Knee Felt Good

Since we had a Seven Hills Running Club meeting at 7 this evening, we had a small group at the park at 5:30. John and I met up with Laura and we did the three-mile loop. My knee felt good. I plan on doing the Sunday Night 5K in The Woodlands this weekend and the 50K in California on October 31. Congratulations to the new club officers elected at tonight's meeting.

Easy Day

I went over to the track this evening and ran laps. It was suppose to start raining and I figured I could not get in a long run anyway. Jill Baine, who just rejoined the Seven Hills Running Club after a 20+ absence, was running. She slowed down and ran a couple laps with me. I think I ended up with a mile and a half. At one time, Jill was the fastest female runner in Huntsville and at 48, she won her age group in the Huntsville 5K last Saturday with a time of 22:21. Anyway, its good to see her back in the club and running well.

Back to the Scene

I met up with the group at the park this evening and ran roads while everyone else did trails. I did the 3-mile loop, which included the spot where I faltered last Tuesday. I did not realize that I was running down a hill at the time.

A New Beginning

After not running for four days, I went to see an Orthopedic Surgeon today. He examined my knee, looked at the MRI and said that the 80% tear in my quadriceps did not occur last Tuesday. It had been there for some time. He said that the sharp pain I felt last Tuesday was probably due to an awkward step and the hitting of two bones together. He said that I could run as much as I wanted. So, I ran 2.8 miles on the streets this evening - with no pain. The beginnings of a new streak.

The Streak is Over

I went in for an MRI on my knee this morning and just got a call from my doctor. He said that I have an 80% tear in my quadricep and advised against any running until it is repaired. Any running right now may cause the other 20% to tear and a complete tear would be much more difficult to fix. So, my streak is over at 2,483 days (6 years, 9 months and 17 days). I'll accept it, get it fixed and try to get back to running as soon as I can. I have to call an Orthopedic Surgeon tomorrow and make an appointment. This is my last blog entry. Thanks for reading my entries.

Good Sign

I went to the doctor this morning about my knee. He said that I tore a muscle, strained a muscle or pinched something (I think he used more technical terms). I have to go in for an MRI tomorrow morning to find out the specific problem. My big worry was running today. I went over to the track and ran a very easy mile without sharp pain. I trust that that was a good sign. Tomorrow will tell. Hopefully, I will still get to run the half marathon on Saturday.

Something Happened to my Knee

What started off as a routine park road run this evening turned into a knee injury. I met up with the group and Mariah, James and I decided to run on the roads, while the rest ran trails. At at mile and a quarter, I suddenly felt sharp pains under my left knee cap. I could not continue. I started walking back and James went back to the Nature Center, got his car and came to get me. I sacrificed some of the ice cooling down my beer and put it on my knee. I'm not sure what is wrong with it. I hope I did not break something. I will try to see my doctor tomorrow. With my upcoming race schedule (scroll to the bottom), it is very frustrating. Thanks to James and Mariah for being so helpful or sorry for messing up your run.

Early Park Run

Lavonne and I went out to the park at 8:30 this morning and ran the 6.8-mile outer loop. I normally do not get up that early, but I had to get up early to return the engineer wheel that I borrowed this weekend to measure the course in town on Sunday. The park was virtually empty and we saw no wildlife, except for a large and docile copperhead along the trail.

Course Measurement Day

With an engineer wheel I borrowed from the city, I measured the 5K course to be used by the Kats for the Cause 5K here in Huntsville on November 14. It was basically the same course used for the CASA 5K last week. I shortened it up to a 5K (16, 404 feet). So, I walked that distance, plus some back and forth. Then, I went straight to the Hillcrest Huntsville Half Marathon Committee Meeting at the Fire Station. After that, Phillip came over to my house and we loaded race signs onto his truck. I squeezed in a 1-mile + run in the rain in my neighborhood, before going to church this evening. Busy day.

Long Run

I went out to the park this morning and did 18 miles alone. The trails were in good shape and no mud. The cooler weather felt good. I only took one light fall and that was at about 15 miles.

