HHM, a COMPLETELY new race...

It's been two years since I ran the Luke's & Koala half marathon, hosted by the Houston Striders.

Lot's of changes to the race, some good and a few not so good. Somehow this race has historically fallen on days when the weather is perfect. Today's conditions weren't bad, but it was certainly a lot warmer than I like. Of course this is just luck and chance.

The race has always been three loops of Allen Parkway, but I remember the first loop differently. This year, each of the three loops were the exact same as the prior loop. Unfortunately, I've never been a fan of loop courses. I knew the course route when I signed up, so it wasn't a surprise. I think loops are mentally difficult, but that's my personal opinion. On the other hand, I enjoy the opportunity to cheer on friends I see on the other side of the road.

For my race critique I'll start with the PROS:
Aid stations and time callers were in good order.
I really like the disposable timing chip.
Unique finisher medal. I'm still bummed about running my FIRST half marathon (L&K half 2006) and all I got was a goofy-ass sticker. The wider printed ribbon was a nice touch. On the bottom there are two "towers", which confuses me. Looks similar to the world trade center, but I know it's not.

I'm a member of the Houston Striders and I will probably be frowned at, but below is a non-biased list of CONS:

Poorly designed race shirt. Design "taste" is very personal, but Andrea and I both thought the design was boring and a little out dated. It reminds me of stick-men running a relay. This is an endurance run, not 800's around a track. The shirt has three colors... orange, yellow, and black with horrific shading. Eww. I've only been running for 4 years, but this race has been plagued with awful race designs. I'm not sure which I dislike more... this year or the weird array of purple and reds on a cowboy hat with the city in the center.

The shirt is a complete disaster. It's a brand name Asic's shirt, so I expected something nice. What I got is an ill-fitting singlet. I received a men's Extra-Large, but I could barely get my head through the opening. Once I squeezed into the shirt it was so tight I could hardly breathe. That's an exaggeration, but the shirt is seriously tight. I liked the sleeveless styles from a couple years ago, but this year they gave away singlet style shirts. I'm a "big guy", but I'm not HUGE. I stand 5'7" and weigh 208 lbs. There were literally hundreds of men larger than me at the race. A technical finisher shirt is a deciding factor for me when I'm looking at races and comparing entry fees. Now I have a shirt I can't wear. I'm no different than anyone else; I want a nice shirt and the ability to show off my running accomplishments. I'd rather have a cheap cotton T-shirt I CAN WEAR, than a technical singlet that won't fit.

Post race food. The selection choice was oranges, bananas, or cookie. I've been spoiled with some really good post race food, so maybe I was expecting too much. At the USA 10-miler, there was an endless selection of tasty warm food... breakfast tacos, pizza, Fuzz drinks, sodas, fruit, bagels, chips, cake, cookies, etc. I'm there to run, not eat. That's why a limited selection of food doesn't bother me. Although, at the price point of $50, I assumed there would be more.

I know it is hard work and a labor of love from LOTS of people to put on a race of this size, but I was a bit disappointed. This is probably the last time I will run HHM.

I guess that's it about the race, but I have one more thing to vent about. The "idea" of running a race has become too mainstream and to be "conquered" by recreational weekend warriors. Maybe that is why I am slowly shifting to long distance trail races.

I have good knowledge of where to line up in the start line, but that is not the norm. There were walkers lined up 20-feet from the start line. With a two minute differential, I had to zig-zag past a ton of walkers, which HAS become a new norm.

Then there is 5/1 runners... I don't have any issues with that particular running strategy, but several times I was running a comparable pace behind someone and was forced to quickly maneuver around them to avoid a collision when they came to an abrupt stop without warning.

The water stations were a complete mess and not because of the volunteers, but rather, the runners. I'm aware many people walk at the water stations. Today it seemed like large pods of people were just standing at the water stations sipping their drink and talking with the volunteers. If you want to socialize, get your drink and get the heck out of everybody's way!

Okay, all done with the negative stuff.

Good run, albeit warm. I ran the race as a training run and did exactly that for the first half. My body kept settling into a rhythm faster than I anticipated, so I amended the plan to include the quicker pace.

Saw lots of people I know, which was awesome. I even saw Captain Steve, who was on the sidelines cheering on his wife, Daniel, who is running her first full marathon in January.

Stats below, per Garmin.

Run:
13.28 miles
2:10:37
9:50 pace