More Vegas from my Dad

As most of you know, my family is from the central Pennsylvania area and we are big Penn State fans. (Yes, I hear the collective groans from Ms. Foley and Mr. Carey.)

Nonetheless, my father is in Las Vegas for a meeting with the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA). For his firm, Inspirion Consulting, he is responsible for drumming up business.

The session's keynote speaker (which may draw another groan from the Foley-Carey ticket) was former Notre Dame, North Carolina State, South Carolina and Arkansas head football coach Lou Holtz.

"Lou Holtz was the keynote speaker and he was great and I even got to talk with him a bit before his speech.

"I asked him how long he thought JoePa would coach and he said, "Until Bobbie Bowden retires or dies."

"I asked who he thought would replace JoePa and he said at this point he thinks Tom Bradley, the defensive coordinator, would get the job and mentioned what a great recruiter Bradley was especially with getting the kids from Western Pennsylvania."

There you have it ... straight from Sin City!

So .... Sunday was my 2nd best Half Marathon

Why? Because while perusing the letsrun.com message board, I saw the following note about last year's 3M Half Marathon on the runtex.com website:

Upon further review, the 3M Half Marathon course on Sunday was about 1/10 of a mile short of the full distance. Not a big deal, but you can add about 25-50 seconds to your time.

What happened, 3M officials concede, was the course should have turned right from Stoneway Drive--just past the 10-K mark--onto Pioneer Place and then headed north onto Shoal Creek. Instead, the course went straight onto Stoneway before turning north onto Shoal Creek, resulting in the course coming up short by 1/10 of a mile.

The error does not affect the results in any way, nor does it change the Distance
Challenge points series.

"We deeply regret the error, especially since it was a wonderful day for runners," 3M race officials said in a prepared statement. "Fortunately, so many of our racers ran well, so many volunteers worked hard and so many people enjoyed the event. We are working hard to correct the error in course set-up and promise to do better in the future."

Cheap way to move up. (Although it wouldn't have been that way if I had known about this before Sunday.) But I'll take it. :)

Dad Attends Miss America Paegant

I guess this would be better than a race report any day ... so a break from running stuff!

"By now both of you (my Dad's partners) know that I did get to attend the Miss America Pageant here in Las Vegas this evening.

"Quite the production.

"I had an excellent aisle seat in the lower level and actually sat in front of several media photographers. The gal behind me was shooting for the Reuters Wire Service. I couldn't believe the actual seating they had. They were allowed to move down to the runway for the crowning and runway walk.

"It seems what happened is that about 3:15 p.m. they opened up some VIP and media seats that were either returned or not picked up by then. Everyone had to be in their seats by 4:30 p.m. for the live television which started here at 5:00 p.m. local time. I had previously been told by Caesar's, where I am staying, and the Aladdin Box Office, that they were sold out. I went over anyway thinking I might be able to pick up a ticket but when I got there the box office was open and I was able to buy the ticket.

"Very, very interesting. Not just the show, but the production efforts going on during the commercial breaks.

"I personally thought the girl from Pennsylvania should have been in the final five and maybe even the winner.

"In the swimsuit competition I will say that Miss California had the best tan but Miss Mississippi had the most beautiful green eyes.

"I couldn't get my hands on a ticket for one of the after event parties that were held here at Caesar's where I am staying.

"Oh well, something nice to do once and be able to say you did it."

There's a never a dull moment in my family! That's for sure!

3M Half Marathon Race Report

For those of you who read this blog for some of the insane statistical numbers that are produced, the 13th annual 3M Half Marathon in Austin was race #205 for me and it was my 31st half marathon ever (to go with 12 marathons.)

So how did I do? Good, but I feel like I can be better. How's that for a loaded response?

Gun time was 2:15:50 and chip time was 2:12:28.9.

Last year, I set a new PR! at this race with a time of 2:12:06.5! (And I bettered it about six weeks later with a 2:09:58 in The Dalles, Oregon.)

So it was the third best half marathon I've ever run, but I didn't run it all like I did in Oregon.

I even walked during the first two miles after trying to take the first uphill mile too fast - 9:29.26 (compared to last year in 10:05.45). The elites took this at about a 5:20 per mile pace whereas they ran some of the downhills in 4-thirty and change.

So here is the mile-by-mile breakdown:

Mile 1 -- 9:29.26 (9:29.26 ... 10:05.45)
Mile 2/3 -- 19:57.91 (29:27.17 ... 29:55.98)
Mile 4 -- 9:52.77 (39:19.94 ... 40:04.55)
Mile 5 -- 9:32.91 (48:52.85 ... 49:49.64)
Mile 6 -- 10:04.03 (58:56.88 ... 59:25.70)
Mile 7 -- 10:14.44 (1:09:11.32 ... 1:08.24.20* short a year ago)
Mile 8 -- 10:03.92 (1:19:15.24 ... 1:18:37.85* long a year ago)
Mile 9 -- 10:21.87 (1:29:37.11 ... 1:28:36.36)
Mile 10 -- 10:32.95 (1:40:10.06 ... 1:38:58.51)
Mile 11 -- 10:30.51 (1:50:40.57 ... 1:49:58.16)
Mile 12 -- 10:13.81 (2:00:54.38 ... 2:00:28.20)
Mile 13 -- 10:37.39 (2:11:31.77 ... 2:11:17.08)
Last .1 -- 57.21 (2:12:28.98 ... 2:12:10.30)

Actually, the year-to-year comparisons aren't completely fair because the course was changed quite a bit.

For example, we had a little bit of a loop in mile 6 that we didn't have before.

As I've stated before, if you run events in Austin enough, many of the same roads are used for multiple events (basically like our Allen Parkway and Memorial Drive.)

It seemed like miles 9-13 where basically mile 17-21 from last year's Freescale Austin Marathon. Miles 9-11 were basically long uphills while mile 12 was a downhill (last year it was a downhill going into mile 20 by DKR-Memorial Stadium.)

Two weeks removed from a marathon, I ran a 10:10 pace over 12 miles last Sunday in New Braunfels and then a 10:06 pace over 13.1 miles this Sunday ... I guess I can't really complain that much.

I just know though that while the weather was certainly to my liking, I wasn't as mentally strong as I've been in other events and that disappointed me.

This course is advertised as a "net downhill", but with that comes some inclines. You really have to what I call "make hay" in a four-and-a-half-mile stretch between mile 3.5 and mile 8 and then in mile 12.

Kim Hager of The Woodlands was there and it was fun to see her line up towards the front. (There was an incredibly talented field there, including the World Ironman runnerup Desiree Ficker of Austin, who finished third and with a personal record, and a couple of former Houston Marathon winners - David Cheriuyot and Albina Gallyamova.)

Russell Meyer of Houston won the Clydesdale division after finishing second a year ago.

Something's Better Than Nothing

Thursday got away from me in more ways than one. It did, but it didn't.

We live in the Spring ISD, but just barely. In the subdivision we live in, half of it rests in the Klein ISD and the other half: Spring ISD. (People will say that Klein has much better schools and that might be true, but I'm a Spring High School '84 graduate and I feel pretty good about the education that I received.)

Spring ISD had an "official" grand opening of its new Carl Wunsche, Sr. High School, which opened as a career academy for tenth- through twelfth-grade students in August 2006.

I picked Waverly up from her school and we got to Wunsche before most of the dignitaries, including Texas' Commissioner of Education Shirley Neeley, had begun their speeches. (If we are to stay in the district, Waverly has expressed of applying for and attending this school.)

After they were done, I introduced Waverly to Craig McClure, one of the school's two associate principals. "Mr. McClure" was my Chemistry teacher my junior year.

Then, I was completely humbled as I saw my Typing II and Business English teacher Nancy Hejl, who retired 7-8 years ago. (She is originally a "Wunsche".) I had a chance, of course, to brag on Waverly (who she met a number of years ago - too long ago actually - when she was a lot smaller.)

How was I humbled? She made the comment to another woman about her age, who I didn't know, that I was "one of her favorite students ... and so is his sister!" Holly graduated from Spring in 1990.

The stories you hear about one teacher making an impact in an individual's life is so true.

When I graduated, it was the last year before H. Ross Perot' House Bill 72 was enacted. Senior students, like myself at that time, were able to select Business English over English Literature. I can assure you that the things that I've been able to do in my professional career and my hobbies (such as sports media opportunities) have been a direct result of that direction and her instruction.

And, yes, she wanted to see many of the things that I have written from the Conroe Courier, Runner Triathlete News and Inside Texas Running.

It was kind of fun walking through the new building and telling Waverly who a number of people were. I introduced her to Ralph Eickenroht, who wrote Spring High School's school song and was the school's first Band director in 1958.

I pointed out to her Dekaney High School's new principal, Phil Eaton, who played high school basketball for Pasadena or Dobie High School against a good friend of mine that is now at Tomball HS, Art Cole.

So we had a great time!

After eating and giving my stomach a chance to settle, I made it to Bally's at about 9:05 p.m. and ran 50 minutes on the treadmill.

