Monday, October 26, 2009

Meet Renaissance Runner, Ben Harvie

Ben Harvie is a longtime member of HARRA, a member of the HARRA CPR-AED team, and represents the Terlingua Track Club... and he has quite a story to tell, and, quite honestly, I am unsure if this web server has enough memory to chronicle the accomplishments and impact of this man. I also feel completely selfish indulging in such an interview, as I feel he should be compensated for his time, for I sit with a man with far-greater initiatives than talking track, but Ben is generous with his time, and I am ever so grateful. And so I hope you enjoy the insights of this modern day renaissance man...

Ben Harvie started running in the 7th grade and ran at LaMarque High School, with memories of running behind the DOT mosquito fogging trucks in the alley of his house in Galveston. President of his Senior Class, Ben managed a 4:36 Mile, which was good for 3A, but did not get him out of the District.

Ben then attended the University of Houston and joined the Cougar Cross Country team under Johnny Morriss and Al Lawrence in the glory days of UH running. Immediately, under the guidance of Al Lawrence, Ben improved to a 4:19 Mile and 14:45, 3 Mile, as the sixth man on his team, which placed 10th at the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships. However, he was unable to compete due to a ruptured appendix. Ben then focused on graduating and attending Law School, still running, but slipping into the 22-minute range for 5K's and 4-hour Dallas Marathons while raising his four children.

Ben is currently a senior shareholder at Novelli, Harvie & Huzenic Attorneys at Law in Houston, has been licensed by the State Bar of Texas since 1971, and is licensed to practice in the United States Supreme Court. Furthermore, Ben is also an adjunct faculty professor teaching Aviation and the Law at Baylor University. How is this possible? Well, he just flies his Cessna 182 to Waco during the week for his classes... as Ben is an avid pilot.

But back to running. On October 17, 1989, overloaded with life's stresses, career success, and training for the Houston-Tenneco Marathon, Ben's heart stopped after a 6-mile run and a cold shower at the park. He had continued Ventricular Tachycardia (VT, a fast heart rate, usually over 100 beats per minute) and three defribulators over 15 years. He continued to run, but any increase in pace was a shock, so his times were recreational at best, until he was celebrating his 50th birthday on the Santa Monica, California Pier, and raced easy, but because of the new age group (50-54), he placed and he was hooked and commenced serious training. He reconnected with Al Lawrence and immediately the coach-athlete relationship paid dividends, as Ben ripped a 3:03 at Austin and a 3:15 at Boston the following year.

Ben has already qualified for the Chevron Houston Marathon's Invited Elite Athlete program, and has done so since 2006. He has also captured the first two 2009 HARRA Fall Series races (10 Mile in 1:08:53 and the Half Marathon in 1:31:30) and captured the HARRA Fall Series Runner of the Season for the 50+ Age Group since 2006.

However, Ben does not only run to stay focused and motivated, as he morphs into a world-class duathlete and triathlete in the summer months, and has been a member of Team U.S.A. at the ITU - World Championship-Duathlon five (5) times. As a Veteran Athlete (50+), Ben boasts personal bests of 18:41 for 5K, 31:06 for 5M, 38:00 for 10K, 1:26:08 for the Half Marathon, and 3:03:21 for the Marathon distance.


HN: Ben, first and foremost, how do you do it?
BH: It’s in the genes. My dad ran at the 1929 SMU Relays and lived to be 97.5 years old. Mike Novelli is my nephew and he held the Southwest Conference 5000m record. My nephew, Dan Novelli’s son, Weston, is competing at Strait at this moment. My daughter placed 2nd at Dallas at age 14 and ran at North Texas. My three sons ran, but ended up playing soccer. My family has always run. I rarely get injured because I never push to the level of most competitive runners, usually settling for less mileage and fewer records. Since 50+, I have competed in over 200 races. I just love to race, win or lose. I don’t get discouraged when I get beat because it was common when at the Univeristy of Houston, but running behind Howie Ryan, Dan Green, Leonard Hilton, just to name a few, just made me the best I could be. Nothing special, just adding depth to the highly touted team, and jokingly bringing up the rear.

