Trekking in Nepal 2011 – Annapurna Base Camp

Andrea, Jakeb, Anna and I made a return trip to Nepal for two weeks. We got back this past Saturday. It was another great trip. Jakeb and I trekked for eight days and afterwards we all hung out in Pokhara together.

Mr Mahesh was mine and Jakeb’s guide and he did a really good job of getting us where we needed to be and understanding our trekking pace. Our goal was to trek to Annapurna Base Camp and then make a side trip to Poon Hill on the way back down.

On day one we hiked from Phedi to Landruk. When we got to a village called Tolka a lady who ran a tea house said that Jakeb and I must be strong walkers (like Nepalese) because most people sleep in Tolka the first night of their trek. That is as far as they make it but she told us we would have no problem making it to Landruk.

On day two we woke to another amazing view of the Annapurna Mountain Range and walked from Landruk to Chhomrong. On the way we took a side trip at Jhinu to walk down to the river and sit in natural hot springs. The view of the ravine and the river was cool with the sun’s rays hitting us as we sat in nature’s hot tub. That night we stayed at Chhromrong Cottage where “didi” (meaning sister) makes the best chocolate cake in Asia (according to Time magazine – she will show you the article) and some tasty bean and cheese burritos. If you are ever in Chhomrong you have to stay here!

On day three we walked from Chhomrong to Dovan. The trail out of Chhomrong drops quite a bit and it is somewhat disheartening to lose all of the altitude you gained the day before knowing you will have to gain it back again soon. We stopped walking early this day which was a brilliant move on the part of Mr Mahesh because it rained almost all afternoon. We met a couple here that was trying to make it to Annapurna Base Camp in three days and then back to Pokhara in two. I think they ran out of time before they made it. She was from Australia and he was from the UK. They were in transition and were planning to buy a place in Australia and live a self sustaining lifestyle - growing their own food and supplying as much of their own power as possible.

On day four we hiked from Dovan to Annapurna Base Camp. After walking up the riverbed to avoid avalanches we stopped for lunch at Machhapuchere Base Camp. After lunch we decided to press on to Annapurna Base Camp. On the way up from MBC to ABC it snowed. There was thunder and lightning and by the time we got to ABC it was snowing pretty hard. That afternoon and night was cold. We sat in the dining room and played cards with two women from Seattle and two women from Denmark and their guide. The manager of the tea house put a heater (basically an open flame) under the table so we could all warm our cold hands and feet.

The next morning we woke to a perfectly clear sky and the most incredible view of this amphitheater of mountains. We were surrounded by mountain peaks all over 6000 meters with the monster being the tenth highest peak in the world Annapurna One at 8091 meters. We were at 4130 meters (approximately 13500 feet). We took some pictures, ate breakfast and then headed down to Bamboo.

In Bamboo we met “Himalaya Ken” - a guy from the UK who has been to Nepal 24 times. He has hiked to Annapurna Base Camp 15 times. He takes the entire month of March off every year to trek in the Himalayas.

On day six we hiked from Bamboo to Chuile. We stopped for a burrito at lunch with Didi. Some of the folks we met at Annapurna base Camp stopped and ate lunch with us. It rained right as we got to Chuile and when the rain stopped there was a rainbow in the mountains really close to us.

On day seven we hiked from Chuile to Ghorepani. It was a rainy day and for the most part it was miserable. But we were walking on some of my favorite trails following a small crystal clear river. We were happy to be in Ghorepani to have a warm safe place to rest.

On the last day we planned to hike to Poon Hill before coming down to Nayapul to catch a ride back to Pokhara. The weather was overcast and the mountains could not be seen from Poon Hill so we skipped trekking there. We ate breakfast and made the long downhill trek to Nayapul. It was a good day.

During the trek Jakeb and I read The Hobbit. It was a perfect book for trekking in the mountains. I cannot wait for the movie.

It really was the adventure of a lifetime. How many people get to trek in Nepal among the highest mountains in the world? On top of that I got to do it with Jakeb. It was one of those two weeks in time where it was good to be me.

Pride comes before a fall - and after it too.

I caught the first bus from our house to MacRitchie. Bus 165 pulled up at exactly 06:11 just like the schedule said it would. It was cold inside the bus especially being in running shorts and a sleeveless shirt. The windows were fogged up from the air condensing on the outside of the frigid windows.

I stepped off of the bus at MacRitchie, topped up my water bottle, hit the play button so I could hear Dave Matthews live playing in my head and hit the start button on my Garmin at 06:33. It is still dark at six-thirty in the morning. As I passed the trailhead the lights from the park at MacRitchie disappeared. I could still make out the trail but there was no definition to it. I had to run by feel being careful not to twist my ankle … again.

I was moving along well and at about a mile and a half in I saw a light ahead. Four locals were walking pretty fast uphill on the trail. I hit pause on the ipod and said “mornin” as Texas as I could make it sound. I got four very Singaporean sounding “morning”s in return. One guy said “well done” as I passed them on the hill. I said “thank you” and to be honest I felt kind of full of myself. “I am running well” I thought.

Then right as I topped the crest of the hill, still in sight of the four walkers, my foot caught a root and I went down hard. My knee and elbow were in pain as I found myself on my back staring at the trees and the stars beyond them. I didn’t give a rip if I was hurt or not. There was no way I was going to accept sympathy from the guy who told me I was running well. So I popped up and continued running as if nothing happened.

I told Andrea this story and she said “Pride comes before a fall huh?” I said “Yeah and apparently after one too.”

As I ran on I could feel more liquid on my elbow than the sweat I was producing and figured it was bleeding. As the sun came up I could see the blood and it was not too bad. When I got to the ranger station I washed the mud off of my hands but left the rest of the mud and blood there because it looked cool.

It started to rain as I continued on towards Rifle Range Road so it mostly washed off anyway. The rest of the run was uneventful as I finished down the Malaysian Railroad. I really like this run as it is mostly on trails.

Sunday morning’s run marked a turning point in my recent running. Running has been good but I have felt the effects of the Texas Marathon in one way or another since New Year’s Day. But on this run I started feeling strong again. Not fast but stronger than I have lately. The feeling of strength has continued into this week. Maybe it was the compliment.

As a side note - Jakeb and I are thinking about running the SBS Marathon in New Zealand again. We will be there for vacation anyway. They might cancel it due to the damage cause by the earthquake. An assessment will be made sometime in the future but knowing what little I know about Kiwis I think they will find a way to run it.

Running the Malaysia railway

Sunday morning I woke up and waited until daylight to get out and run. I did not want to run the same old routes. Jakeb has told me about running along the railroad tracks of the train that goes from Singapore to Malaysia. There is a trail a safe distance from the track that goes from near our house to Bukit Timah Road.

I left the house right as it was getting light outside. I crossed Holland Road and ran towards Holland Link. Off to the left there was a trail that went into the woods and I took it. I was running in my glasses which I do not enjoy. It is much better to run with my contacts in. With the high humidity my glasses were fogging up and the low light made it hard to see the trail. Every stick on the trail looked like a snake to me and the running was slow. After jumping over trees and navigating drainage ditches I made it to the railway. The trail there was much easier to run and with the sun coming up I could see much better.

From what I understand the railway in Singapore is owned and maintained by Malaysia. Running there was like leaving Singapore. I felt like I was miles from town in a rural place. There were railroad ties scattered along the side of the trail. The grass was high in places and everything seemed more raw – something Singapore would never allow.

After about a mile I came to the Bukit Timah Railway Station. It is a small run-down building where people were waiting for the train. Again it was good to see something that had a touch of humanity to it – a building that had worn paint and old wood and character. I ran down a road that ended at Bukit Timah.

Back in Singapore I remembered that Jakeb said that the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve was not too far away and we should run up Bukit Timah Hill someday. I thought “today is that day” even though Jakeb was not with me. I turned on to Upper Bukit Timah and ran another mile to the base of Bukit Timah. The trail is very steep but paved. I ran about a third of the steepest part and had to walk. Someday I will run all the way to the top but my body will have to adapt to it.

