Dealing with minor Knee issues, Music makes it all better.

My running form felt better today. A result from the Airosti treatment I had yesterday, no doubt. I developed a left knee and lower leg issue. Some pain but mostly discomfort and something out of whack. The first thing I was told by the Doc was that my IT band and quads are too tight. And it turns out my hips were off kilter. Thinking back this all started when I began training for my next race, the Austin Marathon in February of 2013. I've had this race on my mind since 2000 but a mountain bike event in west Texas on the same weekend with my brother and several other friends kept me from it. Now I am training for it and hope to best my Marathon PR. So, I bought a pair of more cushiony shoes for the road running. That was the what caused my knee issues. It has to be. I had transitioned to minimalist shoes over the last three years and thinking back on that, my injuries had almost disappeared. Now all of a sudden I'm elevated on cushioned shoes and the injuries are back. I'm convinced the shoes are the problem. Back to a more minimalist shoe and the natural shock absorbers in my legs. Along with a strict foam rolling regimen. Doctors orders.
As I descended from the busy streets down to the creek bed on this evenings run I encountered a flute player under the Bandera Rd. bridge. The sound was echoing under the concrete acoustics with the sound of rush hour traffic from the road above as background music. It was truly a unique sound. And with the bagpipe player I saw last Saturday downtown on a street bridge over the riverwalk, it seems San Antonio is turning into an eclectic city. Made me think of Bongo Joe. If you've lived in San Antonio long enough you may remember him playing huge bongos made from industrial metal barrels on downtown street corners many years ago.
Lately Americana music has been streaming into my ears form my iPhone on my runs. Folk, country, blues, and mostly bluegrass. Recently I wondered why I find this music so appealing. My Grandfather played the violin. His style was conjunto. The Tejano version of Alternative country, and born on the farms and ranches of early Texas, uniquely American. This was the first music I learned to dance to as a child. Today a co-worker and I talked about the music we grew up with. Both of us grew up in San Anotnio and were teenagers in the early Seventies. Folk music was very popular and there was so much new music coming out of Austin and San Antonio. A local radio station, KEXL, played all the new local stuff from Artists like Gary P. Nunn, Jerry Jeff Walker, Willie Nelson, Johnny Rodriguez, Freddy Fender, Doug Sahm and Augie Myers to name a few. And from Groups like New Riders of The Purple Sage, Pure Prairie League and The Flying Burrito brothers.
Yes the seventies was the era of Disco Music and I did dance the Hustle. Disco was where the parties with girls were! And I also enjoyed Rock music. Those were different parties though.
Lately though, I am enjoying the varied traditional roots of American Rhythm and blues, Country, Folk, Rock and Roll, and Bluegrass on jaunts on the road and especially through the woods?

Living for the City

The weather was perfect. 40 some odd degrees, a slight breeze and sunshine. A serene run in Leon creek enjoying the beautiful trees turning into shiny tones of red and yellow. Crimson and gold peppered the evergreens. And with Bluegrass tunes streaming into my ears, it made for a calm easy 10 mile run yesterday. Weaving around the trees, in and out of the dry creek bed, through tall grass, and over rocks.
Around a bend in the trail and there he stood! A juvenile six point buck. He stared at me. I back at him. With a hoop and a holler I sprinted towards him in hopes he would run! He did but not very far. Is he not afraid? Accustomed to humans? Or guarding his does? What came to my mind was, I've got to do what I can to keep these deer afraid of people. People will harm them. I am fortunate, I guess, to live next to a protected area where two creeks cross each other and  to be able to run through the woods enjoying nature and wildlife and still enjoy the conveniences of  "city living"  but I'd like to see the wildlife stay wild. Wishful thinking I suppose. Surrounded by Humans, the wildlife will become tame or die.
From about 30 yards away I threw a rock at the buck. Missed the first time and hit him in the chest the second time. He ran off.
Further up the trail another buck. This one surrounded by 10 does. More rock throwing. Some ran, some stood there and stared.
That evening the local news reported the killing of an eleven point buck on the trails in the Medical Center area by two men armed with crossbows. In Metropolitan San Antonio.
Stevie Wonder sang about how difficult it is living For the city

New Trail runners, Old Trail runners. New Road runners, Old Road runners.

My Grandson John and I drove 123 miles northwest of San Antonio to Camp Eagle early on Saturday morning. We were volunteers at the Trail running Veterans Day Camp  I was honored to be asked to participate at the "Running camp on the Nueces." A camp for our Armed Forces Veterans at Camp Eagle near Rock Springs Texas. The camp sits at the headwaters of the Nueces river in the heart of the Texas Hill country. Team RWB (Red, White, and Blue) was sponsoring the camp and it was directed by my good friends Liza Howard and Joe Prusaitis. Many accomplished Ultrarunners were invited to share their experiences and knowledge with our Vets in hopes of getting them interested in our wonderful sport and to form new friendships and natural relationships in hopes of helping them experience a smooth transition back to civilian life. We met with some nice individuals. Ira relayed his experience in Iraq and how his unit survived an ambush. He said he couldn't remember anything after he went down as a result of a bullet to his head. He survived, but as he looks in the mirror, or if someone asks,  the scar on his head will forever remind him of that fateful day. Another Veteran there will not have to look in the mirror to be reminded of his injuries. He lost his lower right leg and now dons a prosthetic leg. Nonetheless, he was out there running the rocky trails. Even a fall and landing on a prickly pear cactus did not seem to dampen his spirits. I met other veterans too, Albert from Fort Lauderdale, Fl, Lopez from McAllen, Tx. I hope I was able to provide some help and good company to the veterans I met. Highlight of the week; running down a winding technical trail behind a female veteran. The pace was smooth and consistent. When we reached the end of the trail at the bottom of the hill, she turned and high fived me.
There were so many other ultra running folks at the camp with much more experience and knowledge than I have. People who have run multiple Ultras, Winners of 100 milers and Mountain races in the US and around the world. Maybe I was able to show these vets that even average Joes like me can enjoy our sport and rub elbows with the elite types. That is what is so great about the sport of trail running. The majority of the folks in this sport are humble approachable people who enjoy sharing there thoughts and knowledge. The first new person I met when I arrived Saturday morning introduced himself as simply, Marshall. Marshall? I asked. Marshall Ullrich? Yes it was THE Marshall Ullrich the 4 time Badwater winner, the guy who ran the Leadville 100 and Pikes Peak Marathon on the same weekend, the same guy who has climbed the 7 highest summits in the world and the same one who ran across America among other feats of human endurance. Speaking to Marshall was like speaking to your neighbor down the street. It was so refreshing to find a person who has accomplished so much in the field of ultras and endurance was so down to earth.  I felt I was able to open myself up to him and share some of the reasons I run. So I did.  I listened and watched as he related to many of the Veterans and others Saturday. He was a great asset to the camp and I am sure he connected with the Veterans on this weekend at Camp Eagle. I regret the fact that I was only able to attend the Camp for one day. Liza and Joe's work at this Camp was a success and I hope this becomes a yearly event.

