Three on Empty Streets

After working out at Nautilus this afternoon, I ran 3 miles on relatively empty streets. All the Sam Houston students are on Christmas break.

Rare Morning Training Run

If you have read this blog for long, you will know that I rarely do a training run in the morning. I much prefer evening runs. I met up with the group at the park this morning and ran 7 miles on the trails. Nice weather and the trails are in excellent shape.

Graduation

I thought my 2.9 mile loop around the campus would be nice with no traffic now that the fall semester is over and the students are out for the holidays. I headed down Bobby Marks Drive and ran smack into the crowd leaving the coliseum for the mid-term graduation ceremony. Lots of vehicle and foot traffic. I suppose from now through mid-January, it will be quiet in town and nice running on the roads.

Back to the Park

I went out to the park this afternoon and ran 3.5 miles (Marisa's Course) on the trails. Talk about running weather and the trails being in good shape.

Small Group

I went over to the track this evening to run the avenues with the group. The temperature was in the 40's and the rain had stopped. I was the only one who showed up. So, I ran a 2.9 mile loop around town.

3.1 on the Roads

After working out at Nautilus this evening, I went to the track and ran 3.1 miles on the roads from there. Nice running weather and no aches or pains.

Avenues

I went down to The Woodlands this morning for some outpatient surgery to remove a spot from my face and then ran the hills in the avenues with the group this evening. Since the park is closed during the week for hunting for the next few weeks, the group is meeting at the track at 4:30 p.m. to run the avenues. I had to attend a Christmas dinner tonight, so I ran 2.1 miles. I feel like I am fully recovered from the marathon on Sunday, even though I am probably not.

White Rock Marathon

I ran the White Rock Marathon in Dallas for the first time yesterday. My time was 5:41:19, compared to 6:00:20 in Tulsa three weeks ago. Not that my time was great, but it was my best marathon time since Houston in 2005. After my Tulsa experience, I drank a lot more water and Gaterade at the aid stations every two miles and after the race. Other than walking through the aid stations to drink, I ran the entire distance and finished without any particular aches or pains. The aid station at mile 19 (operated by Hooters) was so good that I doubled back and went through it again. The temperature and weather in Dallas was about the same as Tulsa and ideal for marathon running. I ran into several good friends at the race, to include Briana Kretzschmar, Dave Nelson and Beth Whitehead. And, thanks to Beth, who ran the half marathon, for waiting around for my finish.

Two on the Road

Since I am headed for Dallas tomorrow morning, I did a 2-mile loop on the roads in town this afternoon. I'm ready for Sunday.

Jingle Bell Run in The Woodlands

For the third straight year, I went down to The Woodlands tonight to run the Woodlands Fit Jingle Bell Run along the waterway. Ben went down with me and ran. Marilynn went down to shop. The run was untimed and started and finished at Luke's Locker behind the Mall. According to someone's GPS, the course, mostly along the waterway, was 3.5 miles. I forgot to time myself, but I am sure I ran fast. Other club members at the run were Pamela Walton and J. C. Guzman. Most of the runners met at Berryhill for dinner and conversation after the run. We had a great time. Thanks to Coach Beth Whitehead of Woodlands Fit for putting on this fun event.

U.S. Running Streak Association

Today, I received in the quarterly newsletter (more like a book) from the U.S. Running Streak Assn. They printed my broken streak announcement letter and then did a tribute page. That was nice. The good news is that my friend, Vince Attanucci of The Woodlands, moved up one on the new national streak list.
This evening, I ran a 2.2-mile loop around town and then went to a Master Gardener dinner with Marilynn. No running buddies there.

No Long Training Runs Needed

I suppose one of the advantages of running marathons every week or so is that long training runs are not needed. One marathon becomes the last long training run for the next one. I will be doing the White Rock Marathon in Dallas on Sunday, 8 days after the Texas Trail 50K. I have not done marathons that close together, but I think I will be okay. In any case, it is part of my training for two marathons in the same weekend in February. Scroll down to the bottom for my race schedule. I ran 3 miles on the streets around town this afternoon and then worked out at Nautilus.

