HARRA Summer Celebration: June 4, 2005

HARRA Summer Celebration on June 4, 2005 features Runner's World Columnist Bart Yasso

What Event Do You Want To Do?

If reasonable issues such as time and expense were eliminated for you, what race(s) -- within your ability -- would you want to do and why?

One that I want to try in the future, for example, is the Run to the World's Longest Tramway 10K held this past Sunday in Albuquerque.

Left Calf Muscle Blues

I started to do a little searching on the Internet for what I could do to combat, other than total rest, the problems that I'm having with my left calf muscle. I didn't run all last week before Beach to Bay and I ran without problem; however, when I went on a training run Sunday morning, it flaired up.

I ran for approximately 30 minutes last night (Monday), but after awhile it messed my gait up so much that it became very frustrating and challenging. And I've found that a simple change in my gait throws my breathing completely out of whack (other than just trying to go too fast for what my lungs will allow me).

So I found this article that seems to make a lot of sense and I wanted to save it here to be able to refer back to it:

Oh, My aching calves
http://www.betterbodz.com/team/aching.html

My calve injuries must have been God's way of showing me that somewhere along the way, I messed up. These were my most secretive feelings for many years. I shared them with no one, for no one could understand the emotional distress associated with chronic calf injuries.

After 15 years as a sportsmedicine specialist in which I'd treated hundreds of runners with various running. I finally was introduced to a solution to my calf problems. If tightness, soreness, slow recovery, or muscle pulls is also your albatross in life, you may want to read this.

The calf is one of the most used muscle groups in the runner. Along with the hamstring, calf problems afflict almost all runners at one time or another. The role the calf plays in the running gait makes it highly vulnerable to tightness, stiffness, tendinitis, and chronic pulls. To the runner who suffers from this syndrome, running can become a not-so-favorite pastime laced long periods of injury and frustration.

Calf problems are usually due to micro-traumas that occur with every run. A typical muscle that is exercised multiple times a week is injured on the microscopic level with every workout. These micro-injuries require to heal. As the muscle is used and the microtraumas occur, an inherit tightening or contracture takes place.
This is the body's attempt to protect the muscle to allow the necessary time for recovery. The downside of this is built in protective mechanisms that there is a reduced blood flow to the muscle, this reduced blood flow furthers the contracture or tightening.

This cycle usually leads to injury or chronic tightness and stiffness that limit a runner with regard to mileage and hard workouts. AS soon as the muscle tightness is mildly improved, most runners feel the need to get back out on the road or track as quickly as possible. This is taking a muscle that is just starting to recover and asking it to perform when it is not capable of doing so and the cycle continues.

The tightening that occurs with constant running has to be addressed on a daily basis in an effort to resolve this problem. While most sportsmendicine specialist and coaches recommend a detailed stretching program, stretching alone will not solve this condition.

The primary problem is that the internal pressure of the muscle is so great (due to the tightening/protective mechanism of the body) that new blood, which is vital for reparation and recovery, cannot enter the muscle. External pressure, greater than the protective internal muscular pressure, has to be applied to the calf muscles in an effort to relax the muscle and encourage a copious, nutrient-rich blood flow necessary for proper food and oxygen to the muscle.

There are three options with regard to employing the necessary treatment to the calves to combat tightness, stiffness, and injuries. The first is to use your thumbs in applying an upward stroke to the calves, starting just above the Achilles up to the back of the knee. The key is to get into calves with enough pressure to help relax the muscle and encourage blood flow into the muscle. The runner should apply 20-30 strokes on both calves.

The second option is to work with a fellow runner and apply the necessary treatment to each other. This is certainly easier, however, another partner is not always available. The final option is to use a tool that allows runners to treat themselves, such as The Stick®. This provides the necessary treatment, is extremely easy to employ, and can be done in 30-45 seconds.

In order to succeed with this approach, muscles must be treated multiple times per day. The treatment cannot become time consuming, since none of us have the time for a lengthy treatment. Again, the treatment could be done in as little as 30-45 seconds.

The most important time for application is just prior to going out for a run, with the second most important being after a run. Ideally, five to six treatments per day will begin to provide the necessary influx of new blood to the damaged, tightened muscle. This will expedite the repair and relaxation process that will allow the calf muscle to undergo the stresses of running without the residual buildup of waste products, toxins, and tightening that is all part of the normal cycle of muscular use and repair.

It is critical to have the muscle in a totally relaxed state while treating it. When sitting down, life the thigh off the floor with the foot free hanging. Let the toe point downward. This will allow the calf muscle to be relaxed. This position is also possible when laying down. When standing put the foot on a stool or chair and make sure the knee is behind the heel instead of ahead of the toe. This will allow for maximum relaxation when applying pressure.

Finally, treatment should not only be done when pain, tightness, or injury is present. This treatment should become a habit for all runners, since calf problems are truly in epidemic proportions. The calf undergoes excessive stress and recovery support with this treatment will provide the insurance you need to stay on the road instead of injured list.

Find out more about Betterbodz at bbody@betterbodz.com, or call 800/335-6740.Copyright © 1995,1996 Betterbodz.com All RIghts Reserved This area was last updated March 13,1996

HARRA Presents New Board

Posted this week on the HARRA (Houston Area Road Runners Association) website is the following announcement: "Our nominating committee has been hard at work assembling a slate of volunteers to serve as the HARRA Board for 2005/2006 and are pleased to announce that the following will be running for HARRA Board positions:

President: Tom Stilwell
VP - Clubs: Roger Boak
VP - Road Race Management: Katrina Price
VP - Communications: Doug Spence
Secretary: Scott Michelman
Treasurer: Audrey Christiansen
Membership: Bill Crich
Webmaster: Geoff Guenther
At-large Member: Annie Hadow
At-large Member: Jo Ann Luco
At-large Member: Noah Matthews
At-large Member: Randy Carlson
At-large Member: Esme Fantozzi

A fellow runner and I were discussing Sunday morning out at Terry Hershey Park our disappointment that Steve Shepard was not going to be continuing as President for another term. Their comment was that "Steve has professionalized everything that HARRA does" and I seconded that.