When I run on the treadmill, I try to mix things up a little bit. After a minute, I put in on 4.5 mph and an incline of 1.0 and upped it 0.1 mph every three (3) minutes until I ran the last 3-minute set at 5.6 mph. That got me to 37 minutes and then I backed it down to 5.0 mph for two minutes and then 0.2 mph every 2 minutes until the end to "cool down".

Like I said at the top, it was better than a '0'!

Wednesday Workout / Off to Austin on Sunday

If you come here first on Thursday morning and you haven't read your morning Chronicle or checked online, you may wish to do so by clicking here.

Honestly, this blog may become nothing more than boring training runs, workouts and race reports before too long.

Edwin and I have been given a great opportunity to promote the sport on the Chronicle's web site and we hope to do a great job for the entire running community.

So some of the news items that you've been used to seeing here will begin to transition to that blog (whose comments are completely moderated, by the way.)

It's exciting and kind of sad all at the same time.

After running Sunday in New Braunfels, I was in Bally's Monday night to get 50 minutes on the elliptical trainer in (for 4 miles).

This evening, I added 65 minutes on the treadmill and another 18 - before closing time - on the stationery bike. On the treadmill, I bumped up the speed .1 of a mile every five (5) minutes until I was 25 minutes into the run (started at 3.9 mph).

Then, I moved it up .5 to 4.8 for five (5) minutes. Backed it down to 4.4 for five (5) and then to 4.9 and so on until I had completed 65 minutes.

A good run. Never felt winded, but a little challenged. I just didn't feel like running outside this evening. Not sure what gives as any other night, I'd be doing it in Vancouver.

So Saturday, I'll be volunteering at Run The Woodlands 5K #170 and I'll be going to Austin on Sunday to run the 3M Half Marathon.

My targets are 2:09:58 PR (Wheatfield Half Marathon, The Dalles, OR) and 2:12:07.8 (3M Half Marathon, 2006).

But the one that I'm really worried about is Cassie with her great 2:10:57 PR during the Aramco Houston Half Marathon. (I wonder if she would have made it if she didn't stop to wave at the cameras just past the 10K mat!) :)

HARRA Footprints Staff Spots Additional U.S. Records

Late last week, we noted that Dr. Bob Hoekman, HARRA's Medical Director, spotted an update to the Aramco Houston Half Marathon single-age marks that I made resulted in Richmond's Ino Cantu setting a new best time ever in the United States for a 73-year-old male at the half marathon distance.

Writer Edwin Quarles spotted an additional one earlier this afternoon and I immediately found another that I had overlooked before.

More information later this evening at http://blogs.chron.com/runhouston/.

HARRA ROTS, Ironfoot, Warmup Series Mugs and Towels

From HARRA president, Anna Sumrall Helm:

Congratualtions to all runners competing in last week's marathon of events, and a special thank you to all who volunteered and made the weekend possible.

Please join us at the first race of the Spring Series, the Buffalo Wallow 6K Cross Country Championship on Saturday, February 3, 2007.

Runner of the Season and Ironfoot Awards for Fall 2006 will be presented afterward.

Marathon Warmup Series Mugs are available at all Fleet Feet locations. To call before making a trip:

2408 Rice Blvd location : 713-520-6353
6590 Woodway location: 713-465-0033
8220 Louetta Rd @ Champion Forest: 281-370-4140

Marathon Finisher Towels will be given out at the Bayou City Classic on March 10.

See you at the races,

Anna Helm

North Pole Marathon Contest

I had been personally approached by Steve Outing, the founder of the Enthusiast Group, via e-mail to consider making a post about a new site that they created, YourRunning.com, and the fact that they were going to have a contest for an entry to the North Pole Marathon.

"We made it clear in the rules that the person we pick wouldn't necessarily be the strongest runner," said Outing. "We're looking for someone who can do a good job of writing about and sharing their experience with the running community, and be good at letting their readers know about the polar/global warming issues -- which was the genesis of this thing in the first place."

I applied, but I figured I had a snowball's chance in hell of winning.

One evening this week while in Vancouver, I had checked Dane Rauschenberg's Fiddy2 site, saw that he was entered and realized that if they were looking to be able to capture national media attention (which why wouldn't they) that there were no way that I would be so lucky. (I've communicated via e-mail with Rauschenberg. He's a good guy and a Penn State grad. If he wins, he should take a cardboard cutout of JoePa with him to the North Pole!)

My wife had a phone call this afternoon from somebody who found out that I had put in for it and that I should send an e-mail and get people to post comments in support of me. Why? Because the individual wanted to see me win it!

I thought about it for a second and I thought, "You know. That isn't me."

It didn't discredit the person's desire to see me win at all, but that is just something that I won't do. It is one of the reasons why I admire those that have the ability to fund raise and nail down sponsorships, etc. I'm very, very careful about who I ask what for. Why? Because I'm concerned about what I'm able to deliver and I've failed in this regard in the past. (Not that I ever took money and wasn't able to deliver ... just even the asking part.)

I wondered though how the person found out that I had entered because I didn't remember saying anything to anyone.

I went to the YourRunning.com site and soon realized that my application, along with everyone else that applied, had been made public.

While I understood that there were a lot of public requirements with winning, nothing in their rules stated that the application would be made public. I wrote Steve Outing immediately.

> Steve,
>
> Please remove my entry from the North Pole Marathon contest.
>
> I just had a phone call from somebody who posted some nice things to say
> about me and informed that the way to have a chance to win was to "send an
> e-mail to everyone and get them to comment on the site."
>
> I won't do that and had I known that my application would have been publicly
> posted, I wouldn't have applied.
>
> Doing so against the caliber of runners that have applied makes me look
> foolish.
>
> Jon Walk
> Spring, Texas

Can you see them picking me over Chuck Engle, Dane Rauschenberg, Russell Secker from Austin or good friend Duncan Larkin from southeast Pennsylvania?

If they did, they'd be ridiculed and rightfully so.

He responded back, removed my entry (although he didn't delete it in case I reconsidered ... no worries, I'm not going to) and was steadfast about what they were looking for.

The bottom line is this: It is about exposure for their company and web site(s)! One doesn't have to be a rocket scientist to figure this out. They're looking for Runners' World and Running Times type attention - and an Engle or a Rauschenberg can deliver that for them.

I actually wrote Chuck, Dane and Duncan this afternoon and wished them the best.

I wanted you all to have the scoop first-hand before it was spoken by someone that would have commented to others that I must have thought a lot of myself to think that I had the gall to actually believe that I could have won.

Latest City of Houston Special Events List of Runs

1/27 - Harris County Hospital District Foundation Texas Med 5K - Register

2/ 3 - Houston Rockets Run (5K) - Register
2/ 3 - Bridgefest Fun Run (5K), Kingwood - Register

2/10 - Fund Run For Teachers 5K/1K - Register
2/10 - Hermann Park Conservancy Park to Park Run 5-Miler - Register

2/17 - Fit for the Future Run 5K-Walk-Stroll - Register

2/24 - ConocoPhillips Rodeo Run 10K/5K - Register

3/ 3 - Houston Area Women's Center Race Against Violence - Register
3/ 4 - Westside High School Athletic Booster Club 5K

3/10 - HEB Bayou City Classic 10K Run - Register

3/17 - 22nd annual Houston Eye Associates Lookin' Good 5K - Register

3/24 - John J. Eikenburg 8K / 1-Mile Children and Family Run - Register
3/25 - Run For The Rose 5K - Register

3/31 - 2nd annual Steps for Students 5K Run/Walk - Register
4/ 1 - Step by Step Run

4/28 - Spring Branch Educational Foundation Running For The Arts 5K - Info
4/29 - Texas A&M University 5K Fun Run / 1K Dog Walk

5/ 5 - Spring for Life 5K Run & Walk - Info

6/ 2 - Heights 5K Fun Run - Info

11/11 - Houston Masters Sports Association 5K Fun Run (Well, we know that this is probably the 25K, which makes the Fall Series schedule about set.)

Sunday, October 14th - United Space Alliance 10-Miler
Sunday, October 28th - Houston Half Marathon
Sunday, November 11th - HMSA Classical 25K
Sunday, December 9th - Methodist Sugar Land Hospital 30K
Sunday, January 13th - Chevron Houston Marathon

12/ 9 - Downtown YMCA Jingle Bell Run - Website

Source: http://www.houstonspecialevents.org/

River Road Run 12-Miler Race Report

Ah, redemption in New Braunfels!

No, no, I didn't get baptized in the Guadalupe River. I did, however, run by it and cross over it a half dozen times (and didn't even get my feet wet.)

The River Road Run 12-Miler was a good run for me, especially a week out from the Chevron Houston Marathon, and I certainly hope that it was a full 12 miles.

If it was, I ran at a 10:10/mile pace for a time of 2:02:06.18.

Race Pictures: Early Finish

Yes, the weather was a bit more to my liking than last Sunday as it was 35 degrees at the start of the race, but got to around 55 to 57 degrees shortly after we were done.