I continued running when the trail grade was more runnable. Before I knew it I was standing on the highest point in Singapore (163 meters). Not nearly as dramatic as it sounds but fun to run no less.

I turned around and went back the way I came. The railroad trail was as enjoyable on the way back as it was on the run out. I found a way to get back to the road without running through the woods that was much less “snakey”.

It was good to leave Singapore for a couple of minutes. I will have to go back to Malaysia often.

Garmin Forerunner 110

I am not a gadget guy. I didn’t get a cell phone until I had to. I do not have surround sound. My laptop is a practical notebook computer I mostly use to read my email and the internet and Skype with Andrea when she was in Texas without me.

This Christmas I got a Gamin Forerunner 110. I have thought about getting a Garmin for a while. I like the idea of putting on a watch and just running without having to stick to a prescribed route. But on the flip side of that I like the simplicity of running and I was always concerned that a GPS watch would just complicate things.

I am pretty regimented when it comes to running the miles that are in my training program. If I am supposed to run 5 miles today then I run 5. But I mainly try to just put in the miles and not worry much about pace. If my body feels like pushing it then I do but if I am not feeling all that great then I just cover the miles. I wear a standard sports watch but very rarely pay attention to it.

I was scared that owning a Garmin would ruin my running. And if I am not careful it will. The 110 is the most simple Forerunner but there is still a ton of data collected with every run – including how fast or slow I happen to be. If I stop to get a drink in the Botanic Gardens then my overall pace will be slower and my Garmin knows it.

So far I have been able to manage it. It will be good to just get out and run. I like seeing the elevation charts. I just have to be okay with being slow on some days and have my watch tell me so.

Texas Marathon 2011 Race Report

Andrea and I have a tradition of sleeping in the New Year. We have made a couple of exceptions but not many. This year was no different except for the reason we decided to sleep instead of watch the ball drop. Jakeb and I were running the Texas Marathon New Year's Day.

Jakeb and I woke up around 4:30am, got ready and took off from League City to Kingwood at 5:30. It was chilly outside but the temperature was good for running a marathon. We got to the park around 6:30 and picked up our race packets and chips. Jon Walk was there to act as race announcer and we talked to him a little while. He gave me a shirt I had left behind a couple of years ago when we ran the Texas Independence Relay with him. I was amazed he had it and had forgot I even had that shirt.

We sat in the car to stay warm until exactly 7:11 – that is when Jakeb said we should get out and stretch. After stretching well we made our way to the starting line and listened to the race instructions. Waverly Walk sang the national anthem and then we were off.

Jakeb and I ran a little more than a mile together. I knew I could not maintain the pace we were running. Jakeb was feeling good so I dropped back a little as he took off. He was in sight for a couple of miles more and then I lost him.

The race is four loops. I thought I would hate running four circles but it was really not too bad. I got a Garmin Forerunner 110 for Christmas and I used it to watch my mile splits and try not to get too crazy with the pace. I felt really good all day.

Near the end of the third lap I passed Jakeb as he was heading back out for his last lap. He had started to cramp and was slowing down. I took some S-caps at the turn, smiled at Andrea taking video of me (walking) and headed back out. I caught Jakeb about a mile out and gave him some ibuprofen I was carrying.

The last lap was easier than what I have experienced at the end of other marathons. I was tired but I was not struggling with pain. I still tried to run sensible but knew I was close to a marathon PR so I pushed as much as I dared. At what I thought was about a mile left I ran a little harder. I heard Jon Walk’s voice and cow bells in the distance and knew the finish was near. Anna was standing next to the trail and ran ahead of me to tell Andrea to get the camera ready. I crossed the line in a chip time of 3:52:16 (my marathon PR).

Jakeb finished a little later in 3:59:00. He had made a good recovery on the back side of the last lap.

I was given a huge marathon medal because this is Texas you know and some pizza. It was definitely a good way to start the New Year. Hello 2011!

Singapore Half Graphic

In America ... no way! I would be much further back in the field. (Click to view larger)

Singapore Half Marathon 2010

I finished the Singapore Half Marathon this weekend in 1:51:16. It was 9 seconds off of my half marathon PR. The race was fine. It was typical of Singapore - hot humid, crowded and with a few hills. I am glad I ran it. Now I am ready to move on to the Texas Marathon on January 1st.

Can't have it all

This weekend is the Singapore Marathon and Half Marathon. I am running the half. I am also training for a full marathon on January 1 so this race comes at a strange time. I am supposed to be running long this weekend – like 21 miles or so – but I will only run 13.1. I am not going to taper too much for the half because I need to keep the miles up for the marathon. My quandary is that I want to run this race well. The balance is hard to achieve. One will suffer for the other and for me the marathon is more important than this weekend’s half. I will let you know how it goes …

Chase Instinct

Dogs have the inherent desire to chase something that is running (or moving fast) away. Run away from a dog or ride a bike past it and it is likely to chase after you either based on its instinct to catch prey or its instinct to play.

Yesterday morning Jakeb and I ran around MacRitchie. Our plan was to take it easy around the lake since we had run an 11 mile long run the day before and should have had tired legs.

On the way out we came up behind three guys running with backpacks on. Neither one of us picked up the pace but we caught them easily. When we did they started running a bit faster and finally on an uphill we had to kick it into gear and pass them.

We made it to the ranger station at about the 4 kilometer mark and we stopped like we always do and got a drink of water. While we were there a guy and girl ran past. We got back on the trail and I could tell by how we were running that the chase instinct had kicked in. Our prey was ahead. By the time we got to the foot bridge behind the golf course we had caught the couple and passed them by. I felt like we were pushing it a little but I am addicted to competition. “Hi my name is Tommy and I am a competeaholic.”

Once we passed the couple we kept on pushing and ran up the technical stuff after the golf course. It is probably the only real technical running on the MacRitchie trails. I told Jakeb “We are like a couple of dogs. We have a chase instinct. When we see someone in front of us we have to pass them. The problem with that is once I pass them I feel like I have to stay in front of them.”

We ran hard most of the rest of the way back to the park. I am getting to old for this.

Christchurch New Zealand Earthquake

I had to come in to work on Saturday morning. When I got here I had an email from a friend and when I responded I told him how much fun Jakeb and I had running the marathon in Christchurch New Zealand. Not only running the marathon but we had fun driving through the mountains and seeing such an incredible place. The food was good, and they had good beer to enjoy with it (Speights). We had such a good time in New Zealand that we wanted to go back and bring Andrea and Anna (and Tori even though she is in college and can’t come) and have more time to explore.

Just after I hit the “send” button on the email to my friend I opened Google News and the headline at the top of the “Top Stories” was about a 7.1 magnitude earthquake in Christchurch. The pictures that were posted in the next couple of days were amazing to me mostly because they showed the devastation of a place where I just been. I had walked those streets and passed some of those buildings. There was a picture of a girl staring into a hole on Avonside Street where Jakeb and I had run our marathon.

I have never felt even the slightest tremor of an earthquake so I cannot relate. But I have experienced the aftermaths of more than one hurricane and I have to assume it is a bit the same - to have a natural disaster disrupt life and cause one to live in a completely different way than they are accustom.

I feel for the people there and hope their life goes back to normal as soon as possible. I check the news everyday and it seems like they are making progress towards rebuilding.

We will be in Christchurch next month. Our plan has always been to land there, rent a car and leave towards the mountains. I am still excited about going back.

I like messing with people sometimes

This morning I ran 6th Avenue / Clementi five mile loop. I left the ipod at home and planned on taking it easy. This run has five hills. One is early on 6th Ave and the last four consecutive are at the end of the run on Clementi and Ulu Pandan.