Sunday the San Antonio Rock and Roll Marathon was held and I ran there from nearby to support my good friend and Co-worker Daniel at his first Marathon. Daniel began running less than a year ago and fell in love with it. He has endured the familiar comments and concerns from family and friends. You're too skinny, all you do is run, isn't it bad for your knees? are you eating well? etc.

As I waited for Daniel to reach my spectators perch at San Pedro Park I saw many friends I have made throughout my twenty plus years of running. Cheering them on as I called out their names and hearing them calling out mine when I hadn't seen them yet was so much fun. I recalled many of the times we have run together as they passed.

I was able to run with Daniel and encourage him for a couple of miles midway through the Marathon as he cruised to a 4:14 finish. Awesome time for a first Marathon and so little running experience. But at 28 years old he's just a kid. And just getting started. As I left Daniel I became emotional and almost came to tears recalling my first Marathon finish when my friend Sal was there to encourage me. And maybe because I was happy that Daniel may experience all or more of what running has done for me. Hopefully John and the Veterans we met Saturday will too.  I stayed on the Marathon course a couple more hours cheering on runners before I happily ran the 6 miles back to my truck.

Pay it forward

It was a comfortable afternoon today. 78 degrees in San Antonio is almost heaven. I was out on my scheduled speed workout at the Medical Center area's flat gravel trail. It wasn't going so well after 3 half mile repeats. The second 3 I was just trying to hang on.

Trotting on the last interval I saw what looked like an mp3 player on the trails edge. It was a car remote with key. I picked it up and at the parking lot, found the vehicle. It was a brand new Dodge wagon. I thought how I would feel. How I have felt! After losing a key.

I decided to wait by the vehicle until the owner showed up. The parking lot sits at the edge of the trail and every time a runner went by I would wonder if one of them was the owner of the Dodge not yet knowing they'd lost their key. I thought of stopping them to ask. As runners ended their run and walked to the parking lot I watched. No one came near the Dodge. I thought about leaving a note on the vehicle and leaving my number when I see a woman searching the ground and patting her body. That's got to be the one I thought. 

"Is this your Dodge?" I asked. "yes" was her response 

She was so thankful as I told her I had her key.

I hope she spreads the word, that good people still roam this world.

People have done the same for me. I dropped my wallet on the trail one day. A mountain biker found it and brought it to my home! 

Recreational drug

Running ought to be classified as a recreational drug. And running with good friends, the most potent. Friday I was running alone and ran into my good friend John. I was keeping my target pace but when I saw John it didn't matter anymore. John is recovering from a serious injury that has kept him from running for about a year. We walked and ran to the parking lot as we caught up on the latest happenings with each other.
I left John to finish my run.  I completed the second half of my workout, and was high for the rest of the evening.
Right now I am still high eight hours after running with another good friend. Lalo and I ran a 10 miler in hilly and scenic Alamo Heights. I wondered whether I could comfortably maintain an 8:00 mile pace for 10 miles. Running with Lalo , who slowed his pace today, made it possible and enjoyable. We exchanged thoughts and laughter. Lalo  recanted his Cactus Rose 50 mile race as we cruised the quiet roads this Sunday morning.
We ended our run at Fleet Feet sports where my good friend Paul had just finished his run with the Marathon training group he is running. It was so good to see him. Paul and I go back a ways. We've enjoyed running together in some great places. Rim to Rim to Rim at The Grand Canyon for one.
I've made many friends in all these years I've been running and have created memories that will live on forever. Memories that we as runners love to recall.
I think of what got me into running. It all points back to my love of soccer. I began playing soccer at the age of 6. The year was 1665 when soccer was no where near as popular as it is today. We had the only official league in San Antonio at the Prospect Hill youth sports organization. I made the All Star team one year at the age of 12 and was fortunate to play on a Championship team at age 14.  As All Stars we traveled to Nuevo Laredo Mexico to play. We lost that game 3 to 1 but we were proud of the fact we didn't get blown out and were able to score on a team where the sport is number one. After the age of 14 soccer was over and it was not yet offered at Public Schools. Running continued though.
Yesterday I attended my grandson John's first soccer game. I was so happy when he called me early in the week to tell me he was on the team. I told him I'd buy his shoes and had a great time picking them out. John is not the most talented player but I'm glad he is involved in sports at school. Maybe he'll fall in love with the running part of soccer,  where he'll have the opportunity to enjoy the natural happiness of having and becoming a good friend.

John's team, in the green uniforms, won 5 to 1