LP Run- 2008

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

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

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

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

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

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….

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!!