Historical Tour

I decided to give my sore knees a rest today. So, I went over to the track and ran a mile in the middle of the afternoon.
I also finished writing a web page called, " Historical Tour of the Huntsville Half Marathon Course" and added it to the club web site. Runners of the Huntsville Half pass some historical places and I thought it would be nice if they had more information. Click here for the page. This weekend, I plan to take photos of the places mentioned and add those to the page.

Not So Hot

I know that a temperature in the 80's would seem really hot during other times of the year, but after all the high 90's and 100's of this summer, the 80's felt good this evening. The group met at the park this evening. Most ran trails, but Roger and Patsy Collins walked the roads and I ran 5 miles on the roads.

Late Run

Ben Harvie from Houston (fastest guy over 60 in Texas) was in Huntsville on business today. We got together for lunch and then visited the Texas Prison Museum.
Later this evening, we had a terrific storm on the west side of Huntsville (rain, hail, wind and lightning) for about 30 minutes. Our power went out during the storm and stayed out or an hour or so. With the power out, I fell asleep on the couch and did not wake up until about 7 p.m. I went to Nautilus and then ran from the track. I ran a 3.2 mile loop around town and it was totally dark when I got back to the track.

Tuesday Park Run

As usual, I ran the roads at the park, while the rest of the group ran trails.

2.9

After Nautilus this evening, I did a 2.9 loop around town. After running, I stopped at a conveinience store and some guy said that he has seen me running around town and asked if I was over 50.

Sunday Night Habit

I went down to The Woodlands tonight for the Sunday Night 5K. My friend, Ed Thompson, was recovering from minor surgery and was not able to run. My time was 33:45. It was my 6th Sunday 5K and my 14th 5K race since May. The Sunday Night 5K will continue for the next 3 weeks.

Run the Woodlands 5K

Our Seven Hills Running Club had inter-club competition with The Woodlands Running Club at the Run the Woodlands 5K this morning. Only 7 club members showed up. We had another 4 non-club members who ran for the club, so we had a total of 11. Scoring was based on a combination of speed and participation; we lost. I ran 34:03.

Rare Morning Run

Since I had to attend a funeral this afternoon and I am going down to The Woodlands tomorrow morning for the SHRC-TWRC inter-club competition at the Run the Woodlands 5K, I ran at 11 this morning. I took a little different course around town and it ended up being 3.4 miles.

Andrew and Karen Moving to Lubbock

Andrew and Karen are moving to Lubbock. The group met up at the park at 5:30 this evening. After a mile plus, the run was interupped by a surprize party for them at the small parking lot along side Park Road 40. We had cake, ice cream and champagne. Thanks to Kathy Cook for setting up the party and thanks to Hans for the champagne. After the party, some carried on with their run, but most of us found rides back to the parking lot at the Nature Center. We wish Andrew and Karen the best. They have been welcome and regular members of the trail running group for the last year or so.

Around Town

I ran my 2.9 mile course around town about 7:45 this evening. It seemed much cooler than the park road run yesterday. Or, maybe it was the running in a new pair of shoes and with newly refurbished custom orthotics.

Park Roads

It was very hot and humid at the park this evening. Mary Sweeten, Austin Collins and I ran roads, while the others ran trails. I did 3 miles.

Mary is Back

Mary Sweeten is back from her vacation in Hampton, Virginia (I lived there for two years). She and I ran the Avenues 5K course at 7 this evening when it was still 97 degrees.

Another Sunday Night 5K

I am getting accustomed to the Sunday Night 5K in The Woodlands. The course is the same as the Run the Woodlands course, which I have run more than 30 times over the last few years. It is flat and accurate and it gives me a chance to see where I am in my training. The shots in my knees have helped and I have been able to improve my time. I ran again with my friend, Ed Thompson, and we ran 33:11 tonight, 7 seconds faster than last week. If I can knock off some weight, I think I can get under 30 for the first time in years. My 5K PR is 23:45 (1987). Brian Zemlicka and his son, Chris, 14, also ran. Bill Dwyer, Jon Walk and Adrienne Langelier managed the race and did a good job.

Dog Shortcuts

I went down to Houston this morning and spent all day helping my son, Kenny, with heavy work around his house, including lots of digging. I was really beat at the end of the day - and sunburned. I went to the track a little after 9 tonight to get in a run. While I was stretching at the gate, a girl running on the track passed the gate with her little dog running behind her. The dog stopped at the gate and watched her run around the track. When she got to the other side of the track, the dog ran across the field and joined her again. When they both got to the gate again, the dog stopped and did the same thing. I don't think this dog is into the sport.

