TEXAS Paul - Out to Pasture - Healing

This one was fun and different.  To celebrate Karen H's birthday we did a 5:00 AM run from Karen F's home in Austin.  Tom met us there and a new guy named Mike (from Dallas) met us too.  So the 5 of us took off from Karen's home and did the run through the streets of west Austin down to the Town Lake Trail and then up through town back to Karen's home.  A nice run and we pushed it just hard enough that I felt it the rest of the day while at work. 

A great way to start the day.  This weekend will be a killer.  7.5 miles on the greenbelt to the Hill of Life, then 8 to 10 HOL, then 7.5 miles back down the greenbelt to Barton Springs Pool.  Temps will approach 100 degrees by the time we get done.  I'm going to get some salt tablets and electrolyte replacement pills to prevent swelling of the fingers and feet.

Walked 2 hours behind the lawn mower in the horse's field after work, so I'll claim 5 miles of cross training.  Getting ready for 22 to 24 miles on the greenbelt and the HOL on Saturday morning. 

On the way home from work I stopped by the RunTex store in Georgetown and bought two containers of Nuun tablets which are used to enhance electrolytes for the long run on Saturday.  The last long run we did there ended with fingers swelling which suggested I need better hydration including electrolytes and salt which are both included in the Nuuns tablets. 

An awesome day in Austin, TX.  I met Tom at 6:15 AM at Barton Springs Pool and headed up the Greenbelt trail 7 miles to the base of the Hill of Life where we did 10 HOL repeats and then ran back to Barton Springs Pool for a total of 24 miles.  This was the best run this year on the Greenbelt and HOL.  The last two times we have run the Greenbelt and HOL we have ended up stressed at the end of the run even with swollen fingers and feet due to the heat and lack of hydration at the end of the run, but not today, just an awesome day.

Thursday after work I stopped by the RunTex store in Georgetown and picked up some of the Nuun electrolyte tablets and I used them today on this run each time I would open a new bottle of sports drink I would drop in a Nunn tablet and load up the electrolytes.  I think it may have helped with the hydration today.

On the HOL today we sure saw a bunch of people who recognized us from the past couple of months.  We saw the guys who are going to Africa next week to hike up Mt. Kilimanjero, the tallest mountain in Africa, 19,340 feet.  Those guys are pumped.

We met a couple of guys we had never seen before and got to talking to them at the bottom of the HOL on one of our loops.  One of the guys is 67 years old and quite an athlete, but looking at both his knees it looks like he had zippers on both sides of both knees due to all the various surgeries that he has had.  He is biking and running on a new replacement knee on one leg.  Anyway it sure made me happy not to have any injuries and never to have needed any surgeries.

At the top of the HOL after our 10th ascent we ran into Mike R. who I had run with for 2 years back in 2000 and 2001.  Mike is the guy I talk about who ran his first 100 miler at the end of our marathon-a-month group, and during that 100 miler he fell asleep while standing there taking a pee during the night, demonstrating the stress the body takes during a 100 miler race.  Mike and I had a few good laughs talking about some of our running days.  He has run several 100 milers now and even done 2 of the Western States 100 milers which is the classic of the 100 Miler races here in the USA. 

We met a new guy named Richard V. who had his dog, Jack, with him and has run Pikes Peak before.  He confirmed many of the things that I have been telling Tom in preparation for Tom's first Pikes Peak Marathon next month.  After our 10th HOL ascent we ran with Richard along a trail high above the Greenbelt that I have never run on that took us to a scenic outlook view of the valley below where the Greenbelt trail runs, a beautiful view that I have never seen in several years of running the Greenbelt here in Austin.   

Bottom line today, we met so many genuinely good people that it really reinforced the fact that when you are a runner you mix with a very special bunch of people, and they are everywhere you go as a runner.  So many good people.

With about 5 miles to go on the way back down the Greenbelt, Tom tripped and took a very hard fall banging his left forearm and his left knee.  It took his watch off its band.  Fortunately he wasn't seriously hurt, but that was sure a reminder that no matter how focused you think you are, on the trail you can go down any time.  Stay focused, focused, focused. 

