For Whom the Dogs Bark

May 07, 2024

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Location:

Cypress,TX,

Member Since:

Oct 10, 2009

Gender:

Male

Goal Type:

Other

Running Accomplishments:

5K: 24:22 (March 2010); 22:33 (October 2010); 20:47 (May 2011); 21:05 (May 2012); 21:33 (September 2012); 21:23 (November, 2013); 22:31 (September 2014)

5M: 39:22 (November, 2012); 35:54 (November, 2013); 36:03 (March, 2015)

10K: 44:08 (November, 2010); 49:20 (July, 2013); 44:07 (April, 2015)

12K: 56:03 (December, 2013); 58:58 (December, 2014)

10M: 1:11:58 (October, 2012); 1:15:24 (October, 2014)

Half Marathon: 1:53:xx (London's Run 2010); 2:05:21 (Cowtown 2010); 1:37:04 (Gusher 2011); 1:42:19 (Huntsville 2011); 1:33:47 (Baytown Jailbreak 2012); 1:33:50 (The Woodlands 2012); 1:42:52 (Texas 2015); 1:49:17 (Jailbreak 2015); 1:38:34 (The Woodlands 2015)

25K: 2:01:47 (Fifth Third River Bank, May 2014)

Marathon: 5:51:35 (Texas Marathon 2009); 6:21:36 (Ogden 2009); 4:58:29 (St. George 2009); 4:13:45 (Texas Marathon 2010); 4:04:12 (Utah Valley Marathon, 2010); 5:11:14 (Hartford ING, 2010); 3:41:43 (Richmond SunTrust, 2010); 3:39:27 (Texas Marathon 2011); 3:41:46 (Utah Valley Marathon, 2011); 3:30:35 (St. George 2011); 3:41:51 (Richmond 2012); 3:49:15 (Texas 2013); 3:46:59 (Paavo Nurmi, 2013); 3:34:04 (St. George 2013); 3:49:51 (Texas 2014); 3:31:59 (Richmond 2014); 3:28:34 (Boston 2015)

Short-Term Running Goals:

3:20, 1:30, 0:20

Long-Term Running Goals:

I'm 60, there is no long term.

Personal:

I live, work and run in Houston, Texas. I have run 17 marathons, some good ones and some others. I prefer straight, flat, cold, sea-level marathons, still waiting for my first one. I feel like there are more PRs out there. When I have them, I am told it is time to dial it back, run for healthy reasons. I'm sure that's right, and I'm sure it won't happen.

My wife and I are from the mountains of the west. We have five kids, three granddaughters and three grandsons. The kids and grandkids are native Texans but we are not -- you have to be born here.

As for my blog title: I run most of my miles before sunrise, sometimes hours before. On the back road of my neighborhood two hours before daylight, I can depend on a pack of mutts behind the boundary fence lighting up when they hear my footsteps. I have wondered what they wanted; but according to Hemingway I needn't ask.

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Miles:	This week:	0.00	Month:	0.00	Year:	0.00

Sat, Dec 31, 2011

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
17.61	0.00	0.00	0.00	17.61

50F, 89%, calm and heavy fog. Wade and I drove to Huntsville State Park with the object of running a lap of the Rocky Raccoon 100. We are planning to pace D. Crockett in about a month when he runs the real thing, so it seemed like a good idea to check it out. We got there just before daylight and puttered around a little bit until it got light. The sun never broke through the fog, so the weather was nothing to complain about.

This trail is soft and well-marked, but has roots sticking up almost the entire distance. For an old klutz like me it was impossible to pick up my feet on every step -- I went down twice, stubbed my toe badly twice and got a mild twisted ankle once, so I have battle scars. (This afternoon I was taking a quick nap waiting for Clint and Becky to arrive at the airport, and everytime I would drift off my foot would catch a root and I was falling all over again until I woke up, so counting those I fell a total of 7 times today.) Wade had one close call but he never fell. There were several other runners out there doing the same thing (running, not falling), one couple was running the trail like it was a track.

I ran in my Jingas, curious as to whether they would do for trail running. They were OK, but I wore an old pair with thicker soles, and the soles were coming off by the time I finished. Off to the landfill for those shoes, I'm going to have to figure out something else, don't want to wear heavy shoes.

