Houston Running: Five Favorite Sunmart 50M/50K Pictures

Houston Running

One of the leading sources for the discussion of Houston-area (and Texas as well) road racing. Focus and attention will be given to Houston-area runners, specifically HARRA members, that compete in outside-of-the-area events as well as those who do interesting things that aren't captured in the various media outlets, such as Inside Texas Running, Runner Triathlete News and Roberta MacInnis' Running Notebook in the Houston Chronicle (all fine publications and columns but with limitations too).

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Location: Spring, Texas, United States

I'm a mid-to-the back of the pack runner who probably enjoys promoting runners more than I do running myself ... I've completed 21 marathons (with a 4:47:32 PR! in Austin) and 52 half marathons (with a 2:09:58 PR! in Oregon) since November 2003 ... I've done a marathon in 12 states, half marathon in 23 and an event in 30 states and one Canadian province ... I have a 13-year-old daughter, Waverly Nicole, who completed her first half marathon in January 2006, made only two B's each of the last two years, was the only sixth grader to sing a solo (Carrie Underwood's Don't Forget To Remember Me) in their choir program (adding Taylor Swift's Tim McGraw in '08) and scored a 19 on the ACT in December 2007 as a seventh grader ... Waverly and I are members of the following clubs -- the Seven Hills Running Club, HARRA and The Woodlands Running Club ... I'm Marathon Maniac #308 ... I edit HARRA's Footprints in Inside Texas Running and write a column for Runner Triathlete News called, "Talking the Talk" ... I'm also the running columnist for the Courier of Montgomery County ... I'm a three-time winner of TAPPS' Sportswriter of the Year Award as well as TABC's Golden Hoops Award.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Five Favorite Sunmart 50M/50K Pictures

Niki Bellnoski had a big smile on her face as she was getting ready to barrel down the path to finish her second Sunmart 50-Miler. I also knew that Ken Johnson had just gone by me and it hadn't been his best Sunmart 50K. I told her a little strong as she approached to "go by Ken easy". I specifically had in mind the leg 23 passing during TIR with me and Bill and she handled it -- the exact same way. Great job!

I knew she was out there, but I hadn't seen her all day long. Who is "she" and "her"? Runner's World columnist Kristin Armstrong. Yes, Lance's ex. And just when I spotted her bib number, she was running right past me and where I was standing. Running with her was Nancy Allen from Austin.

Ironically, Jim Braden knows the Armstrongs as he and Karen (his wife), I believe, did a lot of work for Lance's Foundation over the years. This is a great picture of Jim that is almost like the Uncle Sam military recruiting posters.

The first of two stud runners. Donna Paliska from Kentucky via Norristown, Pennsylvania. I learned before the race after Evan Guy introduced me to her coach, Gary Brimmer, that she was a Penn Stater. Guess what I was wearing? A Penn State sweater!

She ran in the Foot Locker national championships twice -- both times finishing one spot above 2008 U.S. Olympian Amy Yoder (Begley) and she is still in the all-time Top 10 high school times in the 10,000 meters. On this date, she jumped from the 50K to the 50M because of ....

... Wendy Terris, who won the Sunmart 50K for the second straight year. What is incredible about this picture - besides the fact that she ran in the Olympic Trials in April on a Sunday and than ran Boston in 3:02 or 3:03 the next day - is the shape that she is in. Rock-solid abs and the muscle tone in the legs are incredibly impressive.

2 Comments:

David said...: Great photos Jon.; 1:02 PM
equarles said...: hmmm, four pics of ladies, one of a dude. i get it; 9:17 PM