When I started running, my primary purpose for being a HARRA member was the "Footprints" publication. The information in it was very helpful and useful in getting acquainted with the Houston and Gulf Coast running scene. But guess what happened? The newsletter editor position wasn't filled. The website was hardly ever updated, if at all. There really didn't seem to be a HARRA presence at all (from this rookie runner's perspective).

I obviously know Steve because I'm a member of the Houston Striders. I've been made to feel at home and included even though the only time I'll ever see a 20-minute 5K is in my dreams. I joined the Striders for some of the same reasons that I did HARRA. The club's communication vehicles were (and are) excellent. I've said this before that the biggest benefit, other than the Race for the Quarter remibursements, is the fact that the club does a Longest Long Run of the marathon course three weeks before. What better way to mentally prepare, especially if you've never run it before. It's a no-brainer.

Steve and his wife, Barbara, who will also be leaving the Membership position, are as ethical as they come as well as being as inclusive as humanly possible. Steve makes a proactive pitch to everyone he comes into contact to about HARRA and encourages them to become a member and I've specifically heard him say, "Now, let me take off my HARRA hat. Do you belong to a running club?" And then goes on to make a pitch for the Striders.

I've seen the posts on the RTN message board about Steve's motives being questioned, etc. In the short two years that I've been a runner and have tried to learn about how the landscape is painted around here, Steve's efforts the last two years have been monumental, will be missed and will be a challenge for others to continue to strive to.

As far as the communications go, I know that Doug Spence will continue the professional presentation and exposure that HARRA has obtained through its partnership with Inside Texas Running. HARRA couldn't have a bigger platform than that right now. And with Geoff Guenther manning the website, HARRA has the same professional look and feel as the spirit and structure that Steve has embodied.

Steve's contributions are going to be sorely missed, I think, and my only hope is that they are continued and exceeded in the next two years!

Happy Birthday Waverly!

My daughter, Waverly Walk, turns 10 today! She finished the fourth grade on Friday at Abercrombie Academy in Spring with a straight A average in all subjects (not sure exactly how many - 7 subjects maybe). During the course of the whole year in the six (6) 6-week grading periods, she only had three B's.

She's got a busy summer ahead! She goes to Pennsylvania with my parents from June 2nd to the 11th before returning to attend basketball camps at Westbury Christian School (the 13th to the 17th) and Houston Baptist University (the 20th to the 24th).

Taking Over The Results at RTW

I've been very fortunate to do a lot of neat things in my personal and athletic life. I've won awards for my media work from the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools (TAPPS) and the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches (TABC). I've been able to take my daughter through nearly 2/3rds of the states in our great country as well as many other things that I'll cherish in my life.

This coming Saturday, I'm getting the opportunity to take over part of something that has become a very special part of my "informal, yet formal to me" running career -- handling the results of the Run The Woodlands 5K Series.

As it was covered in The Chronicle earlier this year, founder Don Drewniak and his wife Delores are moving to Fenwick Island, Delaware by the end of June. Beginning with this Saturday's race, May 28th, I'll be responsible for working with Mike Lucas and Stan Timmer from Luke's Locker as well as Tom McDonough and all of the RTW regulars in making sure that one of the great "grass roots" events continues on for many years to come.

After a "going away" party was had last night at the Luke's Locker store in The Woodlands for the duo (thanks Mike Lucas for letting us use the store for the venue), I had sent a test HTML file to Don before posting the first set of results this weekend.

He sent me a note back this morning and said, "Remember, these are now YOUR results and you should ultimately set up the page to suit your tastes."

I don't know ... you just don't tinker with, at least not immediately, something that has been immensely well received in the local The Woodlands running community, at a minimum, and beyond. People are still amazed that there are results and pictures up on the Internet by 12 noon every Saturday! It is, besides from the great relationships developed there, what makes the event so special. And even though many haven't run the event, most people are aware of it and that's half the battle: exposure!

I also know that I have to get healed up.

Don will be running the event for the first time since RTW #43 (October 13, 2001), hopes to break 30 minutes and is looking to try and catch me! There was one time in his running career that he did 18-minute 5K's and his two efforts in the RTW Series were 24:19 and 24:54.

It's going to be a memorable day! If you are reading this and you decide against doing the Astros Race For The Pennant 5K, I personally invite you to come out to The Woodlands to participate in RTW 5K #130!

Weekend Marathon Notes: Texan wins Cleveland Marathon

The women's winner of Cleveland's 28th Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon, Donna Palisca, 27, of Killeen, Texas, disproved the belief that you can't roll out of bed and win a marathon. Palisca had never run more than 15 miles on a given day or 77 miles total in a week, but won in 2:54:53, nearly five minutes faster than runner-up Laura Fuduric, 25, of Strongsville.

"I can't believe I won," Palisca said.

"This is the first marathon I've ever run. I registered for the half marathon, and changed my mind on Saturday to run the whole thing, even though it's the farthest I've ever run in my entire life." (The Cleveland Plain Dealer)

However, Palisca is no stranger to running well. In April, running unattached at the Texas Relays, she finished 6th in the 10K in a time of 38:21.20. (Liza Hunter-Galvan of San Antonio via New Zealand won the event in 35:13.33.) A month earlier (March 5th), Palisca was the first female finisher in the 6th Kelly's Logan House 5K in Wilmington, DE in 18:56 (14th overall). Three weeks later (March 26th), she was the second female in the Sauders 5-mile Run in Lititz, Pa. with a 30:06 time, but the week before (march 19th) that she finished 12th in an elite field of women at Virginia Beach's Shamrock Marathon 8K (29:40.6).

Maria Portilla of Albuquerque, NM was the second woman to cross the finish line at the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon on Sunday with a time of 2:50:21, adding to her list of notable finishes including second place at the Dallas White Rock Marathon in December 2004, and fourth place at the hp Houston Marathon in January. (MarathonGuide.com)

Beach to Bay Relay Marathon Race Report

How hot was it?

It was so hot that a team from the Rio Grande Valley, laredoheat.com defended their 2004 Beach to Bay Marathon Relay title to win the 30th annual 2005 event on Saturday.

It also was so hot that the top Houston Striders team drew the bib number: 666! They should have been known as "Hotter Than Hell" as opposed to the Puddle Stomping Striders!

