Wrapping up May

 I ran 4 miles on the trails at the park this afternoon.  That gives me 109.2 miles for the month of May;  555.9 miles for 2023.

Regular Tuesday

 After a busy holiday weekend, it was back to a regular Tuesday.  I met up with the group at the park this evening and ran 3.7 miles on the trails and roads.

Long day

 I hosted our club's annual Memorial Day 5K & 1-Mile at my house this morning.  So, I was up very early marking the course and getting everything set up.  We ended up with about 70 runners and I took photos during the race.  After all the post-race work, including putting all the equipment back in the storage bin, I finally got to the park mid-afternoon for a run.  Got in 4 miles on the trails.

Busy day

 I had a lot of family visiting today, but I managed to get in 4.1 miles on the trails at the park late this morning.  Then, I worked on preparation for the annual Memorial Day race at my house tomorrow morning.

Spindle Tree 5K Parkrun

 I ran the Spindle Tree 5K Parkrun in Magnolia this morning and finished in 49:41, not one of my better times, but better than last week.

Friday morning at the park

 I had a busy day with yard work, but I got in 3.2 miles on the trails at the park late this Friday morning.

Minimum

 I felt sluggish this evening, so I only ran 3.1 miles this evening on the trails and roads at the park.

Rare deer

 Years ago, we use to encounter deer on the trails all the time.  However, in the last few years, we rarely seen them.  Early this afternoon, I met a doe on the trail during my 3.4-mile run on the trails.  I have not seen an armadillo on the trail in years.  I remember one year, I saw one or more virtually every day.

Storm

 We had a heavy rain storm this afternoon, but all was okay for the run at the park this evening.  Got in 4 miles, mostly on the trails.

Trails are drying out

 After a week or so without rain, the trails at the state parking are drying out.  No mud and sandy in places.  Went there at noon today and ran 3.3 miles on the trails.

Sunday at the park

 After church and lunch today, I went to the park and ran 4.7 miles on the trails.

Mindy Moses Memorial 5K

 I ran the Mindy Moses Memorial 5K in Bellville this morning.  I finished in a slow 53.13 and was 2nd of 2 in the 70 and over age group.  I was 75th of 108 participants, so there were a lot of walkers behind me.  The overall female and male winners both came back on the course and ran in with me for the last 3/4 mile.

Easy Friday

 Since I have a race tomorrow (normal Saturday), I took it easy today.  Got in 3.2 miles on the trails at the park.

Thursday with the group

 As usual for Thursdays, I met up with the group at the park this evening.  Got in 3.6 miles, all on the trails.

Warm and humid

 It was warm (80's) and humid when I went to the park this afternoon to run.  Got in 4.6 miles on the trails.  Even though it has not rained for the last 3 days, the trails are muddy in some places.

Tuesday with the group

 I met up with the group at the park this evening and ran 3.4 miles on the trails and roads.

Over 500 miles

 With today's 4-mile run on the trails at the park, I went over 500 miles for 2023.

Dreaded treadmill

 I have not been on a  treadmill for years and the most I was ever able to run on one was 1 mile.  It was storming all morning and was suppose to continue through the afternoon.  We had a family gathering for later this afternoon.  My only option was to go to Iron Works and run on a treadmill.  I had to get the attendant to show me how to operate the thing.  So, I ran 3.2 miles  Seemed like an eternity.

Spindle Tree 5K Parkrun

 I ran the Spindle Tree 5K Parkrn in Magnolia this morning.  There was a lot of rain in the area this morning and a little during the race.  As I drove home up I-45, the rain was especially heavy.  According to my watch, I finished in just over 50 minutes.  When the results were posted online, my time was shown as 42:55.  I emailed them about it and they are suppose to fix it.  In any case, this was my 25th race of 2023.  By this time last year, I also had completed 25 races.

Friday on the trails

 It was hot and humid early this afternoon.  I got in 3.2 miles on the trails at the park.

Start of year 3

 I ran 3.4 miles on the trails and roads at the park this evening.  That's day 1 of streak year number 3.  I'm 3,936 on the world streak list of 4,322.  It's a slow move up on the list.  So far as I can tell, I am the 3rd oldest streaker in the world.  So, maybe if I can hang in there long enough, I can move up on that list.

2-Year Streak

 I ran 3.4 miles on the roads and trails at the state park this afternoon, about half of it in a light rain.  Today completes 2 years on my current running streak.

New shoes

 I put on new shoes today and ran 3.2 miles on the trails and roads at the park this evening.  I got 83 days of running on my old pair of shoes.  I do not remember exactly what I paid for them, but it comes out to  be over $1 per day.  Running is expensive, but if it results in better health, it is worth it.

Snake #2

 I went to the park early this afternoon and ran 4 miles, about half on the trails and half on the roads.  I encountered my 2nd snake of the season.  Another 18-inch copperhead, stretched across the trail.

Sunday Night 5K

 I ran the Sunday Night 5K in The Woodlands tonight - for the 137th time.  I finished in 48:13 and got to visit with some good friends.  The first Sunday Night 5K I ran was on June 14, 2009 and I finished in 34:41.

Spindle Tree 5K Parkrun

 I ran the Spindle Tree 5K Parkrun in Magnolia this morning and finished in 47:03 - and no falls.

Track

 Just to do something different, I went to the track this afternoon and ran 13 laps (3.2 miles).

Unplanned course

 I met up with the group this evening.  As I do on most days at the park, I start running and make up my  course as I go along.  I started on the trails and finished on the roads.  Got in 3.1 miles.

Getting warm

 After some days with the temperature in the 50  and 60's, it was up into the high 80's today.  That means that the biting horse or deer flies will be out at the park any day now.  I got in 4.1 miles on the trails this afternoon.

Half and half

 I ran 3.2 miles at the state park this evening, half on the trails and half on the roads.

40 Years of racing

 I ran my first race on May 1, 1983 - 40 years ago today.  I was a lieutenant colonel, assigned to the 2nd Armored Division at Fort Hood, Texas.  We were the Army's night fighting division, so we trained a lot at night.  The Commanding General decided to put on the Night Fighter's 10K at 3 o'clock in the morning on May 1, 1983.  I had never run that far, but I figured that if I could not make it, I could fall off into  the darkness and no one would see me.  There were 2,500 runners showed up and everyone carried a chemical light.  It looked like a big glowing green worm on the roads in the training area.  I finished in about 1:03:00 and was sore for a week.  That was the start of my racing career,  As of now, I have completed, 1,318 races, with no DNF's (Did Not Finish).  This afternoon, I went to the park and ran 3..4 miles, mostly on the trails.