When we got back to the Barton Springs Pool, Lynn was waiting for us and happy that we had made it back okay.  We walked down to the spring and joined a bunch of people and their dogs in the spring to get refreshed and get the sweat and smell off us.  What a sight, all the men, women, children and dogs swimming and wading in the spring.  Thank goodness there is enough of a water flow that you don't worry about dipping in the spring with the dogs.  This is just another of the good things about Austin, TX.  Austin is famous for Zilker Park and the Barton Springs Pool.  I told Tom that someday when I am gone from Austin I will have many fond memories of dipping in the spring after hard sweaty runs. 

Talk about a great start to the weekend. 

Slept for an hour after dinner and then Lynn went with me over to Florence HS.  We have had rain the past two days which helped cool the temps down into the 80's but the humidity was real high. 

I got in 4 miles mixing in the track and the bleacher steps.  This was a good workout even if it was only 4 miles. 

After our 24 miles on the Greenbelt and Hill of Life last Saturday I had felt a "stress" in the outside of the right foot plantar tendon, so I have held off for a couple of days just to be sure nothing bad happens.  The foot felt great tonight so I think all is well. 

Today Lynn and I drove to Bryan, TX to attend Joe B's mother's funeral (98 years old).  Karen H and Karen F drove down as well and we met Gordon there as well.  Joe was very pleased to see some of his running family in attendance at the funeral.  On the way home Lynn and I picked up 2 pizza's and when we got home I had 3 pieces and then took a 2 hour nap before running.  It was feeling really good to rest in bed but I got up anyway, dressed to run, and loaded up in the car. 

PD went with Lynn and I over to Florence HS for tonight's workout.  The temps were in the low 90's and humid so the sweat flowed well again tonight.  Once again I did the track and the bleacher steps for the workout.  This is a good mix to break up the routine of running laps on the track.  1 mile on the track for warmup at 8:25 pace.  Then 3 miles with the bleachers added in (7:35; 7:25; 7:15).  Then 1 mile cool down at 8:10. 

The right foot plantar tendon felt great again tonight.  After the 24 miles on the greenbelt last Saturday I felt some sensitivity in that right foot plantar, but it looks like all is well. 

Worked late.  Got home.  Ate supper. Dressed and went running over at Florence HS.  1 mile warm-up where my tummy was loaded and legs felt like lead pipes.  Then ran 2 segments of laps and the stadium steps.  Tummy still tight.  Need a rest room stop, no rest room.  Legs loosened up a little.  Lynn had to go to the rest room too, so we headed home.

At least I got enough of a run in to get loosened up.  Saturday will be 14 loops of the Hill of Life. 

14 Hill of Life loops, awesome run.  Met Tom at 6:15 AM at the top of the HOL and proceeded to have one of the best runs we have done in this year's Pikes Peak Marathon training.  Last week's 24 miles with 10 HOL repeats was really good, but today's 14 HOL repeats were just really good. 

We did a negative split even though the day got hotter the longer we ran, go figure.  Our descent times were running 40 to 45 seconds faster the 2nd 7 repeats than the 1st 7 repeats.  And our ascent times were running 15 seconds faster the second 7 repeats, go figure. 

Heart rates on the ascent for me were typically 155 on the first 1/4 mile where we run and then typically 145 to 149 on the next 3/4 miles where we power walk.  Tom's HR was running 168 to 170 the first 1/4 mile and then 160 the last 3/4 mile on the ascents. 

We saw the two guys who are going to run Mt. Whitney, and the guy who is going to run the Teatons in Wyoming, and the scout troop that is going to Montana next week, and Dave who just moved to Austin from Phoenix.  We didn't typically stop for more than a few seconds in our transitions at the bottom or top of the HOL, but we took longer breaks when these guys would want to talk to us about Pikes Peak. 

While we ran, Lynn hiked around and picked up rocks for her collection.  Then after the run we went down to Barton Springs where Tom and I went for a swim dip and got refreshed and cleaned up.  Again today there were adults and children and dogs swimming in Barton Springs.  Then we drove over to Maudie's and met Karen H and had breakfast, just a great start to the day.  We basically committed with Karen to run a triathalon on Labor Day weekend here in Austin, should be fun. 

We walked away today feeling really good about our Pikes Peak training.  Hopefully we will continue to get stronger over the next two weeks when we do our longest run (3 weeks prior to the marathon). 

