Yard work Monday

After spending most of the day mowing the lawn and doing other yardwork, I went to Nautilus this evening and ran an unplanned route on the roads in town.  It turned out to be 3.0 miles.  I have two more 5K races this coming weekend and a lot of other races this summer.  No more marathons until next October.

Race to Educate 5K

I drove back over to College Station this afternoon for the Race to Educate 5K, put on by the Society of Professional Hispanic Engineer students at Texas A&M.  They rented our club's race clock and inflatable arch, so I took those over and set them up.  The course was a flat loop around the A&M campus.  The race did not get started until 2:20 p.m. and it was rather hot by that time.  I finished in 35:20 and was first place in the 30 and over age group.  I was the only one.  I thought the group photo was interesting.  Notice that the tree completely fills the space inside the arch and none of it extends outside the arch.  Looks like a doctored photo.

Teal Ribbon 5K

I drove over to College Station this morning to run the Teal Ribbon 5K.  It rained before the race, but at race time it was just hot and humid.  The course started and finished at Scott-White Hospital and ran through a residential area.  Relatively flat.  As I recall, I ran that same course many years ago.  I finished in 34:58.  There was no age group competition. 

Lucky day

I received a $100 Academy Sports gift card in the mail today from a business in Belton, Texas.  I won it a drawing at the Army Marathon Expo last Saturday.  Lucky day, I guess.
Since I am running a 5K tomorrow, I went to the track this afternoon and ran laps.

Adjusted

I was checking the final race results for last Sunday's Army Marathon and see that they have adjusted the results.  The guy in my age group that I met before the race, who I assumed dropped from the race, was added in and was ahead of me.  So, he got first and I got second.  Good for him.
It was relatively cool today for this time of the year.  No complaints from runners, I am sure.  I ran 2.5 miles on the trails at the park this evening and even managed to trip on a root and fall. 

"Tapering up"

After running the marathon on Sunday, I ran 1 mile on Monday and 2 miles on Tuesday.  Today, I ran a 2.9-mile route in the Avenues.  Nice cool weather, but probably the last until next Fall.

Back to normal

I felt back to normal today.  I finished the porch ceiling and made it up and down the step stool a hundred times.  After working out at Nautilus this evening, I went out to the park and ran 2 miles on the park roads.  Then, I made it to the last few innings of the Sam Houston State - UT Arlington baseball game.

Resting up

Surprizingly, I did not sleep well last night.  I need to continue painting my porch ceiling, but I did not feel like stepping up and down the step stool after running the marathon yesterday.  So, I did not get a lot done today.  This evening, I worked out at Nautilus and then ran laps at the track.

Army Marathon

I left Huntsville in a hurray yesterday to get over to Killeen for the Army Marathon this morning.  Just outside of Killeen, I realized that I had not packed my running shorts.  There was a vendor at the Expo, but they did not have my size.  So, I went to Academy in Killeen and bought a pair there.  My wife and I attended Mass at St. Joseph's Church in Killeen.  We attended that church when we were assigned to Fort Hood from 1982 to 1984.  As we were going into the church, we ran into Bill and Bridgett Moeller from Spring, Texas.  I have known them from races for many years.  They had a good friend down from Dallas to run the marathon and he was at the church.  After Mass, we all went to Olive Garden for dinner.  As we talked, Bill mentioned that he was assigned to the 2nd Armored Division at the same time I was there from 82 to 84.  We were the Army's night fighting division at the time and we had a 10K run at 3 a.m. on May 1, 1983.  It was my first race.  Bill and Bridgett ran the same race.  We all had a great time visiting at the dinner.  It was after 9 p.m. before I went to the hotel to check in.
The race started at 6:30 a.m. at the Killeen Convention Center and went east to a finish line in Temple.  Overall, the drop in elevation was 200+ feet, but there were so many hills that you would not notice a drop in elevation.  It was cool and overcast for the first half at my time at the 13.1 miles was 2:53.  Then, the temperature started warming and we had a wind in our face.  The course was on the streets in Killeen and then open highway to Temple.  No shade trees.  I really started to tire at about 18 miles and I walked occasionally, which I normally do not do in a marathon.  I was surprized that my finish time was 5:53:35, my best marathon time this year.  The race results show that there were exactly 600 finishers and I was the only one in the 70 and over age group.  I met a guy at the start line who was 78, but he must have dropped.  So, another age group win.  This was my 96th race of a marathon or longer and my 14th since the season started in Texas in October.  Five more next season and that is it.