HN: Why do you train?
BH: Just to race.. winning is icing on the cake.

HN: What is your favorite distance and/or discipline to race?
BH: Just whatever the race is that weekend. I like multisport because it makes you appreciate other disciplines and keeps me humble. I’ve done many Duathlons and Triathlons, since 1984, as my debut was with Jack Lippincott’s father. He beat me. Usually they were done without training until I accidently found myself competitive as a Veteran (50+). I’ve done a few Ironman 70.3s, but was challenged to do the Ironman in Canada (20th in 14:50:38). The people are great and the challenges with great and dedicated athletes is exciting. But, I did not train to my full potential and am now temped to "tri" again with more specific training. The trouble is that Triathlon training interferes with my Marathon training and I can’t excel at both. When my Marathon time ranked me in the World for my age, I was encouraged to go after the Texas age record at 61 and got it with a 3:04:34 at the 2008 Chevron Houston Marathon. However, Duathlons are great for me because of the two runs. I would like to qualify for Team USA again because of the international competition and travel.

HN: What are your goals for 2009 and 2010?
BH: I want to stay competitive, but uninjured and healthy and not let the wheels come off as I begin to feel the effects of aging, which clearly requires more recovery. Houston, Austin and always maybe Boston. I really like the Bay Area Multisport group as they encourage all who come in with handicaps like I do in swimming and biking. So, I get back on the bike and into my speedo in the spring and summer.

HN: Speak to us about your role on the HARRA CPR-AED team?
BH: There are so many resources at HARRA that it is a loss if any runner does not join. I have fun with all of the clubs and have run with many of them at various times in my career. Terlingua has my guys in it so I stick with my guys, but I train and am a member with BARC because I see them all the time, they are my friends, and I enjoy watching their progress and successes. Bayou City has great guys too, I just can’t keep up with them and 7 Hills in Huntsville has Ken Johnson (and many hills). I have enjoyed participating with Dr. Bob and his AED team, so much so, that I am advocating AED teams for multisport through USAT, IRONMAN and Bay Area Multisport.

HN: Can you give us a glimpe into your training log?
BH: The short sort story is that I like as little mileage as possible, getting into the 50 mile/week range a few times each season, and doing 6 miles at Memorial park at 7 minute pace, which is my hopeful Marathon pace. Track on Tuesday, 6 miles at 7PM on Wednesday, 6 miles easy at Blackhawk on Thursday. Swim on Friday, Race on Saturday or Sunday with the other day off. On the nutritional end, I like Hammer products and don’t take anything except Vitamin E, Fish Oil, Garlic and an Aspirin. Plus, Dr. Carwyn Sharpe, my coach, added the dimension of scientific fueling to my training, something that in my opinion is even more important than the training for an Ironman. In short, I want to run when I am 70 plus and stay competitive like Ino Cantu and those few who hang in there. The age groups keep getting smaller after 50 and there is a reason. Just showing up will be the ultimate goal and beating as many young guys as possible. Even if you don’t beat them, the fear that some old guy might get them makes them better runners. And that is what I enjoy.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Koala/Luke's Houston Half Marathon Highlights


The top highlights of the 2009 Houston Half Marathon, sponsored by Koala Wellness Center and Luke's Locker and presented by the Houston Striders, were the Female Overall Winner and FLS's Autumn Ray (1:23:48) and HMSA's Gerardo Mora capturing the Male Masters title in 1:16:34.

Other age group winners included ALRC's Caroline Burum, as her 1:31:08 paced the Female 40-44 age group, holding off Kenyan Way's Vicki Melnick (2nd in 1:35:00) and ALRC's Martha Long (3rd in 1:35:16). The Tornados' Susan Walters captured the Female 45-49 age group with her tremendously impressive, 1:26:58 run, which placed her 7th on the All-Time Performance List, and beat out Jody Berry of the Houston Striders (1:30:09). Christie Lammers took home the Female 50-54 age group title with her monstrous 1:32:05 run, blasting away from Houston Harrier's Suzanne Day (2nd in 1:38:12) and ALRC's Suzy Seeley (3rd in 1:40:09). Harrier Donna Sterns continued her undefeated streak with her 1:40:15 win in the Female 55-59 age group, out-distancing herself from Strider Julie Rutledge by almost a mile (1:48:06). Houston Strider Judy Loy won the Female 70-74 age group with her 2:43:26 run.

