38th Beach to Bay Marathon Relay

This Saturday was the running of the 38th Beach to Bay Marathon Relay.  This year's "Beach to Beer" team members were Melissa Veach, Adam Gonzales, Mariam Madrid, Bill Reagan and myself.  As always, we loaded up with Carbs on friday night at Executive Surf Club. Saturday morning, we all took off to our hand-off spots.  I made my way to my hand off (leg 5) and started my wait for Mariam(our leg 4 runner).At about 10:00, Mariam and I had our hand-off and I felt like I had  a strong start but it soon went to hell. Less than a mile into my run, something painful happened to my knee and I was reduced to hobbling. I must have looked pretty hurt, cause an EMT wanted to put me in an ambulance but I still wasn't ready to give it up so I kept struggling in the direction of my hand-off to Leg 6.  Finally, reality set in and demanded that I give it up and I called for help. Melissa, like an angel of mercy was soon there to save the day.  Thanks to her and all my teammates for helping me through this difficult time.

 I'm now at home where Sally is waiting on me hand and foot. I could get use to this treatment.  I 'm writing this blog from the sofa with my knee elevated  and packed in ice.  Doctor visit tomorrow.

Our team living up to our team name. 

 

 

 

Mariam, Melissa and Adam 

Dos Rios 5K Run

 

It was a beautiful morning for running the Dos Rios Run in New Braunfels. I was planning to do the race option where you grab a tube and float thru "The Chute" but the morning was cloudy and cool so I backed out of getting into the ice cold Comal river.  Maybe next year....Time was 28 minutes and 39 seconds.

 

 

 

Alamo Half Marathon

Ed Waley and I ran the Alamo 13.1 this morning in San Antonio.  Starting and finishing at the historic Alamo. It was my first shot at a Half Marathon and I finished in 2 hrs and 22 minutes.  It was a beautiful run as we went along the Riverwalk, around Breckenridge Park, thru Trinity University, etc.  I am sure that I will be sore for a few days but I survived.

Spring Break 2013

Grandkids(all except Gabriel) were here for Spring Break.  For kids, life is one big adventure after another and we are blessed to be part of it.

Lucy and Grace catching minnows

Enjoying time at the creek

 

Each grandkid in their own time has attempted to jump this ditch and Haley decided this was her day.... she was beaming with pride afterwards.

Planting beans

The big girls are working hard while the babies sleep

Grace loves gardening

Lucy showing the others how to drink out of the hose

Where are Haley's clothes?

Grace taking a break on the back porch

Haley found another bug

Lucy and Haley grew mustaches

 

 

Lucy made sure that Cora wasn't left out of the fun

 

 

Lucy in her reading tree

 

 

 

Cora and Jake found the popcorn

nap time

guy time

St Patty Day race - chasing the leprechan (6-12 yr olds)

Lucy's race was a quarter mile long  and she finished first among the girls

 

 

Leprechan Run (2-6 yrs old)

 

 

That is Grace chasing the leprechaun

Grace turned on the afterburners and zoomed right past the leprechaun and finished first among the six yrs and under girls

Look at that determined face,,Haley blows away the other four year olds

 

 

Haley about to pass her  competition

 

 

From youngest to oldest...we had an award winning day

Jake loving his snowcone!

Purgatory 5K Trail Run (San Marcos)

Kurt and I ran the Puragatory 5K Trail Run in San Marcos on Saturday morning to support the San Marcos Greenway Alliance. These off-road events are fun but they are much more difficult as you use a lot of additional energy to avoid the obstacles.  Kurt hadn't run in awhile so I thought that I might actually beat him. I didn't even come close.

Paramount 5K

Drove to Austin on this cold morning to run 5k race with Casey Lehmann and her boyfriend Steve.  I guess it is ok to say I ran with them even if  I only saw them at the start and at the finish where they were patiently waiting for me. My time today was 28 minutes and 49 seconds and that was good enough for 5th in  my age group.  Casey is still #1 in our personal duel.

End of World 5K Seguin, Texas

Since the world didn't end yesterday, we celebrated today by running 5K at Starke Park in Seguin.

400 or so runners braved the morning cold. I ran 29 minutes and 16 seconds. 