Late Night Run

I was tied up most of the day and did not get a chance to run until about 10 tonight. It was cold and rainy, so I went to Nautilus and ran on the treadmill. How can anybody do that on a regular basis?

Sunday Track Run

Obviously, after the 50K yesterday, I took today off and ran a mile at the track this afternoon. All my parts were working okay.

Texas Trail 50K and Downhill Dash

It has been a long day. I got up early, picked up Chris Wilson and we met up with other club members at the park for the Texas Trail Runs, the replacement race for Sunmart. Most of us ran the 50K. The race started at 7:30 and the temperature was 25 degrees and only got up to 45 during the afternoon. While my running was rather slow, I did very little walking. I got distracted by some bikers and some other runners and fell twice during the first 12-mile+ loop. Not bad falls, though. I finished in 8:25:35, certainly not my best on this course, but not my worst. When you are 68 with bad knees, any finish is good.

The club held the Downhill Dash at 6 this evening. This was a 1.23-mile run down the Christmas Parade route, just before the parade began. I'm not sure how many runners we had. My job was to take the male and female winners with their trophies back to the parade start in my VW bug and give them a ride in the parade. Fernando Gonzales and Destiny Perrodin were the winners and they had a great time.

Promoting the Downhill Dash

The club's Downhill Dash is tomorrow night and I spent much of today at Mance Park Middle School speaking to five 7th and 8th grade classes about the Downhill Dash and running in general. That was interesting, especially since it was snowing outside and most of them had never seen snow. Then, I did a one-mile run at the track and tonight I picked up my packet for the Texas Trail 50K at the Huntsville State Park tomorrow morning. Marilynn, Ben and I had the pre-race dinner at the SHSU cafeteria. Ed and Trudy Thompson joined us and we had a nice visit. Gotta get up early tomorrow. It is suppose to be 29 degrees at the start and get up to 45 in the afternoon. At least, it is not suppose to rain or snow during the race.

Tapering

I met up with the group this evening at the park, but kept my run to about 2.5 miles. Another short run tomorrow and then the 50K on Saturday.

Short Run

I had to run errands down in Conroe this afternoon, so I did a one-mile run at the track before leaving. It was cold, but it is suppose to be much colder for the 50K at the park this Saturday.

Wet Park Run

The group at the park this evening was rather small - me and John. We did 4.2 miles on the trails and it rained the whole time and it seemed to get colder during the run. After the run, we didn't even hang around for a beer.

Short Road Run

I spent some time today polishing up my 74 VW bug convertible for the Christmas Parade on Saturday. The club is putting on the 1.23-mile Downhill Dash, which will start at 6 p.m., down the Christmas Parade route just before the parade begins. The male and female winners get trophies and then are taken back to the parade starting point and ride in the parade in my bug. I will be doing the 50K at the park that morning, so I hope I cab handle the clutch and brakes. After a workout at Nautilus this afternoon, I went to the track and then ran a 2-mile loop around town. Ben and I went to the Sam basketball game tonight.

Outer Loop

I had planned on going down to The Woodlands this evening for the Sunday Night 5K. However, the traffic on I-45 would be at a standstill on Sunday evening after a holiday. Instead, I went out to the park late this morning and ran the 6.8-mile outer loop.

Leftover Turkey 10K

I ran the club's Leftover Turkey 10K this morning, out and back on hilly Veterans Memorial Parkway. My time was 1:10:39. It was my 104th 10K race since I started racing in 1983. We had 41 runners running the 10K, 5K or 1-mile race this morning. This was one of the largest crowds we have ever had for a club run. Darren Grant did a great job as the race director and got accurate times on everyone.

Easy Day

After doing yard work this afternoon, I went over to the track this evening and ran a mile.