I ran at an easy pace and well within myself. On Bukit Timah about a quarter of a mile before Clementi I saw a runner ahead of me. He was running slow enough that I knew I would catch him. He was in yellow short shorts, a yellow singlet and a white headband. He pranced when he ran and held his forearms vertical while swinging his hands in a circle.

I got within a couple of paces of him at the bottom of the second hill of my run and he sped up. This hill is long. It is slow at ending with the incline stretching out at the top. I felt like I had enough in me to pass him but I didn’t want to be pushed from behind so I just hung out behind his left shoulder. As he sped up I sped up and when he slowed down I slowed down.

Then on the downhill I passed him and just ran easy. He stayed about 5 paces behind me. The third hill is short and not too bad so when we hit the base I hammered it to the top. When I crested I slowed down and could hear him behind me breathing hard. I laughed inside.

I ran the downhill side of this hill easy and when I approached the fourth hill I ran hard again. This hill is not as long as the second but there are some steep sections. I felt good. I pushed hard and my prancing runner friend dropped way behind. At the top I slowed. As I did he started catching back up. On the downhill side there is a bus stop and I zig-zagged through the bus stop barricades just because I wanted to mess around. He caught me on the base of the downhill.

We ran the flat on Ulu Pandan until the base of the fifth and last hill. When we first moved to Singapore I hated this hill. It is long and hurts by the time I get to the top. I pushed as soon as I felt the road rise under my feet. My runner friend pushed with me. I could hear his steps behind me and then as the hill steepens I looked back and he was walking.

Maybe I am too competitive but it feels good to be in good enough shape to run like this. I know there are plenty of people who can leave me in their dust and I am okay with that.

Over My Head

I slept horrible last night. Andrea has been in Texas since July 15th and it is not easy to sleep when she is not here. I think it is about time for her to come back. She will be home Wednesday night. Since I slept bad I figured this morning’s run would not be so good. I thought I would be tired. Boy was I wrong.

Last night I downloaded an all King’s X mix onto my shuffle and took off across the street to Vegetable. My legs felt light and strong and I ran fast. I am sure I probably set a 6th Avenue / Clementi 5 mile loop PR. But I wouldn’t know because I have never kept my time on that run – or many others for that matter. It was good to feel like I was flying.

Music, music, I hear music
Music over my head
King’s X – Over My Head

1000 miles

This morning I passed one thousand miles of running for 2010. It is just a number really starting on an arbitrary day that happens to be the first of the year and culminating on August 20th. There are people who have run many more miles than that since January 1 and there are even more who have not run a step. Even though it is just a number I have to admit I bragged about it to Jakeb and Andrea … twice.

A lot has happened over the last thousand miles. I had a foot injury around the February/ March time frame that I thought at the time would be with me forever. Today the injury is gone and I had forgotten about it until I looked back at my run log.

I have run parts of the thousand miles in Singapore, America, New Zealand and China.

I have listened to a lot of good new-found music and I have listened to some music that has been my favorite since I started running over seventeen years ago. I’ve ran without music lost in my own thoughts.

I’ve run some of the thousand miles with Jakeb and some alone and I have enjoyed both.

If I am able to run all of the miles planned in my Texas Marathon training schedule I will run a little less than seven hundred more before the end of the year.

I want the passage of miles to be a routine part of my life. Not something extraordinary but something that is part of who I am - a basic part of my humanity – to put on a pair of running shoes and just run.

The 1000th mile I ran this morning was nothing more than a spot in the road that I didn’t take notice of as I approached it and ran on without thought of it, just like the rest of the other 999 and hopefully like the thousands more to come.

Broken Social Scene

Last night I went to see the band Broken Social Scene. I hadn’t heard any of their music before I saw the advertisement that they were coming to town. I listened to their music online and generally liked what I heard. Since Andrea is not in town and since I haven’t been to many concerts here in Singapore I decided to buy a ticket. I downloaded and listened to Forced to Love and Meet Me in the Basement just so I would at least be familiar with two of their sings when I went to the concert.

Broken Social Scene is a talented group of musicians who are all part of other bands or they do their own solo thing. They are referred to as a musical collective. During the concert of the eight members of the band the only person onstage who played only one instrument was the drummer. Their live sound is really good. Being as big a band as they are you would think the music would get a little muddy but the sound was tight and clear. Since there are so many instruments the music is layered really deep and there is much to listen to. I liked it a lot but I will probably not listen to much of the studio stuff because it is just not the same.

Run on …

MacRitchie in the rain

Yesterday morning it rained - like crazy. My plan was to run the 11 kilometer trail around Lake MacRitchie. Jakeb and I have run there a couple of times in the rain and frankly it is fun. So I was not going to let a little rain (or a lot as the case was) stop me from running one of mine and Jakeb's favorite places in Singapore.

I should have known it was not going to be a typical run when the traffic was stopped on Farrer because the cars could not get off on the flooded Bukit Timah exit. It was still dark outside when I got to the park and people were standing under the cover of car park waiting for the rain to stop so they could run the trail. I got out of my car and put my key in my shorts and started running immediately, excited to get to run in the rain. I got a couple of strange looks.

As I ran past the pavilion where the food and bathroom are there were more people standing under cover watching it rain. I ran by - more strange looks.

As I entered the trailhead and started the first short climb I was running in a river of water that was looking for the lake. It was ankle deep and there was nowhere to run where water was not.

The trail continued this way - river for a while then sloshy mud for a while. I felt like a little kid and I had the trail completely to myself. A refreshing change since MacRitche is normally crowded on a Saturday morning.

On the backside of the lake the water got kind of deep. It is the lowest part of the trail and there is a 2' high wooden bridge without handrails built over the swampy jungle. Water was running over the bridge. The walkway to the bridge was mid-calf deep and when I took the steps up onto the bridge it was over my ankles. The problem was that it was muddy water and since there are no handrails I could not tell were the sides were. Not wanting to fall off of the edge, when I got the chance I bailed off onto a nearby golf course (there were no golfers either).

I finished out the run with more of the same - rivers of runoff and mud while the rain came down. I was soaked, my shoes were soaked and full of mud and sand. It was awesome.

This morning I ran MacRitchie again. It was not raining and the trails were as crowded as I have ever seen them.

Running in Beijing

Andrea, Anna and I went to Bejing, China for vacation and to meet our daughter Tori there. Tori has been studying Mandarin in a study abroad program with her professor and other students from University of North Texas.

We did all the touristy things you are supposed to do in China like see The Great Wall and The Forbidden City, but I also got to run.

The first morning we were there I did not run. But the second morning we were there I ran from the Double Happiness Courtyard Hotel, located in a Hutong, to Tiananmen Square.

Beijing is a polluted place. When I ran I tasted my sweat and it tasted to me like pollution. Maybe it was in my mind but I felt especially dirty there.

My first glimpse of Tiananmen Square was at the halfway point of my run on the second day in Beijing. It is a huge square that thousands of people visit every day. Even at 6 am in the morning the sidewalk in front of the Forbidden City where Chairman Mao's portriat hangs there is a crowd of people taking pictures and waiting for their chance to go in.

As I approached the square the first time I was struck that it looked exactly as I expected. I was also struck by how a leader could be so full of himself to hang such a huge a self-portrait on the Forbidden City. Maybe he didn't have it hung it there but it still seems like a show of a leader's self-indulgence.

I ran to Tiananmen Square at the entrance of the Forbidden City three times and I always made sure I told Mao what a jerk I thought he was. I think he probably knows now. It is amazing to me that a man who did the things he did to kill so many and destroy such cultural heritage could be so loved by the people of China even today. This is confirmed by the fact that so many would stand in line to see his body lying in state thirty years after his death. I stood in line too with thousands of my Chinese friends - more out of morbid fascination as anything else- to see Mao's glowing face.

On two other mornings I ran to the Jingshan Hill Park north of The Forbidden City. There is a hill there built from the dirt removed from the ground to built the 30 meter deep moat around the Forbidden City. From there you can look over the plot of ground where Emperors walked hundreds of years ago. What was impressive to me was how many, mostly old, Chinese people were exercising in the morning in the park. It was a definite cultural experience.

