Rest day

I spent some time today watching live coverage of the Rocky Raccoon 100 start/finish line at Huntsville State Park.  I had family coming in this afternoon, so late this morning I went to the track and ran laps.  Up early tomorrow for a 10-miler.

Third day in a row at the park

For the third day in a row, I went out to the park and ran trails.  Ran 3.5 miles.  The weather forecast for Sunday's 10-miler is looking a little better at this point.

Nice weather continues

It was a nice warm day again.  I ran 2.5 miles on the trails this evening.  The forecast for the 10-miler in College Station on Sunday is still 80 percent chance of rain, with the temperature in the 50's.  Not bad if there is no lightning.

Looking ahead to Sunday

I will be running the Texas 10 Series 10-Miler in College Station on Sunday.  The forecast is for a temperature in the 50's and 80 percent chance of rain.  Last year, at this race it was cold, rainy and windy.
Today in Huntsville it was near 80 degrees and clear.  I ran 2 miles around the campus this evening.  First time in a while I worked up a sweat.

Lots of time at the park today

I met 5 ladies of the Love.Run.Marathon race committee this morning at the park to review turn around points and critical turns for the race on February 14.  We all hiked 6.49 miles.  Then, I went back to the park this evening to meet up with the group.  I ran 2.5 miles on the trails.  Nice warm day and it is suppose to get up to 76 tomorrow.

Nice sunny weather again

It was a nice sunny day.  I worked out at Iron Works this evening and then ran 2 miles around the campus.  In the last mile, I ran into 3 friends and had short visits.

Knee

Last night, it was difficult and painful to walk with a sore and swollen left knee.  However, a few hours of rest made a difference.  This afternoon, I went out to the park with the intention of running 1 mile on the trails.  The knee felt much better and I stretched it out to 2.5 miles.  Beautiful weather today and the park was crowded.

Lake Benbrook Half Marathon

I drove up to Benbrook (southwest of Fort Worth) last night to run the Lake Benbrook Half Marathon this morning.  When I went out to my truck this morning, the temperature was 30 degrees and my window were iced.  However, the weather was clear and it warmed up quickly during the race.  Just after the race started, my friend, Jon Walk, from Spring caught up with me and we ran the entire race together.  I did not know he was going to be there.  I finished in 2:57:22, according to the published race results.  My watch said about 2:56:00.  In any case, my time in this race last year was 3:03:53, so I improved my time.  Besides a finisher medal, I received another medal for placing second in my age group (there was only 2 of us).  I drove back to Huntsville this afternoon.  My left knee hurt during the race and is really sore this evening.  I will have to take it easy for a few days.

Wimped out

It was in the 30's this afternoon and raining.  So, I went to Iron Works and ran a mile+ on the treadmill.  First time in a long time I have been on that thing.  Half marathon tomorrow.

Wet

It rained all day.  This evening, the temperature was close to 40 degrees when I went out to the park.  No one else showed up, so I ran 2 miles on the park roads in the rain.  A park police officer pulled up next to me while I was running.  I thought he was going to give me a speeding ticket, but instead he just wanted to say hello and tell me that I was dedicated.  After running, I turned the heater on full blast in the truck and drove to Iron Works to work out, half dried out.

Armadillo Cup

I worked out at Iron Works this afternoon and then got in a 2.2-mile run on the roads in the Avenues.  This evening, I went down to The Woodlands for the 2014 Texas 10 Series Awards Dinner.  Our club tied with The Woodlands Running Club for 3rd place in the club competition and we picked up a $475 check.  I won 1st place in the 70 and Over age group competition.  That comes with an Armadillo Cup and a check for $250.  For completing all 7 races in 2014, I was given a nice backpack.  A first class race series all the way!