Run Thru the Woods 5-Miler

Ben and I got up early this morning and went down to The Woodlands to run the Run Thru the Woods 5-Miler. This was my 8th straight year to run this race. I ran the distance in 53:32, which was my best time in this race since 2004. Ben ran it in 52:33. It was nice visiting with so many friends at the race. We had a nice Thanksgiving with our family this afternoon and evening and hope you did also.
My times in the Run Thru the Woods:
2009 - 53:32
2008 - 58:47
2007 - 56:12
2006 - 58:56
2005 - 57:28
2004 - 53:14
2003 - 54:03
2002 - 51:10

4.6 with Leslie

Leslie McKinney, a high school teacher from Baton Rouge, was in Huntsville for Thanksgiving and we got together this afternoon for a trail run at the park. We did 4.6 miles Of course, I made sure I was hydrated. This evening, I met with the new club officers to plan club events for 2010. I will get it on the web site soon.

Feeling Good

I feel like I have fully recovered from the marathon on Sunday and the subseqent dehydration. I mowed the grass this afternoon, worked out at Nautilus and then ran 3 miles on the roads at the park this evening.

Route 66 Marathon

Marilynn and I drove up to Wylie (just east of Dallas) Friday and spent the night with George and Shannon and their family. On Saturday, we drove up to Tulsa, OK for the Route 66 Marathon on Sunday. I had never been to Tulsa and somehow thought the place was flat. The first half of the marathon criss-crossed the city and was up and down hills. At the 13.1-mile point, we got to street along the Arkansas River. Then, it up just past the 20-mile marker and then back to the finish line at 26.2. The temperature at the start of the marathon was 43 and at the finish it was in the 60's. My goal was to break 6 hours. Except for walking through the aid stations every two miles, I ran the entire distance. I expect the hills slowed me down some and the "up the river" segment was into a headwind. The last 6 miles was downwind and it got rather warm. I ended up finishing in 6:00:20. I had really expected to finish in about 5:45, but I'll take any marathon finish. After the race, we drove back to Wylie and then drove back to Huntsville this afternoon.

I went to Nautilus and worked out this evening. Then, on the way to the track to get in a run, I stopped to gas up my truck. I got dizzy and almost fell. I drove over to the track, but was too dizzy to run and drove home, instead. My blood pressure was high, so I called my doctor. He said to go to the emergency room. I spent a couple hours there. They did a catscan and ran a lot of other tests and gave me an IV. All the tests came back negative and they concluded that I was dehydrated. I felt better after the IV and went to the track on the way home and ran a mile. No problem, I could have done more.

Marathon Ready

I ran 4+ miles on the trails at the park this evening with the group. I'll do short runs tomorrow and Saturday. I feel good about the marathon on Sunday, since I got in a 50K three weeks ago, I've lost 15 pounds, the course is flat and the weather is suppose to be in the mid-40's at the start, with a high of 64.

One Month

Today marked one month on my new streak. Better still, I have only missed 17 days of running since December 1997. I ran a 2+ mile loop around town this evening.

Tapering

With a marathon in Tulsa on Sunday, I am tapering this week and trying to get the pain out of my left knee. I did an easy 3 miles on the roads at the park this evening, while the others ran trails. I am considering adding another marathon to my list, the Miracle Match Marathon in Waco on January 31. That would be two weeks after Houston and two weeks before my two marathons in one weekend on February 13 and 14. Waco is billed as the toughest marathon in Texas. I ran it once before; nothing but steep hills from mile 14 to 24.

Kneeded the Day Off

After doing 9 yesterday, I had some knee pain today. So, I went to the track after working out at Nautilus and ran a mile. Tonight, Ben and I went to the Sam Houston basketball game with Texas College.

Sunday Morning Run

I had to attend a funeral this afternoon, so I ran trails at the park this morning. I did 9 miles around the outer perimeter of the park and luckily, did not get shot by a deer hunter. Robert Duncan ran with me for about 5 miles. I would like to say that I ran at his speed, but that was not so. Congratulations to club members, Mark Robinson and Jerry Flanagan, for completing the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon San Antonio this morning and to Roger and Patsy Collins for completing the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon.