Stressed Out

I was stressed out about something today and did not feel like running. So, I went to the track this evening and ran one mile.

Stormy Run

The group met at the park this evening. About the time we started running, it started raining and lightning. I cut my run to 3 miles on the park roads and it got a little worse as I finished. The others ran trails and everyone made it back safely.

Lazy Day

I got up at 9:30 this morning and didn't t do a lot all day. I guess that is retired life. After Nautilus this evening, I ran a 3.7 mile loop around town. It was hot, but what else is new?

Four at the Park

I did 4 miles on the park roads this evening with Stephanie and Mariah. The rest of the group ran trails.

Texas Marathon Triple and Marathons of Texas

The Texas Marathon Triple is apparently gone after just two years. The TMT consisted of the Texas Marathon in Kingwood on January1, the Surfside Beach Marathon in February and the Seabrook Marathon in March. Complete all three and you get a TMT jacket (donated by Puma), a cap and the first year, a T-shirt. Steve and Paula Boone direct the Texas Marathon. They told me that Puma will no longer provide the jackets and Surfside and Seabrook are dropping out. I guess that means that the TMT is gone. The other challenge is the Marathons of Texas, which consisted of the White Rock Marathon in December, Houston in January and the Austin Marathon in March. Do all three and get a jacket. They have not announced a 2009/2010 Marathons of Texas challenge and I have emailed them twice and have not received a reponse.
I had planned on doing both challenges this year, which would require doing the Surfside Beach Marathon on February 13 and Austin Marathon the next day. Now, I'm not sure what I am going to do. I have already signed up for White Rock, Texas Marathon in Kingwood and the Houston Marathon.
In the meantime, I ran my 2.9 mile loop around town this evening.

Sunday Night 5K

I went down to The Woodlands for the Sunday Night 5K at 7 p.m. My friend, Ed Thompson, and I ran together and we did 33:18. Not a great time, but my fastest on that course in about 12 races since March 2008. Had a nice visit with Jon Walk and Bill Dwyer, who were putting on the race. Waverly Walk was there helping, also.

Dog Days 5K

I got up early this morning to put out the signs for the club's Dog Days 5K Run & 1-Mile Run/Walk. Darren's daughter, Tamany, 13, was there to direct the race, since Darren is out of town. We had 25 runners and walkers show up, so I did not run and helped her. She did a great job getting everybody signed up, compiling the race results and presenting the ribbons to the winners. After the race, I met up with Brian Zemlicka and his son, Chris, Leslee Cade and her daughter, Becca, at the Cafe Texan on the square for breakfast. We had a nice visit. It was good to see a lot of new faces at the race and everyone seemed to have a good time. I had a pretty bad sinus headache all day, so I took it easy this afternoon. According to weather.com, a good rain was headed our way this evening. I rushed outside and put fertlizer on the front lawn, the kind that you have to water afterwards to keep the grass from burning. As you would expect, the rain never came. So, I have to go water my lawn tomorrow morning. Then, my neighbor's daughter drove up to my house and said her mother needed help with a snake on her front porch. I went down the street and killed the snake. Then, I drove into town to get in a run. When I got to the track, there was a light rain and lightning. I ran one mile and left. I needed a rest day, anyway.

Morning Run

Except for races, I do not normally run in the morning. However, Ben and I are going to the Astros game tonight, so I ran at 10 a.m. this morning. Meagan and I did the Avenues 5K course. While the temperature was probably around 80, the humidity was very high. In any case, it sure beats those 100 degree+ days.

Three at the Park

We had a good group at the park this evening. Meagan Lee joined us for the first time. She signed up for the Huntsville Half (her first) and will be running with us and increasing her distance. She ran 3 miles on the park roads with me and then we walked another mile. Norman Langwell was there for the first time in a long time. He and Tiffany Potter were doing 8 miles.

Easy 2.9

After Nautilus this evening, I did my 2.9 mile loop around town. My hamstring bothered me some, but I was careful with it. I made sure I stretched before and after my run. I stuffed several hundred envelopes today with Hillcrest Huntsville Half Marathon & 5K Run/Walk entry forms. Tomorrow, it's address labels and stamps and a trip to the post office. This is the mail out to last year's runners. So now, I have hang nails in addition to the hamstring problem.

Rehab Run

I met up with the group at the park this evening. I ran an easy two miles, while they ran trails. The hamstring seems to hurt more while running up or down hills. Maybe I'll have to go to The Woodlands for all my training runs.

Hamstring Acting Up

That darn hamstring that I pulled last summer is acting up again lately. It had been fine and I am not aware of a particular instance where I re-pulled it. I'll have to take it easy for a few days, not that I have been doing otherwise. After Nautilus this evening, I ran my regular 2.9 mile loop around town. The last half block is downhill and that it when it really hurt.

