including the following:

• Middle Sister wines
• Michelob Ultra Lite beer
• Creative Crepes
• Firkin & Phoenix banana and strawberry crepes
• Lemon and chocolate Bundt Cakes
• Izkali Tequila 
• El Rey Restaurant breakfast tacos

And many more!

Not to mention a lively 4-piece band on a huge stage!  

I was hoping to end in the top 5 runners in my age category and did slightly better than that with a third place finish at 29:55, about 7:28 pace.  After a relatively easy start I was a little over a mile into the race before my heart rate settled down at around 155 bpm.  By then we were hammering it along Memorial Drive in the east bound lanes.  Once we turned around at Crestwood, I started getting fatigued and the heart rate reflected it, increasing to around 160 and briefly reaching 166.  Maintaining around 160 bpm but slowing somewhat over the second half, I hung on to third in my age group, finishing just 2 seconds ahead of a competitor.  With some additional weight loss I should be able to get my mile pace down to under 7:00 for a race of this distance, so watch this spot!

My 'No S' Diet*** is going well; no further weight loss so far this week but easy to see why: I have more than halved my weekly running mileage, so burning hundreds of calories less on a daily basis.  Ergo no weight loss.  Yesterday (Saturday) was a bit of a blow-out; following on the Run 4 the Park I ate quite a lot of junk and indulged in a variety of beverages, both alcoholic and not.  Later in the day Kath and I went to The Counter, a custom hamburger joint in The Heights, where we each had half a veggie burger - they were massive! - as well as some onion rings and stringy fries.  We celebrated our running success with some delicious vegan chocolate cake.  I took full advantage of the 'S' day sweet allowance and snacking privileges!

***No snacks, no sweets, no seconds, except on Days starting with 'S' (Saturday, Sundays and Special Days such as birthdays & holidays).  No exceptions.

2012 Texas Independence Relay

I had absolutely the best time on the Texas Independence Relay with Steve Shepard’s Westside Occasionals lats weekend. Met some interesting new people, got to know some others better and re-learnt lessons about the volatile mix of speed, distance – and heat. Amazed and delighted by all the young people – women in particular – participating in this grueling event.

The organization/logistics were flawless and the vehicles - a couple of sleek and powerful Suburbans - were fantastic! The real luxury was being able to spend some time resting up at the Shepards' home on Saturday night - it made a huge difference for me personally compared with my previous experience.  I actually had something left for the first 4-mile run on Sunday morning - which turned out to be the best one of the lot, notching no less than 12 'road kills', i.e. catching up to other runners who presumably started before we did.  Nobody passed me on that leg either!

Every member of our time was affected by the unseasonably warm weather: by mid-afternoon on Saturday the temperatures were in the mid 80's Fahrenheit!  Combine that with some nasty hills and you get a very unfriendly running environment. Even so we did very well, finishing in about 27 hrs and 40 minutes, well ahead of our competition in the 'Mixed Veterans' category.

I really enjoyed meeting several new people including Elias, Larry, Rob and Cyndie and Marie, and getting together with some other members of the team whom I had run with previously.  It was particularly good to get to know David Rushing a bit better - what a nice guy; he even finished my last 3-mile run - which was a killer as my legs were shot - with me.

It would be great to go for the Mixed Veteran team record next year, hopefully when weather conditions are a bit more favorable!  

Some pics to follow.

My old friend 169

Nice to see you again yesterday and this morning, staring up at me at 7:00A.  Your tail doesn't wag like Leopold's but I am just as happy to see you.  We've got to end this though - the on and off affair just isn't working. How many times has it been now?  30?  Maybe more.  Nothing personal but I would rather not see you again - ever.  Just this one last time on the way down and then our relationship can end.  OK? You might just have met your match with this 'No S' diet.  No snacks, no sweets, no seconds.  Except sometimes on Saturdays and Sundays.  Not to overplay the 's' deal but it seems to be working! 