Working and Running

I got up early this morning, put out road signs for the Kats for the Cause 5K on the SHSU campus and then set up and operated the finish line. They also had a 1-mile race, but we only timed the 82 runners finishing the 5K. Thanks to club member, Glen Carter, and several student volunteers, we accurate race results for everybody. Congratulations to club member, Robert Duncan, for his first place overall win with a time of 20:14 on the hilly course. Other club members running were Darren Grant, Lavonne Zaiontz, Karen Fowler, John Slate and a new member, Courtney West from Willis. After I retrieved the signs and equipment and put it in storage, I ran a 4.4-mile loop around town. Then, I went to the Sam Houston-Central Arkansas football game. I finished up the race results tonight.

Short Road Run

I ran a 2-mile loop around town this afternoon.

Trails

I know the doc told me to stay off the trails, but cooler weather and nice trails at the park are hard to resist. I run more cautiously, because I know that I have to keep from tearing the remaining 20 percent of my quadriceps. I met up with the group this evening and ran 4+ miles.

Happy Veterans Day

Happy Veterans Day to all you veterans. I spent 22 and a half years in the Army and have five brothers who also served in the Armed Forces. Two of my kids also served. Lisa spent four years in the Army and Tim is currently a Marine somewhere on the other side of the world. I celebrated by running 4.4 miles on the roads in town this afternoon.

Diversion from the Topic of Running

I don't know if anyone else has this problem, but I tend to accumulate email messages. I was up to over 5,200 incoming and over 5,500 outgoing message still on my computer. I spent a lot of time today deleting many of them, one by one. I often go back and refer to old messages, so I am being careful as to which ones I delete. I still have a long way to go. Does anyone else have this problem?
I did meet up with the group at the park this evening and ran 4 miles on the trails. Nice weather. Before going into the park, I did have a nice visit with with Jesse Parker, XC Coach at SHSU and a Seven Hills Running Club member, who was out there with his team.

Cell Phones Scare Me

While running a 2.9-mile loop on the streets in town this evening, I almost got hit by a girl talking on a cell phone. I had to dodge her to keep from getting hit. It was a good thing that she was walking across the street and not driving a car. It was scary. She was so engrossed in her telephone conversation, she had no idea I was running by.

Easy Day

After 18.6 miles yesterday, I went to the track this afternoon, visited with club member, Len Hill, for a while and then ran a mile on the track.

Two Streak Races in One Day

There are several races that I run every year and I call them my streak races. Two of them are the Ramp Romp and the Rocky Raccoon Trail Run and both were scheduled for today. The Ramp Romp 5K in College Station did not start until 10 a.m. and the Rocky Raccoon 25K at the Huntsville State Park started at 7 a.m. Thanks to Paul Stone, the Rocky Raccoon race director, I was able to run the Ramp Romp and then come back to Huntsville and start the Rocky Raccoon about noon. The Ramp Romp starts at Kyle Field on the Texas A&M campus, runs one-mile around campus and then 2.1 miles up and down all three sets of ramps at the stadium. Even if you are use to running hills in Huntsville, the ramps are a challenge. It is something different and I always find it fun. I finished in 32:11. I left the finish chute, grabbed two bottles of water and headed back to Huntsville. When I got to the park about noon, when most of the 25K and 50K runners had already finished. Paul let me start and keep my own time. I finished the 25K course in 3:57:11, which is proof that I did not take any shortcuts. It was the first ime that I had ever run a race all alone. No aid station, other runners to run with and no one at the finish line. I carried a water bottle and some GU and Marilynn left me a bottle of water at the aid station on the back side of the park. It was relatively hot this afternoon and I don't think I would have made it without the bottle that she left for me. I was really dehydrated by the time I finished. I headed straight for a vending machine in the park for a large diet Coke. Then, I drove out to the aid station in the back of the park and took down the club's pop-up canopy and then went back to the lodge and pick up the race clock.

Day Off

Since I am running two races tomorrow, I only ran a mile at the track this afternoon. This evening, I picked up my packet for the Rocky Raccoon 25K at Huntsville State Park and then Marilynn and I drove to the back of the park to set up the aid station. She and others will be going out there very early tomorrow to operate the aid station.

