90 to Join Houston Marathon Veterans in 2014

Ninety (90) runners completed their journey to become Houston Marathon Veterans on Sunday with an official finish in the 41st running of the Chevron Houston Marathon.

Prior to Sunday's race, the runners listed below were presented by the Marathon as being those who had finished the event nine (9) times before.

Those who have BQ at the end of their listing qualified for the 2014 Boston Marathon with their finishing time while those with HD completed the "Houston Double" by also finishing the ABB 5K on Saturday.

Aguilar, Maribel (USA), Missouri City, TX, 37, 3:37:23 (BQ)

Akin, Melissa (USA), League City, TX, 41, 4:51:28

Amador, Jose (USA), Houston, TX, 54, 4:00:37

Attleson, Ross (USA), Houston, TX, 41, 4:58:16

Aventurado, Rick (USA), Richmond, TX, 45, 4:35:37

Barger, Dana (USA), Missouri City, TX, 38, 3:26:32 (BQ)

Bate, Mary Jo (USA), Houston, TX, 49, 5:02:57 (HD)

Benitez, Rosi (USA), Houston, TX, 59, 4:39:17

Berglund, Karen (USA), Kingwood, TX, 61, 5:26:51 (HD)

Beyer, Karen (USA), Sugar Land, TX, 38, 3:57:08

Blakset, Beate (USA), Houston, TX, 50, 4:18:07

Branham, Donna (USA), Houston, TX, 50, 5:11:27

Bue, Grant (USA), Houston, TX, 54, 3:56:47

Buell, Jarold (USA), Houston, TX, 65, 4:51:21

Burnside, Jill (USA), Katy, TX, 49, 5:25:32

Castronovo, Tony (USA), Tomball, TX, 43, 3:49:55

Claar, Brian (USA), Castle Rock, CO, 53, 3:26:32 (BQ)

Cliffe, Timothy (USA), San Antonio, TX, 58, 4:30:47

Colosimo, Kelly (USA), Lake Jackson, TX, 46, 3:56:31

Conran, Mark (USA), Pearland, TX, 53, 3:20:49 (BQ)

Cook, David (USA), Houston, TX, 49, 4:27:33

Day, Suzanne (USA), Houston, TX, 55, 3:38:50 (BQ)

Digennaro, Michael (USA), Harker Heights, TX, 55, 5:18:57

Duffy, Brian (USA), San Antonio, TX, 50, 3:58:34

Ehrsam, Paul (USA), Houston, TX, 56, 3:50:16

Foster, Melvyn (USA), Grapevine, TX, 44, 4:20:41

Friday, John (CAN), Thunder Bay, ON, 54, 3:45:32

Galaviz, Francisco (MEX), Monterrey, 49, 2:52:21 (BQ)

Gonzalez, Lisa (USA), The Woodlands, TX, 43, 3:41:29 (BQ)(HD)

Gourwitz, Gayleann (USA), Houston, TX, 57, 5:00:15

Graham, John (USA), Houston, TX, 51, 5:21:37

Green, Annabella (USA), Houston, TX, 57, 5:48:56

Hallaway, Katherine (USA), Katy, TX, 31, 4:27:20

Harris, Cathy (USA), Katy, TX, 63, 5:26:08

Harrison, David (USA), Richmond, TX, 57, 5:44:30

Hebert, Gary (USA), Pasadena, TX, 57, 4:16:32

Heck, Kent (USA), Bellaire, TX, 50, 3:40:43

Henny, Leo (USA), Lake Charles, LA, 62, 4:33:06

Hilton, Brenda (USA), Houston, TX, 65, 4:40:21

Horn, Gary (USA), Kingwood, TX, 55, 3:51:13

Jack, Cathi (USA), Houston, TX, 56, 4:59:10

Jacobs, Pete (USA), Missouri City, TX, 40, 3:29:19

Jeronimo, Abelino (USA), Houston, TX, 53, 3:10:59 (BQ)

Jordan, Dan (USA), TX, Houston, 55, 3:53:15

Kessler, Stuart (USA), The Woodlands, TX, 52, 3:50:33

King, Brian (USA), Richmond, TX, 33, 2:58:35 (BQ)

Le, Michael (USA), The Woodlands, TX, 51, 4:14:14

Lee, Rayman (USA), Spring, TX, 51, 5:32:14

Lejarza, Richard (USA), Spring, TX, 49, 4:49:25

Liu, Stan (USA), Houston, TX, 55, 5:51:00

Lockwood, Annette (USA), Katy, TX, 50, 5:07:34

Lopez, Samuel (USA), Houston, TX, 44, 4:43:07 (HD)

Mathews, Ken (USA), Katy, TX, 56, 3:57:07

Matthews, Warren (USA), Houston, TX, 48, 5:50:08

McWhorter, John (USA), Houston, TX, 48, 3:30:50

Mitchell, Robert (USA), Houston, TX, 49, 5:07:18

Montemayor, Ruben (USA), Allen, TX, 52, 4:46:40

Nemoto, David (USA), Houston, TX, 49, 2:59:23 (BQ)(HD)

Norton, Kirk (USA), Spring, TX, 45, 3:35:57

Oppenheim, Mark (USA), Spring, TX, 55, 4:15:43

Oviedo, Jose (USA), Houston, TX, 36, 2:48:25 (BQ)

Palmer, Donna (USA), Pearland, TX, 46, 4:14:08

Petti, Ronald (USA), Nacogdoches, TX, 45, 4:18:33

Pham, Kim (USA), Cypress, TX, 48, 4:59:15 (HD)

Ramirez, Garibaldis (USA), Houston, TX, 47, 3:34:29

Randolph, Bob (USA), Richmond, TX, 51, 5:52:19

Ray, John (USA), Spring, TX, 49, 4:26:49

Ray, Rochelle (USA), Spring, TX, 41, 3:36:29 (BQ)

Reynolds, Brendan (USA), Kingwood, TX, 42, 3:57:59

Rocha, Sonia (USA), Tomball, TX, 40, 5:30:29

Rollins, Rachel (USA), Cedar Park, TX, 46, 4:29:24

Sadberry, Denise (USA), Katy, TX, 46, 3:50:31 (BQ)

Saldana, Rick (USA), League City, TX, 49, 3:37:44

Scanterbury, Franklin (USA), Houston, TX, 59, 5:10:53

Sobel, Ike (USA), Houston, TX, 50, 4:39:18

Spoon, Deborah (USA), Conroe, TX, 51, 4:50:28

St Jean, Chris (USA), Seabrook, TX, 30, 4:08:23

Stone, Howard (USA), Bellaire, TX, 45, 5:20:39

Tidwell, Mark (USA), Houston, TX, 46, 3:57:44

Tonge, Jacob (USA), Houston, TX, 50, 3:12:04 (BQ)

Trotter, Eric (USA), Plano, TX, 47, 3:48:44

Velez, Javier (USA), Houston, TX, 54, 4:41:34

Wagner, John (USA), Austin, TX, 50, 3:37:33

Walsh, Kerry (USA), Pearland, TX, 67, 4:59:42

Ward, Kevin (USA), Houston, TX, 60, 3:56:33

Wiley, James (USA), Austin, TX, 66, 3:51:44 (BQ)

Williams, Keli (USA), Pearland, TX, 38, 4:41:32

Williams, Marc (USA), Houston, TX, 52, 5:37:38

Winburn, Lee (USA), Katy, TX, 43, 4:22:53

Zainfeld, Richard (USA), The Woodlands, TX, 55, 5:20:01

2013 Money Winners at Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Half Marathon

Men's Marathon
Bazu Worku (ETH) = $40,000 (1st overall)
Teferi Balcha (ETH) = $20,000 (2nd overall)
Solomon Molla (ETH) = $10,000 (3rd overall)
Birhanu Gedefa (ETH) = $6,000 (4th overall)
Dereje Abera (ETH) = $4,000 (5th overall)
Teshome Etana (ETH) = $3,000 (6th overall)
Andrew Carlson (USA) = $2,000 (7th overall) + $5,000 (1st American)
Scott Wietecha (USA) = $2,500 (2nd American)
Sergio Reyes (USA) = $1,000 (3rd American)
Benjamin Zywicki (USA/The Woodlands) = $500 (4th American) + $500 (1st local elite)

Chris Knorzer (USA/Rocklin, CA) = $1,500 (1st overall masters) + $500 (1st American masters)
Peter Lawrence (USA/Houston) = $1,000 (2nd overall masters) + $250 (2nd American masters) + $250 (1st local elite 40-49)
Kelly Dowe (USA/Houston) = $500 (3rd overall masters)

Ryan Smith (USA/Houston) - $350 (2nd local elite)
Matthew McCurdy (USA/Pearland) - $150 (3rd local elite)

Hugh Leidlein (USA/Lake Jackson) - $125 (1st local elite 50-59)
Jerry Hammervold (USA/Houston) = $125 (1st local elite 60-69)
Fred Steves (USA/Houston) = $125 (1st local elite 70-79)

Women's Marathon
Merima Mohammed (ETH) = $40,000 (1st overall)
Buzunesh Deba (ETH) = $20,000 (2nd overall)
Meskerem Assefa (ETH) = $10,000 (3rd overall)
Meseret Legese (ETH) = $6,000 (4th overall)
Olena Burkovska (UKR) = $4,000 (5th overall)
Tera Moody (USA) = $3,000 (6th overall) + $5,000 (1st American)
Kelly Calway (USA/Colorado Springs, CO) = $2,000 (7th overall) + $2,500 (2nd American)
Andrea Walkonen (USA/Lebanon, NH) = $1,000 (3rd American)
Laleh Mojtabaeezamani (USA/Keller, TX) = $500 (4th American)
Angela Spadafino (USA/Houston) = $500 (1st local elite)

Laura Bennett (USA) = $1,500 (1st overall masters) + $500 (1st American masters) + $250 (1st local elite 40-49)
Heather Hamilton (USA/Kingwood) = $350 (2nd local elite)
Brittany Van Nielen (USA/Kingwood) = $150 (3rd local elite)

Jody Berry (USA/Houston) = $125 (1st local elite 50-59)
Pat Himel (USA/Kingwood) = $125 (1st local elite 60-69)
Leona Devine (USA/Conroe) = $125 (1st local elite 70-79)

Men's Half Marathon
Feyisa Lilesa (ETH) = $15,000 (1st overall)
Deriba Merga (ETH) = $10,000 (2nd overall)
Wilson Erupe (KEN) = $5,000 (3rd overall)
Shadrack Biwott (USA) = $2,500 (4th overall)
Luke Puskedra (USA) = $1,000 (5th overall)

Brian Haskett (USA/Tomball) = $1,000 (1st overall masters) + $150 (1st local elite 40-49)
Stewart Harwell (USA/Houston) = $250 (1st local elite)
Maximo Mendoza (USA/Pearland) = $150 (2nd local elite)
Chris Stelzer (USA/Houston) = $100 (1st local elite)

Joe Melanson (USA/Orange) = $75 (1st local elite 50-59)
Peter Mullin (USA/Houston) = $75 (1st local elite 60-69)
Kenneth Ruane (USA/Orange) = $75 (1st local elite 70-79)

Women's Half Marathon
Mamitu Daska (ETH) = $15,000 (1st overall)
Caroline Kilel (KEN) = $10,000 (2nd overall)
Hellen Jemutai (KEN) = $5,000 (3rd overall)
Chemtai Rionotukei (KEN) = $2,500 (4th overall)
Zemzem Ahmed (ETH) = $1,000 (5th overall)

Kimberly Mac Namee (USA/The Woodlands) = $1,000 (1st overall masters) + $150 (1st local elite 40-49)
Jill Vacek (USA/Houston) = $250 (1st local elite)
Katherine Marshall (USA/Houston) = $150 (2nd local elite)
Liz Baugher (USA/Cypress) = $100 (1st local elite)

Pam Meaux (USA/The Woodlands) = $75 (1st local elite 50-59)
Katherine Collins (USA/Houston) = $75 (1st local elite 60-69)
Carol Baker (USA/Bellaire) = $75 (1st local elite 70-79)

Nearly 70 Percent of New 2013 CHM Veterans Return to Marathon

After last year’s Chevron Houston Marathon, 85 runners – the majority of them from the greater Houston area – had finished their 10th Houston Marathon to become an official Houston Marathon Veteran.

