Regular Tuesday

Workout at Iron Works and 2.5 miles on the trails at Huntsville State Park.

New course

After Iron Works this evening, I went to the track and started running an unplanned course through the avenues and the campus.  It turned out to be 3.3 miles.

Rainy trail run

It was just me, Jacob and Jason running trails this evening.  There was a light rain during my 2.5-mile loop on the trails.  It had obviously rained much harder at the park earlier today.  No complaints about the rain, except we got less than 1/2 inch at my house.

One hundred

I am not sure what the official temperature was when I started my run this evening, but my truck thermometer said that it was 100.  I ran my 2-mile loop around the campus.  We are past due for more rain and it is early summer.

Easy Sunday

I ran an easy 2-mile loop around the campus this evening.  RSD 2,443.  In 40 days, I will tie my longest running streak of 2,483 days.

Polish Pickle 5K

I ran the Polish Pickle 5K in Bremond this morning.  It was my 21st consecutive year for running this race.  Bremond is 98 miles northwest of Huntsville.  I finished in 37:09, less than a minute faster than last year.  I was 3rd of 6 in the 75-79 age group.  Last year, there was only one runner in that age group.  We had a lot of our club members there, as usual, and I got a chance to visit with a lot of other friends.

Friday laps

With a race tomorrow morning, I went over to the track and ran laps.

Old timers back at the park

Becca was here from Tennessee, Jocelyn from The Woodlands and Sara from Lovelady were all back at the park this evening.  We had a nice run and visit.  I ran 2.5 miles on the trails.  Regular hot summertime weather and plenty of sand on parts of the trail.

New course

After Iron Works this evening, I ran a completely unplanned course through town and the campus.  I think I even ran a street that I had never run before.  Anyway, the course ended up being 3.1 miles.

No rain today

We had a good chance of rain today, but none at my house.  Looks likes we are entering a summer drought after so much rain early in the summer.  It was still hot and humid at the park tonight.  I ran 2.5 miles on the trails.

Monday routine

I worked out at Iron Works this evening and then ran 2 miles on the roads around the campus.  It seems to be my summer routine on Monday.  Looking forward to running my 21st straight Polish Pickle 5K in Bremond on Saturday.

Father's Day

We went to Mass on Saturday evening, so this morning I went out to support and take photos of our club members running the Gator Bait 15K and 5K Trail Run at Huntsville State Park.  I should have signed up to run.  Had a great time visiting with friends.  I spent the rest of the day with two of my sons.  This evening, I ran 2.8 miles on the streets around the campus this evening.  After eating too much today, I felt very sluggish.  I suppose the heat and humidity had something to do with that.  After so much rain, we have had none for at least a week.

June Bug 5K

I ran our club's annual June Bug 5K this morning in the Spring Lake Sub-division.  The course is very hilly and the heat and humidity was high.  I finished in 39:19.  While that is a minute or so slower than recent 5K's, I ran the same race on the same course last year in 39:47.  In any case, this was my 34th race this year and 886th since I started racing.  Today was my 2,435th consecutive day of running.

Snake at the track

As I do on many Fridays, I ran laps at the track early this afternoon.  There was a large dead snake on the turf a foot from the track.  At least I think it was dead.  They seem to be everywhere this summer.  My next door neighbors found a large rattlesnake in their backyard last week.

No title

I cannot come up with a title.  It would probably be the same as Tuesday.  Hot and humid 2.5-miles on the trails at the park.  It will be that way for most of the summer.

Mid-90's

It was in the mid-90's this evening when I went for a run.  Did my regular 2-mile course around the campus.

Hot and steamy trails

I ran 2.5 miles on the trails at the park this evening.  Hot and steamy, but no biting horse fly attacks.

Avenues 5K course

After Iron Works, I went to the track and ran the Avenues 5K course from there.  Low 90's and very humid.  In the last mile, a nice guy stopped and offered me a water.  I declined, but thanked him.  As he drove on, I noticed a Marine sticker on the back of his pickup.

Easy Sunday

During the afternoon heat, I ran 2.3 miles on the roads around the campus.