Exploratory Run

The group met at the park this evening. Since I am driving out to the back side of the park tomorrow to set up the Seven Hills Running Club's aid station for the Rocky Raccoon Trail Run on Saturday, I ran to certain parts of the road to see if they are drivable. At one point, I stopped and filled in some deep holes in the road with nearby cut logs. I ended up running about 3 miles. Then, I went to the club meeting, where we elected the rest of the new officers for the year. It was a good meeting and many decisions were made. I think the club is off to a good start for the year.

2.9 in Town

After working out at Nautilus this evening, I ran a 2.9 mile loop around town. Felt good.

Trails at the Park

I met up with the group this evening and ran 4.2 miles on the trails. Nothing was sore from the 50K on Saturday and my quadriceps are still intact.

Easy Monday

After returning to Huntsville last night and having a Mexican dinner with Marilynn, I went to the track and ran one mile at 10 p.m. Actually, I felt okay. After a workout at Nautilus this evening, I went to the track and ran a 2-mile loop around town. I felt like I could have run much further, but I know that I needed the rest after the 50K on Saturday.

Helen Klein Classic 50K

I ran the Helen Klein Classic 50K (31 miles) in Sacramento, CA yesterday. The race is directed by Norman Klein, who directed the Western States 100-miler in California for 14 years and Sunmart Texas Trail Endurance Run at Huntsville State Park for 10 years. That is where I got to know Norman and his wife Helen. Helen started running at age 55 and holds about 75 world and U. S. records for long distance running. They are both very inspiring people and it was good to visit with both of them.

The first and last two miles were on a single-file rocky dirt trail. The rest of the course was out and back on a asphalt bike trail along the American River. It was a beautiful course and the trees were in full color. There were a few flat stretches, but mostly it was up or down hills. I felt good until I hit the wall at about 21 miles. (my lack of multiple long traing runs caught up with me). During the last 10 miles, I did more walking than running. My finish time was 8:17:25.

Rested Up

I'm rested up for the 50K on Saturday in California - maybe too rested. I went out to the park this evening to meet up with the group. It was raining, as it did all day, and no one else showed up. So, I went to Nautilus, worked out and then ran on a treadmill. That's the first time I have run on a treadmill in probably a couple years. How can anyone do distance on treadmills?

Track Run

I went to the track this evening, with the intention of running the roads from there. Randy Woodward was there finishing up his run. He had a half mile to go and I ended up running a mile with him. We talked a while and I had to leave to pick up Marilynn at the airport.

Easy Run at the Park

I'm tapering for the 50K this Saturday. I ran 3 miles on the roads at the park this evening. Marilynn gets back from Chicago tomorrow night. Except for coffee cups, I have no dirty dishes in the sink. All the restaurants in town, except those that serve stuff from the water, did well the last few days.

Rainy Run

I was asked to attend a meeting at the university late this afternoon at about the same time I planned to run. So, I ended up running a mile+ in the rain in my neighborhood before the meeting. Then, I went straight to a restaurant to have dinner with Ben and his friend.

Sunday Night 5K

Not being a early morning person, I like these evening races. I went down to The Woodlands this evening for the Sunday Night 5K. I ran it in 31:36, my fastest time on this course since November 2004. Think what I could do with 100% of my quadricepts. Jason and Laura from Huntsville were also there.

Nacogdoches

I slept in this morning and had just enough time to run a mile before going to the Sam Houston - Stephen F. Austin game in Nacogdoches with Ben. We had a good time, but Sam lost badly. We sat with an old friend of mine, Jim Sawyer, of Center. He and I were officers in the Rose Runners in Tyler in 1985. I also saw Kori Estrada, who was a van-mate at the Texas Independence Relay last March. She is a school teacher in Lufkin, not far from Nacogdoches. It was so crowded, I could not reach her for a visit.

Early Start

I got up at 4 this morning to take Marilynn down to the airport for a flight to Chicago. She will be visiting our daughter, Lisa, and will come back on Wednesday. So, it was a quiet day at the house, not that she is that noisy when she is here. I went to Nautilus this evening and then did a 3.2 mile run around town. Gosh, I love this cooler weather.

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.