This morning back in Singapore I ran a seven miler through the Botanic Gardens and there were as many, mostly old, people exercising there. It was just easier to breath the air and my sweat tasted normal again.

Texas Marathon

The Christchurch Marathon is behind me and I wanted a new goal. I can run just to run. I like running enough to keep at it even when I am not training for something. But training for something makes me push myself to run when waking up and going out the door at 4:40am does not sound fun. Call me weird but yes most mornings it does sound like fun.

We are going to Texas around Christmas. I was hoping to find a trail race to sign up for where I could run in the dirt. The holidays are not a great time to find any race at all much less a trail race. I assumed if I found a race to run I would probably have to drive some distance to get to it.

After digging around I found the Texas Marathon. I have heard about this race but had forgotten about it. It is a small race run in Kingwood Texas (not too far from home) on New Year’s Day. It is a four loop course on greenbelt and I have read that it is very well organized.

So I signed up for the Texas Marathon and assured myself that I will (as normal) sleep the New Year in.

SBS Marathon Photos

It looks cold huh?

SBS Christchurch Marathon

I woke up this morning and took a quick shower to wake up and put on my running clothes - a short sleeve tech shirt and a pair of shorts and went down stairs in the hotel to find some coffee. After drinking two cups I stepped outside where there were drops of rain falling from the sky and it was chilly. It was too wet and cold for my current dress.

So I went back upstairs and pulled out the two long sleeved tech shirts I brought and gave one to Jakeb.

We got dressed and walked the couple of blocks to the marathon start. We hung out inside of the "town hall"and waited until closer to the start to line up.

At exactly 09:00 New Zealand time we took off. I have to say here that New Zealanders are a friendly talkative bunch of people and we had a great time listening to the conversations and participating in some.

We ran next to a guy from Singapore who is a stock broker. Last week he ran the Sundowner double marathon and now he was here to run Christchurch. He said he ran 23 marathons last year alone. He was wearing a Marathon Maniacs shirt. Go figure.

Jakeb wanted to finish faster than four hours so we looked up the pace per kilometer for a four hour marathon and tried to keep our lap time below that pace. I punched my watch at every kilometer that I saw. I missed some. During the first half our fastest kilometer was 5:12. A four hour marathon is 5:41 pace. We hit the half in approximately 1:55. I knew I was running faster than I should and would have to tell Jakeb to take off soon.

At the 28k mark my legs had had enough. I asked Jakeb how many more gels he needed to finish. He said "one". I asked if he had it and he said "yes". So I told him "you are going to have to take off if you want to get a less than four hour marathon". He said "You sure you don't mind"? I told him "no go for it." And he took off.

It was actually good for me to be able to slow down and work on getting the best time I could. It helped that it was raining and my shorts were wet and they were keeping my legs cool. I slowed down and even though the effort was not easy I felt much better. Toward the end I had to walk some and when I walked I tried to walk at a brisk pace.

I finished by my watch at 4:04:59.

Jakeb finished in about the 3:49 to 3:50 range. He smoked it. His first marathon was faster than my marathon PR. Youth is a great thing - and Jakeb is a really good runner. He has the mentality for it. He can go into himself and push when it is necessary. When he stepped on the finish line he said his calf cramped up. He tried to sit in a chair and take off his chip but as soon as he sat down he had to stand right back up. If you have run a marathon you know the feeling.

The SBS Marathon is one of my favorite so far. No fuss. Just a well run (pun intended) marathon in an amazing place where the people are laid back to begin with.

Update: According to the SBS Christchurch Marathon web sight Jakeb finished 3:50:18 chip time and I finished 4:04:57 chip time.

Race Morning

8am cold and rainy. One hour to race time. This should be a fun wet cold run. Details to follow.

New Zealand Marathon in the morning

So Jakeb and I will wake up and run the Christchurch Marathon at 0900 New Zealand time. You figure what tme wherever you are.

If it is carbs you need before a marathon it is carbs I have. Pancakes for breakfast, banana snack in the morning, vegetable soup and bread for lunch, baked potato in the afternoon and pasta for dinner. Hopefully I am as ready otherwise.

Here are some pictures of what we have seen here so far.

Intensity

Tapering for a marathon is a weird thing. After running the highest mileage week in training you start to back off of the mileage to “rest” for the marathon. In the past when I tapered I would not only run less miles but I would run them slow and easy. It made me feel lethargic during the two weeks before the marathon. I would show up to the starting line of the marathon jittery and wanting to run but I also felt lazy.

I don’t know who wrote this but a about a year ago I read that it was important to keep up the intensity during the taper even though the mileage decreases. So for the last couple of weeks I have been trying to run harder during these runs that are progressively shorter.

This morning I ran three miles. Rather than the normal taper feeling of being slow and fat I felt strong and light. My form felt good and I ran three miles in the 7 minute per mile range. I was listening to loud music and running hard and it felt good.

For me it shows how important it is to always challenge myself in some way. I challenged myself with distance for the last 16 weeks. Now I just changed the challenge from distance to intensity. Rest is good and important but when rest borders on laziness it is almost always a bad thing.

I am boarding a plane tomorrow for the cooler climates of New Zealand. Marathon day weather is predicted to be cloudy with a low temperature of 40 F and a high temperature of 53 F. - Perfect weather for running a marathon.

Run hard …

Thirty Four Miles to New Zealand

Jakeb and I ran twelve miles this weekend. Twelve miles sounded like nothing especially since we had run twenty miles the weekend before. Since it sounded like nothing to us we decided not to take GU or water and just run free and unencumbered by anything we would have to carry.

Jakeb did ask “We’re not taking water?”

I said, “Nah we can make it.”

Although the run seemed short we made it harder than it had to be by not at least taking water. It is HOT in Singapore. Have I said that before?

At the end Jakeb was saying “A cool glass of water has never sounded so good.”

Our training schedule says we have thirty four more miles to run in training before the marathon. Then next Wednesday evening we board a plane for New Zealand. We plan to do more than run a marathon. We will go into the mountains while we are there and see what we can see. Maybe even hang out with Frodo.

Our “long run” is eight miles this Saturday. There is a good chance I will leave the water at home again – some people never learn.

A muppet with a drunken puppeteer

I haven't written here in while so I doubt anyone is reading but that is fine with me. Coming here is a therapy of sorts so as I sit on the couch if you have bothered to come here listen as I tell you how I "feel".

I ran 18 miles with my son Jakeb this morning. We planned to run it on Saturday morning but at about two miles in Jakeb wasn't feeling it so we cut the run short and only ran 4 miles. Today the 18 miler was good but Jakeb was feeling his Wheaties and he ran me into the ground. I should have made him keep running on Saturday morning. Being run into the ground is what happens when a 43 year old runs with a 17 year old. I am just glad I can complete 18 miles even when the last two included a fair bit of walking.

Training for the Christchurch marathon hasn't gone exactly as planned. I hurt my left foot running in the wrong shoes and had to take a week off. We made a trip to the US and Jakeb had a school field trip to Malaysia. All of this made us deviate from the prescribed plan.

Even though there have been challenges and changes in the schedule we are on track to run a marathon in New Zealand. Next week is 19 miles and in three weeks we run 20 and then comes the taper. For me this time I am saying thank God for the taper.

Training for a marathon with Jakeb is completely worth it. It has not turned out as I expected ... like most of the rest of my life these days.

Thanks for listening. I will be back on the couch next time I am desperate for some therapy.

I want to know Lord why it's got to be so hard
I feel like a muppet with a drunken puppeteer
But I'll survive ...I will survive.
To the Light - Newton Faulkner

The beginning of marathon training

January was a 117 mile month for me. That was a big month mileage-wise considering I ran a marathon in December.

Monday Jakeb and I started marathon training for SBS Marathon in Christchurch New Zealand. It is hard to believe that there are only 18 weeks to go until the marathon. At the same time it feels like there is a lot of work and many miles to run before the marathon too.