On the Men's side, ALRC's George Alvarado easily handled the Male 1-19 age group with his 6:20 pace, 1:23:00 performance, holding off Ryan Dimarco's 1:28:44 run. Houston Strider Thomas King, Jr. pulled off quite the upset, capturing the Male 40-44 age group with his 1:17:37, fast enough to qualify for the Chevron Houston Marathon Local Invited Elite Status, and taking down Rudy Rocha (1:18:14) of the Bay Area Running Club and the Tornados Francisco Garza (1:21:35). HMSA's Joe Melanson won the Male 50-54 age group with his 1:22:15 performance, as Philip Trumbly of the Tornados placed 2nd in 1:24:07 and ALRC's Richard Peoples took home the bronze with his 1:24:23. Tornados teammates, Miguel Lopez and Jamal Jamalyaria placed first and second, respectively (1:27:01 and 1:29:22) in the Male 55-59 age group, while Terlingua's Ben Harvie won the Male 60-64 age group in a great 1:31:30. Don Brenner of the BCRR won the Male 70-74 age group in 1:47:32 over TWRC's Jim Braden (1:53:58).

Top 10 Overall Male Open
1:08:44 - Sean Wade (42), 2008
1:09:13 - Luis Armenteros, 2008
1:09:23 - Alex Moore, 2007
1:09:25 - Cole Dailey, 2009
1:10:44 - Luis Armenteros, 2007
1:11:50 - Colin Carroll, 2008
1:12:01 - Colin Wolfe, 2008
1:12:16 - Ray Martinez, 2008
1:12:19 - Ray Martinez, 2007
1:12:34 - Rudy Rocha, 2007

Top 10 Overall Male Master
1:08:44 - Sean Wade (42), 2008
1:12:52 - Sean Wade (40), 2006
1:13:53 - Wilmer Bustillos (43), 2008
1:14:13 - Jon Butler (45), 2007
1:14:27 - Joe Flores (48), 2007
1:15:25 - Francisco Perez (42), 2007
1:15:52 - Gerardo Mora (42), 2008
1:16:00 - Jacob Mazone (45), 2007
1:16:32 - Gerardo Mora (40), 2006
1:16:34 - Gerardo Mora (43), 2009

Top 10 Overall Female Open
1:21:40 - Kimberly Hager, 2007
1:22:15 - Kate Gorry, 2007
1:23:04 - Dawn Domaschk, 2008
1:23:09 - Heidy Lozano (44), 2007
1:23:13 - Lindsay Harkema, 2007
1:23:21 - Diana Hirst, 2008
1:23:40 - Autumn Ray, 2006
1:23:48 - Autumn Ray, 2009
1:24:12 - Heidy Lozano (45), 2008
1:24:18 - Heidy Lozano (43), 2006

Top 10 Overall Female Master
1:23:09 - Heidy Lozano (44), 2007
1:24:12 - Heidy Lozano (45), 2008
1:24:18 - Heidy Lozano (43), 2006
1:24:19 - Heidy Lozano (46), 2009
1:25:20 - Susan Walters (43), 2007
1:25:46 - Susan Walters (42), 2006
1:26:56 - Susan Walters (45), 2009
1:27:27 - Helen Grant (43), 2006
1:28:36 - Christie Lammers (50), 2007
1:29:16 - Caroline Burum (43), 2008

Houston Half Marathon & Relay


The Houston Striders, Inc. is proud to bring you the 2009 Koala Health and Wellness Centers & Luke's Locker Houston Half Marathon & Relay. The 2009 Houston Half Marathon Race and Relay on October 25, 2009, is the first in the 2009 Houston’s Marathon Warm-up Series. We also have a two-person Half Marathon Relay - a fun way to train for the 2010 Chevron Houston Half Marathon. Whether this is your first half marathon or your tenth, please take time to read the following race information.

