BCRR Runner's Blog

LAST CHANCE: HARRA Houston Marathon Slots Available

2011-12-15T11:47:00.001-06:00

If you are interested in running the Chevron Houston Marathon, on Janaury 15, 2012, and have not registered, this may be your last chance. HARRA has 3 slots left. You must be an HARRA member. You must be registered by tomorrow night. If you qualify, first email Roger Boak, nboka.xc@gmail.com . If there are still slots left, he will give you instructions. HARRA has already purchased the entries, so you will be reimbursing us. Then you will be directed to the marathon website to give them all your information. THIS MUST BE COMPLETED BY FRIDAY AT MIDNIGHT. LAST CHANCE, HURRY

Proposed Changes to Terry Hershey Park will Destroy Trails

2011-11-15T12:35:00.003-06:00

A message from GHORBA (Greater Houston Off-Road Biking Association):

GHORBA needs your help in a grassroots effort to save the forest and trails at Terry Hershey Park. We have recently learned that Harris County Flood Control District, through its Charting Buffalo Bayou Project, intends to implement a plan in which a number of detention basins will be built along the south side of the Bayou from Hwy 6 to Beltway 8. The detention basins will be 3-4 acres in size, possibly both wet and dry bottom.

To build such basins, all the trees will be clear-cut and large volumes of soil removed. This will result in much of the natural-surface trail we call the Anthills being destroyed. Moreover, the forested areas consist of old growth trees and are home to a diverse array of birds, insects and animals. This habitat will be lost and so will an important trail system utilized on a daily basis by hikers, runners, and riders, if the proposal is implemented.

The goal of our governmental entities, both city and county, in attempting to address flooding in Houston is both important and essential as this city continues to grow. However, it is our position, which is supported by many of the residents in the area, that we need to explore solutions which do not involve the destruction of a community asset. Neither the county nor city has engaged user groups and those affected by the proposal in the process.

Moreover, the little information provided by officials and groups involved in the project has been conflicting. We have heard the proposed project is either imminent (as in construction will start next year) or just something they are thinking about and we don't need to worry about.

Given the severe consequences, GHORBA believes it is time to be proactive in letting our representatives know how we feel about the loss of this park asset. Please consider signing the Save the Terry Hershey Park Forest Petition if you live in Houston. In addition, write your city council member, county commissioner or the mayor, and let them know how the this portion of the park is important to you and should be preserved for today and future generations.

For most of us, the ability to escape to our little piece of "green" space is what makes living in such a large city enjoyable, and we cannot avoid to lose more of it.

Thank you,

Bill Rustam
President of GHORBA

Jeff Jeansonne
Platform Virtualization Strategy
PSG Business Notebooks
(281) 514-9807

Mark Fraser Obituary in Houston Chronicle

2011-07-30T00:50:00.004-05:00

Roberta MacInnis has written a very poignant obituary for our beloved friend Mark Fraser for the Houston Chronicle.

read it here

Memorial Service for Mark Fraser

2011-07-29T14:45:00.004-05:00

A memorial service for Mark Fraser will be held at 6:30 pm on Monday, August 1, at First Presbyterian Church, 5300 Main, Houston 77004. Reception to follow.

Mark Frederick Fraser, 54, passed away Tuesday, July 26, 2011, in Houston. Dearly loved by many, Mark was always the one to show up when his friends and family needed help, and he always wanted to make us laugh. Mark was born in East Liverpool, OH, on September 2, 1956, to Fred and Margaret Ellen (Marge) Betz Fraser. He grew up in Wellsville and Calcutta, OH, where he played football and basketball and ran track. He attended the University of Houston and worked for Butcher Company and Swatzell Sales.

Mark was passionate about many things. An avid reader, he spoke with conviction and was a great storyteller. He conceived, wrote, produced, and directed the acclaimed Enron, the Musical, for which he appeared on national television. He was known to say, "I think of something impossible and crazy to do, and Janet helps me do it."

He was there when needed, lending his presence, expertise, humor, and tools to many a DIY project and to the many activities to which he gave his boundless energy. High among his passions was running, and he was an inspiration to others. He was Runner of the Year for three consecutive years in Bayou City Road Runners (BCRR), active in HARRA, the Houston Area Roadrunner Association, and wrote the monthly column, "Running Debate" for Texas Runner. Some of his proudest accomplishments were completing two grueling 100-mile races, the Leadville Trail 100 and the Arkansas Traveler.

Mark is survived by his longtime girlfriend Janet Schneider Sutton, daughter Traci Nicole Fraser, and father Fred Fraser, all of Houston, sons Michael Ferrill Reis and Timothy Robert Fraser of Minneapolis, MN, sister Karen Ann Sullivan and niece Joy of Scottsdale, AZ, 3 grandchildren, and many devoted friends. He was preceded in death by his mother Marge Fraser.

In lieu of flowers, you may make donations to Memorial Park Conservancy, Mark Fraser Fund, PO Box 131024, Houston 77219, 713.863.8403.

"My proudest running accomplishment is: Any day when I have a planned early run, and: it is very hot and humid, I did not get enough sleep, it is raining, or I am sore and tired. Then, I get up anyway, lace up my shoes and run. Any day that happens (which is a lot), I feel proud."

Mark was dearly loved and will be greatly missed.

Mark Fraser Honored by Will's Hills

2011-07-29T13:41:00.014-05:00

THE MARK FRASER WORKOUT:

As many of you know, Mark Fraser did not shrink from rigorous training. (The guy did 100 mile races including the Leadville Trail 100 after all.) The only thing he liked better was making others suffer with him. He was a "regular" at "Will's Hills", an early morning training program run by Will Henderson. He designed a particularly heinous hill-laden workout so distinctive that it was named after him.

This morning, bright and early at Spott's Park, "The Mark Fraser Workout" was run by Will's Hills in honor of its namesake. A huge number of runners from BCRR and the Houston running community participated to pay homage to Mark. (I'm sure his memory is lingering all afternoon in the form of burning thighs and twitching calves ;-)

I'm sure Mark is smiling about this!

HARRA News: Mark Fraser - 1956-2011

2011-07-28T15:21:00.006-05:00

From Ron Morgan, President of HARRA:

"As most of you know by now, our dear friend, fellow runner and board member, Mark Fraser passed away earlier this week. He would normally be the one to send this Enews as he has been doing for the past two years. Mark will be sorely missed by HARRA, the running community, but most of all by his girlfriend Janet Sutton, his daughter Traci and his Dad. Just this past Spring Mark's mom passed away, so this year has been especially hard on the Frasers.

Mark was oh so proud of his daughter Traci. She was a track and cross country star in High School, played soccer and is now about to enter her 4^th year of medical school. What Dad wouldn't be proud of that? She’s also a charming young lady.

I originally appointed Mark to the board about 2 years ago. He had been a vital part of planning and organizing the Party in the Park, and other HARRA events, and I decided he would be a great help on the Board. After serving almost a year and organizing the Party in the Park and the party after the Bayou Bash Relay, we had an opening for Vice President of Communications. Mark was already writing a monthly column (award winning) for Texas Runner & Triathlete (then Inside Texas Running) and I thought writing would be a perfect fit for him. VP Communications also organizes and edits HARRA's section of the magazine. As VP of Communications we started sending out regular Enews bulletins keeping members informed. I think most members welcomed this form of instant communication and Mark took it over and put his own stamp on it.

As he took on the communications responsibilities he worked with Lisa Fletcher to turn over the party job. He still played a large role in getting the parties together. Mark was someone I could always count on when I needed to get something done. When it came time to send 2 of us to the RRCA Convention, Mark asked to go. I thought he would soak up the ideas they present and bring something back for HARRA. This past May we went to Fredericksburg, Virginia and attended the convention.

Mark was a distinguished, runner having completed ultra marathons including 100 milers. He was a 13 year Houston Marathon Veteran. He was Runner of the Year several times for the Bayou City Road Runners. He was a past president of Bayou City Road Runners.

After the fall of Enron, Mark became fascinated with the whole story. He read everything he could get his hands on and wrote a musical about the fall. He produced it, and directed it and although it didn't quite make it to Broadway it did have 2 successful showings at a theater in the Heights and made the national news.

Mark also taught me how to set my side view mirrors so there wouldn't be a blind spot. He entertained us on our runs, and at our parties. On this Sunday past he ran 12 miles in the morning with his usual group.

Mark's family has asked that instead of flowers donations be made to the Memorial Park Conservancy for trail improvements. Anyone wishing to donate can send whatever they can to The Memorial Park Conservancy Mark Fraser Fund P.O. Box 131024 Houston, Texas 77219.

I'm sure I've left something out, and if you have a Mark Fraser story you would like to share, please send it to me."

Alex's 5K on Channel 2 News!

2011-05-18T16:11:00.002-05:00

HARRA Banquet 6/11: Save $$ with Early Sign up

2011-05-17T15:18:00.002-05:00

The annual HARRA Summer Celebration is in a few weeks. Please sign up for the banquet here:

Only $22 now, but the price jumps up to $30 after this Friday, 5/20. Here are the details:

The Annual HARRA Summer Celebration will be Saturday, June 11th at 6pm, at The Cadillac Bar (1802 Shepherd, 77007). This annual party will also serve as HARRA board elections and recognition of the HARRA spring series winners. Included in your registration costs is a fiesta fajita buffet dinner and two (2) beer coupons.
HARRA Summer Celebration and Annual Meeting. - HARRA Calendar of events and races http://www.harra.org/clubportal/redirect.cfm?ID=277211&MID=36335&LID=4969&EID=3743299

Houston Marathon Early Race Registration for Qualifying Runners 5/10 - 5/31/11

2011-05-05T17:03:00.005-05:00

This year, eligible runners will be able to register for the Houston Marathon during an early registration period which opens May 10, 2011 at 8:00 a.m. CT and closes on May 31 at 11:59 p.m. CT.

Once early registration closes on May 31, the above list of runners will no longer be eligible to receive a guaranteed race entry and must enter the lottery for a chance to be selected with the exception of Houston Marathon Veterans (completed 10 or more Houston Marathons) who may register through November 1.

Eligible runners include:

1. NEW! Time qualifiers: Runners who meet time qualification standards are eligible to receive a limited number of guaranteed race entries available during early registration. Finisher times dating back to July 2010 may be used to qualify for early registration. (note: this applies to both the full and half-marathon)

Click here for a list of eligible qualifying races.

Time qualification entries will be limited to the first 2,000 marathon and 1,500 half marathoners who meet these standards and are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

2. Runners who have completed 5+ Houston Marathons: Runners who have completed five or more Houston Marathons are eligible to receive a guaranteed race entry during early regisration.

Click here for a complete list of participants who have completed 5-9 Houston Marathon races.

Click here for a complete list of official Houston Marathon Veterans.

3. Deferred 2011 race registrants: If you deferred your 2011 race entry, you may register during early registration and receive a guaranteed race entry. Click here for a complete list of 2011 deferred registrants.

Deferred registrants will receive an email by Wednesday, May 4 with a registration code and final instructions about how to sign up during early registration.

4. Members designated by the Houston Area Road Runner Association (HARRA): i.e. "The HARRA 500". Please contact HARRA directly.

See Chevron Houston Marathon website for more details

Help Recovery Efforts in Tuscaloosa

2011-05-03T11:19:00.007-05:00

FROM BCRR MEMBER LAUREN WILDER:

"Dear Friends,

As all of you are aware, many parts of the Southeast, including my hometown of Tuscaloosa were seriously affected by the tornados last week. Many of you have asked me what you can do to help, for which I thank you tremendously. If you're interested in making a donation to help the recovery effort in Tuscaloosa, you can go to http://www.givetuscaloosa.com/, or you can donate to the Red Cross or Salvation Army.
If you're interested in donating supplies, clothes, canned food, water, blankets, diapers, batteries, coolers, etc.. the Harris County ESD 29 is taking donations through this Thursday, the 5th: http://www.esd29.org/default.asp. Or, I'll be at Valhalla on Wednesday night and you can give me any supplies directly.

Although I"ll be heading to Tuscaloosa Thursday night to help with the recovery effort, there is also a fundraiser at the Salt Bar on Washington on this Thursday, starting at 5:30pm. Anything you can do to help is so very appreciated.

