Balcones, Bridle Path, Shoal Creek

Time: 90:00
Distance: 13.5 mi.

Mid-week medium long run with Erik. We were both fairly content running easy, and it is still pretty humid, so it was easy to enjoy the run. We headed out to Balcones on 45th, connected to Scenic and Bridle Path and then came back up Shoal Creek to 24th.

My legs were pretty tired by the end, but nothing too bad. I am having a slight problem with my right shoe... it seems to come up fairly high near my ankles and is slightly aggravating my right peroneal tendon. I'll have to take a look at either getting some thicker heel pads or modifying the shoes.

Bridle Path

Time: 70:00
Distance: 10 mi.
Map

I had to start this run fairly slow because my right hamstring and hip flexors were very tight. They loosened up some, but I was a bit sore most of the way. I wanted to make a loop on Scenic that was shorter than the loop with Town Lake, so I headed east on Bridle Path and finished up Hartford to Jefferson. It was only 70 minutes, but by the end I was feeling a little shot so I called it quits and will do an easy double this afternoon.

Update: Well I didn't do a double, but I did watch some more of the Texas Relays. The highlight so far? Nope, not the guys breaking the school 4 x 800m record. Erik keeping his 'stache for his 800 on Wednesday:

Reverse Scenic, Town Lake Loop

Time: 90:00
Distance: 13 mi.
Map

Started heading south to pick up Dave... after a short discussion about the fact that we always run the same places, we headed down to do the Scenic, Town Lake run backwards. He was hoping to get some decent volume in today, so I tagged along for a little longer than I was planning on doing. Miles of trails.

Scenic, Stratford, Town Lake

Time: 120:00
Distance: 18 mi.
Map

Early morning long run with Joe. We met near his house and made up this loop as we were going. I was pretty tired and my legs were a little beat, but I was able to get rolling along after we got off Stratford. It felt good to get back on the 2 hour train. I was very dehydrated.

Update: I forgot to mention that my right hip was sore near the top of my IT band at the beginning of the run and seemed to loosen up. By the end of the run I seemed to have some soreness on the top/inside of my left foot.

Scenic, Enfield Loop

Time: 80:00
Distance: 12 mi.

Ran with Joe and Darren from the track. Decided to not work out today, but will hopefully get back on that at the end of the week. It was a beautiful day and I felt pretty good. Legs still a little dead, but not too bad.

Scenic, Town Lake Loop

Time: 90:00
Distance: 13 mi.
Map

Morning attempt at getting in a medium-long run. Got it done, but feeling a bit flat... I felt like I was putting a real effort in every time I headed uphill. I haven't been getting enough hours of sleep or hydrating well enough. I should really focus on these things every day for the next 2 weeks.

We've got some weird weather going on around here: it was cold this morning (26) and should be pretty warm by the afternoon (65), and it is VERY dry and windy.

Mt. Bonnell, Scenic, Stratford

Time: 91:00
Distance: 14.5 mi.
Map

Good hard effort on the classic hilly run 'round here. Decided that given that this was a bit of a down milage week and that I really need to start focusing a bit more on intensity that I would do what the guys were doing today. It took a little bit to get settled in, but overall I felt good. The only time I was in a little trouble was on the last hill on Stratford, which I got dropped a little bit on. Felt good after that, though, keeping the pace well under 6 min pace the rest of the way (~3 mi.) back. The first few miles were slower than I've often done this run, which means the end was pretty honest.

Mt. Bonnell, Scenic, Town Lake, Track

Time: 120:00
Distance: 19 mi.



Met the guys for a run from the track. They were pretty giddy out the gate (and only going 90+ minutes) and it didn't take long for Hanley, Joe and I (the OBTC) to start bringing up the rear and decide that we didn't want to kill it for two hours. After Scenic we got on Town Lake for a bit and then headed back to the track at about 100 minutes. We ratcheted it down for 10 minutes under 5:40 pace and then 10 minutes barefoot recovery. I felt okay the whole way... a bit tired and my stomach was a little bit off, but this was one of the better efforts I've put in for the last few weeks.

Scenic, Enfield, Shoal Creek

Time: 72:30
Distance: 10.5 mi.
Map

Ahh... into November, my favorite month of the year, home to years of orange and frosty New England, cross country championships, Thanksgiving, and my birthday.

