Got it out

I have not mentioned it in my blog, but last Thursday night, I took out my contacts for the night.  My right eye kept waking me up during the night.  When I went to put them in Friday morning, I found that only half of the right eye contact was there.  The other half was obviously still in my eye.  I tried to find it all weekend and periodically felt it in my eye.  It kept waking me up during the night.  I went to the eye clinic this morning.  It took some searching by two ladies, but they finally found it and removed it from the corner of my eye.  That was a relief.
After Iron Works this evening, I ran 2.3 miles around the campus.  A good friend, Haleigh, stopped and we visited for a while during my run.  Great news.  She moved back to Huntsville and will be the track coach at Huntsville HS.

Gator Bait 5K

For the first time, I ran the Gator Bait 5K Trail Run at Huntsville State Park this morning.  Very hot and especially humid.  I felt sluggish and unmotivated and my finish time of 50:36 (50:23 chip time) showed it.  With all the rain lately, the trails were muddy in spots, but I managed to not to trip over a root and slip in the mud.  It was probably a new 5K PW (personal worst) for me.  However, I won first in the 70-74 age group (I was the only one).  I did beat the guy in the 75-79 age group.  My next race is the Polish Pickle 5K on Saturday.  It will be my 20th straight year for running this race.

June Bug 5K and Buffalo Bayou Brewery Run

I ran our club's June Bug 5K this morning in the Spring Lake Sub-division.  Hilly and humid.  I finished in 39:47m about 2 minutes slower than my normal 5K time lately.  I went home, showered and then left for Houston to run the Buffalo Bayou Brewery 3.5-Mile Run at 11:20 this morning.  Being Houston, it was a flat course, but the heat was terrible.  I plugged along and finished in 47:08.

Resting up for a 3-race weekend

It's Friday and I plan to run 3 races this weekend.  Late this morning, I went to the track and ran laps.

Wet trails

It seems as though it has been a while since I went to the park.  I ran 2.5 miles on wet and muddy trails this evening.  Lots of rain earlier today.

The storm has passed

Tropical Storm Bill has passed this area and has moved up north.  According to my rain gauge, we had one inch of rain overnight, but none today.  However, as expected, the humidity was very high.  After working out at Iron Works this evening, I ran 3 miles around the town and campus.  Felt very sluggish.

Pre-tropical storm run

Tropical Storm Bill was headed up this way from the Gulf and there was a 100% chance of heavy storms this evening when we usually run at Huntsville State Park.  So, late this morning, I drove over to Veterans Memorial Parkway and ran 2 miles in a light rain.  It looks like the storm took a more westerly path and there was no rain this evening.

Cool run after the rain

We had a nice rain this afternoon and it was relatively cool.  After the rain, I ran 3.5 miles around the campus and avenues.

It was suppose to rain

The forecast was for 100 percent chance of rain today.  After church, I managed to mow the yard and still no rain.  I went for a run at 5 p.m., expecting to finish before the rain began.  I ran an unplanned course around the campus, which turned out to be 2.2 miles.  Here it is after midnight and still no rain.

Greyhound 5K

For the fourth straight year, I ran the Greyhound 5K in Kosse this morning.  Kosse is 88 miles northwest of Huntsville.  As usual for this time of the year, it was hot and humid.  I finished in 37:50 and was 2nd of 3 in the 70 and over age group.  I got a chance to visit with some good friends, including Dennis Alston, who I had breakfast with at the Kosse Cafe after the race.  Today was my 2,064th consecutive day of running.  This race was my 33rd this year and 795th since I started racing in 1983.

Laps at the track

As on most Fridays, I went to the track and ran laps this morning.  5K race tomorrow morning.

Running club meeting this evening

We had a running club meeting this evening, so I skipped running at the park.  I ran an unplanned route through the hilly avenues.  It turned out to be 2.5 miles.

Easy day

I did not feel well today, but got in a 2-mile run in the heat of the early evening.

Dry trails

After so much rain in May through the 29th, we have not have a drop since.  I met up with the group at the park this evening and ran 2.5 miles on the trails.  The trails were very dry, with deep sand in places.

Back to Monday

Mowed the yard, worked out at Iron Works and ran 2 miles on the streets around the campus.  The knees were a little wobbly after 3 races this weekend.