Forgot to Blog

It is after midnight on Friday and I am getting ready to hit the sack. I just realized that I had not blogged today. I spent much of Friday on final preparations for the Huntsville Half Marathon next week, including several trips to the T-shirt supplier okaying final prints. It looks good and I think the runners will like it. I squeezed in a 2.5 mile run around town in light rain this evening before taking the family out to dinner. Cool weather at last!

Tour de Bayou

I went down to Houston with Jacob and Leah this evening for Stage 2 of the Tour de Bayou. It was suppose to be a 4+ mile course up and down the bayou (cross country style). However, unless I have suddenly gotten real fast, it turned out to be a little over 3 miles. I finished in a little over 30 minutes, as I recall. The distance and times will be published later. Hot and humid conditions. Hans and John were also there. Ben Harvie, one of our club members from Houston, was also there. He is the fastest guy over 60 in Texas. This was Leah's first race ever, so she moved from being a "jogger" to a "runner." Congratulations to her and thanks to Jacob for driving down.

Cancelled Race

I had signed up for the Homecoming Kat Krawl 5K on campus Saturday morning, but got an email today saying that the race has been cancelled it for a number of reasons, i.e. half their volunteers are out sick and they only had 3 runners signed up. Darn, I may have placed in my age group. It is suppose to be relatively cool on Saturday, so I will plan on doing a long run at the park. I had better get with it; I have the 50K (31 miles) in California on October 31. I am keeping busy with a lot of the advance work for the Huntsville Half Marathon & 5K on October 17. Our entries are ahead of any previous year at this point in time. After a workout at Nautilus this evening, I went to the track and did a 2.9 mile loop around town.

Getting Back to Normal

We had a nice crowd at the park this evening. While I had some pain in my foot, I ran the 4+ mile loop with the group. Very warm and humid. I am ready for cold weather.

Recovering

My foot was better today, but still painful. I ran a mile at the track this evening. I think I can do better tomorrow.

Ugly Mile

I developed a problem with my foot last night and I was up virtually all night with throbbing pain. I doctored it today and there was no question about keeping my streak going. I went out to the state park this evening and ran a little over a mile. It was ugly, but there was no one else around to watch the hobble. I had planned to do a long run this morning, but I will have to reschedule it until later in the week.

Long Day

I got up at 5:30 this morning and put out the signs for the CASA 5K Run at SHSU. I then worked the finish line for the race. After that, I ran a 2.9 mile loop around town. Then, Marilynn and I went to the Fair on the Square for a while. Ben and I went to the SHSU - St. Joseph's football game at 2 p.m. About 2 minutes into the game, they called a lightning delay. It resumed a little after three and then Ben and I sat through the game in continuous rain. SHSU won 41 to 0. I must be a dedicated fan. This evening, I have been trying to finalize the race results for the race this morning.

Planned Races

I added a list of my Planned Races to this blog. Scroll down to the bottom of this page. I have already signed up for most of them, so I hope I don't break a leg. I will probably add some shorter races as I go along.
Sorry to hear that Melissa Stelter has a stress fracture in her foot. She had planned to do the Huntsville Half and her first marathon in Kingwood on January 1. I wish her a speedy recovery.
I went over to the track this evening and met up with J. C. We ran a loop around town, which turned out to be 3.1 miles. Of course, when we got closer to the finish, J. C. took off and left me in his dust.

Only Three of Us at the Park

Only three of us showed up at the park this evening, me, Phillip and Jacob. I did 3 on the road while they did trails. I know that Hans was running the Tour de Bayou in Houston this evening.

Quarter Marathon

Mariah and I did one loop of the Huntsville Half Marathon course (6.55 miles) this morning. I have to admit, while running in the morning (we started at 10) is unusual for me, the cooler temperature felt good. Mariah did well and she is a good running partner.

Back to the Park

I met up with Curtis and Phillip this evening at the park. I ran three miles on the road, while they ran trails. Mariah was there also, running a different course. She and I agreed to run the 6.55 mile Huntsville Half course tomorrow morning.

Recovery Run

I did yard work for much of the day and then ran a one mile recovery run at the track this evening.

Beat Up

I went out to the park this morning to run trails. I ended up doing 13.7 miles. I don't know what it was, the race yesterday, the heat today or the fact that I have not run trails much lately, but I fell hard several times. While I have three cuts on my leg and knee, I feel beat up.