For you number buffs, here are the splits:

Mile 1 -- 9:52.06
Mile 2 -- 10:04.15 (19:56.21)
Mile 3 -- 10:09.89 (30:06.10)
Mile 4 -- 10:02.17 (40:08.27)

Mile 5 -- 10:54.92 (51:03.19) ... definitely long
Mile 6 -- 9:01.85 (1:00:05.04) ... definitely short
Mile 7 -- 9:18.86 (1:09:23.90) ... repeat in reverse
Mile 8 -- 10:39.71 (1:20:03.61)

Mile 9 -- 10:07.66 (1:30:11.25)
Mile 10 -- 10:22.49 (1:40:33.74)
Mile 11 -- 10:55.14 (1:51:28.88)
Mile 12 -- 10:37.30 (2:02:06.18)

This is a good "low key" event. I knew about it from Houston's Barry Chambers, who ran it a year ago in 1:35:54.

It is six miles out River Run Road from the Camp Huaco Springs Campground. (As we were running and seeing all of the places where people partied during the summer on the Guadalupe, I realized that this is the only time of the year that the event could be held on those roads! Although ... the sights might just be a little better in the summer time!)

The stretch of road reminded me of the Wheatfield Half Marathon in The Dalles, Oregon that I ran last March and recorded my half marathon PR of 2:09:58.

With less than 30 minutes to go before the race, I finally decided to wipe off last Sunday from the watch (i.e. my splits). It was a good cleansing process to put behind a less-than-desired day from last Sunday.

Positive things

+ Public address system, with a runner in the event signing the national anthem. Nice touch!
+ Good food afterwards (including sausages wrapped in a tortilla.) Good!
+ Registration and packet pickup was simple and straightforward.
+ Water stops at miles 2, 4 and 6 going out and at 8 and 10 coming back.
+ Open road, of which most was asphalt and not concrete.
+ They even had entertainment - and country music! (Young guy who sang pretty well.)

Interesting things

+ There were mile markers on the way out that were extremely visible and could be seen from a ways off. However, on the return, the same markers were used, but they didn't have the numbers 7 through 11 on the back side. They also were on the left hand side of the road returning - and weren't as visible.
+ From the splits, you can see that the mile 5 marker was off. When I got to the mile 6 turnaround and clicked a 9:01 mile, much to my surprise, I said to the woman who was the cone in middle of the road (and who I think is the organizer's wife), "Mile 5 was long and mile 6 was short." I was upset at the time, but laugh about it now as she replied, "We can always move mile 6 out a little farther if you'd like."

I saw the winner, I believe University of Incarnate Word freshman Shayn Weidner, early in mile 5 (for me) as they ran a time of 1:06:27. (There were quite a few Texas State - formerly known as Southwest Texas State University - track and/or cross country athletes running the event today.)

The top female runner, Marissa Toland, who was third female finisher at the 2005 Bandera 50K, won today in 1:34:22.

Best part of the day, though, was when three young ladies of Texas State track and field team, including Sheridan, Wyoming's Tenley Determan, in that same mile, offered up a "Good job! Keep it up!" Nice for a 40-year-old man to get that type of encouragement! (I'm already filling out the entry form for next year!)

While standing in line to pick my packet up, I heard a couple of guys talking about a run from last weekend. The one gentleman answered the other's question as to how he did and he replied, "I finished in 15:14." I looked at the man and thought to myself, "There's no way that he's got a 15 minute and 14 second 5K in him!"

But when he started to talk about mud, I knew that he meant that he finished the 100K at Bandera last week and the 15:14 stood for hours and minutes! The individual, Scott Wood, 43, had finished his 5th consecutive Bandera 100K.

The gentleman in front of me had his timing chip from Houston last Sunday still on his shoe.

I had seen this guy before (and some are reading this going, "That's no news"), but I couldn't figure out where. He had a bright blue France sweater (which is what I really recognized about him.)

He was a very nice gentleman named Don Winkley from Corpus Christi, age 68, and we were talking a little bit about Richmond's Ino Cantu before the race. (I'm a cold weather runner and he loved the conditions at the Marathon last Sunday.)

After we finished, he was talking about being happy about finishing in under two (2) hours. (And while we were talking, I realized that I saw him at Sunmart, running the 50K.)

Sunmart - Winkley 7:03:43, Walk 7:15:54
Chevron Houston Marathon - Winkley 3:54:58, Walk 5:14:59
River Road Run - Winkley under 2 hours, Walk 2:02:06

I guess he doesn't run as well in the cold weather. A very nice guy to talk to!

Also talked to 23-year-old Jennifer Hatch from San Marcos, who finished in 1:48:57. She had been training for a marathon, but started to have some knee problems as one of the Austin training programs ramped up mileage too fast for her. She said that she had completed one marathon while living in Seoul, South Korea and that was the Seoul International Marathon.

Good run, good day and a good drive over and back today!

I have until Wednesday to register online for the 3M Half Marathon in Austin next Sunday. If I do, I'll be volunteering at Run The Woodlands 5K #170 on Saturday.

Make The Olympics on a Treadmill?

Sometime in the last two years, I remember that somebody made a "whacked out" comment on here about the ineffectiveness of training on a treadmill.

Procuring some results from various U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, I stumbled upon a story about the 2000 winner Christine Clark from Anchorage, Alaska.

She won the 2000 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in Pittsburgh in a time of 2:33:31.

This quote in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette caught my eye:

"Having a one-woman Olympic team put a bit of a damper on the day despite Clark's inspiring story -- she's a pathologist and mother of two from Anchorage who does most of the 70 miles she runs each week on a treadmill."

Granted, while it may be a necessity for some like Clark in Alaska, running on a treadmill may or may not work for others.

New Single Age Texas Marathon Records

Below are the submissions that I made to the TexStats Texas Marathon Records this morning:

Female

17 - Sara Collazos, 3:39:41, at Chevron Houston beating the mark of 3:50:53 (Kathryn Junkins, Houston, 1/20/91).
21 - Dire Tune, 2:26:52, at Chevron Houston beating the mark of 3:05:49 (Meghan Macardy, Houston, 1/18/04).
29 - Beata Rakonczai, 2:30:14, at Chevron Houston beating the mark of 2:31:16 (Veronique Marot, Houston, 1/6/85).
45 - Firaya Sultanova-Zhdanova, 2:39:06, at Chevron Houston beating the mark of 2:46:56 (Bev Docharty, Austin, 2/15/04).
50 - Jean Herbert, 3:19:59, at White Rock beating the mark of 3:22:25 (Donna Wright, Houston, 1/19/86).
74 - Louise Mitchell, 5:15:26, at Chevron Houston beating the mark of 5:51:19 (Bertha McGruder, Dallas, 12/15/02).

Male

23 - Feyisa Tusse, 2:11:39, at Chevron Houston beating the mark of 2:13:53 (James Karanja, Austin, 2/16/03).
24 - Benson Cheriuyot, 2:14:03, at Chevron Houston beating the mark of 2:15:15 (Joseph Sheeran, White Rock, 12/4/82).
73 - Jim Schleisman, 3:39:03, at Chevron Houston beating the mark of 4:10:27 (Odino Soligo, Austin, 3/5/95).
77 - Dan Allensworth, 4:29:24, at Chevron Houston beating the mark of 4:43:35 (Clyde Villemez, Houston, 1/15/89).

Additionally, Don McNelly of Rochester, New York completed the Surfside Marathon last February at the age of 85 in 8:39:43.

Back At It

I don't give up too easily, although I needed a few days of inactivity to get the soreness out of my quads. Plus the weather in Vancouver this week was more cold and rainy than usual.

After getting back in on Friday, I made it to Bally's last evening to get 30 minutes on the elliptical trainer (2.49 miles, level 16, random) and 24 minutes on the stationery bike (level 7, random). I was going pretty hard on the elliptical trainer and started to get lightheaded after about 20 minutes. Hmmm ... not enough fuel.

I'll run this weekend, but I'm not sure where or how much. I'm thinking about heading to New Braunfels on Sunday for a 12-Miler, but I'm not sure. If so, it will be a different course and a different town.

I'm thinking about doing the 3M Half Marathon last year, but I might be hard-pressed to hit 2:12 there again like I did last year. Then again, who knows if the weather is right. (More than likely, I'll be at Run The Woodlands 5K #170 on Saturday, the 27th.)

I had one e-mail earlier this evening, "Where are you? You okay?"
My response was, "Spring. Yes."
I added, "What? I don't post and people think I fell off the face of the earth?"
And they replied, "Just wondering."

I appreciate being noticed.

Let's see, what's going on?

+ Sunday's column in The Courier will talk a little bit about the Spring Fever 5K that is coming up on Saturday, March 3rd in Grogan's Point in The Woodlands as well as a registration update for the CB&I Triathlon on Saturday, May 7th. (Yes, Coach Bill Dwyer is signed up for not one, but two triathlons in May alone!)

Next Sunday's column will preview the Saturday, February 3rd Rocky Raccoon 50- and 100-Milers.

+ I'm waiting on the first draft of the February edition of Footprints to come back this weekend or Monday. It will be the 6th edition that I've had the opportunity to edit. Debut marathoner Jessica Alexander did a wrapup on the 30K while Edwin Quarles did a piece on RunSport closing with some nice comments from Jon Warren and Brant Kotch.

March is coming right around the corner!

+ We've been told by the Chronicle's Dwight Silverman that the blog, which will be called "RunHouston", is being built and we should be up and running soon.