Wellness 5K and Sunday Night 5K

I got up at 5 this morning and drove down to Houston to run the Wellness 5K at 7.  It started and finished at the U. of Houston Downtown campus.  I planned to come down Main St. from the north to the campus and avoid the downtown area.  However, roads were closed due to construction and I ended up south of downtown.  I finally made it to the race, but with little time to spare.  The course was out and back on a concrete trail along the bayou (probably under water a week ago).  I finished in 37:37.  They did not have age group awards, but I was the only runner over 70.
This evening, I went down to The Woodlands with Julia Buck to run the Sunday Night 5K.  I finished in 37:03.

Heights 5K Race

For the fifth straight year, I went down to Houston this morning and ran the Heights 5K Race - about 1,000 of Houston's fastest runners on a flat out and back course on Heights Blvd.  The overall winner ran 14 something.  I finished in 37:34, 4th of 5 in the 70-74 age group.  It was my 30th race in 2015 and I have 5 more scheduled this month.
After the race, I went to a couple stores in Houston, looking for a replacement part on my old binoculars, which I bought in Vietnam 48 years ago.  Luckily, I found the part.
On the way back to Huntsville, I stopped and had lunch with my son on the north side of Houston.

Friday routine

With a race tomorrow morning, I went to the track and ran laps this afternoon.

Avenues 5K course

Normally I run at the park on Thursday.  However, we had a club officers meeting this evening and I missed the park.  So, I ran the hilly Avenues 5K course late this afternoon.  As far as my knees go, it was the most comfortable run I have done in a long time.  Cortizone works well.

Post cortizone shot day

Since I had a cortizone shot in my left knee yesterday, this had to be a short run day.  I spent most of the day mowing the yard and working on my son's car, but I did get to Iron Works this evening and then ran laps at the track.  Nice comfortable run without much knee pain.

Scare at the track

Since I had a doctors appointment at 1 p.m. today to presumably to get a cortizone shot in my left knee, I went over to the track and ran laps this morning.  During my my last, a Huntsville Police Officer, who I did not know, parked and waited for me to finish my lap.  I was a little scared.  I knew that I was not getting a speeding ticket for running too fast, but I thought maybe a family member had been in an accident.  He said that he needed to talk to me.  He said that he was training for the Huntsville Half Marathon in October and wanted to know if he could push a baby stroller.  I told him that I would talk to the race director, but was sure it was okay if the stay behind all the other runners.  Whew!
   The doctor and I were convinced that the pain in my knees was caused by the arthritis under my knee caps.  The cortizone shot in my right knee three weeks ago really helped.  So, as expected, he gave me a shot in my left knee.  I have to do another short run tomorrow, but no restrictions after that.  We had a serious talk about so much running, verses alternative exercises for cardio.  He said that even with my knee issues, I was in better shape than 99 percent of his other patients my age.  He said that he would continue to support me the best he could.  Reminder to myself - keep streaking.

Second day of the drought

Two days in a row now with no rain.  Seems like a drought.  After working out a Iron Works, I ran an unplanned route on the streets in town.  It turned out to be 2.7 miles.

OMG, no rain today

It was sunny all day and no rain is forecast for the next few days.  I ran 2 miles on the streets this afternoon, but felt sluggish and my knees were stiff.  I have concluded that the cortizone shot that I received a couple weeks ago is really helping.  So, I presume that when I see the doctor this Tuesday, he will give me one in the left knee.

Chupacabra 10K

I just got home after running the Chupacabra 10K run in New Caney, an hour and 5 minutes southeast of Huntsville.  It started at 8:30 tonight.  It was suppose to be on trails, but the trails were waist high deep with water from so much rain.  So, they moved the race to muddy and pot-holed gravel roads in the park.  The 5K was an out and back course and the 10K was the 5K course twice.  I carried two lights and felt fortunate not to have tripped and fallen.  It rained for the entire race.  I finished in 1:29:32, but there was no age group competition or any awards given.  However, they had a good BBQ dinner and beer after the race and I got to visit with some friends, including Jon Walk, who was announcing the race, and make some new friends.

ER

I woke up Wednesday morning very dizzy.  I assumed it was vertigo, based on my sinus congestion.  I took a decongestant and that helped.  I woke up dizzy again this morning.  I stumbled to the cabinet and took decongestant tablets and then went back to bed.  I woke up at 10 a.m. and was still dizzy.  My doctor is out on Friday, so I went to the Emergency Room (Physicians ER) about 2 p.m.  They were very thorough.  Besides taking all the vital signs, they ran blood tests, conducted an EKG on my heart and an MRI of my head.  In the meantime, they gave me an IV and a pill for vertigo.  All the tests came back normal and the doctor concluded that it was vertigo.  I was at the emergency room about 2 hours and felt better after the vertigo pill took affect.  He prescribed pills should I get vertigo again and suggested an over-the-counter decongestant.  After getting back home, I laid down for a while and then went to the track and ran laps at 6 p.m..  10K tomorrow.