Spring Fling 5K

I ran the Spring Fling 5K in the Elkins Lake Sub-division in Huntsville this morning.  Needless to say, the course was hilly.  I finished in 35:34.  Off to Killeen.

Busy Friday

Busy day, with yard work, painting and a baseball game tonight.  With 2 races this weekend, I went to the track this afternoon and ran laps.

Gearing up for the weekend

This weekend, I am running a 5K here in Huntsville and then heading for Killeen, Texas to run the Army Marathon on Sunday.  We had a lot of rain in Huntsville today and it was rather cool.  The latest forecast for Killeen on Sunday indicates a high of 79.  Not too bad.  The record high for April 21 is 97.  The course is point to point, Killeen to Temple.  I was in the Army and assigned to Fort Hood in Killeen when I ran my first race on May 1, 1983 (a few days short of 30 years ago).  I know there will be some hills, but overall, the elevation drops from start to finish.
This evening, I worked out at Nautilus and then ran 2 miles on the roads in the park.

Run for Boston

I helped organize one of several Run for Boston runs in Huntsville today.  Our group ran a untimed, non-competitive 5K at 7 p.m. to honor the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing.

SHSU vs. Texas A&M

I met up with the group at the park this evening, but only ran 2 miles on the roads.  Then, I went to the SHSU - Texas A&M baseball game here in Huntsville (already in progress).  It went into extra innings, but Sam Houston won.

Down day

With the bombing at the Boston Marathon today, it was a down day.  I just did not seem to get anything done today.  After working out at Nautilus this evening, I ran the hilly Avenues 5K course.

Late run

We got up this morning and drove 2 and 1/2 hours to Tyler to visit family all day.  We got home late tonight and I went to the track at 11 p.m. and ran laps.

Dumb me

I woke up at 3 this morning (alarm was set for 4),  Got dressed and went out to Huntsville State Park to volunteer at the Hog's Hunt 50K, 25K and 10K.  Starting at 4:45, I directed traffic coming into the race area.  Then, at 5:50, I drove my pickup over a mile on a jeep trail into the back of the park.  I set up and operated a water station and served as a course monitor until about 12:30 p.m.  On the way out of the park, I stopped often to removed flagging on the course.  Then, I really did something dumb.  I locked my keys in the truck, with the motor running.  Of course, my cell phone was in the truck.  I was still a mile from the gate at the Interstate service road.  Eventually, one of the volunteers from an aid station on the back side of the park pulled up behind me.  I called my wife on his cell phone and asked her to bring my other set of keys to the park.  Then, I cleared branches and stuff away so the other volunteer could get around my truck.  He drove me out to the gate and the service road, gave me a cold beer and then left.  Later, my wife showed up with the key.  She drove me to my truck and we both finally got out of there.  I was exhausted when I got home and took a nap.  Then, I went to the track and ran laps.

Track

We have friends in this weekend from Houston to run the Hog's Hunt 50K tomorrow at Huntsville State Park.  I managed to get to the track and run laps this morning.  Tomorrow, I am getting up at 4 a.m. and going to the park to work as a voluteer course monitor at the race.  Look forward to seeing many friends.

Roads at the park

I ran 3 miles on the roads at the park this evening.  About half way through the run, I met a friend, who was camping, and we visited for a while.  Just as I was finishing, I ran into my good friend, Paul Stone, who is directing the Hog's Hunt 50K, 25K & 10K at the park this Saturday.  He was marking the course.  I will be volunteering as a course monitor at Amy's Crossing, which I seem to do every year.