My best, Lauren

HARRA 500 Houston Marathon Guaranteed Entries

2011-04-25T23:26:00.003-05:00

HARRA 500 Houston Marathon Entries - This is Your Chance for a Guaranteed Entry

Go to : http://www.harra.org/955dir/information/harra500.html

The HARRA 500 Program allows HARRA members to receive an exemption to the Chevron Houston Marathon lottery registration. Details for the lottery process can be found on the Chevron Houston Marathon web site. Details for the HARRA program can be found below.

The application deadline for this program is 11:59pm on May 8, 2011. If you meet the criteria below then apply by clicking the On-line application to the HARRA 500.

If you are not a HARRA member, Join HARRA NOW! Check out What is HARRA? and the Member benefits link to see all that HARRA can do for you and other runners.

The criteria for choosing the "HARRA 500" are posted below. We appreciate the input of local runners and hope to continue to advocate for you. And... if you're a local runner who hasn't yet joined---it's time!!

CRITERIA: Per request of the Chevron Houston Marathon (CHM), 475 slots will be distributed prior to the start of lottery registration on June 1, 2011. We have posted an application for these 475 spots and will accept applications until May 8, 2011.

If you have fewer than five (5) Houston Marathon finishes, would like to run the 2012 CHM, and are a HARRA member living within the 19 contiguous counties in the Houston area, we encourage you to apply. The committee developed a points system based on your suggestions, and will reward volunteerism, seniority, and participation. HARRA members prior to April 9, 2011, will be considered first, then members who joined afterward.

IMPORTANT: You must be a HARRA member living in one of the following counties: Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Grimes, Hardin, Harris, Jefferson, Liberty, Matagorda, Montgomery, Orange, Polk, San Jacinto, Walker, Waller, Washington, and Wharton.

If you have run five (5) or more Houston Marathons, you may not participate in the HARRA 500 Program. Runners with more than five (5) Houston Marathons are not eligible as they already have a guaranteed entry to the marathon. Details for this exemption and the lottery can be found on the Chevron Houston Marathon, "Frequently Asked Questions" page of the web site.

The points system will be as follows:

Volunteer during the 2010-2011 season for the CHM, AHM (Aramco Half marathon), USA Half-Marathon Championship, or HARRA events. These are based on the HARRA VVIP points system, max 24 pts (automatic 24 for volunteering for 2011 CHM, AHM, or USA Half-Marathon Championships).

HARRA member during the past 4 years- 5 points per year, max 20 pts.

CHM finishes, 2008-2011, 5 points per year, max 20 pts.

Finishes in 2009-2010 Fall Series races: USA 10-miler, Koala HHM, HMSA Metric Marathon (formerly the 25K), & 30K. 4 points each, max 12 pts.

Finishes in HARRA XC relay (2009-10); Bayou Bash relay 2009-2010; HARRA Spring Series races in 2010-2011, 2 points each, max 10 pts.

NOTE: You need not have been a HARRA member when you completed these events. In the event of a tie, the board will use total Houston Marathon Finishes (under 5, obviously) and timeliness of application submission.

On-line application to the HARRA 500.

The final 25 slots will be distributed after the HMSA Metric Marathon (formerly the 25K--Date is TBD) in the same manner and in the same percentages as Runner of the Season Awards, calculated best 2 of 3 after the HMSA Metric Marathon. These runners will not have a previous HARRA 500 slot or lottery slot.

Criteria for the 25 slots

1. Same HARRA membership requirements as above, and has not entered the CHM, but would like to enter.

2. The HARRA Fall Series points leaders by the following age groups through the 25K.Note: The number of slots for each age group are based on the age distribution of HARRA runners doing the fall series.

3. Presidential Pardons. The HARRA president will have 3 slots plus any unused slots to distribute as he sees fit

Please watch for further announcements and the beginning of the application process. Questions regarding the HARRA 500 Program can be directed to Ron Morgan at: prez@harra.org OR Roger Boak at: nboka.xc@gmail.com

BCRR DOES BOSTON

2011-04-16T00:39:00.002-05:00

The Boston Marathon takes place on Monday, April 18. 2011, 10AM EDT

You can follow the Boston Marathon online: www.baa.org

You can watch the race live on local TV on the Universal Sports Channel (319 on Comcast cable or on 39.3 with rabbit ears) (other options here.)

You can track BCRR athletes: http://www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon/participant-information/att-athlete-alert.aspx

BCRR Members Registered for Boston (hope I didn't miss anyone):

Bib	Wave/	Name
Bib	Corral	Name
19732	2-3	Brenner, Don
8895	9-1	Davis, Stephen D.
19579	2-3	Davis, Susan
20941	3-3	Handy, Beverly C..
6178	7-1	Hollocher, Phillip A.
5415	6-1	Landry, Joe
19250	2-3	Mangus, Lorna G.
3134	4-1	Nemoto, David .D.
15992	7-2	Werner, Miriam
12145	4-2	Wilder, Lauren

An Evening with ultra-runner Marshall Ulrich

2011-04-16T00:33:00.001-05:00

Friday, April 22nd, 7pm, An Evening with Marshall Ulrich, The Planetarium at the Museum of Natural Sciences.

The ultra-runner Marshall Ulrich is the author of "Running on Empty" and was featured in the recent documentary film, "Running America". Marsh has clocked the third fastest crossing of the United States, on foot, in history. Free but you need to reserve a seat to get in and there are only 200 seats. Do not delay, register today!

New Criteria for Early Registration for the Houston Marathon and Half-Marathon for 2012

2011-04-16T00:21:00.002-05:00

Early registration for "Qualified" Runners - From May 10, 2011 at 8:00 a.m. CST to May 31 at 11:59 p.m. CST. Eligible runners include:

> NEW- Time Qualifiers (Marathon Qualifier: Less than 4 Hours for full/ and less than 1:54:36 for half; Half-Marathon Qualifier- less than 4:11 for full/ and less than 2 hours for half ) Don't understand why half qualifications are more lax than full marathon...

> Runners who have completed 5+ Houston Marathons
> Members designated by HARRA
> Deferred 2011 race registrants

Once early registration closes on May 31, the above list of runners will no longer be eligible to receive a guaranteed race entry and must enter the lottery for a chance to be selected, except for Houston Marathon Veterans (completed 10 or more Houston Marathons) who may register through November 1. Registration for the lottery begins June 1, 2011 at 8:00 a.m. CST and extends through June 23, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. CST. Full details

Final HARRA Final 50 Marathon Slots - appl. deadline 11-28-10!

2010-11-24T12:28:00.002-06:00

There Are Openings in the Chevron Houston Marathon
Applications Due by Sunday, November 28th

HARRA has 47 Chevron Houston Marathon entries to give to its members based on their standing in the current Runner of the Season competition.

Tell all your friends who want to run that HARRA has plenty of available slots!

If you wish to be considered send an email to roger.boak@gmail.com by November 28 containing your name and which of the following races you ran this fall:
USA Space City 10-miler (Oct 10), Houston Half Marathon (Oct 24), HMSA Classical 25k (Nov 14).

1. The entries are not free, you still have to pay the regular entry fee.
2. For your race to count you have to have been a current HARRA member on the day of the race.
3. The standings will be based on your best two of the three races.
4. The entries are for the marathon and they may not be used by another person.

HARRA will send an email containing a registration code to the 47 recipients soon after Nov 28, and they will be able to register online.

BCRR Member Nancy Greig in the News!!

2010-07-08T17:23:00.013-05:00

Nancy frightens children at museum

It's a Little Shop of
Horrors at the Houston Museum of Natural Science this week - all under the watchful eye of BCRR Member and Director of the Cockrell Butterfly Center, Nancy Greig.

The Rare "Corpse Flower" Amorphophallus titanum is slated to bloom in the next few days. This giant flower blooms infrequently and smells like rotting flesh (hence its name).

Nancy and her flower were featured in an article in the Houston Chronicle Thursday, July 8th. Read on for details. Too bad this blog doesn't have Smellivision...

CORPSE FLOWER TRIVIA
A rare Amorphophallus titanum is ready to bloom at the Houston Museum of Natural Science.
• Size: Up to 5 feet across.
• Smell: Like rotting flesh.
• Native: Of Sumatran rainforest.
• U.S. history: The first cultivated plant to bloom in the United States flowered at the New York Botanical Gardens in 1937.
• See it: At the museum's Cockrell Butterfly Center, 5555 Hermann Park Dr.
• Updates: www.hmns.org.

Final Selection Criteria for the "HARRA 500"

2010-06-29T10:01:00.007-05:00

From Anna Helm (Member of HARRA Committee on Houston Marathon "HARRA 500" Qualifying Criteria):

Tonight (6-28-10) the HARRA Board voted to approve the plan to distribute guaranteed entries via the "HARRA 500". Expect an official announcement tomorrow from a HARRA email blast.

The criteria for choosing the "HARRA 500"..., are posted below and on the Houston Area Roadrunners Association Facebook page. We really appreciate the input of local runners and hope to continue to advocate for you. And... if you're a local runner who hasn't yet joined---it's time!! Check out "What is HARRA" and the Member benefits link to see all that HARRA can do for you and other runners.

CRITERIA:
Per request of the Chevron Houston Marathon (CHM), 450 slots will be distributed prior to the start of the lottery July 27th -August 12th. HARRA will post an application for these 450 spots on their website, HARRA.org, no later than July 6, 2010, and will accept applications until July 20th, 2010. If you have fewer than 5 Houston Marathon finishes, would like to run the 2011 CHM, and are a HARRA member, we encourage you to apply.

The committee developed a points system based on your suggestions, and will reward volunteerism, seniority, and participation.

HARRA members prior to June 13th, 2010, will be considered first, then members who joined afterward. The points system will be as follows:

*Volunteer during the 2009-2010 season for the CHM, AHM (Aramco Half marathon) or HARRA event-based on HARRA VVIP points system, max 24 pts. (automatic 24 for volunteering for 2010 CHM.AHM)

*HARRA member during the past 4 years- 5 points per year, max 20 pts.*CHM finishes, 2007-2010, 5 points per year, max 20 pts.

*Finishes in 2008-2009 Fall Series races, (USA 10-miler, Koala HHM, 25K, 30K) 4 points each, max 12 pts.

*Finishes in HARRA XC relay (2008-09) Bayou Bash relay 2009-2010, HARRA Spring Series races, 2009-2010, 2 points each, max 10 pts.

You need not have been a HARRA member when you completed these events. but those entries will be tabulated 2nd. In the event of a tie, the board will use total Houston Marathon Finishes (under 5, obviously) and timeliness of application submission.

The final 50 will be distributed in the same manner and in the same percentages as Runner of the Season Awards, calculated best 2 of 3 after the 25K. These runners will not have a previous HARRA 500 slot or lottery slot.

Please watch for further announcements and the beginning of the application process.

AH

Draft Criteria for HARRA Houston Marathon Slots

2010-06-18T13:44:00.004-05:00

HARRA President Ron Morgan has asked Helen Grant and Anna Sumrall Helm to join Roger Boak in a 3 person committee to propose a set of criteria HARRA can use to determine a priority for our 500 entries into the Chevron Houston Marathon, in 2011.

