Much better

 The inflammation in my foot was much better when I woke up this morning.  I cannot understand how it could improve so fast.  In any case, late this morning, I went out to the park and ran 4 miles on the trails.

Problem

I woke up this morning a little sore from the hard fall at the race yesterday.  However, I also had an inflamed right big toe joint.  I went to the park late this morning and ran a wimpy and painful 2 miles on the trails.  It has gotten worse this afternoon and evening.    Hopefully, it will be better tomorrow. 

Millican Summer Series Race 5

 I completed the 5th race of the 6-race Millican Summer Series Trail Runs this evening.  I expected the trails to be dry, but the race director said that they had a heavy rain in Millican this afternoon.  Much of the trail was very slippery.  I slipped and took a hard fall once.  Very hot and humid.  I finished the 5K+ course in 59:02.

Early afternoon run

 I made it out to the park early this afternoon, when it was good and hot, and ran 2.5 miles on the trails.

Tuesday with the group

 As usual for Tuesday, I met  up with the group at the park this evening and ran 2.5 miles on the trails.  Hot and humid, but that is expected for late July.

Spraying at the park

 I got to the park about noon today to run my 2.5-mile loop on the trails.  About a half mile into the run, I found a crew spraying the woods next to the trails.  Never saw that before.  I asked one of the guys what they were spraying for, but he did not speak English. Whatever it was for, the stuff smelled terrible.

Post 4,500

 This is my 4,500th post since I began blogging in 2008. I went out to the park this afternoon and ran 3 miles on the trails.  Saw more hikers on the trails than I have seen all summer.

Dog Days 5K

 I ran our club's Dog Days 5K at Elkins Lake here in Huntsville this morning.  The course is very hilly and a little long according to my GPS.  I finished in 49:31 (49:57 last year).

Friday trails

 I went back to the park late this morning and ran 2.5 miles on the trails.

Park roads

 I got out to the park this evening and decided not to dodge roots on the trails.  So, I ran 3 miles on the smooth park roads.

Later run

 I had a doctor's appointment late this morning for an ear infection and did not get out to the park until later this afternoon.  It was hot and I ran 2.5 miles on the trails.

Not a usual day

 I got up this morning and found a dead deer (young buck) in my front yard a few feet from the house.  I have no idea what killed him, but I had the task of getting rid of the body.  I met up with the group  at the park this evening and ran 2.5 miles on the trails.  About a quarter of a mile from the finish, I got  stung on the hand.  It took off before I could identify it, but I figure it was a wasp, bee or hornet.  I have been bitten by a few insects at the park over the years, but that was the first time in many years that I got stung.

Little longer

 I went out to the park late this morning and ran 3 miles on the trails, a little longer course than my regular 2.5.

Sunday at the park

 Late this morning, I went to the state park and ran 2.5 miles on the trails.

Lunar Landing 5K

 I got up very early this morning and drove down to Houston near NASA to run the Lunar Landing 5K.  Great race and I got to visit with a lot of Houston friends that I have not seen in a while, including Ben Harvie and June Harris.  I finished in 44:57 and was 2nd of 2 in the 80-84 age group.

Regular park course

 Late this morning, I went to the state park and ran my "regular" 2.5-mile trail course.

Millican Summer Series Race 4

 Went back to Millican this evening for the 4th of 6 races in the Summer Series 5K (+) trail runs.  The trails were mostly dry, but still with a few muddy spots.  I finished in 58:31.

Sluggish 3 miles

 It was hot and humid at noon today when I went out to the park and ran 3 sluggish miles on the roads.

Caught in the storm

 I met up with the group at the park this evening as a storm approached.  As I headed out on the trails, the storm blew in.  Very heavy rain and lightning.  I ran a little past the half mile point and then headed back.  I made it back to my truck safely,  The others did too.

Back from Austin

 I got up yesterday (Sunday) morning and ran 1-mile+ on Veterans Blvd. and then drove to Austin.  I attended a private Pat Green/Brad Paisley concert last night at Austin City Limits Live.  I drove back to Huntsville late this morning at got back at 2 p.m.  The last 100 miles was in the rain, some very heavy at times.  This evening, I went out to the park and ran 2 miles on the park roads.

Run the Woodlands 5K

 After being at a concert in The Woodlands last night and getting home at 11:40 p.m., I went back down this morning and ran the Run the Woodlands 5K.  I finished in 48:08.  It was my 102nd time for running this race, my 37th race this year, my 1190th race and my 689th 5K.

Short park road run

 I went to the park late this morning and ran 2 miles on the roads.

Wet trail run

 I met up with the group at the park this evening and ran 2.5 miles on the trails, the last half mile in a heavy rain.

Another 2.5

 I made it to the park late this morning and ran my usual 2.5 miles on the trails.

Tuesday group run

 As usual for Tuesday, I met up with the group at the park this evening and ran 2.5 miles on the trails.

RTW/SN5K history

 The Run the Woodlands 5K (2nd and 4th Saturday of each month) and the Sunday Night 5K (now on the first Sunday) are held on the same relatively flat course in The Woodlands.  I have run the RTW 101 times and the SN5K 117 times for a total of 218.  I started running these races when I was 63 and have run 3 since I turned 80.  With the help of my smart daughter, I charted my finish time in 216 and the chart is below.  Two races from 2014 were omitted due to the transition to a new course and the races were short of a 5K.  The chart is below.  I ran my last full marathon at age 72 and ran a lot of half marathons until age 78.  Obviously, I ran faster when I was younger.  In the early 80's when I started racing, most of my times were in the mid-20's.  My personal record is 23:45 (May 1987 when I was 45 years old.)  I have run a total of 688-5K races.  I'm not sure what the chart says, except that you run slower as you grow older.

In any case, I ran 2.5 miles on the trails at the park this morning.

Sunday Night 5K

 I ran the Sunday Night 5K in The Woodlands this evening and finished in 46:57.  I suppose because of so many races this 4th of July morning, there were only 3 of us who showed up.  So, I was 3rd overall.

Stu's Country Mile 5K

 For the 25th straight year (except last year was cancelled) I ran the Stu's Country Mile 5K in Centerville this morning.  I finished in about 47:30 and was 2nd place of 2 in the 70 and over age group.  I actually ran this race on July 4, 1988 when it was 5.3 miles with no course volunteers or water on the course.  When I ran it again in 1996, it was changed to a 5K.  Have not missed a year since.  So, I have run the race 26 times.  We always have a lot of our club members there and we all go to the Town Cafe for breakfast after the race and finish in time for the 4th of July parade.

Noon run

 I went to the state park at noon and ran 2 miles on the roads.

Millican Summer Series Race 3

 I drove over to Millican this evening to run race 3 of the Summer Series.  The 5K trail race (3.2 on my GPS all three races) did not get started until about 7:20.  It was very hot standing around waiting for the start and I was glad to get on the shaded trails.  The trails were almost completely dry.  I finished in 1:00:03 (gun time), compared to 59:08 last time.