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.

Perspective

I used to think I ran in the dark. That was before, when I ran beneath streetlights and the houses lining the streets had porch lights with electrons coursing through their filaments.

I stepped off of the curb not knowing if my foot would land on concrete or fall into the abyss of a hole someone dug during the night without my knowledge on the corner of Sycamore and Center Way. I pushed the play button on my shuffle and the ominous tones of the song Elusive by Scott Matthews rang through my ears.

She’s a gambler spinning wheels
The poison victim but look of steel
The coldest heart you’ve ever felt
The coldest hands you ever held

The beginning of the song is the solitary sound of the strumming of just the E string, D-tuned to give it a lower tone. My breathing was already labored and my stride was choppy.

Something starts hitting me in the head and for a minute I think it is raining. What is strange is that the rain is dry, not wet. Slowly and a little painfully I come to the realization that I am running through a cloud of mosquitoes.

The moon is only a quarter of its luminous self; there is a lack of street light. The low tones of Elusive worked together with the mosquitoes and the dark to make the whole run and my attitude oppressive.

She’s elusive and I’m awake
Finally real there’s nothing fake
A mystery now to me and you
Open my eyes and I’m next to you
She said my destiny, lies in the hands that set me free

I turned the corner onto Oyster Creek and there was a light in the distance. U2’s God’s Country came on.

Desert sky
Dream beneath the desert sky
The rivers run but soon run dry
We need new dreams tonight

My eyes adjust to what little light there is and I have to watch my step and run between limbs. Sometimes I weave into the grass to avoid downed trees. There is no rhythm to my run but the work of it is changing my mood.

Sleep comes like a drug
In God’s country
Sad eyes, crooked crosses
In God’s country

As I leave the trail and pass downtown there is power and the light seems a bit unreal. The side walk is clean and straight. I get to the place where I think less about running and my mind wanders more.

The turn from Circle Way to Center Way reveals porch lights in long rows meaning the people inside are cool. It gives me hope even though I know when I step into my house it will be hot.

I am reading What is the What, the story of Valentino Achak Deng, one of the lost boys of Sudan. As I think about a hungry child running in the dark from death by a lion or the hand of a heartless human being, I wonder what I, running in the dark for my health and pleasure, have to complain about. Sara Bareilles’ song Many the Miles plays in my head:

There’s too many things I haven’t done yet
Too many sunsets, I haven’t seen

Boring

I was told recently that my running blog has become boring. Not that it was interesting when I wrote regularly but since I have not written in a while I guess it has no chance to be anything but boring. The truth is that since I got a new job I have been a bit apathetic about things such as blogging.

I will not try to catch up. I think it is better to just start where I am and see if it lasts.

Hurricane Ike blew through our neighborhood and we are still without power. It has not been all that bad because the weather is cooperating. For the last two mornings I have gone out to run at 5am. It is a good thing the moon has been bright because the neighborhood is dark without the street lights. Even with the moon there is enough debris lying around that I have to really pay attention to where I step so I don’t twist an ankle for the hundred millionth time.

Since the power apparently will be off for a while I am sure I will get to see (or not) what it is like to run without a source of light at all. Maybe I should just close my eyes and barrel ahead.

Today I made the Houston Marathon Course Map my computer wallpaper at work. I need to be reminded that I am supposed to be training for a half marathon in January.

Run on …

Firecracker 4 2008

The whole family ran the 34th annual Firecracker 4 here in Lake Jackson. This is our third year to run it together. I've run it a few times alone.

Anna repeated as "women’s" champion of the 2-mile walk. Andrea and Tori finished close behind.

I ran 31:21, over a minute more than last year’s time. Jakeb finished less than a minute behind me.

We saw a lot of friends and had a good time as usual.

King's X XV

Thursday is normally my day off from running. Most Thursday mornings I go eat breakfast with a friend but this morning was he and his wife’s anniversary so we didn’t eat together. Instead I ran.

I probably should have rested but last night I downloaded the newest record (although it is really just a bunch of digital 1’s and 0’s rather than vinyl) from King’s X – one of my favorite bands. The place I am best able to really listen to music is when I run and I couldn’t wait to get out and hear the new tunes.