Seriously, I think this had to be one of the hottest races that I've ever done. (The other might be the mid-June half marathon in San Antonio: the Carrabba's Classic. I might be reconsidering that one for 2005 after today!)

The team that I was on -- the H-Town Runners -- finished in 3:52:02, 292nd out of 1,177 teams (not bad to be in the top 25%). I was the slowest leg on the team, but nobody seem to care too much.

My leg (3.98 miles) ---------- 44:19 -- 11:08/mile pace
The other legs (22.22 miles) - 3:07:43 -- 8:27/mile pace
Marathon (26.2 miles) -------- 3:52:02 -- 8:51/mile pace
Needed to maintain an 8:27 --- 3:41:30

Would have finished 200th instead of 292nd! Yikes!

If it hadn't been so hot (upper 80s temperature and heat index over 90) and I hadn't been bouncing back from being sick, I should have been able to do that leg in under 40 minutes. I knew I was in over my head at that pace -- 8:27/mile. I had a lot of people that passed me, but I didn't get up to 90 I don't believe.

My mile splits looked like this today:

Mile 1 -- 9:24.90
Mile 2 -- 10:53.83
Mile 3 -- 11:51.31
Mile 4 -- 12:09.79 (.98 miles)

Totals -- 44:19.83

All in all, I had a good time. Many thanks are in order though: Brett Riley and Steve Shepard of the Striders for coordinating the teams, John DiMarco for serving as our team captain, Juan Arrieta for meeting me at the host hotel to give me my race packet this morning, Doug Flad for driving me back to the Leg 4/5 exchange parking area and the nurses and doctors from Christus Spohn Hospital at the Leg 5/6 exchange area tent for attending to me after I get dangerously overheated.

I spent at least 15-20 minutes there being soaked down with wet towels all over my body. I heard one nurse say that she estimated that my body temperature might have been approaching 104. Yikes!

I got to the Leg 4/5 exchange area too early as a matter of fact, but the first time around (for this event) it was better to plan ahead. It was good, however, to go to an event and be able to see some of the top runners.

The winning team, laredoheat.com, which was made up of some world-class runners, appeared as if they were on just over a 5:00 minute/mile pace. (They finished with a winning time of 2:18:17!)

On The Run, out of Clear Lake, finished 5th overall with a time of 2:32:01 and their 4th-to-5th leg exchange was manned by two runners who have slowly been whittling away at their 5K and 5M times: Sam Rodriguez and Chris Bittinger. They were in 7th or 8th place at the exchange point. (Just a week ago, Bittinger won the Run The Woodlands 5K #129 for the first time in his career.) I got a chance to visit with Sam a little bit as well as meeting fellow Strider Mike Tognarelli, who recently ran Boston in 3:18:06, for the first time.

I got a chance to see the exchanges of four of our Strider teams: 1.) John Yoder to Mike Tognarelli, 2.) Ted Traynor to Barry Chambers, 3.) Celeste Sabinger to Patti Sears and 4.) Tim Bowler to Rich Sears. The Striders' Puddle Stomping Striders finished 6th in the open men's division and 10th overall.

Strider Teams at Beach to Bay Relay

Here are how the Houston Striders' nine (9) teams did today at the 30th annual Beach to Bay Relay in Corpus Christi, Texas:

1.) Puddle Stomping Striders (2:39:36 - 7th overall in Men's) - Striders Beach to Bay Relay Record!
2.) Strider Dudes (3:02:05 - 6th overall in Men's Senior Masters)
3.) Mellow Yellow Striders (3:34:39 - 1st overall in Women's Senior Masters)
4.) Strider Express (3:41:01 - 15th overall in Men's Masters)
5.) H Town Runners (3:52:02 - 51st overall in Men's)
6.) 30/40ish Mostly 40ish (4:55:53 - 361st overall in Odds and Ends)
7.) The Chocolate Lovin Geezer Rats (4:57:39 - 176th in Mixed)
8.) Las Chicas (5:00:16 - 78th overall in Women's)
9.) Strider Super Girls (5:47:02 - 97th overall in Women's)

Race report later! It was hot!

HYLF Picture Appears on ITR Site!

http://www.insidetexasrunning.com/other/hylf5k_pix2005.html
It looks as if Lance Phegley got a picture of me in their online gallery at Inside Texas Running of the Houston Young Lawyers Foundation's Tie One On For Charity 5K last Thursday night. (Scroll down to the good looking guy with bib #174 in the bright orange shirt!)

http://www.asiorders.com/view_user_event.asp?EVENTID=7037&BIB=5439
Here are pictures from the Lincoln Half Marathon on Sunday, May 1, 2005.

Karen Bowler's Times in Portugal

Houston Striders veteran runner Karen Bowler competed last weekend for her native Great Britain (GBR) at the 9th European Veterans Athletic Non-Stadia Championships in Lisbon, Portugal.

Bowler, 55, whose 3:27:24 at the hp Houston Marathon in January is the top marathon time of all 50-and-over females in Texas in 2005, finished 7th and 4th in the 55-59 age group in the 10K and Half Marathon, respectively. The events were run on consecutive days.

On Friday, May 13th, Karen ran a 43:34 10K, just 1:28 out of third place.

The following day, Saturday, May 14th, she posted a 1:36:09 half marathon and nearly four (4) minutes behind the third place age group finisher.

She was 42nd (of 126 finishers) and 26th (of 85 finishers) overall in the 10K and Half Marathon, respectively.

43 runners competed in both events. Karen's composite time of 2:19:43 was 15th overall and 3rd in the 55-59 age group behind Italy's Lucia Soranzo and Switzerland's Stefica Gajic.

Houston Young Lawyers Foundation 5K Race Report

My congratulations to fellow blogger Cassie Cowan, 26, who reeled off an impressive PR of 27:48.8 this evening at the Houston Young Lawyers Foundation's Tie One On For Charity 5K in downtown Houston. (One of the few during-the-week evening races all year long in the area.)

She did a great job in winning the first "Battle of the Bloggers!"