And, of course, much to the delight of the organizer, after the runner’s efforts over the years, an overwhelming majority of them will return to the marathon distance for this year’s race.

Just twenty percent – 15 runners – decided not to participate in any Chevron Houston Marathon event in 2013.

Two deferred their entry to 2014, while one is participating in the ABB 5K on Saturday and ten in the Aramco Half Marathon which leaves 57 – just over 67 percent – to start on their second decade of Chevron Houston Marathon finishes.

The complete list, with bib numbers for Sunday’s races, is as follows:

Chevron Houston Marathon
741 - Scott Spencer, 50, M, Katy
744 - Dana Barger, 38, F, Missouri City
745 - Lynn Beasley, 52, F, Houston
747 - Kimberlie Budzik, 52, F, Friendswood
748 - Connie Butcher, 49, F, Houston
749 - Wanda Buxton, 49, F, Richmond
751 - Arburn Cain, 44, F, Missouri City
752 - Jackie Carrasco, 45, F, Clear Lake Shores
754 - Curtis Childs, 51, M, Houston
755 - Wendy Clark, 49, F, Houston
756 - Miguel Correa, 41, M, Spring
757 - Daniel Cousins, 50, M, Houston
759 - Chris Duggan, 46, M, Houston
761 - Susie Eisenberg-Argo, 51, F, Sugar Land
762 - Eric Etheridge, 44, M, Austin
764 - Dave Faber, 58, M, Spring
765 - Donna Fink, 44, F, Pasadena
768 - Mario Garcia, 54, M, Corpus Christi
770 - Francisco Garza, 47, M, Houston
771 - Brad Godwin, 51, M, Cypress
773 - Kimberly Harvey, 47, F, Katy
774 - Joseph Henderson, 55, M, The Woodlands
776 - Jeffrey Hill, 37, M, Houston
780 - Scott Johnson, 60, M, Houston
781 - John Kincl, 48, M, Baytown
782 - Kristen Koudelka, 42, F, Katy
783 - Carolyn Kundiger, 55, F, Houston
784 - Dennis Lang, 59, M, Houston
786 - Orin Lewis, 48, M, Houston
789 - Michael Marcoux, 60, M, Katy
792 - Max Mendoza, 54, M, Houston
793 - Jay Milton, 48, M, Friendswood
794 - Christian Navarro, 40, M, Houston
795 - Akira Nishikawa, 49, M, Houston
796 - Thomas Okazaki, 55, M, Southlake
797 - Jim Peiffer, 69, M, Houston
798 - Steven Peppel, 46, M, Houston
799 - John Powers, 49, M, Magnolia
800 - Benjamin Proko, 31, M, Houston
801 - Rafael Ramos, 60, M, League City
802 - Uno Reilly, 54, F, Bossier City, LA
803 - Jorge Rivas, 46, M, Houston
805 - Jan Ross, 57, F, Pasadena
807 - Ramon Sanchez, 64, M, Galveston
808 - David Sanderson, 62, M, Galveston
809 - William Schick, 53, M, Katy
810 - Jennifer Singletary, 45, F, League City
812 - Toni Smith, 53, F, Katy
813 - John Spiller, 46, M, Houston
816 - Alicia Ten Eyck, 53, F, Houston
818 - Anthony Toh, 44, M, Humble
819 - Candice Trimm, 42, F, Katy
820 - Dennis Troland, 47, M, Katy
821 - Tony Van, 46, M, Houston
822 - Robert Irving, 62, M, Beaumont
2901 - David Tran, 43, M, Houston
2974 - Susan Hardwick-Smith, 45, F, Houston

Aramco Half Marathon
21269 - Danny Golden, 43, M,  The Woodlands
22804 - Lauren McCreary, 53, F,  Houston
22865 - Tonya Arnold, 48, F,  Galveston
25746 - Linda Tyler, 56, F,  Missouri City
28279 - Christine Webb, 60, F,  Houston
28840 - Alberto Salazar, 54, M,  Houston
28850 - Steven Stansbury, 48, M,  Friendswood
28870 - Robert Thompson, 48, M,  Sugar Land
29047 - Kathleen Mahon, 58, F,  Houston
34203 - Sondra Gajevsky, 50, F,  Pearland

ABB 5K
2253 - Donald Buckholt, 52, M, Houston

Nearly 50 with 25+ Houston Marathon Finishes Set to Start on Sunday

When the gun goes off Sunday morning for the 41st running of the Chevron Houston Marathon, 44 men and four women will begin their effort which will further cement their status as the eldest statesman of the Chevron Houston Marathon Veterans.

With 25 or more prior finishes and ranging in age from 51 to 80, the group of 48 lead a list of 1,093 runners over the past four decades who have completed 10 or more Chevron Houston Marathons.

Likely to wear bib numbers 29 and 38 as part of the local elite field and reflecting their gender-leading number of finishes, Katy’s Maria Camacho and Houston’s Jack Lippincott will lead the group to the start line on Sunday.

Missing from this year’s list is Corpus Christi’s Clent Mericle, who is tied for second on the all-time list with Houston’s Rich McMahan with 35 finishes, but is the leader in the race’s history with 27 sub 3-hour finishes.

Led by Lippincott, McMahan, Houston’s Ray Boytim and Katy’s Arlen Isham, 17 of the list of runners below have finished each of their 25 or more marathons consecutively.

The fastest career marathoner running on Sunday with 25 or more marathon finishes is HARRA’s Vice President of Clubs, Roger Boak, who has completed his 29 Houston Marathons in an average time of 3:08:17, according to marathonveterans.com.

Here is Sunday ‘s list of anticipated participants with 25 or more official Chevron Houston Marathon finishes:

29* - Maria Camacho, 57, F, Katy - 29 marathons
38* - Jack Lippincott, 66, M, Houston - 38 marathons+
306 - Rick McMahan, 59, M, Houston - 35 marathons+
307 - Ray Boytim, 80, M, Houston - 34 marathons+
308 - Arlen Isham, 68, M, Katy - 34 marathons+
309 - Wayne Rutledge, 55, M, Spring - 33 marathons
310 - Louis Waddell, 73, M, Houston - 33 marathons
311 - Charlie Viers, 71, M, Natchitoches, LA - 32 marathons
312 - Boris Balic, 76, M, Houston - 31 marathons
313 - Lonnie Brauner, 66, M, The Woodlands - 31 marathons
314 - Rudy Alvarez, 58, M, Houston - 30 marathons
315 - Stephen McNeil, 55, M, Corpus Christi - 30 marathons+
316 - Roger Boak, 64, M, Houston - 29 marathons
317 - Robert Eury, 64, M, Houston - 29 marathons+
318 - Daniel Jason, 66, M, Houston - 29 marathons+
319 - Tony Allison, 57, M, The Woodlands - 28 marathons
320 - Manuel Gonzalez, 67, M, La Porte - 28 marathons
321 - Richard Rekieta, 61, M, Montgomery - 28 marathons
322 - Rudolph Rendon, 65, M, Austin - 28 marathons
323 - Jesse Smalls, 66, M, Katy - 28 marathons
324 - Will Hrachovy, 64, M, Houston - 27 marathons+
325 - John McClung, 52, M, Houston - 27 marathons
326 - Marylyn Patrick, 68, F, Plano - 27 marathons+
327 - JP Reed, 56, M, Houston - 27 marathons+
328 - Susan Rouse, 54, F, Conroe - 27 marathons+
329 - Ted Thrasher, 62, M, Angel Fire, NM - 27 marathons+
330 - Leonard Topolski, 51, M, Pearland - 27 marathons+
331 - George Guidry, 68, M, Orange - 26 marathons
332 - Brian Jenison, 53, M, Houston - 26 marathons+
333 - Layne Mashburn, 68, M, Kingwood - 26 marathons
334 - Robert McDowell, 62, M, Houston - 26 marathons
335 - Larry McPhillips, 61, M, Port Arthur - 26 marathons
336 - Lee Miksch, 76, M, Cypress - 26 marathons+
337 - Charles Moore, 58, M, Houston - 26 marathons
338 - Lee Norris, 65, M, Bellaire - 26 marathons
339 - Don Padilla, 63, M, Deer Park - 26 marathons
340 - Paul Roche, 64, M, The Woodlands - 26 marathons
341 - Phyllis Thompson, 69, F, Houston - 26 marathons
342 - James Tuscany, 59, M, Hilo, HI - 26 marathons
343 - Steve Boone, 63, M, Humble - 25 marathons+
344 - Dan Dick, 64, M, Galveston - 25 marathons
345 - Richard Evans, 56, M, Beaumont - 25 marathons
346 - Terence Fanning, 61, M, Houston - 25 marathons
348 - David Stephens, 58, M, Seabrook - 25 marathons
349 - Fred Steves, 71, M, Houston - 25 marathons
350 - Harry Vroulis, 67, M, Houston - 25 marathons
351 - JR Wacasey, 53, M, Houston - 25 marathons
352 - Gene Wilson, 59, M, Houston - 25 marathons+

Five men, who have recorded 25 or more marathon finishes at the Chevron Houston Marathon, will be lacing up their shoes on Sunday for the 13.1-mile Aramco Half Marathon. They include:

22789 - Robert Luchsinger, 63, M, Dallas - 25 marathons
24386 - Ernest Murry, 62, M, Friendswood - 25 marathons
27768 - Gerald Meyers, 65, M, Cypress - 25 marathons
35101 - Phillip Smith, 77, M, Houston - 25 marathons
36526 - Jim Healy, 79, M, Houston - 27 marathons

Local Elites at 2013 Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Half Marathon

While the Chevron Houston Marathon's Run For A Reason program will raise more than $2 million for approximately 60 partner charities, another of its success programs -- the Local Elite Invited Runner program -- gives some of the greater Houston area's top amateur runners the opportunity to receive many of the same perks and benefits as the world's best based on their performances at local races last fall.

This year, 37 athletes -- 25 in Sunday's Chevron Houston Marathon and 12 in the Aramco Half Marathon -- will toe the start line after being the first runner to meet a specific time standard for their age group at either last year's Chevron Houston Marathon, the USA Space City 10-Miler, the Houston Half Marathon, the HMSA Classical 25K or the Finish Line Sports Sugar Land 30K.

Included are Houston's Jack Lippincott and Katy's Maria Camacho, the athletes who represent their gender with the most career Houston Marathon finishes, as well as the 2003 Houston Marathon overall winner Sean Wade, who is set to run the half marathon in 2013.

