5th annual Sandia Peak Challenge Race Report

While today's Sandia Peak Challenge in Sandia Park, New Mexico will go down, technically, as my slowest event ever (a 15:25 per mile pace), it was perhaps the second most challenging event that I've ever done compared to running two (2) marathons.

7.2 miles!
1,728-foot elevation change! (Started at 8,650; finished at 10,378 feet)
14th state that I've run an event in!
116th career event! (36th this year)
First trail run event ever!

My time was 1:51:02 - a bit off of my 1:31 (13-minute per mile prediction); however, I'd do it again given the chance!

The Sandia Peak Challenge is in its fifth year and includes a bike-run duathlon, mountain bike race and 2-mile and 4-mile races/walks. (The first two participants in the 4-mile race blew by me close to the first aid station!) A story about last year's event can be found by clicking here.

The event raises money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the 7.2-mile race is named in honor of Keith Howard, an Albuquerque runner who will be attending Eastern New Mexico University this fall on a cross country scholarship. Howard, who suffers from the effects of CF, finished 9th last year and was 5th today in a time of 1:05.

After Waverly and I spent some time at the top of mountain and riding the ski lift down together, I spoke to Keith and he explained that most youth that have CF can not compete athletically at the level in which he does. I got a picture with him and will be keeping up with him throughout his collegiate career. He was truly an inspiration to talk to. He also said that one of the things that he has to deal with CF is that he sweats more than the average person and it is a major challenge for him to stay hydrated.

As far as the race went, we ran up what was known as the "Golden Eagle" downhill mountain bike trail. A map can be found here.

That's why it was a challenge! They ride bikes DOWN it ... not RUN up it!

I had two or three people behind me at the beginning (there might have been less than 70 participants). One eventually passed me and she and another woman finished about 4-5 minutes ahead of me. (The other woman did the course in 1:20 last year, but was well off of her mark due to a shin splint injury. She had her right splint wrapped early in the race.)

The course probably had at least 50 switchbacks on the 1,700-foot uphill climb. For those parts that I didn't run, I walked and climbed as fast as I could. The only two times that I stopped moving was at the second and third water stops (that were manned by a local Boy Scouts group). It was a lot more difficult than the two trails - Crest 130 and 10K North - that I had run two weeks before on the mountain.

I wore a long sleeve technical running shirt that I thought early on in the race was going to be too warm (because they pushed the start back by 30 minutes from 8:30 to 9:00 am.) However as I got into the upper elevations, I was glad that I made the choice.

There were only three (3) times that I looked at my watch in the first hour and ten (10) minutes and I had no relevance as to what mile marker I was at. (There were some white signs that had numbers on them, but it took me to the 5.5 marker going up to determine that they were indeed mile markers for those bikes riding down.)

At what I figured out to be the 5.7-mile point, I was at 1:26:43, a 15:13 / mile pace. The last three (3) half miles I covered in: 8:27.37, 8:26.09 and 7:25.93. As I approached the finish line, I saw another orange line and I asked the woman if that was the finish, she said, "Yes" and I replied, "Thank God."

One of the things that I figured for sure is that if I can do this, I can run Sunmart in December! (But just the 50K!)

In all reality, this was one event that I told Waverly that I wasn't sure that I could finish; however, as I worked my way up the mountain, it was just a matter of when ... not if! (I was very proud of her, by the way. She rode a ski lift up to the top with another woman. I'm glad she did. I was really concerned about her doing it my herself. It was her first ski lift ride as well as her first solo airplane ride out to Amarillo on Thursday evening.)

One of the things that I heard some runners comment on before the start is at the point that you are still two (2) miles from the top -- on the map -- it really appears that you are a lot closer because of the running back and forth underneath the ski lifts.

On to Maribelle's 5K By The Bay next Saturday in Seabrook ... that is, by the way, Texas and at sea level!

Early Saturday AM in Albuquerque

It's 12:40 a.m. Mountain time and Waverly and I just made it into Albuquerque about a half hour ago. Briefly, as I need to get some sleep, I picked her up in Amarillo Thursday night.

We stopped and ate at the Big Texan Restaraunt in Amarillo. (Yes, the place where if you can eat a 72 oz. steak and dinner in an hour that it's free! $54.99 if you can't.) We drove that evening to Roswell, New Mexico.

After a conference call this morning for work, we went to the International UFO Museum and Center in downtown Roswell. We then headed south to Carlsbad Caverns National Park and went on the Natural Entrance and Big Room paths (about 3 miles and 2 hours of walking and exploring the Caverns.)

We ate in Carlsbad before heading north to Artesia and then west through Cloudcroft over an 8,500 foot mountain that is part of the Guadalupe Mountains into Alamagordo.

At about 7:30 p.m., we pulled into the White Sands National Monument and played in the sand for awhile before driving north through Tularosa, Carrizozo, Socorro and eventually here to the hotel in Albuquerque near the Airport.

In about six (6) hours, I'll be leaving to go up the Ski Lift area of the Sandia Mountains to participate in the 7.2-mile Keith Howard Challenge. It is a challenging, uphill race that begins at the base of the Ski Lift (elevation 8,650 feet) and ascends through rolling hills, switchbacks, and challenging climbs to finish at the top of the ski area (elevation 10,378 feet)! And, yes, it will be timed. (They'll be using sundial timing for me!) My prediction: 1:31! The top male and female won it last year in 42 minutes and 1:05:39, respectively.

I'll owe you all a report later!

Wednesday Night Run in Albuquerque

Have you ever measured off a new course that you just ran while driving your car and because the run felt so good you actually slowed the car down hoping that it would record an extra tenth or two of a mile?

I admit it. I did it!

I didn't leave work until close to 8 p.m. (didn't have the motivation to go run up on the mountain again) and after talking with my daughter, Waverly, on the phone at home in Houston, I finally got out of the door of the hotel at about 8:40 p.m.

I had no planned route in mind, but I knew a direction or two that I didn't want to go. My thoughts were to just run out for about 30 minutes and head back. Maybe go 45. But most importantly, I wanted to keep moving -- run without stopping. I want to be able to run a marathon one day without stopping to walk. I'll get there!

I left the Marriott Courtyard on the north side of Albuquerque, headed right out of the parking lot to Jefferson and then headed south 0.8 miles to Ellison (which becomes San Antonio Drive once it crosses Interstate 25) as it goes east towards the foothills of the Sandia Mountains. I didn't record split times as I turned but a quick glance of my watch showed an approximate time of 10:50. (That sounds bad pace-wise, but I didn't over exert myself because of the altitude - 5,000 feet above sea level - plus once I got diverted because there was no sidewalk along Jefferson.)

I turned left and headed east on Ellison and it was completely uphill. Not a steep uphill, but if I had run all the way to Tramway Blvd., the elevation would increase 1,500 feet. As I ran, my focus was to keep moving through the uphill and I did with the exception of stopping at each intersection.

I measured off in the car afterwards 1.9 miles that I covered in approximately 24 minutes. As far as comparing distances and times, this is the one part of the run that I was really pleased about. I thought about going farther east (and more uphill) in preparation for Saturday's 7.2-mile Sandia Peak Challenge; however, I didn't want to overstress the achilles muscles in my lower calves before the weekend.

I turned left again heading north on Wyoming Drive. It was one (1) mile in the dark (there are only street lights at the intersections not anywhere in between) which can make running at night in Albuquerque fairly interesting and it is a requirement to pick you feet up to make sure that you don't trip. I covered the mile in approximately 12 minutes. In hindsight I was disappointed in this, but the fact that I just ran almost 2 miles of uphill was cause for the legs to be in a place where they make take a bit getting readjusted.

At Paseo Del Norte, I turned left again and headed west back towards Interstate 25 and the hotel. This part was sheer downhill, but I didn't try to all out sprint this part just to better my time. I tried to focus on lengthening my stride and running more relaxed. My thighs right now feel more heavy than they've ever been and I don't know if it is because I've added a pound or two there or it is because I sit for most of the day at work.