I had the pleasure of meeting Cassie and her boyfriend, Manny, shortly before the race. We chatted near the starting line for a few minutes, primarily about her upcoming trip to San Diego and her concern about putting in a 21-miler on Saturday. I assured her that if she made it this far that she'd be fine on Saturday as well as in three weeks at the Rock 'N Roll Marathon.

After waiting for about 7-8 minutes for the race to begin (past the stated 7:30 p.m. start time), the gun fired and it took us both about 13 seconds (according to the official times to get across the starting line. We ran for a little bit together then I pulled out in front. I knew she was behind me and then she pulled up on my right side and went ahead about at the half mile mark.

I edged back ahead before the Mile 1 marker, but she pulled even as we both crossed the Mile 1 mark at 8:39.73 (on my watch). We both commented to and laughed with each other, "Way too fast!"

I stayed ahead until midway through the uphill end of first underpass when I was spent and pulled to the right to take a short walk break. Cassie made it past the turnaround point first then bypassed the water table. I made it around and stopped as I was starting to get dehydrated. (I had a 32 oz. bottle of Powerade before the race, but it wasn't enough to counteract the Tylenol Cold and Advil Cold and Sinus that I had been downing since Monday to work against a flu/cold.)

I continued to see Cassie ahead of me as she maintained a nice steady pace the rest of the way in. I passed mile 2 in 17:42.73 (however, a runner during the post-race indicated that he thought mile 2 was short and mile 3 was long as his split was a minute off). There were a couple of times past mile 2 I thought I might have had it in me to close the gap more than what it turned out to be, but it simply wasn't the night to do so.

Mile 2 was 9:03 even and mile 3 was 11:13.55. (Again, these were probably off some.) The last .1 I covered in 47.08, which is a 7:50 pace!!

She was on the left-hand side of the road cheering me in as was Strider John DiMarco, 46, who I had the chance to meet for the first time Thursday evening as well. John ran the 5K in 23:59.4.

Cassie and I chatted post-race and admitted that we were both pushing ourselves because of the other! But as I walked back to the truck to head home later, I thought to myself that it was great to be able to be competitive with someone yet it to be totally and completely good-natured! (Besides, with that in mind, I felt I had a part in her PR!)

So the first of what I'm sure will be many "Battle of the Bloggers!" went to Cassie by almost a two-minute margin, 27:48.8 to 29:43.3! (In all reality, her training runs were indicative that she could post the time that she did this evening and that 27:48 is 48 seconds better than my PR of 28:36.)

Three Houston Striders took first place age group honors Thursday night:

Ryan DiMarco, 14, M 1-19, 20:59.3
Barry Chambers, 60, M, 60-99, 22:18.2
Yong Collins, 50, F, 50-59, 22:41.5

Barry had commented that this was the best 5K that he has run in 2-3 years. Ryan was aiming for a sub 20-minute 5K; however, the humidity played havoc with that.

Ryan was followed in the 1-19 age group by Bellaire's James Woodruff, 12. John, Ryan and I all had the chance to meet James and his father, J.D. Woodruff, who had spotted John and Ryan at previous races. He asked if we belonged to a running club and we did our best to point out the benefits of being a Houston Strider!

Huntsville's Len Hill, 52, from the Seven Hills Running Club was 5th in the 50-59 age group in a time of 25:47.1.

All in all a good evening, but the funniest moment belongs to Cassie's boyfriend, Manny. Cassie asked what they were going to have to eat this evening and Manny thumbs over his right shoulder to the pizza and buffalo wings on the table behind!

Not The Smartest Run of All Times

Let me run through some of the particulars and you can either confirm or deny the title of this post:

1.) It is Albuquerque, New Mexico and where I was at, I was at 5,000 feet above sea level.
2.) I had not run here in two weeks. (Despite the cold air burning in my throat, I ran the first 13 minutes without stopping.)
3.) I had not run more than a mile and a half since May 1st.
4.) It was 8:20 p.m. when I started my run. (Therefore, it was dark and there were parts where the footing wasn't so sure.)
5.) I had only run twice since May 1st because I was resting my left calf muscle.
6.) I had not done any physical activity since Saturday as I had come down with flu/cold possibly leading to an ear infection.
7.) I had just started to feel better this evening when I went out for the run.

With all of that in mind, I ran for 55:38 out of maybe an hour and 15-20 minutes. I have no idea how far I went, but I felt like I was running at about a 10:30/mile pace. Plus it started to get cold outside and the last 2 miles coming back was straight into the wind that I didn't realize was at my back 2 miles going out. And with it being cold and windy outside wasn't the best thing for just having turned the corner perhaps on getting well.

Nonetheless, I ran. And yes, I walked some.

But ... who cares? My legs felt good. I didn't want to have not run at all heading into Saturday's Run The Woodlands 5K and there's an outside shot, depending on how I feel and if I can get on the 1:40 p.m. Continental flight home on Thursday, I may run in the HYLF Tie One On For Charity 5K at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow evening. We'll see how I feel.

(Plus I learned today from team captain John DiMarco that I'll be running the 5th of 6 legs at the Beach to Bay Relay in Corpus Christi next Saturday. I thought I heard him saying something about me running over the bridge. This will be interesting.)

Ya'll take care and thanks, as always, for reading.

Ya'll Come Back to Run The Woodlands!

Runners whose last Run The Woodlands 5K Series appearance was a win

#42 - Carmelo Pieri
#51 - Glenn Winnier
#60 - Andy Rihn
#74 - Gabriel Rodriguez
#90 - Paul Bellamy
#96 - C.J. Stewart
#118 - Jacob Jones
#123 - Bret Ramsey
#128 - Clint Sherrouse

Runners whose only Run The Woodlands 5K Series appearance resulted in a win

#22 - Michael Reade
#44 - Dennis Muehlstein
#53 - Shelby Snodgrass
#58 - Cornelio Garibay
#87 - Joe Lanzillotti
#106 - Brian Sullivan
#111 - Sesar Figueroa
#120 - Thomas Hensley
#121 - James Menze
#125 - Nick Bouterie

Run The Woodlands 5K #129 will be on Saturday, May 14, 2005 at 8:00 p.m. Next to HARRA's Tour de Bayou (which is over for 2005), RTW is the cheapest race in town -- just a $1!

hp Houston Marathon winner Keane named to USA Marathon Team

32-year-old The Woodlands resident Kelly Keane will join Jill Boaz (38, Los Osos, Ca.), Jenny Crain (37, Milwaukee, Wisc.), Heather Hanscom (27, Arlington, Va.) and Turena Johnson Lane (29, Muncie, Ind.) as Team USA's marathon representatives at the 2005 IAAF World Championships to be held in Helsinki, Finland, August 6-14.