The complete list of athletes, their age, city of residence and how they qualified is listed underneath the event they are racing on Sunday:

Marathon
Bennett, Laura, 45, Houston - 2012 Houston Marathon 40-49
Berry, Jody, 52, Houston - 2012 USA Space City 10-Miler 50-59
Bounds, Scott, 60, Houston - 2012 HMSA Classical 25K 60-69
Bustillos, Wilmer, 47, Houston - 2012 Houston Marathon 40-49
Camacho, Maria, 57, Katy - Most Houston Marathons
Caron, Anngela, 31, Sugar Land - 2012 Houston Half Marathon Open
Cuevas, Sim, 52, Houston - 2012 HMSA Classical 25K 50-59
Dowe, T. Kelly Dowe, 41, Houston - 2012 Houston Half Marathon 40-49
Hammervold, Jerry, 60, Sugar Land - 2012 Finish Line Sports 30K 60-69
Harvey, Sabra, 63, Houston - 2012 USA Space City 10-Miler 60-69
Jones, Virginia, 32, League City - 2012 USA Space City 10-Miler Open
Lawrence, Peter, 41, Houston - 2012 USA Space City 10-Miler 40-49
Lippincott, Jack, 66, Houston - Most Houston Marathons
McCurdy, Matthew, 35, Pearland - 2012 Houston Marathon Open
McLean, Richard, 55, Houston - 2012 Finish Line Sports 30K 50-59
Seeley, Suzy, 53, Houston - 2012 Finish Line Sports 30K 50-59
Sharenson, Andrew, 42, Houston - 2012 Finish Line Sports 30K 40-49
Smith, Ryan, 27, Cypress - 2012 HMSA Classical 25K Open
Stoll, Barbara, 51, Houston - 2012 Houston Marathon 50-59
Wade, Sean, 46, Houston - 2003 Houston Marathon Open Winner
Walters, Robert, 52, Houston - 2012 Houston Marathon 50-59
Wilson, Nora, 56, The Woodlands - 2012 HMSA Classical 25K 50-59
Wood, Geri, 64, Houston - 2012 Houston Marathon 60-69
Yoder, John, 41, Houston - 2012 HMSA Classical 25K 40-49
Zywicki, Benjamin, 24, The Woodlands - 2012 USA Space City 10-Miler Open

Half Marathon
Figueroa, Sesar, 28, Stafford - 2012 Finish Line Sports 30K Open
Flores, Joe, 53, Houston - 2012 USA Space City 10-Miler 50-59
Glasscock, Mike, 65, Kingwood - 2012 Houston Marathon 60-69
Holden, Stacy, 36, Houston - 2012 Finish Line Sports 30K Open
Jamalyaria, Jamal, 60, Deer Park - 2012 Houston Half Marathon 60-69
Kristick, Corrie, 29, Houston - 2012 Houston Marathon Open
Mac Namee, Kimberly, 41, The Woodlands - 2012 Houston Half Marathon 40-49
Marshall, Katherine, 31, Bellaire - 2012 HMSA Classical 25K Open
Meaux, Pam, 52, The Woodlands - 2012 Houston Half Marathon 50-59
Melanson, Joe, 57, Orange - 2012 Houston Half Marathon 50-59
Mullin, Peter, 62, Houston - 2012 USA Space City 10-Miler 60-69
Ruane, Kenneth, 71, Orange - 2012 USA Space City 10-Miler 70-79

December's Biggest Movers in Texas Multisports Facebook Rankings

Which Texas races, organizations, clubs or retail stores added the largest number of friends, likes or members between 11/30/12 and 1/2/13?

And have also increased their numbers by the largest percentage from the previous month?

By Number
682 - Dallas White Rock Marathon - Road Race
598 - Rock 'n' Roll Dallas Half Marathon - Road Race
597 - Luke's Locker - Retail Store
305 - RunTex (Austin) - Retail Store
303 - Chevron Houston Marathon - Road Race
285 - The Cowtown Marathon (Fort Worth) - Road Race
258 - Austin Marathon & Half Marathon - Road Race
258 - Scott & White Healthcare BCS Marathon - Road Race
223 - New Year's Double (Allen) - Road Race
216 - Rogue Running (Austin) - Training - Running
-10-
205 - Fiesta Marathon (McAllen) - Road Race
195 - 3M Half Marathon (Austin) - Road Race
170 - The Texas Independence Relay - Road Race
170 - OutRival Racing - Training - Multisports
153 - Austin 10/20 - Road Race
149 - Ironman Texas (The Woodlands) - Triathlon
145 - The Woodlands Marathon - Road Race
144 - Statesman Capitol 10,000 - Road Race
144 - Mellew Production Events (Dallas) - Event Production Company
130 - Mellow Johnny's Bike Shop (Austin) - Retail Store

By Percentage
58.87% (141 to 224) - Beach to Bay Relay Marathon (Corpus Christi) - Road Race
50.50% (101 to 152) - Irving Running Club - Running Club
49.39% (247 to 369) - The Woodlands Cycling Club - Cycling Club
39.12% (524 to 729) - Fiesta Marathon (McAllen) - Road Race
34.17% (319 to 428) - TriTactics Coaching (The Woodlands) - Coaching - Multisports
22.52% (373 to 457) - LGRAW's Bold in the Cold 5K & 15K - Road Race
22.22% (81 to 99) - Irving Las Colinas Marathon Series - Road Race
18.98% (353 to 420) - Irving Las Colinas Marathon - Road Race
18.92% (111 to 132) - Tellepsen Family Downtown Y Jingle Bell Run (Houston) - Road Race
17.61% (460 to 541)- Fleet Feet Sports San Antonio - Retail Store
-10-
16.67% (309 to 358) - Cross the Creek Cyclo-cross Race Series - Cycling Race Venue
15.86% (309 to 358) - Golden Triangle Strutters (Beaumont) - Running Club
15.50% (1,097 to 1,267) - OutRival Racing - Training - Multisports
13.08% (107 to 121) - Strike Force Racing (The Woodlands) - Training - Multisports
11.93% (1,869 to 2,092) - New Year's Double (Allen) - Road Race
11.70% (94 to 105) - BCS Triathlon Club (Bryan-College Station) - Multisport Club
11.11% (45 to 50) - Waco Striders Running Club - Running Club
10.44% (910 to 1,005) - Houston Running Calendar -
10.42% (48 to 53) - Carrollton Runners Club - Running Club
10.31% (834 to 920) - Kyle Field Ramp Romp (College Station) - Road Race

Mellow Johnny's Still No. 1 in Texas Multisports Facebook Rankings

Is the Facebook page of your favorite Texas race, organization, club or retail store on this list?

We update now on a monthly basis the number of Facebook friends, followers or members that pages which support Texas races, organizations, clubs or retail stores have?

These measurements were taken during the January 2-3, 2013 time window.

Is there a page that we're missing?  (We're finding new ones every day.)  If so, please drop me a line at walksports(at)aol.com.

