It has been a crazy winter for everyone in the Northeast–snow upon snow! I’ve had a bunch of life changes recently (all great ones)–so this has been my first post in awhile. I moved from Brooklyn to Queens and I’m loving it, and I recently started a new job! Life is good. Another recent development is that I reached a big milestone–I completed 50 marathons since I started running races in November 2005!
Rewind back to December 20, 2014–my friend and fellow Skechers ambassador Otto Lam put on a low-key, invite-only race called the Bryan Court 100. I was honored to be a part of this invitational ultramarathon–which was 37.2 miles (60K), or 100 loops of a cul-de-sac in New Jersey. Sounds crazy, right? Well it was, but it was also a lot of fun!
Every lap was .33 miles, and there was an aid station for each lap so I took a lot of eating breaks and bathroom breaks. I knew most of the runners there so it felt like one big party. Thanks to all the volunteers counting laps, and Juergen, Otto and Louisa for hosting!
I ended up placing second female overall, which was a nice surprise! I felt like I ran steadily the whole time–my official time was 8:08 and there were 33 participants total–I was in great company with incredible ultrarunners, so it felt challenging the whole time! The best part of the race was that at the end, finishers and participants received a beautiful buckle designed by Grammi Lee. It’s one award that I will treasure forever!
My wonderful friends also got me a beautiful chocolate ganache cake with “50” numerical candles on it–I loved it! Thanks Juergen and Otto!! I’m truly lucky to have been surrounded by so many friends.
Chevron Houston Marathon
Fast forward to January 18 when I ran the Chevron Houston Marathon. Thanks to my awesome sponsor Skechers Performance for my race entry and for the opportunity! I had a wonderful AirBnB stay in Houston, and my host even drove me to the start of the race! I highly recommend AirBnB for seasoned travelers, especially if you are only in the area for 1-2 days for a race. I flew in on Saturday afternoon and caught the race expo before closing time. It was a nice expo with a huge Skechers booth selling merchandise, other booths selling race fuel and running gear, and more! I even bought a medal rack (finally) that has the quote “She believed she could, so she did.” I’m in love with it! It’s simple but it’s an inspiring mantra that I try to live by.
Here’s me at the expo:
I’m rocking the same singlet as the one the elite athletes (like Meb) wear! after the expo, I headed to the Grove for a pre-race cocktail party, courtesy of Skechers. There were passed hors d’ouvres and beverages, mini burgers, cheese plates, and more. I got to meet other Regional Skechers Brand Ambassadors (most from the Houston area), and some really awesome people from Skechers corporate. Most exciting though, was when Meb stopped by the party. He’s already met me a few times, but I always re-introduce myself anyway. He totally remembered me! We chatted a bit about the race, and he was friendly as always. So honored to be on Meb’s team!
Rooftop deck at the Grove
Afterward, I got Mexican food at Guadalajara del Centro–not my usual pre-race meal (I prefer Italian), but I don’t regret it at all! The Italian restaurant closest to the expo was all booked up, so I tried Mexican food in Houston for dinner–definitely a must-do! The complimentary chips and salsa were so amazing–the chips were paper-thin, fresh and super crunchy. I got a chicken fajita plate and it was stellar as well. Good night Houston!
Race day
I wore these bad boys to run in:
They are the Skechers GoRun Ride 4’s. I actually didn’t have much time to break them in, but I wasn’t worried because I’ve run in similar shoe models before. I felt a little nervous pre-race because I was down there by myself, but my AirBnB host said he would be out cheering with some friends! The George Brown Convention Center was race central–you drop off your gear inside and the race ends there as well. It’s massive! Logistically, having the expo, start and finish in the same area is a runner’s dream. I lined up at the start, and in minutes we were off! The race announcer even called out my name!
The race is really flat, and it runs through pretty much all of Houston, including Rice University (my friend Rob’s alma mater)! The weather was awesome too, so I got super-lucky. I met another Skechers ambassador (from Houston) who gave me a shout-out–he was so friendly but I couldn’t remember his name! That was a cool moment. There were a lot of cafes and shops that we ran by–I always make a mental note to check it out later. There were a lot of people running the Aramco Houston Half-marathon simultaneously, so the course was crowded but not overwhelming.
The aid stations were really well-stocked, and the volunteers were amazing! I tried to thank as many of them as I could. I also ran into Ronald McDonald along the way and HAD to take a picture of him and his red shoe car.
I also saw cows dressed in costumes that said “Eat more Chik’n” (from Chik-fil-A), so that made me laugh too. There was a ton of entertainment on the course, and I was really amazed at how well-organized everything was.
I crossed the finish line feeling strong in 4:34:08. I was really happy with my result, since it was a brutal winter to train through!
I also met some really great people in the post-race recovery area, which was stocked with tons of hot food, coffee, chocolate milk (I’m also sponsored by Team Chocolate Milk), ice cream, fruit and more! I met some “streakers” who ran the Houston Marathon for 16 years or more, as well as Cherry from Golden Triangle Strutters, who recognized me from Team Chocolate Milk. Seriously, the post-race area was one of the best I’ve ever seen!
Final results:
Net time: 4:34:10
Overall place: 3826/7132
Gender Place: 1253, Division Place: 202
Of course, I had to take an #Ottolamming picture for my friend Otto (he always gives his all in every race and collapses in exhaustion):
People asked me if I was ok, haha. Thanks for a great race, Houston, and thanks to Skechers for the opportunity! Readers–add the Chevron Houston Marathon to your list of must-do’s!
Lisa Runs on Ramen 