Rest and Quick Gym Workout

I had planned to get up early and meet our informal group for a 7 mile recovery run this AM. My plans changed late last evening when I started getting some shooting pains in my left hip. They would wake me up when I moved in bed so my sleep was interrupted quite a bit last night. My alarm went off at 5 and I just turned it off. I got up at 7:30 and rushed through 20 minutes on the elliptical trainer, leg extensions, calf raises, abs and some brief stretching. My hip is still acting weird this morning and is probably some nerve thing again, but hopefully nothing major. I may run short tomorrow morning to make up for today or just hit the gym.

The good news is that my morning weight was 197 at the gym this morning so I am already only two pounds heavier than last year's Chicago Marathon weight of 195. My goal is 185 by 10/1 and I think that is totally doable at this point. My only concern is a week on our cruise in July where they have 24 hour food and I won't be able to run long. I will be stuck on a 1/9th mile track or the treadmill.

Mile Repeats at Zilker

Today was yet another wonderful morning. The low was 63 degrees and it was wonderful out there. Today's drill was mile repeats at Zilker. I jogged over with the group and was able to chat with Jay and Alex along the way. I stopped for a quick pit stop at the park and caught up with everyone at the parking lot. We did our drills and G grouped us. I ran with Skud, Sapp, Lee, and another guy named Dennis, I think. There were some others with us, but they dusted us and we stuck together. G wanted us to do around 7:00 pace, but we ran how we felt and did a 6:54 which G thought was too fast. I did the next two in 6:50 and did the last one in 6:31, which was a new PR by 5 seconds. He let us out of doing a 5th one and also changed our route for Saturday to a flat 14 miler instead of more hills. It was a good day.

I got home did my stretching, 40 pushups, and my ab workout with some hard situps that Carla showed me.

Stats - 7.87 miles

Cool Recovery Run

Today was another really cool morning. I meet a few other folks for an easy run around the 7 mile loop. It was a nice run at a nice pace. We did 4 strides and then I headed off to the gym. I did calf raises on the machine and standing, leg extensions, leg curls and some squats. I also did some ab work and most of the stretching routine. After the workout on Monday, I could really feel the lack of strength in my lower left leg. These exercises tired it out, but it felt good all day.

Stats - 6.92 miles/1:03:55/9:14 pace

Last Day of Monday Circuits - New Stuff

Today G had some new and interesting stuff. The weather was really nice with temps in the 60s. We headed off for the long way run to AHS. Once there we did 5 laps on the track. G then corraled us in the east end zone of the football field where we did some leg lift jumping jacks, one leg hops, two legged hops and then we were off to sprint while holding our breath. I had a really hard time with the one legged hops on my left leg. I think the ankle is better, but the lower leg has really weakened. G wanted us to do the hold breath sprints for 100 yards, but for the first one, I could only do 70 yards, and 60 yards for the second one. After that we did some form exercises followed by some two legged hops over some short hurdles followed by 10 pushups. We had to do 5 sets of those. My left leg was hurting on the hops too, but I really focused and got through them. We finally finished by doing 2 minutes of fast feet with some chanting. That was really fun. We jogged back the long way and I headed off to get my tire fixed and drop Carla's car off to be re-painted.

I really enjoyed the workout because we got the heart rate up, got some nice mileage in and had some fun along the way.

Stats - 6.71 Miles

Extending it to Mt. Bonnell

Today we extended our mileage a bit to 13-14 miles. The route was up to Mt. Bonnell, to the stop sign on Balcones and back to Bonnell and home. The weather was really humid and warm and there was some lightning in the distance. All of my training posse was MIA today so I speeded up and ran with the group in front of me. It included Alex, Rich, Patrick, and a couple of new folks, Jennifer and Michael. I was able to hang with the group for most of the run. There were a couple of times Jennifer and I dropped back a bit, but we were always in contact. It felt like we were going faster than the pace on my watch, but that could have been the warmth and humidity. When we got to the top of Mt. Bonnell, I was peer-pressured into going to the top and down the trail. It was a really pretty view today with thunderstorms in the distance. We went down to Balcones and just kept going. We all decided the beating on our legs of going down Bonnell wasn't worth it. We started to get rained on heading down Exposition and it turned into a pretty steady rain. It was nice because it cooled things off a bit. It didn't stop until after I left for home. I was able to pick it up the last 3 miles with times of 7:53, 7:47, 7:51, and the last .6 miles at a 7:43 pace. When I got back I did 8 strides and skipped stretching with the group due to the weather.