18,085 - Mellow Johnny's Bike Shop (Austin) - Retail Store
17,823 - Rock 'n' Roll San Antonio Marathon - Road Race
15,457 - RunTex (Austin) - Retail Store
13,656 - Austin Marathon & Half Marathon - Road Race
13,263 - Chevron Houston Marathon - Road Race
12,801 - Dallas White Rock Marathon - Road Race
11,129 - Luke's Locker - Retail Store
10,375 - Rock 'n' Roll Dallas Half Marathon - Road Race
7,691 - Marathon Kids (Austin) - Organization
7,515 - Run On! Texas - Retail Store
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7,071 - The Cowtown Marathon (Fort Worth) - Road Race
5,923 - Rogue Running (Austin) - Training - Running
5,801 - Scott & White Healthcare BCS Marathon - Road Race
4,789 - Austin 10/20 - Road Race
4,602 - Jack and Adam's Bicycles (Austin) - Retail Store
4,264 - 3M Half Marathon (Austin) - Road Race
4,068 - Heels and Hills (Irving) - Event Production Company
3,866 - Dallas Running Club - Running Club
3,577 - Statesman Capitol 10,000 - Road Race
3,379 - Tejas Trails - Event Production Company
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3,327 - ConocoPhillips Rodeo Run - Road Race
3,279 - The Texas Independence Relay - Road Race
3,150 - OnUrMark Productions (Houston) - Event Production Company
2,924 - The Woodlands Marathon - Road Race
2,874 - The Gusher Marathon (Beaumont) - Road Race
2,796 - Bike Barn (Houston) - Retail Store
2,793 - CapTexTri (Austin) - Triathlon
2,294 - Mellew Production Events (Dallas) - Event Production Company
2,278 - Run In Texas (Garden Ridge) - Event Production Company
2,255 - Ironman Texas (The Woodlands) - Triathlon
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2,200 - Tru Tri Sports (Cypress) - Retail Store
2,152 - Get Fit Amarillo - Retail Store
2,150 - El Paso Marathon - Road Race
2,149 - Hill Country Running Co. - Retail Store
2,149 - Redemption Race Productions (San Antonio) - Event Production Company
2,092 - New Year's Double (Allen) - Road Race
2,061 - Brazos Running Company - Retail Store
2,057 - Up And Running (El Paso) - Retail Store
1,953 - Alamo 13.1 - Road Race
1,858 - Team In Training - North Texas Chapter - Training - Multisports
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1,836 - San Antonio RoadRunners - Running Club
1,832 - The Army Marathon (Killeen to Temple) - Road Race
1,729 - Bicycle World of Houston - Retail Store
1,666 - TXU Energy Turkey Trot benefiting Sheltering Arms Senior Services - Road Race
1,664 - Fort Worth Running Company - Retail Store
1,638 - Sea Rim Striders (Beaumont) - Running Club
1,616 - Fort Worth Runners Club - Running Club
1,479 - Richardson Bike Mart - Retail Store
1,430 - Capital to Coast Relay - Road Race
1,401 - Austin Runners Club - Running Club
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1,359 - Texas Round-Up (Austin) - Road Race
1,347 - Rungirl Half Marathon (Humble) - Road Race
1,340 - Rogue Athletic Club (Austin) - Team - Road Racing
1,267 - OutRival Racing - Training - Multisports
1,234 - BlueBell Fun Run (Brenham) - Road Race
1,217 - Fit Tri Run (Galveston) - Retail Store
1,217 - Armadillo Dash (College Station) - Road Race
1,214 - Seabrook Lucky Trail Marathon - Road Race
1,210 - In Flight Running (Houston) - Training - Running
1,207 - Soler's Sports (San Antonio) - Retail Store
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1,202 - Finish Line Sports (Sugar Land) - Retail Store
1,180 - OnUrLeft Sports Coaching (Houston) - Training - Multisports
1,148 - The Runner (Arlington) - Retail Store
1,128 - RunFAR Racing Services, Inc. (Mansfield) - Timing Company
1,128 - Texas Runner & Triathlete - Magazine
1,121 - Houston Racing Triathlon Club - Multisport Club
1,101 - San Angelo Road Lizards - Running Club
1,087 - Texas Running Company (Sugarland) - Retail Store
1,065 - Big Bend 50 Ultra Marathon - Trail Race
1,053 - Ironhead Race Productions (Euless) - Event Production Company
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1,052 - Chosen:  Marathon for Adoption (New Braunfels) - Road Race
1,040 - Galveston Marathon and Half Marathon - Road Race
1,035 - Colonel's Bicycles (Fort Worth) - Retail Store
1,014 - Texas Running Company (Austin) - Retail Store
1,005 - Houston Running Calendar -
983 - Corpus Christi Roadrunners - Running Club
980 - IAAP Racing (San Antonio) - Event Production Company
976 - Angie's Half Crazy! Half Marathon (Houston) - Road Race
953 - Houston Fit - Training - Running
944 - Houston Area Road Runners Association - Organization
-90-
934 - Rhythm and Blues Half Marathon and 5K (Houston) - Road Race
920 - Kyle Field Ramp Romp (College Station) - Road Race
916 - City of Conroe Parks and Recreation - Event Production Company
876 - Lake Grapevine Runners and Walkers - Running Club
857 - Runner Triathlete News - Magazine
848 - USA Triathlon South Midwest Region - Organization
844 - The Showdown Half Marathon (Fairview) - Road Race
841 - Austin Tri-Cyclist - Retail Store
816 - Burning Pine 5K & 10K (Bastrop) - Road Race
799 - Texas 10 Series - Road Race Series
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796 - USA Fit Marathon (Sugar Land) - Road Race
792 - Houston Half Marathon & Relay - Road Race
778 - La Porte By The Bay Half Marathon - Road Race
745 - CORE Running Company (San Marcos) - Retail Store
744 - Pleasure Island Bridge Half Marathon (Port Arthur) - Road Race
740 - Bayou City Classic 10K - Road Race
736 - TRI Aggieland - Triathlon
730 - On The Run - Beaumont - Retail Store
729 - Fiesta Marathon (McAllen) - Road Race
716 - Houston Triathlon - Triathlon
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714 - The Bill Crews Remission Run (Conroe) - Road Race
688 - North Texas Runners - Running Club
677 - Fort Worth Marathon - Road Race
667 - Tri Team Transport (Austin) - Retail Service
651 - Tri On The Run (Houston) - Retail Store
645 - On The Run - Clear Lake - Retail Store
643 - USA Fit San Antonio - Training - Running
637 - Too Hot To Handle (Dallas) - Road Race
622 - Toughest 10K (Kemah) - Road Race
609 - Tri On The Run Fitness Center (Houston) - Retail Service
591 - The Austin Triathlon - Triathlon
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574 - Bridgeland Triathlon (Houston) - Triathlon
568 - On The Run Waco - Retail Store
563 - Jail Break Run Half Marathon & 5K (Baytown) - Road Race
541 - Fleet Feet Sports San Antonio - Retail Store
535 - Katy Triathlon - Triathlon
534 - The Toughest 10K Galveston - Road Race
533 - GE Run Thru The Woods (The Woodlands) - Road Race
529 - Peyton's Bikes (Midland) - Retail Store
527 - Steps for Students 5K Run (Houston) - Road Race
521 - Miracle Match Marathon (Waco) - Road Race
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520 - RunTex Georgetown - Retail Store
519 - The Texas Bicycle Racing Association - Organization
492 - Plano Pacers Running Club - Running Club
481 - Kemah Triathlon - Triathlon
481 - The Rookie Triathlon (Austin) - Triathlon
477 - Bay Area Bicycles (Corpus Christi) - Retail Store
471 - Shadow Creek Ranch Triathlon - Triathlon
468 - West Texas Running Club (Lubbock) - Running Club
467 - The Woodlands Running Club - Running Club
458 - Brazos Running Company Turkey Trot 5K & 1 Mile Family Fun Walk - Road Race
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457 - LGRAW's Bold in the Cold 5K & 15K - Road Race
449 - Houston Striders - Running Club
444 - Abilene Runner's Club - Running Club
437 - Swim Shops of the Southwest (Spring) - Retail Store
432 - Houston Trail Runners Extreme (HTRex) - Trail Running Club
429 - Run For Wellness 5K Series (Houston) - Road Race Series
428 - TriTactics Coaching (The Woodlands) - Coaching - Multisports
426 - Lonestar Multisport (The Woodlands) - Multisport Club
420 - Irving Las Colinas Marathon - Road Race
393 - Ironman 70.3 Buffalo Springs Lake - Triathlon
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388 - Bay Area Running Club - Running Club
385 - Too Cold To Hold 5M/10M - Road Race
375 - Alamo Series (San Antonio) - Road Race Series
375 - Bay Area Multisport (Clear Lake) - Multisport Club
369 - The Woodlands Cycling Club - Cycling Club
358 - Golden Triangle Strutters (Beaumont) - Running Club
354 - Waco Triathlon Club - Triathlon
354 - Cox Racing Services (Fort Worth) - Event Production Company
347 - Bayou City Road Runners - Running Club
346 - Richardson Bike Mart - White Rock Store - Retail Store
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341 - No Limits Run (Fort Worth) - Road Race
325 - Revolution Multisport (Fort Worth) - Training - Multisports
322 - Snapping Tortuga (Willis) - Event Production Company
320 - Jack's Generic Triathlon (New Braunfels) - Triathlon
317 - TriWaco Olympic & Sprint Triathlon - Triathlon
316 - College Station Running Club - Running Club
316 - Commitment Day Houston - Road Race
314 - Cross Timbers Trail Runs - Trail Race
314 - Outloud! Productions (Houston) - Event Production Company
301 - Finish Strong Sports (Houston) - Retail Store
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279 - Couples Triathlon (Austin) - Triathlon
276 - Houston Masters Classical 25K - Road Race
267 - Trinity 5000 Summer Series (Fort Worth) - Road Race Series
266 - Skeese Greets Women's Tri (New Braunfels) - Triathlon
253 - Marathoning for Miracles (Abilene) - Road Race
247 - CC Southside Cycling (Corpus Christi) - Cycling Club
233 - Fort Bend TriPsyclones - Multisport Club
232 - TriMAC - Tri Memorial Athletic Club (Houston) - Multisport Club
229 - Texas Power Arlington Turkey Trot - Road Race
225 - Melon Dash 5K (McKinney) - Road Race
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225 - Lufkin Area Pacesetters (LAPS) - Running Club
224 - Beach to Bay Relay Marathon (Corpus Christi) - Road Race
222 - Baytown Bud Heatwave - Road Race
221 - Fort Worth Cycling & Fitness Center - Retail Store
219 - Galveston Revival Race 5K/10K - Road Race
203 - Wolf Pen 5K and 10K - Road Race
198 - Bellaire Trolley Run 5K - Road Race
195 - Seven Hills Running Club (Huntsville) - Running Club
193 - CrossRoads Marathon (Odessa) - Road Race
189 - Swim Shops of the Southwest (Spring) - Retail Store
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184 - Frankenthon Monster Marathon (Cedar Park) - Road Race
174 - Mayor's 5K Abilene - Road Race
171 - Finish Strong Coaching (The Woodlands) - Training - Multisports
171 - Coach Trent Triathlon Coaching (Houston) - Training - Multisports
168 - SelectTRI The Woodlands - Youth Triathlon Club
167 - Bikeland (The Woodlands) - Retail Store
166 - Sunstroke Summer Stampede (Austin) - Road Race Series
165 - El Scorcho Run (Fort Worth) - Trail Race
164 - Riverstone Community Heart and Sole 5K (Missouri City) - Road Race
159 - Jeff Brede's Triathlon (Houston) - Triathlon
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159 - Tri On The Run Racing Team - Team - Triathlon
152 - Irving Running Club - Running Club
143 - The Republic of Texas Triathlon (Corpus Christi) - Triathlon
135 - Austin Subaru Doggie Du Dash - Duathlon
134 - R & B Sports Events (Austin) - Event Production Company
132 - Tellepsen Family Downtown Y Jingle Bell Run (Houston) - Road Race
130 - Galveston Island TRI Sports - Multisport Club
128 - Launch Multisport (The Woodlands) - Event Production Company
123 - Finish Strong Coaching (The Woodlands) - Training - Multisports
121 - Strike Force Racing (The Woodlands) - Training - Multisports
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118 - Dawson Winter Dash 5K (Pearland) - Road Race
117 - Mid-County Run Club - Running Club
114 - SBR Coaches (Cypress) - Training - Multisports
113 - Love. Run. Marathon. (Huntsville State Park) - Trail Race
107 - The Round Rock Express Ride - Cycling Event
106 - RRCA Texas - Organization
105 - BCS Triathlon Club (Bryan-College Station) - Multisport Club
105 - Cross the Creek Cyclo-cross Race Series - Cycling Race Venue
101 - Triathlon/Running Club at UTMB - Multisport Club
99 - Trinity Multisport (College Station) - Multisport Club
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99 - Irving Las Colinas Marathon Series - Road Race
90 - South Coast Endurance (The Woodlands) - Training - Multisports
89 - Tunnel-to-Tower-Run-Houston - Road Race
78 - Rattler Run, Navasota, Texas 3.2.13 - Road Race
77 - Lone Star Timing (Austin) - Timing Company
71 - Blues Capital of Texas 5K (Navasota) - Road Race
71 - Crazy Desert Trail Race - Trail Race
69 - Ponderosa Running Club - Youth Running Club
68 - Knock Out Crohn's 5K (Houston) - Road Race
67 - OutSwim Cancer (The Woodlands) - Swim Event
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65 - Tornados Running Club Cinco de Mayo 5K (Houston) - Road Race
59 - Dallas Pride Run 5K - Road Race
59 - Navasota Running Club - Running Club
58 - The Driven Race and Club Solutions - Race Service Organization
53 - LGRAW's Double Trouble 5K & 10K - Road Race
53 - Carrollton Runners Club - Running Club
52 - Houston Fit Triathlon - Training - Triathlon
51 - Fort Worth Flyers Cycling Club - Cycling Club
50 - Waco Striders Running Club - Running Club
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47 - St. Nick Fun Run BCS  (College Station) - Road Race
43 - UST Running Club - Running Club
42 - Lake Tejas Triathlon (Colmesneil) - Triathlon
37 - Jiggle Butt Run UT Arlington TX - Road Race
35 - New Mexico Texas Challenge Marathon - Road Race
11 - SpringActionPhotos.com - Race Photogrpahy

Experiences Galore: A Look Back at 2012

There have been years in the past that I have been busier, but 2012 was still a pretty fun year - especially after working through some personal challenges that I allowed to keep me from performing by best for (and eventually costing me) two race directing assignments.

You won't read about a plethora of PR's here.  That simply isn't my main focus, and which some people don't get that it isn't.

A ton of different experiences?  You bet.  Absolutely.  Let's take a look:

Races completed:  37 - 6 halves (or better), 4 10K's, 14 5K's, 5-, 7- and 10-miler.  Duathlon.  (Technically, the 7-miler is really a DNF at a 14-miler, but it was the middle of a three-race, 14-hour effort.)
Marathons completed:  9 - Houston, Philadelphia and Bryan-College Station were not new states.
New states:  6 - Mississippi, Kansas, Alaska, Nevada, Montana, Maine.

This leaves me with a marathon in 30 states and a half marathon (or better) in 37 states.

DNF's:  2 - Rocky Raccoon 100 and Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon in Louisville.
Races announced:  17
Races as official media:  6 - U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon, The Woodlands Marathon, Ironman 70.3 Texas, Ironman Texas, Ten For Texas and Run Thru The Woods.
Race directed:  1 (BMI 5K)
Race support:  1 (Run For Hans 5K)
Races spectated:  5 (First Light Marathon, TriGirl Super Sprint Triathlon, City of Conroe Turkey Trot and a couple of others)

Waverly sang the National Anthem at:  13.

