TEXAS Paul - Out to Pasture - Healing

The Nike Human Race was held in 30 cities around the world, 5 of them in the USA.  Austin, TX was one of the 5 US cities.  6:30 PM start so it was 96 degrees and high humidity where 15,000 of us were crammed into downtown on Congress Avenue.  I picked up Tom H. and Karen H. and we drove to Austin and got there about an hour before the race so we got parked at the Post Office for $7.00.  An easy walk over to Congress Avenue and 6th street for the start. 

We took a quick trip through the portapotty line and then headed over to the starting line.  We made a decision in this heat to just do a fun run of this event, no sense to race in 96 degree temperatures.  So we enjoyed the pre-race show as they introduced several gold medal winners from the US Olympic team who were from Austin, and introduced Lance Armstrong also from Austin.  Lance is now working on his running race life and had a great race finishing 6th place in this race. 

Overall of the 30 cities worldwide Austin finished in 2nd place overall as a city so despite the heat many of the runners took this race seriously.  Tom, Karen and I just ran a easy pace and finished in 60 minutes, nothing to write home about other than the event and the heat and taking part in a worldwide show.  We saw Karen F at about the 4.5 mile mark.  She finished a little over a minute ahead of us.  For all of us this was basically just a hot early evening run. 

After the race Lynn and Karen H. and I went over to Rounders and had pizza.  Karen had not brought a 2nd shirt with her so she put a towel over her shoulders to cover her sports bra, which we agreed fit into the Austin motto of "keep Austin weird".   A relaxing stop before going home. 

A hot evening in Florence, TX.  Lynn and I drove over to Florence HS for my run and found the high school band on the football field practicing their marching maneuvers and a few students on the track.  Lynn walked while I ran.

I ran 3 miles steady at a 7:45 pace and then as I started the last mile there were 3 high school boys running and they were about 20 meters behind me as I started my last mile.  I ran 3 laps at a 7:20 pace and then the boys tried to catch me as I started my last 300 meters.  As I approached the curve for the last 200 meters the boys made their move to catch me and so I picked it up and raced in the last 200 meters.  They fell back and didn't make it past me, fun. 

I got to sweating like a pig and felt like even though it was just 4 miles it was a good workout. 

Went to Brushy Creek after work and did two miles warm-up, being careful because the bottom outside of the right heel is tender, feeling like it is bruised. 

Then we did drills and then the workout with 3 loops adding up to 2 miles.  The right heel seemed to take the workout pretty well.

Tonight at home I'm putting the right foot and heel on ice as I watch the Republican National Convention.  Waiting for Sarah Palin's acceptance speech. 

A nice run today.  We had planned to do 18 miles but I talked Karen F. and Karen H. into just going 15 as I was being careful with the right foot/heel tenderness.  We met at 6:00 AM with Steve S. and Jason K. and headed out on the 10 mile Longhorn Dam route of Townlake.  After 4 miles when we got to the 8 mile marker we ran hard for 3 miles to the 5 mile marker.  This is a great push in the middle of a long run.  Then we finished the 10 mile loop and then Karen F. and Karen H. and I did the 5 mile Congress Avenue loop.  The right foot behaved quite well, but when we got to Maudie's for breakfast Karen had them bring me a bag of ice so I nursed the foot while we ate.

After breakfast Lynn and I went to the Container Store and then I used the gym pass that Karen H. had given me and I went in and used the pool and swam for 500 meters.  It really did feel good to get in a swim.  I need to be ready to swim 800 meters in two weeks at the Inks Lake Triathlon.  What a great start to the weekend.