They have drafted a provisional set of criteria and welcome comments and suggestions (see below). You can comment on a post from Anna Helm on the HARRA facebook page :

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=lf#!/group.php?gid=39543762250&ref=ts

or send her an email with your comments- gaslyte@yahoo.com

From Anna Helm:

Okay runners, here's our proposal for the criteria to earn a guaranteed entry to the 2011 CHM thus far. Please provide constructive feedback if you have suggestions. Silence will be heard as assent. :-)
Races and commitments which require more time and dedication will be given more value, TBD.
Credit will be given for:

Standing HARRA membership prior to June 13, 2010
Finishes in the Houston Marathon, 2007-2010
Finishes in the Warmup Series 30Ks, 2006-2009
Finishes in the Warmup Series 25Ks, 2006-2009
Finishes in the Warmup Series HHMs, 2006-2009
Finishes in the USA 10-milers, 2006-2009
Volunteering for HARRA events (PIM, CPS/AED, races, social events, JFK Run)
Coordinators day of event volunteers (and coaches)
Participation in relays and spring series events, as a runner or volunteer

Kathi Mahon
BCRR Pres

Message from Ron Morgan, Pres of HARRA

2010-06-18T13:43:00.001-05:00

Greetings:

I have asked Helen Grant and Anna Sumrall Helm to join Roger Boak in a 3 person committee to propose a set of criteria HARRA can use to determine a priority for our 500 entries into the Chevron Houston Marathon, in 2011. It is likely that they will propose a system that rewards those who have participated in the past in our longer races. However, the statistics show that approximately half of the HARRA finishers the past two years are 5 year veterans (or more). We think, this means that all members wishing to run the marathon this year will have a slot. Everyone will be on notice of what that criteria is, so that they can plan accordingly for next year, to put themselves in the best possible position for a 2012 slot. The committee will report to the HARRA Board with their proposal by the end of June, and we will let everyone know how to apply for one of the 500 slots in early July. We intend to have all 500 slots awarded by the end of July so that if someone does not get a slot, they can still register through the CHM lottery system in early August. One requirement will be that the member has renewed for 2010-11. All memberships expire at the end of June so if you haven't renewed, or you know someone who hasn't please encourage them to do so now (they still get a $5 discount through the end of June). I want to encourage new members, and members who may not have run many or any of our championship races to apply for a slot, if they intend to run the CHM, and remind those with 5 or more Houston Marathon finishes, that they do not need one of our slots. They can check the CHM website for instructions on how to enter.

-- Ron Morgan,
President Houston Area Road Runners Association

Video of HARRA Board Meeting re Houston Marathon

2010-06-18T11:52:00.002-05:00

Video from HARRA Meeting 5-14-10 with Brant Koch and Steve Karpas of the Houston Marathon.

This video is too long to upload directly on this blog. You can view on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/video/video.php?v=1397900281650&oid=54264843477

Why I support term limits – an editorial

2010-05-24T13:59:00.003-05:00

Two proposed amendments to the BCRR By-Laws have been suggested and approved by the board for a vote in this general election on May 26:

One proposes to formally amend the number of Member-at-Large positions on the Executive Committee from three (3) to four (4). This was proposed to both accommodate the amount of work the Board has on its agenda and to recognize that the Board has functioned with four de facto members for several years.

The other proposes to institute a term limit of not more than three (3) consecutive years for the office of club president. There is currently no limit on the terms of any board position in BCRR. This provision is similar to the 3 year term limit in effect for the HARRA President. Obviously there are advantages and disadvantages to term limits, but I personally feel the pros outweigh the cons for the following reasons:

1) Term Limits facilitate maintenance of an energetic and dynamic club over time.
2) Term Limits avoid potential stagnation of the board
3) Term Limits prevent “Incumbent Block”
4) Term Limits encourage participation and inclusion of more members in club affairs

Having limits on the presidential term ensures that there will be turnover within the board over time. Change is good- the introduction of new ideas and methods of doing things is, in my opinion, the best way to keep our club “fresh” and “on top”. I think we all recognize other running clubs with longstanding leadership that has changed little over time. While this can arguably be efficient, it also allows the members to become complacent. The argument is that if someone is willing to do the work, let them. However, in many instances the board becomes stagnant as well as efficient. There may be little change over “how we’ve always done things”- not the best strategy for maintaining a dynamic club responsive to the changing needs of its members and attractive to new recruits.

If one does want to be part of the process, running for office against a long-standing incumbent can be a daunting process (“Incumbent Block”). On the other hand, people are more willing to step up if they know the leadership will change. Thus term limits encourage (and in fact require) more of the membership to get involved with the actual “running” of the running club. This has to be good thing.

Perhaps the best argument against term limits is that if you have a good president who is willing and able to continue, why should you risk electing a new person who might not be as good (or much worse). This will almost certainly happen on occasion, but over time, it is in the best long-term interest of the club to have turnover of the board for the reasons stated above. Another oft stated argument is that one may need time to institute long term goals in the club. This is a valid argument, but three years should be sufficient time to institute any changes (such as new races, new programs, etc). Importantly, an individual is not prevented from holding office at a later date, as long as the terms are not contiguous.

I encourage you to read the existing BCRR By-Laws (http://www.bcrr.org/bcrr-bylaws.pdf) online. I welcome any opposing views (you can either send Neeraj Rohilla your essay and he will post on the blog separately, or you can directly respond to my post on the blog as a comment).

Kathi Mahon (current BCRR President)

BCRR Double-Headers

2010-04-26T12:50:00.008-05:00

Two BCRR Members excelled in "Double Headers" the weekend of April 10-11, 2010.

- Carlye Graydon set a new 5K PR (20:21) and was 1st AG in the Bellaire Trolley Run on Saturday and the next day took 1st Overall Master Female (2:33:19) in her 1st Olympic Distance Triathlon (Gateway Olympic Tri). Wow- talk about on fire!

- Bonnie Jo Barron took 4th place in her AG at the Trolley Run (21:53) and the next day was 2nd overall Master Female at Angie's Crazy Half-Marathon (1:41:00). Bonnie is shown with Bernard Castro (right) who also ran the Half-Marathon and was 6th AG. (1:37:12). Awesome!

Miscellaneous BCRR Pursuits

2010-04-26T12:48:00.006-05:00

BCRR Members have traveled near and far to take part in various endeavors the last week (April 19-25).

Susan Elias and several other BCRRers ran the Boston Marathon Monday April 19th

April Murphy and several others ran the Big Sur Marathon Sunday April 25th

Chris McGrew ran the Oklahoma City Marathon

Several BCRR members participated in the Lone Star Sprint, Olympic or Half-Ironman Triathlons this weekend in Galveston, including Carolyn Muirhead, who took 2nd AG in the Sprint on Saturday.

Many of us ran local 5 and 10Ks in town this weekend- Here is the start of the Green 6.2 10K. Can you find anyone you know?

Now for something different...Clayton Smith and BCRR friends went skydiving this weekend!

Volunteer for the Pink Door Legacy 5K

2010-03-01T21:05:00.008-06:00

The inaugural Pink Door's Legacy 5K run/walk will be held at the Stafford Convention Center Saturday, March 20. Race Director Mike Mangan and BCRR are managing the race with the Pink Door Non-Profit Organization.

The Pink Door is a nation-wide charity that provides support for women cancer survivors to help them build successful careers after cancer.

We need volunteers to manage and staff the race course. This event doesn't conflict with any HARRA race, so you can help BCRR without compromising your race agenda. Please come out and help.

Keep in mind that your volunteer efforts will be rewarded with a fantastic Volunteer Party later in the season and a chance for gift certificate drawings. Thanks for your generous gift of time and experience.

To Volunteer contact Lara Allen (laraallen@sbcglobal.net)

Former BCRR Members Make Society Page

2010-02-24T13:43:00.009-06:00

Mikki Hebl, David Harvey and George Strake at Gala. Wonder who they were wearing

We have friends in high places:

Former BCRR members David Harvey and Mikki Hebl (barely recognizable in non-running clothes) were prominently featured in an article on the "Society" page in the Houston Chronicle. They were honorees at the University of St. Thomas Mardi Gras Gala dubbed the "Court of Diamond Jubilee".

Read about it here.

Come out and support the Race Against Violence

2010-02-19T01:45:00.003-06:00

Race Director and BCRR Member Tom Stilwell is looking for runners AND volunteers for the 22nd Annual Houston Area Women's Center Race Against Violence 5K, March 6, 2010. The race this year will introduce a new route and a bigger festival for all to enjoy! The day’s events include:

• Competitive 5K run with prizes for individual runners

• Non-competitive 5K family walk that welcomes strollers

• Kids K non-competitive 1K for kids ages 10 & under

• A post-race festival at Sam Houston Park with children’s activities, great food and live music! FREE race day parking available at the Metropolitan Racquet Club garage (340 West Dallas). Full information can be found at the website.

Please support the fight against domestic violence!

Contact Tom if you can volunteer (rtstilwell@gmail.com).

BCRR Member Camille Boon off to Volunteer in Haiti

2010-01-26T12:04:00.008-06:00

Camille Boon has had a busy and eventful week. She ran her fourth marathon (and first since giving birth to son Ernest) last Sunday and PRed with a 4:02 (unfortunately her D-tag fell off so it's not official). She was highlighted in Roberta MacInnis's Runners Notebook column in the Houston Chronicle (another kind of PR)....AND she arranged to travel to Haiti to engage in medical relief for earthquake victims along with her husband John. Camille, the daughter of long time BCRR Member Kathryn Vidal, is an alumna of Rice University and Baylor College of Medicine. She is now an OB/Gyn in private practice here in Houston and has spent time in Haiti previously as a student at Rice. (Please read more about Rice's Medical intervention program LEAP and Camille here. ) The Boons left for Haiti on Sunday the 26th and will be there for one week, but Camille wishes she could stay longer (hard to do with a small child waiting at home).

Camille, we are so proud of you and wish you a safe trip. (Maybe we can do something about that "unofficial" marathon time)

BCRR Member Lisa Foronda: Front Page News!

2010-01-26T11:11:00.015-06:00

As a former news anchor at KHOU (Channel 11) in Houston, Lisa Foronda has had more than her 15 minutes of fame. But although a familiar face, she shows a more private side in an article by writer Diane Cowan featured in the Houston Chronicle Wednesday, Jan. 2o. Lisa candidly reveals her battle and triumph over an eating disorder, the power of running in her life, and her personal commitment to raising awareness of mental illness and the availability of services. She also gets a plug in for HARRA's Power in Motion (PIM) Program, for which she has served as co-director.

I think we can all agree that Lisa is a terrific ambassador for running in Houston and we are proud to have her in our club!

photo by Hardeep Thind

More Marathon Media Coverage for John Fredrickson

2010-01-23T21:29:00.013-06:00

Left: Judy Loy and John Fredrickson, both 71, made the front page of the Houston Chronicle. (H. Chron).

Right: JP running his 100th marathon (photo by T. Murphy)

BCRR Member John Fredrickson was the media darling of the 2010 Houston Marathon! His quest to run his 100th marathon made the front page of the Houston Chronicle and at least two local TV stations and internet publications. Our only complaint: not enough mention of Bayou City!! Congrats JP!

Coverage by Dale Robertson of the Houston Chronicle here (BCRR Member Ray Boytim is also mentioned as a Houston Marathon Veteran with 31 Houston Marathons)

Coverage by Channel 13 here

Coverage by Channel 12 here

Culturemap.com here

Online Houstonist here

JP Fredrickson: Prolific Marathon Runner, Raconteur, and TV Personality

2010-01-13T11:16:00.010-06:00

John Fredrickson got 20 seconds worth of his 15 minutes of fame on Channel 2, Tuesday, January 13, 2010. JP will be running his 100th marathon this Sunday in Houston.

I couldn't find a video of it online, so I videotaped it from my TV screen with my new iPod Nano.

John, you are definitely ready for your closeup! Best of luck this Sunday!

BCRR featured on Fox 26 News Extra!

2009-11-12T15:54:00.004-06:00

BCRR is even more famous today! The Bayou City Road Runners were featured on Fox 26 News Extra this morning in a segment on Running Clubs in the Houston Area. John Phillips and I were interviewed live (!) about our club. Also featured was video footage shot at the beginning of our Wednesday Evening Run. You can view the entire interview online:
http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/morning_news/091112_bayou_city_road_runners

Kathi Mahon

Can standing in line for the can...

2009-11-07T17:39:00.007-06:00

Line for BCRR members at private BCRR Privies

Line for the wretched masses at public porta-cans

As we are in the midst of the HARRA Fall Race Series, let us give thanks for one of the major perks of BCRR membership: the impeccably maintained, incredibly clean, sweet smelling (at least initially) private BCRR Porta-Potties. In addition to the short lines, these potties are fully equipped with oodles of toilet paper, scented candles and a mirror! You'll never get caught when the gun goes off with your pants down and no TP in a dark, funky porta-can if you're with BCRR! We owe a huge debt of gratitude to John Phillips for building them, schelping them to every HARRA Race, and taking them and their contents back afterwards. Thank you John!

