TEXAS Paul - Out to Pasture - Healing

Ran the 10 mile Townlake trail with Karen. A great run. Took it real easy. Both of us are nursing our issues. This was my first run in 3 weeks.

Issues with my muscle disorder were relieved this past week after I increased the Prednisone dosage.

The pain in the right heel didn't bother me during the run. It has hurt for 2 months since the Motive 1/2 marathon. I have an appointment with Dr. Spears this next week, suspect a bone spur.

Goodness it felt good to do a run.

Ran at McNeil HS with Donnie's group. A great workout. Temp was about 55 degres or so. Most of the group had run the 20 mile race yesterday.

Ran the 2 mile incremental speed-up set with Karen H. and Stewart.

Texas temperature was about 70 degrees, but it seemed warmer. I had to remove my singlet after mile 3 to stay cooled down. Ran over at Florence HS track.

Today I went to see Dr. Spears about the pain in the right heel I have had for 2 months. It has done some healing over the past 10 days and felt almost better tonight. Dr. Spears said it was not a heel spur, but probably was a mild case of plantar fasciitis.

Dr. Spears said recent medical learning indicates plantar fasciatis is incorrectly named, because it has nothing to do with inflamation, but rather with the tear in the tendon. And he said my tear must have been mild enough that is is healing on its own.

I have been on 10mg of prednisone for the past 2 weeks, and am back down to 6mg now for the past 2 days. The 4mg that I was taking in November and December just didn't work, too much muscle pain. I felt great like a new man the past 2 weeks.

Back to running is great. I love it. Back to my prep for Boston. Only 14 weeks to get ready.

Wow, what a day for running.   Almost 7.5 inches of rain in south Austin today.  We met at the usual Saturday place, Austin High School tennis court parking lot under Mopac.  It had rained all night and was still raining hard.  We were parked under Mopac and the rain drains poured water like a water fall down on the parking lot.  We met Karen H, Steve S., Jason A and Renae A, and Karen F.  Despite the rain we decided to go for it about 6:15 AM, temp about 45 to 48 or so.
We did the 10 mile Townlake loop, and all the rain did was get worse, along with lightening all the way while we ran.  We were probably kind of stupid for doing it, but we did.  Throughout the run we were in water, sometimes up over our ankles.  Shoal Creek was flooding over the bank into Townlake, but we ran through it anyway.  The concrete spillway near the boat docks area was a wild rush of deep dangerous raging water.  Karen H. said that Jason initially stepped into it and then realized he would be swept away, so Steve gave him a hand and pulled him out.
Down at the 5 mile mark area where you cross over Longhorn Dam, on the sidewalk alongside the highway, a car drove by and hit a giant puddle of water and completely sprayed me and Karen.  It didn't make us any wetter since we were already soaked.
On the way back up at about mile 8, a big lightening bolt struck just on the other side of Townlake near I-35.  That one was way too close.  As soon as we saw the lightening we felt and heard the giant thunder, way too close. 
By the time we were done our feet were completely frozen.  We drove over to Karen's gym and took a shower in hot water to get warmed up, and changed into dry clothes.  Then Karen F, Karen H, and Lynn and I drove over to Maudie's and had breakfast.  Pete's Special was delicious again.  We all always order the same thing every week.  A great way to end a weekend run.   
We don't know if Tam and Joe and Angel and their marathon group ran this morning.  We didn't see hardly any other runners on the rainy trail this morning.  This run set a record for the worst conditions we have run in 8 years here in Texas, the least number of runners on the Townlake trail, the most lightening on any run, the most inspiring waterfalls of water pouring down from Mopac and from I-35, the first time Shoal Creek has flooded over its banks, and the coldest our feet have ever been in Texas.  This was a great run!!! 

Finally a sunny day after over a week of ice and rain.  Met Karen H. and Carey at Austin HS tennis court parking lot, underneath Mopac.  Ran Mt. Bonnell, then up to 2222, then over to Shoal Creek, down to Hancock, over to LaMar, down LaMar, then over to Shoal Creek trail which comes out on LaMar down town.  When we hit the Townlake trail we went down to the people bridge and crossed over to the other side, and then up the trail back to the Mopac bridge and we were done. 
This was a great run, proving to me how out of shape I am after hardly any running since mid November.  My Boston training really started today.  My goal for Boston is just to get healthy and have a decent run. 
I raised my dosage of prednisone to 8mg this past Thursday, 4mg in the morning and 4mg at night. 
One thing that throws a wrench in this upcoming week of running is that my wife's dad died today, so we will probably be driving to Utah and back this week.  It is a two day drive up, and a two day drive back.  I'll take my running clothes with me and see if I can squeeze anything in.   

Ran at McNeil HS with Donnie's group.  This turned out to be a great run considering how I limped in the last few miles yesterday to finish the 15 miles.  Karen H did a great job of pacing 4 or 5 of us through Donnie's specified workout, which was 2 miles with progressing faster paces.  The distances were 350 M run, then 50 M recovery, then repeat for a total of 2 miles.  A great workout.  Karen H said she would not have been able to keep the pace if I hadn't been right behind her.  I told her I wouldn't have been able to keep up the pace if she wouldn't have been right in front of me.  A great run.

At 2:30 AM Texas time, got back from our drive from the funeral in Utah and seeing our daughter's family in Colorado on the way home.   This whole week messed up my running.  We were driving all day Tuesday and most of Wednesday, then the funeral on Thursday.  I spoke at the funeral so the preparation time just didn't allow for a run.  Then driving to Colorado all day on Friday, and then leaving Colorado Springs on Saturday at about 1:30 PM, and driving all night until getting home at 2:30 this morning. 

We saw lots of snow in Texas, New Mexico, Wyoming, and Colorado, but Utah didn't have hardly any snow.  The temperatures in Utah and Colorado were in the teens.

Slept in this morning and then did a 12 mile run from Georgetown HEB to Andice.  Wow am I out of shape.  I was running a easy slow pace averaging 9:30 to 9:45 per mile, but my heart rate was bumping 160 most of the time during the run.  Goodness do I have a long way to go.  I have gained 7 or 8 lbs since mid November.  I told Lynn that I just want my salad for lunch at work, and start doing salad's for dinner each night.  3 months until Boston, and I want to drop at least 10 lbs, to get down to about 155 lbs.   

And this next weekend we will be driving to Tucson, AZ on Thursday & Friday, and then driving back to Texas on Monday.  I'm defenitely going to get in some kind of a run either Saturday or Sunday morning. 

Monday night at McNeil HS.  .75 easy mile warmup.  2.25 miles at medium effort.  1 mile cool down.  This really felt good tonight.  Lots of talk about the 1/2 marathon from yesterday.  Tam is really feeling good.  Same for Daniel.  Karen and Karen ran great tonight.