This weekend was all about new running gear. Yay!

By the way, being a member of local running groups really pays off. At any of the running stores around town (Luke’s Locker, Runsport, Fleet Feet), members of HARRA (Houston Area Road Runners Association) get 10% off merchandise and a buttload of other stuff. Discounts can also be had for members of HoustonFit and Power in Motion.

• Amphipod Hydration Belt: Ok, I actually got the Amphipod during tax-free weekend from Luke’s Locker in The Woodlands (yes, I actually went up there again - I somehow ended up there for lunch one weekend)….but this weekend was when I finally got to test it out. I love this thing. The flasks are really easy to snap on and off, and the belt felt really light and secure during the run. I’ve got the 3-bottle belt right now, and I might add one more bottle at some point. They also sell flasks for things like Gu, but I might just stick with the actual packets themselves. (btw: Gu Chocolate Outrage - YUM).

• Support: Got two new sports bras from the 40% off rack at Runsport on Richmond. One bra has these silver stripes in them that the label calls “X-Static.” Apparently, these silver lines are made of “real” silver and are supposed to be naturally anti-microbial and fight odor causing bacteria and fungi (ew). It’s also supposedly “thermodynamic” to keep you cool during the summer and warm in the winter, and “dissipates electrostatic charges to keep you more comfortable.” Who knows if any of that is true - I was just impressed with the 40% off price. 
• Socks: Runsport didn’t have my favorite running socks, so I went over to Luke’s Locker on W. Gray….

Asics Hera Low Cut

• Saturday’s “group” run: So, it finally happened - I overslept and was late for my Saturday morning group run. The run was scheduled to start at 6:15 am, and I woke up at 6:00 am. Five minutes later I was on the South Loop headed towards Memorial Park when I realized that while I had brought my 3 Amphipod bottles, I had neglected to bring the actual hydration belt itself. Great. So, after lots of cursing, I headed back home to get the belt. When I finally arrived at Memorial, it was 6:30 am. The run had already started, and there was no way I’d be able to catch up with them…..and even though the Coaches mail out the planned route each week, I wasn’t interested in running it alone. Since I was determined to run the scheduled 7 miles, I ran the jogging loop instead.

  I was surprised at how crowded the jogging trail was at 6:30 am on a Saturday. It also seemed like the Saturday morning runners were much more diverse than the weekday-evenings-after-work runners, in terms of age, fitness levels, even physical abilities. There was this man who looked at least 89 years old, wearing a tank top and bright jogging shorts, wildly swinging his arms and shuffling forward barely an inch at a time - with the biggest grin on his face. He looked SO happy to be there. I wanted to stop and hug him.

  It took me 1 hour and 24 minutes to run the 7 miles….last week, it took me 1 hour 12 minutes to run 6 miles, so I guess I’m keeping a consistent pace. *shrug* Running with other people definitely makes the time go by faster, so I regret missing the group…..but, judging from the number of red shoe tags on the jogging trail, it looked like I wasn’t the only Red that woke up late.

• Logging it: So, I’m going to experiment with keeping a running log and posting it here. It’s that accountability thing. So, here are the stats from Saturday morning’s run (compliments of my beloved Polar s210 heart rate monitor):

• Galveston: The Li’l Bro is starting med school next week, so we trekked down to Galveston to check out his new pad. It’s really cute, has a great layout and a HUGE balcony. We took measurements of his living room, and went to Foley’s Furniture Outlet today and scored an amazing deal - $503 for a queen-size sofabed. That place is seriously a bargain hunter’s paradise - I saw full-size leather sofas for $450, and love seats for $129.