BCRR membership has it's privledges!!

BCRR Halloween 09

2009-11-04T13:24:00.002-06:00

As Seen at Valhalla after the run last week...

-Reduced rate for last minute Koala/Luke's Locker Half-Marathon registration this weekend

2009-10-16T17:21:00.001-05:00

The Koala Health and Wellness Centers & Luke’s Locker Houston Half Marathon and Relay is scheduled for Sunday, October 25 at Sam Houston Park in downtown Houston. This is the first race in the 2009 Houston Marathon Warm-up Series and a great way to train for the 2010 Houston half and full marathon.

As the managing sponsor, the Houston Striders is excited to offer all Houston metropolitan area running club members a special rate for one weekend only. Beginning Saturday 10/17/09 @ 12:00 a.m. and extending through Sunday 10/18/09 @ 11:59 pm, we are waiving the $5 increase fee bringing the cost of the race down to $45 for the half-marathon and $70 for the relay.

Runners can log onto online registration located at http://www.houstonhalf.com/ and should enter code HHM09 on the second page of the online entry form to receive the discount.

Marathon Training runs in India!!!

2009-09-15T04:02:00.003-05:00

BCRR is proud to announce that we are taking Marathon training one step further. If you are in India and would like to continue your Marathon training, BCRR is there for you.

In Todd's words: "A nice 47 minute easy run with Neeraj helped me overcome my jet lag and also gave me a flavor of local surroudings"

Todd and I will travel to lower foothills of Himalayas on Friday morning and will do our little Hill repeat workouts in a beautiful breathtakig Valley of Flowers.

If, you wanna join us for your marathon training, shoot me or Todd an email and we would love to meet you and help you finetune your marathon training...;-)

Rice All Comers Track Meets

2009-06-24T12:44:00.010-05:00

All-Comer Track and Field Meets are being held for 3 Fridays during June at Rice. The last one will be Friday June 26th starting at 6PM at Rice University Track on the corner of University and Main. The cost is $7.00 per person for unlimited events. This video was taken on June 19th of some the 800 and 400 meter heats. Featured runners (i.e. people that I know) are Matt Nicol, Neeraj Rohilla, Leno Rios, Tom King, and Sabra Harvey. It is a lot of fun to watch and I've been told it is fun to run in, but I am not so sure about that:) Contact Casey Thom at cdt@rice.edu or Jon Warren at jhwarren@rice.edu for more information.

Yoga for Runners

2009-06-10T15:45:00.002-05:00

Recommendation from Linnie Reichle:

...wanted to let you know about a class I took Saturday, it was Yoga, but we concentrated on stretches for runners. It was great, you might want to post this info for some of the other runners in the club. It is on Saturdays @ TRI ON THE RUN @ 10 am. It is only $10.00 a class and Nicole took us through some great stretches. This Saturday the co-owner of Yoga One will be there to work on back stretches and some more running stretches.

Linnie

BCRR Writing Excellence Awards

2009-06-03T17:06:00.008-05:00

What many of you didn't see at the recent BCRR Awards Banquet were the lovely personalized certificates that were received by the winners of the "WORD FROM THE BIRD" WRITING EXCELLENCE AWARD. These certificates were designed by Mike Mangan. Congratulations again to our winners Carlye Graydon (1st), Tom Helm (2nd), and Mr. Negative Split (3rd- accepted in his behalf by Alfonso Torres).

Annual BCRR Awards Banquet 2009 (Video & Pictures)!!!

2009-05-31T15:17:00.008-05:00

BCRR Annual banquet was a total blast. The highlights of the banquet were the awards and award winners. Eddie Rodriguez put tremendous personal efforts into fabricating of personalized awards for various categories. Here is a small youtube video describing the process of the fabrication of the awards:

And, here is a closeup of the award Mark Fraser won.

Finally, here are some of the pictures I took:

To download/print any pictures please click the text you are reading, click on the picture, and click download button (Slideshow, Share, download & print buttons are located on top-left corner of the page). It is as easy as it sounds :-)

Top Ten Good, Bad and Ugly Observations About Last Night’s LP Run

2009-04-23T10:26:00.003-05:00

10. Why can’t they play “Born to Run” when the master males run?
9. Heard in stands by some of the open runners: “What’s an LP?”
8. I now know how a hamster feels when he runs on that wheel.
7. We gave up Valhalla for this?
6. It’s nice to hear people cheer for you . . . for the first THREE laps.
5. When this was an hour long race, did they used to play the ticking clock from ’60 Minutes’ over the loudspeaker?
4. Even if we lost power, we could continue the race using the light from Rob’s Boston shirt.
3. The race doesn’t end any faster if you run slower.
2. No Simon Brabo and Don Brenner opens up the race for Runner of the Season
1. Poor hydration + 90° day + 20 minutes hard running = Dehydration + Cramps= Poor race.

Crescent City Classic Rewards Patience

2009-04-13T21:18:00.007-05:00

I have travelled to many places throughout the world and I learned very early in my career that things are not always as efficient as they are in the US. As a stickler for punctually, I was horrified when my colleagues in places like Indonesia or the Philippines would escort me to a meeting 45-60 minutes late. After a while, I realized that it wasn't a big deal to customers or anyone else that the meeting started late. After understanding that, I was much more relaxed when visiting customers outside the US and enjoyed my trips much more.

There is an analogy here to Houston runners participating in the Crescent City Classic in New Orleans. If you demand the precise efficiency we regularly experience in Houston, you will be disappointed. You can let that bother you or you can go with the flow. I recommend the latter. With that said, the organization is not very good and can be frustrating especially to first time runners. Consider package pick-up. There are 20,000 runners, about the same number who run the Houston marathon and half marathon. Picking up a race package in Houston takes three minutes. In New Orleans, it is bit more of an adventure.

If you had a print-out with your race number and name on it, you could proceed to the line.

If you just wrote-down your number or did not know it, you had to wait in a very long line to be told what your race number is.

Once you got to the front of the line, the volunteer hand wrote your name and number on a scrap of paper. Once you had the paper, you could proceed to another line to pick up your number.

Getting your number was only a start:

If you are seeded runner (red bib), you get a chip, but you had to pick up your chip inside the expo. It really wasn't that difficult.

If you are a fast runner but were not seeded (blue bib) (you had to provide documentation to be seeded), you could buy a chip for $5, and that required waiting in another long line.

Theoretically anyone could buy a chip, but when Lana Moody wanted to buy a chip as a non-seeded runner (orange bib), she was told they were out of chips for orange bibs. Who knew there were different chips.

Once you bought a chip, you had to take another piece of paper to the chip table and wait in line again.

This process is usually easier to stomach because there is Abita Amber and Abita Lite beer freely flowing. However, when we were there, they had run out of beer. Fortunately, more beer eventually arrived.

It's just best to relax and let the process work. The race itself went off fairly smoothly. The corral system was fairly smooth. The course is flat with minimal turns so the times are fairly fast. The winning time was 28:18! It was a warm morning and I felt the heat at the end. This is probably the warmest race condition I have run this season.

About 3 1/2 miles into the race, I realized how hard it is to run a 10K. I also think the fear of being passed by Mark Fraser, Neeraj Rohilla or David Piper is a greater motivator than hitting a targeted time. By the end of Mile 4, my pace had slowed and hitting my goal seemed to be fading. But it was helpful that I was familiar with the course. As we approached City Park, I noticed I was passing some runners and was able pick up my pace slightly. Somehow I had enough of a surge during the last half mile to exceed my goal by a few seconds. But, it was really hard! 10Ks are really hard!!

Back to race organization. What the organizers lack in pre-race planning and execution, they more than make it up to the runners with the post-race party. There is nothing like it. Live band, free flowing beer, homemade jambalaya, along with multiple food booths with smoothies, chips, fruits, energy bars, etc. Our group stayed three hours at the post-race party. I have sunburned shoulders to prove it. The post-race party is a perfect reward to all of us who maintained our patience through the entry and package pick-up process, the starting line logistics and the race itself. I plan to be back next year.

Fast Times Near Bellaire High

2009-04-06T15:39:00.006-05:00

For a change, I will not write a comment on how the weather affected the results of a popular Houston spring road race. The Bellaire Trolley 5k has had its share of inclement weather in the past, but that was not the case on Saturday April 4, 2009.

The Bellaire Trolley 5K run is historically one of the fastest 5K courses in Houston. The course is flat with minimal turns. The course is completely straight from about 0.9-1.9 miles, and then after running around the perimeter of Bellaire High School, the course finishes along the same straightaway from about 2.4 miles to the finish.

Congratulations to the following BCRR members who placed in their age group and won a very cool model of a trolley car:

Neeraj Rohilla 2nd AG & PR (25-29 men)
Katrina Stilwell 1st AG (35-39 women)
Suzy Seeley 2nd AG on her 50th birthday
Scott Bounds 3rd AG (55-59 men)
Ursula Spilger 1st AG (65-69 women)
Don Brenner 3rd AG (65-69 men)

I am going to give Neeraj a hard time. If he were competing as a 30-34 yo woman, he would not have placed. But we know that most 25-29 yo men are usually partying on Friday night and have difficulty getting up early to run a race. More power to Neeraj for being able to do both.

Enhancing it's fast reputation, the Trolley Run course yielded the following PRs for BCRR members:

Neeraj Rohilla 19:37
Rob Walters 18:18
Lara Allen 27;07
Lana Moody 25:29
Sheila Ramamurthy 25:45
Eddie Rodriguez 23:28

If I missed anyone, let me know and I will post. Kathi Mahon would have broken a PR had she not gotten behind someone who slowed her down at the beginning of the race. I don't know if that is true, but she missed her PR by a couple of seconds!

Neeraj's edit:

I am including a slide show of pictures I took before/after the race.

Simon Says, "It's Windy"

2009-04-04T12:00:00.002-05:00

I am a little behind in posting account summaries to the blog. I also see that our blog is a bit inactive. The Law Week 8K was held on Saturday March 28th. To be honest, this is one my my least favorite of the Spring Series Runs. Allen Parkway is a bit more difficult of a course to run than Memorial. The run out to Shepherd seems to take forever and once you get back downtown, there is at least another 0.4 miles going into downtown and turning around to the finish line.

In addition, this race takes place during the heart of the NCAA Basketball tournament, called March Madness. I always kick myself for getting so emotionally involved, but there is nothing I can do about. It's ingrained in my DNA!! My beloved Kansas Jayhawks lost a close game to Michigan State the night before the race. The game ended about 11PM. I watched the game with another club member who will remain nameless (but he does have a Brooklyn accent) who kept pointing out critical turnovers and missed free throws that cost the Jayhawks the game. He did not need to tell me that because I was watching the same game!!! But I took this loss in stride-- we are very young team, so I was not as upset as I often am before the Law Week 8K.

I think we have had beautiful weather all winter and all spring to train, but it seems like the series runs have been plagued by bad weather, and it is mainly wind. Well, none of the previous races come close to the wind problems in this race. I hoped to find someone to draft off of going out to Shepherd, but I never was able to avoid the wind. There was a nice stretch right before the turnaround where we were shielded from the wind. I felt like I was cruising for a stretch until we turned around.

During the spring races, I have has some nice battles with Richard Verm, David Piper, Mark Fraser and Scott Bound. This competition propels us ahead when we may want to slow down. Simon Brabo and I were running together right as we made the last turn and headed for the finish line. That stretch of probably less than 1/4 of a mile had to be the windiest stretch I had ever run in a race. I remember seeing the finish line, running as hard as I could, but feeling like I was not moving. I think Simon said, "It's Windy", but I really couldn't hear or anyone else as I struggled to complete the last stretch.

Heavy Weather

2009-03-14T16:43:00.012-05:00

For those old enough, Heavy Weather was the name of a great jazz fusion album released in the late 1970s, by a group called Weather Report. I highly recommend that everyone listen to it sometime. Plus, isn't the album cover cool?

I was reminded of heavy weather when I walked over to the starting line of the Bayou City Classic 10K. There was no one at the starting line ten minutes before the scheduled start. Everyone was huddled near the building to get protected from the wind.