I'm very fortunate that I get to work with some of the best race directors in the business.  They include (in no particular order):

Robby Sabban (Seabrook Lucky Trail Marathon and Half Marathon, Baytown Bud Heat Wave, Toughest 10K Kemah, Toughest 10K Galveston and La Porte By The Bay Half Marathon)

Willie Fowlkes (The Woodlands Marathon and Texas 10 Conroe)

Juris Green (Nike South and Nike Cross South Regional)

Steve and Paula Boone (Texas Marathon and End of the World/Day After the End of the World Marathon)

Rich and Amie James (Gusher Marathon, Pleasure Island Bridge Half Marathon)

Bill Gardner, Run in Texas (Galveston Sand Crab 5K/10K)

Kelly Dietrich and Angel Nicks (Muddy Trails 5K/10K and CB&I Sprint Triathlon*)

Kevin and Jana Landry (Galveston Marathon and Half Marathon**)

Roxanne Davis (Kiwanis Kids Triathlon, Conroe YMCA Trail Run 5K and Run Thru The Woods)

* Withdrew from announcing CB&I Sprint Triathlon because of some personal ethical conflicts.
** Will return to announce the 2013 event after missing 2012 because it fell on the same weekend as Rocky Raccoon.

If you asked me to rate my top 10 memories of 2012, I'd be hard-pressed to limit it to just that many.

The following, however, and in no particular order, seemed to stick out:

1.)  Covering the last three miles of the Chevron Houston Marathon with Waverly.  Always a highlight.  2013 will mark the eighth straight year that we'll do so.

2.)  Having Bill Dwyer and Waverly supporting me during my Rocky Raccoon 100 attempt and Jim Braden driving up from The Woodlands to cheer me on during my second loop.  Jim's a class act and a multisports legend.

3.)  Having Joan Benoit Samuelson's daughter, a representative for Nike, tell me at the Nike Cross Regionals that, "By the way, you're doing awesome!"  That is, speaking of my race announcing.  Receiving kind words from Coach Dan Green during Nike South was especially an honor, though, too.

4.)  Providing logistical support for the Run For Hans 5K and Beth Whitehead in her effort to honor Hans Weberling, who passed away earlier in 2012 from nueroblastoma.

5.)  Three races in 14 hours in Louisiana the last weekend in November.

6.)  Running the Panhandle Half Marathon in Lubbock with my good friend, Leanne Rosser.

7.)  Running Outrigger's 5K in Seabrook and the Extraterrestial Full Moon Midnight Marathon in Rachel, Nevada within 24 hours.

8.)  Three races in two weekends in Alaska, including a pretty decent marathon.

9.)  Watching Waverly sing the National Anthem in front of large crowds of 5,000 or more at The Woodlands Marathon and Run Thru The Woods.

10.)  A solid 4:48 marathon in Portland, Maine at the end of September.

11.)  Seeing Kimberly Mac Namee's return to road racing with wins in Texas City (overall), Lake Houston (overall), Toughest 10K Kemah (overall), Ten For Texas (masters), Houston Half (masters) and Run Thru The Woods (masters).

12.)  Waverly's finish line pictures at The Woodlands Marathon - as credentialed media - being used on marathonguide.com.

13.)  The U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon experience.

14.)  Working any Running Alliance Sport event with a great volunteer team and being able to be a part of donating $85,000 to charity in 2012.

15.)  Getting to meet Camille Herron and Jeffrey Eggleston at The Woodlands Marathon and reconnecting with Michael Wardian after seeing him at Western States, Boston and even a 5K in Washington, D.C.

16.)  The road trip with Bill Dwyer to Mississippi and Alabama for me to run the Mississippi Blues Marathon and watch Adrienne Langelier and Rebecca Massie compete on a relay together the following day at the First Light Marathon in Mobile.

17.)  Flawless race announcing performance at Texas 10 Conroe, perhaps my best of the year even with handling Nike Cross Regionals and interviewing Leo Manzano.

18.)  And, yes, even an hour and a half in the medical tent at the Bryan-College Station Marathon, but more importantly, my best friends waiting to make sure that I was OK.

Additionally, a few friends - Tony Allison, Geri Henry and Susan Rouse - completed their 50 state journeys this year all of The Woodlands.

And its been good to see Bill get his Volte Endurance Training group off the ground and start to be successful.

Plus there were some things that I was fortunate enough to be able to do and be involved in that either nobody knows about or very few do, and I prefer that it stays that way.

If I slighted anyone, my apologies.  It wasn't intended.  I could probably come up with something positive from every event that I was involved with or attended, but that would take a few extra hours.

Lots of fun in 2012 and lots in store for 2013.

Philadelphia Marathon Race Report

I told my friend, Leanne Rosser, that Philadelphia "isn't a PR course". 

Having done it twice before, I felt like the course had some of what I call "texture" - or "terrain" - to it and that it wasn't the easiest in the world.

Nonetheless, Leanne PR'd on Sunday by 17 minutes with a dazzling 4:34 in her fifth career marathon.

And I put enough together to post my sixth-best marathon finish out of the 46 that I've completed with a 5:02:21 effort.

Before I decided to do this marathon for the third time in three years, I had accepted the opportunity to announce for the Nike Cross South Regional at Bear Branch Sports Park in The Woodlands, which was the day before.

There was a 1:30 p.m. flight, but that would have been cutting it way close or - as it turned out with the awards ceremony, which included an interview with 2012 U.S. Olympic silver medalist Leo Manzano - next to impossible. 

So a 7:30 p.m. flight, which would land at close to midnight Eastern time, is what it would be.

Fortunately, Waverly and I both got upgraded to first class.  And after being on my feet for six and a half hours Saturday morning, I ended up sleeping soundly on the United flight to the City of Brotherly Love.

We were in our room at about 12:45 a.m. and I think I ended up getting about three hours of additional sleep.  We were out of the hotel room by 5:15 a.m. and on our way toward the Philadelphia Mueseum of Art, where the corrals would back up to.

After a little nervous time of securing parking, getting my packet from my good friend, Rob Jones, and waiting in the car (in the heat) and with Waverly, Leanne and her husband, Jim, we were in the corrals a little after 7 a.m.

Philadelphia is just atrocious on their corral management. 

Last year, in the last or next-to-last, I think it took 22 minutes to cross the start line.  This year, it turned out to be 36 minutes.  Crazy! 

However, in all reality, there are places during the first six and a half miles that would be major bottlenecks if everyone was sent at once -- or in just two waves like the Chevron Houston Marathon does.

And, then, we also realized that those who didn't get to run the ING New York City Marathon earlier in the month had their own specially-created corral.  Guess that it was worth it for the $200 they paid - on top of the $255 or greater that was lost on NYC.

Leanne and I sliced and diced our way through the first mile while she was trying to "hold back".  Yeah right.  She was ahead of me and I passed the marker in just under 10 minutes.

Mile 1 -- 9:59:28

I had a little bit of an inkling that it wasn't going to be another 4:48 Maine Marathon day; however, I also knew that at mile 6 or so, when I saw Waverly, that I was going to have to shed my outer layer.

Mile 2 -- 11:15.85 (21:15)
Mile 3 -- 9:07.63 (30:22)
Mile 4 -- 10:24.81 (40:47)
Mile 5 -- 10:21.79 (51:09)
Mile 6 -- 10:50.96 (1:02:00)

I saw Jim (Leanne's husband), Lysa (Rob's wife) and Waverly at probably the 10K point.  Lysa proceeded to tell me that I was on a 4:29 pace.  I told her, "Not today."  I wasn't being negative.  I appreciated the feedback, for sure, but I've run enough of these to know when it isn't going to be my day.

Mile 7/8 -- 21:47.21 (1:23:47)
Mile 9 -- 10:52.17 (1:34:39)
Mile 10 -- 11:39.43 (1:46:19)

The three previous miles included some hills, but I didn't feel as if it was as difficult as it had been in year's past.  I suppose, though, that mile 10 told a little bit of a different story.

Mile 11 -- 10:36.44 (1:56:55)
Mile 12 -- 10:40.75 (2:07:36)

Even though the mile splits were the same as earlier in the race, the miles, as I came up upon the Philadelphia Museum of Art, started to get harder.

Mile 13 -- 10:54.13 (2:18:30)

I saw Waverly at the mile 13 marker, gave her a kiss, as usual, and told her that it was going to be close to five (5) hours.

Mile 14 -- 11:00.75 (2:29:31)
Mile 15 -- 11:30.53 (2:41:01)
Mile 16 -- 11:10.38 (2:52:12)

Miles 14-16 run along the Schuykill River and are flat, but there was a gradual slowdown.  This was similar to the race two years before, where I finished in 4:51.  I also needed to go to the restroom, but I couldn’t find a port-a-pottie that was open and not allow me to lose major time.

Mile 17 -- 12:27.62 (3:04:39)

There was an aid station just before we made a left-hand turn to go over a bridge that went over the River, where the 17-mile marker was at.  At the end of the mile before, I started to do what I call, "the marathon math".  So it was 2:52:12 plus 10 miles times 16 minutes equals approximately 5:34 - with two (2) minutes for the final .2 miles.

Mile 18 -- 11:46.35 (3:16.26)
Mile 19 -- 12:12.82 (3:28:38)
Mile 20 -- 12:13.99 (3:40:52)

Mile 19 ended on the way into Manayunk and mile 20 was early as we moved through its "downtown area".  In between, I saw fellow The Woodlands Running Club member Geri Henry.  Geri and (former TWRC president) Tony Allison both were finishing their 50 states marathon journey.  As soon as I could tell it was her, I hollered as loud as I could, "Ladies and gentleman, Geri Henry from The Woodlands, Texas is finishing her 50 states in marathons today".

I think most people got a kick out of it.  One woman asked me how many that I had.  I said, "30", but the only thing about 30 that I wanted at that time was to be finished in 30 minutes!

Mile 21 -- 12:52.50 (3:53:45)
Mile 22 -- 13:03.06 (4:06:48)
Mile 23 -- 12:43.12 (4:19:31)
Mile 24 -- 12:20.41 (4:31:51)

These four miles took a lot to keep from walking all of the distance.  I wanted to get it done as quick as I could.  One gentleman, who passed me at around mile 9 and had been following me (and my pace) there, saw me again after I passed him late in mile 21 and we chit-chatted off and on until he got far enough ahead of me going in to the last two miles.

Mile 25 -- 13:58.97 (4:45:24)
Mile 26 -- 14:17.07 (5:00:08)
Last .2 -- 2:13.05 (5:02:21)

Just like 2010, I realized that I wasn't going to break five (5) hours like I didn't get my PR that day; however, I still was pleased with a 5:02 given the seven-week layoff from my prior marathon. 

My plan has been to run a marathon every three to four weeks as part of my Rocky Raccoon preparation for February.  However, when it wasn’t wise to try to fly out of Boston as Hurricane Sandy – or “Superstorm” Sandy, rather – was going to beginning thrashing the northeast Coast and wreaking havoc on the airlines, I thought that missing the Cape Cod Marathon might set me back worse than it did.

I could have pushed through and gotten under five hours, but none of this means that much to me.  It is all something that I do to 1.) keep my weight in check as much as I can and 2.) have fun.

I may add Bryan-College Station to the dance card and one of Steve Boone’s marathon on the December 21-22 weekend, but we’ll see how things go, including my weekly trips to the chiropractor and upcoming Pilates sessions to help strengthen my core before the first weekend of February.

After the race, I went back to the hotel to sleep a little and get cleaned up before Waverly and I had dinner with Leanne, her husband, Jim, one of her sons and her best friend from Virginia.  We had a really good time before we made our way Monday morning over to visit my grandparents.