+ Don't forget to keep checking, periodically, the blog that we set up to report from the Expo -- http://harrahoustonmarathon.blogspot.com/. Any stats that I compile from the Marathon and Half Marathon will be posted there.

The biggest news is that Ino Cantu's half marathon performance at age 73 is in the process of being certified as a single age mark at that distance.

Ino and Ryan Hall!

+ Finally, thanks to Seven Hills Running Club president Ken Johnson, I've been given editions of Inside Texas Running, Runner Triathlete News, Runner's World and Running Times, dating back to 1993.

Ken and his wife, Marilyn, are getting ready to move into a new house and he didn't have plans to carry them with him. So I'm grateful of being able to pick up a new source of research material.

An article that I was reading on the stationery bike tonight from Peter Gagarin, the then-editor of Ultrarunning magazine was titled, "Guide to your first fifty-miler."

I loved this line about walking. He said, "If you are the macho type who thinks walking is for sissies, well, that's all right. We need a few like you to get ahead at the start. Then when you crash and burn at 30 or 40 miles, it will give us a real psychological lift to go cruising by."

+ Stat projects? Lots. I'm updating a lot of the information that I provided to Jan Nierling with the Chevron Houston Marathon for this year's media guide, which contained 21 pages of information that I compiled or researched.

What else? I'm working on Surfside and Seabroook Marathon lists of winners, age group bests and top 20 times, which I've done for the Kingwood Marathon. (I'm also beginning to look for any old results of The Woodlands Marathon.) Those lists can be found on my new site, http://www.runmontgomerycounty.com/.

As Long As They Don't Sing The Fight Song On The Course ...

Members of the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets Marathon Team will compete Sunday (Jan. 14) in the 35th annual running of the Chevron Houston Marathon and the Aramco Houston Half Marathon.

Among those cadets will be Christopher Ragan. Diagnosed with cancer in 2004, he will be running the Houston Marathon for the third time.

“I started running after I was diagnosed with cancer and have loved running ever since,” he said.

This year, the Corps Marathon Team has increased in number from 16 last year to 45 cadets participating in this year’s marathon. Corps officials also say it is a special year because the team has new uniforms that they will wear during the race to proudly represent the Corps of Cadets.

For the remainder of the article for Texas A&M University, please click here.

(1/17/07)
So ... how did the Ags do? Rather well, I might add. Here is the list:

Marathon
Josh Stokes - 3:26:44
Mike DeSa - 3:31:43
Boon Bowling - 3:33:49
Jordan Robertson - 3:39:12
Zachary Baskara - 3:40:02
Anthony Peters - 3:40:41
Reese Bruechner - 3:47:24
Mike Parrot - 3:51:07
Arthur Hernandez - 3:53:41
Robert Golden - 3:55:07
Brent Lanier - 3:55:47
Jeremy Duggins - 3:57:07
Micah McDonald - 3:57:09
Miguel Garcia - 3:59:54
Eric DeBerry - 4:07:48
Chris Miller - 4:07:48
Chris Ragan - 4:12:32
Tyler Reed - 4:13:27
Steven Rendon - 4:14:17
Andrew Mambretti (Team Captain) - 4:15:12
Nathan Fluker - 4:15:15
Brian Reeves - 4:16:27
Cody Miklis - 4:32:51
Benjamin Weiner - 4:35:23
Neil Wessels - 4:38:45
Stephen Carl - 4:39:46
Chris Felleisen - 5:53:49

Half Marathon
Colin York - 1:32:37
Jeff Archer - 1:42:28
Michael Valdez - 1:51:43
Jada Ching - 1:58:48
Erin Kinne - 2:00:04
Savannah Pena - 2:08:49
Sarah Rivas - 2:12:43
Mary Formanek - 2:18:24
Jonathon Brydie - 2:19:18

Did Not Start
Joe Kilianski (Half)
Cody Cruz (Full)
Ben Carter (Full)
Tyson Hann (Full)
John Pulvino (Full)

Did Not Register
Alec Pourteau, Kirk Keller, Jestin Hasop, Sean Kenne,

Ficker, Ray shoot for bigger running goals

Some recognizable Texas triathletes are putting big running goals in their periscopes.

Austin's Desiree Ficker, who finished a stunning second to Michelle Jones a couple of months at the Kona Ironman World Championship, is aiming at a U.S. Olympic Trials qualifying time in the marathon.

Bob Wischnia of runtex.com reported on Monday that "Ficker ran 2:05:46 Sunday at the ARA 20-Miler in San Marcos which indicates she should be in the 2:46 marathon range. She’s planning her attempt at the AT&T Austin Marathon."

Meanwhile, closer to home, Galveston's Autumn Ray wasn't able to better her PR on Sunday at the Chevron Houston Marathon, but she told The Galveston County Daily News' Bernice Torregrossa in a January 16th story that Boston is now in her sights.

“I went out too fast, and by mile 16 I had to re-evaluate what I could do. I just miscalculated my pacing, and in the end it was mostly a training run. It will help me prepare for the Boston Marathon in April.”

Hmmm ... a 3:05:52 training run.

Chip Off The Old Block

I was just on the phone to home not too long ago as Waverly was getting ready to go to bed.

She was telling me about her day at school and that in one of her subjects, she had a substitute teacher. No earth-shattering news there except that she proceeded to tell me that she heard the gentleman talking to a teacher's aide and that he made the comment that he was an 11-year veteran of the Houston Marathon.

Like her father, Waverly said her ears perked up.

When the moment was right, she started to talk to him and proceeded to find out that the gentleman was Ralph Ridenhour from Spring. She said that he told her that he ran 9 in a row in one stretch and then added the other two shortly thereafter. (While we talked, and not that I didn't believe her, I looked at the recent file of all veterans that I received from Jack Lippincott and sure enough -- Ralph L. Ridenhour ran his first Houston Marathon in 1982 to 1990 and then followed with a two-year stretch in 1993 and 1994.)

She said that she mentioned that I wrote for Runner Triathlete News and Inside Texas Running and that he said that when he was running, he read those publications. Waverly went on to explain that he was into cycling now for his health, but had done a century or two and had also run in the Boston Marathon.

I did a little looking in the Chronicle's Archives and found out that he was the 40-49 age group winner of the 6th annual 3-mile Love Run in February 1990. The only other note to be found was that he took home another age group award in November 1985 at the Race Against Houston's Hunger. He ran 36:57, which I presumed to be a 5-mile run (since the winner ran a 30:01.)

The next e-mail I expect to get is from Bill Dwyer telling me that Ralph was a member of the old FM 1960 Roadrunners. :)

Something Just Wasn't Right Last Weekend

When Waverly and I were leaving the Expo on Saturday, one of the things that I noticed in the finish line area, while it was being setup, was the VIP seating.

Cynically speaking, you have to wonder how much sponsorship monies - or if there were some that went for sale - went up with that?

But with the changes in the start line, the corrals, the construction in the park area in front of the George R. Brown Convention Center, I realized that an annual pre-race tradition that I had was probably going to go by the wayside.

And that was always meeting up with a friend - public address announcer J. Fred Duckett.

I thought it was strange that he wasn't at the press conference on Friday morning like I had seen him there the year before. (I figured the Awty International School, where he's a teacher, would have let him off a day.)

I really didn't think too much about it when we were standing in the corrals and I heard a very clear, strong female voice. (I mentioned earlier that my head wasn't completely in the day. Maybe there's something to turning 40.) At times, I thought her delivery was a little bit strong or "over the top" - as if she didn't really know anything about the sport.

J. Fred, of course, is one of the Southwest's foremost track and field authorities and is the long-time public address announcer of the Texas Relays in Austin.

But I really became curious as Waverly and I made our way down Rusk Avenue.

I noticed that the timing mat, 100 yards or so in front of the finish line, was new. (It can be a nice touch, at a smaller event, to have your name called out - when it is only you. This instead of trying to rapid fire call multiple names.)

Then I recognized that the voice definitely wasn't that of J. Fred's. (And I couldn't pick up on who it belonged to.)

I was beat though plus I didn't have a good run at all. So I asked Waverly later on in the evening at home if she heard J. Fred earlier - thinking that he might have gone home (and let somebody take over) - and she said that the male voice definitely wasn't him.

Well, it appears that the Marathon did what the Astros and Rice Owls basketball did too many years ago and told J. Fred that his services were no longer needed.

It's a shame. It is a position that I aspired to - as I've had the chance to do public address announcing in a couple of D-1 facilities - when J. Fred decided that he no longer wanted to do it.

I certainly feel different about it now.

While J. Fred is often best known for his "Jose Cruuuuuuz!" call as the Astros public address announcer, he is also in a class of P.A. guys - like Mark Seegers at the University of Houston - who didn't see themselves as part of the "show".

Austin Officially Announces "Registration Cap Possible"

In an e-mail blast that went out this morning, the AT&T Austin Marathon officially announced what "Houston Running" reported on Saturday that a registration cap is possible for its two events.

"Registration for the 2007 AT&T Austin Marathon and Half Marathon is on record pace and is currently almost 50% ahead of registration on this same date last year! In order to ensure a safe and enjoyable run for everyone, we will impose a cap of 6,000 runners in the half marathon and 6,000 runners in the full marathon. Online registration closes completely at midnight on February 11, 2007. Registration may close earlier if race capacity is reached before February 11."