The distance to the other side of the Interstate 25 (ran over an overpass) was 1.4 miles and I covered this in roughly 14 minutes. (I try and beat myself up over some of these times; however I have to remind myself that they have high-altitude records here meaning that most runners can't run the same times at 5,000 feet that they can run at sea level. Do I qualify then as hard-headed to believe that I can?)

One more left and a right back onto Journal Center Boulevard and into the Courtyard parking lot covered approximately .35 miles which I covered in roughly five (5) and a half minutes.

So the damage (tongue in cheek, I really felt like I ran well and consistent) was 5.45 miles in 1:05:43. I came back to the hotel and used one of the new route measuring tools and it came up roughly to be 5.5 miles. Not bad!

I will probably not get in a run of any length this evening (Thursday) as I'll be driving with my daughter from Amarillo to Roswell, New Mexico. (Yes, they had the Alien 5K at the beginning of July to celebrate the UFO Festival. I kid you not!)

More Texas Running Blogs!

As if you don't have enough time to keep up with all of the regular blogs that you read now!

Thanks to technorati.com, I was able to come up with nearly a dozen "new" running (or getting there) blogs. You be the judge of which ones make the "Blogroll"!

hey, i'm walking here ..., Cindy Tomek, Houston

..... (possibly with TNT for half or full in Houston)
+

AllBilly, Billy, Houston
..... (working towards the Houston Marathon)

+

A Canadian Girl in Texas, Rebecca, Tyler

..... (signed up for the Texas Marathon in Kingwood on 1/1/06)

+

26.2, Diane Thompson, Houston

Jeff Kalikstein's Blog, Austin
Have Another Bite of Cheesecake, David, Austin

..... (working towards the White Rock Marathon in Dallas in December)

+

A Perfect World, Linda Causey, College Station

Distorted Veracity, Ryan Logan Valdez, Fort Worth

my training diary, Jessica Devenny, Plano

Stretch City, Cathy Clancy, Houston

..... (just general running/life blogs; no stated goal as of yet)

+

Coaching On The Run, Karen Rawson, Flower Mound
From The Couch to Boston, Troy Ray Grimes, College Station

..... (good looking blogs that haven't been updated in a little bit and could be interesting)

Q & A with Klein Bearkat Bash RD Paula Hagerman

On Saturday, September 10th, the 4th annual Bearkat Bash at Klein High School will take place. It is a special race for me and my daughter, Waverly, as that is where she entered and finished her first (and fastest to date) 5K almost two years ago as an 8-year-old. I will forgo the Run The Woodlands 5K #137 that weekend to run in this event!

The entry fee is no more than any other 5K in town. (Both races are $18.) The course is fast and flat with few turns (basically a big square that goes around Meyer Park). A 7:00 a.m. start this year! Plenty of post-race food, a great atmosphere and a couple of exciting and uplifting kids runs after the adults are finished are just some of the hallmarks of this annual northside event.

I caught up with race director and Remax Professional Group real estate agent Paula Hagerman for a few questions about the 2005 edition of the Klein HS Bearkat Bash:

HR: As one of the newer races on the north side of Houston, the Bearkat Bash has already developed a loyal following on the first Saturday after Labor Day and the fall racing season. What do you think has been the key to your event's success thus far?

PH: The people working on the race love running!

Look at Suzy Seeley. Suzy's a loyal runner and is in most all of the Houston area runs. Not only does she show up, but she's also a great competitor. Tim McWilliams is the same way. Look to see a Clydsdale division added soon as this is Tim's favorite award group. I really just enjoy running and the opportunity to meet really nice people in the running community.

Meet a runner, make a friend!

HR: One of the biggest changes runners will notice this fall is the addition of a 10K. What was the motivation behind that?

PR: Suzy and her group are preparing for the Houston Marathon and like most, running clubs are needing a 10K for this weekend in September.

HR: Additionally, for the first time, the Bearkat Bash will be chip timed. Is that in any way a response to any feedback that you received from runners in any of the past three years?

PR: Feedback is always welcome and very much appreciated, but it was the next step to getting better. We knew it was time to move forward.

HR: Many races are run to support a particular charity. What group does the Bearkat Bash attempt to benefit?

PR: We strongly believe the safety of our seniors at Klein High is very important. Therefore we donate the money to an organization called APE. After Prom Extravaganza is an after Prom "Safe Place" the kids go to with great enthusiasm to celebrate their accomplishments of High School. It is an all night lock-in to keep kids from drinking and driving.

HR: The Bearkat Bash has already established itself as a family event. There's a competition each year for schools. How does that work?

PR: The competition is actually to get the elementary schools involved.

The elementary school that brings out the most kids to run in the 1K get a $2.00 rebate for each kid and the winning school takes home a Trophy Cup to display until next year's race day.

We give clubs or organizations such as Band, Student Council, etc. within Klein High the opportunity to earn $4.00 back on each entry if they bring out 10 members or more

HR: While there are a healthy number of other races that same weekend this year, what would you tell runners about the Bearkat Bash if they were undecided about which race to run in on September 10th?

PR: You have three runners organizing this race that share the love of running with you. We work hard to make sure it is safe and enjoyable for you and your family.

The registration link for the 2005 Klein Bearkat Bash through Sign Me Up Sports can be found here.

Tuesday Night Run in Albuquerque

The initial plan was to run tonight in the Sandia mountains again, but getting out of work at 6:30 p.m., getting on the road at 6:50 p.m. and a traffic jam on Interstate 40 west heading out of the middle of town thwarted that idea. But there's always time for Plan B!

That was to head to Tramway Blvd., which runs north and south at the western foothills of the Sandias. I parked my car at the intersection of Montgomery and Tramway and headed north on the bike and pedestrian pathway.

This part of town is somewhere near 6,500 feet above sea level and as I've stated before, the majority of the run is a slight uphill. I ran from Montgomery north to Paseo del Norte, which I measured by car to be 3.05 miles, and then headed back. (So, 6.1 miles overall.)

I was 38:16.89 going out and 36:34.60 coming back. While 1:14:51.49 would look deceiving for just short of a 10K, consider that I had a crosswind at all times of approximately 15 miles per hour coming down off of the Sandia mountains. However, my goal was to run the entire distance out and back (aside from stopping for just over a minute to get a drink of Gatorade that I was carrying with me) and I accomplished just that.

Think about it. I ran 5:39:06 and 4:55:08 in my two marathons. If I run a steady 11-minute per mile pace, that is a 4:48 marathon. I'll take that! But I believe that I'm capable of doing better. I think that I can eventually get myself under 4:40. (10:30 per mile is 4:35.)

The bottom line for this evening is that I got 6.1 miles in! Therefore, it was a great evening. :)

RunBayou.com -- A new site!

While browsing the HARRA web site last night, I noticed that there's a nice new site on the Internet with some very useful marathon training information from a talented Houston running veteran, Jay Hendrickson. The site is http://www.runbayou.com.

(Update, 8/2/2005 -- I got a nice note from Jay about the item below, "It was meant as a joke until I got the links together (the content of the web site is my major concern and the links page was hastily put together.) However, your comment pointed out to me the dangers of folks not getting my meaning. This is my first web site and I'm still learning…. Please feel free to make more comments.")

One page got to me though. It was the links page. Under "Running Stores", it says, "As soon as one of them ponies up with support, I'll list them."

Some of us may be quite a bit slower, but that gives us time to provide the service and save Houston runners a little time, they are as follows:

Finish Line Sports, Finish Strong Sports, Fleet Feet Sports
Luke's Locker, On The Run, RunSport

And, for the record, this site or runner doesn't receive a dime from any of them -- other than the HARRA discount that I'm entitled to (and the stores graciously give) as a HARRA member.

