My blog is still here!

I still have a running blog. I don't run, but here it is. I did go read some past entries and must say that I do miss running and the joy of pushing the limits. I ran 4 miles earlier this week so who knows - maybe I will start running and blogging again. Of course nobody read my blog when I was actually running and back when blogs were cool. Now everything is "social media" so I doubt the blogging will happen. If anyone stumble across this - have a great day and do something awesome - or at least worthwhile.

Holy Smokes, I saw a Duck running a RACE.

We shall begin with the big news.  I ran the Women's Center Race Against Violence last Saturday.  It was a fun 5K race.  I did it slowly, but I did it.  I watched as Katrina and Esme quickly left me in the dust.  I thought I was starting slowly, but I guess the race excitement got me a bit pepped up because my first mile was 6:37.  I wanted to see if it was possible to run 7's, but thought I would run 7:20's or so.  I ended up running the race in  21:36 which put me just under a 7 minute pace - so that was good.  Of course my last mile was a 7:17 so I was fading.  I would not have wanted to run a 4 mile race.

I have also managed to run a few times a week.  This morning I did 5 at the Park.  I did not realize that the Tennis Center is closed and that I would not be able to take a shower.  The fitness center had a shower, but I think I will skip that one in the future.  Not so nice, but since I had a meeting downtown I really thought a shower was required.

I did 4 yesterday and 3 on Sunday.  Not too bad considering how out of shape I am.  My knee does bark some and my leg muscles get really tight, but I am working on it.  I roll on my fit ball at least once a day and sometimes a lot more than once.

My buddy Tom is trying to get a team together for the Beach to Bay Relay and in a very rare move, I have said that I will do it.  I do not commit to things this early very often.  Of course if I am to be on the team, it will be a fun team and not a competitive team.  

This should be the world's greatest blog entry since I started it early this morning and am now finishing it at 4 in the afternoon.  This work thing gets in the way.  Come to think of it, sitting at my desk makes my hamstrings tighten up and then that makes my knee hurt.  I need to think some more about this.

Happy Trails......

Acupuncture.

OK now I am trying acupuncture. I have gone twice and it is a strange thing. I think it is helping, but I still reserve judgment. You have to wonder about having needles stabbed into your glute, hip, all the way down your IT Band, knee and shin/calf. You wonder a bit more when some of those needles are then hooked up to a car battery so your muscles can be shocked/triggered/tortured/contracted once a second for about 20 minutes.

Seriously, I think this might help, but I also think that the amount of home exercises and strengthening I do will be more important. I think the acupuncture is like muscle activation, but with electricity - a bit of a joke, but I do think the ideas of activating the muscles are similar. Hopefully the acupuncture will end up relaxing the muscles to the point where they can then be strengthened.

I don't know why I am posting this other than I have not posted anything since Thanksgiving.

2008 Dallas Turkey Trot

I ran in my new Texas A&M jersey that Kent gave me this week. It looked even more silly if I ran in running shorts because it hangs down so low that it looked like I was in a skirt or running naked on the bottom. I chose to wear my sweatpants. The run got quite warm by the time I got about 2 miles into the run. By six miles, I was ready to eat. By eight miles I was ready to eat, get out of the sweats and jersey and get a nice cool one.

All in all, it was a very successful run. I have not run 8 miles in many, many months. It felt good to be out running. It just would not have been Thanksgiving without the Turkey Trot. The Turkey Trot would not have been the same if I only ran the 3 mile run after so many years of doing the 8 miler. I decided that I would just have fun and start at 9 minute miles and maybe work down to 8's. The first mile was 8:19 and felt easy. It was packed and I started pretty far back. I decided that I would just run by feel, but go ahead and run a bit quicker while still holding back. I did that through the rest of the race. I had fun and gave a lot of pep talks and tried to get some "WHOOPS" from other Aggies. It was going to be the only time that Aggies would get to do any "WHOOPING." The rest of my mile splits were: 2) 7:49, 3) 7:47, 4) 7:32, 5) 7:46, 6) 7:49, 7) 7:31, 8) 7:14. Total 1:02:10 and a 7:46 pace. Not bad for having so much fun and running in a 20 pound jersey.

My legs are a bit sore from the extra miles and all of it being run on the concrete. Most all of my runs have been on soft trails. Maybe if I can keep up my exercises and some running, I could get in some semblance of shape.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!

3 more miles recorded last night in the nice cool weather. Ran them with Kent who was kind enough to stop by on his way home. Having someone to make you run helps the cause.

I always run the Turkey Trot in Dallas on Thanksgiving. It is just something I have been doing since High School. It is as much a part of Thanksgiving as turkey. I would like to run the 8 mile race because I don't think I have ever run the 5K. I think it will be a race-time decision. Whatever is chosen - I will be running it very slowly.

FAST CHICKS!!!

I get to hang around with fast chicks. This weekend Anna smoked the SA Marathon getting 3rd in her division and dropping her PR by 8 or 9 minutes! Rumor has it that she is older than I am, but she keeps getting faster and I am simply lucky to make it around the track at all.

Anna's most recent run made me think about the fast chicks I have the pleasure of running around with. I could certainly add more and this list is not exclusive. I say that so that I won't offend anyone that I leave off, but to offend someone, people would have to actually read this blog - so I should be very safe. So, here are some pictures of FAST CHICKS.

I don't really have action shots because I am still out on the course when these girls finish, but I do have some pictures. Here is Anna getting ready for the Boston Marathon. Even better - you get the trifecta - Anna, Esme and Katrina. Talk about FAST. Anna just rocked her 3:11:08. Talk about "Rock" - Esme was 3rd Overall Woman at the White "Rock" Marathon - Half Marathon. I can't even really write about Kat. She has run in the Olympic Trials, and was the first American in the World Half Marathon Championships in a time so fast I can't keep up on my bike.

Here is Esme just hangin' around looking fast. She then saunters over to chat with her friends from Italy. The lady she is chatting with is Bruna Genovese who happened to place 3rd Overall Woman at the Boston Marathon the same weekend that this picture was taken.

I think most people will rocognize this next one. Joan was eating in the same restaurant we were. She has no idea who I am, but I took the picture anyway and she did not come punch my nose or break my camera, so she must be a very nice lady.

Next is Bonnie Jo. She talked me into joining my running club and wins so many races it is not even funny. She won Overall Masters Woman at the Houston Half Marathon.

So there are a few of the fast chicks that will tolerate me. On a personal note - I did run 3 miles yesterday. Baby steps, but steps nonetheless.

Happy Trails!

Holy Molly BatGirl my body is revolting again. I go out and run a few times and then WHAM! I now have a darn cold, an oooozzzzing cyst on my leg and pulled muscles from coughing. I don't know how my legs are doing because I can get no bio-feedback on those problems because the pathways are clogged with all of this other garbage. The cold came on early Tuesday and put a damper on watching the election returns. It was still a fascinating night. It will be wild four years, but I am hopeful.

My goal is to get back to some regular running and try for the half marathon at Houston. It would be good to just back to some regular training.

Happy Trails and good luck to all of the people racing!!!