Just as well that the upcoming Texas Independence Relay will come on a Saturday and Sunday when all bets are off.  Four mini-races over the span of less than 48 hrs will definitely involve some snacking!  Gotta keep those glycogen levels up.  But come Monday it is going to be 'au revoir' my old flame 169 - I am trolling for a date with 168!!

How close were we to 'the end' in Sept 2008?

Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke is presenting a 4-lecture course on the central bank at George Washington University.  This is how MarketWatch’s ‘Political Watch’ summarized one portion of his most recent lecture:

‘Failure of AIG would have been "the end," Bernanke says. They were connected to everyone. "It was interacting with so many different firms, it was so interconnected with both the U.S. and the European financial systems, global banks, we were quite concerned that if AIG went bankrupt that we would not be able to control the crisis any further," he said.  I don't think Bernanke has ever been so specific or used the word "the end" before. Yikes.’

The 'No S Diet'

This makes a lot of sense to me; found it by searching for 'no snacking' which has always been my weakness, together with candy/cookies/chocolate etc (aka 'sweets) and portion size (which are like seconds if they are too big).  This really simple 'diet' - all of 14 words - is all about moderation and self-discipline, but without all the hassles of counting calories, specifying or excluding certain/any food groups or types, and it is flexible to allow for some weekend indulgence.


"There are just three rules and one exception:

• No Snacks
• No Sweets
• No Seconds

Except (sometimes) on days that start with "S"
That's it."

Clearly the path I have been on for the last few years is not the right one.  I'm just barely managing to keep my weight at or just over 170lbs, running and working out as much as I do there should be a downward trends. But there isn't.  Cue snacking (mid morning and mid-afternoon 'mini-meals'), sweets and seconds.  

So:  back to 3 meals per day with nothing except tea & water in-between - and we will see how it goes.
PS:  Days that start with 'S' also include 'Special Days' such as celebrations, birthdays, holidays etc.

Next up: Texas Independence Relay

Starting late next Saturday morning our team of 12 runners - the West Side Occasionals - in two vehicles will be tackling 204 miles from near Bastrop TX all the way to the San Jacinto Monument east of Texas running nearly 40 legs in total, non-stop.  Two vans with 6 persons each switch off every 4 hours or so.  You grab some food and sleep where you can, otherwise it is all running all the time!  Sounds like fun, right!  It is, trust me.  This will be my second TIR, having participated in the inaugural event in 2008.  Which unfortunately resulted in achilles tendinitis and forced me to postpone running the Boston Marathon until the next year.  I'm not qualified for Boston this year so no worries on that front.  I will be taking a small camera so except a few pics to show up here by next Monday or so.

Running and working out have been coming along nicely despite some ongoing plantar fasciitis issue (left foot).

Here is a recap on the last week's running and gym sessions:

Monday - Bendwood Park route 3 mi 00:30 10:00 pace

Really nice recovery run, legs still a little bit sore from Sunday (left calf mostly) but feeling pretty strong. Begin mini-taper for this weekend's 204-mile Texas Independence Relay.

Monday - With Amy Henneke 00:55

Weigh-in day. Body fat percentage down to 17%, otherwise unremarkable. Still a long way from finding my long-lost abs, last seen in public c. 1979. Today it was mostly shoulders, biceps, some abs, pecs and lats.

Sunday - Bendwood loop 3 mi 00:29 09:39 pace

Easy recovery run with the Boxers; lots of fun with a whole bunch of little kids keen to meet with them at the park. They were on their best behaviour!

Saturday - New Ulm hills 20 mi 03:20 10:00 pace

Easy first half, tough coming back to New Ulm when you can actually see the hills... My left foot took a pounding. Happy it is done!

Thursday - With Amy Henneke 00:55

Lots of shoulders, weighted step-ups, elevated push-ups, ab crunches, triceps and pecs.

Thursday Bendwood loop and neighborhood 5 mi 00:52 10:24 pace

Very easy run, first 3 with Kath and the dogs, last 2 just us. Nice and cool. Legs a little bit fatigued but nothing serious

Wednesday - Bendwood Park loop 3 mi 00:30 10:00 pace

Really nice run, the dogs almost behaved. Stopped to talk to some city workers installing a new lift station in our neighborhood. Huge job which will take several more weeks; they have to build it to 500-year floodplain requirements; the lift station (basically a pumping assembly for sewage) will protrude 7 feet above street level.