Fall Fun Run 10K

It's early Sunday morning, so I am late blogging. I have been watching the Houston-Texas Tech game and it was just over. I ran the club's Fall Fun Run 10K this morning. The course was out and back on Veteran's Blvd. It was hilly and hot. I was getting use to that cooler weather we had early this week. We had 28 runners, most doing the 10K, but some the 5K and some the 1-Mile race. I ran the course in 1:12:33, slow but about 4 minutes faster than last year.

Well, I did it.

I signed up for the Austin Marathon today. It will be held on Sunday, February 14. I had already signed up for the Surfside Beach Marathon, which will be held the day before. I have never done back to back marathons, so this will be my challenge for the year. I'm committed now. I took the day off and ran a mile at the track this evening. I will run the club 10K tomorrow morning on Veteran's Blvd.

Easy Day

I accepted an invitation from Coach Bill West at Huntsville Intermediate School and gave a talk on running this afternoon to his 6th grade PE class. That was fun for me and I hope they enjoyed it. Hopefully, it will inspire some to take up running as a sport. I had asked for some advice from my friend, Donna Crocker, on how to best communicate with them. One of her suggestions was that I show them some medals. I brought a few marathon finisher medals and they seemed to enjoy looking at them. As a grand finale, I brought out the huge 2 1/2 pound Texas Marathon finisher medal from last January. They applauded the medal and everyone of them had to put it around their neck before I left the building. I invited them to participate in the club run this Saturday and hopefully some will.
We had a light group at the park this evening, just the hard core runners who don't care about the possibility of rain. It was me, Hans, John, Curtis and Jacob. There was no rain during our run. I did 3 on the roads, while the rest ran trails.

Nine in Town

I cannot believe this 60+ degree temperature today. I ran all over Huntsville this afternoon and the course turned out to be 9 miles. I even ran past my old house and the yard looked terrible.

Empty Park

The park was virtually empty this evening. I ran 5 miles on the park roads with no traffic to contend with. After the rain today, it was much cooler and that felt good.

Losing Weight

I decided to lose some weight before running a bunch of marathons this year. I started two weeks ago and have lost 10 pounds down to 198. Obviously, I feel better, but there is a loss of strength. I needed to do a long run today, but decided to do five miles instead because of the heat. During the run, I started getting dizzy, so I walked a bit and cut the run to four miles. I'm not sure how far to go with the weight loss, but I think at least below 190. I was 184 for years before I retired from the Army in 1984. I was 159 when I came home from Vietnam in 1968. Even though I was a heavy smoker back then, I did get in some runs when I was back at the base camp. The 120 degree temperature helped keep the weight down, also.
I received my quarterly newsletter from the U.S. Running Streak Assn. (http://www.runeveryday.com) today. I moved up a couple spaces on the streak list to 144 nationally. My friend, Vince Attanucci of The Woodlands, is 145 - and will stay behind me.

St. Anthony's 5K

I did a short run in Huntsville Friday morning and then drove to Wylie (northeast of Dallas) to spend the weekend with my son, George, and his family. On Saturday, George and I ran the St. Anthony's 5K, a race put on by his church. George was 4th overall and 2nd in his age group. I ran a 33:10 and came in 2nd in my age group. I did beat a few other runners, including a lady pushing triplets in a stroller. I got back to Huntsville late this evening and ran a couple miles in town.

Soggy Day

Now, we seem to be getting too much rain. It let up this evening just in time for our park run. I ran about 3.5 mile on the park roads, while the rest of the group ran trails.

Routine Day

I worked out at Nautilus this evening and then ran a 2.9 mile loop around town.

Texas Marathon Triple

I received an email today from Steve and Paula Boone, directors of the Texas Marathon in Kingwood on January 1, telling me that the Texas Marathon Triple (TMT). The TMT began two years ago and provided recognition to runners who completed the Texas Marathon, Surfide Beach Marathon in February and the Seabrook Marathon in March. Puma has backed out of awarding a jacket, but the three races will award a special T-shirt and camp. I have completed the TMT the last two years and am signed up for all three races again this year. I will have to start of "Series Streak" list. I have also completed the Texas Marathon Challenge the last two years. This is any five Texas marathons in a year. I also plan to do the Marathons of Texas (White Rock, Houston and Austin) this year if they decide to continue with the program. The real challenge will be doing Surfide and Austin the same weekend. I had better start training. I met up with the group and the park this evening and did the 4.2 mile trail run with them.