We will have to work hard to get to the starting line ready to run 26.2 and healthy at the same time. I am pumped that Jakeb and I will finally get to run a marathon together.

Not much running to write about

I have run 4 times since the Singapore Marathon. Otherwise I have either been resting from the marathon or sick. I had cold and flu type symptoms for about a week and a half. Then just when I got over that I got a stomach bug. It could have been something I ate or drank while we were in Vietnam – which was a really good trip so I guess it was kind of worth it.

Anyway, I am ready to run again.

I asked for and got P90X for Christmas. Now I don’t know when I am going to do it. My running would have to suffer some but maybe I need to take a break for a while. I cannot stop completely because I want to be ready for Christchurch Marathon training with Jakeb.

SBS Marathon Christchurch New Zealand

On December 1st I entered Jakeb and me in the SBS Marathon in Christchurch New Zealand. I think it is cool that he gets to run his first marathon in New Zealand in a town named Christchurch.

When the Singapore Marathon told us that Jakeb could not run the marathon unless he was 18 years old we started looking for a marathon to run in Asia. It seems that none of them will let a person run unless they are 18.

While checking out marathon calendars I found the SBS Marathon's web site and could not find an age limit for the race. I email the race director and told him about Jakeb wanting to run a marathon and that he had run a 25k and two half-marathons. I asked if a 17 year old could run his race.

He emailed me back and said that since Jakeb had a running background he seemed well prepared for the race and he said "Will be great to have some more overseas runners at the event. FYI, I ran the very first SBS Marathon when I was 14, so would be a tad rude to deny your son... :-)"

So we have a marathon to train for together ... finally.

I ran this morning for the first time since the Singapore Marathon. I feel fine when I am walking. But running was another story. I still feel it in my quads so I ran s l o w .

Singapore Marathon Evaluation

Here is a chart showing my finishing position in the Singapore Marathon compared to other runners. I would have never finished this close to the front in comparison to the rest of the field in the Houston Marathon. There are many people here who are willing to sign up for the marathon and stroll along until they finish.

There is nothing wrong with walking a marathon. I do have a problem when they dump the marathon course in with the half marathon and 10k races when the people in them are walking while the marathoners who run are still trying to finish. I had a hard time weaving through and sometimes breaking through the crowd of walkers who took up the whole road.

Singapore Marathon 2009

Singapore Marathon is hot. I knew it would be. Since Jakeb could not run the full I didn’t train my hardest for this race. My goal – to run the slowest marathon I have ever run.

Jakeb and I caught a taxi at 4am in front of the house. The race started at 5:30am so the runners can get some miles in before the scorching sun comes up.

I ran the full. Jakeb ran the 10k since that is the longest race a 16 year old is allowed to run in Singapore.

Jakeb ran 47 and change.

I ran 4:20:29.

Mission accomplished.

Singapore Marathon Taper

Peak training for the Singapore Marathon is done. I ran my final 20 miler of this training cycle on Saturday. It was a slow run but I covered the miles. Now it is time to taper.

I like tapering for the marathon because it means I get to reduce the mileage some. It means that my chances of making it to the starting line of the Singapore Marathon are pretty high.

I hate tapering. One of the hard things about the taper is that it is hard to keep up the intensity. Even though the mileage drops I still need to run at a solid pace. At the end of the taper and nearer the marathon I start to feel edgy. I am ready to get the show on the road. I feel like I am eating too much and not running enough.

So welcome to the taper. I hope it is over soon.

I switched to Switch

I bought a new pair of running shoes last Sunday. I was scared I would have a hard time finding running shoes here in Singapore but the selection and availability is better than in the US. I went to Queensway mall and had to look for a while but I found a pair of Brooks Switch for 59.90 Singapore dollars. That is about $45.00 US. I know that these shoes are inexpensive even in the US but I thought I got a pretty good deal and so far I like running in them. I switched (pun intended)to a pair of motion control shoes because I thought I could benefit from the extra support. And the Switch is not supposed to be the most rigid of motion control shoes anyway.

On another subject Andrea went to Indonesia on Tuesday for the day with her mom and sister. They left yesterday for Thailand and will be back on Sunday. Jakeb is in Cambodia on a bike trip with the school seeing the Cambodian countryside up close. Tori is in Denton at college. Anna and I are having fun hanging out together here in Singapore. We are eating the food we both like the best. I could have never imagined even a few years ago that this is the life I would be living …

"Every new beginning is some other beginning's end"
Closing Time - Semisonic

Driven by the music

I ran hard this morning … until my iPod died. Then my pace on Bukit Timah slowed. The hills on Clementi were a drag.

I thought about it and Saturday was the same thing. I ran a 20 mile long run. I ran from the house to MacRitchie reservoir where Jakeb was supposed to meet me so we could finish off the last twelve together. About a mile from MacRitchie he stepped off of a bus in front of me to run the last thirteen instead of twelve. When I saw him ahead I took off my headphones and my pace slowed.

My running and my pace have been driven by the music lately. That is not necessarily so bad but I don’t want to rely solely on music.

Friday morning Jakeb and I ran together beside a drainage canal near the house and up a street called Ghin Moh. Our pace was pretty fast not because there was music pushing us but because that is the pace that felt right.

My plan is to run the marathon without headphones. I should start running without them now and hopefully it will go well then.

I think my iPod shuffle is about to bite the dust. That may not be such a bad thing.

No water system here.

Usually by now the weather in Texas is cooling off and my long runs though hard do not take as much out of me. Singapore is a different story. It is 75 degrees in the morning and around 90 in the heat of the day even in October.

Yesterday I had 18 miles on the training schedule. Since I am running the Singapore Marathon without Jakeb my motivation for it is not as high as it would have been but I am determined to finish the training and run the race. I am also determined to run it easy and make it the slowest marathon I have ever run. That way I will be able to recover well for whatever marathon Jakeb and I decide to run together.

Saturday night I filled up my Camelback and put some Gu in the zipper pouch. I thought surely 2 liters of water would last me 18 miles but my camelback was empty at about mile 13. I stopped at a brand new apartment complex and asked a security guard at the gate if I could fill up with water. He looked at me sternly and said, “We do not have a water system here.”

Yeah right. I felt like a homeless guy asking for a cigarette. Oh well. A couple of miles down the road I tried again and this time the security guard was more compassionate and let me use the water faucet outside of the building.

I have 5 more long runs left. 19 this weekend, 12 after that, 20 then 12 then 8. Then on December 6th I intend to run my 6th and slowest marathon.

Assaulted by emotion

I like to listen to live albums. Not just a song from a concert but the whole concert because I think that if they are thoughtful about it an artist is telling a story for that night by the way the concert set is built.

I bought John Mayer's album 'Where the Light Is- Live from LA' not too long ago. I bought the whole thing because I wanted to listen to it in order as if I were there.

The next morning I put on my headphones and took off for my morning run. I had built a playlist of the album and started from the beginning. The first part of the concert is an acoustic set. It is cool to hear how good John Mayer really is when he is out there by himself with a guitar and maybe one other acoustic instrument to accompany him. Both his voice and playing are really good.

A couple of songs in there is a dobro just playing chords and John Mayer playing over the top. It was nothing I recognized but I was really getting into it. Then seemingly out of nowhere he starts playing the chords to daughters.

Fathers be good to your daughters ...

I almost had to stop running because of the water in my eyes - and it was not sweat and there was no rain.

I was assaulted by emotion. With Tori being at college and Anna just going on a mother daughter weekend where she and Andrea talked about some very grown up things I had a strong realization of the fact my kids are growing up. That is not a bad thing and I do not wish for them to stop becoming who they are supposed to be. I just know I have a short time with the Tori, Jakeb and Anna. And I will (and do) miss them when they are not in my house.

The rest of the album is pretty good too. I like the acoustic part best.