DATE AND START TIME
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Half Marathon Wheelchair @ 6:50 A.M.
Half Marathon and Half Marathon Relay @ 7:00 A.M.

RACE START LOCATION
Near Sam Houston Park, 395 Lamar St. Houston, TX 77002, in downtown Houston. Click For Map

RACE COURSE DESCRIPTION
A certified loop Half Marathon course on Allen Parkway. Relay handoff at the half-way point. Course will be monitored by the Houston Police Department. All mile and 5k points will be marked. Timers and pace callers will be at all mile marks. You can find a map of the course HERE.

WATER STATIONS & MEDICAL SUPPORT
Water Stations at the Start, Finish, Relay Handoff Area and along the race course all supplying water. Qualified medical personnel and the HARRA AED team will be on the course and at the Finish Line.

ELIGIBILITY
Open to runners of all abilities. Half Marathon participants with finishing times under 2:48:00 will be scored for both overall and age group time and place. Finish line closed after 3 hours and course re-opened to traffic (equivalent to 6 hour marathon pace).

RESTRICTIONS
No use of wheeled equipment in the Half Marathon Race and Relay except for approved wheelchairs (see Wheelchair Participants). This ban includes baby strollers and baby joggers of any type, skateboards, in-line skates, bicycles etc. No pets allowed on the course.

WHEELCHAIR PARTICIPANTS
Wheelchair participants will be bound by competition rules for athletics as issued by Wheelchair Track and Field, USA (WTFUSA), the national governing body of Wheelchair Sports, USA. Rules state that helmets must be worn, the chair must have at least two large wheels and one small wheel and no mechanical gears or levers will be allowed.

WARNING Weather conditions in Houston during late October vary. You should expect hot and humid conditions, and train accordingly. THE RACE WILL NOT BE POSTPONED. Please call the Houston Half Marathon Hotline at 713.797.8601 if you have any questions.

ENTRY FEES
HALF MARATHON
$45 postmarked by 9/20/09
$50 Late Registration 9/21/09 - 10/24/09
RELAY
$70 per team - postmarked by 9/20/09
$75 per team - Late Registration 9/21/09 - 10/24/09
DISCOUNTS
The following discounts are offered for registrants, registrants who qualify for more than one discount will only be given one discount - - the one with the highest discount dollar amount they qualify for.
$3 off entry fee for HARRA members
$5 off entry fee if you are aged 65 or older
ONLINE REGISTRATION
You can register at SignMeUp. Or download the Registration Form. and follow the directions below.

MAIL-IN RACE REGISTRATION
No mail in registration postmarked after October 11th will be accepted - you must go to late registration at Luke's Locker to register.


Mail registration forms to: Houston Half Marathon & Relay
P. O. Box 219255
Houston, TX 77218-9255

LATE REGISTRATION & PACKET PICK-UP
Packet pick-up and late registration will be at Luke's Locker.

Mastercard and Visa will be accepted at Late Registration! A $1 service fee will be added to the registration fee.
Date Time Location

Saturday, October 17th 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM Luke's Locker
1953 West Gray, Houston, TX 77019 MAP
Thursday, October 22nd 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM Luke's Locker
1953 West Gray, Houston, TX 77019 MAP
Friday, October 23rd 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM Luke's Locker
1953 West Gray, Houston, TX 77019 MAP
Saturday, October 24th 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Luke's Locker
1953 West Gray, Houston, TX 77019 MAP


NO RACE DAY REGISTRATION OR PACKET PICK-UP.
NO REFUND OF ENTRY FEE.

RACE PHOTOGRAPHY
Race photography will be supplied by RaceShots.

BAG DROP-OFF
The Bag Drop-off will be located in Sam Houston Park and open at 6:00 a.m. on race morning. Instructions for using the Bag Drop-off will be in your race packet.