Loop Around Town

I wrote my Running Shorts column for the Huntsville Item this morning and sent it in this afternoon for publication tomorrow. I wrote about running lingo, an idea suggested by Leah when we were running trails this weekend. Thanks, Leah. I worked out at Nautilus this evening and then ran a 3.1 mile loop around town.

Ten at the Park

There was a big bike race at the park this morning, so we were restricted on where we could run. Brian Zemlicka and Leslee Cade were just finishing up the outside loop when Leah and I got to the Nature Center. They said they had no problem with the outside loop. So, Leah and I ran the 6.8 mile outer loop. She had never run over five miles and she did well with the new distance. After we finished, I drove her back to her car and went back into the park. I ran a 3.2 mile course on the trails to give me 10 total. This was my first run on the trails in several months. Don't tell my doctor.

Bearkat Bash 5K

I went down to Spring this morning to run the Bearkat Bash 5K at Klein HS - for the 8th straight year. Cool, but very humid. Lots of rain during the drive down. I ran it in 33:18.

2,450

Today was my 2,450th consecutive day of running. To celebrate, I only ran 2 miles. Gotta race in the morning, anyway.

Flat Land Training

Us runners who run hills everyday need to run flat lands once in a while. I went down to Houston this evening for the Houston Marathon Kick-Off Party at Memorial Park, picked up my in-training T-shirt, had a couple beers, visited with a lot of friends and then ran the flat 3-mile Memorial Park loop. I did interupt my run with a stop to visit the bench dedicated to 45 year old Gary Price, the Houston Police Officer who died of a heart attack during the Huntsville Half Marathon in 1997. It was my first visit to the bench since the Houston Police dedication ceremony in late 1997. May he RIP.

Cooler, but Muggy

After working out at Nautilus this evening, I ran a 3.9-mile loop around town. While the temperature was cooler, the humidity was high. I wore a 100% cotton T-shirt, which weighed about five pounds by the time I finished the run. What did we do before they came out with tech shirts?

Empty Park

After a crowded weekend, the park was virtually empty this evening. Starting today, the group is meeting at 5:30 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday. While the group ran trails, Leah Koester, who just joined the Seven Hills Running Club, and I ran 5 miles on the roads. We had a nice visit and she put up with my slow pace.

Groggy

I got up at 3 this morning to drive my Marine son, Timothy, to the airport for his flight back to Yuma. He deploys overseas on September 13. Then, I left at 3 p.m. to drive my daughter, Lisa, to the airport for her flight back to Chicago. So, I have been groggy all day. I spent much of my spare time today trying to talk to someone at Bank of America. I was looking at my checking account online and found that some company that I had never heard of or done business with made three drafts on my account this weekend. Bank of America does not have anyone to talk to anywhere about such things outside of normal business hours. I will be at the bank when it opens at 9 tomorrow morning. Running became a last priority today, but I did get over to the track late this evening and run a mile.

Crowded Park

I still had relatives at the house today, but I slipped out this evening and went to the park to run. It was packed. I ran a 5-mile loop on the park roads. Last Thursday when I ran the same course, two cars passed me during the entire run. Today, a hundred or so. Also, the smell of hamburgers everywhere.

Sluggish 5K

We had a big cookout at my house today and I ate too much. This evening, I ran the Avenues 5K course. I did not time my run and it's probably a good thing I did not.

New Route

I carved out a new route around town this afternoon. It ended up being 3.7 miles.

Running Schedule Off

With Timothy visiting this week and a lot of relatives coming in this weekend, my running schedule will be a little off. We had photos taken this afternoon for the church directory and we went to the Sam footfall game tonight. I ran a 2.7 mile loop around town at noon and never made it to Nautilus. I have to pick up my daughter at the airport tomorrow morning. She is coming in from Chicago. Then, my son and his family are coming in from Wylie tomorrow evening. I guess it will be a mid-afternoon run tomorrow. I'll have to figure out when to run on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Normalcy returns on Tuesday.

Was it cooler today?