In other news Andrea, Anna, Jakeb and I went to Nepal week before last. Jakeb and I trekked the Ghorepani / Poon Hill trek, we all saw some beautiful sights and ate some really good food. Here is a picture of Jakeb and I from our trek.

Well I'm not one to sit and spin
'Cause living well's the best revenge
baby I am calling you on that
from REM Live at the Olympia (the live album I just pre-ordered)

You can hear the whole album here --> link

Rain and a Big Lizard

Sunday morning it was raining like crazy and because of the thunder and lightning Andrea was not too thrilled with the idea of Jakeb and me going to MacRitchie Reservoir for our 9 mile run.

MacRitchie has a trail system around the lake and it is one of our favorite places in Singapore to run. Part of the trail is on a section called treetops walk where the parks department has built bridge walkways in the tops of the trees around the park. Jakeb and I have never been on this section of trail and with the lightning it would not be the greatest place to be.

When we set off from the parking lot the rain had slacked off and the thunder and lightning were gone. Most of the first part of our run was uneventful. When we got to the trailhead of the treetop walk it was barely sprinkling. So we took off up a hill that was steep enough to have to walk. When we got to the entrance of the treetop walk the gate was closed. It did not open until 9:00 am and we were about an hour early.

As we descended the hill back to the trail head it started to rain pretty hard again. We started running when we got back to the trail. We ran past a golf course and back onto single track trails. There is one section of the trail that has a pretty sharp ascent and then after you top the hill a pretty good descent. The water was running in the middle of the trail like a river and Jake and I were having fun splashing along as we went. The trail was a little bit crowded in this section and on the way down Jakeb splashed through and big pool and totally drenched a lady as he passed her. It was raining so I hope she expected to get wet.

The trail we were running was only seven miles and I wanted to get in nine so we decide to run a couple of miles out and back on the trails we had just run. We got to the MacRitchie dam and right in the middle was a lizard. This big lizard was about three feet long and was totally blocking the path. Are you kidding me? This would never have happened in Texas. We walked behind the lizard for the length of the dam and finally had to run past it because it would not get out of the way.

It continued to rain even after we finished our run. Our legs were covered in mud. I love running in the rain and having another adventure in Singapore.

Singapore said "Cannot!"

A rep from the Singapore Marathon called me last week and said “No! Your 16 year old son cannot run the marathon. And no you cannot receive a refund. Cannot! Cannot!”

But she said they would gladly withdraw our registrations if we would like. Withdraw them without a refund … yeah right!

I am still signed up for the full marathon and Jakeb is now signed up for the 10k. We will at least go get our packets. I may run as much as I can slow and easy on less than full marathon training. I may run just to people watch and have fun.

We are switching our training around and will probably run the Hong Kong marathon in February. They allow 16 year olds to run their marathon. We may run something else, we will see.

Running fun

This morning Jakeb and I ran four miles in the rain. It was a really fun run. We ran beside drainage ditches that were flowing like the Guadalupe River with Canyon Dam wide open. Everything looks different outside when it rains. I’ve always liked running in the rain and it is no different here in Singapore. We will see if my opinion is different after monsoon season.

Sometimes running can become drudgery. For the last couple of weeks though I have looked forward to almost every run. Even running the hills has come easier and I feel stronger running them. Hopefully the good feelings will last for a while.

When we first moved into our townhouse here in Singapore I woke up early the first morning and ran four miles. I got done with my run and I stood in the outdoor shower for a second to rinse the sweat from my clothes and then dove into the Allsworth Park complex swimming pool. I floated in the water for a while when a security guard walked around the corner of the building.

I said, “Good morning.”

In his staccato Asian accent he said “Pool’s closed.”

I said “okay when does it open?”

“Seven o’clock.”

“But I run every morning before seven o’clock and I want to cool off in the pool.”

“Pool opens seven o’clock.”

“So you mean I cannot jump in the pool to cool off after I run because some person somewhere decided the only time residents should enjoy the pool is after seven?”

“Pool opens seven o’clock.”

Knowing I was not getting anywhere with Mr Rigid Rule-follower I gave up and got out.

So I do not jump in the pool after I run except on the weekends when I run later in the morning. But I do go down and cool off by standing under the shower by the pool. I know the security guards know I am there because there are cameras everywhere. I have not been kicked out of the shower yet. Even though it is not the pool I enjoy being able to cool down after a run before I have to go inside. It reminds me of standing under the water hose behind the house in Lake Jackson.

Running the Singapore Marathon .. or not

I registered Jakeb and myself for the Singapore Marathon the other day. We have been looking forward to running this marathon for over a year. This would be Jakeb’s first. The problem is that to run the Singapore Marathon you have to be 18 years old.

I emailed them and asked if they would let me sign a waiver to allow him to run. If not we will be looking for another marathon on this side of the world to run between December and February.

Making Peace With The Hills

Singapore running is hot. I expected that. Jakeb and I ran eight miles on Saturday morning and when I finished my shoes were squishing with the sweat that had run into them from my legs.

If I do not run early here I will not run. That is no different than it was at home. Life here is busy just like it was in Texas. As the kids get involved in school and we get involved in church and work picks up and all of the other things we will find to do my schedule will not get any better. So in Singapore like in Lake Jackson I run mostly when the sun is down. But I expected that too.

There are quite a few things about running in Singapore that I did not expect. I did not expect to run with so many other runners. There are a lot of people who run here. I think this morning was the first time I have not passed another runner during my run. Today is a public holiday and I am going to work. Everyone else decided to sleep in I guess.

I did not expect to have to run on so many hills. They are not big hills but I come from the pancake flat Gulf Coast of Texas. Our house in Singapore is on a hill. You don’t notice it so much when you drive to it. No matter which direction I run I finish going uphill.

At first I just powered up the hills. I continued to run the pace I was until I made it to the top or had to stop running and walk. I walked a lot. But somehow along the way I figured out that I have to shorten my stride and slow down to be able to run the hills well.

This morning I ran a four mile loop (or a little less than seven kilometers – I will always think in miles). I ran alone and listened to music and ran within myself. I felt good at the end and I probably finished faster than when I push myself too hard. This is a lesson I should probably try to learn in other parts of my life as well.

Running in Singapore

We arrived in Singapore Friday. This morning is the first morning I have not run. Actually I did not run the Friday morning we got here but that does not count because we had only arrived a couple of hours earlier.

Jakeb and I ran Saturday morning. As we stepped out of the hotel there were the sounds of tropical birds. It was obvious we were not in Lake Jackson any more. From the hotel we ran down a road called Bukit Timah to the Botanic Gardens. It is a beautiful place with lots of vegetation and small ponds. There were people practicing Tai Chi all around the park – some in groups and some alone. It is a beautiful form of exercise. We returned down Holland Road through the shopping district on Orchard Road and back up a hill towards our hotel.



Yesterday we ran down to and then along the river to a place called Clark Quay (pronounced ‘key’). We ran past parks and restaurants. We passed people walking and running. We passed a guy sleeping on a park bench, but he was a well dressed teen-ager so I am sure he was not homeless. Our run was a 6 mile out and back and by the time we got to the turnaround at 3 miles I was already drenched. Even though the Texas coast is humid, it must be more humid here. I sweat more if that is possible.

I guess one of the most unexpected aspects of Singapore is that even though it is urban, there is an amazing amount of vegetation. I expected that since there is a lot of concrete and high-rises it would be like Houston. But it is much greener and more tropical.

As we have searched for a place to live I have talked a lot to our realtor about how important it is for me to live in a place I can run. I am not sure there is a place that would be bad for running in Singapore.

Although there is much more to see I feel like I am starting to get to know Singapore even if only slightly - mainly because we have explored. There is no better way to see the world and the places that are new to me than to see it on foot.

Run on …

Moving on ... while running.

We moved out of our house on Thursday. We gave the keys to the new owners on Thursday night. The whole thing was kind of surreal. I can't live in a place for eight years and not have some nostalgia about leaving it even though I am looking forward to where we are going and am actually very relieved that the house is no longer ours.