BIB NUMBER TRANSFER: If for whatever reason, you are unable to participate in the Half Marathon Race or the Half Marathon Relay and wish to transfer your bib number to a friend who wishes to run in the same race that you originally registered for, you may do so. There will be a $5.00 transfer fee for each transfer. All transfers must be made at Late Registration and require the signatures of both parties. No transfers will be allowed on race morning.
HOUSTON HALF MARATHON RACE & RELAY FINISHER'S SINGLET AND FINISHER'S MEDAL
All participants who finish the 2009 HOUSTON HALF MARATHON RACE & RELAY will receive an ASICS SINGLET AND a Finisher's Medal. Please put down your correct size appropriate for a singlet and not a T-shirt. PLEASE NOTE: There will be no exchanges. Thank you ahead of time for your cooperation.

RACE DAY PARKING & INFORMATION
Ample street and garage parking will be available near the race start. Please observe no parking zones, as HPD will ticket and tow violators. The race will not be supplying transportation to and from the relay exchange area. Relay participants, please make arrangements accordingly. A map of race day parking is available HERE.

RELAY INSTRUCTIONS
The disposable timing chip is attached to both runners’ race numbers. .
Both relay runners will tie the chips onto their shoes, either into the laces or with the zip ties provided.
If the first runner does not wear a chip, there will be no split times, if the second does not, there will be no time for the entire team.
The relay team member that signed up the team will be assigned the red bib and chip and will be scored as the lead runner. The other member will be pre-assigned the green bib and chip and be scored as the anchor runner for split times. If your team has the opposite run order, please see the relay tent on race morning so your split times will match the correct runners in the final results.
At the relay exchange point, the lead runner will run over the chip mat and slap the hand of the anchor runner. There will be no ankle straps to exchange this year. Both runners can keep the chips or put them in recycling bins near the finish.
There is NO transportation to or from the relay exchange point.
The relay exchange point is ~2 miles from the start. You may walk along Allen Parkway to the exchange point or there is ample parking around the area.
Allen Parkway will close to traffic at 0630.
POST RACE PARTY
After the race enjoy food, water, and soft drinks in Sam Houston Park.

HOUSTON HALF MARATHON RACE & RELAY AWARDS
The awards ceremony will begin at 9:45 AM.

HALF MARATHON
Top Male and Female Overall
Top Male and Female Masters (Age 40 and over)
Top 3 male and female participants in the following age groups:
19 and below, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44
45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69 and 70+


WHEELCHAIR DIVISION
Male and Female Wheelchair Participants

RELAY:
Top 3 Teams in each of the following categories: Open Male, Open Female, Masters Male, Masters Female, Open Mixed and Masters Mixed.


NO DUPLICATION OF AWARDS IN EITHER THE HALF MARATHON OR THE RELAY.


VOLUNTEERS
Volunteers are needed to help make the race a great experience for all participants. You’ll receive a specially designed T-shirt and an invitation to a volunteer post-race party. For further details: Visit Our Volunteer Page

Houston's Big 3 - The 2009 Marathon Warm-Up Series The 2009 Koala Health & Wellness Centers and Luke's Locker Half Marathon Race and Relay is the 1st in a series of three races (Half Marathon, 25K and 30K) collectively referred to as the 2009 Houston Marathon Warm-Up Series. The HMSA Classical 25K- November 8th, 2009 in downtown Houston, and the Sugar Land Lakes at Williams Ranch 30K - December 13th, 2009.

HARRA COMPETITION
The Half Marathon is part of the Houston Area Road Runners Association (HARRA) 2008 Fall Race Series. Registered HARRA members are also competing for points toward Runner of the Season status in Open Men, Open Women, Masters Men and Masters Women, Veteran Men and Veteran Women, as well as various team categories for Team of the Season awards. For more HARRA information call: (713) 797-8602 or visit: www.harra.org.

HOUSTON HALF MARATHON & RELAY MANAGERS - THE HOUSTON STRIDERS, INC.,
As a premier Houston running club, the goal of the Houston Striders is to encourage fitness and dialogue among runners, joggers & walkers of all levels. Our club members contribute to the running community as race volunteers, race directors, volunteer coaches as well as participating in group runs, picnics and other running and non-running activities. For more information call 713.797.8601 or visit us at: www.houstonstriders.org.

