MP3 Player Loaded

I mentioned a couple weeks ago that I bought an MP3 player. I have never run with music, but with so many marathons coming up this season, I thought that it would be worth a try, especially for those closed to traffic. For sure I will try it when running the Marathon 2 Marathon on October 16. The 26.2 mile race starts just outside of Alpine, Texas and runs along Hwy. 90 to Marathon, Texas. From what I can see on Google Earth, there is not a single building along the route and no cross streets. My playlist reflects my age, my East Texas upbringing and the years that I lived in Germany. Here is what I loaded: Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Freddy Fender, Texas Tornados, Patsy Cline, 50's rock 'n' roll, Hank Williams, Ray Price, Marty Robbins, classical and lots of polka.
I ran trails at the park this evening with the group, but not with the MP3 player. We had a new runner, so we only did 3 miles. Mary parked at the parking lot just outside of the park and rode in with me. Unfortunately, her car was broken into while we were in the park. That's a bummer.

Shots in my Knees

In July 2009, I received a series of 3 shots of Synvisc in both knees. This is the stuff from a rooster's cone. I have arthritis under the knee caps and Synvisc lubricates it and eases the pain. It works for up to 18 months and there is no down side of its use. Since it has been nearly 18 months since the shots and I have been having knee pain again, I went to the doctor today for more shots. They have a new version out now and only one shot is required, rather than three. Knowing that I would be getting the shots late this afternoon, I ran 3 miles on the roads in town earlier today.

Signed up for Dallas and Austin Marathons

I just signed up for the White Rock Marathon in Dallas (December 5) and the Austin Marathon (February 20). That's 12 marathons that I have registered for this season. Sure hope I do not get sick or injured. If all goes well, I plan to sign up for about 8 more before the end of March.
I went to a funeral in northwest Houston this afternoon and got back to Huntsville in time for an appointment with the podiatrist about getting new custom orthotics. Then, I went to Nautilus for a workout and then to the park for a 4.2-mile run with the group. One of our regulars, Lara McCain, was in an auto accident in Dallas over the weekend and has a broken leg. I wish her a speedy recovery and hope she can join us again soon.

Cooler Weather, Finally

It got down to 54 degrees last night and was only in the 70's today. If only it was here to stay. I mowed my lawn, changed the oil in my truck and did some other things outdoors. This evening, I worked out at Nautilus and ran 3 miles on the roads in town. Running seemed easy, for a change.

Course Measurement

I measured a 5K course this morning for a race next Saturday. I did it by walking with an engineer wheel. Walking is hard; running would have been easier. Got that done and then ran 2 miles on the road in a new pair of shoes My old pair lasted 2 and a half months.

20 Miles

Even though it was split into two runs, I ran 20 miles today. I ran the Fall Fun Run 10K (6.2. miles) here in Huntsville at 8 this morning. The course was out and back and hilly. I finished in 1:11:21, a little over a minute faster than the same race last year. It was an interesting race. ROTC at Sam Houston State University sponsored a 5-mile military ruck march, which started at the same place at the same time. They had several hundred marchers, who turned around at the 2 and a half mile point. So, when I got to their turn around point, I was running through their marchers for the last 2 and a half miles. I ran past a lot of marching friends, including the local Texas Ranger, the Sheriff and several of our running club members. Also, there was a bike race using the same road, even though they started and finished at a different location. Needless to say, Veterans Memorial Blvd. in Huntsville was busy this morning. I went home, took a shower and posted the race results on our running club web site, and then went to the park to run trails. I did 13.8 miles on the trails, giving me a total of 20 miles for the day. Tonight, I went to the Sam Houston State football game here in Huntsville. Long day.

Early Run

I thought I was going to have to go to Houston this afternoon, so I ran laps at the track this morning. I have a 10K race tomorrow morning and plan to do a long run after that. Two weeks before the marathon, you know.

Thursday Trails

Nice weather for trail running this evening. I did 4.2 miles with the group. Misty Stone joined us for her first run on the trails. She seemed to enjoy the experience and hopefully she will become a regular.

800th Post

This will be my 800th post in about two and a half years. I know that none of them are very interesting, but I found that posting my running activity each day helps me stay completely involved in the sport and is a source of motivation. Thanks to Jon Walk for getting me started. While I have a Facebook page, I do not do much with it. However, it does help me connect with friends.
I ran the Avenues 5K course (very hilly) at 10 a.m. this morning before heading for an errand in downtown Houston (70 miles south). Then, in rush hour traffic at 4:30 p.m., I drove up to Cypress to visit a friend at the hospital there. I got back to Huntsville about 9 p.m. and was thankful (after driving in all the heavy traffic) for making it back safely and for having already gotten in my run for the day.

Trails with the Group

I met up with the group at the park this evening and ran 4.2 miles on the trails. It was me, Jacob, Jan, Lara, Melissa, Mary, Will and Jason.

Orthotics

I think my custom orthotics are no longer working. If I recall correctly, it has been 4 years since they were made and they are suppose to last only 3 years. I have developed a large callouse on my left heel, resulting in pain. I trimmed the callous and made an appointment with a Podiatrist. Since the process will take a while, I bought a pair of over-the-counter orthotics today to use until the new ones are made. I ran 3 miles on the roads with the new ones this evening. They were uncomfortable at first, but after a mile or so they felt great.