So, just like Houston, everyone now has officially been forewarned.

I still believe that an event that announces a cap creates an artificial interest in its product. People who need a bit more time - rather it from overcoming be an injury, their work schedule or family situation - and would normally wait until their schedules are set (knowing that they only might have to pay a late fee) now rush to register for fear of being shut out.

The event wins because it has its money in hand and it eliminates many of their worries about whether or not they will have enough on race day, etc. As I said before, I don't begrudge an event that at all. They want to have enough, but they don't want to spend a lot of money unnecessarily - and if donating monies to charities from the proceeds are involved, it would take away monies that could go to appropriate causes.

The same person that told me about the Marathon's cap also said that in other years that all they needed to do was work with the City to open up an extra lane, etc. and make the appropriate adjustments.

In the same vein, I was encouraged by Steven Karpas' comments in today's article by Dale Robertson in the Houston Chronicle.

Bigger, at least in terms of numbers, became an issue this year when the 15,000-runner limit for the marathon and half-marathon together was reached six weeks in advance, leaving lots of frustrated local runners out. Ways will be explored to increase the ceiling next year without sacrificing either order or safety.

"We'll look at all the options, maybe even having separate marathon and half-marathon courses or wave (staggered) starts," Karpas said. "But you have to remember we're inconveniencing people, businesses and churches for six hours because so many streets have to be closed."

Edwin Quarles and I both looked at each other when Chevron's representative at the press conference, Frank Herbst, said that they were looking at making the event next year be "bigger and better." Our thought was, "Well, what does 'bigger' mean?"

As far as inconvenience goes, find out how Chicago, New York, Boston, Indianapolis (Mini-Marathon) and others "sell" the inconvenience to their residents -- beyond the tradition alone and attempt to employ the same techniques that allow them to have anywhere from 20,000 to 40,000 runners on the roads at a single time.

Karpas' leadership has overcome the limitations of having only a marathon and an auxillary event, such as a 5K, to make the day even a bigger event that more people will want to take part in.

The $64,000 question is: "How much farther can it be taken or can it at all?"

It seems like though that it is the issue for many marathons, including Houston and Austin.

HARRA at Houston Marathon Blog

http://harrahoustonmarathon.blogspot.com/

This blog will continue to be updated with information - in the past that has been found here - related to Sunday's event.

The Woodlands Running Club at Houston This Weekend

Marathon
Tony Allison - 3:37:54
Vincent Attanucci - 3:47:15
JoAnn Blakeley - 3:31:32
William Blount - 4:36:59
Jim Braden - 3:41:55
Scott Brian - 3:56:50
Casey Clark - 3:50:14
Don Cole - 3:12:48
Kristin Collins - 4:03:54
Phillip Deprang - DQ
Les Ellsworth - 3:58:08
Sharon Griggs - 4:12:30
Mitch Hall - 4:03:40
Ken Hayman - 3:39:34
Kellee Heffner - 3:54:38
Ann Leoni - 4:26:52
Ian MacDougall - 3:05:25
Tracy MacEwan - 3:48:07
Carlos Ortegon - 3:28:07
Bill Phelan - 4:58:35
Susie Schreiber - 3:25:51
Stephen Smith - 3:54:24
Buck Snyder - 2:58:19
Matthew Tresaugue - 4:15:57
Debbie Tripp - 5:38:19
Gary Van Kuiken - 4:00:52
Jon Walk - 5:14:59

Half Marathon
Fran Blanton - 2:00:22
Anne Campbell - 3:22:23
Scott Campbell - 1:46:22
Carrie Davies - 1:57:49
Kelley Golden - 2:10:24
Colleen Hayman - 1:57:50
Rob MacEwan - 2:45:49
Sara Moran - 2:20:21
Patrick Morein - 1:47:38
Cathy Steele - 1:52:25
Bill Travis - 1:33:54
Mark Whittemore - 1:39:29
Tobi Whittemore - 2:42:05

5K
Dick Esselborn - 22:56, 1st in age group

Bandera 50K
Selena Harvey - 7:34:02
Jana Jordan - 7:34:00

Seven Hills Running Club at Houston This Weekend

Marathon
Niki Swearingen - 3:49:39
Ken Johnson - 5:56:37
Jerry Flanagan - 4:34:49
Ben Harvie - 3:05:45
Kelli Kallus - 3:49:41, debut marathon
Mihaela Mullin - 4:43:30
Karly Simmons - 3:45:52
Jon Walk - 5:14:59
Russ Walker - 5:31:08

Half Marathon
Katy Lampson - 2:19:04
Mary Patterson - 2:36:25

5K
Rose Rhoton - 21:22, 1st in age group
Waverly Walk - 36:54

P.F. Chang's Arizona Marathon
Chris Wilson - 3:55:56

Bandera 100K
Rick Cook - 16:14:13

Waverly's Houston Press 5K Race Report

I've had a couple of e-mails asking how the "red headed princess" did on Sunday. (Well, that is at least what I call her.)

I've actually delayed writing this not because that I want the post to come out a certain way, but I wanted to handle the entire subject appropriately. (As you read on, I hope you'll understand, especially those of you who know me well.)

First things first, Waverly finished the 5K in 36 minutes, 54 seconds - for a pace of 11:52 per mile!

If you were looking at her performance strictly from a numbers perspective, one could say that it was her third best 5K ever - just 59 seconds off of her PR - and that it was a dramatic same course improvement from two years ago. (The latter would appear that I was trying to spin something - but I'm not. Just the stat guy approach!)

People might think that I delayed the post because I was disappointed that she didn't reach her PR! In fact, it is the farthest thing from the truth. My wife and I always tell Waverly that we're more concerned about the effort than the outcome. She's been blessed with a decent amount of intelligence and ability to make good grades in school - and she did everything that was asked of her getting ready for this event. (And at the same time, like last year, I'm hesitant as far as her doing too much because she's a youngster and she's growing -- plus she's got the same body type, I think, as me. Last year's half marathon was a one-time or "on an occasion" deal.)

As far as Waverly's race went on Sunday, her splits were 11:40, 11:56 and the last 1.1 miles came in at 12:05 pace (13:18 total) for a 36:54 total (and 11:52 pace).

Her pacer commented that she "displayed perseverance that some people take a lifetime to develop" and that her effort "was very admirable, and sometimes these are the type of races we actually learn more from."

I don't know what took place out on the course and, honestly, that is between the two of them. (Sort of the motto that Waverly and I have an agreement on, "What happens on the course stays on the course.") Although my wife asked Waverly's pacer if she got some of the same responses from her as the two of us had over time and she laughed!

She also commented that the "two 'inclines' were definitely tough (and oh so familiar!)."

Hmm ... that would imply that her pacer had a little knowledge of the course.

In fact, she did. Her pacer won the 2004 Race For The Pennant 5K in a time of 17:30.6 -- which is run on much of the same course -- a time that would have won yesterday's 5K.

But the reason why I want to handle this post the right way is that her pacer really is a classy and humble individual that, despite her ability and hard work, doesn't shine the spotlight on herself at all.

In what is always an emotional time for Waverly and I before a race, especially at the Marathon, I asked her to give it her all as I told her that she probably had the best help on the course o Sunday of reaching her goal - with the exception of Daniel Cheriuyot and some of the U.S. Athlete Development Project runners (who had pacers at various times to reach the qualifying standards).

When I posted on this blog that I was looking for somebody to pace Waverly in the sea of people that is the 5K at the marathon (to give her a clear shot at her PR), Kim Hager of The Woodlands volunteered for the opportunity.

I was so stunned that it took me most of the day to formulate a response to Kim's e-mail.

Why was I stunned?

Only because Kim is a "professional triathlete" aside from being a wife and a mom to two girls - and that she qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials at Houston in 2004 and ran in them a few months later in St. Louis.

In fact, before I even said anything to Waverly, I had asked her if she was willing to do everything possible to try and hit the goal. And she said that she would. I wanted her to -- as well as me -- appreciate the opportunity that she was being given.

But I really already knew of Kim's integrity as a person and a coach.

I had - at Bill Dwyer's invitation - the chance to spend many weeks around their working with runners who had signed up for Luke's Locker's Beat programs. I can speak from first-hand experience - being out at the track the weeks that I was home - that they really get emotionally involved in the athletes that they are coaching - and without ever looking for anything in return (other than a good effort.)

All of this, plus a few other examples, is why I never publicly posted that Kim had agreed to help her on race day - and before - attempt to reach her goal.

I think the moral to the entire story is that -- Waverly did super and that my family is appreciative of the opportunities that we've been given! She would have liked things to have been a little colder like me, but there's always another race on another day.

Waverly could very well not be out there pushing herself and very happily could have been out there cheering me (and others) on or volunteering - and simply had fun. However, she wanted to be a part of the experience on "race day" like everyone else did!

Plus what I hadn't posted on here from last week was the fact that she hurt herself a little bit on Monday at school in PE as they were starting gymnastics. She did a front roll and when she came through, the way she landed ... she ended up in tears at school.