Muddy trails

I ran 3.5 miles on the trails at the park this evening.  They were really muddy in places.  For the second time this year, I got bit by a tick  Jacob also got bit.  I have read that ticks are really suppose to be bad this year.

PTA 5K course, again

It's Wednesday, so after working out at Iron Works this evening, I ran the PTA 5K course.  Running Streak Day 2,047.

Back to the park

It was back to the park this evening.  Some ran on the wet and muddy trails, but James and I ran on the park roads.  The course we ran was about 2 1/4 miles.

Memorial Day 5K at my house

When I went to bed last night, the chance of thunderstorms at 8 a.m. this morning was 30%.  I got up at 6 a.m. this morning and immediately checked the weather - sunny with 0% chance of rain for the morning.  What a relief.  Our club's annual Memorial Day 5K has been at my house for years.  Nothing like having an inflatable start/finish arch over your driveway.  Anyway, I drove the course, putting out all the signs and cones.  Then, worked on the arch, race clock and other things.  The race is open to the public, so you never know how many people are going to show up.  We ended up with 131 runners, plus a lot of family members.  In the nearly 30-year history of our club, it was the largest number of runners we ever had for a monthly club run.  All went well, but it was a relief to have the race completed and everything put away.  I was working on posting photos from the race this afternoon, when Julia emailed me and suggested that I go get my run in, because a storm was headed this way.  I drove to the track and ran on the roads from there.  I intended to run 3 miles, but the storm was blowing in and I cut it to 2 miles.

Getting ready for tomorrow

We have our club's annual Memorial Day 5K at our house every year.  Depending on the weather, we should have over 100 runners and others here.  So, I spent most of the day getting everything ready.  My wife and 3 other ladies were fixing breakfast to be served after the race.  My truck is all loaded with signs and cones for the course. The inflatable arch will go over my driveway tomorrow morning, after I put out all the signs.  I did take a break this afternoon and ran 2 miles on the roads in town.

Birthday

Today was my 74th birthday.  I celebrated by running three races.  I got up early and drove down to The Woodlands and ran the Run the Woodlands 5K at 8 a.m.  I finished in 38:50.  Then, I drove down to Houston and ran the Buffalo Bayou Brewery Run at 11:20.  It was suppose to be 4 miles, but according to my GPS, it was 4.3 miles.  In any case, it was non-competitive and I hung back with my niece from Houston.  We had to stop several times and wait for lights to cross major streets and I stopped once to hug Rachel, a member of our club who graduated from Sam Houston State and moved to Houston.  She happened to be out for a training run.  I also stopped briefly at the Gary Price Memorial Park Bench in Memorial Park.  Gary was a 45 year old Houston Police Officer, who died of a heart attack while running the Huntsville Half Marathon in 1997, while I was serving as the Race Director.  I finished the Buffalo Brewery Run in 59:20 and then enjoyed some good beer.  Then, I went to my niece's apartment in Houston and got a shower.  Then, I drove up to Cypress and had dinner with my son, Kenny.  That was followed by the Light Up the Lake 5K in Cypress at 7:30 p.m.  I finished in 38:50, which was the same time as the first race this morning.  I was the only runner in the 65 and over age group, so I received a nice plague for first place.  I finally got home about 10:30 tonight.  It was nice visiting with so many friends at all three races.

No rain today

I took advantage of no rain today and mowed and trimmed my yard.  Tomorrow is my 74th birthday and I plan to celebrate by running three races, a 5K in The Woodlands, 4-Miler in Houston and a 5K in Cypress.  Long day tomorrow and a lot of driving.  To rest up, I ran 1.3 miles on the streets in town this morning.

Rain must be here to stay

It rained again today.  My yard is completely saturated, with standing water in low spots.  To avoid the mud at the park, I ran 2 miles on the roads at the park this evening.

PTA 5K course

After Iron Works this evening, I went to Physical Therapy Associates and ran the 5K course, starting and finishing in front of their building.