We stopped for water at the Rock on the way out, the cleaners, where I ate a Carboom, the top of Mt. Bonnell, and at O'Henry on the way back.

400s in Los Gatos

After yet another long day in the Bay Area, I had to get up early and run outside today. I got up at 4:45 and went to meet a local group that works out in Los Gatos. It is about a 20 minute drive south of Santa Clara where I am staying. The group meets at Los Gatos high school on Tues/Thursday. The coach of the group proposed 8x400 for the workout which was fine with me. I wasn't up for 2000s on the track. We did a mile warmup on the track and then headed out for the repeats. I wasn't able to get in my usual Gazelle drills so I didn't really push the pace to start. My first two repeats really sucked as far as time goes. The last 6 were more in my range and it was nice to end with a fast one. The 3 other folks were faster than me so I chased them through all 8 repeats. I did a 1.5 mile cool down on the track and then headed back to my hotel to get ready for another long day. I did another ice bath for my ankle, stretched, and then did some abs and pushups.

Repeats - 1:34.7, 1:37.54, 1:32.97, 1:32.86, 1:31.97, 1:33.16, 1:31.46, 1:28.26
Average - 1:32.9

Stats - 5.15 miles

Treadmill Time

I had a very long day yesterday so I slept until 6:30 Cali time and hit the gym at the Hyatt. We took some customers to see the Giants play in San Francisco last night and I didn't get to bed until 12AM Cali time. I was up for 21 hours and really beat. I was good and didn't have any beers at the game, but I did have an awesome bratwurst and some Gordon Biersch garlic fries for dinner. The fries stayed with me way too long. Thank goodness I only ate half of the order.

I ran for 58 minutes and covered 6.4 miles. It was a good workout. I did some leg extensions and then did crunches and pushups in my room. I put my ankle in an ice bucket for 15 minutes which made it feel better, but the pain is not going away.

We had meetings all day and I was able to eat good for breakfast and lunch, but I think dinner blew me out of the water with a great meal at an Italian restaurant in Palo Alto. We had appetizers and then I had a salad and risotto with prawns and asparagus for dinner. Good carbs, but there was probably a lot of fat in the meal. I skipped desert...whoopee! Anyway, I can't wait to get home tomorrow night.

I am working out with a local group for their track work in Los Gatos early in the AM. Hopefully that balances the rich food.

Stats - 6.4 miles/58:00/9:04 pace

Recovery Running

Today there were 8 of us for the recovery run. We met at 6AM and the rain had returned. It was still warm and very humid. G signed a couple of his books for some friends of mine in California and we headed off. It was a nice run at a solid pace. It seemed like we all were able to visit with eachother during the run. There was a lot of talk about the upcoming Marathon Relay and it sounded like most of us were on teams for the event. We stopped for warm water at Pfluger and then got some cold water at the Rock. We headed back and I headed straight for the car. I only had minimal time to shower, pack and get Emma to her acting camp.

I am heading to San Jose this afternoon to introduce the new guy to the Sun team. We are heading to the Giants game in San Francisco tonight which should be fun. Unfortunately I have to miss the 2000s tomorrow. I will either hit the preserve for 5-7 miles or do 5 on the treadmill at the hotel.

The new watch worked perfectly today. No outages in the usual spots where my old one would blip and it stayed true even under the MoPac bridge.

Stats - 7.06 miles/1:04:13/9:06 pace
AHR - 130
MHR - 147

Week 3 of Circuits

Today was week of 3 of our strenght sessions before we get into some pace runs on Mondays. I am starting to enjoy doing these workouts because you get a lot of work and don't feel so beat up from the running. We started at 5:45 and headed over to AHS the long way. We did our drills and then our substitute coaches, Bernard and Pete, put us in motion for 20 minutes of circuits. It was the usual stuff with Pete adding some animation to liven it up. I did 3 complete sets today which is one more than the last two times. Once we finished the last set we did 2x1:00 minute fast feet, two minutes of planks, and the partner ab exercises. The marathon group was sent packing the long way home and we were done. I was soaking wet and felt really drained, but felt really good about the workout.

