ConocoPhillips Rodeo Run 10K

Last year's Rodeo Run was not a good race for me. I showed up late, missed picking up my timing chip, had no time to properly warm up, and just plain ran out of energy on the back half of the course. This year I arrived in downtown Houston extra early on Saturday morning eager to make some better history this time.

I'm glad I didn't arrive much later, because downtown Houston was not only playing host to this race and the Houston Rodeo parade, but also a college baseball tournament and a cheerleading competition. I parked in a lot thirteen blocks from both the start and finish line and took in a Snickers Marathon Energy Bar. I drove in wearing the same shoes I had worn during the Houston Marathon, but something just didn't feel right. I normally bring an extra pair of shoes to a race, and for the first time, I opted to switch to the spare pair -- one that was further "broken in."

In previous years, I had issues with the organization of the starting corral because the sequence of pace signs went from "10:00" to "walkers." Well, this year it was even worse. There were 8500 in this year's event, and the last running pace sign read "7:30." I'm pretty sure most of you would agree that there's a very large gap between people who run 7:30 miles and people who will be walking! I went ahead and seeded myself not far behind that "7:30" sign. I had brought my digital camera with me, and while I was waiting for the horn to start, I thought it would be fun to pan the crowd:

I was feeling pretty good, and I made up my mind that my 10K PR (1:02:35) was beatable, despite what I knew was ahead.

Mile 1 - 8:53
The horn sounded, and we shuffled forth. It took about six minutes for me to cross the starting line. I am the type of racer that feeds off of crowd support, and the first couple of miles of the course were lined with spectators. (In this section of the course, the racers would actually be leading the parade that kicks off rodeo season in Houston.) This is pretty much as aggressively as I would dare to start a race of this distance.

Mile 2 - 9:14
I was still going out hard at this point. I've been passing lots of people, but I couldn't seem to catch this gal wearing a brown cow suit.

Mile 3 - 9:37
The race course leaves the downtown district. At the base of the Elysian viaduct I see a sign posted reading "Mt. Rodeo Run - Elevation 100 ft." I went charging up the bridge. As I begin to come down the other side, I bellowed out a warning: "Watch out -- Gravity is acting upon a fat man!" I pass a LOT of people on that downslope.

Mile 4 - 10:33
I had skipped the first water stop, but at this one I went ahead and grabbed a cup and walked through. Steamrolling through the first 5K in less than 29 minutes had me breathing very hard.

Mile 5 - 10:11
As soon as I was recovered, it was time to turn around and head back downtown on the other side of the viaduct. A woman standing in front of a house was chanting, "Go get that Ken-yan! Go get that Ken-yan!" I don't believe there were any Kenyan elites in this race.

Mile 6 - 9:55
Having returned downtown, I saw another sign which read, "Leaving Mt. Rodeo Run - Elevation 0 ft." If I was a racecar, I would be "on fumes" at this point. The new PR was virtually a sure thing, but the tantalizing idea of breaking one hour was driving me now. I bypassed the last water stop and made the final turn with the words "There is no quit" in my head....


Chip Time: 1:00:24
Gun Time: 1:06:43

Reflecting on the race, however, I am pleased to say that I did not hold back, I "left it all on the course", and I think I got the result I was honestly capable of producing out there today.

Once I was out of the shadows of the skyscrapers and on the viaduct, the heat started becoming a factor. As I drove home I saw the marquee in front of Toyota Center announce a temperature of 84F.

I beat my 2007 result by more than seven minutes. I'll take the PR and feel confident that a sub-60-minute time awaits me somewhere on a flat and less congested course.