A lap is 20 miles, but we quit a little early because we had to get home, almost noon by the time we got back. Time goes quickly on Saturdays when you don't start before sun up. 17.61 miles at 10:27 per mile. This was a tough run. Next step is to try it in the dark. Not sure I'm going to be able to do two laps with Mr. Crockett, and I'm not sure how anybody does five.

Comments

From Andrea on Sat, Dec 31, 2011 at 19:28:50 from 67.177.21.60

I can't imagine running a trail in the dark...with all the roots and on exhausted legs, seems like a disaster waiting to happen! I guess it's all part of the challenge :)

From Rye on Sat, Dec 31, 2011 at 20:52:05 from 174.27.105.171

I hear you on the shoes! After a week I can't imagine going back to heavier shoes. Thanks for your friendship this past year and the good thoughts while I healed up. I guess some lawyers are okay after all. Keep an eye out for the buzzards! Good luck this week.

From Kelli on Sat, Dec 31, 2011 at 22:21:58 from 71.219.66.129

I do not get how anyone runs on those trails in the dark, it absolutely freaks me out! Practice makes perfect, I suppose (and Crockett, as we know, is just a freak!) Sorry about the falls, I feel your pain and that is why trails scare me!

GREAT YEAR this year, your mileage kicked my butt!!!!

From Benny's on Sat, Dec 31, 2011 at 22:54:17 from 24.170.92.226

Nice run!

From SlowJoe on Sun, Jan 01, 2012 at 12:23:53 from 74.195.74.62

I know that I am too clumsy for trails, based on my limited experience with them...same things happen to me. Should be pretty fun pacing him all the same. Good run.

From Claudio on Sun, Jan 01, 2012 at 15:17:36 from 67.234.206.173

Excellent job finishing off the year getting ready for an early challenge in the new one. Happy trails in the new year flatlander!

From Smooth on Sun, Jan 01, 2012 at 23:48:02 from 75.162.95.99

CONGRATZ on a GREAT mileage year! Flat!

WAY to get out on the trail! Sorry about the spill. I am going to run the Orphan Hope Marathon which is in Huntsville Stake Park next month. Now you have me scared about those roots. I am as clumsy as they come. :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

From I Just Run on Mon, Jan 02, 2012 at 00:32:40 from 166.147.79.163

Trail running, I think I'm afraid of that. I'm sure I'd fall too. Way to finish off a big year of running!

From Steam8 on Tue, Jan 03, 2012 at 17:57:50 from 166.70.55.77

I'm always tripping on tree roots. That is how I got my first set of stitches at 21 after falling on a trail run. They are dangerous! haha!

Running with Crockett sounds like so much fun! What an adventure!

From allie on Tue, Jan 03, 2012 at 18:14:52 from 97.75.165.156

nice way to end the year, jinga man.

From I Just Run on Tue, Jan 03, 2012 at 18:16:35 from 67.79.11.242

Ha ha... Allie, I like that name for Flat... Jinga Man :-)

From Kelli on Thu, Jan 05, 2012 at 23:03:14 from 71.219.84.120

Did you trip and fall in a hole and off the face of the earth??

HI!!!

From flatlander on Thu, Jan 05, 2012 at 23:26:30 from 210.71.190.43

Andrea, I just did the close-your-eyes-and-stand-on-one-leg test. Supposedly if you can't do it for 15 seconds you are a klutz. One second was about it -- I think I will have a short trail running career.

Thanks Rye, same to you.

Kelli, I am actually a little bit afraid of the dark, always have been, proud of it. I need to practice on that trail in the dark and I am not sure how I am going to get up the nerve to go out there alone.

Thanks Benny, hope you get some more fast races in this year.

Joe, see above!

Thanks Claudio, you are looking good right now.

Smooth, I forgot you were coming up for that. I'm guessing you will be running some of the same trails, but I don't think you will have as much problem as I did.

IJR, we just don't have enough of them here to get good at it. Probably easier for where you live though.

Steam, now you've got me really frightened. The one good thing though is that if you manage to not fall on a root or a rock, going down in the woods seems so much more "natural" than doing it on concrete. I've tried both.

allie, that one does have a ring to it, good name for a flim flam artist.

Kelli, I posted now.

From Kelli on Thu, Jan 05, 2012 at 23:34:33 from 71.219.84.120

Thanks for posting!

I had to start my 50 miler in the dark and I was terrified (Buffalo and all!) Get a REALLY good headlamp and bring company.

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