Airborne Beer

After running 3 miles at the park this evening, I shared an Airborne Beer with Hans Jaeger and John Cook.
In 1944, the 101st Airborne Division (the unit I served with in Vietnam) was in Bastogne, Belgium, surrounded by the Germans during the Battle of the Bulge.  Private Vince Speranza, who was in a foxhole on the perimeter, was sent into the city to find batteries for the radio.  While there, he went to visit his wounded friend who was in a church being used as a hospital.  His friend ask him to get him something to drink.  Speranza went down the street and found a bar, but it was bombed out.  Then, he found another bar, which had a working tap.  He filled up his helmet with beer and brought it back to the church.  Other wounded soldiers wanted beer too, so he had to make another trip.  The regimental surgeon at the hospital caught him and sent him back to his unit.  Sixty five years later, Vince Speranza revisited Bastogne.  He told someone what he did and they told him that he was famous in Europe.  After the war, the story about the beer in the helmet got out and a local Bastogne Brewery started making Airborne Beer.  They serve it in little ceramic helmets.
My friend, Hans Jaeger, served with the 82nd Airborne Division in Vietnam.  For Christmas, his sons bought him a 6-pack of Airborne Beer, which comes with the ceramic helmet.  They had it shipped from Batogne.  He brought one of the bottles to the park tonight and we shared it and he gave me the empty bottle.  Good stuff.  7.5% percent alcohol.  It costs about $70 a 6-pack, but shipping to the US costs a lot more.
Vince Speranza tells the story here.
https://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=AhKGiACKtZTjyzJFwRe5NKebvZx4?fr=yfp-t-300-s&toggle=1&fp=1&cop=mss&ei=UTF-8&p=youtube%20airborne%20beer%20bastogne

Looking ahead to Saturday

Next Saturday, I am running the Lake Benbrook Half Marathon, just south of Fort Worth.  I ran it last year and really enjoyed the course around the lake.  The weather forecast calls for no chance of rain and temps in the 40's and 50's.
This evening, I worked out at Iron Works and then ran 2 miles on the roads around the campus.

Houston Half Marathon

I got up real early this morning and drove down to Houston to run the half marathon.  My foot felt better this morning.  I taped it and wore heavier socks.  Surprisingly, it never bothered me during the run and even felt okay after the run.
This was my first time running the Houston Half Marathon.  I have run the full 15 times, but not in the last two years.  When arriving in Houston, I noticed more traffic and an obviously bigger race crowd.  However, I managed to park in the parking garage that I used for the last few years that I ran it.  It is next to the Four Seasons Hotel and I hung out in the hotel lobby until it was time to walk 4 blocks or so to the start line.  My friend, John Slate, happened to be there doing the same thing, so we had a nice visit.  I ran into so many people I knew, at the start line, running the race and others spectating.  I finished the race in 2:55:44, which placed me 31st of 47 in the 70-74 age group.  According to the results, there were 11,758 finishing the half marathon and 7,143 finishing the marathon.

Houston Expo

Later this morning, Marilynn and I drove down to the Houston Marathon Expo to pick up my packet for the half marathon this morning.  I made several stops at other places on the way down and on the way back  So, it was a multi-purpose trip.  We spent several hours at the expo, mostly shopping and visiting with friend.  The place was really packed.  We got home about 4 p.m. and I went to the track and ran laps about 5.  The cut on my foot is very sore and redder than yesterday.  I am sure that I can make the run tomorrow, but am equally sure that I will be shoe-less the rest of the day.

Ugh! Foot problem

All day, the ball of my left foot next to my little toe has been sore.  I figured it was the new shoes and a long trail run yesterday.  So, this afternoon, I ran 1.7 miles on the streets in the avenues.  Tonight, I started looking for something in the medicine cabinet to would reduce the soreness.  Then, after looking at my foot, the skin is split, probably from dryness.  My wife put something on it and then a band aid.  It will be an interesting weekend.  I am going down to Houston tomorrow to the Marathon Expo to pick up my packet for Sunday's half marathon.  Sometime tomorrow, I will get in a short run in.  Then, I will run the half marathon on Sunday.  I am not too concerned with running the half (soreness gets numb after a few miles); it will be the days afterwards that concern me.  Soreness can go away quickly, but cuts have to heal.

Half marathon training run

Since I have not run over a 5K since my half marathon on January 1st and another half marathon coming up this Sunday, I decided to stretch my distance today.  I went out to the park ahead of the group run and ran 6.9 miles on the trails.  Nice sunny and cool weather today.  The trails are really in good shape.