Race Announcing: A Little Insight

The first weekend of this month, I announced two brand new races - Texas 10 Conroe, part of the new Texas 10 Series, on Saturday, November 3 and the Pleasure Island Bridge Half Marathon in Port Arthur the following day.

I had a lot of fun doing both.  It is something that I enjoy doing, but it is also something that I don't think people realize that takes as much work as it does.

And it is also something that I'm very, very thankful and fortunate that I get the opportunity to do.  I actually believe that my ability to exhort (speech or discourse that encourages, incites or earnestly advises) is a spiritual gift, as referenced in Romans 12.

For me, there's more that goes into it than just announcing the names of finishers as they come to (ideally) or cross the finish line.  Don't get me wrong, it is a lot of that, but there's more to it.

Because of my race directing experience, I, in essence, become a de facto start and finish line manager, but I believe that the events and race directors that I work with realize it is an added value that I provide over others.

While I very much respect the trained professionals who have great and skilled voices - as well as name recognition at a major market radio or television station, I work very hard to bring a myriad of skills necessary - along with a knowledgable voice - to properly project a race's image and its ability to "do things right" - or first-class.

I read in the recent November/December issue of Running Times an atricle by Pete Magill where he said that "back in the day" runners asked for three things:  start a race on time, an accurately measured course and correct finisher's results.  (And, today, they still do!)

In what I do, I can't take care of the latter two (although I do help timers with discrepancies or missing registration data when a runner cross), but I'm the front line on communicating with all of the appropriate parties to ensure that the event has an on-time start.

I typically aim to start announcing an hour before the event with updates every 10 minutes.  Anything more is overkill.  And when I'm a participant, I hate overkill.  To me, it is unnecessary drivel (and I'm sure that I have a few people that think what I do is drivel!)

I try to - in a very friendly and informative tone - communicate the most salient details that every participant needs to know (how far away - time-wise - we are from the start of the race, where to pick up your packet and/or chip, where to register and when to begin making their way to the start line).

There's always opportunities to thank volunteers and sponsors -- the two parties that make most, if not all, events a success.

The biggest challenge is to not have runners waiting for too long in the chute or at the starting line before the race is to begin.

I always try to aim to have - unless the race director wants something specifically different - runners to be or to begin being queued up 10 minutes before the start of the race.  I know that they're not going to be still until about 7-8 minutes away and that pre-race ceremonies - unless there's a color guard involved presenting the colors - typically don't last more than 4-5, which gives me a 2- to 3-minute buffer.

But you always have to be ready for the unexpected.

At the Toughest 10K Galveston, the second race of the Texas Bridge Series, we knew that parking was going to be tight with the incredible turnout (1,500+ pre-registered).  We communicated over and over before the race to be parked by 6:30 a.m. (a 7:30 a.m. start), but even with the team's best efforts there were still cars backed up on the Causeway at 7:05 a.m.

We - working with race director Robby Sabban - had brought in Other Brother's Peter Manry to do a lot of the pre-race announcement work that morning because of the need to throw all key resources at the parking solution.

We had the start line inflatable blown up on the side of the road because the road was still open to traffic.  But magically, just a minute or two before 7:20 a.m., all the cars were clear from the Causeway Bridge and the road just south of the runners -- and we were set to go, got the prayer and the National Anthem off and ... started on-time.

At the Texas 10 Conroe, everything lined up perfect for an on-time start, but during the National Anthem, I was notified that some things weren't secure on the course.

But because of a sound timeline, clear communications and all of the right people at the start in the right place, the delay - on the course - ended up being minimal and we got started maybe no more than three (3) minutes late.  Not too bad, and not enough to generate any complaints (I hope!).

The curve that we had in Port Arthur was that there was a line of showers that came through in the middle of the race, which meant that the advance mats and the reader had to be taken down.  I had to move my sound equipment under cover and then we had to improvise on the awards ceremony, but having an experienced team like IAAP out of San Antonio and flexible race directors like Rich and Amie James, who also put on The Gusher Marathon in Beaumont each March, made the shift in the pre-race plan rather painless.

Beyond that, for me, it is all about trying to make sure that I call people's names correctly and clearly and then communicate post-race necessities - once again, without overkill.

If I can add something, based on what I know about the individual - or even something that pops into my head, I will, but I try not to force things too much.

My philoposphy is that if nothing is said about what I do, then that's a win for the event (and I've done my job).  It fits into the description of a race being "well-organized".

I very strongly believe that an announcer can take away from an event's image by coming across as unprofessional or as I put it, "hokey"; however, I try to make sure that every event that I'm asked to do that I present a touch of quality and class that is a very, very small part of a participant coming back to do that event the next year.

The most fun thing of it all is when I know something about someone (a recent result, their birthday or something about where they're from) and it surprises them.  That, to me, is an intanigble that very few other announcers can bring to an event.

My biggest pet peeve?  Oh boy.  Yes, even I have them.  If you come up and ask me to call somebody "Pookie Bear" when they come across the finish line, that is just not going to happen. 

The other is interrupting my rhythm or train of thought in processing all of the information that I have coming at me by self-announcing your name before I get to it.  I'll then just ignore it.

I really make a very concerted effort to do my best for each and every runner that comes to a finish line and recognize their accomplishment in an encouraging and professional manner, but a few things challenge me every now and then.

And finally, if I'm doing an event that isn't using a reader mat, there's one thing that you have working in your favor by knowing me:  It is probably pretty safe that you're going to get your name called!

See you at the races!

Charity Towards ING NYC Marathoners - A Sliding Scale Of Its Own

I went to marathonguide.com on Thursday to see if there might be an event that I could get to on Sunday, November 11 and pick up another state.

The first story on the site's home page was about the Philadelphia Marathon, which I'll run next Sunday, opening up 3,000 additional slots for runners affected by Mayor Bloomberg's decision to shuttle this year's ING New York City Marathon.

Great publicity, of course, at first blush.  Everybody seems to be getting in on the act, including those events that issued a $25 discount within 60 seconds after the announcement.

Philadelphia, after seeing its 350 remaining charity slots gobbled up rather quickly, decided to make a tenfold addition - and oddly enough at the mayor's direction.

The City of Brotherly Love's charity requirement isn't as high as other events, but the $200 entry fee - of which $100 will be donated to New York City and New Jersey-area charities - seemed rather high for individuals who had just spent $250 or more to run New York City.

So I did a quick pass of those events slated for this weekend, Saturday, November 10 and Sunday, November 11 to see how they compared to Philadelphia.

The Soldier Marathon in Columbus/Fort Benning, Georgia (11/10) welcomed New York City Marathoners for free.

Sunday's Marshall University Marathon in Huntington, West Virginia gave runners a $40 online entry fee through Thursday, November 8.

Santa Barbara International Marathon, run on Saturday, offered a $50 registration for the first 300.

Pensacola Marathon's fee was already only at $75, but advised runners that they would mail a different race shirt and their medal to them at a later time.

Similarly, the Anthem Richmond Marathon indicated that they would mail medals for the additional registrations expected to come from New York City runners.

The Fort Worth Marathon on Sunday offered a special discount code for an $80 entry fee.

The Malibu International Marathon were letting runners in at their early bird rate.  $109.  So what's the current rate?  $145, including the $10 tax per runner for the city of Malibu.

And finally, the Competitor Group's Rock 'N' Roll San Antonio Marathon was giving NYC runners a 20 percent discount -- from its current $150 rate, but they were matching the $30 discount with a donation of their own to charity.

Houston Half Marathon Race Report

I was set to run the Cape Cod Marathon today, but the unpredictably of return travel to Houston Monday morning, as planned, hastened a decision to bypass it.  State no. 31 for marathon finishes will come another day.

Instead I drove to Luke's Locker on West Gray, just west of downtown, and registered for today's Houston Half Marathon.  Keith Willhelm, who was once again working late registration, told me that I had arrived just in time as they were down to about 50 entries.

It would be the third straight year that I have run the Houston Half. 

That's equal to the number of years that they've had the current course that runs up and down Allen Parkway to Shepherd and up and down Memorial Drive to Loop 610.

The Houston Striders, who have managed the race for many years, did a pretty solid job.

The volunteers that can make or break any event - those who work the aid stations - did an excellent job and it appeared that all had plenty of fluids.

I personally don't care much about post-race beer (I don't drink) and food, the medal and such, but my pet peeves revolve around image.

Two things caught my attention -- generic bibs and starting line sound.

I don't know either situation specifically with this race, although I have a strong suspicion on the first.

I'm a big fan of custom bibs.  I strongly dislike when I do a race that has partnered with a running specialty store and they use their generic bibs.  I'd almost step up and sponsor a smaller race's bibs just to avoid that!  (And the smaller races - under 1,000 - that I've been involved with I have.)

However, the timer, Jack McClintic's Run Houston Timing, was using the disposable IPICO device instead of the wafer card on the shoe.  Because I'm involved in races with a timer who uses the same system, they only have a certain inventory of chips.  I don't know if Jack's inventory is less than 3,500.  (I can ask.)

But the disposable IPICO chip takes a larger bib to apply it to the back of.

I just don't know when the timing of the bib order, etc.

A generic bib, of course, isn't a showstopper for me, but I'd like to see better.

Not enough starting line sound?  That can be avoided.  Trust me.  I know.

I have a JBL EON single speaker unit that cost a little under $1,000.  In the past, for the Toughest 10K Kemah, it has been OK to use to start the race - and finish line announce.  This year, though, was probably questionable based on having Waverly go to where the back of runners would be - and the sound was muffled.

When we started to plan for the Toughest 10K Galveston, I told Robby Sabban that mine wouldn't be enough and we engaged Peter Manry with "Other Brother" and his setup.  (We also did this because Peter is very good at what he does and I needed to be free to troubleshoot issues - and both paid off.)

But when you have 3,500 registrants (probably 3,100 made it to the starting line) - and when I clear the start line in a minute and a half - and you can't hear the person singing the National Anthem very well, it is a problem.

Do the math.  3,500 entries times average price of $60.  That's $210,000.  Somewhere in a six-figure budget, you can hire enough sound for that.

No big deal on the lack of a finish line announcer.  With 3,500 runners, if you don't have an advance mat, it is a crapshoot.  I can speak from experience.

So, now to the racing.

I ran a 30:16 5K Saturday morning and then added another hour on the treadmill - 6 miles - early that afternoon.  (I am getting ready for a 100-miler ... lol)

Therefore, I didn't know how things would turn out, but I knew that the cold weather should work in my favor compared to the past two humidity-stifling Houston Half Marathons.

My biggest challenge lately is that I've worked, especially while on the treadmill, on increasing my foot turnover and trying to run steady.  However, I'll inadvertently speed up, get ahead where I am aerobically and be forced to walk.  And repeat, over and over.

Mile 1 - 9:34.77

Large crowd and the wide street kept it kind of easy.  Joked with a Katy Fit coach who had Canadian Deb on the back of her shirt that they didn't sing "Oh Canada" for her.

Mile 2 - 9:43.39

We made the turn and headed back north and before we made it to the mile marker, I saw Jim Braden from The Woodlands.  Jim and I both passed Boris Balic, a long-time Chevron Houston Marathon veteran; however, Boris has a long-standing tradition of banditing races.  He didn't show up in the official results today.

Mile 3 - 10:09.35

A guy passed me who recognized my Maine Marathon shirt and acknowledged that he was there at the end of last month as well.  Pretty neat.