I've got great relationships with the folks at Luke's through their involvement with Run The Woodlands as well as Gabriel Rodriguez, Kevin Landry and Jay Lee at On The Run. I've also had the chance, through Run The Woodlands, to meet a gentleman, Dave Gentry, that is involved with the Fleet Feet Sports store in Klein. I've also seen Raymond Cooper of Finish Strong out at some Striders runs at Terry Hershey Park. All great people!

Funny! -- Bush works out decision for bench

by York (Pa.) Daily Herald's Mike Argento
Monday, July 25, 2005

The New York Times reported that while interviewing candidates for the U.S. Supreme Court, President Bush asked potential nominees about their exercise regimens. "Well," said federal appellate Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III, "I told him I ran 3 ½ miles a day. And I said my doctor recommends a lot of cross-training, but I said I don't want to do the elliptical and the bike and the treadmill." The president, Wilkinson said, "took umbrage at that."

President Bush: Thanks for coming by, Judge Roberts. I have just a few questions.

Judge John Roberts: You're welcome, sir. I'll try to answer the best I can, but as you may know, I cannot answer questions about issues that may come before the court because I don't want to pre-judge them, or at least, let people know how I'm pre-judging them.

Bush: Heh, heh, heh. Good one. Anyway, moving on, Judge Roberts, how much do you bench?

Roberts: Bench? I've been on the federal bench for two years. Remember, you appointed me.

Bush: No, I mean bench press. How much do you bench press?

Roberts: Um, sir, I'm not really sure ...

Bush: I'm talking reps. How much do you bench when you do reps?

Roberts: Well, Mr. President, I'm not sure I can answer your question ...

Bush: OK, fair 'nough. But you do weight training, right?

Roberts: I'm not exactly sure ...

Bush: Because I had Wilkinson in here and he also couldn't answer that question. I'm not sure whether he's Supreme Court material, what with not doing weight training. Sure, he runs 3 ½ miles a day, but you have to mix it up ...

Roberts: I bench about 200.

Bush: OK, now we're getting somewhere. In your routine, do you lift every day or do you alternate with some cardio work? Myself, I like light lifting on off days and cardio just about every day.

Laura says I should stay off the bike for a while, though, because every time I fall off the darn thing, my approval rating goes down a few ticks.

Roberts: Sir, I, um, well, you know, my judicial philosophy is ...

Bush: Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. But I want to make sure we're on the same page here, exercise-wise, because I don't want to make the same mistake my daddy did with that David Souter guy.

Roberts: Justice Souter's views differ from mine in some very substantial ways, but he is a fine justice, thoughtful ...

Bush: Sure, sure, but he's got arms like pipe cleaners. Look at him. He can barely lift a sandwich and he's on the highest court in the land. Please. Can't have that kind of thing on the court, not my legacy thing.

Roberts: Um ... I'm not inclined to discuss the current justices ...

Bush: I'm just saying, Souter's a little wussy boy. And the others, Ruth Bader Ginsberg. Ever see her throw a baseball? Throws like a girl. Now, I know, she's a girl, I mean, woman, but some girls can really hurl the horsehide. We had some of those girl softball players come by here and they didn't throw like girls. Some of them would have been top Supreme Court picks. What do you think?

Roberts: I'm not sure whether ... I mean, if throwing a baseball was the only criteria, Randy Johnson would be a candidate and I don't believe ...

Bush: He's coming in this afternoon. Though it might be a problem because Clarence Thomas' nickname is the Big Unit and it might get confusing having two guys with the same nickname on the court. Now, as I was saying, what I'm looking for is a justice in the mold of Antonin Scalia or Thomas. Those are big guys. Scalia, I'm told, can bench 375.

Roberts: I am an admirer of Scalia's work, particularly his opinions on cases involving eminent domain and Fourth Amendment rights ...

Bush: Yes, but he can bench 375. Let's see John Paul Stevens try that. Or Sandra Day O'Connor. She's another one, throws like a girl ...

Roberts: Sir, my judicial philosophy ...

Bush: As I was saying, I'm looking to appoint a justice who shares my view that weight training and cardio work should be part of a complete workout. I think the court's become, I don't know, soft. I mean, look at Souter and that other guy, Stephen Breyer. I don't think either one of them could bench 100 and Souter couldn't run a half-marathon to save his life. I don't think the guy could do even a mile. Runs like a girl.

Roberts: I can't comment on that, sir.

Bush: Well, thanks for coming in, Judge Roberts. Good to see you.

Roberts: That's it?

Bush: I have a schedule to keep and Schwarzenegger's coming in next. Now that guy, that's a Supreme Court justice, even without the 'roids.

Congratulations Nora Wilson!

While searching for a link for one of the participants from Run The Woodlands (RTW) 5K #134 on Saturday, I found out that on Sunday, June 26th, RTW regular Nora Wilson, 48, completed her first Ironman by finishing the Ford Ironman Coeur d'Alene in Idaho in a time of 14:59:39.

Nora finished the 2.4-mile swim in 1:40:55, the 112-mile bike ride in 7:45:34 and the marathon in 5:15:58. She was one of 71 Texans, including 15 greater Houston area triathletes, to finish the Ironman. Earlier in the year, Nora ran the Boston Marathon in 4:00:50.

This past weekend, a number of other Run The Woodlands (RTW) regulars competed in a pair of multi-sport events.

41-year-old The Woodlands resident Jim Harrington, who also ran Boston this spring in 3:39:51, finished 20th overall (of 286 finishers) and 2nd in his 40-44 age group on Sunday in San Marcos' Aquarena Sprint Triathlon. Harrington finished the 500-meter swim (11:54.0), 18-mile bike ride (49:34.9) and 2.9-mile run (20:23.9) in an overall time of 1:24:42.8.

Ann Leoni and Debbie Tripp both competed in Sunday's Webster Bicycle Duathlon #3 in La Marque. Leoni, 44, covered the 2-mile run, 11-mile bike, 2-mile run course in 1:14:55.9 while Tripp, 49, finished in 1:44:54.7. Leoni is the Run The Woodlands 5K all-time leader in event finishes with 78.

Weekend Running (Past)

No, no, I haven't died. I'm still around. Working hard, trying to get ahead. :)

On Saturday, I extended my Run The Woodlands 5K consecutive appearance streak to nine (9) by recording a time of 30:28.03. It still isn't back in the 29's where I want to be; however I'm being consistent and my times are trending down.

My first mile was 9:19.93. I was trying to make sure that I didn't go out too fast and completely flame myself out. I passed a few people on the first loop and as I approached the first mile spot, RTW regular Debbie Tripp had run the last quarter-mile with me before she stopped to take a walk break.

I really focused on keeping moving in mile 2 (as I've been building my endurance back) and put together a 10:00.89 mile. Debbie had caught back up with me, but once again she took a walk break just past the mile 2 mark on the pavement. At about the 2.1- or 2.2-mile spot, I took a quick 80-plus step walk break then picked the pace back up.

Mile 3 was registered in 10:17.59 (and a combined deficit in miles 2-3 of 25 seconds from the week before) and Debbie continued to take me being ahead a little of a challenge. She caught back up midway through mile 3 as well as Nacogdoches' Mary Anne Harris.

As we hit the mile 3 "blue spot" on the pavement, I decided it was time to make a move on the two (2) ladies. (I know, Mr. Gentleman here!) I rattled off a tenth of a mile of 49.62 seconds (second fastest of the year) and while Debbie almost caught me and recorded the same time of 30:28, I narrowly edged her for 48th place of 61! A photo of the finish can be found here.

On Sunday morning, I got out of bed at about 5 a.m., left the house at 5:30 a.m. and drove to the Power In Motion (PIM) meeting spot to meet up with nearly 20 other Houston Striders to do the 11.4-mile River Oaks route. The route is basically the one that is marked Royal Oaks on the HARRA website but it includes going up Post Oak all the way to Memorial.

Aside from making a water stop or two (and missing a turn or two because I didn't see the last person in front of me), I ran the majority of the distance (even though I was the slowest of the group that went the longer distance) and had a lot more endurance this week than I had a week or two before out at Cullen Park in Katy. So things are looking up!

