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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Thanks, Queen Bey

Pop icon Beyoncé donates $100,000 to University of Houston Law School

Photo by Erza Shaw Getty Images

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Pop megastar Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has donated $100,000 to the University of Houston Law Center Criminal Justice Clinic through her BeyGOOD Foundation. The gift will allow the clinic to hire fill-time faculty to head it, benefiting the students who study there.

“I am delighted that the BeyGOOD Foundation has made this very generous gift to the UH Law Center,” said Leonard Baynes, dean of the UH Law Center. “Not only will this funding help establish a full-time criminal justice clinic that provides pro bono legal services in our community, but it will also supercharge our already excellent criminal law and justice programming.”

The clinic is one of nine at UHLC. It helps students learn to navigate the criminal justice system, especially on behalf of clients that are underserved by skilled attorneys. People of color are affected disproportionately by a lack of good, ethical representation.

Beyoncé, the most decorated artist in Grammy history and easily the biggest musical star native to Houston, has a long history of advocating for criminal justice reform. She was a staunch supporter of the police reform following the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, asking law enforcement to “stop killing us” in a web post. In 2020, she penned an open letter to the Kentucky attorney general asking for justice in the death of Breonna Taylor.

Through her BeyGOOD Foundation, established in 2013, Beyoncé has focused mostly on expanding the prospects of Black-owned business and offering education opportunities to students. Forwarding the cause of legal representation in Texas while also helping out marginalized communities compliments her other philanthropic work.

“At UH Law, we envision a legal profession where ‘everyone has the opportunity to prosper,’ as BeyGOOD envisions, and we will achieve this vision by providing access to strong and effective legal representation in criminal proceedings,” Baynes said. “And together, through this gift, the BeyGOOD Foundation and UHLC will shepherd the next generation of criminal justice attorneys in the city of Houston, the state of Texas and the nation.”