For the full USATF release, click here.

U. of Oregon Freshman sets 10K American Jr. Record

Oregon freshman Galen Rupp, 18, shattered a 29-year-old USA juniors mark to win the 10,000-meters in 28:15.52 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon last Saturday.

Rupp broke former Oregon great Rudy Chapa's mark of 28:32.7 from 1976 and becomes the third best 10K ever run by an Oregon freshman.

Rupp, who now owns the USA Jr. records at 2,000, 3,000, 5,000 (13:37) and 10,000 meters, negative split the 5K's in 14:17 and 13:58.

Eugene (OR) Register-Guard coverage: click here.
Dye Stat's coverage: click here.

Deadline to run NYC with me!

MARATHON U.S. LOTTERY DEADLINE MIDNIGHT JUNE 1

U.S. residents, you have only three weeks left to apply to the lottery for the ING New York City Marathon 2005. Midnight EDT on Wednesday, June 1, is your last chance to enter to line up on the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge this November. Application and instructions: http://www.ingnycmarathon.org/entrantinfo/applyfor2005.html

Note: The entry period for non-U.S. residents and guaranteed entry applicants closed on May 1. International lottery results will be posted on May 10.

A search of the entrant database on Tuesday, May 10, 2005 revealed that 291 Texans have been accepted and another 1,260 have applied for the lottery.

Striders Excel at FLS Women's Speedo Tri on Sunday

Patti Sears captured her age group (50-54) on Sunday at Finish Line Sports' Speedo Women's Triathlon with a time of 1:05:01.2 covering the 300-meter swim, 10-mile bike ride and 3-mile run.

44-year-old Michele Reynolds finished 8th in the 40-45 age group and 25th overall with a time of 1:02:06.6 while Andrea Chan, 40, competing in a new age group this tri season, was 36th and 133rd (age group and overall), respectively, charted a 1:13:46.9 finish.

No surprises though on the event's winner. Autumn Ray, 25, hammered the field with a time of 50:21.6 finishing first overall in both the bike and the run portions. Ann Morris, 40, who won the Masters division, was Ray's closest "competition" finishing over four (4) minutes back, 54:36.2.

Seven (7) women competed in the CB&I Tri The Woodlands on Saturday and the FLS Speedo Women's Tri on Sunday. Their overall finishes are as follows among 137 and 253 finishers, respectively:

Kathy Nelson, 44, 9th, 5th
Elizabeth Whitehead, 26, 10th, 10th
Matilde Guerra, 30, 31st, 11th
Helena Finley, 38, 28th, 27th
Monica Ferley, 45, 51st, 52nd
Jill DeVay, 53, 61st, 96th
Nancy Long, 50, 131st, 204th

Reflecting about Mom!

I hope that everyone who is fortunate enough to still have their Mothers had the opportunity to spend time with them this weekend.

Regardless of what else is going on in my life (good, bad or indifferent), I attempt to honor my Mom (Nancy Walk) by making sure I am in church with her.

Last year, when I paid my entry fee for the Indianapolis Mini-Marathon and made subsequent reward travel, I realized too late that the race was the day before Mother's Day and even though I took the first flight home from Indianapolis, I wouldn't be able to be in church with her. My Mom, as she always tends to, completely understood and knew that I wasn't just speaking in vain.

Sunday morning, as much in my life relates around running these days, I reflected upon how my Mom has been supportive in my efforts to 1.) take better care of myself, 2.) try and set an example for my daughter, Waverly, to follow and 3.) accomplish some different goals in my life. When others have felt my priorities have been misplaced, my Mom is never critical and her love is unconditional -- the way love should be.

I remember the very first race I ever attempted: the 24-Hour Fitness 4-Miler at the 2003 hp Houston Marathon. My wife and my daughter were supposed to go with me, but Waverly got sick at about 1:30 a.m. that morning. At about 4:30 a.m., I had my wife call my Mom and ask her to see if she would go downtown with me. (I didn't want to go at this alone. I guess if I failed I wanted somebody to share my heartbreak with.)

Although we woke her up out of bed, she soon had made her way to our place (about 10 miles away) and proceeded to spend time with me before and after the race much like she, my Dad and I had for a former co-worker, Rob Jones with IMA Consulting, Inc., when he ran the 2001 Compaq Houston Marathon.

The thing that I remembered about my Mom and my running on Sunday is that each time I've run Houston, she's been there when I finished. (She even made a trip to Lafayette, Louisiana with me in November 2003 for me to do the Cajun Cup 10K. More so to make sure that I didn't fall asleep at the wheel while driving, but I enjoyed her company nonetheless.)

She was one of the first to know about my plan to honor my Dad and his service in the Marine Corps by making the Marine Corps Marathon my first marathon; however, I had to run Houston so my Mom was able to see me finish one as well!

In fact, even though I'm 38 and she's 56, she doesn't rest easy when I'm on the road (like I was the weekend before last) running until she hears from me. Not so much to know how I did, although that's important to her, but just to know that I'm OK.

(The only place that that didn't happen timely was in Indianapolis and she wasn't too happy that I didn't call her right away! I had mustered up enough strength to do a little sightseeing downtown.)

I'm immensely proud of my Mom. She's the next-to-youngest of 10 brothers and sisters. Her parents passed away when she was in the 2nd (father) and 10th (mother) grades. One of her oldest sisters finished raising her until she married my Dad and had me. She basically grew up poor so material things don't mean a lot to her; however, love is something that is always very important to her.

I just hope that I can continue to love my daughter the way she has loved me over the years. That would be the greatest tribute that I could ever pay her.

