Tie One On For Charity 5K Race Report

As I walking with Waverly from the truck to take in the Houston Young Lawyers Association's Tie One On For Charity 5K downtown last night, I came up upon a woman who was positively commenting about the recent cool temperatures.

She introduced herself as Rosa Herst, a longtime member of HARRA and the Houston Masters Sports Assocation, and that it was her 23rd year to do this event. I indicated that I had done it the last two years, but couldn't because of my knee.

Rosa had indicated that it was sort of a tradition for her. (23 years might be indicative of a pretty bad - yet healthy - habit!) For some competitive runners - even though it is one of the few evening 5K's in town all year (if not the only one) - it may be a tradition that they pass on in the future.

This event went from one that was chip-timed (and may have had age group awards) to one that only recorded the times of the winners. Why? Because they were the only ones that got awards.

For the recreational runner, however, it was a dream as there were almost as many door prizes as there were jilted Enron investors or boyfriends of Lindsay Lohan.

4th place finisher Lance Collins said that overall winner Drew Prisner went off like "he was being chased by a pack of pit bulls". Prisner, a commercial law lawyer with Shannon, Martin, Finkelstein & Alvarado, P.C. and the 2002 Houston Marathon winner, blitzed the competition with a winning time of 16:02. (Here is a link to a picture from Prisner's 2002 run.)

Collins, who is returning from an extended 30-day bout of bursitis in his hip, finished fourth overall in 18:50 - a minute faster than his last 5K a few short weeks ago. Leno Rios was 3rd.

Sugar Land teen Ryan DiMarco cracked the 20-minute mark (as did area teen Sara Collazos) while Ryan's father, John, came in at approximately 22:20 -- just off of his PR setting time of 22-flat last Saturday. (Actually, Sara's dad, German, came in in between Sara and John.) Maybe a Father's Day Challenge is in order!

Even though I couldn't run it, it was a productive evening spent with good friends, including the DiMarcos, Lance and one of his training partners, Steve Schroeder as well as Becky Spaulding, who is a Bayou City Road Runners member that was a Power In Motion Fall 2004 participant. (Becky's times, she reported, as edging back down and she was pretty happy with the way that she's been running lately she said. She reported that she finished in the 30-minute window last night.)

And finally, as we save the absolute best for last, runners reported that they were treated to a well-known race spectator -- and fellow runner. Stepping away from the desk in preparation for the evening news at KHOU Channel 11 was Al Lawrence Running Club member Lisa Foronda, who reportedly posted a new 5K time at the Feliz!Now Cinco de Mayo 5K last Saturday.

While fellow ALRC member Erin Foley won the 30-39 age group in 22:01.3, Foronda cracked the 24-minute mark for the first time ever and finished 4th in 23:50.6.

You have to wonder if Foronda is getting faster as she has to repeatedly dodge Giff Nielsen's footballs and golf swings in the studio! At least she never had to work with Dan Patrick.