Mile 4 - 10:19.34

During one of these two miles, I passed a gentleman who had a Toughest 10K Kemah hat on.  I thanked him for running the race.  We talked a little bit about the event, its logistics, et. al., and I let him go.  This mile also included both underpasses at Montrose and Waugh.

Mile 5 - 10:10.31

Held in pretty solid to the mile marker, which put me on to Memorial Drive after crossing Shepherd.

Mile 6 - 10:40.43
Mile 7 - 9:56.98

Unless the marker was slightly off, I struggled in mile 6.  Not sure if I was already starting to run out of gas, but I picked the pace back up in the next mile as I started to see the leaders - and other folks that I know.

Cassie Mondragon noticed this trend during the 2010 Houston Half.  She said that whenever I saw somebody I knew, I ran faster.

I was looking for my friend, Kimberly Mac Namee.  The women's leader, who had a Zapata Running singlet on, was far ahead, but a little while later Virigina Jones passed with Kim and Laura Bennett within a step or two of each other.

I shouted loudly, "Go Kim Hager".  When you're excited and going into oxygen debt, you revert back to what you know the most!  It must have gotten Laura fired up, as Kim told me after the race that Laura passed her and that Kim couldn't overtake her until mile 13.

Mile 8 - 10:15.56

In miles 7 and 8, I saw Lisa Yarrow, Lance Collins, Jacob Tonge, Ed Fry, Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger, Lisa Fletcher and Vincent Attanucci.  At the turnaround just before Loop 610, I saw Kimberly McClintic overseeing the timing equipment - interestingly placed around the turn almost to where you couldn't see it at all - and she said, "It is a great day for a run."  I responded, "I hope so for a little longer. We'll see."  A guy to the right of me chuckled.

Mile 9 - 10:46.50

This mile is a fairly flat stretch, but it was my slowest mile.

Mile 10 - 10:23.70
Mile 11 - 10:34.18
Mile 12 - 10:37.66

The next three miles were pretty lackluster.  The only person that I noticed was Cypress' Thomas Des Lauriers, who runs the Seabrook Lucky Trails half marathons on both days every year.

Mile 13 - 9:07.27
Last .1 - 2:21.93

The last tenth of a mile marker was off, but I averaged 10:03 in the last 1.1 to finish off in 2:14:42 - my 9th best of 86 career half marathons.  Run Houston Timing had me at 2:14:39.

I said in my Facebook status that I ran like crap, but I still ended up with a good time.

I would have been trying to run about a 10:45 for as long as I could have had I been running the Cape Cod Marathon, but I guess that I can deal with a 10:17 per mile effort.  And it was only five minutes off of my PR.

Next up?  Right now, my third attempt at the Philadelphia Marathon in three weeks.

Late Year Checkpoint

Things always seem like a busy time for me, but that's because I tend to choose to stay busy.

I'm very thankful of the things that I'm given the opportunity to do. And a lot of times, I do a lot of juggling to try and make them all happen.

I had the quality vs. quantity argument thrown at me many, many years ago.

My response six years later is this: In the end, nobody is going to remember what race I did or what my time was, they will just remember what kind of person I was.

I'm not perfect. I've hurt some people - not maliciously, although I'm sure they probably think otherwise - yet I've been hurt too. Maybe causing some of the former.

I've been mocked before, "You'll hurt Jon's feelings." Sure, I'm a sensitive guy, but I credit my daughter for that - and my mother for the rest.

It doesn't mean that I haven't experienced failure or disappointment. I've had my fair share.

Probably more than some and not as much as others, but as I'm writing this I'm in as good of a spot as I've been in a few years.

So what's gone by the wayside?

My work has pretty much eliminated most of my writing. I just don't have time to invest to write with the informative style that I enjoy. It takes time to research and track down the information that I need.

I've been very fortunate to do a very good job at what I do for a living over the last 18 months. It is what allows for me to be able to fund Waverly's education.

Therefore, the (Conroe) Courier column that I wrote for almost five years, my columns with Texas Runner and Triathlete, editing HARRA's Footprints and even some of my blog entries have all paid the price.

If I was concerned about my popularity, maybe I'd be more disappointed about not doing much of that anymore. Have you heard of the term, "Under the radar?" I think I've trademarked it.

Nevertheless, I still get to do some of those things here and there.

I have probably moved more into event management and some of its various roles.

Gone also is most of my race directing days. Some personal challenges took two of the three races out of play for me over the last two years while it may have also affected a third. That's yet to be seen.

However, those abilities are leveraged for quite a few number of events:

+ Running Alliance Sport and its founder, Robby Sabban. It is probably fair to say that I've earned Robby's trust enough to handle RAS' communications and social media endeavors - short of the web site (which is admirably handled by Susan Bell and BJ Pearce). In addition, I'm part of a group that works from a strategy standpoint. 2012 has been a great year and discussions have begun for 2013.

+ The Woodlands Marathon. I handle media relations for this event. I appreciate the trust that Willie Fowlkes, Rick Frank, Don Wisenbaker and Danny Golden have placed in me.

+ The Gusher Marathon and the Pleasure Island Bridge Half Marathon and their founders and race directors, Richard and Amie James. They're doing great work in the Golden Triangle area and I've started to assist them by doing their race announcing for them. Great, compassionate and humble individuals that are doing really good things in their communities to inspire others to strive and make healthy lifestyle changes.

+ The Galveston Marathon. Jana and Kevin Landry are the race directors and are co-owners with Jay Lee of On The Run in Clear Lake. I finish line announced the inaugural event in 2011, but wasn't able to because of Rocky Raccoon this February. However, it is a week before Rocky this year and I'm looking forward to doing it again. Jana has intimated me doing the Space City 10-Miler if I'd like to, but I usually like to run it. Even with hating the typical humidity off the coast.

+ Roxanne Davis. In a few weeks, I'll get to once again race announce Thanksgiving Day's GE Run Thru The Woods. She actively embraced Bill Dwyer and my efforts to promote that weekend's races that she coined our Friends of the Running Community named so that we didn't have to put our names out there.

+ Texas 10 Series. After earning Willie's trust a few years ago, he let me finish line announce CB&I in 2010 and then I did it again in 2011 after he left Parks and Rec with The Woodlands Township. The first race is this coming weekend in Conroe and I'm hoping to bring my best "A game" to do a few more of the races that he, Rick Frank, Angie Henderson and Aaron Palaian are putting together.

+ Muddy Trails 5K. I've done this the last two years for The Woodlands Township, but we'll see if 2013 will happen after I stepped away from CB&I this year after a personal issue in the community. Kelly Deitrich and Angel Nicks really treat me well and I appreciate their enthusiasm and enjoy working with them.

+ Nike South and Nike Cross Regionals. Thanks to Jo Ann Blakeley, I get to move into high school cross country meets. I'm very thankful to have done an excellent job - with some great help from Raul and Meghan Najera with Run-Far -- at October's Nike South and am looking forward to a bigger stage even with the Nike Cross Regionals in three weeks (Saturday, November 17).

+ Texas Marathon. Steve and Paula Boone are great friends of Waverly and I. They've been so generous with their friendship that spending much of January 1 with them as much like Christmas with family.

And all of this doesn't even include the work that I'm geting back involved with regarding Texas private and parochial high school athletics again.

And along the way, I meet so many great and positive people.

There's only one thing - in my control - that would stop me from doing much or all of it and that's pretty easy to figure out.

And God knows that I've failed in that arena too.

I'm just trying my best to please God, be a good Dad, be a good friend to those who are able to reciprocate their friendship and be happy. It is of great comfort to know that your daughter - in her faith - is where I believe God wants and needs her to be.

I apologize for waxing poetic a little bit here, but I'm an indvidual that tends to need to get it out of my system - and this is the best way to do so.

Thanks for reading!

Lemm's Harvest Trail 5K's a Gem in Spring

Sometimes even the most jaded runner or triathlete - and I know a few - need to do an event like this morning's second annual Lemm's Harvest Trail 5K - supporting Klein ISD's Lemm Elementary School - in Spring.

It was what grass roots running and a small town Americana feel was all about.

I was a little surprised to see Sam Houston State University professor John Slate there, but he told me that a recent injury was keeping him from running the hills that predominate this morning's Huntsville Half Marathon (and companion events).

Even though he did Sunday's Harbor Half Marathon in Corpus Christi.

I then met H-E-B's Sean Robertson, who has done a number of Robby Sabban's races and mentioned the Texas Bridge Series before I told him that I was invovled with the events. 

Hmmm ... marketing works!

The start and finish line is just south of Lemm Elementary and near the Forest Oaks Swim & Racquet Club - also the home of Harris County Water Control & Improvement District 110.

But there are private trails and a park just south of the Enchanted Oaks and Lakes of Cypress Forest subdivisions that are really an oasis tucked away from the bustling Interstate 45.

The small town Americana feel?  The local boy scout troop presented the colors and it was pleasantly evident that these young boys were getting their earliest forms of patriotic indoctrination.

However, they'll likely be our next policemen, fire fighters, soldiers and hopefully government and community leaders.

The National Anthem was played and we were off on the two-loop, mixed-surface (asphalt and crushed granite) trail. 

There was a little terrain to half of the course on each loop and the cool air stung the lungs a little bit for the first time this fall season, but all in all it made me glad that I was going to try and squeeze it in before tomorrow's scheduled Cape Cod Marathon.

My time was a pedestrian 30:16 - evidence of work- and health-abbreviated training the last two to three weeks post-Maine Marathon, but I'm glad that I went.

Keep an eye out for this event in 2013. 

There were about 100 or so signed up - I was bib number 111 and didn't get a T-shirt (believe me, I have more than a small village), but it would easily withstand about 300-400 runners.

These types of races are the kind that are worth giving up a couple or three or four Starbucks and supporting a local community cause that makes healthy lifestyle choices appealing to young people.

Have a great Saturday!

Busy Times Ahead

Lots of busy times ahead, but many that will also likely promise good times too.

Saturday, I’ll take part in a small 5K close to the house.  It is the Lemm’s Harvest Trail 5K, which is hosted by Lemm Elementary that is part of the Klein Independent School District.

The 7:30 a.m. start will allow for me to make it home, shower and head to the airport for an 11 a.m. flight to Boston.

And that will deposit me close to East Falmouth, Massachusetts, the start of Sunday’s Cape Cod Marathon.  Going for state no. 31.

The following weekend – November 3-4 – will be a double race announcing weekend as I’ll be calling a pair of inaugural races -- the Texas 10 Series race in Conroe on Saturday followed by the Pleasure Island Bridge Half Marathon and 10K in Port Arthur on Sunday.

Willie Fowlkes, Rick Frank, Angie Henderson and Aaron Palaian manage the Texas 10 Series while Rich and Amie James are the race directors of the new race in the Golden Triangle.

Waverly will sing the National Anthem at Saturday’s event in Conroe.

Saturday, November 10, I will be helping Beth Whitehead with the sixth anniversary Run For Hans 5K at Barbara Bush Elementary in The Woodlands.

I missed the original Run For Hans 5K in 2006 while working in Vancouver, British Columbia. 

It brought out over 600 runners and walkers in support of Hans Weberling, a blond-haired young boy who was fighting a rare form of cancer, neuroblastoma.

Recently and sadly, Hans passed away and his parents will be making the trip in from Seattle for the fundraiser for the Children’s Neuroblastoma Cancer Foundation.

I think Sunday, November 11 is an off day!  This means I’ll be in church to enjoy Waverly singing as part of the worship team at North Park Baptist Church in Humble.