Back from Wylie

On Friday, I ran laps at the track in Huntsville and then drove to Wylie (northeast of Dallas) to spend the weekend. On Saturday morning, I ran the St. Anthony's Church Fall Festival 5K in Wylie. I finished in 33:53 (2nd in age group). Yep, there was only 2 of us in the age group. I drove back to Huntsville this afternoon and then ran 5 miles on the roads in town.

Houston Marathon Kickoff Party

I went down to the Houston Marathon Kickoff Party in Houston this evening. Had a nice visit with several friends, including Suzy and Michelle Seeley and Tom and Mary Anne McBrayer. After the party, I ran the 3-mile trail around Memorial Park. Just before finishing the course, I stopped to visit the memorial bench to Houston Police Officer Gary L. Price. Back in October 1997, I was directing the Huntsville Half Marathon. Gary, 45, was running the race and had a massive heart attack and died about 3 tenths of a mile before reaching the finish line.

New Roads

I ran the roads in town today, starting about 3 p.m. My route was unplanned and I ended up running some roads that I have never run. Luckily, I was not attacked by any pit bulls. The temperature was high, but relatively low humidity made the run tolerable. My course ended up being 7.5 miles.

Back to the Park

We had a nice crowd at the park this evening. Some came early and did the outer loop and myself and others met at the regular time at ran 4.2 miles. Both groups finished about the same time.

Signed up for the Surfside Beach Marathon

Today, I signed up for the Surfside Beach Marathon on February 26, 2011 in Surfside Beach, Texas. This will be my 6th straight Surfside. So far, I have signed up for 10 marathons or longer this season. Sure hope I do not come up with an injury. I ran a new route on the roads in town this evening. It ended up being 4.6 miles. My computer problem over the weekend was a dead battery. I kept getting these security alerts. I printed one out and took it to the computer shop. They immediately told me that I had a dead clock battery on the motherboard. I did not know that computers had a battery on the motherboard. It affects the clock and the security software. Anyway, I opened up the computer today and found and removed the battery. I bought a new one for $3 something at Wal-Mart and now the computer works fine. I learn something new everyday.

Catching Up

My computer crashed yesterday and I was not able to blog last night. I messed around with it today and finally got into my blog. I ran the Bearkat Bash 5K down in Spring, Texas yesterday morning for the 9th straight year. I finished in 33:20. Marilynn had to go to a baby shower in Spring at 10:30. I hung around in the car while she was at the shower. We got back to Huntsville at noon and then at 1 p.m., we drove 135 miles up to Tyler for a family get-together. Got back to Huntsville about 10:30 last night. I met up with the group this morning at the park to run trails. It was very hot and humid and I only ran 7 miles. Hope it gets cooler soon.

Stuck at 3

I seem to be stuck at 3 miles this week. I ran another 3 miles on the roads in town this evening. Race tomorrow morning.

Trails

John, Hans and Lara got to the park early this evening and ran 6+ miles on the trails. I got there at the regular time and ran 3 miles miles with Melissa, Donna and Liz. We all finished up about the same time.

Getting Anxious

I am getting anxious to start the marathon season. I run Tyler on 10/10 and then a marathon for the next 5 weekends. My plan is to run 18 to 20 by the end of March. The first marathon of the season in Texas is on 10/2 in Midland-Odessa in west Texas. However, I cannot run that one, as I promised to operate a finish line for a 5K here in Huntsville that day. I know that I have some weekly long training runs to do this month, but I am still anxious to get going with the marathons. In the meantime, I ran my regular 3-mile loop in the roads in town this evening. With university classes in full swing and heavy traffic, completing the route without getting run over is an achievement.

Rainy Three Miles

We had heavy rains from Tropical Storm Hermine in Huntsville today. I went to the park this evening and ran three miles on the trails in the rain with Lara and Melissa. I am sure many of the trails at the park were covered in water and mud, but the course we ran had neither.

Back on the Streets

After a few days of running elsewhere, I ran a 3-mile loop on the streets of Huntsville this evening. It followed a good rain, so it was rather cool.

Sunday Night 5K

I went down to The Woodlands this evening for the monthly Sunday Night 5K put on by The Woodlands Running Club. Trail running buddies, Hans and John, were also there. I finished the flat course in 33:56.

Long Run

I went out to the park alone this afternoon and ran 17 miles on the trails. Since it was a holiday weekend, there were a lot of hikers and bikers on the trails. That means that the spider webs across the trails were already cleared. The temperature was in the high 80's, but the relatively low humidity make it tolerable.

Tried out the new MP3

I ran laps at the track this evening, just before a heavy rain. I used my new MP3 for the first time. I did not time my run, but I'm sure that Willie Nelson did not make me run any faster.

Only the Hard Core Runners

It was raining this evening and only the hard core members of the group showed up at the park to run trails. It was me, Hans, John and Jacob. We ran the usual 4.2-mile loop. The lower temperature was offset by 100 percent humidity.

Run with Katy

Katy Lampson and I ran trails at the park this morning. We did 4.1 miles in 90 percent humidity. It has been a year or so since I ran with Katy. Good to see her back on the trails.