Yeah, it was windy and it was a bit cold, but what have we become! It was 43 degF and we acted like we were going to be running on the frozen tundra close to where Rosie Schmandt is from.

I'm just as guilty. I huddled around the heater and I shielded myself from the wind. I must be getting soft. I grew up in Kansas and lived in Chicago and New York! I did a little bit of research and found there have been several races throughout the country this year run in much more adverse conditions. Here are a couple:

Feb. 1 Boston Super Sunday 5K/10K- 1250 finishers, temperature 26 degF

Jan. 25 Kansas City, Children's TLC Groundhog Run 5k/10K, 2500 finishers, 15 degF

There are several other smaller runs, but it is hard for me to imagine showing up an hour early for either race and waiting in the cold.

The waiting in the cold and wind is the worst part of the race. Today, it was a relief to get started and once we started and got out of downtown, we had very good race conditions. A lot of people I talked to had very good times. This was my second 10K in two weeks and it is a distance that I love to hate. There is a definite mental aspect to this distance especially at the end that different from a 5K. The 10K is more of a thinking person's race. By the way, I hate to disappoint some of you who were particularly pleased with your time, but the 'official' results are at least ten seconds too fast!

Congratulations to the BCRR centipede "Octo-mom" team who won an award with a very creative and topical theme. Of course, the post race party was wonderful. Thank you to John Phillips for providing the propane heaters and thank your to HARRA for again sponsoring a memorable race.

The Windy City

2009-03-02T15:21:00.002-06:00

It occurred to me running the 22nd Annual ConocoPhillips Rodeo Run into the teeth of a stiff wind that this event has become the extreme weather running event of Houston. I did some research from past runs and sure enough, there have been some tough conditions the last few years. The weather and the fact that the course, which includes an out and back over the Elysian Viaduct, is not run in typically flat Houston terrain adds up to a fairly challenging endeavor. A recap of the last Rodeo Runs.

2009: 55°F, winds at 10mph, gusting to 25 mph-it seemed much worse going through the buildings downtown. Mile 1 through 4 was directly into the wind. I looked forward turning around, but it seemed to just get hot, though ultimately, I think running with the wind at my back helped more than hurt.

2008: 70°F, 79% humidity winds SE 6 mph-- I did not run this. Jay Hendrickson, Rob Walter and I ran the Conroe hills that morning. We finished a 20 mile run about the time the race started. We all agreed we were happy not to be running the Rodeo Run.

2007: 70°F, 100% humidity, intermittent rain-- This was like a sauna. I remember struggling through the first mile with the humidity. It started to rain, which at first seemed like a relief, but ultimately, the conditions just became steamier!! The viaduct was like a death march!

2006: 54°, 100% humidity, some rain, winds NW9 gusting-- Even though the temperature was comparable to 2009, I remember being miserable. It was cold, wet and windy- not a good combination. The viaduct was torture. Besides having to wait around in the cold for an hour. I remember going directly to my car and not participating in the post race party.

2005: 49°F, 90% humidity, no wind-- Probably the best conditions in the last five years.

Other comments:
To me, 10K is a tough distance. It is easy to go out too fast and not be able to hold on. I was able to run a 'negative' split which means that I managed the pacing fairly well.

This race is getting big, maybe too big.

I only saw a handful of people from BCRR. I saw Clayton Smith and Mark Fraser at the start. Avi Moss joined as a bandit and I felt like I had my own personal cheerleader in Lara Allen and Deborah Touchy, who greated me at the start and again as I was running up the first hill on the return trip up the viaduct. I think they may have propelled me to a stronger finish.

Run Wild Half Marathon !!!

2009-02-23T22:49:00.005-06:00

Few weeks back one of my friend from Rice talked me into running "Run Wild Half Marathon". I was happy to see few BCRR members (Kathy Mahon, Lara Allen, Cathy McGlohn, Rosie Schmandt, Deborah Touchy, Fred Steves, Hardeep Thind, Bonnie Jo Barron and of course me) running this race. Hardeep also ran Park to Park race the day before. This was one of the smaller races and less than 300 people participated in it. John Phillips was helping organize the race and his heater was much appreciated before the start of the race.

The race course consisted of three 4.37 mile loops on Allen Pkwy with few under passages making it nothing but flat. However, the weather conditions were perfect for racing and small running crowd made the experience much more fun. Overall, the race was very well managed. They had water/Gatorade stations every two miles. The "5th" mile marker was placed incorrectly because I ran mile 4-5 in 9:15 and 5-6 in 5:14.

I had failed to run 3:30 in Houston marathon and I went into this race to attempt 1:38 or less. Good weather conditions and plenty of rest/slacking after Houston marathon made sure my legs felt fresh and I ran my PR of 1:34:41. Surprisingly, I won my first age group award. Bonnie Jo Barron and Fred Steves also won their respective age group awards. After race party was fun with some food, hot/cold beverages (No beer) and free complimentary chair massage.

If half marathon is your favorite distance then this might be your race to set a PR. Look out for this race next year.

All photos: courtesy of www.raceshots.net

Why I missed the Park to Park 5 miler ...

2009-02-22T23:17:00.003-06:00

Plane Ticket: $294, Bed and Breakfast: $150/night, Running trails in Sedona, AZ at daybreak: Priceless

K. Mahon

Fall marathons… NYC, Chicago marathon registration open.

2009-02-20T10:46:00.005-06:00

I know most of you are just recovering from Houston, I still am, but it’s not too early to think of running your next one in the fall. The famous destination or event marathons that I’d include are Boston, NYC, Chicago, Marine Corps(D.C.), LA, Big Sur, Disney, San Diego. Of those NYC, Chicago and Marine Corps are run in the fall. They’re spectacles in themselves. There have large field of runners, packed spectator lined courses, and interesting locales. Plus, there’s more than just the race. D.C. our capital or NYC, the Big Apple, and Chicago the Second City all have some terrific sights to see.

While Houston is big and things are done bigger in Texas, Chicago and NYC with over 40,000 runners are really BIG. For Chicago or NY they’re maybe millions of spectators lining the course. I’ve done NY and Chicago and they’re great. I’ve run some sleepy marathons recently with barely a soul watching which is fine if you like running for hours and only thinking of running. If you like people cheering you on early or in the middle when you realize there still are 10 more miles to go or at the end where you need every bit of encouragement then these races are just the tonic. Both NY and Chicago have you run culturally diverse neighborhoods where the faces and storefronts change by the mile. Let’s not forget pizza. NY thin slice crust and Chicago style with it’s thick crust. Go do Marine Corps and make a trip to Air and Space or have a talk with your Congressman or maybe Pres. Obama.

For those of you looking to complete their bucket list of marathons, registration is now open for these races. Chicago registration is now open and NYC just did this week, Marine Corps open a little later Apr. 1. There is a lottery for NY and Marine Corps and Chicago stays open until it fills up. The one downside is that the prices have been going steadily up. NYC and Chicago registration are $150 and you’ll have to find accommodations at a hefty price unless you have a cousin Vinny(check Facebook and maybe find an old college classmate).

For those of you who are more worldly and wealthy you might consider doing Berlin in September with a group of BCRR-ers led by Brenda Gonzales.

http://www.ingnycmarathon.org/about_index.htm

http://www.chicagomarathon.com/cms400min/chicago_marathon

http://www.marinemarathon.com/page11.aspx

Wallowing, But Not in the Mire

2009-02-08T16:16:00.007-06:00

The Buffalo Wallow was held on Saturday February 7th. This is one of my favorite races for several reasons: 1) It is different; it is a cross country course that has a variety of terrain, 2) Because it is a cross-country course, it can be affected by the weather. There have been times when the race is run through large mud puddles which can be very difficult to negotiate as you run up a hill. But that can be fun!! There have been times when the weather is damp and cold. Yesterday, the weather was perfect, probably around 60 degrees at the start. However, because the weather has been so dry, the ground was very hard, almost like concrete. I noticed my ankles were sore this morning.

Another reason why I, personally, like the race is that I run more competitively when there are hills and varying terrain on the course. I don't usually beat anyone who normally beats me in a race, but I get much closer.

For some reason, while running the race, I got a bit nostalgic. I realized while running in a pack with people like Mark Fraser, Richard Verm, Scott Bounds and some other non-BCRR runners like Roger Boak, Victor Aguirre, John Polisini and John Shepperd, that I had been running these races for many years and that I'm usually in the pack with these same people. I think it is cool that each of us have stayed relatively competitive together over the last several years.

I have run this race enough times to know you have to pace yourself. A lot of people run up the hills hard and eventually burn themselves out and struggle to the end. I felt good that I had paced myself well enough to finish strongly and even beat couple of people I normally wouldn't.

Interestingly, I received an award for allegedly finishing second in my age group. However, there was something very fishy. It was hard to hear the awards announcer, but it appeared that he called out two set of awards in my 50-54 category. Sure enough, when I looked at the results, I did not finish second; I finished seventh. This is a very competitive field.

Now, however, it's back to normal road races for awhile and I will be watching some of these guys from further behind!!

Wednesday@Valhalla (01/28/09)

2009-01-29T13:35:00.001-06:00

2009 Boston Marathon FULL!!!

2009-01-27T17:37:00.003-06:00

If you were planning on sending in your application for Boston, or even trying to qualify by running the upcoming Austin or Mardi Gras Marathons, you are out of luck. The 2009 Boston Marathon is full as of 1-26-2009. This may be the earliest that it has reached capacity.

Houston Marathon Recap + Pictures

2009-01-20T12:48:00.004-06:00

I believe this is a great format to everyone to post their experiences and comments about the Chevron Houston Marathon. So I guess I will start.

I was a bit disappointed in my time this year. Maybe being sick at Christmas slowed me down. Some of you saw me at my worst at the John Phillips LOOONG Run, but I felt pretty good the two weeks before the marathon.

I know that many people would love to run the marathon in my time of 3:43, but everything is relative. This was one of the strangest marathons I have run. I started out great; I felt great. I was running easy and comfortably for the first five miles. I was confident I would have a good race.

Then at Mile 6 as we were running up some hills, I started to have trouble breathing. Since I needed a bathroom break anyway, I stopped and thought that would aid in recovering my breathing. I ran easily for about a mile and still had trouble. I really was beginning to worry about finishing. I stopped 4 times between Miles 6 and 9 and finally felt better and ran very comfortably up to Mile 21 where I started to hit "the Wall" with cramps and slowed down. At that point I ran from water stop to water stop. With about a mile and a half to go, I saw Linda cheering the runners. She asked me if I needed anything and I told her, "I need to be at the finish line".

Two minutes after the race, I was relieved to have finished. Two hours after the race, I began to wonder if maybe I should scale back on running marathons and now two days after the race, I'm thinking about how I will do better at my next marathon, probably sometime this fall!!

That's my story. I want to hear your story by adding your comments.
BOB

I am including a slideshow of some pictures I took before the start of race and after finish. Enjoy, :-)
Neeraj

Marathon Weather History

2009-01-13T17:16:00.003-06:00

It does look like we are going to have good weather for the marathon. This will be my tenth consecutive marathon and we have had a variety of weather. I did some research on a website called Weather Underground which records temperature, humidity, and other weather data from several points inside the loop of Houston. The table above shows the temperature, dew point, humidity, and wind and wind speed approximately 2 1/2 to 3 hours after the start of the marathon. I think you can see the temperatures are fairly consistent, usually between 50-55°F, but there have been some fairly warm days as well. I will never forget the death march of 2000 and upon looking at the conditions in 2006, I now understand why I ended up walking some of the course with Allison Nadolski (now Abbott).

Marathon Weather Watch

2009-01-12T18:39:00.003-06:00

With less than a week to the Houston Marathon, now is the time to start obsessing in earnest about things that are entirely out of our control - MOST IMPORTANTLY THE WEATHER.

It would appear that we will have cool weather, but will it be raining or windy? Humid or really humid? You can monitor every conceivable parameter ad nauseum at the National Weather Service Forecast Website.

Knock yourselves out!