Measured a course this morning

We are having our club's annual Memorial Day 5K at my house next Monday.  I tweaked the course a bit, so I re-measured it this morning with an engineer wheel and marked the miles and turnaround point.  I am not use to walking 5K's, but I survived.  After working out a Iron Works this evening, I went out to the hot and steamy park and ran 2.5 miles on the trails.

Woke up to more rain

I woke to more rain this morning.  The ground is so saturated, I have standing water in places in my yard.  After working out at Iron Works this evening, I ran 2 miles around the campus.  About a half mile into my run, Lucio from the Sam Houston State Track and Cross Country Team started running with me.  I have never met him before, but we had a nice visit.  He ran with me until the end of my 2-mile course.  I appreciate him running slow to keep up with me and I am sure I ran faster than normal to stay with him.

More rain

Our visiting family went home this morning and it rained most of the day.  I finally got out at 6 p.m. and ran 3 miles on the roads around the campus.

2 Miles and then off to Tyler

I just ran 2 miles on Veterans Memorial Parkway.  Now, off to Tyler for a family get-together for the rest of the day.

Back from Wylie

I drove up to Wylie (NW of Dallas) Wednesday afternoon.  My windshield wipers were on for the whole trip.  I ran 3.2 miles on a concrete trail (partly under water) in Plano yesterday.  My right knee felt better during the run, but went back to its usual hurting afterwards.  I'm just not sure the cortizone shot is helping.  I drove back to Huntsville this afternoon, mostly in the rain and especially heavy rain in the Dallas area. I worked out a Iron Works this afternoon and tried to get in a couple miles between thunderstorms.  I ended up running 1.3 miles before the storm hit again.  Now, I have family coming in tonight and we will be in Tyler tomorrow.

Post cortizone shot run

In keeping with the doc's instructions, I did another short run this morning (1.3 miles on the road).  Although it was not painless, my right knee felt better.  Hopefully, that is a good sign.

Doctor visit today

Just in case the doctor would do something and tell me not to run today, I ran laps at the track late this morning and went to see the doctor about my knees at 1 p.m.  He said that there were two possibilities.  One, the Synvisc injections for the arthritis under the knee caps was no longer working.  Or, second, there was inflammation in the muscles that attach to the top of the knee caps.  Since my right knee is worse, he injected cortizone under the knee cap to supplement the Synvisc.  He said that if the arthritis under the knee cap is the problem, it will feel better soon.  In 3 weeks, I go back.  If my right knee is okay by then, he will inject cortizone in the left knee.  If it is not better, it is inflammation in the muscles above the knee caps.
I have to do a short run (1-mile) tomorrow and then I can get my mileage back up.  I have family visiting this weekend, so no race.  I have 2-5K's on May 23 (my 74th birthday) and a 10K night trail run on May 30.

Heavy storm this morning

A heavy storm came through Huntsville this morning and it rained much of the day.  My rain gauge said 1.5 inches, but someone at Iron Works told me that they got 6 inches.  Anyway, by the time I went out to run this evening, it was clear.  I ran an unplanned route on the streets in town.  It turned out to be 2.8 miles.

Empty campus

Sam Houston's graduation was yesterday, so the campus was empty today.  This afternoon, I ran a 2-mile loop around the campus.  My knees were sore and unstable, especially for the first mile.  They loosened up somewhat for the second mile.  My doctor's appointment is only two days away.  I hope he has a solution.

Run the Woodlands 5K

For the 68th time, I ran the Run the Woodlands 5K this morning.  It was very humid and I felt very sluggish the entire race.  I finished in 38:41, my slowest on this course in almost 2 years.  In any case, it was my 25th race this year and my 2,029th consecutive day of running.

Friday workout

I normally skip Iron Works on Friday, but since I have been out-of-town, I worked out there this afternoon before running laps at the track.

Back from North Carolina

I just got home from a trip to Hickory, NC to visit my daughter and her family.  Flew up last Thursday and back this evening.  I could not find a race there during my visit, but it was just as much fun spending time with family.  Some days, I ran in her neighborhood and other days at the YMCA half mile asphalt track.  I never got in over 3 miles on any day.  I did not realize how pleasant the weather was in NC, until I stepped outside in the heat and humidity at the airport in Houston tonight.  I am looking forward to my doctor's appointment here on May 12 to see what he might be able to do about my sore knees.

Taking it easy

I do not have any long races coming up in the next few weeks, so hopefully I can reduce the pain in my knees.  I am looking forward to seeing what the doctor says on May 12.  So, for the second consecutive day, I ran a 2-mile loop around the campus.  It seems strange not to be running at the park on a Thursday evening.

