TEXAS Paul - Out to Pasture - Healing

Ran Pikes Peak up the Barr Trail to Barr Camp and back down.  An awesome workout.  A hot day for a relentless run/power walk up the trail.  Met a guy named Dave, 40 years old, who has run several Pikes Peak marathons.  Dave is from Monument, CO, and had a great power walk.  We met about 3 miles before I got to Barr Camp and we went the rest of the way together. 
On the way down while I was running and dodging rocks and roots, with about 4 miles to go I came across 2 women who moved apart to let me by and I said excuse me, and immediately tripped on a rock and did a forward fall and tuck and roll fall.  Felt like a fool.  Dropped both my water bottles, cut my left elbow, and messed up a rib on the left side.  Got up and picked up my bottles and went on down the trail. 
A great workout.  It sure reminded me of how tough the Pikes Peak Marathon is.  I sure hope the temperature on August 19th is a bunch lower than it was for this run.

Ouch!!  Left rib is real sore.  I don't know if there is a broken rib, or cracked rib, or stressed rib, or what.  The fall on Pikes Peak this weekend must have done more than I first thought.  The run tonight was just a test to see how the rib would respond to running.  Now I know what this felt like, I will know the difference on Saturday with a longer run.

Still doing Predinsone, raised to 7mg last week, muscles in neck and back feel much better with 7mg. 

Still testing the rib injury.  Took the whole family over to Florence HS.  My wife, son, daughter, son-in-law, grand-daughter, and grand-son all went over.  Had a great family outing.
Ran 2 easy miles about 8:35 pace just to test the rib and compare how much it hurt compared to the severe pain from last Thursday evening.  Good news is that there was significant improvement from just 2 days ago.  This is encouraging.  I'll run Monday night with our group and give it another test.  Hopefully as next week goes the rib pain will continue to improve and will allow me to do a long run on Saturday of 20 to 24 miles on the Hill of Life.
Still on 7mg of prednisone for the muscle issue.  Overall feeling pretty good.  

Wow,

And with my focus being on my sore rib lately, this sure puts things in perspective.  
 
What a shock to see the news here in Austin, TX tonight with a headline story about Richard Gastellum being found dead on the Green Belt trail. 
 
I knew Richard.  He saw me every Saturday this summer as I was running the Hill of Life.  I stopped and chatted with him two weeks ago when I ran my 20 loops of the HOL.  He had just run the 15 mile loop from the HOL down to Barton Springs Pool and back.  He wished me good luck at Pikes Peak and gave me encouragement.  A real nice guy.  An ultra-marathoner who seemed to be very humble.

His death is disturbing.  As of tonight's news they had not announced the cause of death.  
 
Wow,
Paul

Wow, only 4 days since I was convinced I had a broken rib and could hardly do a very slow 2 mile run, tonight the rib has recovered so much that I got in 3 miles warm-up, and then 2 miles of doing 200 M fast runs and 100 M recovery, and repeating for 2 miles.  The temp was in the mid 90's and humidity high, but it felt so good to be able to run.
We were at McNeil HS for the Monday group workout.  Saw Karen H. for the first time since she completed her Ironman race in Idaho.  A great workout. 

Ran 4 miles over at Florence HS tonight as the sun went down.  Temps cooled down to the low 90's, high humidity.  The entire family went over and shot hoops while I ran and my wife walked the track.  A young guy was doing a little running and after I had done 3 miles while he walked most of his, he said that I sure must be in good shape.  Bless his heart.  I sweat like a pig tonight with the himidity high.
They finally gave the autopsy report on our ultra marathon friend, Richard.  He died of accidental drowning.  Somehow he must have got caught in the flood waters as he tried to cross the Barton Springs stream, and it was dark by the time he got there and there was a storm.  I'm guessing, but all of that must have played a part.  It is a dreadful death of a great man.  Sure puts lots of things in perspective.  A reminder to enjoy life every day, because we really do not know which day will be our last on this earth. 

Alarm got me up at 3:45 AM.  Drove to Austin to the Hill of Life.  Started running HOL at about 5:10 AM with flashlight in hand.  Ran 4 repeats of HOL with flashlight, then ran 3 more and it was 7:00 AM.  Karen H. met me at the top of the HOL and we ran down the HOL and then on down the Barton Springs Green Belt trail to the 360 Access.  This was a great run as we had to cross the Barton Springs stream right at Mopac and it was great.  There were places where the water was up to our chest in depth, awesome.  Karen had put a gallon of drinking water at the 360 access.  We fueled up and then did a return run back to the start of the HOL.  Then we did another repeat of the HOL.  A very satisfying run and workout.  Probably 16 miles total.
Then we met my family down at Maudie's for breakfast, fun.  Then I went with my family over to the Barton Springs Pool and had a great swim with my grandchildren and daughter and son-in-law.  Just had a great outing and fun day.

Returned from vacation to Utah and Colorado with the family.  A long week of driving the highways and running a busy schedule.  The occasion was my grand-daughter's baptism in the Weber River in Oakley, UT.  Then her birthday party at my in-laws home in Lehi.  A great week.  Lesson learned, no matter how much you love them it can be a challenge to spend so many days in such close contact.  4 days on the highway in the same vehicle is tough.

My injured rib acted up on the drive from Texas to Utah.  It was a real pain in the lower back.  Got a 1 hour massage in Lehi and that was very helpful. 

My first run was tonight.  Got in a 1 hour workout on the treadmill due to more rain storms in the Austin area.  I have a tough 3 weeks left to get ready for Pikes Peak.  I'm doing 8 mg of Prednisone medication for the PMR.  To be sensible, I guess my goal at Pikes Peak is to beat 6 hours 30 minutes. 

More rain again today in central Texas.  Rained hard on my way home from work.  Finally at about 8:30 PM I went out and did my workout running out the lane to the road and back to the fence.  Not the ideal workout path but better than nothing. 

A beautiful evening with clouds and with the moon shining as I got to the end of the run.

Great run today with Karen F, Karen H, Tam, Steve S, and Jason.  We did the Mt. Bonnell loop and then up to 2222, then over to Shoal Creek, then down Speedway over to the University of Texas campus, then to the state capital building, then down Congress, and then up the Townlake (Lady Bird) trail back to Mopac. 

At the finish we saw Joe, Angel, Sean, and Pat B.  A great run that I needed real badly.  Then we went over to Maudie's for breakfast. 

Ran McNeil HS with Donnie's Monday night group.  2.5 mile warm-up with Andy, Earl, and Tam.  Ran the workout with Daniel F.  Had a great talk with Daniel.  Workout was 10 each 200M with a 50M recovery. 

Ran Florence HS tonight while my wife and son walked the track.  Lots of high school kids at the track and the football field.  Did a progressive run increasing the pace by 30 seconds a mile for 4 miles.  Hot and sweaty.  Felt good to run my 3rd day out of 4 days.  I need to run every day this week in prep for Pikes Peak in less than 3 weeks away.