The dead leaves their rich mosaics
Of olive and gold and brown
Had laid on the rain-wet pavements,
Through all the embowered town.
- Samuel Longfellow, November

Well the weather wasn't exactly like that here this morning, but it is nice out. Ran with Kyle from the track out to Scenic and back on Enfield and over Shoal Creek. Hamstrings were tight, but we were running easy so I got pretty loose after the first few miles.

Town Lake, Lake Austin, Scenic

Time: 93:30
Distance: 13.5 mi.
Map

No practice this morning because we're traveling this afternoon to Boone. Ran with Stan from the house and met up with Kyle at the track. Did the standard loop, but it was a little longer than usual because we got started a bit slow, stopped at the track and I think we were all feeling yesterday's workout a bit. My legs felt a bit dead overall, and right hamstring/adducter/piriformis tightness returned as it did last week after the Tuesday workout.

Town Lake, Lake Austin, Scenic

Time: 90:30
Distance: 13.5 mi.
Map


Bridge on the north side of Town Lake

Easy morning run with Stanley on the 90-minute loop. The pretty serious humidity continues so it almost doesn't matter that the temperature has been down somewhat. Having some soreness in my right leg... hamstring, adducter, glute... that seems similar to what I've had in my left leg for the last few years. Might be related to hip balance, so I'll get that checked out. Stopped twice to stretch. Cold lingers.

Mt. Bonnell, Scenic, Stratford

Time: 120:00
Distance: 19.5 mi.
Map


Middle of Stratford hills (via Vig's phone)

Back to the hills. Ran this harder than a few weeks ago, which it was time to do. Good pace through Mt. Bonnell, Scenic and Stratford and picked it up to finish Town Lake to the I-35 bridge, Trinity and with ~2 miles on the track. Pace for the end ranged from 5:35-6:00 (faster on Town Lake and the track than on Trinity). Didn't feel fantastic (a bit tired), but very controlled despite the decent pace. Rob Wetzel, one of the freshmen who seems like he has a lot of potential and a good head on his shoulders, made it the whole way with us which was good to see.

Starting to feel some head cold symptoms... rest and hydrate.

Scenic, Town Lake

Time: 91:07
Distance: 13.5 mi.

Easy 90, most of it with Brian down Scenic and on Town Lake to where he left his car downtown. A bit dehydrated and we went a little late (left the house around 9:15) so it was hot. Kept the pace easy, though. Starting out my right hip flexor and hamstring were both pretty sore, but they loosened up well.

On Scenic we ran past the filming of "The Sno Cone Stand, Inc." which apparently features Tony Sirico from the Sopranos.

Also, the Brown guys opened up their season at Iona, finishing second behind the hosts. Looked like a decent showing on a slow-ass day.


Schmaloner leads the pack

Town Lake, Lake Austin, Scenic

Time: 90:00
Distance: 13.5 mi.
Map

Early morning run from the house with Stanley down to Town Lake and then over on Lake Austin to Scenic and back to the house. This loop is nearly EXACTLY 90 minutes at easy run pace.

Mt. Bonnell, Scenic, Stratford

Time: 120:00
Distance: 18.5 mi.
Map


The view from Redbud just before we hit Stratford

A very solid but a little more laid back long run. First time I've done this classic run in a long time. The two hour group was Stan, Jake, Habben, Kyle and me. The pace got going but not until the middle of Scenic, and we put a good effort in over Stratford and on Town Lake where we were on just about 6 min. pace. Finished going all the way to I-35 on the south side of Town Lake and then back to the track to finish with about a mile on the grass on bare feet.

Town Lake, Lake Austin, Scenic

Time: 90:00
Distance: 13.5 mi.
Map


Dam at the end of Lake Austin near the end of Scenic Dr.

Morning run with Stanley from the house. Headed south through Hyde Park and campus down to Town Lake, over to Lake Austin Bvd. and then back on Scenic. Started off pretty chill which was okay because I had run hard less than 12 hours ago and was pretty tired.

Post-run pool is amazing. Have been doing some very light water jogging for a few minutes after a few runs that I've finished at home.