Trail cleanup

This afternoon, Dana and I went out to the state park and cleaned 1-mile of trail.  We cleaned the small trees, limbs and other debris from the trail and mapped the location of the large trees that had fallen across the trail (like the one in the photo).  We will leave those to the park crews.  On the way home, I stopped at the track and ran a 2-mile loop on the roads from there.  My knees continue to hurt, but I have an appointment with the doctor on May 12.  Then, I worked out at Iron-Works.

Park is closed

I went out to the park this evening to do a solo trail run.  A police officer stopped me in the park and said that the park was closed.  A tornado touched down early this morning and knocked over a lot of trees and power lines.  It will open up this Wednesday at the earliest.  So, I went to the track and ran laps.  When I got home, I posted the news about the park being closed on the club FB page and immediately got offers from runners to go out and help clean it up.  I think runners appreciate the park more than anyone else.

Sore and stiff knees

I have gotten the Synvisc (stuff from a rooster's cone) shots under my knee caps for 4 years now.  They lubricate the arthritis and ease the pain.  They have worked well for several years, but now seem to have no effect.  My knees are sore and stiff, even after only running a 10K yesterday.  I need to back to the doctor and see what the alternatives are that do not include breaking my running streak.  This afternoon, I ran 2 miles on the streets around the campus and took Ibuprofen tablets with my dinner.

Superhero 10K

I drove a little over an hour this morning to the Alabama-Coushatta Indian Reservation to run the Superhero 10K  The weather forecast was for a small chance of rain.  It was raining when I left Huntsville and at race time, there was heavy rain and lightning.  It rained hard for the first mile and then let up after that.  Even so, there was water and mud on the roads for most of the course.  It slowed me down some.  I finished in 1:18:38, about 2 minutes slower than the same race last year.  There were two of us in the 60 and over age group and I finished first.  Despite the weather, it was nice to see and visit with a lot of friends.

Wet track

It rained this morning.  I went over to the track this afternoon and ran laps, trying to dodge the puddles of water and mud on the track.  10K tomorrow.

Hot and humid trails

It was hot and humid at the park this evening.  I ran a different course than usual to check for any remaining flagging from the Hog's Hunt Trail Run last Saturday.  I am not sure how far I ran, but I ran for just over an hour and found a couple flags.  I suppose 4+ miles.

Regular 2-mile loop

After working out at Iron Works, I ran my "regular" 2-mile loop around the campus.

Five of us at the park

Five of us showed up at the park to run trails this evening.  It was me, Jason, Sara, Samantha and Dana.  I ran 3 miles on the trails and removed 7 flags that someone did not remove after the race last Saturday.  The snakes are out, but I have not seen one.

Texas 10 Series Plano

Saturday afternoon, I drove up to the Dallas area to run the Texas 10 Series 10-miler in Plano Sunday morning.  It stormed Saturday night, but the weather was clear and in the 60's for the race.  I finished in 2:07:32, about 4 minutes faster than the same race last year.  I was 3rd of 3 in the 70 and over age group.  I drove back to Huntsville this afternoon and then went out to the state park to remove flagging from a section of the Hog's Hunt Trail Run last Saturday.  I ran 1.1 miles on the roads to the trail head and then ran/walked 2.8 miles, while removing flags.

Hog's Hunt and Spring Fling

I got up early this morning and hiked out to my post as a course monitor for the Hog's Hunt 50K & 25K at Huntsville State Park.  The 50K started at 6 a.m., so I was there well before daylight.  My wife relieved me at 7:30 and I went back into town and ran the club's Spring Fling 5K.  I finished in 36 something.  I went back to the park and finished up my duties about noon time.

Busy weekend coming up

I have two races to run this weekend and am volunteering for another.  I ran laps at the track this afternoon and then there was more rain tonight.

Scary run

When I left Iron Works to go to the park to run, there was a tornado and hail warning out for the north side of Huntsville.  Since the park is 9 miles to the south, I figured it would be okay there.  Jason was the only  other runner to show up at the park.  It was raining, so we both decided to run on the roads.  About a tenth of a mile into the run, the sky opened up.  Extremely heavy rain and wind.  I decided to turn around at 6/10ths of a mile.  When nearing the turnaround point, the lightning got very heavy, frequent and close.  It got scary and dangerous.  I left the road and ran into the woods to get on a trail.  I figured that running through the trees would be better than the road..  The road and the trail both had deep water.  I was relieved to get back to the nature center and under cover.  Jason had made it a mile down to the lodge and took shelter until the lightning let up a bit.  While there, he saw a huge oak tree fall between two trucks in the parking lot.  There were two other large trees which had fallen on the road we were running.  Before going into the park, I parked at the outer parking lot and waited for other runners who wanted a ride into the park.  When I was leaving the park after running, I saw that a tree fell over in the parking lot in the same spot I had parked earlier.

