No-Race Saturday

This was one of the few Saturdays that I did not have a race somewhere or I was traveling for a Sunday race. I slept in until 9 a.m. and worked on my 1974 VW bug convertible most of the day. Then, I got in a 2.7 mile run on the roads in town and then went to Mariah's (a running buddy) baby shower. There were a bunch of other guys there, so I was not totally out of place.

Easy Day

After climbing up and down those embankments at the trail run in Houston yesterday evening, my knees were really stiff today. So, I went over to the track this evening and ran laps.

Tour de Bayou, Stage 4

For the third consecutive Thursday evening, I went down to Houston with Hans and Jocelyn to run the Tour de Bayou. Stage 4 was, according to Hans' GPS, 2.72 miles. It was all on rough trails in Memorial Park. A lot of steep up and down embankments. I finished in 35:02.

A Little Cooler

After the storms went through last night (north of here), it was a little cooler this evening. I ran a 3-mile loop around town.

Rain, Finally

About an hour after blogging about the dry weather yesterday, we had about 5 minutes of heavy rain. It was the first rain in weeks. Maybe I need to blog more about the dry weather. This evening, I ran the regular 4.2-mile loop on the trails at the park with the group. Looks like there was more rain at the park last night and it was very humid this evening.

Dry Run

I don't remember it ever being this dry in Texas this early in the Spring. We badly need some rain. Central and north Texas is getting rain today, but nothing down south. My Marine son left this morning to drive back to his base in Yuma, AZ and will deploy to the Middle East the middle of next month. I am more apprehensive about his going than my own trips to Vietnam.
After working out at Nautilus this evening, I ran the hilly Avenues 5K course in town.

Easter Sunday

It is Easter Sunday and we had family at the house all day. And, I ate too much. I did take time this afternoon to run 2 miles on the nearly empty streets in town.

Spring Fling 5K

I had signed up for the CASA 5K in Lufkin today and looked forwarded to visiting with friends there. My Marine son is in town for pre-deployment leave and we planned trips to Dallas and Tyler today to visit family. Our travel plans were up in the air most of the day. So, instead of driving to Lufkin early this morning, I ran the Spring Fling 5K here in Huntsville. After the race, we drove to Tyler and got back tonight. The Dallas part of the trip did not work out. The Spring Fling 5K course was out and back on hilly Veterans Memorial Parkway. I finished in 34:59.

Yard Work and Run

I spent most of the day doing yard work. Finally, I got over to the track this evening and ran laps. We need rain bad; hardly any rain for 2 months. Maybe I need to cover my yard with gravel and cactus plants. Even the track is dusty.

Tour de Bayou, Stage 3

Hans, John, Jocelyn and I went down to Houston this evening to run the cross country Tour de Bayou, Stage 3. I never heard what the official distance was suppose to be, but Hans' GPS said 4.24 miles. One section was a single lane trail through some woods. A large corral snake (red touch yellow kill a fellow) crossed the trail in front of me. Anyway, I survived the heat, humidity and the snake and finished in 52:02.

Flash Light Dash 5K

I ran the Flash Light Dash 5K on the Sam Houston State University campus tonight. I finished in 30:18. Don't worry; I'm not getting faster. The course was a little short. One of the sororities on campus put on the race, and, except for course accuracy, they did a good job. Night runs are different and represent a break from the routine.

Signed Up for Some Marathons for Next Season

I have not decided how I will challenge myself during the next marathon season, but I have already signed up for four marathons: Tyler Rose Marathon, October 9, 2011; Texas Marathon, January 1, 2012; The Woodlands Marathon, March 3, 2012; and, Seabrook Marathon, March 18, 2012. There are 25 marathons in Texas, plus a bunch of ultras. So, I have plenty of choices. In the meantime, I went to the park this evening and ran 4.2 miles with the group on the trails.

Late Run

My Marine son came home this evening from Yuma, AZ for pre-deployment leave. I did not get a chance to go workout at Nautilus and run until after dark. So, I went to the track and ran laps.

Sunday at the Park

I met up with Hans, John and Chris at the park this morning to run trails. They ran 4 miles+ and I kept going and finished with 9 miles.

Hog's Hunt Trail Run

I was at my course monitor post in the park from 6 a.m. to noon today. I enjoyed seeing and briefly visiting with friends running the Hog's Hunt 50K, 25K and 10K Trail Run. All of us runners need to volunteer at races, you know. It was suppose to get down to 39 last night, but it was 51 when I got up at 4:45 a.m. It warmed up quick during the race, but it turned out to be a nice day for trailing running. I took a nap this afternoon and then and ran laps at the track.

Volunteering Tomorrow

Tomorrow is the Hog's Hunt 50K/25K/10K at Huntsville State Park. I am volunteering and will be a course monitor at a key intersection. I have to be at my post in the park at 6:15 a.m. That's early for a late night person. I went out to the park this afternoon to check in. While there, I ran a 2.3-mile loop on the trails. It is suppose to get down to 39 degrees tonight and up in the 80's tomorrow. I suppose I will be shedding clothes during the race.