Our running coach, Steve Shepard, commented via e-mail later, "Glad you're feeling largely self-sufficient on these things; learning the River Oaks route is definitely a fundamental part of the education of the Houston runner."

I covered the first part of the course in 1:35.17 and the short part (from Memorial and Loop 610 down Memorial before turning left at the corner of the Loop and going back to the PIM meeting spot by the Aquatic Center) in 26:35.93 for a total time of 2:01:53.

Other Striders in attendance included: John and Ryan DiMarco, Doug Spence, Steve and Barb Shepard, Carole Flad, Lynlee Linke, Stacy Stepler, Whitney La Rocca, Yong Collins, Karen and Tim Bowler, Chris Boylan, Rich and Patti Sears, Gavin Dillingham, HoJin Lim, Ted Traynor and newcomers David and Jennie Minkin and Eric Glaves.

Monday is an off day after 7 straight days of good, solid effort!

Monday: 40 minutes on the Sandia mountain trails.
Tuesday: 39 minutes on the treadmill
Wednesday: 60 minutes on the Sandia mountain trails.
Thursday: 40 minutes on the elliptical trainer
Friday: 60 minutes on the elliptical trainer
Saturday: Run The Woodlands 5K
Sunday: approximately 11.4 mile-long run

The Woodlands' Kelly Keane withdraws from U.S. Marathon Team

(USATF) -- Mary Akor of Gardena, Calif., has been named to the U.S. marathon squad for the upcoming IAAF World Championships in Athletics to be held in Helsinki, Finland on August 6-14. Akor was named as a replacement for Kelly Keane, the 2005 winner of the hp Houston Marathon, who had withdrew from the team last week.

Originally from Lagos, Nigeria, Akor moved to the U.S. in 1993 and became a U.S. citizen in February, 2003. After graduating from John Muir High School, she went on to complete a degree in Social Work at California State University Dominguez Hills. Akor recently finished fourth at Grandma's Marathon in a personal best of 2:37:19.

She placed 17th in the 2004 Olympic Marathon Trials and has scored marathon victories at the 2005 Big Sur International Marathon and 2004 adidas Vancouver International Marathon.

To see Peter Gambaccini of Runner's World's chat with Kelly about the withdrawal, click here.

(As a side note, Houston Running noticed that Keane's Austin-based coach Greg McMillian was part of a star-studded relay team that finished second at the July 4th Silicon Laboratories Marathon Relay in Austin. Joining McMillan in posting a 2:25:32.5 was White Rock Marathon winner Gilbert Tuhabonye, elite division runner Cassandra Henkiel, triathlete Desiree Ficker and former Abilene Christian runner Bernard Manirakiza.)

Friday Night Meanderings

We'll see what happens in the morning at the Run The Woodlands 5K #134. Hopefully the recent rains will keep things cool and maybe I can slip back under 30 minutes for a 5K.

The last two evenings, I've hit the elliptical trainer at the Bally's in The Woodlands that I work out at. Thursday night, I was only able to get in 40 minutes (covering 3.71 miles at level 15, random); however, I did this without using the sticks at all.

Tonight, I found out that there is a difference between level 15 and level 16 -- a seemingly significant amount of increased resistance. I was on for 60 minutes covering only 5.1 miles but once again: no sticks.

GO LONG: I need to get in a good long run on Sunday. There are plenty of events that I'll be able to get my miles in heading into New York City in early November.

JUST A LITTLE TIGHT: Well, I confirmed that the weight might be what is slowing me down a bit. I took my two long sleeve technical shirts to wear running in the mountains this week in Albuquerque. The blue Nike that is an XL fit comfortably for Monday's night run; however, the white Marine Corps Marathon that fit nicely right after is a little body snugging. And/or maybe it is a just an inch or so here and there. Might be time to start getting in the situps again.

NEXT WEEKEND: I'm toying with the idea of doing a 7.2-mile, 1,600-foot climb race called the Sandia Peak Challenge next Saturday while in New Mexico. Waverly is flying out Thursday night (into Amarillo of all places ... only place to get a cheap reward ticket) and we are going to do lots over the three days (maybe even a balloon ride ... they're expensive, by the way.)

THREE WEEKENDS AWAY: I'm thinking about staying over the weekend after my last week of work in Albuquerque and going to Flagstaff, Arizona to do a half marathon on Saturday, August 13th. As I've said before, we'll see. (I'm also staring at the 10-Miler on Sunday, August 28th in San Antonio at Fort Sam Houston.)

STRIDELINES ARTICLE: I'm close to finishing up an article on Houston running blogs for the Houston Striders' Stridelines newsletter in August and will probably do a recap article for those nine (9) Striders that finished the inaugural Love theHalf (Marathon) Challenge for the September issue.

HBU Husky Hustle 5K Settles on September 24th

I previously reported in this post that HBU's Husky Hustle 5K would be held on Saturday, September 10th, according to the alumni section of the University's website.

However, in viewing the Summer 2005 edition of the HBU News, there is an entry form on page 35 that states the race date will be on Saturday, September 24th.

Entry fee is $18 if postmarked by Saturday, September 17, 2005; $20 after and $25 race day.
Current HBU Students can race for $10 (with valid student ID) while HARRA Members enjoy a $1 discount.

Tornados Running Club featured in Thursday's Chronicle

The club that manages the first race (the Cross Country Relay on September 17th) in the 2005 HARRA Fall Series, the Tornados Running Club, is featured in Roberta McInnis' column in the Houston Chronicle.

The column speaks to the Tornados benchmark tempo runs in Memorial Park on Sunday mornings and if you've ever been out there on those mornings, you know who they are. And even on the club's website, they proclaim, "We're FAST and We Bring Home the Hardware."

Here is how the club has fared in the HARRA Spring and Fall Series team competitions:

4th: Spring 2004 (1)
5th: Spring 2005, Fall 2004 (2), Spring 2002, Fall 2001, Spring 2000, Fall 1999
6th: Fall 2003 (3), Fall 2002 (4)
7th: Spring 2003, Spring 2001

(1) Won Open Men and Open Women, (2) Won Masters Men, (3,4) Won Open Men

Schroeder (Still) Strides Austin!

Houston Striders' Bill Schroeder of Kingwood continues to excel in the Sunstroke Summer Stampede Series on Wednesday nights in Austin. For the seventh straight week, Schroeder, 42, has finished either first Overall or first in the Masters division.

His times are as follows:

July 20th (#10): 18:12.7 (4th Overall, 1st Masters)
July 13th (#9): 18:40.3 (5th Overall, 1st Masters)
July 6th (#8): 18:41.2 (2nd Overall, 1st Masters)
June 29th (#7): 18:45.9 (3rd Overall, 1st Masters)
June 22nd (#6): 18:11.4 (2nd Overall, 1st Masters)
June 15th (#5): 19:05.8 (1st Overall)
June 8th (#4): 18:44.8 (1st Overall)

More Trail Running in the Sandia Mountains

After running just under 40 minutes on the treadmill Tuesday night at the Marriott Courtyard here in Albuquerque, I went back to the east side of the Sandia Mountains and found another trail to run on Wednesday night.

I plan to take advantage of this as much as I can the remaining three (3) weeks that I am here and may possibly run a half marathon on Saturday, August 13th in Flagstaff, Arizona (which sits at 7,000 feet above sea level.)

The run on the treadmill Tuesday night featured 24 minutes at a steady 4.7 mph pace (I swear it is really faster than this out on the road) that ran on Precor's random profile, which every three (3) minutes it also changed the incline. My legs were a little sore from running the trails the night before and combined with the inclines in the profile, I stopped at 24 charting 1.88 miles; however, I did another 15 minutes with an interval profile that chewed up just under 1.7 miles with alternating minute paces of 6.2 and 7.8 mph.

Wednesday night, capturing the lesson from Monday night as far as darkness was concerned, had me stopping at the North 10K Trail and getting on the trails at 7:40 or 7:45 p.m.