Rain, Wind and Hail

We had a heavy rain, with wind and hail late this afternoon. Surely, those big cracks in the yard were filled up with water. We had some people over for dinner this evening and I ate too much. Just before dark, I ran two miles on a full stomach.

Tour de Huntsville

The rain in Huntsville this afternoon really cooled things off. It was about 75 degrees when I went out to run at 6:30 this evening. I ran the Tour de Huntsville 5-mile course.

Will the Rain Revive the Dead Grass?

It was nice getting a good rain this morning, but I have so much dead grass, I'm not sure how much it will help. I also received my water bill today and it was three times the normal amount. Yes, it has been a hot and dry summer.
I did a two mile run this evening. Next month, I will start getting serious with my distance. Today, I signed up for the White Rock Marathon in December and the Houston Marathon in January. Right now, my marathon plans for this year:

October 31 - Helen Klein Classic 50K, Sacramento, CA
November - marathon, somewhere
December 13 - White Rock Marathon
January 1 - Texas Marathon, Kingwood
January 17 - Houston Marathon
February 13 - Surfside Beach Marathon
February 14 - Austin Marathon
March - Seabrook Marathon

Thursday Park Run

I spent most of the day in Kingwood and Houston. We had a good group at the park this evening. I ran 3 miles on the road, while the others ran trails.

Loop Around Town

I waited until nearly 8 p.m. this evening and did a 3.2 mile loop around town. Sure feels better running with the temperature in the mid-90's than the 100+.

Missed a Day

If you are one of the zero who probably read my blog every day, you may have noticed that I missed blogging yesterday. My computer picked up the swine flu and went crazy. I took it to the computer shop yesterday and got it back this evening. The same bug tried to attack it again tonight, but new anti-virus software they loaded on it blocked it. For right now, it's working. I did do a 2-mile run yesterday, when it was 100 degrees. This evening, the group met at the park and I did 3 miles with Mary on the park roads. I had to get back into town by 7:30 and Mary went on to do 2 more miles.

Sunday Night in The Woodlands

I went down to The Woodlands tonight for the Sunday Night 5K. I ran the whole thing with a friend, Ed Thompson. We both finished in 34:42. I appreciate Bill Dwyer and Jon Walk putting on this race for The Woodlands RC. Hopefully, we will have more Seven Hills RC runners down for the event as the summer progresses.

Late Run

I decided to beat the heat and run late this evening. So, I had dinner about 6 p.m. and started running about 8 p.m. The problem with that schedule is that it is hard to start running a couple hours after eating. I did a 2.9 mile loop around town and finished just as it was getting dark. I visited briefly with Sarah Spielvogel at the track before I ran. She has been busy with school and has not run at the park with us lately.

Up a Tree

I was up a tree this afternoon trimming branches. Going up and down a 24-foot extension ladder is tiring. I went to the track about 8 p.m. and ran at least a mile. That means I lost track of my laps and I probably ran 5 laps. Most of today was actually spent working on the entry form for the Hillcrest Huntsville Half Marathon. I just put a printable entry form on the club web site. That means that if you read this blog, you can sign up right now and be assured of getting a low bib number. Now, I have to work on online registration and the entry forms to be printed and distributed to the running stores and to the tennis center at Memorial Park.

Four at the Park

The group met at the park this evening. While the rest ran trails, Mary and I did four miles on the park roads. The temperature was over 100 today and it was near that at 6:30 p.m. when we ran. And, we still have nearly three more months of hot weather!

Ran with Mary

After a workout at Nautilus this evening, I went over to the track. Mary Sweeten was there and just ran a mile. She and I then ran a 2-mile hilly loop around town. Patsy Collins was running and walking at the track. She and Roger are planning their first half marathon in San Antonio in November.

No One Complaining About the Rain

We started our run at the park this evening in a light rain. There has been so little rain this summer, no one complained. While the group ran trails, I stuck to the park roads. I did about 3.5 miles. New club members, Charles Walker and Jennifer Johnston ran trails with the group for the first time.

Summer Doldrums

During June and July, my running alway seems to be in the doldrums. It's too hot and without any long races coming up before October, there is not enough motivation for long runs. My runs seem to be stuck at around 3 miles. I did my 2.9 mile loop around town this evening after a workout at Nautilus. The shots in my knees seem to be helping. I have noticed that there are a lot more 5K races around during the summer than in the past. That's good. In 2008, I ran 39 races. I have already run 23 this year. My first long race this fall will be the Helen Klein Classic 50K in Sacramento, CA on October 31. So, I will have to get serious with my distance in August.