I got to the gym where I did some leg extensions and stretched. I hopped on the scale and my morning weight was 198; sub 200 for the first time since Chicago last year. I am doing a decent job of watching what I am eating and if I keep up this pace will be in my goal range of 185 by the end of September.

Stats - 7.4 Miles

Father's Day

Today was my 10th Father's Day and I always enjoy them. I got to sleep until about 8:15 and then the girls came in to shower me with gifts. I got some nice summer clothes, a brand new Garmin 305 watch, and best of all some really nice hand-crafted gifts the kids made. I am truly blessed to be a father of two wonderful daughters.

Runnin' in the Rain!

Today we woke to thunder, rain, and some lightning. I had a rough night due to some stomach issues so I almost didn't get up. We met at Porter Middle School to do the 10+ mile loop down to the lake and back up the Barton Hills back to the school. This is a really challenging run, but I really like it because it is a route we rarely run.

Half of us were on one side of the school and half were on the other side. It was just sprinkling when I arrived, but started to pour. We all took shelter across the street under a small awning while G figured out what we were going to do. He got both groups together at the corner of the school and gave the edict of "wimps go home" and everyone else go run. I headed off with Anne and Marcy and we were on a pretty good pace from the start. We seemed to be running in the middle of two storms and it warmed up really quickly. We got water at Barton Springs and Lamar and headed down to the trail. I took a potty stop on the north side of the trail and caught up to my group before the Rock. We drank more water there and I tried my Mango Clif Shot. I didn't enjoy it. We waited for Marcy to return and headed off. We got passed by some slower groups, but caught them as we headed up the Barton Hills. G's rolling water stop was next at the Church on Barton Hills. I drank a few cups of water and Powerade and we headed down to do the little loop. As we headed down the wind picked up, it got dark, and we hit some cool pockets of air. Anne mentioned slowing down a bit at the stop, but as it got darker and the rain started to pour, we kept the pace and even picked it up a bit. I was soaking again and my shoes were drenched by some running rivers across the street. Jay caught up with us on the last hill and passed on Lamar. We were all just running to get out of the mess by then.

I did 6 strides on the track with a few folks and then went for the dry clothes. Since it was Jay's Birthday and we weren't going to go stretch, I suggested we hit Kerbey Lane for some breakfast. Jay, Jan, Brad, and Brian went for some good food and great conversation. My stomach wasn't feeling so good so I only ate about 3/4 of my food. I ended up sleeping most of the day.

Stats - 10.36 Miles/1:30:08/8:41 pace

Recovery Run

Today I met a few folks for a recovery run. There were only a few of us, but it was a good run anyway. Anne, Brian and a friend were there and we did the run counterclockwise on the trail. I was not feeling good at all...really tired and sluggish. I lagged back behind Anne and Brian's friend for the first part. We stopped for warm water at the Pfluger bridge and then again at the Rock. The cool water and a quick shower at the rock reinvigorated me and Anne and I finished at a nice clip. We did a couple of strides, snagged a couple of the new cool Gazelle bags and then I headed home.

I went to see Dr. Mullins about my ankle and the visit turned out good. I don't have an weakness in any of the muscles down there. He did some ultrasound and yanked on my toes, leg, ankle and cracked my back. I am supposed to ice it after running and then again at night. It is supposed to eventually heal, but I have to watch my form and make sure I don't bobble on it when I run.

Stats - 7 miles/58:37/8:22 pace

Tempo Race

Today was the dreaded tempo race. I haven't done one of these since back before Freescale and to be honest, I haven't missed them. I was part of a small group that didn't get the memo that G changed the meeting time to 5:45. I got there at 6 and Jay was just rolling in as well. G sent us out on a one mile warmup and we got back as the others were finishing their drills. They took and the rest of us finished the drills and headed to the start line. Since my normal training buds were in the other group, I headed out with Shannon and a couple of other folks in the front. I did the first half in 14:26 and did the second half in 14:12 so I had a little bit of a negative split. The time wasn't my best, but was OK for tired legs and a sore ankle.

Stats - 6 Miles
Tempo race - 4.04 miles/28:38

Recovery Run

I met a decent size group of folks at RunTex for the Tuesday recovery run. I was really tired this morning, but got up so I can get my body used to 5x5:00AM wakeups again. I do well once I am in the routine, but once I get off it takes a couple of weeks to get it back together. My ankle injury and vacation had me out of rhythm the past few weeks, but I am going to attempt to get on a roll starting this week. I have a long way to go to get ready for a BQ attempt at Chicago.