Tour de Bayou, Stage 2

I met up with Hans and Jocelyn in Conroe this evening and we drove down to Houston to run Stage 2 of the Tour de Bayou. This is a 5-race series along the bayous near downtown Houston each Spring. The course is mostly cross-country. This time, Stage 2 was 3.9 miles. I finished in 46:01.

Unplanned Road Route

I drove to the track this evening and started running an unplanned route on the roads. It turned out to be 2.5 miles.

Running as a Relief from Tax Preparation Frustration

I spent much of the day continuing to work on my income taxes. That meant another trip to the library to get forms, talking to IRS on the phone and getting information from their web site. My financial life is relatively simple, yet the preparation of tax forms and worksheets is still complicated. It is frustrating. Hopefully, I can finish up tomorrow. I put it away this evening, worked out at Nautilus and then ran 4.2 miles with the group on the trails at the park. Then, I went to the baseball game between Sam Houston State and University of Houston (Sam won 9-0).

Short Road Run

Even with the marathon in the heat yesterday, I felt normal today. After working out at Nautilus this evening, I opted for a short road run. I started at the track and took a different route around the city. My course ended up being 1.7 miles.

Big D Texas Marathon

I ran the Big D Texas Marathon in Dallas today. One short word to describe it - HOT. The temperature was about 90 degrees and sunny. My knee was acting up again and I had to take it easy. Also, I was careful about taking on extra fluids at the aid stations. I ended up finishing in 6:03:15 (3rd in age group). With the completion of this marathon, I have achieved my goal of running 20 marathons or longer this season (October 10 - April 10). Whew!

Trails and Road

I ran 2.7 miles at the park this evening (1.5 on the trails and 1.2 on the roads). Earlier in the day, I killed a snake while mowing my yard, so I expect that we will be seeing them at the park soon.

Avenues

I ran the hilly Avenues 5K course this evening. Even though it was sore, my knee held up okay. Now, I have to mentally prepare for the marathon on Sunday. The latest weather forecast is a high of 84 and 40% chance of rain.

Knee Issue

I had a "knee issue" at Sunday's marathon in Athens, so I took it easy today. I had an interview with Lindsey, a reporter for the local Sam Houston State University TV station, this morning. She interviewed me at the track about the Seven Hills Running Club. She did a great job. Click HERE for her blog. Then, I went home and wrote and turned in my running column for tomorrow's newspaper. I met up with the group at the park this evening, but cut my run to 2.7 miles due to my knee problem. With another marathon next Sunday, I am concerned about the knee. I felt that it almost collasped on me several times in the Athens Marathon. It must have something to do with the 80% tear in my quadraceps where they connect to the knee. I will probably get my knee brace out of the closet and wear it on Sunday. Hopefully, it will provide some stability. With 19 marathons or longer since last October 10, I am only one away from completing my goal of 20 this season (October 10 - April 10). This Sunday is the Big D Marathon in Dallas. The forecast is for heat and rain. I guess that is why the Texas marathon season ends in April.

Athens Marathon

I got up very early Saturday morning and ran laps at the track in Huntsville before flying to Columbus, Ohio and driving to Athens for the 44th Athens Marathon on Sunday. Athens is home to Ohio University and extremely hilly. The entry fee was only $40 and that came with a long sleeve tech shirt. Another nice thing about the race was a 9 a.m. start. When I got up Sunday morning, I had to scrape the ice off my windshield. I parked at the Ohio University track where the race was to finish and walked nearly a mile up hill to the start line in downtown Athens. The first mile of the course was all downhill until we reached an 8-foot wide asphalt paved bike trail. From then on, the course was flat. We ran out on that trail to the turnaround point at 13.1 miles. The trail followed a canal most of the way. When we got back to the city, we took another bike trail to the track and we finished with 1 and a half loops around the track. While the race started with a temperature in the 30's, it warmed up to the 50's during the race. Perfect running weather. I finished in 5:36:51, which was my best time this season. There were five in my 65-69 age group and I took 2nd. There were 201 finishers in the marathon and five were from Texas. Of the five in my age group, 3 were from Texas. I spent Sunday night in Athens and then drove back to Columbus this morning. My wife was born there and I spent most of today locating and visiting her ancestor's graves in two cemeteries and taking photographs. Because of the bad weather today, my flight back to Houston was late and I did not get back to Huntsville until about 11 p.m. tonight. So, I went to the track and ran laps tonight before midnight.

Squeezed in a Run

I ran errands all day, but wore my running shorts under my pants. When passing the track, I stopped and ran laps to get in my run. The weather for the marathon in Athens, Ohio on Sunday is starting to look rainy.