Wednesday - Bendwood Park and then Terry ... 6 mi 00:57 09:30 pace

Easy 6 miles, first three with the dogs. It is amazing what a little cool weather can do for the legs!

Tuesday Rice track and Rice trail 5 mi 00:49 09:48 pace

Much nicer weather than a week ago! Mostly easy run around Rice, then a couple of miles on the track, a little faster, but no real speed work.

500 and counting

As in 500 miles run, year to date. Miraculously the body (legs!) are still functioning pretty well.  As well as they can after just about 6 decades of work.  Not too much for the first 18 years, but steadily since then - and a lot more lately.  Actually I think my legs are getting used to the steady pounding - some steady foam-rolling must be helping.

It will be interesting to see how I measure up in the Texas Independence Relay starting on 31 March.  Our team of 12 - the West Side Occasionals - will be running 200+ miles from around Bastrop TX to just east of Houston, where the race will end Sunday afternoon in the shadow of the San Jacinto Monument.

 My brother who lives in Pretoria (South Africa) sends me some interesting photographs and cartoons from time to time.  I really enjoyed these:

Racking up the miles

This year to date I have logged 450 miles which works out to an average of 42 miles per week.  I don't run on Friday.  There was a time a few years ago when this many miles cumulatively and too many weeks of 50+ miles tipped me into over-training. Why not now?  My nutrition is a lot better which helps me recover from workouts more efficiently, but most importantly I don't run hard all the time.  Keeping your heart rate relatively low for the duration of all of your long runs is key:  it prevents staleness from setting in and it allows you to have something in reserve for track workouts, tempo runs and races.  

Ran the Bayou City Classic 10K last Saturday in just under 50 minutes. Could probably have pushed a little harder but conditions were putrid with nearly constant rain/drizzle and wind! Had something in reserve at the end and finished well, about the only highlight of the day. Afterwards our little running group was huddled under the Striders tent like wet chickens, many of us in a near hypothermic state. 

On Sunday I helped Kathleen with her Boston training and clocked 17 miles in the process - she did 20 - but it was a struggle.  First we did 3 miles with the dogs and got drenched.  Came back to the house, waited an hour or so and then went out again for 5 miles, making it back just before a huge thunderstorm came through.  Took a nap (I did) and finished off the day's proceedings with a solid if slow 9 miles along the Terry Hershey Trail.  Such is the life of a long distance runner.

Lots of racing coming up

We’ve been enjoying Chamber of Commerce type weather here in Houston lately! Sunny, cool, hardly a breeze - makes running a pleasure! Went out for a mostly easy run this morning before work, first 3 miles with the dogs, then another 4 including 7 short hill repeats. It feels like my speed is finally coming back, and some more hill repeats and perhaps some 400’s at the track tomorrow and over the next few weeks, should help. 

I’ve become allergic to talking about weight loss – I think it would be better to just report about.  So here is the report on weigh-in day (Monday):  back to 170 lbs, down a couple of pounds from last week.  What is working?  Kathleen going totally vegan is definitely helpful as it encourages me to pay closer attention to my diet as well.  It has helped her – very quickly – to lower her blood pressure. 

Several races coming up this month and every pound I drop will help to propel my mass slightly more rapidly than otherwise, over a distance of 5 to 10k.  Next Saturday is the Bayou City Classic (10K), on the 24^th March we will tackle the Houston Law Week 8K and then the very next day is the 3^rd running of the Run for Wellness 5K.  My short term goal is to shoot for 22 minutes that day.  A pace of about 07:05.  Definitely do-able. 