May 7-8 Race Results Review

Houston Strider Jackie Connally held off BCRR's Bonnie Jo Barron to capture the female division of Saturday's Best Buddies 5K. Connally edged Barron, 20:00.8 to 20:18.4. 28-year-old Fred Miller outclassed the men's field to win the men's division by more than two minutes over Rosenberg's David Martinez, 17. Miller covered the 5K in 16:33.3 while Martinez (18:54.4) held off Houston's Brian Reichard, 36 (19:00.2) and 19-year-old Jarrod Smith (19:17.2).

HARRA finishers included:

6 - Robert Brown (BCRR) - 19:25.4 - 1st 45-49
7 - Victor Aguirre (TOR) - 19:38.5 - 1st 50-54
9 - Kevin Campbell (HS) - 19:58.1 - 2nd 50-54
11 - Marshall Penwright (NONE) - 20:06.9 - 2nd 45-59
18 - John Duncan (HF) - 22:02.4 - 3rd 50-54
34 - Mike Mangan (BCRR) - 24:49.8 - 2nd 60-64
35 - James Taylor (NONE) - 24:58.2 - 3rd 60-64
47 - Travis Green - 26:02.4
51 - Kim Kimmey (BCRR) - 26:20.4 - 3rd 45-49
54 - Jay Stabler (FLS) - 26:38.5
86 - Theresa Bueno (RH) - 31:14.4
104 - Jason Moore - 35:40.8
105 - Jennifer Kim (HS) - 36:12.6
124 - Martha Crowder (HF) - 41:00.0

Emily Deppe, who once held the 20-29 age group record in the Run The Woodlands 5K series before eventually being lowered by Perla Rios and just recently by Katie Gwyn, captured the women's division of Saturday's CB&I Tri The Woodlands in a time of 1:08:11.5 (logging the best times in all three categories, 500-meter swim, 15.6-mile bike ridge and 3.2-mile run).

6th in USA Triathlon's national championship last September in Shreveport, Deppe's first-ever triathlon was the 2001 Lake Waconia Triathlon in Minnesota, an event which she won last June and will return to defend on June 26th, 2005. The win in 2004 won her -- a former University of Minnesota swimmer -- the Minnesota Multisport Performance of the Year.

One of the most impressive performances came from 62-year-old Ann Erickson (BCRR), who finished 13th overall among all women in 1:21:58.3 and was the fourth masters finisher.

HARRA finishers (and others) included:

23 - Michelle LeBlanc (NONE) - 1:12:07.6
32 - Matthew Nicola (BCRR) - 1:13.10.1
75 - Christopher Arend (TOR) - 1:17:42.5
78 - Jim Harrington (Run The Woodlands regular) - 1:18:05.2
88 - Al Denbleyker (HMSA) - 1:18:51.6
96 - Michael Manuel (BCRR) - 1:19:10.8
100 - Michael Tognarelli (HS) - 1:19:19.4
109 - J.P. Reed (GHTC) - 1:19:48.1
118 - Karen Nelson (FLS) - 1:20:21.9
171 - Rebecca Watkins (BCRR) - 1:23:42.8
190 - Kelly Vowles (ran 3:31:40 at Houston) - 1:24:44.5
197 - Michael Richardson - 1:24:56.8
208 - Patricia Totten (HMSA) - 1:25:51.0
218 - Tom Hippe (Run The Woodlands regular) - 1:26:18.9*
(* ran Vancouver International Marathon last week)
226 - Jan Vanhaezebrouck - 1:26:34.4
264 - George Killinger (HS) - 1:28:01.0
339 - Jill Devay (BCRR) - 1:32:27.0
401 - Heidi Riggs (PF) - 1:37:38.6

Cy-Falls HS grad and Tulsa University sophomore Jason Schweitzer won Tulsa's Cinco de Mayo 5K Run on Friday in a time of 16:26. Five (5) Tulsa teammates, including four (4) freshman, though, during the regular outdoor season leading up to this weekend's WAC championships in Tulsa have posted times better than Schweitzer's.

The Woodlands' Norberto Valdes skipped over the CB&I The Woodlands triathlon Saturday to travel to San Marcos' The Rookie Triathlon and captured first place in the men's 45-49 age group (54:02).

Nice job, Rachel!

Last Sunday, I went looking for finishers from Texas at the Adidas Vancouver Marathon, specifically Rachel Guenther from the Houston Striders as well as the HARRA Board.

Although a number of minutes off her performance last fall in Belgium at the ING Brussels Marathon (3:11:49, just shy of Christine Agnew's all-time Striders record of 3:11:02 at Boston in 2001), Rachel turned in an impressive 3:18:46 performance!

She was 34th of 1,896 female finishers and 242nd overall. Although she registered with Burnaby, British Columbia, Rachel was also the top Texas finisher beating Seabrook's Steven Nase by more than five (5) minutes, who came in with a time of 3:23:50. San Antonio's Rosette Davila-Sargent was the next closest Texas female finisher at 3:44:56.

Weekly Workout Information

I took it easy this week as I was recuperating from a deep left calf muscle pull.

I didn't do any running until today when I was at my daughter's Field Day at Meyer Park on the northwest side of town (near Cypresswood and Stuebner-Airline). At about 10:15 a.m., I ran one time around the 1 1/3-mile loop. I still was able to feel that it was a bit tight; however, it was a relief to know that I was able to do something (even in not the best pair of shoes).

I was in the gym later this evening and did an hour (level 15, random) on the elliptical trainer, covering 5.79 miles. A little off of my target of 6 miles or more, but I wanted to test it and not reaggravate it.

Saturday, I'll be part of a team of Houston Striders putting on a 5K Run/Walk for the employees of ExxonMobil. I've been assigned timing duties! Hopefully that means I get to holler out, "5:42 ... 5:49 ... 5:54" and so on. Then I'll be umpiring the bases at a couple of 8- and 9-year-old baseball games at our church before getting in 10 miles Sunday morning out at Cullen Park on the west side.

New Long-Term Goals!

That is, as long as the legs and knees hold up!

1.) Run marathons in 10 states to join the 50 States Marathon Club! (If I do God's Country next month and NYC in November, I'll have four (4) down.)
2.) Run half marathons in at least 25 states, if not all 50. (Am at 8 so far.)
3.) Run races in 100 Texas towns or cities. (Am at 25 so far.)