Texas World Speedway 5K

Since I run everyday, I'm always looking for something different. This evening (7:30), I ran the Texas World Speedway 5K in College Station. My time was 34:31, ten seconds faster than the 5K yesterday. It was good for 2nd place in the 51 and older age group (yep, there was only two of us). The course was a single loop around the race track. A front was moving through, so it was overcast and windy and not as hot as it would have been otherwise.

Stu's Country Mile 5K

As usual, a bunch of us from the club went up to Centerville for Stu's Country Mile 5K. It was hotter than usual, but we all survived. I ran a 34:41 and placed third in the 60 and over age group. Also, as usual, we met for breakfast at the Town Cafe and then watched the 4th of July parade around the square. While the race entry fee was only 10 bucks, Marilynn bought about 100 bucks worth of stuff at the booths around the square.

Back from Tyler

Marilynn and I attended a funeral in Tyler this morning and got back this evening. I took a day off and went to the track and ran a mile. I needed the rest, since I am running two 5K races again this weekend.

Mid-Day Run

Since I am going to Tyler this afternoon, I ran my 2.9 mile loop around town in the mid-day heat.

Last Shot

I got my last of three shots in my knees this afternoon. They already feel better, but it takes about 3 weeks after the last shot for the full effect (or is that affect?). So, I had to run this morning. I did a 2-mile loop around town.

Loop Around Town

After a workout at Nautilus this evening, I ran my 2.9 mile course around town. It was nice running in sub-100 degree weather, but it was humid as heck.

Rain, Finally

After over a month without a drop of rain, we finally got a 20-minute downpour about 9 p.m. tonight. It had rained earlier in town, but missed us here on the west side. My neighbor was complaining this afternoon that he bought a new riding lawnmower, but has not had a chance to try it out. Mayble the rain tonight will get the grass going. I ran my 2.9 mile loop in town this evening. The temperature was not so hot, but, of course, the humidity was high.

Sunday Night 5K

I went down to The Woodlands this evening for the Sunday Night 5K. Even though the temperature was still very hot, I should have run faster than the 35:41 that I turned in. Maybe it was the big Mexican dinner that I had for lunch.

Polish Pickle 5K and Wedding

Got up at 5 this morning to go to the Polish Pickle 5K in Bremond. Mary Sweeten rode up with Marilynn, Ben and I. Other club members there included Phillip Clark, Adrienne Langelier, Jennifer Johnston, Charles Walker, Jerry Flanagan, John Cook, Karen Fowler, J. C. Guzman. I ran the race with Debbie Tripp of The Woodlands. I probably slowed us down. The heat was terrible and I had to stop once to get a big rock out of my shoe. We finished in 35:38. However, the beer was good. We stopped to eat in Centerville on the way home. I took a brief nap and then went to Melissa's Broussard's wedding in Crockett. She should have been at the Polish Pickle, because the wedding was not until 4 p.m. I can't stand excuses. She married fellow Seven Hills Running Club member, William Ashley Biscamp. They had a nice wedding and I really wish them the best. They are living in Alba, north of Tyler. He works in Mineola and Melissa teaches at John Tyler High (my alma mater). Today was also a minor streak milestone. My streak reached 6 years and 6 months. We'll party at 10 years.

Tapering for the Polish Pickle

Tomorrow is the Polish Pickle 5K in Bremond, so I did a 2-mile taper run around town this evening. Weather.com said it was 103 degrees and I believe it.

Thursday Park Run

We started our run at the park at 6:30 this evening, an hour later than usual. I suppose it was still about 100 degrees. In keeping with my doctor's orders, I stayed off the trail and ran on the park roads. The group did the 4.2 mile trail course and I did 4 miles.

Club Meeting Tonight

We had a meeting of the Seven Hills Running Club officers at my house this evening. We are finalizing plans for the club's Huntsville Half Marathon on October 17. I got in a workout at Nautilus before the meeting, but not a run. After the meeting, I went into town and ran a couple miles. It was totally dark when I finished. In the old days (before people drove around talking on cell phones), I routinely ran the streets after dark. It's a different ball game now.

Worked on the Bug

I spent most of today working on my 74 VW bug convertible. My seat was falling apart. I bought a used one yesterday and put it in. Of course, I had to remove the uphostery from the old seat and intall it on the new one. Anyway, the new seat is much more confortable - and no springs sticking me in the butt. I met up the group at the park tonight and ran roads while they ran trails. Congratulations to Mary Sweeten for starting a new running blog. Click here. Katy Lampson is correct, publishing a blog helps make you accountable for your training runs. Click here for Katy's column.