I like XV, especially the song Blue. This collection of songs is way more upbeat and less dark and cynical than King’s X has been lately. They are still very honest in their writing. I think I will like it. It is good to run to. Even though my legs are sore, running was worth it this morning just for the music.

8 things about me

8 really random facts …. because I was tagged by Adrienne:

1. I am a ‘what you see is what you get’ kind of guy so I doubt anyone will read anything here that surprises them much.
2. I believe there will be Mexican food in heaven.
3. If I was told to pick anywhere in the world to live it would be the hill country of Texas. I’ve seen some cool places and would like to see even more but there is no place on earth quite like Texas.
4. I cannot stand for there to be any white on my fingernails so I cut them often and short. Some assume I bite my fingernails but do not. It comes from being the son of a mechanic and hating anything under them – especially grease.
5. I most often just want to know the bottom line so I have a hard time with people who over-explain things or repeat themselves (I heard you the third time …). This makes me less relational so I need to tolerate it more.
6. I am a tight wad.
7. I am mostly a happy loner.
8. I feel out of sorts when I don’t have a book I am currently reading.

I am not going to tag anyone because being a loner, everyone I know has been tagged already.

Sluggish running and news

I have been running but running has not been the focus of my life lately. I think my body has not fully recovered from Rocky Hill. The legs felt sluggish on my five-miler Friday morning and I was just altogether tired. This morning I ran three miles at a decent pace and I felt better.

Last week I accepted a new job. My first project is relatively close to home. My second project is in the office in Katy and has the potential to eventually send our family to Singapore. My running will suffer no doubt but I hope I can keep it up to at least a moderate level.

Who needs a week off?

I decided to take a week off after running Rocky Hill. I just didn’t want to run a long way for a long time. But yesterday I thought, “I am feeling pretty good. My legs are not that sore.” So this morning I woke up and stretched and ran three easy miles. I couldn’t help it. I couldn’t stay away. Please don’t hate me because of my addiction.

It felt good to move after a couple of days of rest. My day is better when I run.

Rocky Hill Ranch 50k

We got to Rocky Hill Ranch at 11:30 p.m. Friday night. The band was jammin at the saloon but we were prepared for that to be the case. We parked near the start/finish and Jason, Jakeb and I stretched our sleeping bags under a canopy we had set-up, put ear plugs in our ears and tried to get some sleep. The band played until about midnight and all was silent so that was good.

The moon was full and bright enough to where I woke up a couple of times wondering who had left the lights on. The temperature sank to the mid-forties and I woke up a couple of times wondering who forgot to turn on the heater. Then at 4 am I heard a loud voice screaming for people to line up. It was the race director giving last minute race instructions to the fifty-mile runners who opted for the four o-clock start time.

I was tired and sore from lying on the ground. I closed my eyes and tried to sleep but around five I couldn’t lay there anymore. I got up and sat with Jason and Jakeb in the car until it was time for Jason to start.

Jason lined up for the fifty-miler at 6am and Joe, the race director, gave last minute instructions. This time I was awake enough to listen. He talked about how insane the first mile was with the up-hill climbs up Fat Chuck’s Demise. The runners took off and I started getting ready for the 50k/25k start at 7am.

Jason came back a little more than 30 minutes later from the 3.5 mile out-and-back that the 50 mile course took. He said “You’re gonna love it. It is crazy fun up and downs.” I found out later that Jason is a masochist.

I lined up with the runners that were left and listened to the pre-race instructions for the third time and Joe screamed go and we went. Slowly. Climbing and walking. Staring at my feet and climbing. After a mile things flattened out a bit and I got to the meat of the course. Rocky Hill is by far the most challenging course I have ever run. My mentality was to run slow, take walk breaks and be patient. Towards the end of the first loop I was questioning my decision to run 50k and trying to figure out how to motivate myself to keep running once I hit the start/finish.

About a half a mile from the end of the first loop I saw Jakeb on his mountain bike. He asked how I was doing and said that Jason was only 5 minutes ahead. I left Jakeb and about a quarter of a mile from the turnaround saw Jason as he started out on his next loop. There was my motivation - to catch Jason and run some with him.