Stride for Stroke 5K

Two mile warm-up and then Stride for Stroke 5K race this morning, flat but not particularly fast course (too many turns, some quite sharp). Felt pretty strong, time around 22:35 - ran mostly just by heart-rate, kept it upward of 155 all the time, in the mid to high 160's the last mile. Faded a little bit the last mile but less so than recently. Nice day despite the wind which was gusting well over 20 mph at times.  Decent turn-out but with many more – hundreds more! – walkers instead of runners.  Somehow I don’t quite see the point of paying $25 to walk 3.1 miles, but if it gets people thinking about a healthier lifestyle, then I am fine with it. 

Subsequently I found out that I had won my age group - haven't done that in a while!  Nice incentive to drop a few more pounds!  Clearly the high mileage and lots of leg and core workouts are starting to work.  Just have to keep the injuries at bay!

After the run, a ‘Pre-Olympics' workout/competition at Fast Results Fitness, with everyone doing 5 minutes of dips, squats, pushups, and burpees. Killer. Plus some abs.  I might have to take a nap or have a beer or something after all that!

Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells...

Here we were last Thursday in Vietnam Coast, a (duh) Vietnamese restaurant on Hillcroft, just south of Gessner. Pretty good place, their special tofu and lo mein with noodles are fantastic. And not wildly over-priced either.  So at one stage I notice that the special tofu order did not have the required lemon dipping sauce. Raising my right hand I try to get the attention of our wait-person who is at the other end of the dining room.

She does not see me, or at least pretends not to see me waving.  Wait-staff seem to acquire a special visual filter which makes them unable to spot any patron that needs attention, don't you think?  Anyway, a little girl - maybe 3 years old - at a table about 10 meters away does see me waving.  And waves back with a big smile.  Clearly not destined to be a wait-person when she grows up.  I smile back.  What can you do.  And wave some more in response to her enthusiastic waving.

Our waiter eventually turns up a few minutes later with the sauce and we turn to important matters at hand such as dunking the lovely light pieces of fried tofu into the lemon sauce.  Suddenly from the other side of the room I hear a tiny little voice going 'Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells.." in that familiar melody. No! Surely not?  Yes!  As I glance at my wife I can see a big grin spreading over her face. I force myself to look over to the little girl at the other table.  She is staring straight at me while repeating the phrase.  "Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, oh what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh" Alas.  My very  white 'most interesting man in the world' beard has accidentally turned me into Santa Claus!  Ack.  Very funny I am sure.  Thanks little girl in the Vietnamese restaurant.

All running all the time

This weekend was pretty much just running and watching the Oscars.  I'm not even training for a marathon, but Kathy is running Boston in April and a side-effect of her high mileage is that I've also racked up three 50+ mile weeks since the beginning of the year. As soon as I get a breather from work stuff I think I should look for a May or June marathon!  Can't let all this training go to 'waste'...

The weekend was tough on the legs though with a 10-km race (Rodeo Run) on Saturday (which we stretched to 10 miles total) and then a 20-mile training run on Sunday, part of it being a 5-k race, the second running and first official of the Run for Wellness 5K in George Bush Park.  This monthly free race (last Sunday of the month) is a lot of fun with probably the fastest, flattest track of any 5K in Houston, professional race management, post-race food for all and nice awards for top three male and female places.  And just to prove that age has nothing to do with it, the overall female winner this Sunday was Sabra Harvey, one of the fastest 60+ female runners in the world.  Sabra is coming back from an injury but she was looking great and has not lost her turn of speed. Just ask my friend Chris Adams ('Fast' Chris)  who thought he could challenge Sabra towards the end of the race.  Maybe next time buddy!

Here are a few pics I took at the Rodeo Run and the annual Houston Livestock and Rodeo parade which followed the run in downtown Houston.

Huge congestion at the start, it took me more than 3 miles to fight my way through walkers and much slower runners, never could make up the deficit but ran sub 50-minutes for the 10K so not too unhappy about that.

The Channel 13 TV Rodeo broadcast team in action

The dogs go along for the ride

This is how you get to be a good rider: start young!

We enjoyed an early lunch at Jenni's Noodle House after the run, Teddy's Not Gay for me and Artcar Curry for Kathleen