On Thursday morning I ran six miles. I ran two of my three mile loops. The last one I ran was a route I call ‘sidewalk’. It is the first run I ever ran after we moved into 709 Center Way. I have run full circle in a figurative way and it is kind of symbolic that it is time to leave.

We are living with Andrea’s parents for the next couple of weeks before we get on an airplane bound for Singapore. We are taking space in their camper and a couple of spare bedrooms. This morning Jakeb and I ran four miles on a route I call ‘yaupon’ that used to start at our house and run past Andrea’s parent’s place at mile two. Today we started here and ran past our old house at mile 2. It was strange.

The changes in our life have helped us realize that this Singapore thing is emanate. We knew it was coming but has never been more real. In all of the craziness of the last couple of weeks running has kept me grounded as usual.

Happy B'day to me ...

Today is my birthday. Happy birthday to me.

People have asked me what I want and I have a hard time with the question. I want to be able to run so I would like a pair of running shoes but when I need a pair I go buy them. Maybe that is not so good of a present.

I want to read a book but I am picky about what I read. I like to hold a book in my hand and read a bit of it and smell it. If I like it I put the copy I just picked up back on the shelf and take the third or fourth one back. I want a clean and fresh book no one but the stock person has touched with a smooth cover and no wrinkled pages. No one can buy me a book. I have to do it for myself.

My family gives me what I want from them the most – them. If they could give me more of them that would be a weird birthday present. “Happy birthday – have some more of me.”

I really do not need anything. In fact Bono says it best:

Walk out into the street
Sing your heart out
The people we meet
Will not be drowned out
There’s nothing you have that I need
I can breathe

Jacob's Ladder and a Lack of Variety

On the way home from work I stop at a parking lot on Highway 6 and run four miles in Terry Hershey Park. I run the same four mile route almost every time I run there. Jakeb gives me a hard time about running the same thing over and over. After driving for over an hour to and from work I have little time for variety. And besides, the park is scenic and I have not gotten tired of it yet.

Tuesday I was finishing up and I looked towards the reservoir on the edge of George Bush Park. On some concrete stairs that ascend the levee there were probably 25 or 30 people climbing to the top. Once they reached the top they would turn and climb down and once at the bottom they would start over again. The long line of people looked like a bicycle chain going around sprockets at either end of the stairs. I guess they were some kind of training group but it looked a little strange.

It reminded me of the story in the Bible where Jacob lays his head on a rock for a pillow in a place called Bethel and has a dream of angels ascending and descending stairs (a ladder) to and from heaven. Except as far as I could tell these people were not angels and they were definitely not making it to heaven.

It won’t be too long until all of mine and Jakeb’s running routes are new and different. I can handle the same four miles and Jacob’s ladder for another month. June 17th we fly out of Dallas on our way to Singapore where at least for a while every step we run will be on ground we’ve never run before.

The Maze 2009

Jakeb and I packed up and drove to Jason's house in Columbia Lakes yesterday at 1 pm. We got in Jason's car and drove to Austin. We picked up our packets at Rugue Equipment for The Maze. Then after a stop at Runtex we ate at Chuy's(I ate the 911 Hot Plate), got some Starbucks and checked into the hotel. After the Celtics beat the Bulls (okay I dozed before the game was over) we crashed to get some rest for the race this morning.

The Maze is one of mine and Jakeb's favorite races. It is a 10k and 30k at Walnut Creek park put on by Rogue. It has a couple of creek crossings where you do not have any other choice but to have wet feet.

We ran the 10k. Jakeb finished in 51:23. Jason finished in 51:29. And I finished in 56:21. I took off too fast. The hills were a killer. But I had a blast.

We were back home by a little after 1pm. It was a really fun 24 hours.

Gator Gallop 2009

Today Jakeb and I hit a milestone in our running (pun intended). We ran Brazosport College Gator Gallop 5k. I ran a 23:25. Jakeb ran right at 23:00. That’s right he beat me. I think I should probably get used to it. This is the first time of many I am sure.

This is probably the last race we will run in Lake Jackson before we move to Singapore. Next up Jakeb and I are running The Maze in Austin.

Bayou City Classic 2009

I ran Bayou City Classic Saturday morning. Andrea, Tori and Gwen walked it. Jakeb sat it out this year because he had spring break plans that had him out of town.

When I woke up Saturday morning I was cold. I had felt like I may be getting sick and I was a little tired. The combination of all of those factors made me want to dress warm. I put on a long sleeve cotton shirt with a tech shirt over it. I put on tights and shorts and brought my gloves along. I was warm by gosh and I was not going to be cold during the race.

We got there about 45 minutes early and sat in the car for a while. When we finally decided to get out the wind was brutal and I thought I had made a good decision by wearing all of the layers of clothes. People around me were just in shorts and shirts and were shivering at the start. But not me, I was warm and comfortable … until I started to run.

The crowd started moving and I took off at a good pace. I felt like I could run a good race, maybe not as fast as last year but it would be a good time. Then I started sweating. I had to take off the gloves. I hit the first mile in 7:45 and thought to myself, “Tommy you are stupid. You are wearing way too many clothes and you know better.”

So slowed down. I watched the people around me run. I ran for fun and a t-shirt. And I finished in 49:22.

Immediately after finishing I started shivering. So after getting a t-shirt, a Saint Arnold’s spring bock and a breakfast taco I went to the car and changed into warm dry clothes.

Tori came across the finish around 1:20ish and Andrea and Gwen finished a little later.

I am glad I ran. It is the first time in a long time I did not push myself to finish as fast as I possibly could. It was a cold hot cold day.

Texas Independence Relay 2009

Jakeb and I had a great time running the Texas Independence Relay. I feel the same as last year where there is so much I could write and yet I could never fit it all in. Here are some highlights though:

I ran with some good people. This race makes you so stinkin exhausted and delirious that you have to have some laid back people to make it through two sleep deprived days without killing each other. It was really good to hang out with old and new friends and to meet even more people I only knew from reading their blogs - like Jessica.

Everyone ran hard. You run not just for yourself but for a team of people who are counting on you to do your part.

Last year Cassie and Manny were on my team but I did not feel as if I knew them very well because the were in the other van. This year our team rotated vans and it was good to be able to hang out with everyone. Cassie you make a great captain.

Jon is an organizational genius. TIR for two teams of bloggers would not happen without him. He puts together personalities that gel and sets up who runs what legs by knowing every runner and the way they run so well. Jon you amaze me and I appreciate what you do.

It was good to talk to Wes on the way up to and back from the relay.

The highlight of the whole weekend was running with my son. Everyone was very complimentary of Jakeb and it made me proud that he is my kid. For Jakeb’s take on the weekend check out his blog.

I hate that we will miss this event next year since we will move to Singapore. I really appreciate Jon slotting me in the last leg and letting me run to the finish. It means more than it would otherwise.

Texas Independence Relay

Jakeb and I are running the Texas Independence Relay this weekend. We will run a lot, sleep very little, hang out with old and new friends and be exhausted at the end - but glad we did it.

100 miles for the children of Segera

My friend Jason is running the Rocky Raccoon 100 miler next weekend. I know that running a hundred miles has been on Jason’s radar for a while. We have run a couple of trail runs together and he totally digs them. Jason and I view life through a similar lens and trail running and trail runners fit both of our personalites. Jason is running 100 miles because he is made for it. But that is not all.

Jason is running a hundred miles next week for something much bigger than himself. He is running 100 miles for the children of Kenya and the Segera Mission. Jason’s wife has been on a mission trip to Kenya and this fall a group of kids came to our church to sing as part of the Daraja Children’s Choir of Africa. The Culverhouse’s opened their home for some of the girls from the choir to stay with them. This was the catalyst for Jason to want to run 100 miles for something bigger than himself. Every mile he runs will earn money to go towards the needs of children in Segera.