Jason is a much faster runner than I will ever be. He qualified for Boston by breaking 3:10 a couple of years ago at Houston but I knew he was conserving energy to run the whole 50. It was energy I didn’t need so I picked it up a bit and really pushed myself back up Fat Chuck’s for my last loop. I would pay for it at the end of the race.

I caught Jason about four miles into my second loop. It was mile 19.5 for me, mile 24 for Jason. We ran together until the next aid station and I was scared that I would either slow him down or push him to where it would mess up his race so at the next aid station I ate some tortillas stuffed with ham and cheese and took off alone.

This section was the most difficult for me because I was alone and I walked more than I had hoped for. The last aid station came and went and all I could think of was “forward motion”. The lack of training and sleep were catching up and I felt like I was plodding, not racing.

I finally hit the finish in 6:18:09 by my watch. Rock Hill is a tough course and I only ran 15.5 miles at Hog’s Hunt for my longest training run. Normally I would have run a couple of 24 milers followed by some 10’s the next day. So I am happy to have finished.

Jason came in just a couple of minutes behind me and took off for his last loop. I was amazed to watch him come in and have the strength to take off for another loop starting with the steep pain from Fat Chuck. Jason finished in 11:35 just a couple of minutes slower than his Sunmart 50 mile finish. To me that was better than a PR.

50k with wicked leathers

About a month ago I got an email from Jason. Jason ran 50 miles at Sunmart in 11 hours and something and his email stated that he wanted to run 50 miles in under 11 hours and Rocky Hill Ranch would be his last chance before the end of the summer.

I thought to myself, “Go Jason!”

Then in the next line he said he didn’t want to go to the race alone and me and the other guy he sent the email to were the only two people that he knew that were currently running enough mileage to finish one of the races. There is a 50k and a 25k race that same day.

I gave it a lot of thought … about 2 seconds worth and told Jason that if the family calendar was clear that weekend I was in. I checked and things fell into place nicely for me to run. Jakeb is going along for moral support and to ride his mountain bike.

The responsible thing to do would be to sign up for the 25k. I could run that one in my sleep. But as EQ has stated on his blog, you only live once so I did the irresponsible thing and signed up for the 50k. I am not trained for a 50k. I will not finish it well but I will finish.

Jason and I made our plans. Due to his son’s evening baseball game we will not leave until 8:30pm. We plan to drive to Rocky Hill Ranch, set-up a canopy and fall asleep in a field under the stars, wake up the next morning semi-rested and run a long way.

Two days ago the race director sent an email saying that in an attempt to book as many activities as possible Rocky Hill Ranch is having a Bike Night. A local motorcycle shop called Wicked Leathers is sponsoring an event at the Rocky Hill Ranch Saloon with a live band and music and free RV spots and camping.

Oh great. Bikers and loud music and drunk people trying to find where they put up their tent mixed with runners trying to get some sleep the night before one of the longest races of their life. Not that I have anything against bikers or loud music or those who are drunk mixing with runners. I just think the combination works out better for the former group rather than the latter.

We could go find a hotel but if you read my last post you find in my case that may not be any better. I really didn’t know that the TIR weekend with its lack of sleep would be training for future races. This should be interesting.

Hog's Hunt 25k

Andrea and I bought a car on Friday. We got rid of our gas guzzling Durango and are now proud owners of a Toyota Camry. I’m going to miss the Hemi but I’m not going to miss the gas bill. It took forever to get the paperwork done and we didn’t get back to Lake Jackson until 10:30 Friday night. That is when mine and Jakeb’s Hog’s Hunt adventure began.

I pulled into the garage from our car shopping trip and I went into ‘let’s go’ mode. I threw the last of our stuff together and went up stairs to wake Jakeb up. We drove to a hotel on the north side of Houston and were ready to fall in bed since we had to get up early and run. There was some guy in the next room talking loudly. He never paused to stop talking. It was like he was practicing the Gettysburg Address. I thought ‘Oh great we are never going to get to sleep.’ But in about 20 minutes he stopped and the world was silent.