And, as always, to get better, have fun and make great, lifelong friends!

Marathons fuel solid growth of 'half' events (Detroit Free Press)

http://www.freep.com/sports/othersports/run4e_20050504.htm
May 4, 2005
BY DOUG KURTIS
FREE PRESS COLUMNIST

As a debut event last year, the Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Bank half-marathon climbed to the American top 40 for total finishers. Without a registration cap this year, the numbers might double from last year's 2,278.
Tremendous growth in half-marathons is coming with their additions to full marathon events, with some exceptions. Last week's Kentucky Derby half-marathon is an example of the opposite. It began as a half-marathon 32 years ago and teamed up with a marathon in 2002. Almost 6,000 runners and walkers finished the half last week, but just 562 completed the marathon.

Only two other half-marathons are larger than Louisville's, and they stand alone without a marathon. Virginia Beach, Va., is home to one of the newest Rock and Roll events. Last year, almost 13,000 finished the race.

Like other Rock and Roll theme events, Virginia Beach offers runners a full weekend package that includes concerts and a finish-line beach party. Plus, the course includes 14 entertainment stages and 16 cheering squads.

The kingpin of U.S. half-marathons is the Indy Mini-Marathon. The race derives star power from its association with the 500 Festival, a month-long schedule of events and pageantry leading up to the Indianapolis 500, which is part of the course.

Downtown Indianapolis is clean, fun and an interesting place to visit. The start and finish areas are walking distance from the hotels, making the out-of-town runners' experience relatively stress free.

More than 30,000 runners are signed up for Saturday's sold-out event. As a participant myself, I haven't seen another race with more entertainment on its course. Far more than 100 performers keep you on a high-energy level throughout the route.

West-side neighborhoods (and potential spectators) tune into the event before it happens. The 500 Festival, in coordination with Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, supports efforts on one of the largest neighborhood beautification projects in the city. About 200 volunteers clear trash, brush and other items found on the mini-marathon course.

Detroit, like Disney World and Grandma's marathons, takes advantage of operations already in place for the main event. It's a win/win situation for everyone. Sponsors get more exposure, organizer efforts are rewarded by increased participation, and spectators become part of something that has significance.

The Detroit-Windsor course also offers a visual spectacle few races can match. So it makes sense that many runners would gravitate to an event that has all the excitement of a full marathon. If you want to find other half-marathons and become part of a Web-based competition, go to www.Half2Run.com.

Contact DOUG KURTIS at dkurtis@earthlink.com. The Free Press/Flagstar Bank Marathon will be Oct. 23.

28th annual Lincoln National Guard Half Marathon Race Report

Career Events: 103 (23 in 2005).
Career Half Marathons: 15.
States: 13.
Half Marathons in 8 states.
Event gun time: 2:22:13.
Event chip (and stopwatch) time: 2:18:51.

Sunday morning in Lincoln, Nebraska temperature-wise wasn't too cold, just 37 degrees. However, it was the wind that would make the morning seem almost absolutely frigid!

The local bank signs on the way towards Memorial Stadium revealed a warmer temperature than that a day earlier in Des Moines, but winds, sometimes gusting, made it feel much colder than it was even on the morning of the Houston Marathon this past January.

Most took refuge from the elements in the Huskers volleyball gymnasium and impressive intramural sports facility. (With facilities such as that, why ever stop going to college? Oddly enough, I never realized that there were national championships in intramural athletics, but Nebraska has won some.)

Having been through Lincoln three years ago on vacation, I remember it being very flat; however, mile 3 had a nearly mile-long uphill that ran right into the sun at 7:30 a.m. With glasses, I was almost blinded chugging up the hill.

The grade wasn’t steep at all, but it threw my pace off a little. After opening miles of 10:06 and 10:18, the next three, which included historic Sheridan Boulevard and many of the finest old homes in the city, consisted of 10:40, 10:37 and 10:40.

Mile 6 gave runners a couple of slight downhills turning on to 48th St. before making a hard right onto a bike path that would extend along Highway 2 for two and a half miles. At the 10K spot, just after the turn, I was at 1:04:48 after posting a 10:14 mile in mile 6.

After a steady 10:21 in mile 7, disaster nearly occurred before the mile 8 marker. The bike path, which allowed at the most four people to run side by side, had two runners that decided to take a walking break; however, they were walking two abreast on the path.

Myself and a number of other runners tried to make a quick pass on the left. Since it was a little bit of an incline, I tried to plant my left leg to mimic the hill workouts we would do during PIM. It was then that I felt my calf muscle pop (or tear). I felt as if I had been shot!

I slowed some 23 seconds in mile 8 (10:21 to 10:44) before slipping to an even 11-minute mile in mile 9.

Somehow in an uphill mile 10, I recovered to pull in a 10:27 mile, but miles 11-13, which included some challenging head winds running north on 10th St., saw me slow to 10:59, 10:49 and 10:52.

After having to jump a curb at 12 ¾ miles, runners ran through campus buildings before being brought into a “U”-shaped finish in front of Memorial Stadium much like Houston did in 2004 in front of the George R. Brown (before switching to this year’s long straightaway finish). Even though I’m not a Texas Longhorns fan, I crossed the finish line, just a few hundred yards from the Huskers’ hallowed turf, with “Hook ‘em Horns” signs!

I finished with a chip time of 2:18:51, just over two minutes slower than I had done less than 24 hours before (and my fourth such finish of a half in the 2:16-2:18 range since March). However, I was still very pleased with my effort!

Denton's Koch profiled in DMN and wins prestigious Counselor Educator of the Year Award

Fitness is well worth the weight
Denton man running for his life {ellipsis} and loving it
08:07 PM CDT on Thursday, April 28, 2005

Shane Koch of Denton had a memorable week, capping a great running season. It was an exhilarating culmination to a 2 ½ -year life-altering transformation for Koch, and running played a key role in the change.

Koch, 39, an assistant professor and coordinator of Rehabilitation Studies at UNT, clocked his 10th consecutive personal best at Sunday's Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon (4 hours, 39 minutes, 25 seconds). The next day, he found out he is the 2005 recipient of the prestigious Counselor Educator of the Year Award from the International Association of Addictions and Offender Counseling.