She went and saw the chiropractor on Tuesday - while I was up here in Vancouver - before getting in her normal 2 miles and change (which she went ahead and did at the track.) Her time wasn't what it had been on previous Tuesday nights. In fact, the pace she ran that night would have projected to be a 38:21 5K, I believe. Then she had done six (6) laps at school earlier that day - or another day last week - that was a little bit faster.

She had called me that night and I could tell she was a little disappointed, but as above, I'm just happy that there are things that she enjoys doing and has fun with!

Did all of this put any more pressure on Waverly? I don't think so.

I do know that in talking with her that she finds certain things "neat" or "cool" plus she knows that she's loved unconditionally. Which is the most important thing of all. :)

27 In Running for '06-'07 Texas Trilogy

After this weekend's Bandera 100K, there are 27 individuals (19 men and 8 women) who, if they complete the Rocky Raccoon 100-Miler in three weeks, will earn the Texas Trilogy Award from Bandera and RR 100 race director Joe Prusaitis.

The current standings - after 112 miles - are as follows:

1. Scott Eppelman, Coppell, TX, 40, 18 hours, 45 minutes, 17 seconds
2. Peter Vrolijk, Houston, TX, 48, 19:13:46
3. Brad Quinn, Marble Falls, TX, 33, 21:21:32
4. Rene Villalobos, Ft. Worth, TX, 47, 22:34:30
5. Jason Lippman, Austin, TX, 34, 22:52:00
6. Larry Teeter, Houston, TX, 47, 22:55:33 (HARRA, HMSA)
7. German Collazos, Houston, TX, 48, 24:00:37 (HARRA, HMSA)
8. Mark Raymond, Austin, TX, 44, 24:15:31
9. Stuart Skeeter, Houston, TX, 35, 24:28:21
10. Mariela Botella, Houston, TX, 40, 24:36:56 (HARRA, HMSA)
11. Shawn Fagan, Austin, TX, 30, 24:40:56
12. Kimberly Pilcher, Houston, TX, 43, 25:26:48 (HARRA, BCRR)
13. Patrick Perry, Lees Summit, MO, 42, 25:30:23
14. Michael Sawyer, Round Rock, TX, 38, 26:05:36
15. Henry Hobbs, Washington, DC, 51, 26:31:37
16. Rick Cook, The Woodlands, TX, 42, 26:37:58 (TWRC)
17. Roger Davis, Austin, TX, 37, 26:53:35
18. Carrie Knapp, San Antonio, TX, 27, 26:56:30
19. Jean Perez, San Antonio, TX, 43, 26:56:30
20. Rochelle Frazeur, Arlington, TX, 35, 27:22:05
21. Butch Allmon, Ft. Worth, TX, 51, 27:36:10
22. Susan Gardner, Albuquerque, NM, 42, 28:24:16
23. David Berdis, Dripping Springs, TX, 48, 28:41:11
24. Larry White, Austin, TX, 47, 28:44:02
25. Alex Reissnecker, Austin, TX, 53, 29:12:30
26. Susan Bell, Kemah, TX, 43, 31:32:56 (HARRA, CLFC)
27. Brenda Baker, Plugerville, TX, 42, 31:45:37

Congratulations to all! 15 are already signed up for the Rocky Raccoon 100-Miler as of today!

It Isn't Bragging If You Can Back It Up and Deliver

Katy's Wonedwossen Goshu didn't exactly say it, but it was implied in a weekend story in the Katy Times that his target was a Boston qualifying time -- and on Sunday, Goshu delivered with three seconds -- 3:10:56 -- to spare! Congratulations!

Today at the Chevron Houston Marathon

Well, you may have seen the Athlete Alerts that were sent to my blog. They weren't pretty!

Jon Walk, 01:06:59 (NET) @ 10k, Pace 10:46, Predicted 04:42:16.
Jon Walk, 02:24:50 (NET) @ Half, Pace 11:02, Predicted 04:49:16.
Jon Walk, 03:33:33 (NET) @ 30k, Pace 11:27, Predicted 05:00:11.
Jon Walk, 05:14:57 (NET) @ finish, Pace 12:00

I figured that I'd write something so people didn't think that I had gone catatonic with my time today. Actually, I'm Ok with it.

First of all, to those people that saw me on the course today and cheered me on in the last mile and a half, specifically John Yoder and his sister, Pony Peterson, Sarah Graybeal and Jose and Steve Bezner and his wife (as well as Christy Gonzales), I apologize for not being a bit more sociable in my response. :)

Any other day, I would have asked all of you how you had done ... but today wasn't my best one (even though it wasn't my worst either.)

In fact, I'm trending back down. 6:08:53 (Boise), 5:25:37 (Jacksonville) and 5:14:57 (today).

Fact: I'm a cold-weather runner.
Fact: I wasn't as rested as I could have been. (Red-eye flight home Thursday night. Two days of walking the Expo. Referee a basketball game on Saturday - although not intense.)
Fact: I didn't get stretched out as well as I should have. (And I know better.)
Fact: My head was completely not in this thing today.
Fact: I was locked into dress that was based on a 4:30 a.m. forecast that never materialized. (It got warm and more humid and I was toast.)

Excuses? Not at all. Just wasn't my day.

Given the fact that I thought that the temperatures were going to drop, I figured that I would go ahead and keep the 4:15 and 4:30 pace groups in eye sight (and I did for a little bit) when I lined up in the corral. I know that in the past at Houston, I've always started too far back and have had to dodge a lot of people. That wasn't the case today.

Mile 1 -- 10:48.97
Mile 2 -- 10:33.27
Mile 3 -- 10:18.07

(Bill Cox and Keith Kelleher both passed me in this mile. Beyond this, I didn't see another blogger at all.)

Mile 4 -- 11:28.14

(During this mile, I participated in the Woodlands Heights watering project and then I told Erin Foley, at the mile 4 marker, like I told her I would, "Go LSU!" She kept smiling and calling out times.)

Mile 5 -- 10:37.52
Mile 6 -- 10:46.88
Mile 7 -- 11:15.94

(I saw Bill Dwyer coming up the second underpass. Stopped enough to say that today wasn't going to be the day. He ran with me for a little bit. He opened a Gu for me. Then he said that he would call Waverly's pacer to find out how she did and pass it forward to Dana-Sue Crews, who would be beyond the half way point. I told him that if she PR'd, I was stopping.)

Mile 8 -- 10:50.26

(Saw Bonnie Jo Barron, Ino Cantu and Nancy Prejean real close to one another coming the other way. I guess I was feeling pretty good watching the other runners.)

Mile 9 -- 11:25.07
Mile 10 -- 11:12.22
Mile 11 -- 11:15.33

(Not even sure how I did these three miles in these times. I was beginning to not feel so hot in these miles.)

Mile 12 -- 11:37.02
Mile 13 -- 11:35.27
Mile 14 -- 11:20.71

(In these miles either.)

Mile 15 -- 12:52.94

(At the start of this mile, just before the Westpark Bridge, I saw Emily Drake, the subject of my Jan. 7 Conroe Courier column, and wished her well. Her father had passed away in late October of multiple myeloma and she was running the marathon for Team In Training in his memory. On the back of her purple singlet, she had an orange piece of tape in black lettering that said, "For Dr. Drake, my Dad". I had seen it earlier in the race and teared up a bit.)

(I got to the top of the Westpark Bridge and saw Dana-Sue Crews and Carol Steele with The Woodlands Team In Training. Dana-Sue had Waverly's time. She didn't hit her PR, but it was her 3rd best ever and I knew that she gave it everything she could. I must have started to look like crap because Carol looked at me, asked if I was OK and then ran down the hill a little bit with me.)

Mile 16 -- 11:51.18
Mile 17 -- 12:17.58

(It was tough to eke this out before turning into the Tanglewood subdivision.)

Mile 18 -- 13:10.24
Mile 19 -- 12:49.44

(I saw Sophie Rydin, a Fall '04 Power In Motion classmate, for about the second or third time in the race in this mile. She had a plastic boot on her right foot. I was so out of it that I didn't think to stop and ask.)

Mile 20 -- 12:18.37

(This mile was a pick-me-up. Not sure why. President Bush '41' wasn't to be found in this mile like he was two years ago.)

Mile 21 -- 12:58.61
Mile 22 -- 13:23.77

(Rose Ennis is a saint. When I went through the mile 21.5 water station, she took the time to walk with me a little bit and asked if she needed for me to carry anything back to the GRB. Also saw Bryon Evenson there. A really good guy.)

Mile 23 -- 13:51.84
Mile 24 -- 14:41.85

(This was just beyond the Finish Line Sports water station and included the two underpasses. Not too much fun this mile.)

Mile 25 -- 13:39.59

(Waverly walked out to the mile 24.5 point and we started to run in. This is always a special time for me. It wasn't until a little later that I realized that Waverly was going to get to go through another marathon finish with me.)

Mile 26 -- 13:34.65
Last .2 -- 2:26.44

(Even in the last mile, since my legs were hurting pretty badly, we did a walk one minute, run three minutes. And we did this all the way to the finish line. I figured since 4:47 (PR), 4:55 (other Houston) and 5 hours slipped away that I would just stick to that run/walk method to the finish.

