August 16, 2009 Get ready for a number of local races in the area The weather reports mention that we are at number three in terms of the number of days over 100 degrees. This really makes it hard to be consistent with a daily run if you miss an early morning or late evening start. I still see runners out in the mid-afternoon, and they seem to be doing okay. Usually the run is a little shorter, and often a bit slower, to accommodate the heat; but if you have been running on a regular basis, it just becomes something you adapt to. If you have been regular in your training, it will pay off in the next couple of months when San Marcos and some of the nearby cities will be hosting a number of races. This does not include the races that are in Austin or San Antonio, but right here locally and nearby. If you signed up for the Darnd’st Du being held out at the Tanger Outlet Center on Sunday, this will be a great event to enter, either as a duathlon athlete or as a relay team with one runner and one bicycle rider. Get up early in the morning and come out and watch this event, and cheer the athletes on as they enjoy the hospitality of San Marcos volunteers and raise some funds for CASA of Central Texas. If you miss the race, keep putting in your miles for the Country Roads 10K out at the Country Estates subdivision on September 12th. You will enjoy the great country atmosphere, and many of the runners show up and enter just for the prizes that are awarded after the race. If you feel you need to cool off after the race, there is a nice swimming pool to jump into to help you get back to feeling better. In October the temperatures will hopefully start cooling off; and that is a good thing, as the races really pile up in this month. On October 3, you have a chance to run in two 5K races on the same day. In the morning, you can enter the “From Here To Eternity” 5K, beginning at the Lamar Annex and running through the cemetery and back again. It is a tough uphill start, but a great downhill in the second half of the run on the return for a fast finish for your friends to see. Then if you want to try another 5K that evening, you can drive a short distance to Seguin and enter the Seguin 5K Moonlight Run that starts at 8:00 p.m. at Starcke Park. The race organizers set the date when there will be a full moon, so that should be a very scenic run along the river under the moonlight. The next week, on October 10, the annual Pet Fest 5K will be held down at City Park, where you can be paced through the distance by your pet dog. The run is not limited to dogs, but I know how hard it is to train a cat or any other pet to run a 5K. Maybe letting a parrot sit on your shoulder would be an idea. If you choose not to run the Pet Fest here in San Marcos, you can drive a short distance to Fentress for the Fall Fiesta 5K River Run. Both races are along the river, so it should be scenic running for both races. On October 17, the Red Ribbon 5K will be held out at River Ridge; and that is always a great race for the family and especially the children. It is very enjoyable to watch the very young kids running the 1K distance, and every runner getting a medal and ribbon around their neck. Also on October 17 is the Ronald Run 5K and the Pi’s and Pups Pet Fun Run at City Park. It seems that San Marcos is becoming a very popular city to host running events, and some of them are bumping into one another; but there are enough runners in the area to make all of them successful. Then, do not forget the Country Roads Half Marathon and Family Fitness 5K on October 25 out at the Tanger Outlet Center. All in all, runners in San Marcos will have plenty of choices for races in the next few months; so keep up the training in August to take advantage of the races in cooler weather in the next months to come. Dr. Maurice Johnson - better known around San Marcos as “Moe” - is a professor in the Department of Health, P.E., Recreation and Dance at Texas State University - San Marcos. Moe has been a fixture in the San Marcos running community - both as a runner and race organizer - since way back when Moby Dick was a minnow. His column on running and fitness appears each Sunday in the Sports section of the San Marcos Daily Record. • Recent “Running With Moe” Columns • Home • About the Club • Current News • Club Runs • Places To Run • TX Running Clubs • Running Links • Useful Stuff Upcoming Races • Race Results • Country Roads 10K & Kids Run • ARA-Moe’s Better Half Marathon • “Running With Moe” Contact Us!