PTA 5K Course

After working out at Iron Works this evening, I went over to Physical Therapy Associates (PTA) to run the 5K course with the group.  I was the group.  Guess 40 degrees is too cold for some.  Actually, it was a comfortable run.

Park run and club meeting

I met up with the group at the park at 4:30 this evening.  It was speedy Jacob, Jason and Becca and me.  They ran 3 miles on the trails and I ran 2.  They still finished ahead of me.  In any case, we had a quick hot chocolate and then rushed home to get changed for the club meeting at 6 p.m.  We elected new officers for 2015 and I remain the treasurer.  Here is our club officer photo.

Shots today

I got Synvisc shots in my knees today for the fourth time since 2009.  This is the stuff from a rooster's cone and it lubricates the arthritis under my knee caps.  It works great and there has been no side effects.  I ran laps at the tracks late this morning and will do a short run tomorrow.  Based on experience, my knees should feel a lot better in a couple weeks.  Am looking forward to the experience of running the Houston Half Marathon on Sunday.  I have run the Houston Marathon 15 times, but never the half.  I do not look forward to the logistics (getting there early, finding a parking place and a restroom and getting to my starting corral on time).

Escape to the park

After watching the Cowboy-Packer game, I escaped to the state park to run off my frustration.  I ran 2.5 miles on the trails and saw no one else on the trails.  It was in the mid-40's with a light mist.

Run the Woodlands 5K

For the 67th time of June, 2009, I ran the Run the Woodlands 5K this morning.  I finished in 35:34.  The temperature was in the 30's, but no wind or rain.  Nice running weather.

Short Friday run

After it rained this morning and before it rained later, I ran 1.3 miles on the road.  It was in the mid-30's, but comfortable, with no wind.

Getting injections on Monday

I am looking forward to injections in my knees on Monday and some relief of the aching.  In the meantime, I have a 5K on Saturday and then half marathons every weekend for a while, starting with Houston on January 18th.  It was about 40 degrees when I ran this evening.  Cold, but not as windy as yesterday.  I ran 3 miles on the streets around the campus.

Suppose to get cold tonight

No one else showed up for the group run at PTA at 5:30 this evening.  It was in the 40's and the wind was strong.  Am not sure what the wind chill was, but it had to be cold.  I took off on the out and back 5K course, but was so cold that I turned around at the one-mile mark and went back.  So, I got in 2 miles.  It is suppose to get down to 23 tonight.

Park is closed

The group normally meets and runs at the state park on Tuesdays and Thursday.  However, for the last time this season, it is closed this week for controlled hunting.  So, I ran an unplanned route around the campus.  It turned out to be 2.7 miles.

Finally felt like Monday

It is easy during the holidays to get confused on what day it is.  It finally felt like Monday today.  Now, back to a routine.  I wrote my running column for the paper this morning, worked out at Iron Works this evening and then ran 2 miles on the roads in the avenues.  My next long race is the Houston Half Marathon on January 18.  I have run the full there 15 times, but never the half.

Sunday Night 5K

Julia Buck and I drove down to The Woodlands this evening to run the Sunday Night 5K.  Nice clear and cold weather.  I ran the course with Jon Walk and we had a nice visit.  I finished in 34:14, which is my best time on that course in 3 years.

Said goodbye to a runner friend

I drove to Lufkin today to attend the funeral of Lynne Perkins.  She was a fellow member of the Lufkin Area Pace Setters (LAPS).  She passed away at age 52 from cancer.  Nice lady and a good runner and biker. She will be missed by so many.
After returning to Huntsville, I ran 3 miles on the streets around the campus.

Run in the rain, again

It rained all day in Huntsville.  I worked out at Iron Works this evening and then ran 2 miles on the roads in a new pair of shoes.

Texas Half Marathon

I have run the Texas Marathon in Kingwood for the last 7 years.  This morning, I ran the half marathon race.  It was cold with a light rain part of the time.  The course is a double loop on concrete sidewalks through the green belt of Kingwood.  I finished in 2:56:29.  There was no age group competition, but the finisher medal weighed 1.1 pounds.  I got back to Huntsville, got a shower and then went to our club run at 2 this afternoon.  I thought about running, but my knees were aching.  So, I took photos for the club web site.  We had a nice crowd considering the cold and rain.