I signed up for this race as the third in the Houston Marathon Warm-Up Series - the first being the Houston Half Marathon in October that got rained out, the HMSA Classical 25K that I ran the Sunday before Thanksgiving, and the Fort Bend Kia 30K that I completed this morning. I was a little nervous because the weather down here in Texas has been pretty typical of Texas, but this past week has featured high temperatures with high humidity. Not ideal running weather. This morning started out at 75 degrees, so I suited up in my shirt and shorts, and made my way to the Land of Sugar. For the first five or so miles of my run, it was hot and humid, but not too unbearable. I was actually rather enjoying myself, and then the rain started coming down. I actually really enjoy running in the rain, so I was kind of looking forward to the rain cooling me down a little bit.
But then I hit mile six, and I actually looked around to see where the cold air was coming from. The temperature had suddenly dropped about 20 degrees, and the rain was only getting harder. And the wind was picking up speed, and I could do nothing but laugh at the hilarity of the situation I was currently in. I had asked for rain, and rain I got! Ask and you shall receive, right? The rain was pretty steady for the next 10 or so miles, and then it calmed down to a mist. But by that time not one inch on my body was dry, and I was way past being bothered by my soggy socks. The last two miles were tough, because I had already completed three (and a half) loops of the same course, I was hungry, I was soaking wet and cold, but I was determined to keep running. It was slow, but I never stopped. And I'll call that a successful run. The Chevron Houston Marathon is next on my list, and while I know it's going to be tough, I mean really tough, I am so excited. Five weeks from today and I'll be crossing something big off of my bucket list.
 |
| Started this guy a little bit late, whoops! |
Smoothies or juices?
Smoothies, for sure. I've never been a fan of juices, but I will never turn down a good smoothie. In fact, I used to drink a smoothie before every high school volleyball game. My favorite smoothie establishment - Juiceland - is getting ready to open in Houston and I CANNOT WAIT!
Grilled veggies or salads?
This is a tough one! I think I'm going to go with salads, though, because I can always add grilled veggies to it? I take a salad to school almost every day, so the salad is going to take the cake.
Corn on the cob vs sweet potato fries?
SWEET POTATO FRIES. They are hands down my guilty pleasure. I could honestly eat a good batch of sweet potato fries every other day without getting sick of them. In fact, I indulged in some yesterday at Grub Burger Bar.
Burgers or dogs?
Burgers. I've never been a huge fan of hotdogs, and burgers offer so much variety. There are regular beef burgers, veggie burgers, turkey burgers, salmon burgers. chicken burgers, bison burgers, and the list goes on. Needless to say, I'm a big burger fan.
Baseball or soccer?
Honestly, I think I'm going to have to go with soccer. I used to be a huge fan of baseball, and I still enjoy it, but soccer is far more exciting. I love watching the World Cup, and though I don't watch much of the sport, I get into it when it's on.
 |
| But what is summer without baseball? |
Walking or biking?
Oh man! I love both, but I guess I'll go with biking. It's obviously a faster mode of transportation than walking is, and it's also such a fabulous workout. There is nothing that I love more than a morning bike ride through my neighborhood. Then again, my most favorite part of my days have to be walks with Mack. And walks with Sarah is one of my favorite suite 1 traditions.
Beach or trails?
I love the beach, I really do, but I'm going to go with trails. I would pick the mountains over the beach any day of the week - I much prefer hiking to laying on the beach. Though I won't ever turn down a competitive game of sand volleyball.
 |
| After hiking many, many trails |
Ice cream or fresh fruit?
Well, seeing as I'm lactose intolerant, I'm going to go with fresh fruit. Which I would probably choose anyway. Summer in one image has to be a large bowl of fresh watermelon.
Sun bathing or swimming?
Swimming, all the way. I love being tan, but I hate the act of tanning. It's just so boring! And I can't read, because the book will block some part of my body, and then I start sweating, and it's been about 7 minutes at this point. You guys know that I love to swim, and though I get myself a cute one-piece tan, I'd much rather tan while I swim.
Tulips or daffodils?
I absolutely love tulips, so this one was easy.
Farmers markets or garage sales?
Farmers markets. We actually were never allowed to have garage sales in my neighborhood growing up, so they were always kind of a foreign concept to me. Besides, what's better than a Saturday morning farmers market? They're far more than just fruits and vegetables, and I need to start making them a more regular part of my schedule.
Sneakers or sandals?
This is such a tough question! I love my Chacos, and they have served me well throughout the past six years, but I still think I'm going to have to go with sneakers (tennis shoes). They're comfortable, practical, and you're always ready for some activity.
 |
But then sometimes you end up wearing Chacos with a skirt |
Flower garden or veggie garden?
Veggie garden, for sure. I would actually love to have a vegetable garden one day, and be able to eat what I produce. Once I move to a house, I'm definitely going to try out my green thumb. I'm definitely a veggie garden n00b, but hey, everyone has to start somewhere!
And that's all I've got. But before I go, can I just leave you all with a Hook 'em Horns? Texas Basketball defeated #3 UNC yesterday afternoon, and Texas Volleyball is taking yet another trip to the Final Four after a THRILLING victory over Florida last night. I went to sleep after game one, but I woke up at 10:30 to a hungry puppy, and I got to watch the last five points. 'Twas a good day for Longhorn fans!
No comments:
Post a Comment