So, it is my 12th marathon, 2nd Houston and the 5th best of those 12.

Rick Cook finishes Bandera 100K in 16:14

Just called Rick's cell phone this morning as I got up to head to downtown Houston and he reported that he finished the second leg of the Texas Trilogy in 16 hours and 14 minutes.

Congratulations Rick!

All Systems Go for Sunday

Regardless of the weather, Waverly and I are both ready to go for Sunday's events.

We had a great time at the Expo today - where she told Dr. Bob Hoekman and myself very early this morning how to make sure that we had the A/V plugs connected from the video camera to the TV. Turns out she was right while we continued to figure out why the video camera was rolling and that there was nothing on the screen.

Waverly ran Tuesday night at the track and then did a 2-mile brisk walk on Thursday evening. I didn't get a run in - albeit light - on Wednesday and Thursday because of the weather and Vancouver and travel, however I did make it to the gym Friday morning to loosen up on the elliptical trainer.

What's my plan for tomorrow? Finish, for one. Depending on the weather, I'll try to see if I can give my time goal a shot, but I'm not going to fret over things if I don't. The one person that I had hoped to pace with is going to try and run with the 4:15 pace group -- yikes! Too fast for me. I can do that in a half, but not in a full -- yet.

Waverly? Well, her run at the track on Tuesday isn't what she may would have wanted it to be, but she had hurt her back in school the day before trying to do a forward roll in gymnastics.

We did find a pacer, by the way. (I was asked a couple of times this weekend.) Well, actually, the pacer found us. :)

And, if you're reading this late Saturday night, you can wait one more day to find out - and hopefully with a PR report for her! (The person that is pacing her ran a good part of the 5K course a few years ago to a win in a late spring 5K race.)

Where will we be in the morning? Near the running clubs area in the George R. Brown Convention Center Hall C - and inside of that near The Woodlands Running Club banner.

Best wishes to all - whether you're attempting to BQ, PR or are running a specific event for the first time!

A Cap Coming For AT&T Austin Marathon?

While many Houston runners are about as finicky as this weekend's weather projections for the Chevron Houston Marathon, a possible registration surge for the AT&T Austin Marathon wouldn't be entirely out of the question if many runners decide not to race here in Houston on Sunday.

Word is that the Austin Marathon has ordered 6,000 medals for each event - the full and the half marathon - and may need to implement a registration cap should a surge of potential runners put its close to that limit.

Not another "day before" registration for this runner, which netted me a PR?

Busy, Busy Weekend Schedule

Thursday evening
6:00 p.m. Pacific -- Leave the office in Vancouver, BC and head to Seattle (Done!)
11:55 p.m. Pacific -- Takeoff from Seattle (Done!)

Friday
5:52 a.m. Central -- Land in Houston (Done!)
7:00 a.m. -- Arrive home, go to the gym and get in an hour on the elliptical trainer (5.11 miles), return home, shower, send a few e-mail and take care of a work item. (Done!)
9:45 a.m. -- Head downtown to the Expo. (Done!)
10:45 a.m. -- Pick up press credentials. Meet Jan Nierling, Steven Karpas' assistant to whom I submitted information to for this year's media guide. (Done!)
11:00 a.m. -- Attend the Press Conference. (Done!)
12:00 noon - 2:30 p.m. -- Worked the Exhibit floor. (Done!)
2:30 - 5:00 p.m. -- Worked in the Press room. (Done!)
5:30 p.m. -- Work the HARRA Booth until 7:00 p.m. with Stephen Mayor and Angie Lapp. (Done!)
7:30 p.m. -- Dinner at the Spaghetti Warehouse with Joe Carey, Keith Kelleher, Cassie Cowan, Jessica Alexander, Sarah Graybeal and her boyfriend, Jose. (Done!)

Saturday
8:00 a.m. -- Head downtown to the Expo
2:00 p.m. -- Leave the Expo
3:00 p.m. -- Waverly's basketball game
4:00 p.m. -- Referee a grade 1-2 basketball game
5:15 p.m. -- Get home, shower, and head back downtown.
7:30 p.m. -- Call Rick Cook at Bandera 100K to find out how many miles are made it through. (He did Sunmart 50-Miler in 10 and change.)

Sunday
4:30 a.m. -- Get up, shower, and prepare to leave by 5:00 a.m.
5:00 a.m. -- Leave and head for downtown.
5:30 a.m. -- Arrive in downtown (with a parking spot close to the race start)
7:00 a.m. -- Run the Marathon
6:00 p.m. -- 1st annual The Woodlands Running Club Post Houston Marathon Party at "Goose's Acre Bistro & Irish Pub"

Monday
9:00 a.m. -- Depart Houston for Vancouver

(Just a little busy.)

Finish Line Sports Hires Bagpiper for Mile 23 Water Stop

Finish Line Sports owner Andy Stewart announced today that he has hired a bagpiper to play at their mile 23 water station from 10 a.m. to noon.

He is also making a last call for volunteer help on Sunday at the Chevron Houston Marathon. Finish Line Sports' water stop is located at Allen Parkway at Tirrell from 8 a.m. until 12:30 p.m.

Andy says that it is a "great place to watch the race" and advises that "if you are running the half, come by afterwards (as it is straight up W. Dallas from downtown.)"

He also reports that first-time marathoner Kevin Kline of FLS spoke at the Greek Marathon dinner and talked about his Snowdrop Foundation and Chelsey.

Last Year's Houston Marathon Video Cam Still Online

I just had to go and look at the sprint to the finish line between Dusty Cook and Doug Spence to get fired up about Sunday's marathon.

I also Joe Carey walking right at the end (he won't be this year) and, of course, the most enthusiastic finish belonged to Joe Breda!

http://www.marathonvideo.com/houston2006/search.html

Well, I kind of looked at Waverly finishing again too. ;)

HARRA / Bayou City Classic 10K - Booth #826 at Expo

Well, it might not be quite as exciting as the Tri-Star Card Show (which will occupy one of the halls of the George R. Brown Convention Center the following weekend), but HARRA and the Bayou City Classic 10K would welcome you to stop by our booth (#826) at the Chevron Houston Marathon Expo on Friday or Saturday.

Here's a hit list of HARRA Board Members, Bayou City Classic 10K Race Committee Members and friends that will be manning the booth throughout the Expo this weekend.

Friday
10:00 - 11:30 - Gail Sabanosh / Roger Boak / Norman Stalarou
11:30 - 1:00 - Anna Sumrall Helm / Randy Carlson
1:00 - 2:30 - Nancy Crane / Dr. Bob Hoekman / Pamela Wilmon
2:30 - 4:00 - Bruce and Gloria Mansur / Cheryl Esposito
4:00 - 5:30 - Cheryl Esposito / Norm Stalarou
5:30 - 7:00 - Jon Walk / Stephen Mayor / Angie Lapp

Saturday
8:45 - 10:30 - Serai Abraham / Dr. Bob Hoekman
10:30 - 12:00 - Wayne Hasle / Joe Sellers / Erin Foley
12:00 - 1:30 - Serai Abraham
1:30 - 3:00 - Audrey Christiansen / Terry and John Phillips
3:00 - 4:30 - Bruce and Gloria Mansur
4:30 - 6:00 - Gail Sabanosh / Anna Sumrall Helm

So come by, say "hello", renew for the Spring Series or sign up new recruits!

10 RRCA Roads Scholars to compete in Houston

Ten (10) runners recognized by the Road Runners Club of America as one of its Roads Scholar recipients over the past seven years will be competing this weekend in either the Chevron Houston Marathon or the Aramco Houston Half Marathon.Janelle Olson, a 1999 Roads Scholar beneficiary, is the only runner that will be running in the marathon as she is shooting for a U.S. Olympic Trials qualifying time.

The remainder of the runners, listed below, will be competing in the USATF Men's and Women's National Championship.

Casey Owens, 2005
Kate O’Neill, 2003
Kim Pawelek, 1999
Kristin Price, 2004
Samia Akbar, 2006
Stephanie Bylander, 2006

Clint Verran, 2001
Mike Morgan, 2005
Trent Briney, 2005

Since 1996, the Road Runners Club of America has awarded stipends under its "Roads Scholar" program. The goal of this program is to assist American post collegiate road runners who show great promise to develop into national and world class road running athletes.

Houston Marathon Elite/Seeded Runners on HARRA Web Site

HARRA Footprints writer Edwin Quarles has obtained from Elite Athlete Committee Director David Chester a complete listing of the seeded and elite runners for this year's 2007 Chevron Houston Marathon and the Aramco Houston Half Marathon. This list, which can be found on the HARRA website at http://www.harra.org, contains local invited runners as well, many of who are HARRA members.

All of this year's local invited runners are profiled in the January edition of HARRA's Footprints in Inside Texas Running. If yours hasn't come in the mail yet, please pick a copy up at Inside Texas Running's booth at the Expo.

HARRA wishes all participants success in any of the events at this year's 35th anniversary Chevron Houston Marathon!