The Dreaded "Tweak"

2008-12-17T14:52:00.006-06:00

Websters defines "tweak" as: "to pinch and pull with a sudden jerk and twist" and that is what I felt this morning in the back of my leg running strides at Eleanor Tinsley Park today around 6AM. I think the injury is minor and I hope to run a long run on Saturday after 72 hours of rest, but this does put me in a lousy mood.

And it started out great. I got up this morning to join the Will's Hills group at 5:30. Will scheduled one of his more intense workouts which included after an initial warm-up run, the following workout: 1) a half mile warm up run, 2) a hard one mile run, 3) a slow jog to Eleanor Tinsley Park, 4) 10 strides/sprints of approximately 100 meters, 5) 12 minutes of fairly steep hills, then 5) another hard one mile and a 6) cool down back to home base. Try it sometime, especially in the middle of August!

Today, however, was dark and damp and cold. After an initial sluggishness during the first mile, I started to feel pretty good. But it was during the eighth stride that I felt the dreaded tweak. Instead of trying to finish the work-out, I slowly jogged back to home base. Maybe I'm getting a little smarter in my old age!

Mentally, I am trying to figure out why this happened: was it the run late last night being too close to the morning workout? was it lack of a proper warm up on a cold morning? did I just come down wrong on a dark uneven surface while trying to sprint? Why does this have to happen when I've become happy with my running for the first time in months?

Also, mentally, I am thinking about when I can run again. I have had injuries that were alot worse. The pain is isolated and does not spread when I walk or go up and down stairs.

I'm optimistic that the recovery will be short, but for now the dreaded 'tweak' has ruined my day!!

Let It Snow

2008-12-12T01:09:00.004-06:00

Real runners don't let a little snow get in the way of our Ritual Wednesday BCRR Club Run! (Photos: E. Rodriguez)

Hey you wimps out there who were too wuss to come out to play in the cold (you know who you are)!! We had a blast running in the snow without you!! Truly a unique experience in Houston... We had fun warming up at Valhalla after thanks to the generousity of Jay Byers, who funded the tab. Thanks Jay.

K. Mahon

BCRR Christmas party!!!

2008-12-08T11:52:00.005-06:00

Yesterday, the BCRR holiday bash was a total BLAST. We started with BCRR trivia and a game of Bingo. Surprisingly, all the draws for Bingo winners were won by BCRR beautiful ladies except Mark Fraser. Guys, I smell something fishy here :-) A big round of applause for April Murphy for putting together all those fun events.

DJ was simply awesome. Who would have thought that after ~12-21 mile long run in the morning so many people will be on their toes dancing for almost two hours. I took some pictures/video which are posted below.

HMSA 25k after party !!!

2008-11-15T20:23:00.002-06:00

Sue and Allen hosted a wonderful party after the HMSA 25k race. Here are some of the photos I took, :-)

To download/print any pictures, please click the text you are reading, click on the picture, and click download button (Slideshow, Share, download & print buttons are located on top-left corner of the page). It is as easy as it sounds :-)

HMSA 25K !!!

2008-11-15T20:21:00.000-06:00

Here are some pictures I took near BCRR headquarters during HMSA 25k race (Better late than never)

To download/print any pictures, please click the text you are reading, click on the picture, and click download button (Slideshow, Share, download & print buttons are located on top-left corner of the page). It is as easy as it sounds :-)

BCRR Halloween Party!!!

2008-11-15T20:15:00.000-06:00

Here are some pictures from BCRR Halloween Party.

To download/print any pictures, please click the text you are reading, click on the picture, and click download button (Slideshow, Share, download & print buttons are located on top-left corner of the page). It is as easy as it sounds :-)

Sunday in the Park with John...

2008-11-12T16:34:00.015-06:00

John at the 25K Awards Ceremony (Photo: HMSA)

Last Sunday was one busy day in the spotlight for our John Phillips. After erecting the BCRR tent, brewing hot coffee (etc., etc.) and setting out the club porta-potties at the HMSA 25K , he masterfully emceed the event and awards ceremony. Shortly thereafter, while most of us were collapsed on one of the couches at Sue and Alan's, he appeared tailgating at Reliant Park before the Texans-Ravens game.

Watch and learn the secret of his success:

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid823425601/bclid769464594/bctid1898319122

BCRR Top Gun a Tight Race

2008-11-11T15:15:00.002-06:00

Rob Walter's performance in the HMSA 25K on Sunday inched him closer to Jay Hendrickson in the race for BCRR's male "Top Gun" award. The Top Gun award is given annually to the best age graded performance in a HARRA race. Both Rob and Jay won their respective age groups in Sunday's middle leg of the HARRA Marathon Warm-Up Series. Rob's time of 1:39:43 translates to an age graded percentage of 78.89 an improvement of 0.47% over his performance in the half marathon.

Jay's time of 1:47:03 was aged graded at 78.13%, but his performance in the half marathon of 1:28:30 came out at an aged graded percentage of 79.02. How close it that? If Rob had run the 25K just 11 seconds faster (or about 0.7 sec per mile), he would be slightly ahead of Jay.

Also, in case you are wondering, Anna Helm, who blistered the half marathon in 1:30:18 leads all BCRR women in the Top Gun competition with a rating of 76.61.

We have many more races to follow and it will be interesting to track the race between Jay and Rob through next spring.

Valhalla on "Best of Houston" List!!

2008-11-10T17:59:00.005-06:00

Once again, Valhalla - our favorite club watering hole - has made the Houston Press "Best of Houston List". This year it is recognized as the "Best Place to Lie Around Drinking Beer".

Valhalla has previously been recognized as the "Best Bar for Kids" (2002) and the "Best Place to Meet Single Women" (2004) (reviewers must have been there on a Wednesday night).

Who could have guessed that Valhalla would be the optimal place for the discerning gentleman to lie around drinking with his kids while trying to meet single women?And we thought it was just a great place to hang out after running for cheap drinks!!

Tornados join BCRR members for a fun Wendesday evening run !!!

2008-10-23T12:37:00.000-05:00

Yesterday (10/22/08), some folks from Tornados running club joined us for a fun Wednesday evening run. It was great to see healthy camaraderie among both club members. As per Tornados reputation of being fast runners, they soon disappeared from the sight and were found early at Valhalla :)

A big thanks for Tornados club for putting a $100 tab at Valhalla. By the time everyone reached Valhalla it was raining heavily and everyone had to pack inside Valhalla. Few folks looked out from Valhalla and looked back with a big smile on their faces saying, "Ah, I can't go out in this rain. I have to drink another beer."
Soon, $100 were exhausted and Eddie was nowhere to be found for another $100 on tab.

Later in the evening, J. P. Frederickson and Steve showed some neat card tricks followed by few rounds of friendly poker game.

As usual I took some pictures which are here, :-)

To download/print any pictures, please click the text you are reading, click on the picture, and click download button (Slideshow, Share, download & print buttons are located on top-left corner of the page). It is as easy as it sounds :-)

Chuck & Cheryl's b'day splash party!!!

2008-10-09T01:28:00.003-05:00

Today (Oct 8, 2008) Chuck and Cheryl hosted a great birthday splash party at their place. We had plenty of beer, snacks, pizza and a nice pool to cater to our needs. Towards the end of the party couple of crazy runners (Cheryl, Dany, Monica, Gracilla, Rebecca and me) tried out some Salsa, swing and what not :-)

I think everyone had awesome time and I took a few photos to make it more memorable. Once again a big round of applause to Chuck and Cheryl for hosting a wonderful party.

To download/print any pictures, please click the text you are reading, click on the picture, and click download button (Slideshow, Share, download & print buttons are located on top-left corner of the page). It is as easy as it sounds :-)

Maribelle's by the Bay - R.I.P.

2008-10-01T12:50:00.013-05:00

Another sad casualty of Hurricane Ike: Maribelle's, the historic and colorful bar in Seabrook and site of the annual BCRR favorite "Maribelle's by the Bay 5K". Aerial photos indicate that the building is no longer standing. All that can be seen is the concrete foundation and the vestiges of the decks in the back. Maribelle's was one of the oldest bars in the area and was allegedly frequented by astronauts and other NASA employees in the early days of the Space Program.

Before Ike (Google maps)

After Ike

Shown here are aerial photos taken before and after the storm (M: Maribelle's; D: Deck)

Will this year's Maribelle's 5K be the last?

K.Mahon

Harra Cross Country Relay Race 2008 !!!

2008-09-28T22:30:00.000-05:00

I will post the write up sometime later this week. Here are pictures as usual :-)

To download/print any pictures, please click the text you are reading, click on the picture, and click download button (Slideshow, Share, download & print buttons are located on top-left corner of the page). It is as easy as it sounds :-)

Virgo the Virgin!!!

2008-09-10T23:39:00.000-05:00

Virgo is the Sixth sign of the Zodiac. It heralds the end of Summer and nearing of the harvest. The origin of its name has become lost over time but among European and Middle Eastern mythology, Virgo has always been a symbol of fertility and a representation of the production of crops. Even in prehistoric times, this Zodiac Sign was perceived as both a mother and a virgin.

Okay, enough with this stuff... :-)

The bottom line is that today Valhalla was closed for renovations and the great Virgos of BCRR organized a wonderful party at Memorial Park. I had to choose between work and the party and I am glad that I made a better choice.

I met lots of new BCRR members and a few Hashers who are always fun to talk to. I also took some pictures which are here as usual, :-)

Wednesday@Valhalla (08/27/08)

2008-08-28T11:32:00.002-05:00

Yesterday night I had lots of fun at Valhalla. It also happened to be my birthday but being a poor graduate student I didn't put a free tab there. May be on my next birthday, :) And, here is the business as usual aka Pictures.

Marathon viewing party@Fox Grills

2008-08-25T10:31:00.005-05:00

Eddie did a wonderful job in organizing Marathon viewing party at Fox Grills near Galleria. Samuel Kamau Wanjiru of Kenya set a new Olympic record of 2:06:32. I took a few pictures from my cellphone. The quality of the pictures is little inferior but they do convey the mood at the party, :-)

Eddie's Birthday Fun at Valhalla@08/13/2008

2008-08-20T19:31:00.002-05:00

Eddie celebrated his birthday by buying beer for thirsty runners at the gate of Heaven aka Valhalla. We all wish Eddie a very happy birthday. Here are some of the pictures I took (business as usual) :-)

Red Dress Run - New Orleans

2008-08-17T18:39:00.009-05:00

BCRR's LA annex dressing up for a day on the town in the Big Easy for the Red Dress Run.

Pictured Avi-licious Moss, Michelle Doyle

"Yea Avi- you've got a purdy mouth ---should show it off!!"

Pictured Avi Moss

Um, Avi, you've changed.... Anna

New Orleans will do that to a guy. Roger

Avi...always in fashion. Cheers, - j

1) You wear it well.

2) Red is your color.

3) You go, girl!

Katie Decker

Maribelle's by the Bay 5K

2008-08-06T16:53:00.010-05:00

PUT THE LIME IN THE COCONUT...BCRR Participants (lt-rt): Kathi Mahon, Katie Decker, Cathy McGlohn, Larry Cullen, Roger Redding, Mike Mangan, Tara Shipper, John Phillips, Clayton Smith, Mick Midkiff. Not pictured: Jake Tonge, Rosie Schmandt, Andrea Milborne, Hardeep Thind, Alfonso Torres. Photo: Rosie Schmandt

That's not Poseidon rising from the sea- it's just Big John cooling his jets in the Bay!! Photo: Katie Decker

What to do on the hottest weekend of the year? Run a 5K of course!! Bayou City Road Runners are made of tough stuff after all!! The Maribelle's on the Bay 5K in Seabrooke is an annual favorite excursion. We always know what to expect- heat and humidity for sure - but the course is right next to the water and there is always a breeze from the bay. The best part: the pizza, cold beer and camaraderie waiting at the end! Only thing missing: 5 year age groups (hint to organizers).

Pictures@Valhalla on Wednesday, July 23rd 2008!!!

2008-07-24T00:06:00.001-05:00

Valhalla had lots of people tonight. Rob Walters bought beer to celebrate his birthday. Here are some of the pictures I took.

Happy Hour@Mezzanine Lounge

2008-07-12T13:54:00.003-05:00

Here are the pictures from the Happy hour at Mezzanine lounge on Friday.

