Hi Y’all,
It’s Caroline here! WOW, what an AWESOME PARR showing at one of our most favorite events– the Chance for Hope 5k/10k. Andrea and Scott Davidson and all the Chance for Hope volunteers do such a fantastic job of hosting the event and bringing awareness to pediatric cancer. Thank you to all of you who participated and volunteered.
A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT to our very own PARR members, Crystal Mille who earned 1st place Female 10K and Daniel Imrecke who earned 1st place Male 10k! WAY TO REPRESENT! I know many PARR peeps celebrated great PRs as well. Your hard work is really paying off friends. Well done!
This week feels like we’re starting a new chapter in our training season. We are breaking up with the hills and will be on flat ground for a while with the occasional bridge incorporated in our route.
#PARRSaturdayRun – 9/14/2019, Wild Pear
After many weeks at Turner, we’re back to our un-official home-base of Wild Pear Running Store, 9330 Broadway, D-400, Pearland, TX 77584 as our starting point for this Saturday’s run. For those who may not know David Rosenthal and his wonderful staff, they have been tremendous supporters of our group throughout the years. Be sure to stop in for all your running needs! They will take great care of you.
FM – 5:30AM – MARATHON PACE RUN: 10 Miles (start with 2 miles easy with option of running 40 minutes at marathon pace). Route is a simple out and back along Magnolia with turnaround point near Magnolia Elementary. If you want to go further than 10 miles, then feel free continue along Magnolia.
HM – 6:00AM – HALF MARATHON PACE RUN: 7 Miles (start with 2 miles easy, with option of running 10 minutes at half marathon pace, finish with easy pace).
Walking Group – 6:00AM – 4 Miles and same route as others but not same distance.
Water will be at SE corner of Magnolia/FM 1128 so please note Walking group won’t have access to it.
NO CORE THIS WEEK! Feel free to hold your own plank-off with your pace group after the run. Don’t forget to post your pics! ?
#PARRPresents
Saturday, September 21st after the run, DC-Recovery (new local business in our area) will be set up to offer free massage and other services to us! Stick around and check them out, ask them questions about that nagging pain/injury you’re feeling and sample some of their services. Word on the street is they will have a massage table, so be sure to look pathetic at the end of your run that day.
Thursday, September 26th @ 7 PM at Wild Pear – “Why We Run.” We’re getting up close and personal with a few of our very own PARR members! We have some pretty AMAZING people with great stories in this group! Do you know who has run a marathon in every state? Or who regularly runs a marathon EVERY WEEKEND? Or who overcame a tremendous 100+ lb weight loss and now runs with us? Or who has overcome (and still battles) major health issues, but gets out and joins us for runs? Meet these people and hear their stories! And, come share YOURS!!! We’d love to hear it. If your story motivates just ONE PERSON to be a little more dedicated, disciplined or grateful to be able to run, it was well worth sharing!
Check the Facebook group for invites to these two events.
#PARRdiscounts
FastLaneFit 5K/10K/Kids K – Sat, November 2, 2019
iRun Productions is offering 15% off to PARR Members, register here and use the code: PARR19
4th Annual Pearland Turkey Trot – Thurs, November 28, 2019
The next PARR sponsored race is the 4th Annual Pearland Turkey Trot. It’s another popular event for our members and their families, and it is only two months away on Thanksgiving Morning. There is a Kids K/1- mile walk/ 4-Mile Run/6-Mile Run. The proceeds benefit the Forever Parks Foundation of Pearland.
iRun Production is again offering PARR Members a 15% discount, register here and use the code: PARR19
#PARRreminders
As we continue to increase our mileage and venture into unfamiliar roads, please take the time to read Aimee’s important notes on hydration and safety.
From Aimee Galley:
HYDRATION
Just want to remind everyone as we get up in miles, to make sure you have a plan for your hydration. IT IS HOT. And will continue to be these coming months. The water is provided to be a supplement to get you to the finish, not the sole source of hydration. While I wish we could have manned water stations every mile, a clean-up crew and volunteers beating down our door to help do whatever is needed …it’s not a reality. So we all need to work together to make sure we don’t get in a scary situation out there.