Announcing at the Nike Cross Regionals the following Saturday, November 17 at Bear Branch Sports Park in The Woodlands is a big deal.  Later that afternoon, Waverly and I will board a plane to Philadelphia for me to run the Philadelphia Marathon the next day for the third year in a row.

There will be a large contingent from the area, including Leanne Rosser and Scott Campbell, as Geri Henry and Tony Allison will be completing their 50 states there.

And, then, Thanksgiving week brings the 7th annual Montgomery County Triple with Run Thru The Woods on Thanksgiving Day followed by the City of Conroe Turkey Trot 5K on Friday and Run The Woodlands 5K on Saturday.

All for the coveted Pine Cone Award!

I’ll be race announcing Run Thru The Woods and Waverly will be singing the National Anthem.

A big deep breath is needed for Sunday, December 2 and the third annual La Porte By The Bay Half Marathon – the third and final race of the Texas Bridge Series.

Needless to say, there’ll probably be some place to run on Saturday, December 1.  It is just how those things tend to work out.

Like I said, having fun!

Maine Marathon Race Report

Sunday's Maine Marathon was a very satisfying run for me.

Lots of people I know, of course, have run a lot faster than I did on Sunday, but I about cried after crossing the finish line and having seen a gun time of 4:49:59 just before doing so.

It wasn't one of those magical races, like my PR (4:47:32) race in Austin at the Freescale Marathon in February 2006, but it was one that I worked pretty hard to achieve.

My chip time on my watch was 4:48:44, but the event credited me with a 4:48:42 finish.  They are the kind of numbers that sound really nice less than 24 hours after the race.

And while many have been tempted to try and agonize over the 71 seconds short of my PR, I choose not to.  Why?  I entered the race with no set expectations, nor time goal.

So the time was just a blessing of a well-managed race.

One of the two mantras that I had in my head all day was, "Manage the distance.  Don't let the distance manage you."  And now I remember the other, it was "Run within myself."

There were times that I felt really strong, but I knew that I would jeopardize the entire race if I expended my energy foolishly in a short-lived sense of pride.

I probably heard the first mantra from either Bill Dwyer or Kim Hager, but it really helped me to stay focused while having a good day.

On any other day, I would have stopped around mile 11 to get a hug from my friend, Angela Tortorice of Dallas, who did the early start at 6 a.m. after running the New Hampshire Marathon the day before (yes, she's crazy), but I was running with a lot of confidence at that point.

After passing through the first 13 miles in 2:18:43, I knew that I had run a lot of marathons where the time on the back half was far greater than that on the front half.  But it was about taking the race a mile at a time and trying to nail as many 11-minute miles or better as possible.  Or just keep "running within myself".  :-)

One of the things that I didn't do, though, was miss a water stop.  I've learned that even on a cool day with rain that you still need to manage the fluid intake like any other long distance race.

To that end, I succeeded.  I took in lots of Gatorade to make up for not carrying a Gu or anything.

And surprisingly I didn't cramp despite a solid hour on the stationary bike Friday afternoon in the gym that had left my calves tight.

It looked as if we might dodge the rain for a little bit, as we were set to start just off the campus of the University of Southern Maine, but as the National Anthem was performed the rains started to fall.

The first two miles (10:36 and 10:29) came easily, even though it was hard to run the tangents on a wide street filled with runners doing both the marathon and half.  In mile three, I had to find a quick bush near a highway overpass to duck behind, but still managed an even 11-minute mile.  And then followed with an even 10-minute mile for mile four.

The one thing that is nice about the generally out-and-back course that race officials had put together is that the road surface primarily is asphalt that is as smooth as could be.  No dodging potholes and such.  With the rain, the only real danger were manhole covers -- and the potential to slip on them.

Otherwise, it is basically a fairly flat course with some slight undulations in the middle.

The end of miles 10 and 17 is where you get the biggest incline in the road to overcome going out and back.  My mile 10 to mile 11 was 11:16 to 10:18 and mile 17 was 11:50 booked between a pair of 10:44 miles.

I started to run out of gas in mile 21, which was one of only three 12-minute miles.  But even then, it was just a 12:01.  And mile 25 was only 12:04.

I think one of the things that has helped me the most is doing 10 kilometers on the track on Wednesday evenings.  It helps me stay focused because 25 laps around takes a little discipline to finish, and it is discipline that helped me push through some pain on Sunday that I had from not taking any pain medication prior to the race and wearing shoes that I had been racing shorter distances in.

In the end, I was most happy about nearly an even split in the front (2:19:50) and back (2:28:52) halves.

I was also happy that I didn't let any negative self-talk take over during the race.  I seem to be getting more mentally strong as each marathon goes by.

The scenery in the far northeast part of the country is incredible, but you don't pay too much attention to it while trying to run through rain beading up on your glasses constantly.  (Yes, no hat!)

The volunteers at this marathon are truly incredible.  Plenty of water stops with both Gatorade and water.  The only negative, albeit slight, is that the order of the fluids flip-flopped occasionally from one stop to the next.  Minor detail on a well-managed race.

It wouldn't be a race report without a few stats:

+  Second fastest marathon ever - just 70 (or 72) seconds off the 4:47:32 from Austin in 2006.

+  Fifth time under five (5) hours from 45 marathon finishes. (January 2005, February 2006, November 2010, October 2011 and today.)

+  30 states for marathons and 37 for half marathons.

+  5th time where I ran the same event to record a half and a marathon in a particular state (Little Rock, AR; Sioux Falls, SD; Greenville, SC; Oklahoma City, OK and Portland, ME). 

And for those of you still reading, here are my splits:

Mile 1 -- 10:35.74
Mile 2 -- 10:29.29
Mile 3 -- 11:00.73 (quick stop to pee)
Mile 4 -- 10:08.17
Mile 5/6 -- 21:15.03

Mile 7 -- 10:40.63
Mile 8 -- 10:39.13
Mile 9 -- 10:28.05
Mile 10 -- 11:16.49
Mile 11 -- 10:18.40
Mile 12 -- 10:58.34

Mile 13 -- 10:53.09 (~2:18:43)
Mile 14 -- 10:54.62
Mile 15 -- 11:02.25
Mile 16 -- 10:44.66
Mile 17 -- 11:50.50
Mile 18 -- 10:44.88

Mile 19 -- 11:09.49
Mile 20 -- 10:52.06 (~3:36:01)
Mile 21 -- 12:01.19
Mile 22 -- 11:06.12
Mile 23 -- 11:34.78

Mile 24 -- 11:54.82
Mile 25 -- 12:04.54
Last 1.2 -- 14:01.00

Thanks for reading!

Lake Houston 10K (Kingwood) Race Report

I wasn't completely sure of the objective when I originally signed up for the Lake Houston 10K, but I figured that it would be another opportunity to push myself a little bit and continue to see where I stand as part of the long build-up for Rocky Raccoon 100 in February.

I had a couple of good workouts this week, but my sleep has been erratic recently.  However, I'm thankful that I have no major stress in my life.  It hasn't been that way in a long, long time.

I enjoy racing as much as I do because invariably it is time that I get to socialize with friends that I wouldn't necessarily do separate things with.

I guess since coming back from Alaska, the humidity has been pretty oppressive to me. 

And it did a number on me on this morning.  Well, that and a rookie mistake.

Two weeks ago, I went to Navasota to run the Blues Capital of Texas 5K with Leanne Rosser and the humidity brought me to a halt a number of times over 3.1 miles.

After the first 6-7 miles last Saturday, during a planned 14-mile run, the humidity left me completely soaked and spent by mile 8.  So much so that I was starting to take chills.

The rookie mistake?  Too much pre-race fuel too close to the start of the race.

Since I've run the Bridgefest 5K in Kingwood before, I knew that this was generally going to be a flat course.

I tried to keep things controlled the first mile, and I was pretty successful with a 9:27.01 mile.

I had the traditional drop-off in mile 2 with a 9:59.02 and with a 10:08.02 third mile, I was sitting at 29:34.05 for three and thought that if I could hold it that I could be close to an hour.

Obviously, the humidity had other thoughts on its mind and my legs wanting to try and run 9:15's but the rest of my body resisting.

Miles 4 and 5 went by in 10:44.14 and 10:58.05 and Curtis Hooper probably saved me from a 1:03-plus by coming out and running with me for a good bit of the 6th mile.

So the final time on my watch was 1:02:56, but the timer had 1:02:42. 

This may very well have been because I remember hitting my watch when people started to move, but am not sure that I did when I crossed the mat.  I thought I did, but possibly not.

A couple of side notes:

I had one of my best friends write me this morning, to follow-up on a post-race conversation, and they said, "You look good -- happy, healthy, and when I saw you running you looked strong and steady."

I think it was somewhere close to the mile 4 marker, but strong and steady had about left the course. 

Healthy?  Generally, I am.  My weight is in a good spot.  Clothes fit well and I'm working out regularly.  I just would like to be in a good spot to be successful in February.

Happy?  That's probably a fair statement too.

My daughter and I had a conversation today after church this morning and I shared with her that I think that people's perception of me is that I'm on top of everything and that life is grand.  But, of course, I have challenges, fears, insecurities and all just like the next person.

Do I purposedly go out of my way to mask them?  No, but if they're greater one day than another, I'll say that I'm "good" as opposed to "well".  I won't lie, but I'll do my best to pick the right word that is truthful.

I had another friend a couple of months back ask me at lunch if I was doing Rocky Raccoon for the belt buckle.  Honestly, I could care less about that and it isn't something that I'm going to wear out anywhere.

Even the one reason that I've joked about a little bit really isn't important either.

And I shared this with Waverly today, I hope to finish it for the same reasons that I was excited for her to do the half marathon that she did at the age of 10 and that was that she could set her mind to something greater than herself whenever she "wanted" to.

With "want" being the operative word.

Never to "want" to be selfish as if to say, "Look at me and look at what I've accomplished and I'm better than you because of it." But rather, I'd like to do that just to see if I can.

I'm very fortunate to be able to finish a marathon at just about anytime.  Not everyone has that specific desire nor drive.  It is a little bit quirky, but it gives me the ability to tell others that if I can, where I'm at, they can if they "want" to.

And if they don't, that's all well and good too.

The "Who was there?" report:

This, of course, is the most fun part, for me.  Because it is easy to forget a race, but hard to forget the people that I come in contact with - even if their life doesn't agree with mine.

I knew Robby Sabban and Richard and Kim Mac Namee were going to be there and I knew that Jack McClintic's timing company was going to be there.  And Jack was there to do the timing himself.

Beyond that, Ron and Karen Berglund from Kingwood; Curtis Hooper and Rick Frank (yes, they kind of go together!); Jay, Kelly and Nathan Oswald; Randy Bradley and Randy Smith from The Woodlands Running Club; George Roffe and Trudy Regnier; Benjamin and Sydney Zywicki; Bob Milligan from BARC and the Clear Lake Fitness Club, and I even talked to Cindy (Middleton), I think, who had been a personal trainer at the Bally's that I go to in Humble.

Really, really good day that was finished off at Hubbell and Hudson in The Woodlands with a visit with Michell Bradie, Mary Carter, Bill Dwyer and Debbie Tripp.

Next up?  The 8th annual Beneezy Purple Monkey 10K in Alvin next Saturday morning.

Two marathons on the dance card as well:  Bozeman (Montana) on Sunday, September 9 and the Maine Marathon (Portland) on Sunday, September 30.