Location: Memorial –> Blossom –> Rose Garden
Distance: 5.8
Temp: 95

• Thursday was the day most of Houston was underwater thanks to Tropical Storm Erin, but it actually created some runner-friendly conditions for the SMART run.  By 6:00pm, the rain had stopped, and I headed over to Memorial Park.  The water levels had subsided and the roads were pretty empty.   
• Matt & Chip decided to have us do the 6 mile Rose Garden Run.  When I first heard "Rose Garden Run," I groaned - flashbacks to the HoustonFit course, with that dreaded stretch up/down Memorial.  Fortunately, we took the Crestwood –> Blossom route instead.   Even though the distances are the same, it's remarkable how different scenery makes a route feel shorter.
• There were seven of us - Chip and Michelle sped out first, Jessica and Matt's wife (?) followed, and I was in the back with Maureen.   Matt kept checking in on Maureen and I - I felt bad that he was holding back on our account, so I told him I knew the way to the Rose Garden and to go ahead if he wanted.  He did run ahead for a while, but came back to check on us when we reached the Shepherd/Memorial intersection. 
• Overall, the run was OK.  I seriously hate the heat.  
• On our way back, Matt hung back with me and Maureen.   Around the 4.5 mile mark, he started motivating us to increase our pace.  At one point, I fell back and Matt told me to catch up to tell Maureen about dragon boating.  He joked that he'd make me do that anytime I fell back.  ahhhhh!!
• Matt stayed with us all the way back to the starting point.  I really appreciated that, but also felt a little bad that he didn't get a hard workout for himself.   
• Afterwards, we did lunges up and down the parking lot.  Ow.