Twisting by the Pool

2008-07-03T20:42:00.011-05:00

"Come on in- the water's fine!!"

Ray Boytim, Avi Moss, June Harris, Jake Tonge, Kathi Mahon, Mike Doyle, Cathy McGlohn, Rosie Schmandt, Don Brenner (photos: Matt Nicol)

The Independence Day 5K in Deer Park (June 28th) is an annual favorite of many BCRRers and this year was no exception. Although the conditions are always hot and humid, this well-organized small race has a fast course, enough competition to make things interesting, a great after party, impressive awards, plentiful door prizes, and most importantly, ends with a dip in the pool. As usual, everyone from BCRR left with a trophy, a door prize or both.

Olympic Trial Videos

2008-07-01T14:20:00.003-05:00

If you missed the televised coverage of the Olympic Trials in Track and Field you can view highlights here. (you may need to scroll to "Olympic Trials"). Of particular note: Check out the women's 10K final, in which Amy Begley makes a gutsy sprint for the last position on the team and the (wind-aided) world record performance of Tyson Gay in the Men's 100m.

VOLCANIC SPRINT

2008-06-12T16:44:00.009-05:00

BCRR and Harra are co- sponsoring the screening of a new documentary, Volcanic Sprint, on Saturday July 12. The film is about an annual marathon distance race up and down a volcano in Camaroon. You can view a trailer for Volcanic Sprint here.

The screening will be held at the Aurora Theater, 800 Aurora, Houston. Tickets are $10 online or $10 by cash or check at the door. There is a reception from 7-8 and the screening starts at 8PM. See website for additional information.

Check out ATHLINKS.COM

2008-06-12T15:45:00.008-05:00

Athlinks.com is a very cool and useful website for runners who like to race. It is a comprehensive online race results database for running, triathalon, cycling, mountain biking, swimming and adventure racing. You don't have to join to search for results, but joining allows you to access some of the other features. The most important features are below:

Find and consolidate all your race results. You can do this quickly and with one search as opposed to slogging through the results of individual races on different websites. It's a great way to see and maintain all of your results in one place. You can even add races that are not online and consolidate results run under different aliases. This feature will be especially useful for BCRR members "Morry Copulare", "Homer Plate", "Inda Ozone", and "Chip Tyme".

Check out the results of friends and competitors. You can then plot the trajectory of their age-related decline against your own, etc... Or let's say a runner with a gender-neutral name like "Chris", "Pat", or "Tracy" beats you in a race and you suspect they are a man instead of a woman. You can check this out in seconds on Athlinks.com.

Network with other runners and groups.

We have a BCRR group already up and running. Check it out and join in at http://www.athlinks.com/affiliate/664/Bayou-City-Roadrunners.aspx

K. Mahon

BCRR Vet Women on Top

2008-05-05T12:53:00.007-05:00

Got Hardware?

For the first time BCRR Veteran Women won BOTH Team and Club Competition Awards for the HARRA Fall Series! Awards were presented by HARRA at the Bayou Bash Relay in which BCRR Vet women teams also took 1st, 2nd and 4th place in their division - Sweet!

For those unfamiliar with the HARRA Interclub Competition , the "Team" competition is based on the top age-graded performance for the top scoring team (3 people/team) for each category for each race. The "Club" award is based on performance and participation as it scores for each team. (See Harra Rules - Bob Brown wrote a detailed explanation in the October 07 newsletter). Thus even if a Vet woman ran only one HARRA race in the fall series, she contributed to the Club award. Every person counts!!

Well Done!!

BCRR Among Top Ten Houstonians at Boston

2008-05-01T21:27:00.006-05:00

Two Bayou City Road Runners were among the top ten Houstonian finishers at the 2008 Boston Marathon, as reported by Jon Walk in the RunHouston Blog (Houston Chronicle 4/21/08):

- Robert Walters, 3:07:31 - 7th male

- Anne Esler, 3:20:16 - 4th female

Congratulations!!

LP Run- 2008

2008-04-30T17:19:00.008-05:00

Fred, Mike and Gary strategize (and check their pulses) before the race

We had respectable club turnout for the annual LP Run held at St Thomas track April 9, 2008. This race is part of the HARRA Spring Series and is sponsored by the Terlinguins. For those unfamiliar, the object is to run around and around the track as fast as you can for 33 1/3 minutes- the goal being to cover the most distance in this time.

BCRR Hardware: Chris Harris was 2nd Clydesdale, Anna Helm was 2nd master’s woman, and MJ Savino and Hope Sellers got 2nd and 3rd respectively in the 60+ women's division. Gary Wood, Don Brenner and Fred Steves swept the 65-69 division, completely shutting out Mike Mangan. However, Mike literally enjoyed the “last laugh” when he won 3rd place in the Limerick contest. Here is his winning contribution:

I have run many different style races.
And did them at various paces,
But the LP Run,
Has been the most fun,
For a change I am seeing folks' faces!

Great Limerick Mike!! This is not the first time you have rhymed- remember the “Ode to John’s Long Run” a couple of newsletters ago? You are arguably becoming the Poet Laureate of BCRR!!

K. Mahon

BCRR International Marathon Trip China and Olympic Games

2008-04-02T16:27:00.000-05:00

China

Marathon and Olympics Trip 2008. BCRR is happy to announce that an international marathon trip has been selected for this summer. We have chosen China not only because of its’ exotic location plus it coincides with the Olympics. Our group will be lead again by Bob. His experience in organizing past events and his knowledge of China should help make this BCRR marathon the best ever. The dates are set for August. The weather should be ideal. The summer temps and humidity match those of Houston so it’ll be an especially easy transition. The so called problem with smog that has forced some Olympic participants to drop out should not be a concern. We Houstonians will have a huge advantage in that regard. Due to the varying interests of our group we plan to be more laissez-faire in our itinerary to allow everyone to uniquely sample this mysterious country. BCRR will not be able to guarantee to tickets to specific Olympic events and transportation and meals will be on your own. The highlight of the course is running on or near the Great Wall. BCRR plans to start a marathon warm-up program geared toward the race. The Run-By-You-and-You Training Program will have weekly runs in Deer Park to help get us accustomed to the conditions. These runs starting before lunch on Sundays will be wonderful opportunity to bond with your fellow runners under the blazing hot, hot Houston summer sun. Deposits need to be collected as soon possible. Do not contact Bob personally

BCRR Recovering Runners Group

2008-04-02T16:26:00.000-05:00

BCRR Run-Al-Anon Fridays ongoing. Do you feel you have a running problem? Drinking problem? Addictions have taken over your life? Well, BCRR has a new group that can help. Do you have a strange need to arise early on Sunday mornings and go out and run before the sun comes up? Do you run loops around a track or up hills or parking garages or stadium steps for the fun of it? Can you go a day or a few days without running before you start feeling guilty for being a slacker? Do you have to run the Houston Marathon every year? Can you stop at a couple beers or glasses of wine at Valhalla? Do you have a tendency to run, drink, eat, binge or engage in these unhealthy lifestyles? Our newly formed group with the help of dedicated mental professionals and runners themselves are here to help you out. You are not alone. Our group will help you through these addictions and steer you on a path towards self discovery and enlightenment. Our professionals use a modified behavioral approach that has been profoundly helpful. Meetings take place after BCRR Happy Hours. Check the website for updates.

BCRR Rabies Awareness Run 2009

2008-04-02T16:25:00.003-05:00

2009 Race Volunteer Duties. Due to the great success in help running the yearly Rockets Run the board of BCRR has proposed managing a new race for next year the “Inaugural Rabies Awareness Run”. This charity as featured on The Office http://www.veoh.com/videos/v3301104tkfyZr6a will shine light on this particularly oppressive disease. The race will take place 1 week before the marathon and set for 35K. This distance longer than any of the warmup races would serve as the perfect fast paced long run before the marathon. New features that we’ll be doing include setting all mile markers at 4500 feet such that everyone will be on PR pace just like past Rockets Runs. We’ll have shortcuts, unguarded Metro rail crossings, beer and water stops. We’ll be saving on street closings by doing 6 loops around the Toyota Center and 6 loops around Minute Maid. The race will have limited registrations and capped at only 8000 chipped runners. The board feels it has found just the right charity in Rabies Awareness. No flimsy metals, painted rocks, sombreros for the winners instead we’ll be giving out Spec’s gift cards. All club volunteers will get t-shirts, unlimited donuts and coffee race day. We’ll have a drawing at the marathon for all volunteers that helped us for the race. The prize we’ll be a margarita machine donated by an anonymous donor. Remember the date January 2009 and lets put an end to rabies for good.

BCRR Charity Calendar 2009

2008-04-02T16:12:00.004-05:00

BCRR Charity Calendar 2009. BCRR is looking for volunteers to help organize a calendar featuring our sexiest runners for 2009 to help support our favorite charity. We’re looking for committed individuals to make this a successful BCRR fundraiser. We know we’ll have no shortage models/runners. If you'd like to step forward and give up your time for this worthy cause let us know as soon as possible. . The forming committee so far has had many volunteers for models but finding sponsors will be our most pressing need. Pictured May 2009 and July 2009.

Tour de Bayou Series Begins

2008-03-28T12:12:00.007-05:00

Matt Nicol gets Lei'ed on the Ho Chi Minh Trail (photo: TRex)

The Tour de Bayou Series of cross country races begins on April 1st. This HARRA sponsored series is organized by Roger Boak (nboka.xc@gmail.com) and consists of 5 races held on consecutive Tuesdays in April. The distances vary between 5 and 8K. Open and Master (age-graded) winners receive a lei and are determined for each stage as well as for cumulative stages. The races are absolutely free- all you have to do is show up and promise to "be careful".

If you haven't raced these before, they are very low key and a lot of fun! BCRR members Anna Sumrall Helm and Matt Nicol have won women and men's masters divisions respectively for at least the last two years. Let's see if they can keep their streaks going!

Apr. 1, Tuesday, 6PM: Stage 1: Spotts Park

Apr. 8, Tuesday, 6PM: Stage 2: Shepherd Bridge (at Memorial)

Apr. 15, Tuesday, 6PM: Stage 3: White Oak Bayou (at Thelma)

Apr. 22, Tuesday, 6PM: Stage 4: Ho Chi Minh (Mem. Park Rugby Field)

Apr. 29, Tuesday, 6PM: Stage 5: Ho Chi Minh (Mem. Park Rugby Field)

When having a good time trumps getting a good time….

2008-03-12T15:53:00.008-05:00

Paris, Adnan, K-Fed and Lindsay chill after the race

We had a blast this last Saturday running as a “centipede” in the Bayou City Classic 10K. Our theme was “Hollywood Divas Gone Bad: Running for (to/from) Rehab”. Our “segments” included Lara Allen as Lindsay Lohan, Donna Whitney as Paris Hilton, Kathi Mahon as Britney Spears, Jeff Tabourne as Brit’s paparazzo boyfriend Adnan Ghalib, Eric Faria as a paparazzo, and Rosie Schmandt as a rehab health care professional. We all had our costumes and props (for example, Lindsay with her vodka bottle and Paris with her purse Chihuahua). However, new BCRR member Clayton Smith was the real crowd pleaser as Britney’s ex K-Fed, complete with wife-beater T-shirt, tattoos, and baby strapped to his chest. He looked so convincing that many people mistakenly thought he was running with an actual live baby!

Our run went smoothly in spite of a few stops for “costume readjustments”. Those of us with wigs had special challenges and some of the men wearing suit coats got a little hot towards the end of the race. We weren’t the fastest, but we weren’t the slowest either. There was no chance of catching the BARC Yodelers or the Tornado Wild Animals, so we made it our informal goal to beat the centipede of Cows-with-floppy-ears (which we later found out were supposed to be “Dalmatians”), but after K-Fed taunted the “Team on Steroids” for being slow, we HAD to finish before them!! As we approached the finish line, the Blues Brothers-like Band was singing the George Thorogood classic, “One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer”. How perfect – they were playing our song!!!

In the end, we won an award for “Best Hair”, but we know in our hearts that we were the best from heads to toe!!