Second Shot

I did a one-mile run at the track this morning and then went to the doctor to get the second shot in my knees. Number three is next week.

Sunday Night 5K - Not

I left Huntsville at 6 p.m. today to go run the Sunday Night 5K in The Woodlands at 7 p.m. The traffic came to a virtual standstill north of Willis and inched along all the way to south Conroe. It was nearly 7 p.m. when I reached the southside of Conroe. Knowing for sure I will not make it to the race in time, I turned around and went back to Huntsville. I ran the hilly Avenues 5K course. With the sun setting, the heat was tolerable.

June Bug Run

I directed the club's June Bug 5K and 1-Mile Run/Walk this morning. That means I had to get up early and put the signs out. We had 15 runners and walkers. True Cousins was there, but was not able to run due to a hamstring pull. I know how those hurt and how long it takes for them to heal. After the race and retrieving the signs, I joined Casey Spencer, Mariah Reynolds and new club members, Charles Walker and Jennifer Johnston for breakfast at the Cafe Texan. After working in the yard this afternoon, I ran a 2.7 mile loop around town.

OKC

My daughter, Mary, and her husband and two kids, who live in Yuma, AZ were on a vacation trip to Kansas and decided to spend a day at the zoo in Oklahoma City on their way home. So, Marilynn, Ben, Kenny and I drove up to OKC on Wednesday. My son, George, and his wife and three kids drove up from Wylie (near Dallas). We all went to the zoo yesterday and then spent hours at the hotel pool. We had a great time and got back this evening. I ran in OKC on Wednesday and Thursday, in between family activities. No relief from the heat up there. After a workout at Nautilus, I did a 2.9 mile loop in Huntsville about 7:30 this evening.

Quarter Marathon

Mary and I went down to Kingwood this evening and ran the 6.55-mile (quarter marathon) course used for the Texas Marathon each January. I could not have run it four times today in the heat. January is better. This will be Mary's first marathon and she now knows the course.

Movin on up

The new national streak list is out. As of June 1, I am number 146, up from 148 on March 1, 2009. I am number 6 in Texas. Of course, my friend, Vincent Attanucci, of The Woodlands is 147 and 7, respectively. And, it will stay that way. The entire list is on the U.S. Running Streak Association web site at http://www.runeveryday.com.
I ran a couple miles on the road this evening just before dark.

Sunday Night 5K

As you may be aware, The Woodlands Running Club, started a new race series, the Sunday Night 5K every Sunday in June, July and August at 7 p.m. Tonight was the innaguaral race. The crowd was light, but I had a nice visit with Jon and Waverly Walk, Bill Dwyer and Karen Felicidario (all are also members of the Seven Hills Running Club). I prefer to run in the evening, so the timing was great for me. I ran the course in 34:41. Click here for a link to the race.

Mud Maxx

My son, Ben, and I went down to Humble this morning for the Mud Maxx 5K. Seven Hills Running Club members, Mary Sweeten, Mariah Reynolds, Keelie Hughes and Jacob Gautreaux and his daughter, Megan, were there also. The race was not timed and I did not wear my watch, so I have no idea of my finish time. Steve and Paula Boone put on the race and they had about 350 runners. Obviously, we got muddy. They had a couple fire trucks there providing post race showers. It was a fun race. Most of us went to the Potatoe Patch on FM 1960 for lunch before heading back to Huntsville.

Kneeded to Run

The tree guys arrived at my house early this morning to cut down two large dead oak trees in my back yard. They did a good job and my house was not hit or threatened. I periodically had some sharp pains in my right knee all day. I am not sure where that came from, maybe from the shot a couple days ago. Anyway, I kneeded to run, so I went to the track this evening and did a mile. I did not get the sharp pains while running, so I guess its okay. Gotta get up early tomorrow for the mud run in Humble.

Hot in the Park

I heard on the news tonight that this was the hottest day so far this year. I believe it. The group ran trails this evening while I ran 3 miles on the park roads. Hans was back from his trip to South Dakota for the Deadwood Marathon. My calf felt okay after Mariah worked on it yesterday.

Treatment Day

I got in a short 2-mile run on the roads late this morning and then went to the doc for the first of a series of three injections of SYNVISC in my knees. It is a lubricant and is suppose to start working in about three weeks after the last injection. Then, it works up to 18 months. Later this afternoon, Mariah came over and worked on the pulled muscle in my calf. She is really good. The club officers were suppose to have a meeting at my house tonight to discuss the Huntsville Half Marathon coming up in October, but Norman had to delay the meeting for a couple weeks.

Park Roads

We jad a large group at the park this evening. Mariah was there and she took a look at my calf. She could not find a knot and thinks I pulled a muscle. She noted that it was swollen and will work on it tomorrow. In the meantime, while everyone else was running trails this evening, I ran two miles on the park roads.

