Running the TXU Energy Turkey Trot

It's official. I just picked up my bib from Luke's Locker. I'm really excited about running this race. This is one of the races that I always happen to miss for some reason or other. Well there are no excuses now. I also have been warned. Several people have told me that it is a very packed raced so I need to get there early. Now I'm not looking to run a blazing(blazing can be a relative term) time or anything because it just isn't going to happen. I've been putting in too many miles training for the marathon for that too happen. So this will be my workout for the week, which will be good because I haven't done a workout in probably a month. We'll see how it goes.

In addition the TXU Turkey trot there are at least 3 other races in the Houston area.

• Sugarland Turkey Trot 5 miler - I don't know anything about this race, but Sugarland races are generally well organized.
• GE Run Thru the Woods - I hear the REALLY fast guys will be running in this race. Plenty of runners and a nice scenic route.
• Katy YMCA Turkey Dash 5k and Kid's 1 Mile - I ran this race last year and I had a pretty good time. If I recall, it was a pretty fast course.

So it looks to be a pretty busy Thanksgiving day for runners with plenty of choices to choose from. To all my running buddies, I'll see you there(...and good luck). If I don't know you, come chat me up(I love to talk about running).

Billbama

As all of you know by now Barack Obama is our president elect right now. No news there. Here is the kicker as it relates to me. I've been told that I've looked like Obama consistently for a while now. While in my opinion (and my wife's) I don't look like the guy, I have been told this too often. I've been told this 3 or 4 times a week for 4 or 5 months now and in the beginning it was pretty amusing. Now recently it's increased to about 3 or 4 times a day. I have now realized it's going to only get worse now that he has been elected. Just a few days ago I was shopping and an older lady directly behind me asks another guy in line(pretty loudly). "Doesn't that guy in front of us look like a younger version of Obama?". The guy behind her responds, "Yes, he sure does, I was looking at him throughout the store thinking the same thing." I felt like telling these guys, "I can hear what your saying." This conversation also confirmed my suspicion throughout my trip to the store that I was being watched. As I was leaving the store and walking to my car in the parking lot an older fella says to me, "You look like you could be Obama's nephew!". I responded, "Oh really?". At work the other day when I walking around the corner I bump into a co-worker I don't know and she strikes up conversation by asking me, "Do you know who you look like?". I respond with "Barack Obama?". She says "No, Tiger Woods,....but now that you mention it you do look like Obama." It's got so bad that whenever we have meetings, even involving the executive management team, an Obama joke rears it's head all the time. I've even taken on the name BillBama at work. Yes, that's what some people call me. My kid is known as baby Bama. Speaking of my kid, one day while I was eating dinner and watching the news my 3 year old tells me "Daddy you look like Obana". Yes, he did say Obana, he is 3 and that's the way my 3 year old pronounces Obama. Wow, so now my own family is even saying I look like Obama. Speaking of my own family, my wife just sent me the endearing text message a few minutes ago, "I love you,...your my Obama! Apparently, looking like Obama can induce heart attacks. The other day I was at the gas station with my family when I had to make a pit stop to the bathroom. So I casually walk inside the gas station. An old guy beside starts to spasm and I turn and look at him to see what is going on. He screams "Good God!, You nearly gave me a heart attack, I thought you were Obama!". Apparently Obama was in town that week and so he saw me out of the corner of his eye and thought I was Obama for a split second. A colleague at work who knows that I am a runner had asked me if I wanted to do a promotion about being Obama's running mate (this was when Obama was in the primaries), you get it? Running mate (you can stop laughing now). A few months ago I get into a very crowded elevator at work and notice a woman who is freakishly about 6'4" tall. I decide to embarrass her by saying "Has anyone ever told you that you are tall?". She doesn't miss a beat and responds with, "Has anyone ever told you that you look like Obama?". I say no. She says "Hey everyone, he even talks like Obama." Everyone in the elevator starts to laugh in unison. She looks me up and down and says "He even dresses like Obama". The laughter continues and now I am starting to feel embarrassed. The elevator hit my floor and the door opens and I rush out and she peeks out and then I hear faintly, "He even walks like Obama". Everyone in the elevator is in tears with laughter and I could hear it all the way down the hall. Now after reading all of this you might understand why I have proceeded to preempt the Obama comments with the following solution. I have decided to wear the following shirt...

The 2008 Houston Half

On Sunday October 26th a couple thousand people came to run/race the Houston half marathon. The course was simple, 3 four mile and some change loops around Allen Parkway. I had a blast at the race and left the race with an appreciation of how fun this race can be. I think I'll be doing more longer distance races in the future because it can only help my running overall. Well anyway to recap the weekend, I ran a 1:19. I'm pretty happy with the time considering I didn't taper for the race and had put in my most mileage ever during the week. Heck, I'll take that time period. I was not only a runner but a spectator as well as I noticed a lot fast guys lined up at the front early: Sean Wade, Luis Armenteros, Alex Moore, Colin Wolfe, Ray Martinez, Gabe Rodriguez, Brett Riley and on and on... Some of these guys I know and see around often while others I don't know and only show up at the bigger races. A few of the faster guys even lined up for a group photo.

Sean Wade ended up winning the race in a nice 1:08.

Luis Armenteros followed close behind at 1:09.

There was a little bit of separation between 2nd and 3rd as Colin Carroll finished with a 1:11 and some change.

And here I am plodding along.

I look forward to doing more distance in the future as I prepare for the Houston marathon. Oh yeah, many thanks to: wifey and son, John Yoder, Pony Peterson, Tuan Nguyen, Andrew Keller, and Chip Maxa for cheering me on. I definitely didn't want any of you to see me hurting!

My sis is making us proud

I'd like to give big props to my sister. She has always been fast and recently she has started to excel even more. She excited me earlier this year when my dad sent me this video of her kicking it in at this 1500m race. It has a VERY exciting finish at the end, and I'm not being partial :)

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(My sister is the brown toned runner in the blue)

Then she started to earn some conference accolades.

Now this past weekend she placed 2nd overall in the CAA Cross Country Championship.

She ran a 21:17 6k on a cross country course which equates to about a 5:42 pace/mile. She is definitely coming in to her own and I am giving her lots of love for her efforts!