Next up: Texas Independence Relay

Starting late next Saturday morning our team of 12 runners - the West Side Occasionals - in two vehicles will be tackling 204 miles from near Bastrop TX all the way to the San Jacinto Monument east of Texas running nearly 40 legs in total, non-stop.  Two vans with 6 persons each switch off every 4 hours or so.  You grab some food and sleep where you can, otherwise it is all running all the time!  Sounds like fun, right!  It is, trust me.  This will be my second TIR, having participated in the inaugural event in 2008.  Which unfortunately resulted in achilles tendinitis and forced me to postpone running the Boston Marathon until the next year.  I'm not qualified for Boston this year so no worries on that front.  I will be taking a small camera so except a few pics to show up here by next Monday or so.

Running and working out have been coming along nicely despite some ongoing plantar fasciitis issue (left foot).

Here is a recap on the last week's running and gym sessions:

Monday - Bendwood Park route 3 mi 00:30 10:00 pace

Really nice recovery run, legs still a little bit sore from Sunday (left calf mostly) but feeling pretty strong. Begin mini-taper for this weekend's 204-mile Texas Independence Relay.

Monday - With Amy Henneke 00:55

Weigh-in day. Body fat percentage down to 17%, otherwise unremarkable. Still a long way from finding my long-lost abs, last seen in public c. 1979. Today it was mostly shoulders, biceps, some abs, pecs and lats.

Sunday - Bendwood loop 3 mi 00:29 09:39 pace

Easy recovery run with the Boxers; lots of fun with a whole bunch of little kids keen to meet with them at the park. They were on their best behaviour!

Saturday - New Ulm hills 20 mi 03:20 10:00 pace

Easy first half, tough coming back to New Ulm when you can actually see the hills... My left foot took a pounding. Happy it is done!

Thursday - With Amy Henneke 00:55

Lots of shoulders, weighted step-ups, elevated push-ups, ab crunches, triceps and pecs.

Thursday Bendwood loop and neighborhood 5 mi 00:52 10:24 pace

Very easy run, first 3 with Kath and the dogs, last 2 just us. Nice and cool. Legs a little bit fatigued but nothing serious

Wednesday - Bendwood Park loop 3 mi 00:30 10:00 pace

Really nice run, the dogs almost behaved. Stopped to talk to some city workers installing a new lift station in our neighborhood. Huge job which will take several more weeks; they have to build it to 500-year floodplain requirements; the lift station (basically a pumping assembly for sewage) will protrude 7 feet above street level.

Wednesday - Bendwood Park and then Terry ... 6 mi 00:57 09:30 pace

Easy 6 miles, first three with the dogs. It is amazing what a little cool weather can do for the legs!

Tuesday Rice track and Rice trail 5 mi 00:49 09:48 pace

Much nicer weather than a week ago! Mostly easy run around Rice, then a couple of miles on the track, a little faster, but no real speed work.

500 and counting

As in 500 miles run, year to date. Miraculously the body (legs!) are still functioning pretty well.  As well as they can after just about 6 decades of work.  Not too much for the first 18 years, but steadily since then - and a lot more lately.  Actually I think my legs are getting used to the steady pounding - some steady foam-rolling must be helping.

It will be interesting to see how I measure up in the Texas Independence Relay starting on 31 March.  Our team of 12 - the West Side Occasionals - will be running 200+ miles from around Bastrop TX to just east of Houston, where the race will end Sunday afternoon in the shadow of the San Jacinto Monument.

 My brother who lives in Pretoria (South Africa) sends me some interesting photographs and cartoons from time to time.  I really enjoyed these: