Sunday Treadmill Run, July 29

First, a couple of thoughts on the world of baseball.

Congratulations to Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken, Jr. on their Hall of Fame inductions today. (While I can't say that I was Craig Biggio's biggest fan over the years, all I can say is that I hope Roger Clemens plays one more year so that Biggio won't have to share the spotlight with Clemens.)

Thank goodness that Barry Bonds went 0-for-4 in San Francisco so that their day couldn't be shared with a record that one day may prove to be tainted. The Giants now move to Dodger Stadium for a series that begins on Tuesday where one of my heroes growing up, Willie Stargell of the Pittsburgh Pirates, is the only player ever to hit the baseball out of Chavez Ravine twice.

Now, if the Texans can get within a touchdown of the Chargers like the Astros did today with the Padres, Gary Kubiak's squad may make it over .500 this season!

I'm just real enthused about the acquisition of Ty Wigginton from Tampa Bay. Unfortunately, Astros general manager Tim Purpura waited too long to get anything of value for Morgan Ensberg. And our chances to get anything for Jason Jennings went out the window with his 39-pitch debacle today.

Now to my run for the day -- 85 minutes on the treadmill at 4:30 p.m. at Bally's in The Woodlands. (Life kept me from getting in two hours as I wanted to run from 4-6 p.m.) A really, really good run. I still had plenty in the tank. After a 5-minute warmup, I started at 4.5 mph and increased it .1 mph eight (8) times until I finished at 5.2 mph. The machine said 6.87 miles, but I know - for me - that it would be almost 8 miles by time.

The temperatures in California this week? Highs of 78-80 with lows of 59-61!

And I'm already planning for the weekend -- Schulenburg's Run For Scouting 5K on Saturday and then the drive to Fort Davis for the Prude Ranch Races Half Marathon on Sunday.

A little Texas Independence Relay strategy ...

Yes, I know that it is a wee bit early for this, but why wait until the last minute?

Especially since Bill Dwyer has already gone on a course reconnaisance mission. We'll all have fun regardless, but it would be a little sweet to beat Bill's team along the way.

Let's face it, we'll both be Mixed Open teams and I'm sure that the Houston Striders, On The Run, Bayou City Road Runners or the Tornados will put together a team that will likely win the division with a string of runners cranking off 6-to-7-minute miles.

There are going to be at least two other teams that are made up prominently of The Woodlands Running Club members - led by Gary Van Kuiken and Alana-Rose Lynes.

At the HARRA Board Meeting a couple of Mondays ago, I heard that the Houston Harriers' Stephen Major was putting together a team. It's going to be a lot of fun as I think that we'll end up seeing many, many people that we run races with and against here in the greater Houston area out on the 207-mile course.

I've been looking at the legs of the race - other than the prologue and the epilogue miles at the beginning and the end - and I know Dave Smart has been too.

If you plan on running the race's 40 legs in the traditional order (1-2-3...), here is what the mileage breakdown looks like:

1 - 19.16 miles
2 - 18.15 miles
3 - 27.26 miles
4 - 19.29 miles
5 - 11.12 miles
6 - 14.24 miles
7 - 18.38 miles
8 - 15.79 miles
9 - 12.8 miles
10 - 14.61 miles
11 - 19.69 miles
12 - 13.57 miles

In this model, those runners who start the race will also finish it. However, their miles are a little top-sided as to the rest of the team.

But since we're competing against Bill's team (and we expect to start at about the same time, be close to them much of the race and probably be in close communications), I've started to think about holding back the last four (4) legs -- legs 37-40. If I do this and we keep the linear rotation, then the mileage shifts accordingly (for the first four runners):

1 - 14.88 miles
2 - 12.86 miles
3 - 22.54 miles
4 - 15.72 miles

The initial thought process is probably to put a team's fastest runner in leg 3 because of the long 9.78-mile, but that runner also has to be strong as that has an elevation increase of approximately 200 feet. The first runner in the second van - at leg 7 - also faces a similar elevation climb (not real substantial though) - but over 4 less miles.

At that point, though, it is pretty much downhill all the way to the San Jacinto Monument.

Runners who cover legs 1-6, 13-18 and 25-30 will be in Van #1 while runners who cover legs 7-12, 19-24 and 31-36 will be in Van #2.

(By the way, the mileage counts for Van #1 is 91.35 miles and Van #2 is 94.84 miles.)

One option that I'm toying with is to let the six individuals in each van trade off legs within their 6-leg rotation. I want everybody to get the opportunity to run an approximately equal amount of miles - since we're paying for them equally! (But I also know that Joe's going to be coming back from an injury and Karen will only be six weeks out from her first marathon as well.)

Now what about the last four (4) legs?

What I've proposed to Bill is that if the two teams were within 30 minutes of each other (in preparation for the last 17.86 miles) that we employ one of two strategies:

a.) Put the four fastest runners with the most fresh legs and sprint to the finish. (We'll be at a little of a disadvantage in that model. So hopefully, we'll be ahead at that point.)
b.) Seed the runners 1-12 before the start and for the last four legs, have one runner from each of four pools (1-3, 4-6, 7-9 and 10-12) run. Their speeds will be about the same and it'll be interesting to see if similarly-paced runners can outmotor the other at the end.

I mean, the bottom line is: It's a race!

(Final note to myself: Make "wrong way turn" sign for Andrew!)

And The Winner Is ...

The "Battling Bloggers of the Texas Republic"!

That's the name that our team we'll be running under on March 1-2, 2008 in the Texas Independence Relay when we do battle against Bill Dwyer's "Texian Road Warriors" as part of TIR's Texas Tough Throwdown.

Congratulations and thanks to James David Dykas as he offered up the following list of worthy names for us to choose from:

NAME: The Ravens
WHY: We're all from the "Houston" area and "The Raven" was Sam Houston's nickname.

NAME: Battling Sam or Battling Sams
WHY: More homage to Sam Houston

NAME: Deaf Smith
WHY: Smith was one of Sam Houston's most reliable and most trusted scouts and destroyed Vince's Bridge, thus blocking any escape routes from the site of the battle at San Jacinto (This is kind of quirky and people would have to ask - always a good thing)

NAME: Revolution 12
WHY: Uh, there are twelve of us.

NAME: Battling Bloggers of the Texas Republic
WHY: Because we can.

Karen Felicidario, who will be making her marathon debut in January at the Chevron Houston Marathon, offered up a couple of suggestions in "Bloggers For The Run Of It" and "The Apostles".

While it was suggested immediately, and rightfully so, that perhaps we should step away from the "Houston Running Bloggers" as that is in the past; however, Sarah added that "...I lean towards Battling Bloggers. It pays tribute to how we all met, and I think that's important."

I agree.

Comparing Oct. 13-14 Houston-Area Races

Just from a price comparison standpoint ...

Today - August 31
$25 - United Space Alliance 10-Miler, UH-Clear Lake ($23 for HARRA members)
$25 - Huntsville Half Marathon, Sam Houston State University
$35 - Ten For Texas 10-Miler, The Woodlands Market Street

September 1 - September 15
$25 - United Space Alliance 10-Miler ($23 for HARRA members)
$25 - Huntsville Half Marathon
$40 - Ten For Texas 10-Miler

September 16 - September 30
$25 - Huntsville Half Marathon
$28 - United Space Alliance 10-Miler ($26 for HARRA members)
$40 - Ten For Texas 10-Miler

October 1 - October 7
$25 - Huntsville Half Marathon
$28 - United Space Alliance 10-Miler ($26 for HARRA members)
$45 - Ten For Texas 10-Miler

October 8 - October 12
$28 - United Space Alliance 10-Miler ($26 for HARRA members)
$30 - Huntsville Half Marathon
$45 - Ten For Texas 10-Miler

October 13
$28 - United Space Alliance 10-Miler ($26 for HARRA members)
$35 - Huntsville Half Marathon (Race Day)
$55 - Ten For Texas 10-Miler (Race Day)

October 14
$35 - United Space Alliance 10-Miler ($33 for HARRA members)

USA 10-Miler online registration fee is $2.55 and Huntsville Half Marathon's is $2.75.
Ten For Texas 10-Miler adds $5 for paper registrations prior to race day.

Run The Woodlands 5K #182 Race Report

I finished last today out of 65 finishers, but, hey, that's perfectly OK.

It isn't like I haven't done it before at Run The Woodlands 5K, but if it kept Waverly from finishing last ... isn't that what a Dad is supposed to do? (When we run in the neighborhood is where I don't let her beat me because I want her to try and push at the end - just like I want somebody to push me as well.)

It wasn't necessarily that hot this morning, but it certainly was on the humid side as I ran with Waverly this morning. She completed her first week of getting just a little bit over 9 miles in. (Next week will be a good test for her as I'll be in Fremont, California for work.)

Her race went pretty well even though she got a little sick in mile 3, but she pressed on and finished off strong. Here were her splits:

Mile 1 -- 11:52.11 (about equivalent to her warm-up mile from Tuesday)
Mile 2 -- 12:33.89 (24:26 for a 2-mile pace of 12:13 ... better than her runs Monday and Thursday)
Mile 3 -- 12:50.80 (she walked a little bit here)
Last .1 -- 1:03.92 (good solid 10:30/mile "sprint")
Overall -- 38:20.72

As Vincent Attanucci from The Woodlands pointed out, the miles during the summer time will pay off during the winter and it was two Januarys ago that she broke the 36-minute threshold at the Rockets Run 5K a week before her half marathon effort.

Even though I'm not part of the operation of the event anymore nor do I compile the results and do the traditional race writeup, it is still a good place to go to be around good friends.

Here's today's rundown:

+ The Woodlands' Vincent Attanucci and his middle son, Matt. (Matt just graduated from the University of Texas. Vincent will once again do his annual White Rock-Chevron Houston marathon double this season.)

+ Conroe's Mike Mendeck, who is getting the benefit from a 10-miler every other weekend as well applying Danny Dreyer's philosophies from his book, "Chi Running" dropped back under 26 minutes this morning. (His next The Woodlands Running Club profile in the upcoming August edition of "Deer Tracks"? Gary and Denise Van Kuiken.)

+ Houston's Sabra Harvey, who has been participating in the Wednesday night All-Comers meets at Oak Ridge High School, said she slipped back under the 21-minute mark after tying the U.S. single age mark in early May with a 19:48 effort. Sabra's 58! (On Wedneday night, she ran 5:33 in the 1,500 meters.)

+ Speaking of the Oak Ridge High School All-Comers meets, co-founder of the Oak Ridge Track Club, Jacob Mazone, who arguably is one of the top Masters runners in the area, finished second today with a time of 17:11.

+ Houston's Danny Gilbreath, a long-time regular at Run The Woodlands, adequately commented that $1 is better than a $30 late entry fee for today's Mosquito Chase 5K in Clute.

+ The Woodlands' Tom Pinney, who has only been able to run three or four Run The Woodlands so far this year, is pressing towards the 100-race mark at RTW. He ran the course, as he always does, with one of his salukis, Rjole.

+ One of the most knowledgeable high school track fans in the greater Houston area and the Southwest, Russell Henderson of Houston was out for the first time in awhile. Russell was often seen at many, many meets with a mutual friend, the late J Fred Duckett.

+ Thomas McHale, who was part of the Luke's Locker half marathon training program from last year. His daughter, Liz, ran the 1,500 meters Wednesday night at Oak Ridge in 5:47.

+ The race was supported by Luke's Locker employees Mick Long and Oak Ridge High School trackster Becky Isaac, who will run for Theresa Fuqua this fall at Houston Baptist University. Debbie Tripp broke away from the Woodlands Fit half marathon group to snap a few pictures at the finish.

+ During the race, we saw a number of The Woodlands Team in Training (TNT) runners and coaches including Don Steele, who is also the webmaster for The Woodlands Running Club (TWRC) website, and Jim Fredricks, the publisher of the Conroe Courier.

+ TWRC members Ann Leoni, Carlos Ortegon and Denise Van Kuiken. Denise's husband Gary in a couple of days will be biking the Badwater course and then hiking to the top of Mount Whitney. Hopefully, we'll see a report in the September issue of "Deer Tracks". Dick Esselborn was also out with Accelerade for interested runners. (Cassie would feel at home then.)

At breakfast afterwards at Skeeter's Mesquite Grill, Waverly and I saw The Woodlands Running Club member Scott Brian, 46, who earlier had completed a 16-miler in continuing preparation for the Steamtown Marathon in Scranton, Pennsylvania in October. Brian is part of the South Montgomery County YMCA's training group. (A good thing ... but you need a scorecard up here to keep up with the different groups!)

And speaking of marathon training, that'll be the subject of tomorrow's running column in the Conroe Courier!

10 For Texas Registration Opens Monday

Calling all Runners,

This is just a reminder that 10 For Texas will be Saturday, October 13, 2007. Registration begins on Active.com Monday, July 30 at 8 am CST. This event is produced by Community Associations of The Woodlands Parks and Recreation Department and Luke’s Locker. Race details are listed below. The start, finish, and Texas Sized Post race party will again be hosted at Market Street, The Woodlands.

Please e-mail any questions to parkrec@catw-tx.org.

Race Information:
Race Day: Saturday, October 13, 2007
Start time: 7:30 am

Registration Information
*Early Registration (July 30 - Aug. 31) ..... $35
*Registration (Sept. 1 - September 30) ..... $40
*Late Registration (Oct. 1 - Oct. 12) .......... $45
Race Day Registration .............................. $55
*Walk in registration adds $5 to race fee.

Race Entry Fee includes:
Saucony Tech Shirt, Hit-Dri Finishers Hat, Nylon Race Bag, Post Race Party Food and Beverage

See you in October!

Meghan Sturrock and Willie Fowlkes
Co-Race Directors
Community Associations of The Woodlands – Parks and Recreation

Activity Updates - July 23-29

Monday, July 23 - An hour on the elliptical trainer (5.01 miles, level 16, no sticks), 45 minutes on the stationery bike and then 2.1 miles with Waverly (26:30.31 - 12:37 pace).

Tuesday, July 24 - Just under 5 miles at the Knox Junior High track in The Woodlands. (Waverly did two miles and walked another half miles as a cooldown.)

Mile 1 -- 11:41.01 (Warmup with Waverly) - 2:50.18, 2:59.18, 3:01.41 and 2:50.24
Mile 1.75 -- 7:45.68 -- 2:49.72, 2:34.90, 2:21.96 (When I saw the first drop of 15 seconds, I wanted to do two more laps like that, but I was kind of spent after the third one.)
Mile 2.75 -- Four (4) 200s and walked the remaining 200s as a recovery
52.22 - 2:20.81
50.50 - 2:18.01
52.02 - 2:22.60
54.25 - 2:23.27
Yeah, yeah, I know. Sean Wade does 400s in time like this. :)
Mile 3.86 -- 11:18.19 over 1.108 miles (10:12 pace) - 2:42.65, 2:50.98, 2:54.72, 2:49.84
Mile 4.97 -- 11:20.64 over 1.108 miles (10:14 pace) - 2:48.39, 2:53.29, 2:52.98, 2:45.19

This was a good night for me. Waverly's warmup mile was really good although we weren't intentionally pushing hard. I need to learn how to do what I did in the 3/4 mile in a 5K race. Four (4) good 200s. And the last two miles (in the outside lane) were good because they were comfortable and not at a breakneck pace.

Wednesday, July 25 -- Nada.

Thursday, July 26 -- Nada might have been better because the run at Memorial Park this evening absolutely sucked ... but it was 5.8 miles!

Loop 1 -- 10:14.24, 10:50.94, 9:46.09 -- 30:51.27 (10:38 pace)
Loop 2 -- 10:49.66, 11:24.01, 10:27.55 -- 32:41.22 (11:16 pace)
Total -- 5.8 miles / 1:03:32.49 (10:57 pace)

Seen at the park? Jacob Tonge, Avi Moss, Stephen Major, Jack McClintic and Luis Armenteros.

After going to Bally's in The Woodlands to put in 45 minutes on the stationery bike, I got home and Waverly and I did 2.1 miles in the subdivision and covered the distance in 26:48.33 (12:46 pace).

Harry Potter Mania? Try Harry Jerome!

Not here!

The most recent (sports) book that I've finished (and this was almost a month and a half ago) was Fil Fraser's "Running Uphill" on the life of one of Canada's top runners ever, Harry Jerome.

I purchased this book while I was working in North Vancouver, which is where Jerome's family had settled after they moved from Saskatchewan when Harry was 12.

The book that I just recently purchased and am currently reading is "C.C. Pyle's Amazing Foot Race: The True Story of the 1928 Coast-to-Coast Run Across America", written by Geoff Williams.

Running Shorts Column / Huntsville Half

Seven Hills Running Club president Ken Johnson reported to his members, "As many of you know, Niki Swearingen and I have been writing a bi-monthly column on running in the Huntsville Item, entitiled "Running Shorts."

"Several members asked if we could put these on the club web site. We recently received permission from the Huntsville Item to do so. Every column back to January of this year is now on the club web site at this link."

He added that registration is now open for the 29th Annual Huntsville Half Marathon & 5K Run/Walk to be held on Saturday, October 13, 2007. More information, a printable entry form and online registration are available at the Seven Hills Running Club web site, http://www.7hills.us.

For the first time ever, both races will be chip timed and he encourages every one to be "a part of this annual challenge on the hills in Huntsville."

Speaking about the Huntsville Half and Ten For Texas being on the same day this year, Ken said, "Too bad we have to have the HH and TT the same day, but I understand why they are also committed to October 13. (Luke's Locker store manager) Susie (Schreiber) and I talked about it several times."

He added that he figures that "we will both lose a few runners - but both runs will survive."

"I was sorta looking forward to running Ten for Texas (my first one was in 1989), but I suppose I will be tied up that day," Johnson explained. "I use to be a member of the Texas Running Club in The Woodlands, who put on Ten for Texas back in the old days."

Sunday's Conroe Courier Column

Tomorrow's running column in the Conroe Courier will feature Magnolia ultrarunner Allen Wrinkle, who talks about his recent completion of his fourth career 100-mile at the Big Horn 100 last month in Sheridan, Wyoming.

Wrinkle, who has a Western States 100 finish last June and two Ironmans to his credit, is a member of both The Woodlands Running Club and the Lonestar Multisport Club.

TIR Saturday Morning Trash Talk

I'm almost 40 minutes into my planned hour on the elliptical machine at the Bally's in The Woodlands as I'm firmly engrossed reading this year's copy of Dave Campbell's Texas Football Magazine.

I hear this voice saying, "That isn't going to help you in March."

I look up and its 30-year-old Juliee Sparks of The Woodlands, one of Bill Dwyer's "Texian Road Warriors" for this March's Texas Independence Relay.

My response was, "Endurance. Endurance."

Juliee, who ran a 1:50:56 half marathon in Houston in January and then followed it up a month later with a 1:48:04 effort in Austin, has recently been battling some of the same piriformis issues that I have in the past and was excited about her run this morning as it was the first time that she's felt good in weeks.

As I've stated before, our battle against Bill's team, which will feature two speedsters in Kim Hager, who ran in the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon, and Andrew Perry, who competed at the UIL Class 4A state track meet his senior year, will be fun.

I'm confident though that we'll negate their advantage over our two fastest runners - Edwin Quarles and Joltin' Joe Carey - with gains of our own at most of the other 10 spots.

Workout Updates: July 16-22

Monday, July 16 - Return from Pennsylvania; off day.
Tuesday, July 17 - A little over four (4) miles at track night in The Woodlands. Untimed. One mile at a time, four separate miles. Followed by an hour on the stationery bike at Bally's.
Wednesday, July 18 - Sucked, did nothing.
Thursday, July 19 - Sucked, part 2; did nothing again.
Friday, July 20 - An hour on the elliptical machine at Bally's (5.08 miles, no sticks).
Saturday, July 21 - An hour on the elliptcal machine at Bally's (5.01 miles with the sticks, huh?) and 38 minutes on the stationery bike. I had an upset stomach from breakfast early this morning.

The Road to Beijing: From Belize to Houston?

Many runners in the greater Houston area running scene know Melissa Henderson as the talented athlete who runs for the Al Lawrence Running Club in HARRA competition.

Henderson picked up her second straight Spring Runner of the Season with a close, narrow win over Bay Area Running Club's Debbie Rudisill and the Tornados' Jennifer Brown.

The 32-year-old native of Belize is attempting to qualify in the marathon for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China.

I stumbled across today the web site where she has been logging her race reports and training. It is http://www.melissacandia.com/. I would recommend that you check it out.

Henderson will compete in next month's IAAF World Championships in Osaka, Japan and attempt to run a 2:42 marathon, which is the "B" qualifying standard for the 2008 Olympics, or finish in the top 20, as runners doing so there will be considered to have run the "A" standard (which is 2:37).

What's unclear, since Henderson's marathon PR is 3:05:05, is what happens if neither of those things happen.

This piece - Section 3.5 of the IAAF Qualifying Standards - would lead one to believe that if Belize had no qualifying athletes in any event that it could chose to send one male and one female athlete in just one event to the Olympics:

NOCs for which no male or no female athlete has reached the required qualification standards will be allowed to enter their best male athlete and their best female athlete for 1 athletic event each, with the exception of the combined events, 10.000m and 3.000m steeplechase. This applies equally to unqualified female entries from an NOC with qualified males, and vice versa.

Athletes from NOCs which have requested such entries may reach the specified qualification standards between 30 June 2008 and 23 July 2008, in which case they would no longer be entitled to enter additional unqualified entries in the gender of the qualified athlete.

Acceptance of unqualified entries in field events will be at the discretion of the IAAF Technical Delegates, based on the technical standard of the athlete and the numbers of qualified athletes in the respective event. The athletes concerned must be competitive at international level, proven through participation at recognised IAAF international events.

In order to allow the IAAF Technical Delegates to assess the technical level of athletes requesting entries through this process, applications must be submitted by NOCs to the IAAF by 30 June 2008 on the appropriate IAAF form. The application must specify the event in which the entry is requested and the proof of the technical level and international participation of the nominated athlete. The IAAF Technical Delegates will confirm by 23 July 2008, in writing to NOCs the approval or otherwise of the entry of the specified athlete(s).

It would still seem that - reading her blog and the decision by Belize's NOC to send her to Osaka next month (and having also qualified for this month's Pan American Games) - she would be the one female athlete that they send to Beijing.

Regardless of the potential method of qualification, I certainly wish Melissa well in Osaka next month in reaching her dream of representing her country in the 2008 Olympics.

Monday's Health Section in Chronicle

I'm curious by nature. When I saw the special Health section in Monday's Chronicle and saw the note on the cover stating, "Lace 'Em Up: It's Time To Start Marathon Training," I certainly took a look inside.

There was a picture at the starting line of the 2007 Houston Press/Smart Financial 5K at the Chevron Houston Marathon as well as a listing of five (5) training groups.

The five training groups were as follows:

+ Galloway Training Programs
+ Kenyan Way
+ Soaring Ibis
+ Run Strong
+ Team In Training

Noticeably absent was the various USAFit programs around town.

Much like the ConocoPhillips Rodeo Run picture that appeared in the Chronicle a couple of years ago that was dissected in this blog, it was interesting to check the bib numbers and see where runners finished.

Runners in this picture seemed to be looking at a guy that was bent over tying his shoe. Perhaps the fact that he had a headband and long running tights might have been the reason for the curious looks!

In this picture, those lined up were as follows:

+ Zohaib Ali, age 21, 19:02
+ Luis Armenteros, age 34, 15:24 (2nd overall)
+ Rudy Rocha, age 37, 16:25 (4th overall)
+ Robert Cruz, age 15, 26:29
+ Askar Zhunussov, age 31, 28:55

And the guy bent over to tie his shoe? What was on his left arm? You guessed it - a listening device (for radio, it looks like).

13 Days 'Til Houston's 1st $100 Entry Fee Before Race Day!

Somewhere somebody on the Houston Marathon Committee on the morning of August 2nd will smile looking at the bank statement to see the rush of money that came streaming in from people trying to avoid a $100 entry fee to run the 36th annual Chevron Houston Marathon on Sunday, January 13, 2008.

In case you missed, as I did (and one source told me they had to dig for it as the registration links which are prominent on the website's main page deflect away from the links which contain the price increase information), here is the fee schedule the remainder of the way for the Chevron Houston Marathon and the Aramco Houston Half Marathon:

Marathon
$85 through July 31
$100 August 1 through September 30
$120 October 1 until cap is reached

Half Marathon
$60 through July 31
$70 August 1 through September 30
$85 October 1 until cap is reached

I know that there are a whole bunch of people out there who hope that the Marathon doesn't hit the cap. I'm not one of them. I could care less quite honestly.

And again, before I get pelted with e-mails and comments, I understand the mentality and rationale that if you're going to train for the event then why not go ahead and pay the money now.

The bottom line is: If I run Houston (and I know that people are already putting it in their DayTimer to check on August 1st), I'll do so to honor the memory of J. Fred Duckett, who wasn't asked back by the Marathon last year after more than 20 years of volunteer service.

One item locally that may have gone unnoticed by many is that the Sunday, October 28 Koala Health & Wellness Centers & Luke's Locker Half Marathon WILL allow bib number transfers.

From the race's signmeup.com registration link:

If for whatever reason, you are unable to participate in the Half Marathon Race or the Half Marathon Relay and wish to transfer your Bib Number to a friend who wishes to run in the same race that you originally registered for, you may do so. There will be a $5.00 transfer fee for each transfer. All transfers must be made at Late Registration and require the signatures of both parties. No transfers will be allowed on race morning.

And the transfer fee is completely reasonable.

Congratulations to the Houston Striders and race director Barb Shepard for interjecting a dose of sanity in the notion that runners have lives that sometime change.

Ten For Texas set for Saturday, October 13

I personally spoke with Luke's Locker - The Woodlands store manager Susie Schreiber this evening out at the track and Ten For Texas is indeed set for Saturday, October 13.

Texas Independence Relay Team Update

We're still searching for our team name as we'll do battle against Bill Dwyer's "Texian Road Warriors" in the Texas Independence Relay's "Texas Tough Throwdown".

However, we're getting closer!

Karen Felicidario apologized for her lack of Texas history while researching some information on one of possible team names and mentioned that she was originally from Massachusetts.

It is probably fairly well known that I'm from Pennsylvania and that Cassie Mondragon is from West Virginia ... but not sure why anyone would want to ride across it in the back seat of a Cadillac as Tim McGraw sings in his new duet, "I Need You", with his wife, Faith.

So I asked, "Where is everybody from?" and here are some of the responses - so far - I received in this "Get To Know Your TIR Teammate" segment:

Edwin -
Cassie - West Virginia
Barbara -
Holden - "I was born in Seoul, Korea, moved to Kobe, Japan when I was 5, moved back to Korea when I was 7, moved to Las Palmas, Spain when I was still 7, went to a boarding school in Britain when I was 13, moved to Chicago, IL when I was 16, attended University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL for college, then went on living in the Chicago area until I was 37 at which time I moved to the Houston area in July, 2003. I typically say I'm from Chicago."
Jon - "Born in Altoona, PA, but lived in Tyrone, PA. Moved to Houston in November 1976 before two short stops in 1979-1980 in Russellville, AR and Venetia, PA (near Pittsburgh). Aside from a 14-month stay in Carrollton, TX, where Waverly was born at St. Paul Hospital in Dallas, I've been in Spring, TX otherwise since 1981."
Karen - Massachusetts
Joe - Cleveland, Ohio
Keith - "Originally from the great state of New Jersey, I high schooled and colleged in Florida, and I'm now in grad school in Texas."
Sarah - "I grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina. It's much nicer to run there than here. Too bad I didn't run while I was living there!"
JD - "Most of my life has been spent in Texas. Born in New Jersey, I was only there for six months. Most growing up was in California."
Dave -
Jessica -

Erin - "That’s actually a tough question. I was born in Pittsburgh, and both of my parents grew up there. But before I turned 12, I also lived in Philadelphia; Akron, OH; Champaign, IL; Richmond, VA; and finally Indianapolis, which is where I went to high school. Indianapolis is the place I consider home and where my parents and my sister still live—that’s where I generally tell people I’m from if they ask."
Christy - "Sorry, I'm boring ... born and raised right here in Houston." (No, Christy, you're a rarity these days!)

Ouch! October 13-14: Busy Weekend!

Saturday, October 13

+ Huntsville Half Marathon
+ Ten For Texas, The Woodlands ... not exactly!

Sunday, October 14

+ Tri Andy's Tri, Sugar Land
+ United Space Alliance 10 Miler, Clear Lake

Choices! Choices!

The rule of thumb is that no sooner you post something, you'll find out that it is wrong! Technically, the Ten For Texas date hasn't yet been officially announced. It is just that last year, it was the week after the Nike South Cross Country Invitational, which is hosted by The Woodlands HS.

In the July edition of the Houston Masters Sports Association newsletter, comes this note: "10 For Texas is also searching, but for another date. With HARRA's USA 10, the next day, both events suffer. To complicate the situation, Sunday runs just don't work in The Woodlands -- so many churches."

Actually, the USA 10-Miler had a slight increase in the number of runners and Ten For Texas had all new runners "so to speak" and there were very few runners - less than 10, I believe - who had abandoned the 10-Miler for Ten For Texas.

So if this turns out to be the case, it is really a big benefit for the Huntsville Half Marathon, which is put on by the Seven Hills Running Club and will feature chip timing for the first time ever.

Brian Sell Article in Altoona Mirror

Click here to read the article.

The article says that he ran "five 7 1/2-minute miles". Actually, that isn't quite true.

When Waverly was at about two and a half miles, which would have been at about 30 minutes, Sell was running with two youngsters doing the 5-miler and he was coming from that course which merged into the 5K finish.

He actually went in and then we saw him run back out - where he acknowledged Waverly - so that he could come in with his wife, who also ran at St. Francis College in Loretto, Pennsylvania.

Presque Isle Half Marathon Race Report

State No. 18 was actually a pretty good effort from me today, Sunday, July 15 at the Presque Isle Half Marathon in Erie, Pennsylvania.

I drove just under three hours from my grandparents in Tipton, Pennsylvania, ran the race and came back to their house.

My "chip time" was 2:19:17. (The gun time on my watch was 2:19:58, but when I crossed the finish line the clock was showing 2:20:38. I'm going with what I had unless I see something more conclusive.) This is still 10 minutes off of my personal record. To run this in temperatures 60 degrees or better in July, I'm happy.

The biggest news of the trip - after meeting potential U.S. Olympian Brian Sell yesterday (actually I met him at the last two press conferences of the Aramco Houston Half Marathon) - is that I met Arlington, Virginia's Dane Rauschenberg. Dane, who ran a certified marathon each and every weekend in 2006, even has his own Wikipedia page!

Within 15 minutes of the race start, I was walking around and I saw him bending down to put his timing chip on. His picture showed him to be a little bit more broader in the shoulders and I really began to have my doubts. As he got up, I tried to look at his bib to see if I could catch his name. I said, "Excuse me." And once he looked at me, I said, "I'm sorry. I thought you looked like Dane Rauschenberg." He said, "I'm him (or that's me)."

We chatted for about five minutes. He reminded me, when I asked, that he was from Titusville, which is just south of Erie about an hour down US 79 towards Pittsburgh.

We talked about him running Leadville last year - where I was last weekend - and he told me that he had to run it as it was the only marathon on the calendar last year.

He said that he was in to see his parents and that he was hoping to break an hour and 20 minutes! (I checked the results and he came in at around 1:23. Excellent effort nonetheless as he may have set a new personal record anyway slipping under 1:23:52.)

I was just hoping to be under 2:20 and I may have been able to barely make that.

Mile 1 -- 9:54.69
Mile 2 -- 10:07.04 (20:01.83)
Mile 3 -- 10:10.58 (30:12.31)
Mile 4 -- 9:57.69 (40:10.00)
Mile 5 -- 10:18.35 (50:28.35)
Mile 6 -- 10:19.65 (1:00:48.00)
Mile 7 -- 10:30.85 (1:11:18.85)
Mile 8 -- 10:22.50 (1:21:41.35)
Mile 9 -- 11:02.72 (1:32:44.07)
Mile 10 -- 12:04.66 (1:44:48.73) -- maybe long
Mile 11 -- 10:44.24 (1:55:32.97) -- maybe short
Mile 12 -- 11:05.91 (2:06:38.88)
Mile 13 -- 11:36.64 (2:18:15.52)
Last .1 -- 1:01.78 (2:19:17.40)

I ran a pretty good race until the start of mile 9. The weather was in the low-to-mid 60's, overcast and breezy and the course, otherwise, was pretty well shaded. Really a nice flat course so this really gave a good barometer of where I'm at right now. I'd like to put this ahead of the 2:17 that I ran in Fargo in May because it was a lot colder there then. I managed my fluids extremely well today as I didn't have as much salt on my face as I normally do. And this even though I was soaked at the end (which sometimes isn't a guarantee as I lose it all and then start to dehydrate.)

I learned that I need to do more work on the roads, instead of hammering away in the gym. I'm pretty beat up even though I was messaging my legs pretty heavily as I drove back from Erie. And, of course, every pound I can lose enhances the effort as well too.

The Erie Runners Club have a nice location in Presque Isle State Park to host events and they do an absolutely incredible job, with chip timing. Very impressed.

When I was checking on how to get there on Saturday night, I came across these updates on the club's web site. The race about didn't happen!

Half Marathon Update
11 July 2007 - Okay, what part about the State Budget Approval isn't clear? The race is on, we have 396 registered, and we're in pretty good shape. We have a boatload for the picnic, and all is right with the world. In case I don't get a chance later, THANK YOU to all the volunteers.

Without them, it wouldn't happen. The current list of registered folks is here. Please be sure to check your division, age & Tank Top size. In case it's not clear yet, there are no T-Shirts this year. (Simpler for my volunteers).

They're Ba-a-a-ack!
10 July 2007 - I just saw on the news that the budget mess is settled. The Half is on and I'll turn Active.com back on. Thanks to all for your patience & understanding. All those who waited.... well. Anyway, it's back.

Due to circumstances beyond our control...
9 July 2007 - Well, not completely beyond our control. We voted for them. The State of Pennsylvania has yet to pass a budget for the coming fiscal year, which means that, effective at Midnight Sunday night, all non-essential workers were to be furloughed. Which means our beloved Presque Isle State Park will not be open. A final decision on the status of the race will be made Friday if the budget doesn't pass.

In short, if the budget doesn't pass, we can't hold the half-marathon on PISP.

But what about the picnic at Waldameer? The picnic will go on regardless. Any who registered for the race gets to eat at the picnic for free. Friends & family will be able to buy a ticket at the pavilion ($6.50). Ride-a-rama tickets will be available cheap.

Other options may present, but (as the race director), I don't know if we can put an alternative together fast enough to put on a good race somewhere else. Should the race be cancelled, all registrations will carry to next year (no fee, no paperwork, just automatically carry over).

Please, do NOT call or email about whether the event is still on. Final status will be posted here on Friday morning and (should the event be cancelled), I'm going to be very busy calling all participants (or emailing if I have valid emails) to tell them the status. Thank you.

Funny, but sad! Again, the Erie Runners Club did a wonderful job of putting on this event!

I can get 25 states by the end of the year; however, I'd have to sacrifice some possible "soft" commitments (which could include a MD-NJ double on the weekend of October 13-14.) We'll see. Since the end of April, I've added OK, ND, MN, WY, CO and PA. Some of those are tough states, but all in all - I'm having fun!

Half2Run.com Texas Leaderboard

After posting my effort today in the Presque Isle Half Marathon in Erie, Pennsylvania, here are the half2run.com members from Texas with marathons in 10 or more states (or provinces):

26 - Patrick Morein, The Woodlands ('01 - 2, '03 - 2, '04 - 2, '05 - 4, '06 - 10, '07 - 6)
19 - Pat Neff, Georgetown ('02 - 1, '05 - 6, '06 - 7, '07 - 5)
19 - Maggie Mount, Rockwall ('05 - 7, '06 - 7, '07 - 5)
19 - Jon Walk, Spring ('03 - 1, '04- 5, '05 - 4, '06 - 3, '07 - 6)
15 - Robert Strange, Fredericksburg ('05 - 6, '06 - 2, '07 - 7)
12 - Kathy Haeckler, Crockett ('04 - 3, '05 - 2, '06 - 6, '07 - 1)

Below are the six (6) individuals who have run a half marathon in 25 states or provinces or more:

43 - Ira Gardner, New York, NY
33 - Eileen Fannon, Atlanta, GA
26 - Patrick Morein, The Woodlands, TX
26 - Douglas Bradley, Dearborn, MI
25 - Amelia Kushneruk, Schererville, IN
25 - Carol Goslin, Kansas City, KC

State-by-State Tally of Half Marathons

1. TX - November '03 - The Half, Dallas
2. AR - March '04 - Little Rock Half Marathon
3. OH - April '04 - Capital City Half Marathon, Columbus
4. IN - May '04 - OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon, Indianapolis
5. IL - August '04 - Chicago Distance Classic
6. LA - December '04 - Swamp Stomp Half Marathon, Lake Charles
7. IA - April '05 - Drake Relays Run on the Roads Half Marathon, Des Moines
8. NE - May '05 - Lincoln Half Marathon
9. AZ - August '05 - Big Brothers Big Sisters Half Marathon, Flagstaff
10. WV - August '05 - News and Sentinel Half Marathon, Parkersburg
11. OR - March '06 - Wheatfield Half Marathon, The Dalles
12. WA - June '06 - North Olympic Discovery Half Marathon, Sequim
13. OK - April '07 - Oklahoma City Memorial Half Marathon
14. ND - May '07 - Scheels Fargo Half Marathon
15. MN - May '07 - Apple Blossom Half Marathon, Hastings
16. WY - July '07 - Lander Half Marathon
17. CO - July '07 - Leadville Trail Heavy Half Marathon
18. PA - July '07 - Presque Isle Half Marathon, Erie

Liberty Days 5K Race Report from Roaring Spring, Pa.

Even though I think the course could possibly have been a tad bit short (but not by much), Waverly got back under 38 minutes today at the Liberty Days 5K in Roaring Spring, Pa.

With Dad pacing (yes, I flew here last night - you just don't know when your grandparents are 84 and 82 - and will run the Presque Isle Half Marathon in Erie, Pa. tomorrow for state No. 18 before flying back to Houston on Monday morning), here were Waverly's splits:

Mile 1 -- 12:31.73
Mile 2 -- 11:27.22
Mile 3 -- 12:49.31
Last .1 -- 48.84

Total -- 37:37.10

I just read a race report from this race from 2002 and it seems like the markings were the same from the course description, but this just really seeems to be off.

A 12-minute per mile pace, which is what she was on through mile 2, would be 1:12 in the last .1 mile. I think that the start line, though, could have started farther back and the finish line had ended sooner. Who ever knows for sure though?

The bottom line, though, is that Waverly had an excellent effort on a slightly difficult course, which included a little uphill that was returned to her all in mile 2. I would equate it to her performance at Brenham's Blue Bell Fun Run 5K last April (which was 37:22.9 on a slightly more difficult course.)

I was most proud of her because she ran the entire way with the exception to get water and as she developed a side stitch in the last .4 miles.

The most cool thing, of course, though is that she got to have her picture taken with 2004 U.S. Olympic Trialist in the marathon, Brian Sell, before the race.

During the race, as she was at about 2.5 miles, Brian was coming in for the last half mile of the 5-mile and he was taking it easy. He visibly acknowledged her and then while back out on the course shortly thereafter, he told her, "Good job." That's class, but consider where he's from. (Close to where I'm from. Ha!)

He later told my Dad and my Mom while they were talking with Brian and his wife that he saw Waverly on the course. Then the two of us got a picture with them. Waverly forgot to get her 2007 Chevron Houston Marathon program autographed. Hopefully he'll be back in Houston in '08, but I didn't get a chance to ask. As you can imagine, he was getting pulled in a lot of different directions.

How many 12-year-olds get to say that they've either talked to or run with two recent U.S. Olympic Marathon trailists? Not many. And it is a day like today that are memorable times as I watch her grow into a determined young lady.

Activity Updates: July 9-12

Sunday, July 8: Travelled back to Houston.
Monday, July 9: Spent an hour on the stationery bike at Bally's in The Woodlands to get out some of the soreness in my legs.
Tuesday, July 10: Wasn't happy with how some of my dress clothes were fitting so .... it was off to Bally's for 40 minutes on the elliptical, 52-53 minutes on the bike (my rear end hurt) and then 3.325 miles at the track (albeit walking since I didn't bring my regular running shoes).
Wednesday, July 11: Off
Thursday, July 12: 50 minutes on the elliptical machine (only 4.05 miles).

Colorado. Leadville. Check. (Make that a slow Check.)

I was going to add more to this e-mail that I sent to a couple of people Saturday evening, but I'm preparing a long vacation/running race report for the August edition of The Woodlands Running Club's newsletter, "Deer Tracks".

Therefore, I'll share what I passed on Saturday night:

As Mr. Cook would say, "Hey, it wasn't the time that you wanted, but you finished."

The Leadville Heavy Half Marathon is really 15.4 miles. 7.7 miles to Mosquito Pass and yes, there are mosquitos on the way up. Leadville is at 10,200 feet above sea level. It is the American city that sits at the highest elevation in the country.

I did very little running on this course at all. I power walked as hard and as fast as I could. The first 2.9 miles are all uphill. The next 1.5 has some downhill then after that the next 3.3 are all up - a change of almost 2,000 feet.

It is the HARDEST thing in life that I have ever done. Period.

My time was NOT pretty ... but I finished. 5:41:10.

First 2.9 miles - 50:54.72
Next 1.5 miles - 25:53.39
Next 3.3 miles - 1:53:07 (more on that)

At the top - 11:02.34 (wasn't completely sightseeing ... trying to assess whether I was able to make it down)

Next 3.3 miles - 1:09.36
In the aid station - 4:26.12
Next 1.5 miles - 27:02.92
In the aid station - 5:34.94 (actually had started to run sooner)
Last 2.9 miles - 33:32.73

Who did I see before the race? Fellow The Woodlands Running Club members Jim and Karen Braden. Unbelievable. (I know they have a summer residence up here - Frisco (about 30 miles from Leadville) - but I didn't know how to reach them.)

Jim was delighted to see me. We got a picture for Bill for "Deer Tracks".

He finished that thing in 3 hours, 15 minutes Waverly said. 72 years young in August.

I saw Jim as he was coming down and I was going up. Ever the technical individual (and always well-meaning), he politely reminded me that I was dealing with 40% less oxygen at that point. :)

I was struggling. I would go for a little while and then have to stop and bend over. Not so much from being out of wind (as I wasn't trying to run) .... it was the altitude. It was as if I'm finishing up a tough marathon. I'm completely coherent. I can process everything around me, but the way that the brain fires the message to the arms and the legs are basically delayed.

I almost didn't make it and called for medical. (Waverly said that she saw a medical helicopter at one point, but I never saw it.) There were people doing the marathon that were still going up as I was coming down and they looked like I had.

I wanted to quit more than ever, but while I know that she would have understood (and especially if it was medical) ... I couldn't let Waverly see me quit.

The scenery once at the top (and on the way up) was incredible. I don't buy the argument that two atoms colliding in space one day created this incredible Earth that we live on.

Jim earlier asked if I was OK, but he could tell that I was struggling. I told him to make sure that he let Waverly know though that I was OK.

I knew that Waverly was going to be waiting to run me in, but there was Jim too.

He later told me that Waverly was concerned (and he said he was as well.) Plus he was waiting there for his next door condo neighbor, Malcom Orton, to come in that was doing the marathon.

It is incredible to have friends like that. I'm still tearing up as I write this (and I did as we parted.)

I've always had special respect for individuals who 1.) ran anything longer than 50 miles and 2.) did an Ironman or Half Ironman. But I have a new-found respect for those who can cover those distances at that kind of altitude (or anyone who can post a quality performance).

State No. 17 for half marathons is in the book. (Marathons in 9. An event in 27.)

Here is a great race report from Brandon Fuller of Longmont, Colorado with the best pictures to give you a very true idea of what I experienced.

When I saw Bruce and Gloria Mansur at the HARRA Summer Celebration that I was going up there, he reminded me to get in touch with Camille Yarbrough and Chuck Cofer, who live up there six months out of the year. Camille wasn't going to be in town last weekend and I didn't get a chance to see Chuck once I got started, but here were some notes that she passed along before the race:

"The Leadville Half will be quite a challenge, but with spectacular scenery.

"Chuck and I had a hand in laying out the course for the half so are partly to blame for the extra length and steep up-hills most of the way to the turn-around point--but then Leadville has a rough, tough image to uphold in all things due to its mining past.

"The altitude can be quite noticeable going directly uphill for 7 1/2 miles, so my best tip is to start hydrating now and keep it up, as that is the best way to handle the altitude when you have no chance to acclimatize in advance.

"You will have all the time you need to complete the course so stop and admire the scenery when the going gets especially tough. I have done the marathon several times (so therefore anyone can do it), but every time I said never again as I struggled up toward Mosquito Pass."

She had mentioned that HARRA VP, Clubs Roger Boak, his wife, Nina Jannetti and Kim Pilcher had been in town the weekend before the Leadville Trail 100 training camp. (The actual race is in August and Roger has already completed it three (3) times.)

Camille said that Chuck has completed the Leadville Trail 100 eight (8) times already and will be shooting for No. 9 next month as he aims for the huge 1,000-mile belt buckle.

I came across the finish line with Jim, Waverly and Michelle Rayburn of Keller, Texas, who was there running the Heavy Half Marathon on her anniversary with her husband, Brady (who finished about 37 minutes ahead of her.) She would have been running close to him if she hadn't had gone left at the next-to-last aid station instead of going right.

When I was in between those two stations and made a turn, she waived. We had covered a lot of the first 4.4 miles together. I waived, but I didn't wait for her. It isn't that I wanted to beat her. I just wanted to get to the aid station and rest for a couple of minutes!

It turns out that she had gone another 2.1 miles to the next marathon aid station and they took her in the truck back to the right aid station. She covered 17.5 miles that day!

Austin ultrarunner Gastelum accidentally drowned

The following are Austin American-Statesman (statesman.com) articles about Hill Country Trail Runners member Rick Gastelum, 62, who went missing Friday night on a night run and accidentally drowned.

Preliminary autopsy shows nurse practitioner drowned
Brackenridge Hospital employee, marathon runner found near Barton Creek.
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Tuesday, July 10, 2007

A nurse practitioner whose body was found over the weekend on the Barton Creek greenbelt accidentally drowned, according to a preliminary autopsy report from the Travis County medical examiner's office.

The body of Richard Gastelum, 62, was found Sunday near Barton Creek in the 3700 block of South Capital of Texas Highway (Loop 360). A relative declined to comment today on the preliminary report.

Gastelum, a marathon runner and a nurse practitioner who worked at Brackenridge Hospital for more than 30 years, was reported missing after he left his home in Western Travis County on Friday for a run.

Colleagues say devoted emergency room nurse was committed to a tough job
Body found Sunday identified as that of missing marathon runner.
By Joshunda Sanders
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Richard Gastelum, a beloved licensed registered nurse with a passion for running, was identified Monday as the man found dead in the Barton Creek greenbelt, Travis County officials said.

The cause of Gastelum's death has not been released, pending the results of an autopsy. He was 62.

Gastelum left his home in the 1100 block of San Augustine Drive in western Travis County on Friday night to go for run. When relatives had not heard from him by 9 p.m., they notified officials. About 50 rescuers started searching for him at 10 a.m. Saturday, and his body was found in the greenbelt Sunday near a running trail in Gus Fruh Park, near the 3700 block of South Capital of Texas Highway (Loop 360).

Gastelum was described by his colleagues as a polite and dependable employee of Brackenridge Hospital for more than 30 years. During most of that time, he worked in the emergency room, most recently as a charge nurse — a leader on a specific shift, said Dr. Pat Crocker, chief of emergency medicine at Brackenridge.

"Rick never missed a day of work; he was very businesslike," said Travis Pipkin, a colleague. "And he was so fit that when I heard he was missing, it just made my heart sink. He was Mr. Consistent. Knowing how solid he was, news of him missing was chillingly ominous."

Gastelum ran 40 miles a week and flew to other cities to participate in marathons several times a year without missing a day of work, said Carmen Perez, a co-worker.

He ran almost every day, often on the Town Lake hike-and-bike trail. Running helped him relieve stress after eight- or 12-hour shifts, he told the Austin American-Statesman in 1998.

"Running gives you an opportunity to reflect and problem-solve," he said. "It's my time to plan, to make decisions or just to ruminate."

The rest of his time was devoted to helping others, his colleagues said. Crocker said Gastelum trained hundreds of nurses and participated in the care of thousands of Central Texans. Perez said Gastelum was so committed to his job that he arrived at the emergency room 15 minutes before his shift began and often worked hours after it was over to help others.

"The entire (hospital) staff is very saddened," Crocker said. "Rick was really a remarkable person, a highly skilled emergency nurse, and he remained a kindhearted individual despite the stress and trials of working in a trauma center. He'll be very much missed here."

Gastelum was a widower. His wife, Wanda, who died in 1996, was also a nurse and an avid runner.

He is survived by a daughter, Andrea, who is an actress, Pipkin said. She arrived Friday from Taiwan to visit Gastelum for a few days, Perez said.

"We tried to call him to tell him not to come back to work after he picked her up from the airport," Perez said. "But he just said, 'I have to finish my shift.' And that was the last time I spoke to him"

Funeral arrangements are not yet final, Crocker said.

joshundasanders@statesman.com; 445-3630

METRO & STATE BRIEFING
Austin nearly has rain-free day; Body found in Barton Creek greenbelt
Monday, July 09, 2007

Body may be missing runner

A body was found in the Barton Creek greenbelt Sunday that matched the description of a man who has been missing since Friday night, officials said. They said, the body had not been positively identified, however.

The body was found near a running trail in Gus Fruth Park, which is in the greenbelt. Searchers had been in the area looking for Richard Gastelum since 10 a.m. Saturday after he hadn't returned from a run the night before.

Gastelum, a 62-year-old nurse at Brackenridge Hospital who is an ultra-marathoner able to run 60 to 70 miles in adverse conditions, left his home in the 1100 block of San Augustin Road in western Travis County for a jog about 8 p.m. Friday, officials said. His family expected him back that night. He was last seen about 8:45 p.m. Friday on Scottish Woods Trail near Loop 360 (Capital of Texas Highway).

About 50 people have been involved in the search, officials said, including members of Hill Country Trail Runners, of which Gastelum was a member; the Austin Police Department's Air One helicopter; Travis County search-and-rescue team members and bloodhounds from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

METRO & STATE BRIEFING
Man, 62, goes missing during jog; SUV crashes into building after downtown chase
Sunday, July 08, 2007

Search on for missing jogger, 62

Travis County sheriff's officials continued their search late Saturday night for a man who disappeared in Commons Ford Park.

The man, 62-year-old Richard Gastelum, is a marathon runner who went on a jog to the West Travis County park about 8 p.m. Friday and never returned, said Capt. Art Cardenas of the sheriff's office.

Gastelum is in good shape and does not have any medical conditions that rescuers are concerned about, Cardenas said.

Gastellum is described as a white male who stands 6 feet tall and weighs 185 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes and was last seen wearing a black baseball cap, gray jacket and black shorts.

And then there's lightning and mp3 players ....

iPod shocker: Lightning electrifies jogger's head
Doctors warn public about electronic devices after man hurt by bolt in Burnaby
Gerry Bellett, Vancouver Sun
Published: Thursday, July 12, 2007

Note to self: Remove iPod earphones when sheltering from a thunderstorm. And oh, don't be talking on that mobile phone while there's thunder and lightning about.

What happened to a 37-year-old jogger caught in a thunderstorm in a Burnaby park in June 2005 explains why.

He was hit by lightning, which is bad enough, but unfortunately he was standing under a tree listening to music on his iPod, according to an account published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine.

His injuries were far worse than they might have been had he not been so attached to his iPod, says Vancouver General Hospital radiologist Dr. Eric Heffernan.

"Most people hit by lightning get away with minor burns. It's because skin is highly resistant and stops electricity from entering the body. It's called the flash-over effect, although it can stop your heart and kill you, as between five to 10 per cent of people struck by lightning die each year," Heffernan said Wednesday.

"But in this case, the patient had earphones on and had been sweating from jogging so this was a case of disrupted flash-over. The earphones transmitted the electrical current into his head. It's the first time we've had a recorded case of such an incident involving a person wearing headphones and we think the public should be warned," Heffernan said.

Heffernan said it isn't just iPods that pose a risk but any music player or similar device with headphones -- even cellphones -- can cause similar injuries if they are being used by someone hit by lightning.

The article in the medical journal was written by Heffernan and his colleagues in Vancouver General's radiology department, Dr. Peter Munk and Dr. Luck Louis.

They could find only one other account of someone being hit by lightning while wearing an iPod.

"There was someone in Colorado that was hit, but this only resulted in minor burns and it wasn't a recorded case," Heffernan said.

The injuries suffered by the unidentified Lower Mainland jogger were significant.

He was brought into the emergency department and was sent to radiology for a scan that disclosed multiple injuries to his head. The lightning strike had left burns to his chest, neck and face with the burns tracing the position of the earphones.

The patient's eardrums were ruptured and tiny bones in his middle ears dislocated. His jawbone was broken in four places and both jaws were dislocated, likely due to his jaw muscles contracting violently from electrical shock.

The man's hearing has been significantly reduced. He has lost half of his hearing and can't hear high-frequency sounds even with hearing aids.

But he still goes jogging, according to Heffernan, and he's got another iPod to replace the one that was fried.

"I think he leaves it at home now when he's jogging," he said.

Heffernan, who doesn't jog and says he wouldn't go out of doors in thunderstorms with or without an iPod, has some advice for those who do.

"If you're caught in a thunderstorm, make sure your iPod isn't in contact with your skin and remove the earphones from your ear," he said.

gbellett@png.canwest.com

Waverly to run in Roaring Spring, PA Liberty Days 5K

After going with her father to events in Washington, D.C., Little Rock, Arkansas, Alpharetta, Georgia, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Lander, Wyoming and most recently, Leadville, Colorado, 12-year-old Waverly Walk will compete in her first out-of-state event at Saturday's Garver YMCA Liberty Days 5K in Roaring Spring, Pennsylvania.

(Technically, she did participate in the Marine Corps Marathon Kids 1-Mile Fun Run in Rosslyn, Virginia in October 2004.)

Taking it "nice and easy" - as he told the Altoona Mirror - in the same event after his 12th place finish last Wednesday at the Peachtree 10K in Atlanta, former Woodbury, Pa. resident and Northern Bedford HS and St. Francis College runner Brian Sell will be participating in an event in which he won his first road race as a 19-year-old.

Sell is currently in training for November's U.S. Olympic Trials to be held in November in New York City, New York.

For a link to the Altoona (Pa.) Mirror story, please click here.

Florida Jogger Listening to iPod Struck by Train

Train severs legs of Pompano jogger listening to iPod
Woman was listening to iPod during run

By Andrew Tran and Brian Haas
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Posted July 6 2007, 1:45 PM EDT

POMPANO BEACH -- A 32-year-old woman jogging Thursday morning had her legs severed by a freight train, authorities said.