Rainy run

When I got up this morning, it was summer weather and I put on shorts.  Then, this afternoon, it started raining and the temperature got down in the 40's.  I tried to time my evening run between bands of rain, but I messed up.  After working out at Nautilus, I ran 2 miles on the roads in town in the rain and cold.  Actually, I felt like running longer, but I had to get back to meet someone at the house.

Crowd at the park

We had a good crowd at the park run this evening.  I was not mentally into it, so I ran 2.5 miles on the trails.

Easy day

After running 19.3 race miles this weekend, I took it easy today.  After working out at Nautilus this evening, I went to the track and ran laps.

Two-race day

The inagural Texas 10 Series race was held in Huntsville this morning.  First class 10 and 5-mile race.  I ran the hilly 10-mile course in 2:05:24 and received a nice finishers medal.  Since I was the only runner in the 70 & over age group, I won first place.  With that, I received a second medal and a free entry into next year's race.  It was nice to be able to get up and go to a race in Huntsville, without having to be there early to put out signs, register runners or set up a race clock or the finish line chute.  The next Texas 10 Series is in Waco on November 3 and I plan to be there.
This evening, I went down to The Woodlands to run the Sunday Night 5K.  I really felt tired, but finished in a "normal" 36:49.  My wife realized that this race is close to Trader Joes and she gave me a shopping list for there and at one other store in The Woodlands.  So, I did not get home until later tonight.

Superhero Dash 10K

I drove 65 miles east this morning to the Alabama-Coushatta Indian Reservation for the Superhero Dash 10K.  I have run a couple races at the reservation, but it has been many years ago.  For April, it was really cool, but perfect running weather.  The course was all through the forest, mostly on a single lane paved asphalt road.  It was a little hilly, but one of the best courses I have run.  Most ran the 5K, but the 10K was a single loop without any out and backs.  I finished in 1:12 something, a minute or so faster than last Saturday.  It was good enough for 2nd in the 60 and over age group.  They had hamburgers after the race.  I had a chance to visit with friends and meet some others, including the doctor from Austin who was first in my age group.  Later this afternoon back in Huntsville, I picked up my packet for the Texas 10-Miler tomorrow morning.

Yard work

I spent much of the day mowing the grass and doing other yard work.  I did go to the track this afternoon and run laps.  Then, went to the Sam Houston - McNeese State baseball game tonight.

Testing the toe

I met up with the group at the park this evening.  I was concerned about the sharp pains I had yesterday in my big toe joint.  The joint was a little sore today, but I ran 3 miles on the trails and did not have the sharp pains of yesterday.  Hopefully, I will okay for the 3 races this weekend.

New pain

I went out to the park alone this afternoon to run the roads.  Just over a mile in the run, I had a sharp pain in my right big toe joint.  I walked a few steps and then started running again.  It came back 3 or 4 times before I completed a 3-mile run.  Right now, the toe or the joint is not sore and I have no idea what caused the sharp pain.  We will see how it goes tomorrow.  With a 10K, 10-Mile and 5K race this weekend, I do not need a problem.

In between storms

It was storming and raining hard when I left Nautilus this evening to go to the park to run.  As I expected, only Jacob, Phillip and myself showed up.  By the time we got into the park and started our runs, the lightning and rain eased up.  They did 3 miles or so on the trails and I ran 2 miles on the park roads.  When I got home, it started storming again and still is.

Getting hot again

After a week or so of cool and even cold weather, it is starting to warm up again.  The weeds in my lawn need mowing again.  After working out at Nautilus and talking to my running friends there about weekend races, I ran a 2-mile loop in the avenues.  My marathon training schedule this weekend, includes three races, a hilly 10K on Saturday, a 10-miler Sunday morning and a 5K Sunday evening.  Then, the Army Marathon on April 21.