Calf Still Acting Up

My left calf muscle is still acting up. Maybe I have a knot in it. Help, Mariah. I did an easy 1.6 mile run on the roads this evening. It did not get any worse.

Course Measurement

I borrowed the engineer wheel from the city to measure a course this weekend. It's the old Bowers Stadium 5K course. The markings on the curb have worn away. I met Norman at 5 p.m. this evening and just as soon as we got started, he got a call to go put out a fire. I measured and marked the course and Norman's wife, Millie, picked me up at the turn around point and gave me a ride back to the stadium. I think walking a 5K is harder than running. Afterwards, I went over to the track and run a mile, plus. My calf started acting up at the end of yesterday's run, so I took it easy.

After 7 p.m. Run

I waited until after 7 p.m. today and ran a 3-mile loop around town. I received an email from Hans Jaeger today. He is in Deadwood, South Dakota for marathon tomorrow. He said that the weather forecast is for 40 degrees and rain. For someone born in Switzerland, he really hates running in cold weather. If I had known that it would be that cold up there, I would have gone.

Darn Bug

I worked on the electrical problem in my 1974 VW Bug Convertible today. I got the headlights to work; now the tail lights went out. I have tried everything. Guess I will have to take it to the VW repair place in Bryan next week. Congratulations to SHRC members, Colton Langwell and Colleen Cook, who graduated from high school this week. Gosh, I remember when Colleen was born. I ran my 2.9 mile loop around town this evening, just before dark. It was relatively cool and my knees did not feel too bad.

Short Road Run

I spent most of the day trying to get my VW bug through the state safety inspection and preparing garden beds for Marilynn. She has been taking the Master Gardener course since January and it has caused me a lot of work. My break lights would not work, so my VW failed the inspection. I worked on the VW this afternoon and got the break lights to work; now one of the headlights won't work. I bought a new seal beam this evening, but it still won't work. Back to the wiring tomorrow. I went to Nautilus late this evening and then ran a 2-mile loop in town.

Huntsville 5K Course

For a retiree, I had a busy day. Got up at 9:30, bought some landscaping stuff at Home Depot, got a flat fixed on my new truck, worked on my 74 VW convertible, went to a funeral and worked out at Nautilus. Then, Mary, Juan and I ran the hilly Huntsville 5K course this evening.

Lisa's New Web Site

My daughter, Lisa, lives in Chicago and is a singer and song writer. In her spare time, she is Senior Accountant for a large manufactoring company. Click here to visit her new music web site.
In keeping with the doctor's orders, I stayed off the trails today. I met up with the group at the park and ran 3 miles on the park roads while they had fun on the trails.

No More Trails

I went to the doctor this afternoon about my knees. He diagnosed the problem about 3 years ago as Chondromalacia. Basically, it is where the outside leg muscles, which are attached to the knee caps, start pulling the knee caps outward. The knee caps are suppose to move up and down at the knee joint. This outward pulling creates bone on bone pressure and a lot of pain, especially when sitting for a long time with the legs bent. There is also some arthritus under the knee caps. The surgical fix is to scope the joints to get rid of the arthritus and then loosen the outside leg muscles. To avoid surgery (a streak breaker), I am suppose to be doing exercises to strengthen the inside leg muscles, which are also attached to the knee caps. The braces, which I have worn occasionally, help keep the knee caps centered. Anyway, I have to intensify the exercises. The doctor will also give me a series of three shots of SYNVISC to lubricate the knee joints. The other thing I have to do is STAY OFF THE TRAILS. That will be the hard part.

After a workout at Nautilus this evening, to include my leg exercises, Mary Sweeten and I ran the 5-mile Tour de Huntsville course. The course includes some busy streets, but it traverses all four quandrants of the city. Mary just signed up for the Texas Marathon in Kingwood on January 1. This will be her first. I have no doubt that she will run it and finish.

Did Not Feel Like Running

I just did not feel like running today, so I went to the track this evening and ran one mile.

Afternoon in Conroe

Marilynn and I went down to Hans and Linda's house this afternoon to help celebrate Linda's 60th birthday. The BBQ was good and I ate too much. I took a nap when I got home and then went out for a run - only because I am a streaker. It was hard to get going, but I ended up doing a 2.7 mile loop around town.

Short Road Run

Ben and I went down to the Sam Houston-Rice U. baseball game in Houston this evening, so I did a 2-mile run on the road in town in the middle of the afternoon. Rice upset Sam 5-2.