Before January 2003, none of it seemed possible. Koch said he weighed 425 pounds and couldn't shop for groceries without multiple rest stops. He needed five daily medications to manage diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea and esophageal reflux. The apnea was so severe, he said he fell asleep at traffic lights and while driving.

"I was dying," said Koch, who is 6-2 and now weighs 247. "My wife constantly feared for my life."

Koch had recovered from a 10-year addiction to drugs and alcohol. Being clean and sober didn't help with his compulsive eating disorder. He was trapped in his body until he joined a 12-step recovery group to work on his eating habits. He started walking regularly and tried jogging in May, when he weighed about 340. "I ran about two blocks and did not have a heart attack," he said. "It was kind of a surprise I didn't die."

He increased his activity and set goals. He ran his first 5K on July 4, 2003. Two weeks later, he ran another and improved his time.

"That got it started. I kept running longer and longer distances."

Koch met other runners and learned about the Cross Country Club of Dallas and its distance events. He completed his first marathon at the 2003 White Rock Marathon in 5 hours, 36 minutes.

"I would have never seen myself as a runner, not in a million, billion years," he said. "Every time I run a step, it's like a miracle, a gift. My running has actually been the end rather than the means of my weight loss. It's my reward. Because I'm working the food program and seeking recovery, I get this wonderful gift of running.

"Also, it's given me the ability to carry the message that recovery from compulsive eating is possible and that we can do lots of things that no one would have dreamed about. It's pretty humbling."

Orlando's Pratt finishes 19th marathon in salute to troops

Florida woman running marathons as salute to soldiers
BY STEVEN M. SIPPLE / Lincoln Journal Star, April 29, 2005

(Pratt finished the Lincoln Marathon on Sunday, May 1 in a time of 3:48:50 and was 339 of 905 finishers. Former Houstonian Gannon White, who now resides in Greeley, Colorado, won it all in a time of 2:30:57.)

Shirley Pratt is on the verge of running her 19th marathon in eight months and, yes, the grind has taken a toll on the Florida woman.

"I can definitely tell that my recovery after races isn't as quick," said the 43-year-old from Orlando.

Nevertheless, Pratt pushes forward gracefully and with a purpose. Indeed, she conjured up the idea of running 21 marathons in nine months as a way of drawing attention to military men and women serving in faraway war zones and raising money for them.

Pratt's "21-run salute" includes the 28th annual Lincoln National Guard Marathon & Half-Marathon, set to begin at 7 a.m. Sunday on the University of Nebraska campus.

As of Thursday, a total of 3,571 runners had entered the races, said co-race director Nancy Sutton, surpassing the record total of 3,352 last year."With three more races to go, I kind of feel like I'm in the homestretch," said Pratt, who will complete her odyssey with marathons May 15 in Olympia, Wash., and May 28 in Traverse City, Mich.

When pain becomes an issue during races, Pratt thinks of military men and women serving their country under difficult circumstances."With each step, I remind myself they are the ones enduring hardships and making sacrifices, not I," she writes at her Web site, 21RunSalute.org.

Pratt said a key to reaching this point in her journey is taking care of herself between races. She cut back on 75 percent of her other training-related activities in recent months, she said.

Another crucial aspect of her regimen is 10- to 15-minute ice baths she takes after each race to reduce swelling immediately.

What's more, Pratt said, she doesn't run these marathons all-out, treating them as long training runs as opposed to competitive events. Even so, on nine occasions during her campaign, she finished with times that qualified her for the Boston Marathon.

She finished the Boston race April 18 in 4 hours, 2 minutes, 58 seconds.

Pratt looks forward to the Lincoln event, which features a city-wide course that starts and finishes near the NU Coliseum on Vine Street.

Although Pratt had never been in Lincoln before arriving Friday, she said, "I've heard great things about the race. People say it's well-organized."

Jacob Kaemmer of Des Moines, Iowa, who won last year's Lincoln Marathon in a solid 2:30:25, hasn't entered this year's race. But the 2004 women's champion, Christy Nielsen-Crotts, a 29-year-old physical therapist from Council Bluffs, Iowa, will defend her crown, according to Sutton.

Nielsen-Crotts could be challenged by Omaha resident Roxi Erickson, 42, who had captured seven straight Lincoln Marathons before dropping out of last year's race around mile 16.

"She's supposedly running very well right now," Sutton said of Erickson.

The Lincoln Marathon again is playing host to the National Guard Marathon Trials. Nearly 200 Army and Air Guard members representing 43 states and two U.S. territories will compete for positions on the National Guard Marathon Team.

Meanwhile, Pratt will bundle her long, dark hair into a ponytail, lace up her shoes and try to further her cause.

To date, her quest has raised $15,600, according to her Web site. The site notes several ways people can support the troops, ranging from cash gifts to her organization to the purchase of products from sponsoring corporations, which donate part of their profits to help the troops.

Pratt's journey began Sept. 12 in Erie, Pa. By the end, she'll have raced in 20 states coast-to-coast.

"There's no way I can fail — I have to get to the finish line and complete these races," she said.

Reach Steven M. Sipple at 473-7440 or ssipple@journalstar.com.

5 Texans complete Kentucky / Ohio Double

Five (5) Texans, including The Woodlands' Gary Van Kuiken, finished both the Meijer Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon in Louisville and the Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati.

Van Kuiken, 47, finished the Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon in 3:55:52 before driving north to Cincinnati to complete the Flying Pig Marathon in 4:17:13. The other Texans to pull the double this weekend were as follows:

Dianna Sulser, 48, Denison, 4:13:58, 4:18:51 (KDF, FP)
Phillip DeYoung, 36, Sachse, 3:24:01, 5:49:57
Barry Creppel, Jr., 30, Spring, 4:38:39, 4:56:29
Vickie Hildebrandt, 48, Houston, 5:32:08, 6:23:20

Overall, 11 Texans completed the Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon while 54 finished the Flying Pig Marathon. 60-year-old Houstonian Allen White was 16th in his age group with a time of 4:12:02 while Seven Hills Running Club member Ray Alexander of Tomball finished his 16th marathon in a time of 5:12:52.