Greyhound 5K

For the 5th straight year, I ran the Greyhound 5K in Kosse this morning.  Kosse is 88 miles northwest of Huntsville.  It gave me a chance to visit with a lot of friends, including Mary Kaplan, founder of the 254 Texas club.  It is a club of runners striving to complete a race in all 254 Texas counties.  She only has 20 more to go.  I completed the race in 36:51 and was second in the 70 and over age group, behind my old friend, Dennis Alston.  After the race, I had breakfast at the Kosse Cafe and then headed back to Huntsville.  Race 885 completed.

Laps

In anticipation of running a 5K in the morning in the big city of Kosse, I went to the track this afternoon and ran laps.  It was my first time on the track for a while, but the track has had standing water during all the heavy rains.

Avenues

We had a running club meeting at 6 this evening, so I ran in the avenues in the mid-afternoon heat.  I ran a completely unplanned route, which turned out to be 2.2 miles.

Favorite places to run

I was one of nine "prominent runners" asked by Texas Runner and Triathlete magazine to talk about our favorite local and out-of-town place to run.  The article is in the June 2016 issue.  I guess prominent doesn't mean fast.  In any case, I was honored to be asked.  If you have ever read this blog more than once or twice, it is obvious that Huntsville State Park is my favorite place to run.  Of course, I did not mention the biting horse fly season at the park.  Outside of Huntsville, I have a love/hate relationship with the extremely hilly Cameron Park in Waco.
    Maybe I am getting into a summer rut, but I ran my 2-mile loop around the campus this evening.

Finally transitioned to my new computer

I have had my new computer a week or so.  Even though I used it for a day after receiving it, I reinstalled my old computer with Windows XP, which did not seem so slow after all.  Windows 10 is a nightmare, even though I will eventually adjust to it.  I spent much of the day trying to install programs, some successfully and some not.  I will have to buy at least two replacement programs to install on the new computer.  All this is not easy when you are 75.
    I did go out to the park this evening after working out at Iron Works.  We figured out that the trails were too muddy, so we ran on the park roads.  I did 2-miles.  No biting horse flies.

Close call

After working out at Iron Works this evening, I ran my 2-mile loop around the campus.  I almost got hit by a car pulling out of a driveway.  Obviously, they were not looking in both directions.  At least it was not raining, although we got nearly a half inch at my house this evening.  Sure wish I could save some for August.

Sunday Night 5K

Since it is the first Sunday of the month, I went down to The Woodlands this evening and ran the Sunday Night 5K.  I finished in 35:57.  There were puddles of water on the course, but no rain.  This was my 884th race and 2,422nd consecutive day of running.  I look forward to going beyond 2,483, which was my longest streak.

Heights 5K

I drove down to Houston this morning to run the Heights 5K for the 6th straight year.  Guess I need to add it as one of my streak races.  The course is out and back on both sides of Heights Blvd.  Flat all the way.  It was raining when I arrived at the race and rained continually until I left.  No lightning and the temperature was in the 70's.  I felt very comfortable throughout the race.  I finished in 37:32, 2 seconds faster than last year.  I was 2nd of 4 in the 75 and over age group.  The other 3 were all in their 80's.

Veterans Memorial Parkway

It's Friday and I have a 5K tomorrow morning in Houston, probably in the rain.  We had more rain in Huntsville today.  I mowed my long and wet grass this afternoon and ran 1+miles on Veterans Memorial Parkway.

It keeps on raining - and, bats

I know in a couple of months, we will be praying for rain.  But for now, there is too much.  I figured that there would be too much water on the trails at the park, so I ran the Avenues 5K course this evening.  It had quit raining, but it was very humid.  My wife and I went to the Farmhouse for dinner this evening.  It is down near the prison and the "bat warehouse."  It is an old warehouse that the prison system once used for cotton storage.  It is now home to many thousands of bats.  I suppose that it is now a local tourist attraction.  Since it was starting to get dark when we finished dinner, we decided for our first time to see the bats leave the warehouse at sunset.  They started swarming out at 8:23 and were still swarming out when we left 30 minutes later.  I am not sure what the latest count is, but it must be well over 100,000.  It is amazing how many are in that building.

Rained most of the day

It rained most of the day.  I squeezed in a workout at Iron Works and a 2-mile road run between the rain and somewhere I had to go this evening.  I am planning on running a 5K in Houston this Saturday, but right now, the forecast is for thunderstorms.  And, with all the flooding, especially in the Houston area, there may be a problem getting to the race.