Texas Marathon

I ran the Texas Marathon in Kingwood this morning. I finished in 6:07:53, about 30 seconds faster than last year. The course is four 6.55-mile loops, all on a concrete sidewalk. There were over 317 runners doing the marathon and another 301 running the half marathon. The course is mostly out and back, so you get to see all the other runners. A lot of friends were running and others spectating, so it is a fun day. My friend, Debbie Tripp, was not in the race, but ran with me for a while on my third loop. Enjoyed visiting with her. The finisher medal was Texas-size. The medal for the last two years was 6 1/4 inch in diameter and weighed 2.2 pounds. It was the largest medal even given out at a marathon in the U.S. This year's medal was even larger and weighs 3.3 pounds. You have to be careful not to drop it on your foot. There were two runners running the marathon this morning, who just broke the world record for the most marathons run in a year. They ran 106 marathons in 2010, beating the old record of 105. I feel like a wimp and it was an honor to meet them.