5K with Jennifer

Jennifer and I met up at PTA this evening and ran the 5K course from there.

Three on the trails

Regular Tuesday.  Worked out at Iron Works and then ran 3 miles on the trails at the park.

Road run

After working out at Iron Works, I ran 2 miles on the roads in town.  Beside yard work, it was an easy day.

Sunday at the park

It was suppose to start raining about 3 p.m. today.  I bought fire ant killer to cover the lawn and it is suppose to be watered in after application.  So, after church and stopping to eat afterwards, my hope was to get the stuff on the lawn and get in a run at the park before the rain.  About 2 p.m., I was too bags short and asked my wife to go to Home Depot for more, while I went out to the park to run.  I ran 4 miles on the trails, with a light rain the last mile.  When I got home, there had been no rain and I put down 2 more bags.  Still no rain.  Hoping for some tomorrow.

Blue Bell 10K

I drove a little over an hour this morning to run the Blue Bell 10K in Brenham.  There were 1,129 finishers in the 10K and about twice that many in the 5K.  There was a threat of rain, but there was none.  Cool and very humid.  I finished in 1:17:28 and was 4th of 6 runners in the 70 to 79 age group.  No age group award, but I at plenty of free ice cream to make up for it.

Day 2,000

With a 10K tomorrow morning, I went to the track today and ran laps for my 2,000th consecutive day of running..  It would have been day 4,487 if that darn doctor had not misdiagnosed my knee injury in October 2009 and convinced me to not run for 4 days.

Let's hear a drum roll

Today was my 1,999th consecutive day of running.  Let's hear a drum roll for tomorrow.  I ran about 2.5 miles on the trails at the park this evening with Jennifer, Jacob and Jason.

Change of plans

I went to PTA this evening to run the 5K course from there.  No one else show up to run, except Jennifer, who I had not met before.  After a brief discussion, we decided to go to the park and run trails, instead of the concrete sidewalk.  It was her first time at the park and we ran 3 miles.

Big crowd at the park

We had a larger than usual group at the park this evening.  Ray Sarno ran with me and we did 3.5 miles.  Then, I went to the Sam Houston baseball game.

Sore knees

The shots of Synvisc I got in under my kneecaps for arthritis a couple months ago no longer seem to be working.  As I recall, it was the fourth year that I received the shots.  Both knees are sore and stiff, so maybe I need to ask the doctor for an alternative, besides not running everyday.  In the meantime, I ran 2 miles around the campus this evening.

Sunday Night 5K

For the 18th consecutive first Sunday of the month, I ran the Sunday Night 5K in The Woodlands this evening.  I ran with my friend, Jon Walk, and we had a nice visit.  I finished in 36:53.

Dogwood Dash 5K

I drove an hour and a half east this morning to run the Dogwood Dash 5K in Woodville.  It was a nice drive through the forests of East Texas.  This race has been held for many years, in conjunction with the local Dogwood Festival.  It was a good chance to visit with old friends to the east.  I finished in 36:02 and was 2nd of 4 runners in the 70 and over age group.

Two races this weekend

With a couple races this weekend, I went to the track late this morning and ran laps.

Park is really turning green

I ran 3 miles on the trails at the park this evening.  With the warmer weather here, the park is really turning green and the Dogwood trees are in full bloom.

Rain, again

After a week or so of sunny dry weather, we had rain again today.  I went over to PTA this evening to run the 5K course.  No one else show up and it was raining.  I cut it short.  Ran 2 miles.

1990

I was checking the U. S. Running Streak Association web site to see how many consecutive days that I have run.  As of today, 1,990.  Obviously, I am getting close to the milestone of 2,000.  Been there once before, so it is not a big deal.  I met up with the group this evening and ran 3 miles on the trails at the park.

Monday night run

This afternoon, I drove my sister down to the south side of Houston for a doctor's appointment.  We did not get back until late this evening, so I went over to the track after dark and ran laps.  My knees are still sore from the runs this weekend, anyway.

