Komen Austin Race for the Cure 5K

This past Sunday, I participated in Komen Austin's big fundraiser for fighting breast cancer. While I was a little bit disappointed with my time in the 5K race (22:32), it was heartwarming to see the nearly 20,000 people that came out in support of a good cause. I was hoping to improve on my 22:08 from a week prior, but the hilly course and warm, humid weather slowed me down. After the race, I joined some Harley friends who were out in support of Lisa, a breast cancer survivor who is currently in a wheelchair due to a motorcycle accident.

Anything is Possible 5K

I got back from a 3,100 mile motorcycle trip at 4pm Saturday [post forthcoming], but I was so intrigued by a 5K race spanning the end of Daylight Savings Time that I had to do it. Plus it was right down the street from my house, so I didn't have to go far. Thanks to the time change, I started at 1:50 am and finished at 1:12 am, for a -37:52 ET. It's only possible once a year, so I just had to be part of this race. My real time of 22:08 (7:05 mile pace) is a new 5K PR (not that I've done many, my previous best is from the Paramount 5K in February). I wound up 10th overall (of 84), and second in my age group. The guy that won my AG passed me with only about a half mile to go. I might have put more effort into chasing him if I had realized.

The run itself wasn't all that remarkable, although it was something of a different experience running in the dark. Most of the cloverleaf-shaped course was through parking lots, so most of it was well lighted, but there were some sections that were darker. Probably the funniest part of the evening was the UT band's tuba section out en masse, who brought slightly more enthusiasm than I felt was warranted for the hour of night (but then I'm normally asleep at that time).

Run for the Water 10-miler

While it can be wearying, one of the benefits of racing all the time is that it's not long after a disappointing race before having the possibility of bouncing back with a good one. After having a terrible run last week in the Half Ironman, today I had a very good run in the Run for the Water 10-mile road race. The second leg of the Austin Distance Challenge, this event benefits the Gazelle Foundation, which build water wells in Burundi. Thanks to a beautiful clear, cold morning (starting temperature in the 40s), my average pace was actually just a tick quicker than the first Distance Challenge event, the IBM 10K. My time today was 1:19:26, for an average pace (according to the results) of 7:57 (my watch actually said 7:54).

Ironman 70.3 Austin

Sunday I competed in my toughest race so far: The 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, and 13.1 mile run of Ironman 70.3 Austin, also known as the Longhorn half. It was my first "half distance" triathlon (being exactly half of the famed "full" Ironman), but won't be my last. While I'm not entirely pleased with my overall time of 6:42:15, I am pleased with my bike performance, and that I finished at all. I never really doubted that I would finish, but I wish I would have been able to actually run more than I did. Pressure in my stomach made anything faster than a walk with brief jogs painful.

IBM 10K

For my seventh timed event in the past six weeks (the sixth being the South MoPac TT Tuesday night, where I had my best time yet, 19:17, 25.1 mph average), this morning I raced in the IBM Uptown Classic 10K. Unlike last week, I managed to stick to my game plan (and my legs weren't wasted from the day before), and finished in 49:27, a time I'm quite pleased with, and resets my 10K PR from the previous 50:55 set at Cap 10K in March. This race was also the first stage of the Austin Distance Challenge, a series of five races culminating in the Austin Marathon in February.