How do you find your next race? Next up: Weston Wright 10K!

Just as the El Paso racing season kicks off with some fantastic local events, I'm headed back to San Antonio until Thanksgiving.  

So I found a race for next weekend, along the wonderful Mission Trail.

All the time that I've lived or worked in San Antonio, and I've never heard of this race before:
The 5th Annual Weston Wright "Lighting the Way" 5K/10K, to support the children's education arm of the San Antonio Lighthouse for the Blind.  I'm happy to support this organization and from the website, it seems like Weston himself, an 8 year old, might be there too.

Come run with me!  I signed up for the 10K.  It's on Saturday!  You can register on race-day, and I love that the registration website has a "sleep-in special" where you can donate even if you know that you won't make it to race morning-- it's a website that knows my husband better than I do! :)

I find most of my races on Road Race Runner or Running In The USA race calendar, but these are not all-inclusive. How do you find upcoming races?  I feel like I miss a lot of great local events...

McKelligon Canyon Run, 6 months later

Autumn in the high desert, as interpreted by my cell phone

 Oh my gosh, has it really been six, SIX!!! months since I ran this gorgeous route?  

Nah, but it's been half a year since I brought my phone on a run with me (hence the lack of race selfies, or really any race pix at all).  

I don't know if you've noticed, but iphones are expensive and you can't trust the weather (I have an 11 year old BS in meteorology, and that's the sum total of what I remember). 

I've been out of town for about 4 months, and intermittently before that since May, so I haven't been running this route as much as I'd like.  I had some time today to fix that!

Rounding the first bend, atop the first hill

Whenever I run here, I have to wonder why there's no official race held here in the Canyon.  The scenery and facilities lend themselves to a great event.  It's a well-known, low-traffic, centrally-located, and well-loved route with a built-in amphitheater along a 5-mile loop.  Perfect!  And there are myriad causes out there of which awareness must be raised, I'm sure.  For example, I'm very aware that there's no road race at McKelligon Canyon!

Who wants to encourage a race here?  Me!

Miles and miles of the ribbon of road...mmmm!

Have I mentioned the scenery?  It's not too different from the pictures I took in spring.  Though, to me, this October, El Paso looks richly verdant.  Well, for El Paso:

Looks pretty green to me!

And if you're picky, there ya go, some more fall splendor! Yellow aster-looking things!

In other news, I'm heading back to San Antonio next week for the remainder of the fall....!  Just when I was settling in, too....sigh.

Perhaps upon my return to the Alamo City I will do more running and less stopping-and-taking-pictures-ing.  It's good to have goals :)

Perhaps the race theme should be LITTER awareness!!  boo.

El Paso Transmountain Challenge 2013

I would love to be that skinny one day!

 I ran the 36th annual 2013 El Paso Transmountain Challenge half marathon on Sunday.  I liked it - just like last year- and when I finished, I had the same thoughts as the year before: I could be a whole lot better at this thing if I practiced!

Please note I only think that after the downhill portion, not on my way up-up-up the initial climb where I generally wonder if I can gracefully tumble down the side of the thorny mountain just to get out of the event.

No matter how often you drive this road, you will wonder, "how did this thing double in uphill grade overnight?"

The weather last year fought us runners- as if the terrain weren't challenging enough- with biting wind and an unseasonable chill in the air.  I was also glad that there was no baby stroller involved this year, but thinking of that, I missed my friends who have since moved to New York. 

Last Sunday at 7 am?  Warm, still air, only a breeze picking up as the path crested the mountains.  This time D was with me at the start and he too ran the race.  We don't run together at these race events.  That's a subject for another post though :)

Just like last year, the path is a one-way half-marathon, climbing 1300 feet in the first half of the race, only to descend, once midway, to the end.  It is a challenge indeed. 

The border patrol delegation ran in a nice tight formation again.  Lots of elite-looking runners, and lots of people who are new to fitness and have chosen a challenge up front.  That's what I like about this race, the terrain is intimidating yet so many people start and finish the course regardless.

I believe a 5K is also available, with a start and end point coinciding with the end of the halfsie. 

Aid stations were as great as ever, every 2 miles, with liquids and potties and medical staff.  Such enthusiastic volunteers- and I love forever the guy who coined the term that today was just another great "El Paso Sunday!" as we ran past his aid station, less thirsty and far more motivated than when we arrived.

I love that you can see the immense 50' x 100' flag at the Old Glory Memorial finish line from several miles out.  The silence as you run along, at a tenth of the speed you'd drive, allows the beauty of the Franklin Mountains and El Paso to impress and distract you from the uphill plod.  

After the descent, a sharp right turn along an almost flat frontage road leads you just over a mile to Diana Drive.  A sharp left- and ahead you see the cheering finish line corral and the taunting clock.  I crossed the line, with water and a medal and time to enjoy the Old Glory Memorial Plaza and all the post-race treats!  Such yummy burritos, from Crisostomo I believe? 

From the snack-filled finish, buses await to take you back over the mountain to the start, where we parked the car.  This is maybe the one day a year the entire Transmountain Road is closed- which we didn't know prior to the race- the only real hiccup of the day.  As compared to last year, though, the parking was much closer to the start. The bus situation is really no hassle at all.  It's nice to have a 15 minute ride to chat with the other racers and point out the spots along the course where we all felt miserable. 