Texas 10 Series Boerne

I drove 4 hours to Boerne (west of San Antonio) yesterday to run the Texas 10 Series 10-miler this morning.  Nice sunny weather and not too hot.  I felt sluggish the first 5-mile loop, but loosened up some the second loop.  Must be the 5-miler yesterday.  I finished in 2:11:32, about 1 minute and a half slower than the same race last year.  The race was much larger this year and for the first time 13 races that I have done in the series, I did not place.  The next race in the series will be in Plano next month.

Running of the Bears 5-Miler

I took the back roads 30 minutes down to Montgomery this morning to do the Running of the Bears 5-Miler.  Nice weather, sunny, but not too hot.  I finished in 59:41 (1st in age group), 10 seconds slower than the same race last year.  Got a chance to visit with my streaker friend, Vince, from The Woodlands.

Rest day

I spent most of the day roto-tillering my garden, hoeing and planting my garden.  I'm not use to all that work.  Since it is Friday and I have two races this weekend, it was a rest day as far as running goes.  I went to the track this morning and ran laps.

Four on the trails

It rained last night and was a little cooler today.  Great day for running at the park.  I ran 4 miles on the trails this evening.

5K with Sam

Samantha and I met up at PTA this evening and ran the PTA 5K course.

Outer Loop

After working out at Iron Works, I ran the 6.8-mile outer loop trail at the park this evening.  Beautiful sunny weather.

Routine Monday

After working out at Iron Works this evening, I ran 2 miles around the campus.  Nice sunny weather, for a change.

Run the Trails 3.5 Miler

We had our club's annual Run the Trails 3.5 Miler at Huntsville State Park this afternoon.  I went out to the park an hour early and ran the course, so I could take photos.  After the run, I coordinated a crew of volunteers to cleanup every trail in the park.  They picked up a lot of trash, so for right now, the trails look good. Then, I spent most of the evening updating the club web site with weekend race results and developing a photo gallery.  Just finish the gallery.  Click HERE to see it.

Bearathon Half Marathon

I drove to Waco yesterday for this morning's Bearathon Half Marathon, which started and finished on the Baylor University Campus.  The race started in the dark and rain at 7 a.m. this morning.  The temperature was nice, though, 50's, 60's.  It is billed as the toughest half marathon in Texas because of about 6 miles of very steep hills in Cameron Park.  I finished in 2:56:08, eight seconds slower than The Army Half Marathon three weeks ago.  I was determined not to walk any of the hills and I accomplished that..  There were 1,152 finishes in the Half Marathon event and I placed 5 of 5 in the 70 and over age group.  In any case, it was my 777th race since I started racing on May 1, 1983.  It was my 14th half marathon (including a 25K) this season.

Laps

I ran laps at the track this morning.  Race tomorrow morning.

Trails

After working out at Iron Works, I ran 3 miles on the trails at the park.

Wednesday evening 5K

Dana, Christopher and I met at PTA this evening and ran the PTA 5K course.  It is starting to feel like summer.  We complained about the cold and now the heat.

Back to the routine

After Iron Works, I met up with Jacob, Sara, Jason, Samantha, Dana and Ray Sarno at the park and ran 3 miles on the trails.

Back from Yuma

I ran at the track after midnight on Wednesday night to get my Thursday run in early.  I left early Thursday morning and drove 700+ miles to El Paso.  I spent the night there and then drove nearly 600 more miles Friday to Yuma, Arizona for my son's wedding.  I got in a run on the streets in Yuma after arriving on Friday and just made it to the the rehearsal Friday evening.  The temperature in Yuma was in the 90's and it was extremely dry.  It played havoc with my sinuses.  I ran the streets again on Saturday morning, got my truck washed and lost $25 at the casino.  It was a beautiful wedding at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday and a very nice reception.  I got up early Sunday morning, went to church and then to the new in-law's house to say goodbye and to get citrus fruit from the trees in their yard.  Then, I headed back to El Paso.  It was dark when I arrived at the hotel and El Paso is not my favorite place to run after dark.  I managed to get in a run from the hotel and survived.  I drove back from El Paso today.  I stopped in Fredericksburg out in the Texas  hill country for an hour to visit the Admiral Chester Nimitz Pacific War Museum.  I had been by there a number of times, but never stopped until today.  Besides, the hour break got me through Austin after the rush hour.  I finally made it back to Huntsville at 10 p.m. tonight.  I went to the track and ran laps at 11 p.m.  Hopefully, tomorrow I can return to my routine.  Half Marathon coming up next Saturday.