 

 

 

Jingle Bell 5K

2012 Jingle Bell Run for St Jude's was December 8th in Gruene, Texas. The race started and finished in front of Gruene Halle. It was very festive event with lots of reindeer and elves participating.   Like most runs in New Braunfels, there was beer and wurst tacos at the finish. My time was 29 minutes 21 seconds.  

 

2012 Susan Komen Walk

Ninny's Ninnies (or as Sara called it....The Attack of the Strollers).  We walk/run this event each year in support of my sister-in-law, Ann(Ninny) Forester who is a Breast Cancer survivor   The team was bigger than ever....

2012 Susan Komen Run for the Cure

Korey Lehmann and I showed up early at 7:30 to run the timed 5K with about two thousand others..   Korey and I got seperated duirng the race but found each other at the finish line.  Thanks for running with me. 

Nolen Vargas Memorial 5K

Saturday morning, Sara and I ran in the Nolen Vargas 5K at Landa Park in New Braunfels. We ran side by side all the way til  the very end when she showed an amazing ability to sprint the last twenty yards and ecke out a victory over Dad.  Makes me think that she might have been holding back during the rest of the the race.  We had fun running together and it was made extra special because we had our own little cheering section .....Sally, Grace, Haley and Jake.

Triple A 5K race in Seguin

Casey Lehmann and I ran the Triple A 5k in Seguin on Saturday morning. Casey's time was 25 minutes and 0 seconds and my time was 25 minutes and 30 seconds.  Casey got first in her age group and I placed third in my age group. 

This event is organized by Brooke Simmons to honor of  her husband Deputy Andie Simmons who passed away June 18, 2010. The event benefits the Guadalupe County 100 Club, an organization that provides financial assistance to families of public safety officers and firefighters who are seriously injured/killed in the line of duty.

First place

I lost the race against Casey but got a medal anyway

Casey and I hung out with this group of Seguin High School teachers

Beach to Bay 2012

This was my fourth year to run the Beach to Bay. As in the past, I ran the leg 4 going through the Naval Air Base. This was my best split time ever....41 minutes.

Waiting to take position for the hand-off from Leg 3

Our room at the Omni had a balconey with ocean view

New Braunfels Dos Rios 5K

Ran the Dos Rios 5K in New Braunfels this morning.....Ran 27 minutes 55 seconds.  Nice cool morning for a run.

Pandora's Box of Roxs 10K Trail Run

Ed Waley, Glen Olinger and I drove to Burnet on Saturday(May 5th) morning for Trail running.  Glen ran the Half Marathon  and Ed and I ran the 10K.  The trail was narrow in some stretches and there were alot of ups and downs...sometimes having to jump from granite boulder to granite boulder. This was an exciting experience that left us all wanting to do more trail running. 

Dash for Dawn 5K race

Dash for Dawn was Saturday morning at Crockett School.  I had a hard time finding the school... No GPS and no directions... I didn't think that I needed directions since I remembered where Crockett School was located... near Aquarina Springs.  Wrong(yes, Sally I said it "I was wrong"... the old Crockett school that I remembered from 1970s had been torn down following a flood event where students had to be rescued from the top of the school building.  I finally got some directions to the new location close to Wonder Cave, but by the time I got there the race had started.  They went ahead and let me race anyway and put a 4 minute 35 second correection on my time.  The hills were murder and I ended up with a time of 30 minute and 5 seconds.  It sure seemed like the race was all uphill.

Lockhart Lion Stampede 5K

Lion Stampede 5K proceeds were going toward books for a school library in Benin, West Africa.  Race time temperature was s 34 degrees and it was windy.  I ran 28 minutes and 21 seconds and won my age division.

 

Finish was inside Lockhart Football stadium

Reagan H.S. Band 5k race

Sister-in-law, Shane Evans, and I ran the Reagan 5K this morning.  My time was 28 minutes 16 seconds and I am thinking that that is  pretty good considering that I haven't been keeping up with my running this month.  Shane and I are planning to do more races this spring... Come join us! 

Thankful Turkey 5K - San Marcos

This was a very level out and back course.... My time today was 27 minutes and 45 seconds and I won a holiday ham for placing first in my age division.