One really fun tradition of the Houston marathon is the Hash's Marathon Mile. As part of this year's festivities, one of the hashers decided we needed to have an Elite Hasher Fluids table just like the elite runners do. He said he'd set up a table with our names on it and have our beverages waiting for us when we got there. On my way down to the expo Saturday morning, I stopped by to drop off a bottle of Bad King John, my elite fluid of choice. I've never had it, but it caught my eye while I was wandering through Spec's a few days earlier. Not that black, bitter, high-alcohol content beer is a recommended beverage choice during a marathon, but at mile 24 when you're only running to finish, a cup of it probably won't make you feel worse.
After dropping off my beer, I drove over to the expo to pick up my packet and goodie bag. I was very disappointed in the expo's size and selection. Compared to Disney or even San Antonio, the selection was much smaller and the prices not nearly as good. No good deals to be found on shoes or clothes, so I ended up leaving pretty quickly. Like so many other things about this race, the expo needs a lot of work to be considered on the same scale as ones at other nationally significant events. Once I got home, I spent the rest of the day watching the X-Games and getting things ready for Sunday. After a sushi dinner, it was time to pin my bib on my shirt, check the weather one last time (still calling for rain until 11am), and climb into bed.
When I got up on Sunday, I was pleasantly surprised to see the rain hadn't arrived yet. I put in my contacts, exercised the dogs, and was on my way. Since it wasn't raining, I decided to meet everyone at the In Flight tent rather than fight the crowds inside the convention center. I stayed there until 20 minutes before the start, at which point Sarah and her son Zach joined me for the short walk to our starting area. Zach was running the full too, but Sarah hadn't yet decided what to do. She was entered in the full but hadn't been able to train much last fall. We planned on running together until the turn-off for the half at mile 9 where I hoped she'd do the smart thing, make the turn, and run the half instead.
It didn't start raining until after we had started, mostly drizzle for the first few miles. Combined with the warm temperatures, the moisture in the air made for some uncomfortable running. Nothing unbearable, but definitely warmer and more humid than we'd seen in several months. I knew there were going to be a lot of people really suffering later in the race when I got to mile 3 and the aid station was completely out of Gatorade and the volunteers were futilely trying to pour water from a handful of pitchers into paper cups. Missing out on fluids so early in the race is a good way to end up with cramps and dehydration problems later on.
A mile or so later, Tim popped up next to us as we ran through the Heights. Hard to believe we ran into each other in the midst of 22,000 people, but I'm glad we did. He's a fun guy to run with and was good company once Sarah turned off for the half several miles down the road. Tim and I ran together until just after the halfway point. That's when his legs started getting tired and his side started really aching from the injury he received to his ribs while playing soccer earlier in the week. I pushed on alone as he slowed down and started walking. Of course, with a race this size you're never really alone, and I had a great time chatting and joking with the people around me, especially one woman named Mary. Her name was being called out by the spectators along the side of the road so often, it felt like she had paid them off or something. She was fun to talk to and kept my brain occupied until I ran into Michael, our head In Flight coach, around mile 23.
A half mile or so later, Michael turned around to wait for the next In Flighter, and I continued on. After a quick cup of water at the In Flight tent on Allen Parkway and a stop to say hi to Jen, I arrived at the Hash Mile. Much to my disappointment, my beer wasn't there waiting for me. Somehow, it had been misplaced or consumed (knowing the hashers, my money is on consumed) before I arrived. No worries, though, as I was handed a cup of St. Arnold's Elissa from a keg bought just for hashers. The next mile and a half went by pretty quickly as I had some hashers to run with, including my friend Bob who donned a horse costume for the last two miles.
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| Steve, Jorge, Jackie, me, Robert |
Here are some final thoughts about the good/bad things during the race
- CW-X compression shorts rock
- Having to walk the length of the convention center twice and then go up and down a flight of stairs to get from the finish line to the post-race party is poor race organization
- A race that runs out of fluids at mile 3 has no business comparing itself to Chicago or New York
- Seeing friends along the course sure helps keep you going
- Houston is the only major marathon I've run that doesn't offer any food or fuel along the course. Lots of people stand in their yards with fruit and candy for the runners, but there is no official Clif stop or anything like that. Another sign of how poorly this race is run.
- Drinking beer at at the Hash Mile is a great way to celebrate the closeness of the finish line
- A race with 22,000 runners needs more than two start waves
- Wet shoes and wet clothes make for a long, hard slog of a marathon
