B2B Assignments

We've got a great looking team for this year's Beach to Bay and enough speed to threaten our team record of 3:38:10 (2007). For the "record", team Mid-Texas Symphony first ran B2B in 2006, with a finish time of 3:43:04.

First things first! Beach to Bay is May 15th. We gather the day before. Hopefully, most of us can meet at packet pickup late in the day for bib and chip (for leg 1 and leg 6 runners) distribution, last minute instructions and to have a good time. Packet pickup, as always, is at the Holiday Inn-Emerald Beach Hotel.

Here are proposed leg assignments:
Leg 1 - David Horne
Leg 2 - Maeve Goetz
Leg 3 - Holly Murphy Brackin
Leg 4 - James Baker
Leg 5 - Jonathan Hager
Leg 6 - Fred Ramirez

Here's my thinking on the assignments. David is a great runner, he can drive to the Bob Hall Pier starting line without having to go through Corpus, and he's got more experience than most of us in running on the beach. Maeve could be our anchor, but Fred asked for that assignment already and he's a gutsy finisher. Maeve can burn it up on leg 2. Holly is running her first B2B, so I thought maybe the bridge on leg 3 would be fun for her. Eventually, if we keep coming back, we'll all get to run that leg. In the past I've run leg 1 several times, thinking in a sense it is the toughest leg (the captain swallows the bitterest pill) given the unpredictability of the surface, the two way traffic, and the congestion. I've never run leg 4 and I hear it is also a tough row to hoe, so I'm trying it this year. Jonathan has been our anchor each year he has run with us, but since Fred requested the anchor leg we'll let Jon put on his show on leg 5.

Please let me know any issues or concerns and
Happy Running,
James

Capitol 10K Results

Just thought I would post recent race results for the Capitol 10K in Austin. This is the largest 10K in Texas and the 5th largest in the country. I recall a few years ago when they were recruiting the heck out of the race, determined to make it the largest 10K nationally, but even Austin failed at that one. Nevertheless, it's a nice field, around 18k runners and walkers. Of those, 7598 were timed finishers. The winning male was Keith Pierce, from Cedar Park, who finished in 30:33. Desiree Ficker, of Austin, was the first place woman in 35:36.

My personal goal was to go sub-one hour; I finished in 59:08. I didn't see Liz, but did look up her result, which was 56:25, 13th in her age group. Way to go Liz!

My next race will likely be the Blue Bell 10K, in Brenham, next Saturday (4-17). That is, if I can get myself up early enough to make the hour and a half drive to the starting line. I just might do it, since they promise all the Blue Bell ice cream you can eat at the finish line. Overindulgence? The elite runners I talk to always say you can eat anything you want after the finish line and you might be surprised how many of these athletes admit that ice cream is one of their guilty pleasures.

Beyond next weekend, there is the Beach to Bay relay in Corpus Christi looming on the not too distant horizon. Our Mid-Texas Symphony team will be represented by Jonathan Hager, Fred Ramirez, Holly Brackin, David Horne, Maeve Goetz and me (James Baker). Hopefully, we'll have a good day for running. This is always an enjoyable race, the largest relay marathon in the country.

I would be interested in anyone else's running plans and results. Last time I heard from Arturo Aldama, he was plotting a full marathon in early May, though he was undecided which race it might be. Good luck Arturo and happy running to all.