Bright Point is the organization that is facilitating sponsorship of children in Segera and this is from their web sight:

... In early January, Culverhouse and his wife returned from a church-sponsored Cambodian mission trip where they led a hair academy for members of the Leveasar village. “I just can’t describe the feeling we got from the people there,” he said. “There is something about meeting a real need. There is no greater feeling that going somewhere to make a difference in someone else’s life and having them give back more than you gave to them. Yes, we gave them a life skill and provided equipment for them to start a career, but they gave me a dose of reality – a clear view of respect, pride and love.”

He says it is the same feeling he gets when he sees the smiles on the faces of the Kenyan children his church helps support. “Just like the kids in Cambodia, when given the opportunity to be educated, these kids take it seriously,” he said, linking to two mission experiences together. “When Jennifer and I taught in Cambodia, you could hear a pin drop during class. The students wanted to work through breaks and lunch so they could learn as much as possible. They know that the only hope for them is a relationship with Christ and an education.”

So it is for the children of Segera. “If we continue to wait for someone else to do something, the loss of these beautiful children will continue,” he said. “I know the only hope for them is for someone to step into the gap and be the hands and feet of God.”

I am pacing Jason through 12 miles in the middle of the night. It seems like a drop in the 100 mile bucket but I know it will help him make progress in that journey. The same goes for the help that these kids get. Sometimes what I can do seems miniscule but it helps another human make significant progress in their journey through life.

If you would like to read more about Jason’s 100 miles – or possibly donate – or possibly sponsor a child in Africa long-term check out one of the links below:

Jason's story

Bright Point's web site - Click "Jason 100"

Picture from the Houston Half Marathon

Houston Half Marathon 2009

Jakeb and I ran together the whole way. We ran about half of the race with Wes, Jenny and Dan (Jenny’s dad). At the water station after the 5-mile mark I told Jakeb to get some Gu ready and we both ate some and kept running. After the 8-mile mark Jakeb said “Dad I have to stop!” He went over to the other side of the road and puked the Gu back up. We waited a while and when he felt better we took off. Even though puking took some out of him, he did a good job of running hard.

Jakeb and I ran almost all of our long runs together and we did not use Gu at all. I know better than to try something new on race day. Gu doesn’t bother me so I assumed it would not bother him. Oh well you live and learn.

Our whole family participated in some way this weekend. Anna ran the kids run Saturday morning and did a great job. Tori did the half and walked/ran and finished in 3:07. I think she is thinking about running one some day. Andrea walked/ran and finished with her sister Gwen in 3:18. Gwen’s husband (my brother-in-law) Mike ran the half in somewhere close to/under 2:20.

Mine and Jakeb’s splits by my watch are below (unofficial of course):

1 - 8:31
2 - 8:02
3 - 8:03
4 - 8:33
5 - 8:18
6 - 8:17
7 - 8:28
8 - 10:08
9 - 8:26
10 - 8:22
11 - 9:03
12 - 8:59
13 - 8:24
13.1 - 56
Total - 1:52:37

2008

Total miles 1350.

PR’s:
3:55:13 - Houston Marathon
45:45 - Bayou City Classic 10k

In 2009 the running is sure to be choppy working in Houston and with a move overseas. Jakeb and I are running the Houston Half-marathon in a couple of weeks. Jakeb also wants to run a trail run before we move. I plan to finish the year with a marathon in Singapore (again with Jakeb). We will see what happens. The year never turns out quite like I expect.

More alone than usual

I ran four miles this morning. Bundled up against the cold I flipped through the shuffle to find music that was fast and turned the volume up to LOUD. At about the mile mark I noticed that something seemed different. It was definitely colder but that was not it. Then I realized what it was.

Most mornings I probably pass 20 to 50 cars. People inside are sleepily making their way to work. This morning on my whole run I only saw five cars or so. I ran on Willow Drive and Yaupon – normally busy streets – today no cars. I crossed Oyster Creek Drive twice. Usually the intersections there have multiple cars at them, even at a little after 5 am. But not this morning.

Last week Dow Chemical announced that they were going to idle some production plants and shutdown others completely. They told both contractors and direct employees to go home until January 5th. Some have vacation and will get paid while they are off. Some have no vacation and are out of luck. Some will come back on January 5th to resume work. Some will go home and get a phone call later that they are no longer needed.

I know that Dow is a business in the business of making money. I know that times are hard. But it seems heartless to send people home during the holidays.

I was a Dow contractor until May of this year. I am glad I am not there anymore. I didn’t see it coming. I am not that smart. I left because of restlessness and a desire for the adventure of living overseas. I got the benefit of returning to the best company I have ever worked for.

Although I often run alone, I ran this morning more alone than usual. I ran hard and mad and sad.

Routine

This morning I planned to run a hard five miles listening to loud fast music while bundled up to lessen the bite of the cold. I was really looking forward to this morning’s run but I am disappointed to say it never happened.

Before I go to bed I have to make sure everything is ready for me to run in the morning. My schedule is tight and if I don’t get stuff together I will end up leaving late for work. My pre-bedtime routine includes making coffee. The first destination after my feet hit the floor in the morning is the coffee pot. It is not the restroom my body requires first, it is a sip of heaven. To get that sip first thing the coffee machine has to have water, freshly ground beans and a timer set to 3:52am. Never set the time for a number with a multiple of 5 – that is so overdone.

Second I go upstairs and find what shorts, shirts and socks I am going to run in and throw them in a pile in front of the closet. Not a neat pile, but a messy pile of tech material that is convenient to find grab and put on.

Next I find my iPod if I am going to run to music. Some mornings I intentionally leave it at home.

Last I set my alarm for 4:10am and go to sleep.

If I plan a run and don’t the reason is usually because of a lack of motivation, being too tired, or being too sore or injured. But I always at least get up and make an attempt to get out of the door.

This morning I didn’t run because I apparently forgot the last step of my pre-bedtime routine. My alarm didn’t go off. I woke up at 5:10am without the help of the alarm clock. It is quite possible that I needed the rest, but I am disappointed that I didn’t get to run.

Who says that being in a rut is a bad thing? Being in a rut keeps me out of the ditch.

Too tired not to run.

The last couple of nights have been late nights. Driving a little over an hour to and from work is starting to get to me. My brain is fried and my body is tired. I feel like I might be getting sick. All together it makes for a good excuse to blow off running.

The only reason I am posting this is so I can say in a public way that after work today I am going to park the car at Terry Hershey Park and run. It will be good for me and tonight I will sleep well.

Update: I ran four, about half of it on the bike trails at THP. It was fun and I am glad I did it.

TIR redo

Even though I changed jobs in May it wasn’t until the first Monday in October that I had to start driving to Houston. Running in the morning is not really feasible unless I am willing to get up at about 3:00am. Even for an early riser like me that is too early.

I leave for work at 5:10am and I am done at work at around 4:30 or 5:00pm. Long before I started driving here Andrea suggested that I should find a place close to work to run and maybe let the traffic clear out before I start my drive home.

As soon as work is over I change into my running clothes. My office is in Park Ten near I-10 and Highway 6. As I thought about where to run I had an epiphany of sorts that I should run where I ran last year for the Texas Independence Relay. Terry Hershey Park is just south of I-10 and a couple of miles from where I work. I ran the 6 plus mile leg of the relay in Terry Hershey Park and it was my favorite of all of my relay legs. Plus afterwards Jose stopped the van for Kolache Factory so it was a memorable morning all together.

A couple of weeks ago I stood and stretched on the same spot where I stood and waited for Edwin to finish his leg through George Bush Park. I ran two miles out and two miles back in a place that was both scenic and strangely familiar.

Running in Terry Hershey Park reminds me a bit of running around Town Lake in Austin (without the lake and the hill country scenery). I normally run alone so it has been motivating to run on a trail with so many people either walking or running or riding their bikes to stay fit. It is very different from running in Lake Jackson mostly alone.