Longtime HARRA Member, Rudy Rocha, has been training in the suburbs of Baytown and racing the streets of Houston since 1998.
Originally from Cuero, Texas, Rudy attended Cuero High School, where he was a two-time UIL State Championship 3200 meter runner in Track and went on to an All-American career at the College of the Ozarks in Missouri and at Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville.
Upon returning to Houston to rear his children with his wife, Jeannette, Rudy enlisted as a Special Education Teacher in Goose Creek ISD. Since then, Rudy has progressively padded his running resume, racing to personal bests of 14:17 (5K), 29:58 (10K), 1:06:36 (Half Marathon), and 2:29:15 (Marathon), racing the likes of Jon Warren, Sean Wade, and Justin Chaston at their best.
However, for those of you racing locally as of late, one cannot help but wince at watching Rudy cross the finish line, much further back in the lead pack than usual, and with atrocious running form due to over a year of personal selfish neglect as he withstood the gradual passing of his youngest brother, Aaron Rocha.
As each and every day that passed at a hospice in Houston, it became second nature for Rudy to skip his training to hold his brother's hand, to help him breathe, to give him hope and to be with him. And when Aaron insisted that Rudy run, for that was all Aaron had known Rudy to do, Rudy would mercilessly pound his body into the concrete of Baytown, ignoring his ever-increasing muscle imbalances and injuries. This vicious cycle of depression and masochism drove Rudy to the runner he is today, a runner in search of a brilliant past, if only he could ever overcome his physical degeneration.
However, if the United Space Alliance 10 Mile is any indication of Rudy's return to form with his 56:36 performance, Master runners be warned: Rudy is on the verge of reinventing himself.
HARRA News was fortunate to spend some time with the father of four after the USA 10 Mile -
HN: Rudy, what did you think about today's performance (10th in 56:36)?
RR: I was both surprised and excited, because the time indicates that I am heading in the right direction. My last four weeks of mileage totals have been 60, 46, 49, and 42 miles going into this race with one long run of 14 miles... so I am definitely encouraged.
HN: Did you have a goal entering this race?
RR: The goal before the race was to run with the masters group, with the exception of Sean, because I knew they would not go out very fast and maybe I would have enough experience to bring it home. I was hoping for a time in the 56-minute range, but I was not sure. I was worried about my fitness past the six mile mark, as I would typically not run a race this long with the little training I have had over the past month.
HN: It has been said that your engine, your fitness level, is that of a sub-15:00 5K runner, but that mechanically, you are limited at the moment. What do you need to fix and how are you going about the process of rehabilitating a once fluid gait cycle?
RR: I have bursitis on my left leg and hip. I have Dr. Sexton and Kevin Landry out of Clear Lake working on me. I have to do all these supplemental exercises to strengthen myself in addition to the treatment. If I can get up to 95% or 100%, I still think I can run around 15:15 for 5k and 31:30 for 10k. I have a personal best of 49:36 and 49:37 for 10 miles on two different courses so it's not like I am asking my body to do too much. If I can average 4:57 for 10 miles, I should be able to average 4:55 for 3 miles if I do the work.
HN: Have you been inspired by the performances of your peers, in seeing the likes of Sean Wade running his best times at 43, and not 40, as a Masters athlete?
RR: I have a tremendous amount of respect for Sean regarding his consistency and work ethic. To see the times he is putting down is inspirational and also gives me hope that one can still ran fast even into your mid-forties. I hope to bridge the gap some in the next few months. Sean and I had some fast races together in 1999. He and Jon Warren pushed me to a personal best of 1:21:34 at 25k and we ran the Space City 10k in around 31:21 that year.
HN: Rudy, would you mind providing for us an example of a perfect week of training for you in your prime, and now as a Masters athlete?
RR: 90-92 miles per week. Long run on Sunday of 14-20 miles. I like to run speed on Tuesday and a hard 10 mile fartlek on Saturday, if not racing. I would run the 10 mile loop in around 56-minutes and get down to the 52-minute range when fit. I ran that loop once in 50:42 two weeks before running 10 mile PR of 49:36, with splits of 25:03/24:32. As a master I am following the same layout but I have not run more than 60 miles a week yet. I am taking it real slow so I do not get hurt and can continue rehabbing my form.
HN: Could you give us a glimpse of the personal tragedy you and your family endured during your brother's last days and how it affected you and your family's life?
RR: My brother was brilliant. He was twenty eight and had two degrees from the University of Texas at Austin, a B.S. in Biology and B.A. in Chemistry. He was working at a Pharmacy and testing to go back to school to be a pharmacist when all of sudden he became ill in March of 2008.
RR: My brother was brilliant. He was twenty eight and had two degrees from the University of Texas at Austin, a B.S. in Biology and B.A. in Chemistry. He was working at a Pharmacy and testing to go back to school to be a pharmacist when all of sudden he became ill in March of 2008.
After his stay in a hospital in Austin, I brought him to live with me so I could get treatment for him at the Medical Center in Houston. I was driving back and forth from Baytown to Houston for a couple of months, but his health kept declining. Finally, it got to the point that the doctors told us there was nothing else they could do. They recommended putting him in a hospice center so he could receive 24 hour care and keep him comfortable. This crushed our family. We just lean on each other and we were there everyday with Aaron.
It was a Friday, August 22nd, and I just had finished up an in-service week for back to school when I got the call to hurry up and get to the hospice center. Aaron was in transition and was asking for me. I got there and I knew this was it. He smiled at me and my kids and called everyone by name. He asked me to hold him. The next hour I held him as he gradually slipped away. He whispered, “ I am going to miss you guys, thank you.” He looked at me and smiled and everything stopped.
The next few months were a fog. I stopped running the next morning. I ran to his grave site, knelt down and cried for an hour. I was mentally and physically depleted. Three months went by and all I would do was come home and sleep. I gained seventeen pounds and I did not care. Our family all got together during Christmas and talked about the experience which helped everyone get moving again. Gradually, we all began to get back to normal but you still feel a big void in your spirit and heart.
HN: Do you feel you are back mentally, and what are your plans for the remainder of 2009 and into 2010?
HN: Do you feel you are back mentally, and what are your plans for the remainder of 2009 and into 2010?
RR: I feel mentally ready to compete. I just have to get the training in and get my biomechanics corrected. The goal for the rest of the year is to continue to get in shape by racing as frequently as possible. Racing will help me get the feel back. I plan to ran fast in 2010, and I will be ready.
HARRA News thanks Rudy Rocha for his time and personal insight and we wish him the best into the New Year...