What a great evening in Austin, TX.  During the afternoon the temperature was over 100 degrees, then some rain clouds came in and dropped the temperature over 20 degrees and hid the sun with clouds.  The humidity was still really high, but it made for a great night of running at McNeil High School track.

We had 40 of us there again tonight.  After 1.5 miles warmup we did drills and then Donnie had us do 1 mile medium hard, 100 meter recovry, the 800 meters faster, then 100 meter recovery, then 400 meters faster, then 100 meter recovery, then 200 meters faster. 

I ran with Gordon and Veronica and another guy.  Three or four others started out with us but couldn't keep up.  We did the 1 mile at a 7:24 pace, then the 800 meters at a 6:52 pace, then 400 meters at a 6:08 pace, then 200 meters at a 5:20 pace.  During this workout I got my heart rate up to 178 which is as high as I have ever seen my HR so that was fun, just a great workout.

After the workout we did a cooldown mile and then did the stretches with Donnie and the group.

Today is my grand-daughter's 9th birthday.  She called me at work to tell me about all the fun things they were doing in Colorado Springs, CO today, for fun.

Tonight it was 95 degrees and humid as I met Tom H at Lake Georgetown where we ran the trail that goes over to Jim Hogg Park.  We tried to keep a pace that would hold our heart rate steady, mine in the mid 140's and Tom's in the low 160's.  We did an out and back.  At the end of the out Tom's HR got going up to 179 and mine was up in the 160's, so we backed off to get things back under control.  Tom tripped 3 times and I tripped 4 times, but neither of us fell.  A nice run. 

A nice warm evening in Florence, TX, with temps in the low 90's and the sun setting and the moon rising.  I did 4 sets of the track and the stadium bleachers while Lynn walked the track.  Two other guys on the track tonight which is unusual for Florence HS. 

What a great 16 miles on the Hill of Life today.  Lynn and I met Tom at 6:00 AM at the top of the Hill of Life, temperature at that time in the 70's with high humidity, but it felt great.  By the time we were done the temperature was in the 90's, but with great hydration the heat was no big deal.  After the run we went down to Barton Springs and joined the people and the dogs in the spring to get cooled off and cleaned up.  A great day.

During the run we saw the two guys who are training for the Mt. Whitney climb, and the guy who is training to climb the Grand Tetons in Wyoming and then do the rim to rim hike of the Grand Canyon.  We also met two guys, Andrew and Chris, who are training for their first Pikes Peak ascent.  Met a young lady who is from Colorado who was biking the trail, she said she didn't take up biking until she got down here to Austin.

Our heart rates today were behaving very well with mine running 155 on the first 1/4 mile of the ascent and 145 to 149 during the rest of the ascent.  I enhanced the electrolytes with the Nuuns tablets added to my sports drink.  On the descent we have really picked it up over the last few weeks as our footing and pace have been feeling easy and smooth.  In the past our descent was typically 5min 15sec but today on the last 8 descents our times were running from 4:09 (the last descent) to 4:12, 4:15, 4:32, 4:38, 4:39, 4:40, 4:42.  Just a really nice workout where we felt strong the entire workout and walked away still very confident about our training.

Next week is the big one, 26 miles starting at Barton Springs Pool 7.5 miles up the greenbelt to the top of the Hill of Life, then finish 12 HOL, then return back to Barton Springs Pool..  That is going to be a great workout.    

What a night at McNeil HS. 102 degrees with humidity so I didn't expect to see too many runners here tonight, but to my surprise we had about 50 runners tonight with 7 or 8 of them new to the group. What kind of insanity gets into this bunch? I understand my insanity but not so many others. A great night.

Donnie had us do 600 meters hard, then pushups, then 600 meters hard and then lunges, then 600 meters hard and then crunches, and then 600 meters and then jumps.

Daniel was here tonight and we had some good talk. Tam made it. Joe and the rest of the regulars too. A fun crazy night of running.

What a beautiful early evening in Georgetown, TX, with temps about 96 degrees, humid, and some clouds building in the sky. I believe the wind and clouds are pushed here from Hurricane Dolly down on the Gulf coast. I was ready at 5:00 PM to meet Tom at Lake Georgetown, but he called and said he had been delayed with a meeting, so I took off alone.

