Location: Challenger 7 Memorial Park
Distance: 3.1 miles
Time: 36:23 (This might be my *worst* 5K time yet)
Avg/Max HR:  190/201 (!!)

Traveled down to Clear Lake/Webster for the Yuri’s Night 5K Fun Run, organized (and photographed!) by fellow running blogger Sarah. Jon was also there as a volunteer.  I hardly venture to that part of the Houston sprawl, so it was nice to check out Challenger 7 Memorial Park.  Located on NASA Road 1, the park was named in honor of the 7 astronauts that died in the Challenger Shuttle explosion.

The turnout was small, but casual and laidback.  My bib number was 4! woohoo  At 8am, Sarah gave a quick hellohowareyoureadysetgo and then we were off. 

I had trouble from the start. I couldn’t get into a rhythm with either my pacing or my breathing. The course was two loops through the park, and I was naseous for most of the first loop.  Although I know I was breathing normally, it felt like I couldn’t catch my breath. bleh.  It was pretty hot and humid, but I’m sure my problems were related more to my terrible sleeping habits this week (couldn’t fall asleep till 3am last night) and the fact that I didn’t run all week.  I wore my iRiver 799, but the batteries died halfway through the run.  So, that first loop was pretty frustrating.

But I did have fun with the course itself - it was multi-terrain, with parts on concrete, grass, dirt and gravel.  There was even a hill with *real* grass on it - a rarity in flat Houston.  It was like a mini-sampling of trail running.