Happy Healthy Me

Running from zombies & a giant banana for the Health Museum

You never know what might be running behind you at the Health Museum race.
This was the Health Museum's first Run For Your Life, but likely not its last.
Not every road race features a giant banana.
Marci Gilbert and her husband Jeffrey at the starting line.
A race can bring out the power in you.

Some 450 runners, walkers and strollers participated on Saturday in the Run For Your Life Race, benefiting Houston’s Health Museum. It was my first 5K of the season, and my only race before the Dallas Run the Rock Half Marathon I’m participating in on Dec. 5.

Being a health and fitness writer, I appreciate that the Health Museum is a great place for children and families to learn about the human body in a fun way. This was the Museum’s first-ever race, and based on the success, it looks like it will continue to grow in years to come.

Coming just a week before Halloween, costumes were welcomed at the race, and I saw men dressed as princesses, lots of masks and fun outfits, some which could not be deciphered. I hope the woman wearing the banana costume covering her head and body had a successful run.

I treated the morning like a dress rehearsal for the half-marathon. I ate one piece of whole wheat toast with peanut butter and raspberries, coffee and water. The night before, I laid out my clothes, Garmin watch, shoes, race bib, water bottle, hat and runner’s tape so I would not forget anything. I arrived early to get my timing chip and stretch. My preparation was great and I wasn’t rushed nor did I forget anything. I only wish it wasn’t 80 degrees before 8 a.m. in late October!

Promptly at 8 a.m., the race started and we were off. This was my first race with my new Garmin, a watch with pacing and distance capabilities. I began much faster than my usual pace, which is expected in a race.

A 5K is also a shorter distance, so many people can maintain a faster pace for a short period of time. I noticed before the first mile marker that my watch said I had gone further than the marker indicated, so I then realized that I was either taking too many unnecessary steps to add distance, or the course wasn’t properly marked.

I finished the race in 33:40 minutes, but according to my watch, I ran 3.6 miles in that time. The Garmin said my average pace was 9:20 minutes/mile, much faster than I am used to. But the official race results for 3.1 miles say my average pace was 10:50 minutes. Either way, it was good practice, and I added miles to my weekly total.

No matter the distance, it is always a great feeling to cross the finish line knowing you ran your hardest. Running is a great time to be reflective — you can’t distract yourself with your phone or a TV — and it’s always important to remember that you might not always have strong enough legs to support running or the time to devote to it, so be thankful and enjoy it in the moment.

Now I need to fine tweak my pacing and work on evening it out to preserve some energy for the end of a longer race.

Marci Gilbert writes a daily blog on health and fitness at www.marcigilbert.com.

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income analysis

Texas families need to make this much money for one parent to stay home

Photo by CDC on Unsplash

With costs to raise a child soaring over $20,000 a year in Texas, some households might decide to have one parent work while the other stays at home to raise their child.

As the cost of raising a child balloons in major cities like Houston, many families are weighing the choice between paying for child care or having one parent stay home full-time.

A recent analysis from SmartAsset determined the minimum income one parent needs to earn to support their partner staying at home to raise one child in all 50 states. In Texas — not just Houston — that amount is just under $75,000.

The study used the MIT Living Wage Calculator to compare the annual living wages needed for a household with two working adults and one child, and a household with one working adult, a stay-at-home parent, and one child. The study also calculated how much it would cost to raise a child with two working parents based on factors such as "food, housing, childcare, healthcare, transportation, incremental income taxes and other necessities."

A Texas household with one working parent would need to earn $74,734 a year to support a stay-at-home partner and a child, the report found. If two parents worked in the household, necessitating some additional costs like childcare and transportation, it would require an additional $10,504 in annual income to raise their child.

SmartAsset said the cost to raise a child in Texas in a two-working-parent household adds up to $23,587. Raising a child in Houston, however, is somewhat more affordable. A separate SmartAsset study from June 2025 determined it costs $21,868 to raise a child in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands metro.

In the report's ranking of states with the highest minimum income needed to support a family with one working adult, a stay-at-home parent, and one child, Texas ranked 32nd on the list.

In other states like Massachusetts, where raising a child can cost more than $40,000 a year, the report acknowledges ways families are working to reduce any financial burdens.

"This often includes considerations around who’s going to work in the household, and whether young children will require paid daycare services while parents are occupied," the report said. "With tradeoffs abound, many parents might seek to understand the minimum income needed to keep the family afloat while allowing the other parent to stay home to raise a young child."

The top 10 states with the lowest minimum income threshold to support a three-person family on one income are:

West Virginia – $68,099
Arkansas – $68,141
Mississippi – $70,242
Kentucky – $70,408
North Dakota – $70,949
Oklahoma – $71,718
Ohio – $72,114
South Dakota – $72,218
Alabama – $72,238
Nebraska – $72,966

texas income smartasset family