TEXAS Paul - Out to Pasture - Healing

Using the Sunday blog to note other aspects of my fitness program.

1.  Resting HR is typically between 47 to 48, but this past week it was typically 49 or 50.    

2.  Lower back pain from a couple of weeks ago (picking up a nickel) is pretty much all gone.  I sure need to get on with strengthening the core. 

3.  Plantar wart treatment delcared cured, from the podiatrist last Tuesday.

4.  Polymyalgia Rheumatica muscle disorder status.  It has now officially been 2 years since I started seeing muscle aching symptoms.  The doctor said this disease normally goes away within 2 years, so I am very hopeful I can soon begin reducing my medication.  
Five weeks ago I reduced my Prednisone medication down to 7 mg a day (4 mg in the morning and 3 mg at night).  Two weeks later I reduced it down to 6 mg a day, 3 mg in the morning and 3 mg in the evening.  Two weeks later I reduced it down to 5 mg a day, but after 5 days (March 21st) due to excess neck and high back muscle pain, I moved it back up to 6 mg a day. 

5.  Core strength training.  Boy am I missing on this one.  Nothing to report. 
No situps, no crunches, no push-ups, nada.  The lower back is probably to the point in healing that I can get started on the core now. 

A warm humid evening in Austin, TX with temps about 78 degrees but hot with the humidity.  After our 2.5 mile warmup we were sweating like a pig, but feeling really good.

After the warmup and the accelleration runs Donnie had us do 1.5 miles at a "uncomfortable brisk" pace.   Then we did 400M at mile goal pace (5:52 pace) and a 400M recovery jog, then another 400M mile goal pace (5:40 pace).   

Then we did some cool down mileage and called it a night.  A great workout tonight.  After doing 26.2 miles two days ago I wondered if it would hamper the speed session effort tonight, answer no problem.   

Ran at Brushy Creek with the Wednesday night bunch.  Late leaving work so I didn't get in my early miles.  I pulled in just as the group was heading over to do drills.  Did a quick change into running clothes and joined them. 

Bill had us do a hard push workout tonight.  We did the short loop, the the medium loop, then the long loop, then the medium loop, then the short loop which all added up into a 3 mile workout of pushing it really good.  Temps were in the high 70's or low 80's with high humidity as we all had sweat dripping as we ran and afterword as we did stretching.  Got in 2 easy miles and headed home. 

Overall a short night of running but it really was a great workout.  Having a reasonably large group made it fun as well. 

Got up early and drove down to Wells Branch trail and ran 4 loops and got in 9 miles before going to work.  I ran a steady pace but didn't push it too much.  After doing 26.2 Saturday and pushing it hard on Monday and Wednesday I could feel it some this morning. 

The temperature was reasonable in the upper 60's or low 70's.  Humidity was high again so the sweat like a pig routine was in order.  Cleaned up after the run over in the men's restroom and went to work.

What a great day to run in Austin, TX.  Temps at 6:00 AM about 48 degrees.  Lynn and I drove down to Townlake at the Austin HS tennis court parking lot and met Karen F, Tam, Duke, Steve S, and Rick B.  Karen H has the flu so she took the weekend off, figuring Boston is only 2 weeks away and no reason to tempt fate by running when she was not up to it.  Lynn did her People Bridge walk while the rest of us took off on the 10 mile Longhorn Dam loop. 

After the first 4 miles we ran race pace for 3 miles.  We did this because our Boston training schedule showed us with a 5K race for today, so Karen and I figured a 3 mile race pace in the middle of our 15 mile run would fill that requirement.  I led the group and ran a 7:04 for the first mile, then mile 2 started up and over the Longhorn Dam and up over by the Power Plant.  Those hill sections took a little toll and I finished mile 2 at 7:31, a little disappointed, so I pushed it hard for the 3rd mile that finished just as we went under I-35.  I did the 3rd mile in 6:59 which was much more satisfying.  Then I headed back to meet Karen and Tam as they came in running hard about 2:30 behind me.  Then Duke and Steve came in.  A very satisfying run today which was 4 seconds faster than I did this a few weeks ago.

Then we finished the 10 mile loop, losing Tam and Duke along the way as Tam basically walked the rest of the way.  Karen had run him into the ground on the 3 mile push.  Then Karen F and I did the 5 mile Congress Avenue loop finishing a great morning of running.  Boston, here I come.

Then we went over to Maudie's for breakfast tacos (potatoes, eggs, and cheese).  Karen F brought her god-daughter, Taylor who is visiting for a few days.  As we sat there eating our breakfast, Jessie James (of the motorcycle shows on TV) came in and sat down to breakfast two tables away from us.  We didn't bother him, but Lynn sure thought it was cool, as she likes to see the motorcycle chop shop shows on TV.  Our son, PD, just bought a Buell Lightening sport bike.  A fun day.