Anyway, we headed out clockwise on the trail and did the 7 mile loop. The pace was kind of slow, but we picked it up a bit after the Rock. We stopped for some very warm water at the Pfluger bridge and the group stopped again before I-35, but I kept going. I had to get back to make an 8AM meeting. I picked it up even more to get back on time. I ran into this homeless guy on the I-35 bridge who kind of freaked me out. He was screaming...swearing at something, and I tried to avoid him as much as possible when I went passed him.

Stats - 7 Miles/1:02:44/8:58

Circuits

Today we met at RunTex for circuit training. I got there at 6 and ran over with Jan and Brian. G was late due to some troubles with Frontier Airlines in Denver but arrived in time to give us our instructions. The marathoners had to run an 800 then do step ups, crunches, back raises, push ups, fence squats, and lunges. We then did another 800 with the same exercises except change out leg raises for crunches and Superman jumps for the fence squats. I was about to start my 3rd 800 when G called us all into the track for some ab work. We did some lower ab work by raising our legs to 15, 30, 45 and 90 degrees and holding it for a period of time. I then paired up with Jay to do some more ab work. The exercises were hard, but the most pain came from my arms on the track...that really sucked. We ended with two x 1 minute fast feet. The second time was really cool because we all chanted INGWE and got into a really awesome cadence.

I ran back the long way with Jan and Brian and headed off to the gym. I did some stretching and headed to work. My ankle is still not right so I am going to see Dr. Mullins on Thursday. He has fixed an ailment for me the past two summers so hopefully he can figure this one out.

Stats - 6.1 miles

Cool Moment

Today after our long run, I went into RunTex to pick up some shorts and drink mix. While I was shopping I saw Larry Armendariz, former Gazelle coach and now "Clif Bar Dude", talking to a group of the "One Ton of Fun" folks. They are the people here in Austin who are working with RunTex to lose weight and run the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day. They are trying to collectively lose one ton. Anyway, Larry saw me and knew my story of losing a lot of weight and becoming a runner 5 years ago. He called me over and I was able to share my experience with the group. I told them I lost between 50-60 pounds and now run a 3:30 marathon. It was very moving because 5 years ago I looked like some of the men that were sitting there. I hope they are able to stick with it like I have and truly make a lifestyle change.

After I ran my first my marathon, 16 months after I started running I wrote the below story for my running club in Oregon. I dug this up to send to Larry and it brought back lots of emotions for me. I hope my small posse of readers enjoys it!

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From 9:32 to 9:30 in 16 months…5K to 26.2 that is!

By Frank Varela

Where do I begin? What made me turn from a 250lb. couch potato in June of 2001 to a 210lb. official marathoner in October of 2002? I don’t know either…I am still in shock that I completed my first marathon, the 2002 Portland Marathon, in 4:09:04 (9:30 pace).

I started my road to a marathoner by walking the hills in our West Salem neighborhood for 30-45 minutes at a time. That evolved into some walk/running and eventually into a Portland store on a whim to actually get fitted for some running shoes. I remember my family watching me from the car as I ran across the parking lot trying on shoes. I had no clue what to look for in a shoe, but all I know when I left the store was that the shoes felt good, had really thick soles, and I was now going to start running. I fully expected for the shoes to be in the corner of the closet within the next few weeks, but something happened and I actually stuck with it.

The next few weeks led me to more running than walking and eventually to a point where I could run for about 2.5 miles without stopping. It was at that point that I read about the upcoming Salem Art Fair 5K race. I figured I had about two weeks to get ready to run a full 3.1 miles, still not exactly knowing how to train the right way. I did my best to muddle through based a 5K training program I found on the Runner’s World web site. I arrived on race day way too early. I think they were still setting up the tables. I got my number, went back to my truck and carefully pinned my number on the back of my shirt…only to find out that I was supposed to pin it on the front of my shirt. It was a rookie mistake, but one that was easily corrected. My next mistake came at the start of the race when I went out like gangbusters and died half way through the race. I ended up finishing in 29:33 (9:32 pace); respectable for my first race.

