Lunar Loping

Last night I ran my first race in Texas, which is kind of funny because I've traveled at least 400 miles for all the other running races I've been in this year. Texas Tech Recreational Center had its 15th annual Lunar Lope last night on campus. They do the race every year on a full moon (hence the lunar part).


Tuesday night we had softball-sized hail near Muleshoe and slightly smaller hail around Sudan. Lubbock barely dodged the bullet, but they were forecasting more of the same for last night. Fortunately, a few little pop-up storms went south of us, and I was able to lope with lunar light.


I ran this race by myself. I don't have any running buddies out here. Sad, huh? Anyway, I got there, got my free t-shirt (I'm starting to stock up on race shirts) and then waited around for the 10 o'clock hour for the start of the race. They lined us up on the street near the Rec Center and there was a group of 18 and 19-year-old looking guys in front of me with no shirts, little shorts and approximately 3 percent body fat. I figured out quickly that this would probably be the last time I saw them until I crossed the finish line. At that point, they would probably already be cooled off and on their 4th cup of water.


I was right.

As soon as the gun fired, they sprinted off and disappeared into the darkness of the poorly lit campus. Our lunar light was competing with few left over clouds. I hadn't ran religiously like I had been when I was running the relays, so I wasn't expecting a stellar performance out of myself.


My main goal for the night: don't get passed by the two sorority girls and beat the kid running in front of me that was holding a water bottle in a measly 3.1-mile race. I accomplished both goals handedly, so it was a success.

It was a lovely lunar lope, and I plan to lope again in the next full lunar Lubbock moonlight.