Half #191 is in the books!Texas Triple Day 3, Dallas, TX,May 31, 2021Memorial Day morning was spent doing a race. In my opinion that’s the best way to start a holiday! This Memorial Day I was in Dallas for Day 3 of the Texas Triple. The race is put on by Run the Distance and Angela Tortorice. I had done the Texas Double in December but it was at a different location because of Covid regulations. It was nice to catch up with many of the same runners and volunteers. And thanks to David Grudzien, my race partner for the day, for making those laps go by faster. His wife Michelle, and my David with the cowbell, were there to cheer us on every time we came by.
The race was held at Bachman Lake in east Dallas, the usual location for the Run the Distance races. It’s very near Love Field, so close that you can smell the airplane fuel when you’re on the back side of the lake and the planes come in right over your head. There are half marathon and full marathon distances available.
I did the half marathon which consisted of a short out and back and four laps around the lake (about 3 miles each.) The first part of the lap is asphalt and goes past a shaded picnic area. Then you go up a little incline to cross the dam. That surface is also asphalt but ridged and cracked.
Down off the dam puts you on a concrete sidewalk then onto an asphalt path on the back side of the lake. This side has some shaded and landscaped areas and historical signs. I enjoyed looking at the wildflowers, water birds, and turtles. There’s a short concrete section on the bridge over Bachman creek, then back on asphalt to the start.
The race started at 6 AM with packet pickup available the day before and between 4:30 and 5:00 the morning of the race. There’s a large well-stocked aid station set up at the start-finish line that you pass every lap. There was also someone stationed on the back side of the lake with cold bottled water. There were a few porta-potties near the start line.
The Run the Distance races have no time limit. That’s a benefit for those of us who are, as Angela says, “velocity challenged.” Runners receive a series tee shirt, a finishers medal each day, and a challenge medal if you complete the series. The races are chip-timed and there are several volunteers who keep track of your laps.
Speaking of volunteers, these races have the best! There are some who help man the aid station, some who help keep track of laps, some who help with set-up and take-down, and some who circle the track on bicycles to be available for first aid and support. This race even had someone who brought his keyboard and provided pre-race music and did the National Anthem.
The next Run the Distance series is the Texas Quad in November. You just might see me there! HF #17643
Photos and Post Credit Jennifer Clark