My plan was to run 30 minutes out and then get back in, hopefully, the same amount of time.

You could consider it scary, I guess, but the farther you run some of these trails (and I think they are primarily designed for hiking), you realize how completely vulnerable you are. But somehow you run on believing that as long as you watch your feet for the rocks and the tree roots that you'll be OK. (There is NO way that I would recommend that a woman run some of these trails alone. I'm sure some do, but I wouldn't. It isn't to say that they aren't physically safe, but you never know if there is somebody who has been hanging out in the wilderness for months).

I have absolutely no bearing on how far I ran, but I do know that there was a lot of climbing involved it seemed. Which was good on the downhill side, but it slowed my pace, obviously, on the uphill part. (If your legs don't get you, it is being at 10,000 feet above sea level that might ... even though it is cool!)

I went 19:38.54 to a place (that was a little rocky) which opened up through the trees to the sky. Something that I could remember where I needed to be on the return. (Right before it was a significant uphill part too!) Surprisingly on the return back to the parking lot, I covered this same distance in 19:44.79 (and I felt that there was more climbing on the return than going out.)

After passing over that little crest, I continued on another 9:27.28. When you are up there, alone and really not sure where the trail will eventually leave you, I felt as if I was running towards Colorado! Ha!

There was a lot of downhill on this stretch and once I got to 29:05.02 (going out), I felt like it was time to turn it around and head back.

Back to the crest it took me 11:42.39, but that was in large part to the first 2-3 minutes being a steady, continuous uphill climb.

All in all, despite coming close to falling a couple of times, it was an invigorating run when I had finished it.

I know this: I've only run the trails up at Huntsville State Park with the Seven Hills Running Club (on some of the trails for Sunmart) one time. However, these two trails that I ran this week are much more difficult -- which will leave the experienced trail runner going Duh!, I'm sure.

Inspiring Others

I often wonder if it is the fact that I'm 38 and have a few grey hairs (out of what's left)!

Or I wonder if it is the fact that I'm still a bit overweight for my height!

In all actuality, I think it is the combination of these two items that runners are motivated something fierce to ensure that they do not let me beat them, especially when I pass them early in a race! Ha ha!

I couldn't help but think of the latter after reading Jessica Alexander's blog entry this morning from Saturday's Lunar Rendezvous Run 5K.

She said, "I knew we ran pretty close in pace though so I kept him in my view as he passed me up again. I knew I could keep up with him though, so I kept pushing myself for negative splits."

It's amazing what a little friendly competition does!

This happened two months earlier after meeting another Houston blogger, Cassie Cowan, at the HYLA Tie One On For Charity 5K in May.

She wrote, "Jon pulled ahead of me fairly quickly and I just kept following his bright orange shirt. Jon stayed ahead of me, but I could feel that we were going too fast and so I didn't pull up beside him until right around mile 1. We hit our splits and both said "too fast!!!" We clocked off the first mile in 8:40. It was definitely a case of silent, friendly competition!!! Jon was most definitely pushing me, and I'm pretty sure I was pushing him a bit too! On the hill right after mile 1, I pulled ahead of Jon. I made the turnaround, bypassed the water stop (I had my fuelbelt on) and picked off mile 2 fairly easily."

This also happens quite often at the Run The Woodlands 5K's. I've had runners tell me that I was a perfect rabbit for them!

The last time there was a middle school-aged young man who might have been doing one of his first 5K's. It was a struggle for him. (I knew where the youngster came from as I was there not that long ago myself.) However, I think he was startled when I passed him beyond mile 1.

After a minute or so had passed, he ran up alongside of me and was trying to stay in the lead. However, on this day, I was able to open up a margin, hold it and lengthen it to the finish.

I'm sure that this episode will be repeated over and over again until I can learn to slow down like Jessica did and put together some negative splits. We'll see!

Galen Rupp drops 30-year-old US Juniors 3K record

July 18, 2005 (Portland's ABC Channel 2, KATU)
Oregon's Galen Rupp breaks U.S. junior record in 3,000

PORTLAND, Ore. - University of Oregon runner Galen Rupp broke the longstanding U.S. junior record in the 3,000 meters at an international meet in Lignano, Italy.

Rupp placed fourth overall in Sunday's event with a time of 7 minutes, 49.16 seconds, bettering the previous junior record of 7:58 set by Gerry Lindgren on July 5, 1965. "I'm real excited. I wanted to break that record this year," Rupp said. "Lindgren ran that time in the 1960s, and if you consider the evolution of training methods, tracks and shoes, it shows how rare and gifted he was."

Rupp holds U.S. junior records in the 3,000, 5,000 and 10,000 meters. Those records are restricted to athletes who do not turn 20 at any time during the calendar year in which the mark is made.

The 3,000 was won by Rupp's training partner, Adam Goucher, in 7:40.09.

"Galen stayed on Adam's shoulder for most of the race, and then Adam took off over the final stretch," said Rupp's coach, Alberto Salazar.

Kenya's Muli Pius placed second at 7:46.82, followed by former Arkansas great Dan Lincoln at 7:48.79.

Rupp plans to run the mile and the 1,500 meters at the 2005 Pan American Junior Championships in Windsor, Ontario, on July 28.

(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Lunar Rendezvous Run Pictures Posted!

Saturday's race was the first one in a while that I've been in that Karen Thibodeaux was taking pictures.

Karen actually got two (2) good ones of me (#210) and they can be found here. Jessica Alexander's (#433) can be found here. (There is one where Jessica got some "air time"!)

Hill Workout / Trail Running just below 10,678 Feet!

I didn't run that far mileage-wise and time-wise; however, I felt like I got a heck of a workout this Monday evening on top of Sandia Crest (10,678 feet above sea level) here in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Last Tuesday evening, I drove up to the Crest after trying to find the road that led to Singing Hills Youth Camp, a facility that our church, North Park Baptist Church, used to own for many years. (In doing a Yahoo! search, I noticed that it is now known as Camp Oro Quay.)

After reaching the Crest, I did the usual tourist thing and took a look at the incredible sights down into the valley where Albuquerque is. But I ventured south from the Crest House and noticed a marking for a trail that went to the Sandia Peak Tram. After going down it a little bit and seeing that it was marked 1.75 miles to the Tram, I knew I wanted to come back and run it.

Monday night, I did. I covered what I thought to be 1.75 miles in 18:23.12; however, when I saw the marking at the Tram about going back to the Crest), it was marked a mile and a half. The trail was easy to run at some points, but there were places in which you were forced to walk because of rocks in the path of the trail.

Once at the Tram station, I took a break and walked around as people were eating the dinner in the High Finance Restaraunt and waiting on a ride back down. I walked down to the ski lift area and found out where the South Crest trail picked back up. I went 7:08.29 before I got to a place that I wasn't sure about going any further. (Therefore, I have no frame of reference for mileage.) It took me 7:51.03 to get back. (Perhaps the fact that going back was more of an uphill!)

A narrative about the South Crest #130 trail that I ran can be found here.

On the return stop at the Tram station, I spoke to a woman from Jacksonville, Oregon (no, not Florida) as she and her husband are runners. We talked about Hood to Coast, marathons, etc. (You know, discussions that runners just have.) However, I didn't realize the time. It was getting rather dark and I have a trail that I've never been on before to get back through. (I later learned that the time was 8:45 p.m.)

As I headed north up the trail, I realized that I had broken many cardinal trail safety rules. I didn't have my cell phone with me (because the coverage was spotty up there) nor did I have a flashlight either.

It took me 25:36.81 to cover the trail back; however, I walked a lot because there were places that the only light that I saw was that from the moon. Therefore, it was tough to do a lot of running! (When I got in the car in the parking lot, it was 9:15 p.m.)

I may have only covered about 4 miles this evening, but my legs got an incredible workout! Obviously it was cooler at that altitude, but the sights -- especially the night time view -- as well as the sheer silence in places were actually the two (2) most notable things during the run.