MAJOR HOUSTON HALF MARATHON SPONSORS

KOALA HEALTH AND WELLNESS CENTERS' professionally trained staff will be available for free advice at the Half Marathon Post Race Party. Koala Health and Wellness Centers are full service Chiropractic Clinics with a concentration on the treatment of sports injuries. They are located in downtown Houston, West Houston, Dallas and Webster, Texas. For further details on services, please call (713) 652-9777 or visit www.koalacenters.com.

LUKE'S LOCKER is a family-owned business that began in Dallas, Texas 24 years ago. In the Houston Area, Luke's Locker stores are located in the River Oaks Center on West Gray, The Woodlands and Katy. Luke's is a specialty store focusing on running, multi-sport, and fitness apparel and shoes. They train their staff to offer the best in foot evaluation to ensure you make the right decision on what shoe is best for your foot type. Call (713) 529-0786 or visit http://www.lukeslocker.com/.
HOUSTON HALF MARATHON & RELAY CHARITY
Memorial Park Conservancy works to protect and enhance the Park. The Houston Striders, managers of the Houston Half Marathon and Relay, are proud to once again support this very worthwhile and important charity. For more information, visit www.memorialparkconservancy.org or call 713-863-8403.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

The Reinvention of Rudy Rocha


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.
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?
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...

Monday, October 12, 2009

USA 10 Mile: Mission Accomplished


With over 800 participants in better-than-expected weather, the 2009 United Space Alliance 10 Miler was quite a record-breaking day, led by the pride of Houston, Sean Wade of Kenyan Way, blistering his old Master's record with a stunning 50:40 performance to capture 2nd Overall in the highly competitive HARRA Fall Series Opener for individual scoring.

Mary Davies of the Tornados blasted away to an impressive sub-hour clocking, with her aggressively run, 58:08, moving Davies to 5th All-Time on the USA 10 Mile Top Ten Performance List (below).

Other top age group performers were Virginia Jones (1:11:25) and Lauren Perkins (1:13:18) of BARC, as they swept the top two spots of the Female 25 to 29 age group. The Female 30 to 34 age group was dominated by ALRC's Stacey Holden (1:06:06), while clubmate Sarah Husbands (1:10:40) held off BARC's Lisa Fletcher (1:11:36) for second place in the division. The Female 35 to 39 age group had BCRR's Carlye Graydon place second with a 1:13:32 performance. Also placing second in her age group (Female 40 to 44) was BCRR's Anna Helm (1:17:30). The hotly contested Female 45 to 49 age group proved a classic, as Jody Berry (Houston Striders) was the class of the age group with a 1:07:48, negative-split, run. Clubmate Helen Grant placed 2nd with her 1:09:13, while ALRC's Melissa Hurta-Crites took bronze in 1:09:34. Suzanne Day of the Houston Harriers captured the Female 50 to 54 age group in 1:12:02, while ALRC's Carole Uttecht (1:14:57) and BCRR's Rhonda Emerson (1:18:24) placed second and third, respectively. Perhaps the performance of the day came from the Female 55 to 59 age group, as the legendary Donna Sterns won her division by almost 25-minutes in perfectly paced, 1:14:57! Clear Lake Fit Club's Donna Goode placed third with her 1:38:32. The Female 60 to 64 was well contested, with Nancy Prejean (TWRC, 1:19:36), Alice Keelin (TTC, 1:23:30), and Elizabeth Ahrens (HS, 1:27:45) took the honors. Margaret Montgomery took silver in the Female 65 to 69 age group with her negative-split 2:07:01.