The city of El Paso executes this race flawlessly and safely.  The road is closed, and there are no cars anywhere near the path, even along frontage roads toward the end. 

Anyone can do this race, and everyone should.  The prices, even at the last minute, are in the $40 range.  I am thankful again for the military discount this year.  The packet pickup is Friday and Saturday but not available on race morning.  It's fuss-free, and the shirt is pretty stylish for a race shirt, and a nice technical material in sizes from XS-XL.

I could've run faster, but I didn't.  I had a great race all the same.  I am back from San Antonio (6 weeks early, thanks to the shutdown) and waiting to see if I'll be called to return today.  

Always surprises!

And Turkey Trot season is nearly here!  I am ready!!!

Who else is excited for autumn racing?

Reciprocal pain and injury

New Math

 I alluded to this problem earlier: running injury, err, pain in one place quickly migrates somewhere else.

In my case, I seem to trade sides and of course, my right plantar fasciitis has now manifested as left Achilles tendinosis.  This stinks worse than the original problem!

That is what I think of heel pain

 This happened previously with a right metatarsal stress fracture which morphed into left knee pain, culminating in right hip pain.

Now I see why physical therapists always check "one joint above and below" the site of injury.  The thighbone is connected to the leg bone, after all- and didn't we all learn that in nursery school?

It makes sense that pain on one side of your body affects your gait pattern, causing reciprocal problems elsewhere, especially as we compensate for the pain, weakness, instability, blah blah blah.

How to break the cycle?  And don't you dare say "rest!"  Strengthening and balance training is probably a good place to start.  One day I will learn that that should be done continuously and not only after the pain sets in...hmmm.

So far, my answer is to stretch, ice, take ibuprofen, ignore the pain, and be thankful that I am rarely injured.

Lately I've been doing more hill training since the Transmountain Challenge is next weekend.  This could be the culprit, too.

I'm not ready for the race, but I wasn't ready for it last year either and it ended up as such a fun time.  What's the big deal, it's just a 1300' elevation gain in the first 6.5 miles, and a 1300' foot drop over the last 6.5 miles....

Just have to keep the finish line burritos the main thing in your mind :)  Of course, it takes me so long to get over that Mountain, I could probably order a pizza on the course for a mid-race snack.  

You can still sign up for the race, and it's very value-priced, too, even at the last minute:
2013 Transmountain Challenge

Shutdown...yet still running!

So the government shut down...is not good for anyone.  I am thankful that my job is intact, but we certainly haven't been spared the insanity.  Two days ago, we were sent home in the middle of our training course, just to be called back a day later.  We will likely be sent home in the next coming days, over a month early, only to have to return again later in 2014 or beyond.  This is frustrating, and yes, will end up costing our government even more, but it's all about timing and flavors of money and other things I understand only well enough to know that one ought not mix them up!

It's a mess- yes- a lot of important folks are furloughed, and that frustrates me on their behalf.  But I still feel that we have it really good in this country, which you know if you've traveled anywhere else.  We aren't living under an oppressive regime (though you may have thoughts otherwise!) and we live in relative safety and security.  I learned from others earlier this summer during the furlough, that you've got to keep more in your savings account than you think and that no job or retirement plan or anything is guaranteed.  I made some changes in these lean times, too-- I cut out going to Starbucks, foremost because it's way too pricey and I don't need it, and second of all because of their rumored idea not to allow firearms, carried concealed with a permit, in stores.  I'm a little confused, though, since at some point in the past, they were on the other side of the firearms story.  I just feel like if people are carrying gun, I want them caffeinated and alert to their surroundings.  Oh yeah and I also think we should endorse our Constitution.

This morning, we (well, 4,000 of my closest friends and I) met up at 0445 for a unique concept...the Brigade Run.  So despite being broke and shutdown, we are still running!  What a metaphor!  What is this nonsense, you ask?  A celebratory event?  Sometimes.  A way to bring local festivities to the post, albeit very early in the morning?  Oh yes.  A commemoration of the retirement of a distinguished individual?  Occasionally.  Super annoying to all those involved?  Always.  The good news is that in these broke times, this is a free event, powered only by tired Soldiers, too tired in fact to gripe much about it. 

If you like to stand around for 45 minutes, then sprint madly down a dark street, followed by walking and bumping into the lines of people in front of you for periods of time, then more sprinting, walking, stumbling, over a course of about 3 miles, then this is an event for you.  For the rest of us sane people, it's tolerable and amusing.  The best part is when you smell the bacon, because that means you're near the chow hall, and there physically isn't much road left at that point.  It also means that you can quickly replace both the calories burned, and then some.

Next up...the Transmountain Challenge 2013 in El Paso.  I signed up!  Hope you are there...here's how it went for me last year.  I'm looking forward to a weekend home.  D promises to run this year too.  He is such a trooper and responds fairly well to my "guess what I signed us up for?" announcements.  Fairly. 

Who's doing more running now that the government's shutdown?  I sorta am!