Please, please, please PARR Members:
- You must have some sort of hydration on you – a fuel belt, a backpack…heck carry a canteen. You can’t rely on the water provided as your only source. Use the water provided to refill these things. There will NOT be cups at the water stops any longer.
- Water will be on routes that are 10 MILES or longer – We should all be able to carry the amount of water we need for a 10 mile run, so if you’re scheduled run is less than 10 miles, there may not be water on the route. Or if you’re scheduled run is longer than 10 miles, the water may not be until mile 10 or 12.
- Get familiar with the different water fountains in Pearland, should you get in trouble – there are many…think Parks & Rec.
- Make sure you are carrying enough water for yourself to run 10 miles – there were many folks hitting the water stop on their way out on their run, so mile 3. And that meant those FM coming back from their long run at mile 10…nothing. Zero. Zilch. And still 3 miles to go. And that’s not good.
- Check your timing – The water is out for the scheduled run only, so if you’re running at a different time (later, earlier, longer, shorter)…just make sure your window, time, distance coincides with the plan if you need to supplement your water. Or make a plan to set out your own water. It’s totally normal to hide a jug of water behind bush along a route. The volunteers pick up on the route at the estimated time that the last folks go by. We realize folks run at different times, so if that’s you, make an alternative plan (hide some water/fuel on your route)
- Volunteer –Travis and our incredible water team could always use more volunteers. WE ARE EXCITED TO HAVE YOU HELP! Check the signup genius for more information- Click here.
ROUTE SAFETY & PARR’s Rep
This one is near and dear to my heart. Do you know what our right of way is whilst running? PRETTY MUCH NONE. We are running in our community and want to keep PARR in the good graces of the residents, law enforcement and other runners. There were so many close calls while crossing the streets and folks running 3-5 abreast in the street on Saturday.
- LIGHT IT UP – Please make sure you have some sort of light on you, preferably on your front side as we run against traffic. A taillight isn’t a bad idea either, just be mindful of the folks running right behind you.
- Do NOT ever assume a car can see you – never give a car a reason to see you. You have much more lead time to get the heck out of their way. You have no idea what’s going on behind that windshield…a crying child, a cell phone, a sleepy driver, a drunk driver (it’s 4AM, you never know!), a spilled coffee…just assume all of these things are going on and get out of their way before they even realize you’re there.
- NO WAVING ARMS – As much as you think that is going to get a driver’s attention…it’s too late if that’s your defense. Let’s just get out of the way. Jump up on the sidewalk until they go by. We have SEEN a car drive up onto the curb at 4:30AM, think your cute little hand is going to stop that? Not a chance.
- Crossings – Please use extra caution when making a crossing at an intersection or otherwise. As tired as we are and as important as we think this training run is, we need to be mindful that…A) People may not see us and B) We aren’t nearly as fast as we think we are, especially at the end of a run. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY C) Someone was actually hit year before last on a weeknight run, thank goodness they are ok…but it can happen. Before you know it.
- You give other people heart attacks – Even if you think you’re fine and YOU GOT THIS…it’s making other folks nervous as all heck. Please be cautious. We all signed up to run, not call 911.
- Other runners – I know it’s hard to believe that not every other running human is in PARR, but it’s true. There are still a few hold-outs that are not part of our group. Soooooo…we need to be aware especially when they are coming at us to GET OUT OF THEIR WAY and let the folks you’re running with know. So if you hear someone yelling “RUNNER UP”…we’re not talking Miss America pageant second most beautiful girl, we mean “GET TO THE RIGHT A RUNNER IS COMING AT US”
- BUT ALSO….when we’re all out there running in a group and we have the mindset that “there’s a ton of us…that car can get out of the way”…it is a bad reflection on PARR. We look like jerks. And I take that very personally. Because when someone wants to complain about that running group that runs in the street acting like they own the place, who do they find to give a piece of their mind to? This girl. So please, please, please…keep PARR in good graces with our little community and just step off the street when a car is coming. Every time.
Congratulations, you made it to the END! Thanks for sticking around and reading all the way thru this LONG email! ?
Happy running!
Caroline ?