Five Miles at the Park

We had 20 in our group at the park this evening, which we think was a record. I took off on my own and ran five miles on the park roads while the others were on the trails. I took it easy, so as not to re-injure my pulled calf muscle (I assume that is what the problem was). It was a little sore by the time I finished, but no sharp pains during the run.

Recovery Run at the Track

Kenny

Raven

Artic Fox

Tundra

My calf was still sore, so I did another recovery run today. This time at the track. I'll try a longer trail run tomorrow. I just got off the phone with my son Kenny, who is working for a few weeks on the north slope of Alaska. I am including four of the photos that he took the other day near the camp.

Recovery Run on the Trails

I met up with the group at the park this evening. I ran 1.4 miles on the trail. It started hurting (but not the sharp pain that stopped me yesterday), so when I got to the park road, I walked about a mile back to the Nature Center. I had ice in my beverage cooler, so I iced it until the rest of the group finished.

Oops

At about the two and a half mile point in the Run the Woodlands 5K on Saturday, I suddenly felt like my left calf knotted up. It was sore for the rest of the race, but tolerable. I had no problem with it during my run yesterday. This evening, I was running a loop around town and at about a mile and a half, I started getting sharp pains in the same calf. I walked back and that was painful. I iced it when I got home, but it is still very sore. Hopefully, it will be okay tomorrow. I may do "recovery runs" for the next couple days.
We had the Seven Hills Running Club's Memorial Day 5K in my sub-division at 10 a.m. this morning, followed by a cookout at my house. We had 28 runners for the race and more than that for the cookout. We had a great time. A special thanks to my old friends, Pete Cahill from Baytown and Loren Sheffer from Houston for coming up. Also, thanks to my wife, Marilynn, for all her work with the cookout.

Family in Town

We had family in today from Tyler and Wylie, so before anyone arrived, I did one of my rare morning training runs. I did a 3.2 mile loop around town.

RTW

I went down to The Woodlands this morning with Mary, Mariah, Sarah and Lori for the Run the Woodlands 5K. Curtis met us there. I ran the course in 33:34. I had a visit with Lou Wilson, who at 73 just completed his 100th marathon. He only has 5 more states to complete a marathon in all 50 states. Congratulations, Lou. Sarah and Laura rode back with Curtis and Mary, Mariah and I had breakfast at Skeeters.

Went Fishing Again

I ran five laps at the track this afternoon and then went fishing with Ben again at the park. I am beginning to think they removed the fish from the lake. No one else was getting a bite either.

Three Straight at the Park

Ben and I went fishing at the park this afternoon. We tried every bait possible, but could not get a bite. Maybe it was too hot and windy. We will try again tomorrow. I did go back to the park this evening to run trails. We had a large group, including Lavonne and several runners new to the park. We did a 4.7 mile loop. I ran most of it with Mary Turner and Lottoya Manderson, who had never run at the park. They seemed to enjoy it.

Bounce Sheets

Phillip was at the park yesterday with a Bounce sheet (the things you put in your clothes dryer) hanging out from the back of his cap. It is suppose to keep the biting horse flies and other pesky critters away. It must be my body chemistry, but I tend to get attacked and bitten by horse flies more than most. The group met at the park this evening and Phillip brought me a sheet. It emits a strong odor, but I wore it during the 4.2 mile loop and nothing got close to me, including other runners.

Trails for a Change

After a workout at Nautilus, I met up with the group this evening and ran 4.2 miles on the trails at the park. The cooler temperature felt nice.

Empty Roads

The traffic around town is much lighter, now that the spring semester at Sam Houston State has ended. It makes road running in Huntsville more pleasant. After a workout at Nautilus this evening, I ran a 3.4 mile loop around town. Less than a block into my run, Mariah and Mary honked and stopped and we had a nice visit. We are all going down to the Run the Woodlands 5K this Saturday. Anybody else want to go?