I did not check the temperature when I ran at 6 p.m. today, but it sure felt cooler. It is officially early fall? In any case, I did my 2.9 mile loop around town after working out at Nautilus.

Five at the Park

We had a lot of new people in the group at the park this evening, including my Marine son, Timothy. While everyone else ran trails, I ran 5 miles on the park roads. I felt strong the entire run. It seemed cooler, at least cooler than the 116 degree temperature during my run last Friday in Yuma.

Replacement Run for Sunmart Announced

I received an email this morning from Brad Childers in San Antonio. He is the race director for the new Texas Trail Runs (50K and 12.5 mile) at the Huntsville State Park on December 5, 2009. This is the replacement race for Sunmart. I will be meeting with him in the next two weeks. I'm tempted to go ahead and sign up for the 50K, even though I will be running the Dallas White Rock Marathon the next weekend. Since I'm doing a 50K in October and a marathon in November, I should be okay.
This evening, I went to Nautilus for my first workout in a week. I felt like I was starting over and had to go down on the weights. After my workout, I ran a 3.2 mile loop around town. The traffic was heavy and I came close to getting hit by a car. A lady was exiting a parking lot while lighting a cigarette. As I got out of her way, I slammed my fist on her hood to get her attention. She apologized and I was mad and did not hang around to accept it.

Back from Yuma

I got back from Yuma, Arizona this morning. I flew out there on August 22. My plan was to drive back to Huntsville with my Marine son, Timothy, who was coming home on pre-deployment leave. the Marines sent him to California for a week and he was not able to leave until August 29. Since my ticket was non-refundable, I went out there anyway and spent a week with my daughter, Mary, her Marine husand and the two grandchildren. I had a great visit, watched a lot of cartoons and changed a diaper for the first time in many years.
Timothy and I left Yuma at 8 a.m. yesterday, drove straight through and got to Huntsville at 8 a.m. today. I was like a Zombie when I got home. I got a little sleep in the truck, but we made sure who ever was driving was wide awake. The scary part of the drive were the deer. They were everywhere along I-10 and Hwy. 290 in Central Texas. We passed at least 100 next to the highway and at one point, we had to break for one in the middle of the road.
I stayed on the small Marine Air Station in Yuma while there and, of course, got in a run everyday. Even though, I ran once in the morning, most runs were in the evening. I never ran in less than 100 degree heat and on Thursday, it was 116 when I ran. Obviously, it was a dry heat, but heat is heat.
I ran my 2.9 mile loop this evening in Huntsville and I felt very sluggish.

Streets Crowded Again

The students are back in town and the streets are crowded again with traffic - and everybody is talking on a cell phone. You have to be especially careful running the streets. I did my 2.9 mile loop around town and then had a Mexican dinner.

Small Crowd at the Park

We only had three at the park this evening, Hans, Marisa and I. Marisa ran fast on the trails and Hans and I did an easy three miles on the roads. In fact, there were very few campers at the park for a Thursday. Must have something to do with school starting.

Routine

I went to Nautilus this evening and then ran a 3.1 mile loop around town.

Four at the Park

While the group ran trails at the park this evening, I ran four miles on the roads. Cooler after the rain today, but still humid.

New Streaker in Town

I'm happy to report that we have a new streaker in Huntsville. Jesse Parker, Track & Field Coach at Sam Houston State and member of the Seven Hills Running Club, has a running streak of 37 days. Congratulations, Jesse! Don't stop now. Jesse's blog is http://bearkatrack-runmore.blogspot.com/.
I had "Mondayitus" today, so I did not feel like doing much. I went over to the track this evening after a workout at Nautilus and ran a 2-mile loop around town.

2 x 5K

I went down to The Woodlands tonight for the Sunday Night 5K. I finished in 33:10 and then ran the course again to get in some distance. I did not time the second 5K, but I'm sure I ran fast.

Club Picnic

We had our Seven Hills Running Club picnic this afternoon at the Elkins Lake Picnic area. Over 30 members attended. We had a great time visiting and playing volleyball. Thanks to my wife, Marilynn, and Lavonne and others for putting it together. And, thanks to my son, Ben, for doing the cooking.
I ran my 2.9 mile loop around town at noon today. Yesterday's rest helped the knees.

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.