We woke up the next morning after what seemed to me like almost no sleep at all and drove to Huntsville State Park. We got there around 6:20 and picked up our packet and went back to the truck to warm up. It was amazingly cold for April 4th. I think it is weird that Sunmart in December at Huntsville State Park was hot and Hog’s Hunt in April was cold.

Jakeb and I wandered around before the start of the 50k and saw Karen and Katy. They took off and we went back to the truck to put on our shoes, race number water bottle and belt. We stretched for a little while and then went to the starting line where we saw Adrienne and her mom. We talked some and after some race instructions took off.

Jakeb and I were pretty evenly paced as we ran the road for a mile. My legs felt a bit dead but by the time we made it to the trails they started loosening. Jakeb ran strong the whole way. When we made it to the trails we were in single file with a group of runners and the pace slowed. Jakeb and I maneuvered past a couple of people and by the time we made it to the road in the back of the park we were running at a decent pace again. A ways down the road we started seeing the leaders coming back. Adrienne passed by us in first place in the women’s race and looked strong. She went on to win.

In the middle of the race we ended up behind a group of people who were running slower than us and we stuck behind them for a couple of miles. I think it was good to run behind them because it kept us from running too fast. I asked Jakeb how he was doing more than once and he continually said ‘I’m good.’

We made it to the boardwalks and passed the group ahead of us. I asked Jakeb if he wanted to pick it up and he said ‘Let’s go’ so we up’ed the pace into the aid station.

After downing a couple of peanut butter sandwiches and having our water bottles refilled we took off. A woman that was leaving the aid station told us that there was only about 3 miles to go so we ran a bit harder. In the last four miles I would guess we passed ten people.

In the last mile there is a hill (or two) to climb and I started walking and after a couple of steps Jakeb said ‘were not walking’ so I started running again. My kid is a slave driver.

We turned the corner and ran the power line right-of-way to the pavement at the finish. Jakeb sprinted at the end and I couldn’t possibly let him go alone so I ran with him as we laughed at each other. He finished a step in front of me. I stopped my watch at 2:30:52 - a 9:44 pace. It was a good race. I am proud of how Jakeb ran.

Jakeb just got his learners permit so he drove from Huntsville to the Woodlands. We stopped at Pei Wei on the way home and refueled. I drove the rest of the way home and had a horrible time staying awake.

You can read Jakeb's report here ... link.

Tracking mileage

Katy wrote on her blog that she doesn’t track her monthly mileage. I keep up with monthly mileage, weekly mileage, yearly mileage and shoe mileage all in a spreadsheet I created myself. It is not than I am a stat geek or anything but my personality is such that I have a feeling of accomplishment by knowing I can add another mile to the week, month, year and shoe.

I am taking off today and tomorrow to rest the legs for Hog’s Hunt and it kills me not to add data to runlog2008.xls. Below is a screenshot:

I have 102.5 miles on the GTS8's and I still like them. (see earlier post)

Jakeb and I may see some of y’all this weekend … later.

Hog's Hunt taper

Jakeb and I are ready for Hog’s Hunt this weekend. He has backed off some for a mini taper going into this weekend. We ran 12 together Friday before last and Jakeb had a really good run.

I signed up for the Rocky Hill Ranch 50k, so for training Friday I ran 11.5 with Jason Culverhouse (who talked me into RHR) and Greg Jones. We ran some roads and some single track. Then on Saturday Jakeb and I ran 8 together and I ran 2 more alone. I have not put enough time on my feet to run a 50k very well at Rocky Hill but I think I will be able to finish. The competitor in me may have a hard time taking it easy but I will try.

Here is my last week and a half of running:

3/21 – 12 w/Jakeb
3/22 – 7
2/23 – 5 (3 w/Jakeb)
3/24 – 5 (4 w/Jakeb)
3/25 – 5
3/26 – 5
3/27 – rest and strength
3/28 – 11.5 w/Jason and Greg
3/29 – 10 (8 w/Jakeb)
3/30 – 5.5
3/31 – 5 (3 w/Jakeb)

Jakeb ran some on his own during the time above. His miles alone are not listed. I ran 164 miles in March with two 42 mile weeks in a row.