Too Hot to Trot

Wow, has it really been almost six months since my last blog? Well, so much has happened...just for starters:

1. Selected for reassignment from the Pentagon

2. Moved wife and baby to San Antonio, Texas

3. Tried a few runs and absolutely died in the heat

4. Spent three months trying to acclimate to the temps by running at 0430

5. Got a CLEAR brain scan in September!

6. Turned 29 (yes, again)

You get the idea...it's been a busy six months. The greatest news is, of course, the clear brain scan. There was no sign of cancer, though there are a couple of areas they want to keep an eye on, just to make sure the prosthetic is healing correctly -- but the important thing is no malignancy. Just some scar tissue and fluid buildup that, as long as it remains stable, shouldn't be a problem. I'm going back in December for my next update -- living 90 days at a time!

If you've never been here -- Momo, I suppose Arizona counts -- the Texas heat is positively oppressive. We arrived in June, so we've been here through the heat of the summer...over 100 degrees by about 9am, and it stays above 90 until about 10pm. Humidity hovers around 95%, so the heat index during July and August is usually around 110 - 115. I've never run in those conditions before -- it really saps both pace and distance. My first few runs left me laid out in the shade with a water bottle, wondering how I'm going to get home. Hitchhiking in south Texas can be dangerous! And, that's not all...there are really no hazards to running in Virginia or California. Here in Texas, you have to watch out for all kinds of crazy things -- on this past Sunday's long run, I passed four deer, then was nearly clobbered by a coyote, watched various rabbits and raccoons scamper out of the way, and to top it all off, came upon a sizable rattlesnake, sunning himself on the roadside, mere inches from my path. Yes, my pace quickened a bit!

Team Michael Moyles is doing well. We are approaching the 70% mark, with still three months to go in the year. Several Team members have completed marathons or half-marathons, a first for many, and a PR for most, even a podium finish for my sister! Next up on the docket is my buddy T running the NYC marathon in a few weeks, followed by LiveSTRONG Challenge Austin, then the Rock-and-Roll San Antonio Half-Marathon, ending the year with the Seattle Half-Marathon on November 28th. I also recently learned that Team LiveSTRONG has agreed to sponsor the Austin Marathon -- and the new "LiveSTRONG Marathon" will be in Austin in February. There NO WAY I can miss that one, so I'm already planning for next year! If you haven't had a chance to check out our website or donate a few bucks, we'd really appreciate it...we're really just a few donations away from our goal of $10,000.

Thanks for everything each of you do every day, inspiring others and posting your runs and other accomplishments. I don't always reply or comment, but I read your blogs every week, and love to hear from my friends in the endurance athletics community. I promise to update more often -- keep on running!