I ran across the dam and then looped back up over the dam down to the trail and back across the front of the dam and then back up the trail to the start which is 3 miles. I repeated the loop again and the wind picked up and clouds shaded out the sun. The winds whipped up artistic designs on Lake Georgetown as I ran across the dam (1 mile) which was very entertaining. A nice run where I pushed the heart rate up to 171 at the end of the dam mile, and up to 167 coming up the hill from below the dam. Just a nice run, peaceful by myself, but nice.

Lynn and I drove over to Florence HS about 8:00 PM.  A nice evening since we got some rain today from Hurricane Dolly, not too much but it was nice.  Temp was in the 80's and of course humidity was high, but a nice evenng.  I ran the stadium steps loops and got in a nice quick workout.

I could not believe it but all there was at the track was women, 10 of them, and me.  For a little while an old man and his wife were also there.  Everyone else was walking or sitting.  Interesting evening as I worked my butt off on the stadium steps and track while they watched.  I just felt blessed to be healthy enough to work hard and enjoy it. Getting ready for Saturday's 26 miles on the greenbelt and the Hill of Life. 

A great day on the greenbelt and the Hill of Life.  I met Tom at 6:00 AM at the Barton Springs Pool after we had each positioned our coolers at the top of the HOL.  We ran the greenbelt 7 miles up to the base of the HOL and on the way about mile 5 I tripped on a root and went down on the palms of my hands which was frustrating because I had earlier complimented us on all this training and neither of experiencing an injury (later).  The temperature at the start was moderate in the low 80's or high 70's but with high humidity as usual, but the run up to the HOL overall was a really comfortable run.

Then we did 12 repeats on the HOL where we saw more bicycle crazy's who tried to navigate the HOL and we saw more people out with their dogs walking down to the Barton Springs Creek, and a Cub Scout group, and a bunch of people who recognized us and encourged us with our Pikes Peak training.  We saw Mike R. who I had run with 6 years ago with our marathon-a-month group, so we had a nice chat with Mike at the top of the HOL.  We also saw Mark L. who I had trained for the Pikes Peak Marathon 3 years ago, fun to see Mark.

In 4 years of training on the HOL I have never had any kind of serious fall, probably in doing over 320 reps of the HOL over that time.  But today on my 3rd loop on the way down I had a goofy trip on my left foot which sprained the ankle (not too seriously) and I fell down and rolled to the side of the trail.  Nothing too serious but the ankle did swell and I have been icing it here at home this afternoon.  We went on and finished our 12 reps of the HOL and then our 7.5 mile return greenbelt run back to the Barton Springs Pool.  On the way back we saw Abe D. who I had trained with for Pikes Peak 3 years ago, who had beat me by 10 seconds in our first Pikes Peak Marathon, fun to see Abe.

On the way back the temperature had reached 95 degrees and it took a toll on our heart rate as we cautiously slowed the pace to control our heart rates.  My HR was staying about 150 to 154 for the last 4 miles while Tom's HR was bouncing at 168 to 175.  We have sure found it curious that Tom's HR continues to stay about 15 to 20 beats higher than mine on our training runs.  Anyway we finished the run and then went over into the Barton Springs to cool down and get the sweaty smell off.  As usual the spring was loaded with adults, children, and dogs.  I counted 11 dogs in the spring that people were throwing tennis balls out into the water for the dogs to retrieve, crazy and fun to watch.  Tom and I both worked our way to our usual spot where the water falls into the lower springs pool.  That is where the freshest and cleanest water enters the springs pool.  Anyway a great day to do 26 miles and we both felt great after the run.  Now we enter the taper phase of our training, should be fun.

I met Tom at Lake Georgetown at 5:00 PM and we ran the trail over toward Jim Boggs Park.  It was only 97 degrees (finally under 100 degrees) as we got started.  Both of us kept catching the tip of our toe on a rock or root and fortuately recovering before falling down, until in the first mile on our return Tom went down hard after tripping.  Not good.

Anyway, a great run on a very hot day.  My heart rate was hitting 155 and Tom was hitting over 175 at the peak of our efforts.  Amazing how his HR keeps hitting 20 beats higher than mine, go figure. 

I needed this run after spraining my left ankle last Saturday on the Hill of Life.  The ankle felt fine tonight.