Our mate Cheto Cerda is headed to the birthplace of my competitive nature. The La Porte (Texas) By the Bay Half Marathon is scheduled for this upcoming weekend and he’ll be rocking the Red & White on my old stomping grounds. I lived in the sleepy little coastal community, formed my very first running club, The Gulf Coast Wind Breakers, in 1984. Also directed my first race there. Cut my teeth knocking on doors asking for sponsorships too, learned the 99% rule. 99 times out of a hundred you are likely to get a “not interested”. It is those single “Yes” responses that keep it all worth it. The course goes over and back across the Fred Hartman Bridge, nearly 5 miles of the race, the only “hill” for miles and miles of Gulf Coast Pancake Flatness. Arriba Cheto! Arriba!
The Fred Hartman Bridge crosses the Houston Ship Channel, connecting La Porte and Baytown Texas. One of the most industrialized areas of the country, you can’t imagine how much I appreciate the clean, fresh air of Nebraska!
Lee Anderson will also be racing a 13.1. The Rock Canyon Half Marathon is in Pueblo, CO. His stint at altitude in Arizona should stand him well when the gun goes off. Giddyup Lee!
And Bridget Easley will make her run at 2:46 at California International this weekend. Good luck and great racing to Bridget! Nebraskans Kaci & Christy too!
Linda Barnhart and yours truly will be competing in the Market Street Mile this Saturday morning in St. Louis. We are headed out Thursday morning for the USATF Annual Meetings, usually all work and no play, this race will offer a nice break to the drudgery of 4 days of insufferable beauracracy. I’m going down with a chip on my shoulder (imagine that!), ready to take on all comers in the battle over the new IAAF Uniform Compliance Rule as it relates to Club Championship events. Spoke with Devon Martin (Chair, Club Council and Pres. of NY Central Park Track Club) yesterday, we are all on the same page and will be headed down loaded for bear.
Funk. And not like Rick James. My training has inexplicably taken a turn towards the blase. Yesterday called for 2 X 800 full out. My first one was :20 slower than what I’ve been averaging this whole training cycle. I stepped off the track at 200 meters on the 2nd effort, unable to continue due to fatigue and difficulty breathing. I’m temporarily bowed, but not beaten. Might be the head cold, 23 straight days of training, stress, loss of sleep, or that elusive appetite to keep my weight up. Hoping a change of scenery will snap me out of it, I’m going to hammer that mile on Saturday hoping to rejuvenate my soles. Or maybe I’ll pop back up during tomorrow’s 4K time trial. That was the first workout I did in this cycle, hit it in 16:44 on October 14th, I’ll hopefully demonstrate considerable improvement, I’ve certainly worked my tail off, as have we all under Killer Coach’s tutelage.
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