PTA 5K Course

Clayton, Dana, Christopher and I ran the PTA 5K course this evening.  I have driving all day tomorrow, so my plan is to go run after midnight tonight in the rain.  Us streakers have to do that sometime.

No rain today

No sun today, but at least no rain.  It was me, Jacob and Jason at the park this evening.  I had to get back home, so I only ran 2.5 miles on the trails.

The rain continues

It rained all day again today.  After working out at Iron Works this evening, I ran 2 miles on the streets around the nearly empty campus (Spring Break).  I got soaking wet, but that's okay.

Wet trail run

I went out to the park this afternoon and ran 4 miles on the trails in the rain.  The temperature was in the high 40's, so it was rather comfortable.

Habitat for Humanity 5K

I drove 50 miles to the south of Livingston this morning to run the Habitat for Humanity 5K.  I believe it was their first year and they only had about 20 runners.  In any case, several of my friends were there and I met some of their local runners.  It was a double loop, mostly on a gravel road.  I finished in 36:40, but they did not have age group competition.  I spent the rest of the day with visiting family.

Different Thursday routine

I had family coming in this afternoon for a visit, so I ran earlier this afternoon, not the usual Thursday evening run at the park.  Squeezed in a 1.3-mile cold run on the streets in town.

Rare morning training run

As anyone that ever may read this blog knows, I hate running in the morning.  The forecast was for heavy rain and cold this evening, so I ran the out and back 5K course on Veterans Memorial Parkway at 10 this morning.  It was over 70 degrees and it is suppose to get down to about freezing tonight.

Heat Wave

After so much cold, the temperature was up in the 70's today.  However, the heat wave will be short-lived.  It is suppose to be in the 20's before the week is over.  After Iron Works this evening, I met up with the group at the park.  It was me, Jacob, Jason, Samantha and April.  We all ran 3 miles on the trails.

Easy running day

I spent most of the morning writing my running column for the Huntsville Item tomorrow.  There were so many race results for local runners, I only had space for a short narrative.  This evening, after working out at Iron Works, I ran 2 miles around the campus.  While running, I ran into Dana and we had a brief visit.  She told me something that made me realize that I had a serious error in my column.  After unsuccessfully trying to reach the sports desk by phone, I ended up banging on the back door of the Huntsville Item tonight to reach someone to fix it.

3-Race Weekend

                 The Woodlands Half                       The Army Half  
                       
Busy weekend and all having to do with running.  I got up at 4 something yesterday morning and drove down to The Woodlands to run The Woodlands Half Marathon.  The temperature was in the high 30's and it did not warm up much during the race.  it rained for a while at about mile 8 and 9, but otherwise the weather was comfortable.  I finished in 2:58:05 (6th in age group), compared to 2:59:24 (3rd in age group) last year.  When I got back to Huntsville, I showered and took a one-hour nap.  Then, I drove 2 1/2 hours west to Temple for The Army Half Marathon.  I went straight to the expo to pick up my packet, then went to Mass at a church across town and then to a restaurant near the hotel.  I worked on race results for local runners for my newspaper column until I went to bed at 10:30.  Then, I got up at 5:15 this morning to go run the race.  My GPS sent me all over Temple before finding the race parking lot.  Then, I realized that I forgot my drop bag in the hotel.  It was camouflage in color, so I suppose it hid from me.  So, when I left my truck in the parking lot, I had to wear what I was going to run in.  I had to stand outside for a long time in the rain waiting on the shuttle bus to the start line.  I ended up getting to the start line about 15 minutes before race start at 7 a.m.  It was an out and back course.  The temperature was around 40, but strong winds made it brutal.  I finished in 2:56:03 (4th of 7 in age group).  Then, I had to stand in a long line for a shuttle bus back to the parking lot.  By then, the temperature was in the low 30's.  I finally got back to the truck and drove back to Huntsville.  I took another shower, a 30-minute nap and then drove down to The Woodlands for the Sunday Night 5K.  My streaker buddy, Vince Attanucci, was there and ran with me.  Normally, he runs fast, but he is recovering from a knee injury and is reduced to my pace.  We finished in 38:31.  I appreciate him running and visiting.  It would have otherwise seemed like a long 5K.  I stopped to eat on the way back to Huntsville.  Then, I started working on race results for the club web site.