From that point on I had running fever. I ran five more 5K races in August, September, and November of 2001 and decreased my 5K-finish time to 25:59. It was in mid-October that I decided to join the half-marathon training program at Gallagher Fitness Resources. I ran another PR (25:01) at the Toy Hall of Fame 5K and to my surprise was placed into the faster group within the program. I learned so much during that program and made many good friends. The Cascade Half Marathon race day came and it turned out to be perfect race weather for a January day in Oregon. I was a ball of nerves when I arrived at the race site, but settled into a nice pace once the race began. I was able to beat my goal of two hours by finishing in 1:56:53. I ran the El Paso Energy Half Marathon the following week in Houston. The start was with all the marathoners and it was then that I got the itch to train for a marathon.

Given some personal uncertainty with my job situation in Oregon, I put the marathon in the back of my mind with a goal of running the Houston marathon in January of 2003. I ran a few more races in the winter and spring of 2002 and in April started training with the Galloway Fall Marathon Clinic run by Gallagher Fitness Resources. I figured no matter where my family and I ended up, I could always come back and run the Portland Marathon. I trained with the Salem group through mid-August when my family and I moved to Austin, Texas for my new job. I was very sad to be leaving my Salem running group. For a fun diversion from a long training run, I ran in the Hood to Coast Race with the Fallen Angels and Devil Dudes and had an awesome time.

I completed my last six weeks of training for the Portland Marathon in Austin. Adjusting to the heat was difficult at first, but I got used to it fast and really enjoyed it. Austin has some really nice running trails at Town Lake and the Austin Gallowayans were very supportive in helping me finish my training.

Race weekend came and I took an early flight from Austin to Portland the day before the race. I was so nervous and tense when I arrived at the race expo, I thought I was going to explode. I sat through the John “The Penguin” Bingham seminar and he really helped me, and many other first time marathoners, loosen up. He also gave us some good pointers and told us to enjoy the day, race and experience. I learned it’s not the finish time that’s important, it’s finishing and enjoying the experience that is more important. That thought would come back to me during the marathon.

Race day was perfect…cool, overcast and minimal wind. I was nervous, but confident in my ability to finish. I did have a time goal of four hours, but it was more a target than anything. I started the race with Larry Studer and Quintin King who I trained with all summer in Salem. Quintin and I stuck together for the first twenty miles or so and the first sixteen miles flew by. It wasn’t until the hill leading up to the St. John’s Bridge that I started to feel a little tired. I think I may have hit the hill too hard. The next three or four miles went pretty well, but at mile twenty-two, I started to struggle a bit. I realized I wasn’t going to make my time goal of four hours, but told myself it didn’t matter. I knew I was going to finish and with a pretty good time for a first timer. John “The Penguin” Bingham’s words came back to me at this point. I took walk breaks more often to ease my fatigue and used the walk time to enjoy the last four miles. I took in the sights, the crowds, and the contestants, as I got closer to the finish line. When I made the final turn and could see the finish line, I was ecstatic. At most of my previous races, my wife and girls were always there to yell, “Go Daddy,” when I made my last turn on the racecourse. This time they couldn’t be with me, but they were with me all day in my heart and mind. I picked up my pace and know I was smiling from ear to ear when I crossed the finish line. It was hard to hold back the tears, but I did and celebrated with the rest of the runners in the finish area. I was so proud of myself for achieving my goal and for making a huge lifestyle change for the better. I am healthier, stress free, and know I will be a runner forever.

I want to thank my wife and kids for all their love and support; John Gallagher for his friendship, support and for teaching me the right way to train; all of my training buddies Quintin, Rick, Larry, Dennis, Doug, Ann Marie, Carrie, Ann, Mick, Gerry, Linda and all the rest of the Salem Galloway group; and Heather and Maureen for their support during the marathon. I couldn’t have done it without you all!

Scenic Loop

I was finally able to run with the extended group today after 10 days away due to vacation and my ankle. I joined the mob at RunTex at 6AM and the Gazelles peeled off from the Roguies. Rudy was kind enough to fill in for G and Bernard since they were both out of town. The weather was warm, but didn't feel so humid. I headed off with Marcy, Anne, Shannon and a couple of newbies were right behind us. Before the MoPac bridge, Marcy and Anne took off and joined Alex and Rich. Shannon and I stayed with our pace which felt good. We stopped for water at Red Bud and then again at the Cleaners. There we were joined by a couple of new guys, Chad and Mike for the return trip. We skipped Mt. Bonnell, I didn't want to mess with my ankle, and headed down 35th street to Exposition. We scooped up Joseph along Exposition and stopped again for water at O'Henry. From there we kind of split up. Mike trailed off, and the others went ahead of me. I just ran how I felt and ended up catching Chad and Joseph. Shannon finished a few hundred yards a head of me. I ran the last mile in 7:44 so I had a bit of a fast finish. We pretty consistent after the first couple of miles...all in the 8:15 range.