On the Men's Side, BARC's Keith Herrin kicked off the Male 14 and under division with a default victory in 1:47:02. Clubmate and newcomer, Blake Culp placed 2nd in the Male 25 to 29 age group with a solid 56:07, holding off Tornado's Alex Moreno's 59:04. Joe Oviedo of the Tornados showed he was back to form with his 56:05 victory in the Male 30-34 age group, while the Male 40 to 44 age group proved to be the most competitive, with Sean Wade (50:40) taking the Master's title, leading HMSA's Gerardo Mora (56:20), BARC's Rudy Rocha (56:36), and the Tornado's Wilmer Bustillos (56:59) all to top ten peformance setting times for 40+ athletes. The Male 45 to 49 was no less competitive with Sam Cuevas of the Tornados proving he was the class of the division with a time of 1:00:26, leading HMSA's Tuan Nguyen (1:02:58) and BCRR's Matthew Nicol (1:03:08) to solid times. Another great trio was discovered in the Male 50 to 54 age group, as the ageless wonder, Joe Melanson of HMSA blasted a 1:00:38 run, carrying with him Dale Lee (TTC, 1:03:07) and ALRC's Richard Peoples (1:03:25) to the podium. The Male 55 to 59 saw Steve Brammer of the Tornados win in 1:02:04, while clubmate Miguel Lopez placed second in 1:04:54. Clubmates of TTC, Ben Harvie (1:08:53) and Roger Boak (1:09:19) held off third-place finisher Ty Schmaltz of ALRC in 1:14:40 in the Male 60 to 64 age group. Kenneth Ruane placed second in the Male 65 to 69 age group in 1:11:46, out-sprinting ALRC's Rich Siemens (1:11:50) for the silver. BCRR's Don Brenner impressively won the Male 70 to 74 age group in 1:15:56, as HS's Ruben Coryat placed second in 1:22:46.

Top 10 Performance List
Overall Male Open Winners
49:48 - Richard Kimeli, 2007
50:12 - Joseph Gray, 2007
50:14 - Shadrack Songok, 2009
50:17 - Richard Kimeli, 2006
50:40 - Sean Wade, 2009
50:51 - Bernard Manirariza, 2006
50:57 - Sesar Figueroa, 2009
51:03 - Jacob Rotich, 2005
51:09 - Cole Dailey, 2006
51:36 - Richard Kimeli, 2008

Overall Male Masters Winners
50:40 - Sean Wade (43), 2009
52:28 - Sean Wade (42), 2008
55:30 - Joe Flores (44), 2004
55:34 - Wilmer Bustillos (43), 2008
55:55 - William Moore (43), 2005
56:20 - Gerardo Mora (43), 2009
56:36 - Rudy Rocha (40), 2009
56:39 - Franciso Perez (42), 2007
56:59 - Wilmer Bustillos (44), 2009
57:29 - Tom King (40), 2009

Overall Female Open Winners
56:43 - Lilian Chelimo, 2007
57:15 - Jody Hawkins, 2004
57:27 - Liza Hunter-Galvan, 2005
57:52 - Kelly Keane, 2004
58:08 - Mary Davies, 2009
59:32 - Jody Hawkins, 2005
1:00:20 - Emily Loeffler, 2009
1:00:47 - Debbie Arzola, 2009
1:01:06 - Jody Hawkins, 2006
1:01:31 - Desiree Skinner, 2005

Overall Female Masters Winners
1:01:06 - Jody Hawkins (40), 2006
1:03:22 - Heidy Lozano (46), 2009
1:04:47 - Susan Walters (43), 2007
1:04:54 - Christie Lammers (47), 2004
1:05:10 - Christie Lammers (46), 2003
1:05:33 - Heidy Lozano (45), 2008
1:06:39 - Susan Walters (42), 2006
1:07:26 - Margo Braud (45), 2004
1:07:48 - Jody Berry (49), 2009
1:08:20 - Suzanne Day (47), 2004

Sunday, October 11, 2009

10 For Texas Tally


Finish Line Sports' Autumn Ray captured the 2009 10 For Texas ten mile race in The Woodlands on Saturday, October 10th, running a time 1:01:48, while Houston Harrier Joe Flores placed 2nd overall and first Masters with his stellar 57:39 performance.

Over 1500 runners participated in the fourth version of the 10 For Texas race in The Woodlands. For more detailed results, click here.