Teachers Run Volunteers-The Movie

2008-02-10T07:48:00.000-06:00

Saturday (1/26) 10 Mile Run

2008-01-23T10:57:00.000-06:00

Since there's no RO Sunday run on 2/27 due to the Rockets Run, I am going to run 10 miles Saturday morning instead, leaving the MP tennis center at 8:00 and running counter-clockwise around the park, then down Allen Parkway to Sabine and back, for a round trip of just over 10 miles. Weather permitting, of course! The temps should be all-right, but who knows about the rain. There won't be any gatorade, but there are quite a few water fountains along the way.

All paces, styles, conversation topics, fashion emergencies, etc., are invited to join me. Breakfast afterwards at Mojo Risin around 10:30-11:00 ish (it's in the same building as Spaghetti Western).

Michelle

Vacation Planner

2008-01-20T21:30:00.000-06:00

After getting feedback the last few weeks, I have come up with a proposal for the following roadtrips for 2008 and beyond.

Next International Marathon- 2009

I was not able to get alot of interest in some of the more adventurous marathons. Berlin received the most interest as a group trip. Because we have had international marathons each of the last two years, the consensus was that it would be better to wait until 2009. I am really not sure whether it was the world class event or the fact that this was held during Octoberfest as the reason for the keen interest!!

Wild West Relay- August 1-2, 2008

We need to convince Michelle to run this. She was the only person who had reservations. The first third of this will be tough- see elevation map to the left, but then it's downhill. Can we get two teams? Once we are done, we can spend a few days in Steamboat Springs to escape the Houston heat. If this becomes a reality, all information will be updated on the blog. I'd like to hear your comments. Change of getting this organized as of 1-20-08: 25%- let's see if we can improve the odds!!

Other Trips-

In addition to standards like Beach-to-Bay in Corpus, a group of runners plan to make a trip to the Crescent City Classic 10K in New Orleans. The race will be held March 22 which is Easter weekend. Great course, great food and great post race party. For more details you can go to the website: http://www.ccc10k.com/ or read my article in the May 2007 BCRR newsletter.

I personally plan to run the Hospital Hill Half Marathon in Kansas City June 7th. http://www.hospitalhillrun.com/. This is large and hilly half marathon- good practice for the Wild West relay!

As more possibilities come up, please use the blog to post ideas!!

10 miles 1/19 AM

2008-01-18T11:23:00.000-06:00

Hi all,

April and I are meeting tomorrow (1/19) AM at 8 at Detering and Blossom, running to the park for a loop and then Sabine and back, for a total of 10-11 miles. We'll probably get to the tennis center at 8:20 ish. All are welcome to join us, and dress warmly.

Michelle

BCRR Marathoners in the Media: Part 2

2008-01-17T17:41:00.001-06:00

BCRR was well represented in the media before, during, and after the marathon.

The Houston Chronicle:

- Ray Boytim was highlighted in the Chronicle and was mentioned a bazillion times during the marathon live coverage on Channel 13. This was both his 30th consecutive Houston Marathon and his 200th marathon (at age 75)!! Quite an accomplishment!!

The Airways:

- Mike Mangan was interviewed for a full hour about the marathon and his quest for Boston on “The Danny Arnold Show” on KBME-790 AM “The Sports Animal” on Saturday January 5th. He will be featured again this Saturday the 19th (11AM) when he calls in his post-marathon report.

- Mark Fraser (together with Roger Boak) educated the masses about the Houston Marathon and marathon running in general during an hour long broadcast on KPFT on Friday the 11th. Thanks for the plugs for BCRR Mark!!!

Television:
Let’s Go to the Videotape: I recorded the live marathon coverage on Channel 13 to review later Sunday evening while I lay with ice packs on my legs and a glass of wine in hand.

The following people enjoyed a few milliseconds of their 15 minutes of fame:

-Allison Nadolski- seen in the opening Montage grimacing with pain/exhaustion (probably recorded last year)
-Joe Sellers- twice!! Seen from the back at the start of the race and later on White Oak Bayou
-Jake Tonge at White Oak Bayou
-Yours Truly(Kathi Mahon) at White Oak Bayou
-Dani Carbone-Sohn interview about why she is running- good job Dani, but you missed an opportunity to plug BCRR!!
-Eric Faria waving to the camera on Post Oak
-Bob Thompson interview.
-Linnie Reichle at finish

On the Recap show Sunday PM:
-Allison again
-Bruce Levy at the Beer stop. Looking Good!!
-Deborah Touchy at Finish running Yours Truly in.
-Kim Rose interview (as a spectator)

(Disclaimer: I was tired, horizontal, and drinking wine. I may have dozed off and missed someone. I apologize if I did. Please comment if I left someone out on this list or the one above.)

Kathi Mahon

BCRR Marathoners in the Media- Part 1

2008-01-17T17:00:00.000-06:00

Several BCRR members were immortalized in photos on the Chronicle and Channel 13 web pages :

Mike Mangan and Bob Thompson making their way through the “Dead Zone” after Mile 20 . (M.Beltran-Chronicle)

Susan Scarrow (M. McGruff; abc13.com)

The always amazing Felix Lugo and his ever-present flag. Is that Rosie Schmandt on the left?

(M. McGruff; abc13.com)

David Harvey (M. McGruff; abc13.com)

Dennis Dwulet at the finish line (M. McGruff; abc13.com)

Future Trips

2007-12-20T10:55:00.000-06:00

I was recently was asked whether I was interested in planning any trips for 2008. I thought this would be a good use of the blog to generate a discussion. First off, because of work commitments, I will not be able to plan a ski trip this year. I will get a few days of skiing in on a future business trip to Colorado a few weeks after the Houston Marathon. That is always one of my most enjoyable trips, so I am sorry not to be able to ski with my fellow runners.

Here are some other possibilities for road trips this coming year.

1) Another Relay? The Reno-to-Tahoe relay was one of the highlights of the year. While it was a coordination challenge, everything worked out well and several of us enjoyed a few extra days in beautiful Lake Tahoe. Anyone interested in doing another relay? Here are some possibilities:

Wild West Relay (http://www.wildwestrelay.com/)- 195 miles from Fort Collins to Steamboat Springs, CO scheduled for Aug. 1-2, 2008. A few days in Steamboat Springs afterward would be very refreshing coming from Houston in the summer.

Green Mountain Relay (http://www.greenmountainrelay.com/)- 200 miles from Jefferson to Bennington, VT scheduled for June 21-22, 2008. Run during the summer solstice. Vermont is a beautiful state.

Reach the Beach Relay (http://www.rtbrelay.com/)- 200 miles from Franconia to Hampton Beach, NH scheduled September 12-13, 2008. Should see a touch of fall in New England.

This is a sampling of potential relays. I would be curious in your feedback.

2) Another International Marathon? We've had a trip in each of the last two years going to Greece in 2006 and Dublin this past October. Should we plan a trip for 2008 or wait until 2009? I will toss around a few suggestions:

Exotic Location- We have been to many marathons in Europe including Spain, Italy, Greece, Ireland and Austria. It is time to go somewhere more exotic? Here are some suggestions for an exotic marathon:

Greenland- There are two marathons scheduled for Greenland describing running in along water with icebergs floating (at least for now) and across beautiful terrain. http://www.greenland.com/content/english/tourist/activities/sport_events/nuuk_maratho
Mongolia- It doesn't get more exotic and they have a marathon and ultra in July through a national park. You will stay in gers (felt tents) while in the region, but reviews of the race and the trip are extremely positive.

Japan- Several marathons and clean, safe and interesting location

Mt. Kilimanjaro- http://www.mtkilimanjaromarathon.com/ June 22, at the home base of world class long distance runners, this is a four loop course and an opportunity to add a safari or a climb of the highest peak in Africa.

Traditional Location- probably not my preference, but I found one scenario that could be fun and that is the Berlin Marathon Sept. 30. There are couple of reasons this could be compelling:

Good possibility you will run the marathon at the same time a world record is approached or broken. This is a fast course on which the world record has been set on a couple of occasions, the most recent being last September
The marathon is right in the middle of Octoberfest which ends October 5th in 2008. Imagine running the marathon and spending the following week touring Germany during Octoberfest.

So, now it is up to you to comment. I would like to gauge the interest level of any of these events.

BOB

Dublin Marathon Update: We're WELL DONE!

2007-11-02T07:45:00.000-05:00

Greetings from Ireland.

We arrived early Saturday morning in Dublin and proceeded to the Marathon Expo, where we loaded up on Dublin Marathon gear and Ireland running paraphernalia. My brother Mike is not a runner, but he has a disturbing morbid interest in nipple chafe, so he had no trouble initiating conversation with runners he encountered. The marathon was not until Monday, so we exercised extreme restraint and avoided the various pubs that were beckoning to us on every street corner for the next two days.

Race day was beautiful; partially sunny with temps in the low 50’s at the start. The course was beautiful as well, but very hilly and challenging. We also had headwinds that were particularly strong the last 6 miles. By that time, I felt like I was hardly moving (and have the splits to show for it!). The crowd support was great- everyone was shouting “WELL DONE!!, WELL DONE LADS!, WELL DONE GIRLS!

Mark was shooting for a sub-3 hour marathon, and came heartbreakingly close (3:00:38). But if he can do that on this course, he will have no trouble breaking 3 in Houston. WELL DONE MARK!!

Irma and I were planning to run this one easy, as Houston is our goal marathon. I wanted to do 4:30 or better, but came in at 4:42. Under the conditions I was happy and truly felt “WELL DONE”. Irma surprised everyone including herself by running 4:25- a new PR!! WELL DONE IRMA!!

When I finished, Mike was there with a bouquet of flowers. He watched the race start and finish. My brother is not a runner, so he was perplexed when people threw gloves and clothing at him near the start. It was a learning experience for him.

That evening we all had a great dinner followed by many pints of Guinness- a perfect ending to a “Brilliant” day.

Kathi

Dublin Marathon

2007-10-26T04:45:00.000-05:00

Well Folks,

Today we are embarking on our trip to Ireland for the Dublin Marathon, the official BCRR International Marathon for this year. We are a small but intrepid group, consisting of Mark and Irma Conran and yours truly. My brother Mike will be joining us in Dublin as well. Mike is not a runner, but we will see what we can do about that...

Of course we are looking forward to the race, but we all have other reasons for coming since we have family ties here. Mark is actually from Ireland and I have numerous aunts, uncles and cousins as my father came from Ireland as well.

I hope to be able to send a couple of updates and perhaps a few pictures from the road. I don't expect it will be as riveting a read as Bob's updates from the Lake Tahoe Relay, but I will do my best without actually stretching the truth. Of course, if something really interesting happens, it will probably be something we wouldn't want to post for all to see:)

Kathi

BCRR Trip suggestion!

2007-10-24T07:16:00.000-05:00

From Todd Gilbreath:

When it's hotter than all get out next summer I suggest we do this: http://www.innway.co.uk/iwpeak01.htm .....

Thoughts? Comments? Ideas? Take it away!

Marathon Horror Stories

2007-10-08T18:04:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to all BCRRers who ran (or attempted to run) a marathon this weekend. You are true Spartans!!

The record high temperatures in the North East made even Houston's weather look good. The most dramatic development of course was the cancellation of the Chicago Marathon in progress. The organizers cite the dangerous conditions and numerous heat-related casualties, including the death of one runner on the course, as reasons for the cancellation. But that's only part of the story. There are a number of really angry runners out there who fault the race organization for lack of preparedness in anticipating the increased need for fluids. A major problem was apparently little or no water or Gatorade at the aid stations. It's hard for me to imagine running a marathon on a cool day with inadequate fluids, much less a really hot day.

If you ran Chicago or one of the other marathons (Steamtown, Milwaukee’s Lakefront, etc) let’s hear your war stories.

Marathon Bib Transfer

2007-10-05T10:06:00.000-05:00

Now that the marathon has been sold out, people are asking if I know anyone with an extra bib!
This is the place to go Bayou City to sell your bib. Let's try and keep the HARRA points in the club. If you are injured and can no longer run, sell your bib here to a fellow BCRR member. If you somehow didn't get in on time, check back often or leave your request here.