50th High School Class Reunion

I went up to Tyler this weekend to attend my 50th high school class reunion, Tyler High School Class of 1959. I got in a run in Huntsville Friday before leaving, a run in Tyler on Saturday and a run in Huntsville when I got back this evening. Actually, it was a joint Robert E. Lee/Tyler High School Reunion. Back in those days, Tyler High was the only white high school in Tyler. Robert E. Lee first opened in 1959, so those who lived on the north side of Tyler stayed at Tyler High and those on the south side went to Robert E. Lee for their senior year. They built a new high school on the north side of Tyler, which opened in 1960. It is called John Tyler High School. Tyler High was closed after the 1959, but the building is still there and is being used as a daycare center. In any case, we had a good time at the reunion. There were several, including two good friends who I was in the Cub Scouts with, who had not previously attended a reunion and I got to see them for the first time in 50 years. One kept raving about my Mother's cookies and described them in detail. How can somebody remember cookies after 50 years? The weekend events started with a reception on Friday night. On Saturday morning, we had a guys only breakfast. The dinner and dance was on Saturday night. It was really good visiting and reminicsing with old friends. Bill Allen, who recently retired as the Editor of National Geographic Magazine, and I spent some time together. I did not realize that he was suppose to be on the plane that crashed into the Pentagon on 9/11 with some other National Geographic employees. At the last minute, he had to cancel his trip to resolve a problem with an article for the next issue. I also visited with Kenneth Crone. He was the real life DPS trooper held hostage in the incident portrayed in the 1974 movie, "Sugar Land Express," starring Goldie Hawn. My old girl friend, Peggy Sue, didn't make it to the reunion. Neither did my good friend, Dr. Robert Peters. Bob and went to school together from Kindergarden all the way through high school. He became totally blind in about the 9th grade. When we graduated from high school, he received his diploma and then walked off the stage into the orchestra pit. He was not hurt and we laughed about it since.
I tried to recruit some of my classmates for my Saturday run, but could not find any takers.

Busy Day

I had a busy day, but squeezed in a workout at Nautilus and a 2-mile loop around town before going to the Sam Houston-Corpus Christi baseball game with my son, Ben.

Ditto

I ran the same 3 mile course as yesterday, but did not witness any wrecks.

Knees Feel Better

My knees felt better today. I was able to work them a little at Nautilus before doing a 3 mile loop around town this evening. I witnessed a car wreck on Sam Houston Avenue. It was a fairly serious wreck, but everyone told me they were okay (thanks to air bags). I interrupted by run and provided some assistance to one of the drivers.

Back from Wylie

I went up to Wylie (northeast of Dallas) Saturday afternoon and returned to Huntsville this evening. I did a 2.3 mile road run in Wylie Sunday evening and a 2 mile road run in Huntsville this evening. My knees are very sore, but that is a long story.

YMCA Trail Run

I went down to Conroe this morning for the YMCA 5K Trail Run. As expected this time of the year, it was hot and humid and the trail was muddy in spots. I was surprized that no one else from the Seven Hills Running Club was there, except Jon Walk, who was spectating and acting like the sports reporter he is. They had nearly 300 runners, so the race is growing. I ran 34:45, a whole 10 seconds faster than last year. I was the only one in the 65 and over age group, so I got first in my age group.

Resting Up

Since I am doing the Conroe YMCA 5K Trail Run tomorrow morning and my knees were aching, I went to the track this evening and ran one mile +.

Calorie Replacement

After working out at Nautilus this evening, I ran a 3.2 mile loop around town. Marilynn and I then went to the Farmhouse Restuarant, where I had a chicken fried steak dinner. I think I more than replaced the calories I burned while exercising.

Bandera Grill 5K

Mariah and I ran the Bandera Grill 5K course in the Forest Hills Subdivision this evening. Darren Grant ran most of the course with us.

Three Around Town

I ran a 3-mile loop around town this afternoon and then went to the Sam-Texas A&M baseball game in College Station tonight (A&M upset Sam).

Short Road Run

For a retiree, I was busy today. I managed to get in a 2-mile road run late this afternoon. We met my son, Kenny, and his friend, Jenny, at the Olive Garden in The Woodlands this evening for dinner. Kenny is leaving for the north shore of Alaska on Wednesday and will be up there a few weeks.

Deep Water

I checked the forecast on weather.com early this morning and it looked like our 9:30 a.m. run would be inbetween thunderstorms. Phillip and I were the only ones to show up at the park. We did the 6.8-mile outer loop and I misinterpreted the forecast. It rained virtually the entire run and for a while, the lightning got pretty close. There was deep standing water in many places and we had to go through it. Amy's crossing was covered with water. The bridge south of the Nature Center was entirely covered with about one foot of water. In crossing, I had to aim for the other end of the bridge and try to stay on the bridge as I crossed. Phillip was up ahead of me on the west perimeter trail and ran across 4 wild hogs on the trail. They had taken off by the time I got to that point. We ran into several runners from The Woodlands and Felix was there also. Except for the lightning, it was a fun.

GRACE 5K

I went over to the A&M campus in College Station this morning to run the 1st Annual GRACE 5K, which supports the local Salvation Army. Nice race with less than 100 runners. The course was flat. I finished in 32:54, which gave me 2nd place in the 60 and over age group (yes, there was only two of us).

Day Off

My right knee was really hurting today, so I took today off. That is, I went to the track and ran laps this afternoon. Besides, I am doing at 5K in College Station tomorrow morning.