7/18/05 General Marathon Updates

I enjoy, from time-to-time, looking at the News Search feature of google.com. After looking today, I thought that I would pass along some general marathon (and half marathon) notes of interest:

1.) Japan's 2004 Olympic Gold medalist Mizuki Noguchi's next marathon will be the Berlin Marathon on September 25, 2005. Click here.

2.) 60-year-old Janice Newman of Eastcote, Middlesex, UK, who is blind, completed Sunday's Wycombe Half Marathon in 2:23:26 two (2) years after breaking her leg in a skiing accident. Click here.

3.) Standard Chartered's Greatest Race On Earth Is Back! Four Challenging Marathons. Four Cities. Largest Prize Pool of Any World Marathon. Click here.

4.) Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Bank Marathon (in October), the fastest growing marathon in the country, is reaching participation milestones. Click here.

5.) Denver area (Colfax) marathon, that is targeted for May 2006, may indeed become a reality. Click here.

7/4-7/17 Weekly Workout Information

The last two weeks have been challenging as far as getting my workouts in; however, I have to get my back side into gear. Therefore, I've modified last week's incomplete post into a complete one for the past two weeks.

Monday, July 4th through Sunday, July 10th

Monday: Stu's Country Mile 5K, Centerville (3.1 miles+).
Tuesday: Treadmill, Marriott Courtyard, Albuquerque, NM (60 minutes; 4.48 miles; Started at 4.0 mph and increased .1 every 6 minutes.) Really felt good on this and three of the last four minutes, at the highest speed, I nailed 168, 172 and 172 strides. I'll have to compare to what I actually do on the road.
Wednesday: Off (I had to go from Albuquerque to Espanola during the day and then go to bed early to drive to and from Clovis on Thursday before flying home.)
Thursday: Off (Plans were well intended to get to the gym, but the flight in from Albuquerque was delayed because of a ground stop due to weather at IAH.)
Friday: Off again (Just was down in the dumps and never left the house.)
Saturday: Run The Woodlands 5K #133, The Woodlands (3.1 miles, 31:17. Not good, but as Sam Rodriguez said, "I was there.")
Sunday: 11.4 miles with the Striders at Bear Creek Park (Well, 10 miles on a slow jog. Walked in the last 1.4 miles. Hard to believe that I did two halves on back-to-back days in late April. I'll be back though.)

Monday, July 11th through Sunday, July 17th

Monday: Off (Travel day to Albuquerque plus I had to get a new employee situated on her first day on-site. Did go to one of the top Mexican restaraunts in town, El Pinto, in the north part of town. Had to get up early to make a trip on Tuesday to Tucumcari.)

Tuesday: Off (Got back from Tucumcari after being up at 4:30 a.m. and drove up to the top of Sandia Crest. Saw the end of the famous La Luz trail at the top of the crest, but also spied out the 1.75-mile trail from the Crest to the Tram Station. I plan on running it next week. Why? It is at 10,500 feet! Downhill is easy. Back up is a little challenge.)

Wednesday: Off (Just didn't feel like doing anything; therefore, I didn't. I went to bed early at like 7:45 p.m. I got up at about 11:30 p.m. to get something to drink, dressed, but didn't go out and do any running.)
Thursday: Off (Same as last week. Got in at about 8:45 p.m., but I had to fill up with gas and drop some mail at the Post Office. Too late to go to the gym.)
Friday: 50 minutes on the elliptical trainer and a 15-minute run on the treadmill at the Bally's in The Woodlands (I did almost 5 miles in 50:50 before I felt my achilles muscle in my left calf tighten up then I got on the treadmill to do a 15-minute run where I set it at 4.5 mph and upped it .1 every minute. I finished at 5.9 mph. I feel like I can do more though.)

Saturday: 5K in Clear Lake and 2.1 mile-brisk walk with Waverly.

Sunday: 2.1 mile-brisk walk with Waverly, a 60-minute run on the treadmill and a 60-minute stationery bike ride at the Bally's in The Woodlands. (I did 4.94 miles in an hour by starting it at 4.5 mph and upping it .1 every six (6) minutes. It finished at 5.4 mph before cranking out an hour on the stationery bike at level 7. 24 minutes of hill work and 36 minutes of random.)

Walking (and eventually running) with Waverly

At her recent 10-year-old visit to the pediatrician the week of July 10th, Waverly (my daughter for newer readers to this blog) measured in at 5'1". She's a little on the big side, but it's been known that she was going to push the percentile charts on height and weight since she was born.

After getting a bite to eat this evening, we went out and walked a 2.1-mile loop that is in our subdivision. I'm going to try and keep her on a regular schedule, even with my travel, to help her be more physically fit for basketball season at the end of the year (as well as getting her conditioned next year for middle school P.E.)

I've also given her two (2) goals -- one (1) running-related and one (1) basketball-related -- to achieve before Houston marathon day and the start of our church's Upward Basketball season. I'll comment more on those at a later date.

In the meantime, I'll continue to update this post to track her progress:

Saturday, July 16th: 2.1 mile brisk walk, 33:44.15, a 16:04/mile pace (evening)
Sunday, July 17th: 2.1 mile brisk walk/short sprint at end, 31:41.41, a 15:05/mile pace (afternoon)

Stu's Country Mile Race Picture

Not the most flattering picture of myself; however, that's me heading

down the home stretch at the end of Stu's Country Mile

in Centerville, Texas on the 4th of July.

Stu's Country Mile Post-Race Picture

Seven Hills Running Club president Ken Johnson, Doug Kopp and myself at a local restaraunt after Stu's Country Mile in Centerville, TX on the 4th of July.

27th annual Lunar Rendezvous Run 5K Race Report

Career Event #114 (34th this year)
Career 5K #59 (22nd this year and 53rd in Texas)

The primary reason, other than to get in a race, that I decided to drive to Clear Lake to do the 27th annual Lunar Rendezvous Run 5K this morning was because On The Run (and the Bay Area Running Club) was hosting the event. I've always been impressed with the work of Jay Lee and Kevin and Jana Landry in putting on events. And today, they didn't disappoint.

(I ran, but Waverly came home with a prize. Well, it's a prize to a 10-year-old. Jay announced that they had 200 of the green "Return To Flight" wristbands to give out. Like her Dad who counts things, she noted that she has 13 of them now.)

Although it wasn't chip-timed, the cost was $15 with a $1 discount for HARRA members. Very reasonable for a 5K with a full component of drinks after the race. I got a chance to see the awards for the winners of both the Open and Masters divisions and they were big bronze eagles mounted on blocks. Very nice, but I'm not going to be catching Luis Armenteros anytime soon. (Luis won today for the third time in the last four years.)

The course started just outside where the Space Center Houston tour begins and then went through the Johnson Space Center complex, including two passes by Rocket Park. (I realized for the first time that they had enclosed the old Saturn V rocket inside a building to protect it from the elements.)

I must say that I actually ran pretty well today (considering the comeback) and was pleased with the effort and the outcome. My mile splits (and notes) are as follows:

Mile 1 - 9:27.17
Mile 2 - 9:53.03
Mile 3 - 9:59.92
Last .1 - 51.04
Overall - 30:11.16

I felt for once that I was pretty well hydrated before the start despite the humidity in the air. It wasn't too hot actually either.

Waverly and I got to the race plenty early to make sure that I had picked up my race packet. (It was a 50-mile one-way drive and we got slowed up on 45 South around FM 1959 for road work. Glad we left the house at 5:35 a.m.) It is interesting to see people like On The Run's Christopher Bittinger and others begin to notice me because of either the blog here or the Run The Woodlands 5K Series.

As the beginning of the race started, I saw fellow blogger and now-Strider Jessica Alexander racing to get her packet picked up and back to her vehicle. (Neither one of us saw Sarah Graybeal at all -- and as I found out while writing this entry, she overslept. However, Jessica had Waverly get a picture of the two of us for our respective blogs.)

