Upcoming Races in February

There are several great races being held in El Paso in February.

It's about time I started to lace up my shoes again and hit the pavement. The plan is to wake up at 5 each morning to get my running in before I head off to school.

I mentioned to the kids in class today that finishing a marathon was on my bucket list so now I have that extra motivation to prove to myself and them that I can do it.

I am aiming to cross marathon off my list in March by running, or crawling, in the El Paso Marathon.

Running does wonders for clearing my head and provides a healthy outlet for all the stress I carry around with me. Hopefully posting to this blog will keep me motivated and focused.

To register for these events or to get more info visit the following websites:


Race Adventures

Run El Paso

Up and Running


February 2011 Races in El Paso:


Nun Run 5k at Loretto - Feb. 5th at 8:00 am


Utep Commitment to Fitness - Feb 6th at 8:00 am UTEP Campus Kidd Field 5 mile run and 3 mile walk



Cupids Chase 5K — Feb. 12th at 8:00 am Ascarate park, 6900 Delta info: 771-7764 (Race benefits Community Options)



11th annual Jackrabbit Classic- Feb 13th at 8:30 am Franklin Mountains State Park- Tom Mays Unit


Race for the Cure 5k — Feb 20th at Cohen Stadium info: 566-9745

Upcoming EL Paso Races

Just got info on new races from the Up and Running store in El Paso. I hope to make every one of them and am happy to see that the variety of road races is growing in El Paso. Up and Running does a great job of organizing and promoting these races. To sign up for any of these races just visit Race Adventures Unlimited.



Upcoming Races:

Saturday, August 14,2010
8am race time 1st annual Aiyana Hanson Leukemia Memorial 5K run 1 mile walk @ Cohen Stadium.


Saturday, August 21, 2010
8am race time Horizon High School X Country Dash for Donuts
Location: Up and Running East
10600 Montwood 5k run and 1 mile walk.

Saturday, August 28th, 2010
8am race time
1st annual Raise Awareness for Candlelighters of El Paso 8k and 5k and 1 mile walk.
Location: McKelligon Canyon


Saturday, September 4th 2010
8am race time
UTEP ROTC to D.C 5k run and 1 mile walk
Ascarate Park
6900 Delta Drive

Marathon and Half Marathon Goals

I spent some time this morning thinking about races I wanted to do in the next year. I think I can focus myself enough to take on my first Marathon in September. I have never trained for a marathon because I lacked the discipline to follow through on a strict running schedule. I need to look at websites and download a training schedule for beginners. Will take any suggestions at this point.

Running is not the problem, getting out the door is. After a long day teaching and coaching there is nothing I want to do more than hit the pillow and catch some much needed sleep. I have to find the energy to get out the door before the lazy bug starts to set in. I know that diabetes runs in my family and that I could very well get the disease in the near future so I have to be proactive in getting a good amount of exercise and eating healthy. I want to be around for a long time for Jazzy, Stevo, and Jess so I got to start taking this "health" thing a little more seriously. Plus I want to do my part in helping to wipe out the statistic that El Paso is one of the most obese cities in the U.S (according to Men's Health Magazine).

My goal will be to run in the Duke City Marathon in Albuquerque, New Mexico on September 17th . I think this will be a challenging and fun marathon to conquer. There is tons of stuff to do in Albuquerque and I think it will make for a great all-around weekend for me and the rest of the family. Some of the other marathons and half marathons I am putting on my list are:









Rio Grande Half Marathon- Albuquerque, New Mexico, August 15th

Turtle Marathon- Roswell, New Mexico - September 6, 2010

Duke City Marathon- Albuquerque, New Mexico- September 17, 2010

Chips and Salsa half marathon- Albuquerque, New Mexico- September 19th

Harbor Half Marathon- Corpus Christi, Texas- October 17, 2010

San Antonio Marathon- San Antonio, Texas- November 14, 2010

Dallas Marathon- Dallas, Texas, - December 5, 2010

CC Half Marathon- Corpus Christi, Texas- December 18, 2010

Houston Marathon- Houston, Texas- January 30, 2010

Life is Good.

Races for May

Run El Paso Website (click pic to get link)

I hate to admit it but I have been lazy as heck when it comes to lacing up the running shoes and heading out the door to get my training runs in. I haven't had a race since the El Paso Half Marathon in March. I wish I had a great excuse like a pulled muscle or a broken leg but sadly I have just been to lazy to get going again. Some high school friends ran the Beach To Bay Relay Marathon in Corpus Christi this past weekend and that got the old competitive juices flowing again. I used to love running Beach To Bay when I was living in Corpus and I guess seeing pictures online of all those people getting after it motivated me to start running again. I had planned to run the Braden Aboud 5k this past weekend but didn't want to set a new record for slowest time in a 5k. Have set my sights instead on running the Family in Crisis 5k this weekend and then finishing the Run Tony Run 5k at the end of the month.

My biggest problem is finding time to get my runs in so I will really have to work at dragging myself out of bed in the morning and logging at least 6 miles before I get ready for work. Hopefully I will be able to find a half marathon in the next few months or if I get the courage I will try to complete my first marathon . Running a half or full marathon seem a little far fetched right now but I know once I get started I will be able to knock one of these out in a few months.

The runners blog website has great stories of runners of all skill levels trying to achieve the same goals. I found two great blogs on this site that get me motivated to run even when I am too lazy to hit the pavement. Trail Zombie and 5ks and Cabernets are two blogs that are worth a visit. I will add a running log to my blog to keep me motivated (idea I got from another blog). Race Adventures also is a good site for finding races in El Paso.Just have to put one foot in front of the other and get started. No excuses.

Cool Boston Marathon video

Running in the Boston Marathon is definitely on my bucket list. Heck, just being able to run a qualifying time would be good enough for me. Guess I have to put down the remote and get off the couch if I'm going to get it done.