TEXAS Paul - Out to Pasture - Healing

Pushed the lawn mower for 2 1/2 hours, so I'm taking credit for a 6 mile run.  We drove 450 miles on Saturday to Amirillo and 450 miles back home on Sunday, then did the 2 1/2 hours pushing the lawn mower. 

Ran at McNeil HS.  6 easy miles, and 2 miles with Karen F. and Tam and Carey.  A great workout.  A warm night, the warmest of the year.  Lots of sweat.  Boston is in 2 weeks from today. 

A beautiful day in Texas, but the forecast for Saturday was for freezing temperatures and rain or sleet.  I took off from work at 3:00 PM and went down to Townlake and had a great run all by myself.  I did the 10 mile Longhorn Dam loop, and then the 5 mile loop.  The left shin felt great.  Despite taking off 3 weeks for recovery for the left shin, and missing my two long runs for Boston prep, this 15 mile run gives me hope to have a decent run in Boston.  Hopefully I can run fast enough to qualify for next year's Boston.

And a weather note.  Saturday Aprill 7th it was a record cold weather day and we got sleet and snow in central Texas.  I have been out shooting video of the snow flakes, many of them were the giant beautiful snow flakes like I would have expected to see when I lived in Utah.  I'm sure glad I did my 15 mile run on Friday. 

A beautiful evening in central Texas.  Ran at McNeil HS with Donnie's bunch.  Got there early and got in 6 miles before starting the group run which was 2000M at 5K pace and then 4 each 200M at a hard pace.  Ran the workout with Karen F.  Had a great run.  Only 1 week until Boston. 

Still on 7mg Prednisone per day and everything seems under control right now.

A most beautiful day in Texas, 80 degrees, light breeze, blue skies.  Ran at Williamson County Park and did the mulch trail 2.2 mile loop 3 times and did the warm-up with Donnie's group.  Karen F. ran with me all 3 loops.  Tam joined us for 1 loop. 

This was the last run until I do Boston on Monday.  Lynn, PD, and I fly out of Austin on Friday morning. 

Prediction for Boston is to run fast enough to qualify for next year.

Ran the Boston Marathon and missed my qualifying time by 12 minutes.  The muscle disorder I have had over the past 15 months (PMR) again has taken its toll, combined with limits on training due to 3 weeks off for shin splints.  I was on course for the first 15 miles, and then the Newton Hills took its toll, as this point in the race occurred right at where the longest run I have been able to do in the past 5 weeks, 15 miles.  From that point on I did keep running but it was a struggle. 

Only 2 years ago I would have scoffed at the idea that I wouldn't be able to run Boston in under 4 hours if I was reasonably healthy.  As long as I have been healthy and trained and ready to go, a sub 3:30 marathon was always on the mark.  Last year at mile 14 in Boston I tore a muscle at the top of the left leg and it bled internally the rest of the way turning the leg purple all the way down to the ankle.  At least the good news is this year that there are no injuries to report from the race.  Now I can focus my attention to get ready for a reasonable Pikes Peak Marathon in August. 

I reduced my Prednisone medication dosage down to 6mg a day as of Tuesday.  My plan is to keep it at 6mg for the entire training for Pikes Peak.  I'm also going to put in for the St. George lottery and see if I can get in this year. 

Hopefully by the end of this year the Polymyalgia Rheumatica muscle disorder will be gone and I can get back to more normal fitness levels.  I read the race reports of Kory and those who are young and healthy and I'm jealous of what they are doing.  My guidance to them is to enjoy your accomplishments and keep working for the best you can do.  When struggles do come to you, work through them, because sooner or later it will happen and your times will begin to be slower, but with your fitness levels your accomplishments will still be in the top of your age groups.

I love to run, and even though this year's Boston has left me hungry, I still loved the race and the fact that it was Boston.

Ran at McNeil HS speed night with Donnie & the bunch.  2 miles warmup, then drills, then the workout:
- 1000M at 10K pace;  100M recovery
- 500M at 5K pace; 2 times with 100M recovery each
- 200M at mile pace; 5 times with 100M recovery each.
Then did a 1 mile cool down.

This was a great workout, the first run I have done since Boston.  When I came back from Boston I had caught a chest cold.  Spent much of the weekend doing chicken noodle soup and taking hot showers and naps.  Felt lots better by today.

Reducing my medication down to 6mg a day and I could feel the difference for the first few days.  Today it felt pretty good, though. 

A warm night in Texas.  Ran at Florence HS.  1 mile warmup and 2 hard miles.  I can tell I'm still in recovery mode after Boston.  My conditioning has a long way to go to get ready for Pikes Peak in August. 

Ran Florence HS this evening, temp about 78 degrees, a beautiful day.  I did 1 mile warmup and then 3 miles at 7:48, 7:49, 7:33.  All I am trying to do with my mid week runs since finishing Boston, is to run consecutive miles without a walk break with a target pace of 8 minute miles.  We are driving to Houston on Saturday so no run.  This 3 mile run was faster and easier than the 2 miles I ran Wednesday evening. 
I am amazed at how much my conditioning has suffered this spring with the various injuries.  Over the next several weeks my main focus is to put together the consecutive miles without a walk break. 
The prednisone dosage is still at 6 mg and seems to be holding its own. 

Ran at McNeil HS with Donnie's Monday night group.  I did 1 mile warm-up and then 4 tempo miles at 7:54; 7:55; 7:51; 7:37.  Then we did the drills, and then we did 8 each 300M with 50M recovery jog each set.  Since I had already basically done my workout with the tempo run I figured the 300M runs were all bonus work.  Karen F. set the pace for the 300M sets, a good workout.  Then 1 mile cool down.