I saw Jessica with her bright green shirt that said, "It's My B-Day," taped in red letters on the front and the back. I started to the left of the pack, exactly 12.78 seconds off the start, and Jessica was in the middle.

Within the first 300 yards, Jessica went flying by me before we made the first turn. I hollered ahead, "Not too fast now, Jessica." She suddenly realized who it was that said it and laughed. We chit-chatted a bit and asked if the other had seen Sarah.

Somewhere before the mile 1 marker (probably around three-quarters of a mile), I passed Jessica and ran through the first water stop in a time of 9:27.17. (I thought to myself that the time was OK as long as I don't do the one minute-plus slip like I have been.)

As I went into the second mile, I actually felt pretty good, was relaxed and breathing well and didn't feel like my legs were going to give on me and force me to stop and walk. (I wondered if the elliptical machine workout with the treadmill run the night before was an asset or not. I secretly hoped it had.) I heard the timer call out at the mile 2 sign a time under 19 minutes. I'm thinking, "Wow!" as well as "No Jessica!"

But I knew two things: 1.) I hit the water stop and took a short 50-step walk break while getting it down and 2.) I knew that Jessica put together a great kick in the last 1.2 miles of the Toughest 10K in Texas last Saturday in Lampasas.

Just as soon as I was starting to run again, I felt a pat on my back and it was Jessica saying, "C'mon, let's see if we can both break 30!" She did and I didn't, but I didn't miss by much.
The 25.46-second difference between mile 1 and mile 2 was the smallest drop since the 5/12/05 HYLA Tie One On For Charity 5K in which I got a chance to meet Cassie Cowan.

Then I rattled off a consistent mile 3 with a time of 9:59.92. I was glad the I refused the desire to take a walk break, but I wasn't pushing myself at the end of my aerobic range.

The 6.89-second difference between mile 2 and mile 3 turned out to be the smallest drop since my back-to-back sub 29-minute 5Ks in February. (This is really good news!)

As I passed the mile 3 marker, I could see race photographer Karen Thibodeaux in front of me taking pictures of runners before turning down the stretch. I tried to get in position to give her a good shot! Then after making the turn, I knew that I could get in the low 30 timeframe so I continue to kick it as much as I could, I high-fived Waverly on the left and then passed a female runner right at the finish line. The 51.04 in the last .1 of a mile was the third fastest this year.

After finishing, Jessica and I spoke at length about a wide range of topics. I introduced her to Karen, who told me that she just won the business for the Little Rock Marathon in March. And we stayed around to see some of the awards given out, including an age group finish by Strider John Yoder.

I got a chance to talk with John at length: something that I always enjoy doing. (Actually I was flattered that he took the time to track me down as I wasn't going to interrupt a conversation or two that he was having with Suzy Seeley.) He keeps looking at the results from the Run The Woodlands 5K and is plotting his debut race. I gave him a course rundown and told him that I would love to get a whole host of Houston Striders out there one day. It could be a cheap "Race Of The Quarter" for the club!

I also got a chance to talk to Strider/HMSAer German Collazos for the first time and asked him what he thought about Scott Jurek winning Badwater two weeks after winning the Western States 100 for the seventh straight year. His response was "Unbelievable!" German completed the WS 100 this year for the second time in his career and he said he did so this year despite not really training for it.

A good day all in all!

Notable results:
Striders (Jessica Alexander, 29:37; John Yoder, 16:43 (first in 30-34); Elias Deetlefs, 18:43 (third in 45-49); Sara Collazos, 20:55 (2nd in 15-19); Yong Collins, 22:09 (second in 50-54); Tom Woltz, 24:20.)
Run The Woodlands participants (Christopher Bittinger, 18:04 (4th in 35-39); Predrag Bojovic, 19:27 (3rd in 40-44); Danny Gilbreath, 24:09.)
Winners (Luis Armenteros, 15:12; Francisco Perez, 16:49 (Masters); Debbie Rudisill, 19:39; Liz Schwandt, 20:38 (Masters).)

Saturday's Lunar Rendezvous Run

I was glancing at the following post on Sarah Graybeal's site early this morning, http://www.saroy.net/archives/2005/07/saturdays_run_3.html, where she intimated that Saturday's event is a "mini-tradition" for her.

Not that I'm going to be blazing any roads on Saturday; however, I did a little digging at Runner Triathlete News for Sarah's results the last three years:

2004 - 32:44
2003 - 30:50
2002 - 34:36

After being in the same blog world for the past seven to eight months, being in front of her at the ConocoPhillips Rodeo Run (not knowing until the picture later on) and hearing spectators on Memorial Drive holler, "Go Sarah Go!" during the Houston Marathon, I'm looking forward to getting to meet Sarah this Saturday.

Perhaps, I'll be able to drag along my 10-year-old red head, Waverly!

And Some More Texas Running Blogs!

Jennifer Kim, a fellow Houston Strider and Houston Running blog reader since the ConocoPhillips Rodeo Run, has reported on her blog, escapevelocity.org, that she has joined HoustonFit and is targeting the 2006 Houston Marathon!

I found the following on the Complete Running Blog Family Directory:

Brynne Sutton of Houston -- Run, Mommy, Run!
Christian Sutton of Houston -- Front Range Runner
(Yes, they are husband and wife!)
Megan Stacy from San Antonio -- {Escape Velocity}

Unreal! -- Jurek wins Badwater 2 weeks after Western States

Two weeks, 235 miles and two titles
Jurek endures grueling Badwater Ultramarathon, setting new course record
By: Ryan Sabalow, Journal Staff Writer
Thursday, July 14, 2005 12:30 AM PDT

As if running 100 miles from Squaw Valley to Auburn and winning the Western States Endurance Run for a record seventh straight time wasn't enough, two weeks later, Scott Jurek decided to try for the impossible yet again.

He succeeded.

Tuesday morning, the Seattle physical therapist completed the Badwater Ultramarathon, a hellish 135-mile race from the bowels of Death Valley to the slopes of Mt. Whitney, with a time of 24 hours, 36 minutes, 8 seconds. He broke the record set in 2000 by Russian runner Anatoli Kruglikov's by nearly an hour.

It takes most runners nearly three days to complete the event.

Running through temperatures at times exceeding 110 degrees, the 31-year-old climbed from Badwater, the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere at 280-feet below sea level, across asphalt hot enough to melt runners' shoes to the Mt. Whitney Portals at 8,360 feet.

Although Jurek could not be reached for comment Wednesday, local endurance runners had plenty to say about his amazing back-to-back records.

John Trent, the media coordinator for the Western States Endurance Run who also completed the Western States run this year with a sub-24-hour finish, said Jurek's performance is a testament to his amazing athleticism and versatility.

"He wins the most prestigious trail race in the world, then two weeks later wins the world's most prestigious ultra road marathon," Trent said. "To bounce back the way he did is just amazing. I don't know how he does what he does."

Trent said he couldn't even imagine running even a handful of miles so soon after finishing Western States, let alone go out and try to attempt 135 miles of hell.

Other runners said Jurek's feat is even more impressive because it shows his body is operating at a level other athletes can only dream of achieving.

Dan Moores, owner of Auburn Running Company, said Jurek's vegan diet, in which he eats only organic food without any animal products, may have something do with his incredible endurance, but his genetics are likely adding to success.

"That's what people said about Steve Prefontaine," Moores said referring to the Oregon runner of legend who destroyed American running records in everything from the 2,000 meter to the 6-mile in the 1970s. "(Prefontaine's body) was able make better use of oxygen. He just had a predisposition to do better."

Moores said Jurek is also very in tune with his physique. As a physical therapist, he knows his limits. Plus, he's focused his whole lifestyle around running and trains extensively.

This year's cool temperatures at the Western States may have also added to Jurek's success at Badwater.

Tim Twietmeyer, the Auburn runner who has finished Western States 24 times in under 24 hours, said Jurek is a great athlete, but the pleasant temperatures at Western States likely lent itself to a quick recovery for Badwater.