It was a really good run for me. I haven't run on the road in over a week and my ankle responded pretty well. The pace was kind of fast, but not a big deal at this distance. I will have to dial it back as we increase our mileage in the coming weeks. I did 6 strides and then joined the group for strides.

Stats - 11.5 miles/1:35:00/8:15 pace

Easy Run

I had planned to run with the group yesterday, but I had a rough night of sleep on Tuesday so I slept in and went straight to work. I got up today ready to run and met Jay, Richard, Shannon and Teek for a modified 7 miler. My ankle has been feeling better and I was hoping for a good run. We headed counterclockwise on the trail and ran to the Longhorn Dam and back around to first street. I was doing OK, but my ankle was nagging a bit. I have to really focus and land square because if I bobble it tends to aggravate things. We ran around 6.5 miles in a little over an hour. We did some strides and then I headed off to the gym for some ab work and stretching.

I am going to rest my ankle tomorrow and hopefully complete the 10-12 mile scenic run on Saturday.

South Padre - 6/2 - 6/6

We left for South Padre Island on Friday and it was my third day in a row of not running. My ankle was feeling pretty good with no activity. We got in around 3PM and hit the pool for awhile. The Sheraton is a pretty nice hotel with a large pool and beach access. I got into the spirit and had a couple of beers while playing with the kids in the pool. We all went to dinner where I had the 5 beer sampler and a big pizza. I only ate half the pie.

On Saturday I got up and ran around 8:30 on the beach. It was already hot and I felt a bit sluggish since it had been a few days. The run was nice and the beach was a softer surface to run on. I ended up doing 5 miles at about 8:45 pace. People were already setting up camp for the day and I ran into the girls and our friends when I got back. I headed down to the beach and pool for the rest of the day. When we got ready for dinner, I noticed I had a pretty good sun burn on the tops of my feet...not cool! We had a nice dinner and I headed out with the guys to watch the Suns/Mavericks game at a local bar and grill. We were in by 10:30.

On Sunday morning I slept in again and hit the beach for another 5 miler at around 9AM. It was really hot that morning. I got back and we hit the beach for a few hours before going in. We all had too much sun and needed to do something else. We grabbed lunch and did some shopping. We went on a late afternoon cruise to see some dolphins and then found a really good Mexican restaurant for dinner. I ate too much and had some Tecates, but it was reall good food!

On Monday AM we hit the Schlitterbahn in South Padre and had a wonderful day. We were there from 10-5 and all had a great time. Dinner was at the hotel and then I rented Ice Age 2 for the kids on the TV. I fell asleep after all that swimming and went to bed early.

On Tuesday AM, reality set in and we had to drive back to Austin. I got up at 6:30 and went for a 7 mile run on the beach. I felt the best today and averaged about 8:30 for the run. I got back, grabbed a shower and we were off for home.

It was a really nice mini-vacation and I am glad I was able to relax and get in a little running. Hopefully the ankle is on its way to recovery.

5 Year Running Anniversary

Today is the 5th anniversary of when I started running. I know it was only run walking back then, but it is the day I started. I weighed 260 pounds back then and remember buying my first pair of running shoes back in Portland. We stopped off at a running store and Carla and the kids waited in the car thinking I was joking. The guy pulled out a bunch of cushioning shoes and had me run back and forth in the parking lot. I ended up buying a pair of Gel Cumulus and the rest is history. I ran my first 5k in early July of that year for my first race. It is hard to believe that I have run 8 marathons and numerous races of all distances. I have completed two Hood to Coast Relays as well. Running is still a way of life for me and I am thankful for making the life change back then.

Today is also the first day that I haven't run on my anniversary. My leg is feeling a lot better, but I am not running on it until I can walk with no pain and the area feels normal and not tight. I think that will probably be this weekend for some light running on the beach.

So I want to thank all my friends along the way and also my coaches, John Gallagher, Mac Allen, and Gilbert Tuhabonye. You have all added a very special touch to my running and my life.