Roger Clemens to make appearance at Expo

The Chevron Houston Marathon reported this afternoon in an e-mail blast that Roger Clemens will be making a personal appearance at The Roger Clemens Institute EXPO, location of packet pick up and Houston Press/Smart Financial Credit Union 5K registration, on Saturday from 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Perhaps runners will be able to make a personal plea to keep him from joining Andy Pettitte in New York and have him pitch another year for the Houston Astros!

Chronicle Commits Faux Pas in Wednesday's Online Story

While trying to do the right thing in publishing the right story on Jessica Armenteros and her 56-year-old mother, Alicia, who is running this year's half marathon, the newspaper printed a photo of Jessica -- before her battle with Guillian-Barre syndrome -- on a Run Wild Sports team that finished first at the Beach To Bay Relay Marathon in Corpus Christi.

In fact, the Mixed Open Division team's time recorded - 2:33:27 - is the best in that division since 2000.

The picture's caption reads: "The Houston Team of Run Wild Sports placed first in the competitive open mixed category of the recent Beach to Bay Relay Marathon in Corpus Christi. From left top are Jessica Armenteros and her brother Luis Armenteros. Kneeling from left are Tracy Ciota, Cornelio Garibay and Catherine Scarborough."

Recent would imply something more recent than 2001 - which is when the picture was taken. It might imply sometime last year - in 2006.

So what? No big deal, right? Well, unfortunately, Houston lost one of its brightest and most-talented distance runners within the last two years -- and one of the individuals in the "recent" picture, Catherine Scarborough (or actually Kathryn).

The Chron.com story and the picture mentioned can be viewed at this link.

Wade Shooting For 2:19 "A" U.S. Olympic Standard

While Sean Wade is the oldest runner ever to win the Chevron Houston Marathon at the age of 36 in 2003, he could also become the first male ever to win the overall crown and the Masters crown in separate years.

The women's field has been won, of course, three times by a Masters runner:

1999 - Tatyana Pozdnyakova, 43, Ukraine, 2:33:23
2000 - Tatyana Pozdnyakova, 44, Ukraine, 2:32:24
2006 - Firaya Sultanova-Zhdanova, 44, Russia, 2:32:25

Aside from these three winners, no women has ever won the women's title and then a Masters title in a separate year.

Additionally, only four Masters men have ever run under 2:20 at Houston (and I've confirmed this by looking at all other 40-and-over finishers from the years of these Masters winners):

1983 - Mike Manley, USA, 2:17:10
1991 - Luis Lopez, Costa Rica, 2:18:59 (couldn't find his age, but is listed by the Marathon as the Masters winner ... Lopez ran in the '92 Olympics)
1998 - Andrey Kuznetsov, 40, Russia, 2:16:45*
1999 - Andrey Kuznetsov, 41, Russia, 2:19:56

If Wade is to meet the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials standard, he would be only the second 40-and-over runner to do so with Albuquerque, New Mexico's Mbarak Hussein being the other.

Tuesday Morning Run in Vancouver

http://www.usatf.org/routes/view.asp?rID=98452

6.08 miles, 1:04:47, 10:39 per mile in the cool temps and light drizzly rain. A lot of slight inclines that accumulated to be 673 feet of climbing.

This run was really just to loosen up a bit. My legs, though, felt like bricks. (I wonder if the weekend's festivities, coupled with the travel Sunday night to Seattle and drive to Vancouver early Monday morning had anything to do with it.) Oddly enough, the way that I felt, I thought that the distance covered would have been less.

It was one of those runs that left me wondering (and I was thinking negatively), "And you think you really have a shot at your "best case" time goal?"

Tomorrow it is supposed to be bitter cold here with some possible snow. They closed the Lions Gate Bridge earlier this evening due to high winds. Thursday is supposed to be clear, but flying into Houston Friday morning could be fun.

Kenyan To Go?

Dale Robertson reported in today's Houston Chronicle story that Chevron Houston Marathon elite athlete coordinator David Chester is working on replacing Thomas Omwenga in the men's marathon field.

Roberston quoted Chester as saying that he "is working on replacing Omwenga with another Kenyan with a personal best that's faster than the course record of 2:10:04."

He also stated that "Chester expects an answer today, pending a visa hearing in Nairobi, Kenya, for the runner in question, whom he declined to name."

Frankly, I can't say that I've heard of Omwenga. (Omwenga had finished 4th at the 2006 Los Angeles Marathon in 2:11:47.)

If anybody could possibly forecast who the possible Kenyan is, they'd be good to have a couple of tickets in the lottery.

Of the 128 times recorded in the world in 2005 and 2006 that are beneath the Houston Marathon's course record, 82 of them have been run by a Kenyan. (Source: Association of Road Racing Statisticians.)

Chicago Marathon; 45,000 Registrants in '07

Open registration for the 2007 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon began on New Year's Day as the event prepares to host its 30th anniversary running on Oct. 7, 2007.

Registration for 2006's Marathon reached its 40,000 participant capacity nearly five months early. Organizers have increased the capacity of the 2007 Chicago Marathon to 45,000. Registration can be done at chicagomarathon.com and will close when it reaches 45,000 participants.

The price to register for this year's Marathon is $110 for U.S. participants and $130 for international participants.

The 2006 Chicago Marathon had 33,637 finishers.

And, yes, as of January 9, 2007, there have already been 6,497 individuals register - to the tune of a minimum of $714,670.

Aramco Houston Half Marathon Field Per USATF

I earlier today officially requested from the Chevron Houston Marathon the lists of seeded and/or invited runners.

With Edwin Quarles burning up the Internet search engines, he discovered that the following list of runners was on the USA Track and Field website:

Women

Samia Akbar, Herndon, VA
Ann Alyanak, Bellbrook, OH
Linda Barnhart, Omaha, NE
Alvina Begay, Ganado, AZ
Annie Bersagel, Minneapolis, MN
Kate Brun, Marietta, GA
Desiree Budd, Mankato, MN
Stephanie Bylander, Alamosa, CO
Melisa Christian, Dallas, TX
Christine Clifton, Long Branch, NJ
Jenny Crain, Milwaukee, WI
Colleen De Reuck, Boulder, CO -- Monday's Chronicle reports she has pulled out due to an injury
Elva Dryer, Gunnison, CO
Sopagna Eap, Eugene, OR
Brett Ely, Cambridge, MA
Kasie Enman, Huntington, VT
Kristin Fryburg, Boulder, CO
Ann Gaffigan, Lincoln, NE
Erika Holroyd, St. Louis, MO
Kelsey Jones, Meridian, ID
Emily LeVan, Wiscasset, ME
Michelle Lilienthal, Philadelphia, PA
Heather May, West Lafayette, IN
Sara Mitchell, Flagstaff, AZ
Kate O'Neill, Milton, MA
Casey Owens, Des Moines, IA
Michelle Paxton, Lincoln, NE
Kristin Price, Raleigh, NC
Melissa Rittenhouse, Wadsworth, OH
Kara Roy, Fort Collins, CO
Joy Smith, Sugar Land, TX
Tara Storage, Beavercreek, OH
Suzanne Weeder-Einspahr, Seward, NE

Men

Fasil Bizuneh, Bristol, VA
Dan Browne, Portland, OR
Trent Briney, Rochester Hills, MI
Tim Callinan, Audubon, NJ
Ed Callinan, Haddonfield, NJ
Andrew Carlson, White Bear Lake, MN
Joe Driscoll, Blowing Rock, NC
Josh Eberly, Rochester Hills, MI
Dave Ernsberger, Rochester Hills, MI
Jeff Gaudette, Rochester Hills, MI
David Gramlich, Boardman, OH
Adberrazek Haki, Albuquerque, NM
Ryan Hall, Big Bear Lake, CA
Jason Holroyd, St. Louis, MO
Luke Humphrey, Rochester Hills, MI
Chad Johnson, Rochester Hills, MI
Dan Kahn, Durham, NC
Max King, Bend, OR
Travis Laird, Rochester Hills, MI
Jason Lehmkuhle, Minneapolis, MN
Matt Levassiur, Alamosa, CO
Dylan Mason, Bend, OR
James McGown, Omaha, NE
Teddy Mitchell, Albuquerque, NM
Josh Moen, Rochester Hills, MI
Mike Morgan, Rochester Hills, MI
Kyle O'Brien, Rochester Hills, MI
Sergio Reyes, Los Osos, CA
Pat Rizzo, Rochester Hills, MI
Martin Rosendahl, Rochester Hills, MI
Brian Sell, Rochester Hills, MI
Ryan Sheenan, Rochester Hills, MI
Nicholas Stanko, Haslett, MI
Clint Verran, Rochester Hills, MI
Paul Wilson, Keizer, OR

The seeded list for the USATF Men's National Half Marathon championship is 55 runners deep (35 runners listed here.)

Houston Marathon Course Certification Maps

With the starting line moving up Crawford Street this year, both the Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Half Marathon courses had to be re-certified by Tom McBrayer and it is my understanding that the distance was made up in the area between mile 4 and mile 5.

This link produces a list of Texas marathon certified courses -- Link (TX06059ETM)
This link produces a list of Texas half marathon certified courses -- Link (TX06058ETM)
This link produces a list of 5K certified courses in Houston -- Link (TX06098ETM)