"That makes a huge difference," Twietmeyer said. "It was a lot cooler this year than it normally is. Recovery was probably half the time of what you would normally see."

But cooler temperatures hardly took away from his accomplishment, and even non-runners were awed by Jurek's amazing endurance.

As she walked with a group of friends through downtown Auburn Wednesday, Rocklin resident Kathy Coder gave the usual response most give when they first hear about the sport of ultra running.

"That's insane," she said.

But a few seconds later, Jurek's accomplishment gained perspective.

"How can anybody do that?" she said. "That's got to be such a personal challenge."

The Journal's Ryan Sabalow can be reached at ryans@goldcountrymedia.com.

New Run The Woodlands 5K Series Stats

Yes, I know, it's almost 1:30 a.m. here in Albuquerque and I'm posting here! I'm insane. (In a good way, of course.) The bottom line is that I went to bed early, got up and couldn't sleep. Therefore, I started to look at some numbers from the spreadsheet file that RTW statistician Tom "Mr. Waterway" McDonough has recently updated after race #133.

We are now at 4,061 finishers! This means we may see finisher #4,500 before the end of the year and #5,000 sometime early next spring. Of the 4,061 finishers, there have been 1,348 different runners (if may eyes weren't too weary). This would represent an average of 3.01 races per runner.

However, there are 80 runners in either the 20-race or the 10-race club who have completed a total of 1,745 races. If you remove them from the overall population, that means that 1,268 other runners have completed 2,316 races -- which drops the average to 1.83 races per runner.

Which the big question is, despite the $1 entry fee, how do you retain runners?

Of the 1,348 different runners, the runners made their debuts in the following years:

2000 - 207 runners
2001 - 284 runners
2002 - 184 runners
2003 - 177 runners
2004 - 252 runners
2005 - 244 runners (just 13 races!)

Every race in 2005 has had 10 or more new runners. Surprisingly though, the percentage of new runners vs. all finishers is not that far off from year-to-year:

2000 - 207 new runners in 465 finishes (44.5%)
2001 - 284 new runners in 764 finishes (37.1%)
2002 - 184 new runners in 724 finishes (25.4%)
2003 - 177 new runners in 623 finishes (28.4%)
2004 - 252 new runners in 754 finishes (33.4%)
2005 - 244 new runners in 737 finishes (33.1%)

Or looking at these percentages, do you accept them for what they are and realize that there may be nothing that can be done to get the average runner out more than twice in their racing career?

I'm not sure. I know this though: Those that don't make it out miss out on a good time!

Two New Greater Houston Running Blogs!

I'd like to point out two (2) new Houston-area running blogs, one of which that Cassie Cowan pointed out in the comments of a recent post. [And they both picked out great Blogspot links!]

Jessica Alexander finally has her running blog, "Jessica, a Houston runner" at http://houstonrunner.blogspot.com/, up online with a race report from the "Toughest 10K in Texas" this past Saturday in Lampasas.

Another frequent visitor to this running blog is Holden Choi from The Woodlands. I had a chance to meet Holden and fellow Houston Strider Jeff Sharp from Porter, Texas this past Saturday at Run The Woodlands 5K #133. His new running blog is titled "Twenty Six Point Two: Running Towards A Marathon" and it can be found at http://woodlandsrunner.blogspot.com/.

(And the picture from the Run The Woodlands race on Holden's site was taken by my daughter, Waverly!)

New (Houston Striders) Stridelines Online!

The July 2005 edition of "Stridelines", the newsletter of the Houston Striders, is now online at: http://www.houstonstriders.com/2005_07.pdf.

Personal Weekend Wrap Up

This past weekend was fairly busy for me, especially Saturday.

After running better last Saturday and Monday, I sort of stunk up the joint at Run The Woodlands 5K #133 on Saturday as I came in with a time of 31:17.33. (Complete race results can be found here.) I think it is the fact that I wasn't able to really workout or run on Wednesday and Thursday and was just too down in the dumps on Friday to do much of anything.

I got off to a decent Mile 1 start with a time of 9:28.87 and then I was able to put together one of my better second miles in the last six 5K's, 10:07.30. But the last 1.1, I sort of fell apart. It is like I don't have any staying power or it comes and goes (as I had it on Monday in Centerville). I was 10:43.64 in mile 3 and 57.52 in the last .1 of a mile.

If it is a slight weight issue (and believe me, I do not like to get on the scales), here is my dilemma: If I run too much for my size, I run the risk of injury; however, if I don't do enough, I don't have enough energy to burn off more than what I put in my body. (It's kind of frustrating. Especially when I have the staying power to do half marathons on back-to-back days and struggle now with anything less.)

After getting the results ready to send to Don Drewniak in Delaware to upload to Running In The USA, I took Waverly (and my niece, Haylee) to the Astros game against the Dodgers and then just the two of us last evening, we also saw the National Pro Fastpitch Texas Thunder in League City take on the Venezuelan National Team. The Thunder, on the strength of two-time Olympian pitcher Christa Williams from Deer Park, beat the Venezuelans 1-0 in eight (8) innings.

This morning (Sunday), I joined other Houston Striders for 11.4 miles at Bear Creek Park.

10 Remain in HEB Texas 10K Challenge; Alexander debuts in 10K

In an event which saw the 10K debut of 24-year-old Houston Running reader Jessica Alexander, 10 of the 11 competitors who had completed the first three legs of the HEB Texas 10K Challenge took on Lampasas Chamber of Commerce's Toughest 10K in Texas on Saturday.

(Houston Running is the only media outlet that provides any coverage of the H-E-B Texas 10K Challenge.)

Entering the fourth race of the Texas 10K Challenge, 35-year-old Seabrook Karen Nyberg was ahead of 15-year-old Ryan DiMarco from Sugar Land and 42-year-old Houstonian Eddie Espinosa by less than one minute. On this Saturday, the trio would finish within a minute of each other.

Nyberg picked up her second win among those completing all of the legs by outlegging both DiMarco and Espinosa. Nyberg was third in her 30-39 age group by running 44:37.95. DiMarco, facing a tough young field, finished 5th in his 13-19 age group narrowly missing Nyberg with a time of 44:39.55 and besting Espinosa, who finished in 45:14.00.

Other Texas 10K Challenge finishers included Pflugerville's Raul Capetillo (49:53.90), Sugar Land's John DiMarco (54:09.75), Houston's Mark Ezekiel (54:13.15), Kingwood's Jesse Keller (1:07:19.85), Houston's Joy Ezekiel (1:16:07.40), Pflugerville's Leslie Ann Capetillo (1:26:59.90) and Houston's Richard Kerr (1:27:37.65).

Houston's Zully Garcia was the only one of the 11 Challenge participants of the first three legs that did not appear in the official results today.

Meanwhile, Alexander admirably finished her first 10K in 1:03:45.65 and choosing a challenging course to boot!

An Interview with new HARRA President Tom Stilwell

Many thanks to new HARRA president Tom Stilwell for taking the time to answer a number of questions on behalf of and for the Houston running community.

The question-and-answer, which took place during the last week, can be viewed by clicking here.

(From time to time, I'll continue this interview format to help introduce you to many of the figures in the running community. I'm welcome to ideas as well! Thanks and enjoy -- JW)

Best Wishes to Jessica and her first 10K!

Best wishes go out to Jessica Alexander, who posts comments on this web blog, this weekend as she will be running her first 10K ever in Lampasas on Saturday, July 9th in the 25th annual "Toughest 10K in Texas."

She will join Houston Striders father and son combo John and Ryan DiMarco, who will be completing the fourth leg of the 5-leg HEB Texas 10K Challenge.

And since Jessica hasn't got her own running blog started yet, I'm hoping that she'll share her experiences here with all of us in a "Houston Running" race report.

(For that matter, if any of you who read this blog on a regular basis wish to contribute a race report of any race that you run, please don't hesitate to contact me at my AOL e-mail address, walksports.)