The woman, identified as Cheryl Ann Risse, of Pompano Beach, was expected to survive her injuries after going into surgery in the afternoon, said Keyla Concepcion, spokeswoman for the Broward Sheriff's Office. It was not clear what happened before the train struck her in the 2100 block of North Dixie Highway, Concepcion said.

Risse lives across the tracks from the Pompano Beach Airpark, which has a popular jogging trail.

According to Concepcion, Risse often jogged across the tracks on her way to the airpark. She was running just before noon, listening to her iPod music player and crossing the tracks when a Florida East Coast Railway freight locomotive rolled her way. The train struck her, severing both legs below the knees.

The engineer kept going south, unaware of the accident until he saw the flashing emergency lights as he was heading back north minutes later.

A passing deputy noticed Risse waving her arms. When paramedics arrived, she called out for her fiance and complained her feet hurt, even though her legs had been severed.

"My feet are on fire," she told Tony Long, a battalion chief for Pompano Beach Fire-Rescue, who responded to the scene. "Do you think you can put the fire out? They're really hurting."

Paramedics rushed her to North Broward Medical Center in critical condition.

Her fiance, Dave Abate, said the couple were engaged but didn't yet have a wedding date. He said she sold cars for a living, but was too distraught to say any more.

Accidents like this happen too frequently and people need to be more aware when crossing the tracks, said Brian Nicholson, a spokesman for the railroad. He also pointed out that Risse did not cross at a railroad crossing.

"If you look at the amount of crossings we have in South Florida, just by sheer numbers, there is a lot of potential for things to happen," he said. "And it does occur more than we want it to."

Can't Keep A Good Thing Down

So, Ok, it's a take on the Alabama song, "Can't Keep A Good Man Down", but you have to love a note like this --

Deer Runners,

Attached is the July club newsletter. When we were discussing starting the newsletter back in January, I had planned on keeping it to 4 or 5 pages. That has proved to be an impossible task. This month's edition is a full 24 pages. We have a pretty active club.

If we missed any results from June, let me know and we will publish them next month.

Bill D.

This ride is fun and will last a lot longer than the first one!

And, yes, Kim, Alabama is one of the all-time country supergroups. I'm sure that they sold more records (they started in the 80s when they were still around) than whatever you have blaring in your headsets. And yes, I can very easily spin to this!

Oak Ridge Track Club All Comers Track Meets

Wednesdays, July 11, 18, 25 & August 1, 8, 15 & 25
7 p.m., Oak Ridge High School Track

$ 7.00 non-members, $ 4.00 members. Entry fee includes any/all events, which include 1 mile, 2 mile, 3 mile and various other events.

For more information, call 936-788-4945 or 936-524-3200 or check the new club's link here.

Twenty-five (25) percent of the net proceeds will be donated to college scholarships for distance runners. Must be 12 years of age to compete.

Texas Half Marathons '07-'08 (In Progress)

August 5, 2007 - Prude Ranch Races, Fort Davis, $18
($20 after August 1)

October 13, 2007 - Huntsville Half Marathon, Huntsville, TBA
October 13, 2007 - Texas MedClinic Helotes Half Marathon, Helotes, TBA
October 21, 2007 - Harbor Half Marathon, Corpus Christi, $40
($50 after August 31)
October 28, 2007 - Miracle Match Half Marathon, Waco, $45
($50 on October 1, $55 on October 22 and $65 on race day)
October 28, 2007 - Houston Half Marathon, Houston, $40

November 4, 2007 - DRC Half Marathon, Dallas, $50
($55 on September 16 and $60 on October 31)
November 11, 2007 - San Antonio Half Marathon, San Antonio, $45
($50 on August 1, $60 on October 23)
November 2007 - Buffalo Wallow Half Marathon, Lubbock, TBA
November 17, 2007 - The Tyler Half, Tyler, $45

December 2, 2007 - Fiesta Marathon, Hidalgo, $40
($45 on November 2 and $60 on race day)
December 9, 2007 - Wellstone's Dallas White Rock Marathon, Dallas, $55
(15,000 cap; $60 on November 24-30 and $65 at Expo)
December 2007 - American Bank Half Marathon, Corpus Christi, TBA

January 13, 2008 - Aramco Houston Half Marathon, Houston, $60
(17,000 cap; Price will go up on August 1 to a yet unannounced number.)
January 27, 2008 - 3M Half Marathon, Austin, $50

February 9, 2008 - The Sixth Annual Texas Half, Dallas, $45
February 2008 - Surfside Beach Marathon, Surfside, TBA
February 17, 2008 - AT&T Austin Half Marathon, Austin, TBA (September)
February 23, 2008 - Cowtown Half Marathon, Fort Worth, TBA

March 2008 - Michelob Ultra Half Marathon, El Paso, TBA
March 2008 - Bearathon, Waco, TBA
March 2008 - Moe's Better Half Marathon, San Marcos, TBA
March 16, 2008 - Lucky Trails Half Marathon, Seabrook, TBA

April 6, 2008 - Big-D Texas Marathon, Dallas, $45
($55 on January 16 and $65 on April 2)
April 12, 2008 - Davy Crockett Bear Chase, Groveton, $35
(500 cap; $40 on January 1, $45 on March 1, $50 on April and $55 on race day)

May 2008 - Heels and Hills Half Marathon, Irving, TBA

Texas Marathons '07-'08

October 13, 2007 - Marathon 2 Marathon, Alpine, $50
October 28, 2007 - Miracle Match Marathon, Waco, $55
($65 on October 1, $75 on October 22 and $85 on race day)

November 11, 2007 - San Antonio Marathon, San Antonio, $65
($80 on August 1, $95 on October 23)

December 2, 2007 - Fiesta Marathon, Hidalgo, $60
($70 on November 2 and $80 on race day)
December 9, 2007 - Wellstone's Dallas White Rock Marathon, Dallas, $90
(15,000 cap; $95 on November 23 and $110 at Expo)

January 1, 2008 - Texas Marathon, Kingwood, $35
($45 on December 1, $50 on December 22 and $55 on race day)
January 13, 2008 - Chevron Houston Marathon, Houston, $85
(17,000 cap; Price will go up on August 1 to a yet unannounced number.)

February 2008 - Surfside Beach Marathon, Surfside, TBA
February 17, 2008 - AT&T Austin Marathon, Austin, TBA (September)
February 23, 2008 - Cowtown Marathon, Fort Worth, TBA

March 2008 - El Paso Marathon, El Paso, TBA
March 16, 2008 - Lucky Trails Marathon, Seabrook, TBA

April 6, 2008 - Big-D Texas Marathon, Dallas, $65
($75 on January 16 and $85 on April 2)
April 12, 2008 - Davy Crockett Bear Chase, Groveton, $45
($50 on January 1, $55 on March 1, $60 on April and $65 on race day)

Wyoming-Colorado Weekend Recap

Since I last posted on Wednesday evening, there was a good bit that transpired between Thursday morning and Monday afternoon. Here's a quick recap:

Thursday, 7/5 - My parents celebrated their 41st wedding anniversary and Waverly and I spent all day in Yellowstone National Park - really an incredible experience. We had a bison cross right in front of the car as we finished the 142-mile loop within the park before heading back to Cody.

Friday, 7/6 - Drove from Cody, Wyoming to Lakewood, Colorado. Long, long drive, but always quality time spent.

Saturday, 7/7 - Drove to Leadville, Colorado, started and finished the 2nd annual Leadville Trail Heavy Half Marathon (actually 15.4 miles) in 5:41:10. Yes, you read the time is right. Start in downtown in front of the 6th St. Gym at 10,200 feet above sea level and end the 7.7 miles at 13,158 feet on top of Mosquito Pass. It took me almost two hours - as I struggled with the altitude - to cover the last 3.3 miles up the switchbacks alongside of the mountain.

Sunday, 7/8 - Flew home from Denver, Colorado. Waverly was excited as we both got upgraded to first class. Always a treat for a 12-year-old!

Monday, 7/9 - Started a new job today with another health care consulting firm.