Friday, July 20, 2018

Volte Showers April With Great Racing

The Brits that supposedly coined the phrase “April showers bring May flowers” may not want to utter those words around this year’s competitors of the Boston Marathon for some time.

Just April showers might have been OK, but heavy rain, 25 mph wind gusts and the coldest temperatures for the Boston Marathon in three decades made it, well … let our folks tell you.

“An unbelievable adventure,” said Brian Schultz.

Just a little excited is Tammy Grado!
(Photo courtesy of Bill Dwyer)
“What an unforgettable day!” exclaimed Tammy Grado.

Perhaps Sandra Tezino summed it up well.

“Today at the Boston Marathon we earned those medals,”  she said.  “I don’t know how I made it but I did! 

“A special thank you to the Boston crowds for coming out and supporting us despite the weather."

Debra Myers and Llana Bingham were part of our Boston Marathon support team.
(Photo courtesy of Bill Dwyer)
Supporting our Volte runners on race day were Debra Myers, Llana Bingham, Mary Carter and Volte founder Bill Dwyer.

Of course, you know that Texans have their own unique sense of pride.

“We trained through Harvey.  We’ve got this” was heard in some quarters before the race.

“Tough, tough conditions,” said Dwyer.  “The positive?  Everyone will be telling stories for years about running the 2018 Boston Marathon in historic conditions.”

Our Volte finishers were as follows, listed in alpha, first name order:

Bonnie Scholz - 4:00:26
Brian Schultz - 3:57:06
Derek Bailey - 3:16:23
(Photo courtesy of Bill Dwyer)
Erica Coleman - 4:20:59

Juan Flores - 3:36:36
(Photo courtesy of Bill Dwyer)
Laura Godfrey - 4:23:28
(Photo courtesy of Bill Dwyer)
Michelle McGill - 4:04:54
Mike Csikos - 3:48:23

Yaya Herrera - 4:08:22, Sandra Tezino - 4:03:29, Laura Godfrey
(Photo courtesy of Laura Godfrey)
Shelby Williams - 3:30:29 
Tammy Grado - 4:26:16
Todd Hunter - 3:56:11

A majority of our team ready to race!
(Photo courtesy of Laura Godfrey)
Breezy Beaumont joined Volte a week after Boston, but ran the race in 4:41:06.  She and her sister Adelle will be joining us in Washington state in September to run the Tunnel Light Marathon.

Breezy lives in Massachusetts while Adelle calls New Hampshire home.

Every once in awhile, things don’t go the way we, as runners, hope that they will.  Kristi Chen started the race, but had to pull out midway due to hypothermia.

Four of our Volte friends also ran the 122nd BAA Boston Marathon. 

Rip Reynolds led the way with a 3:26:03.  Michael Donelan posted a time of 4:02:23, while Sabina Lorca-Acosta and Stephanie Stevenson conquered the course in 4:19:29 and 4:22:17, respectively.

It was Sabina’s 19th state to finish a marathon in.

Volte kicked off the month of April at The Woodlands Running Club Sunday Night 5K on Sunday, April 1.

Jerritt Park, as usual, led us in 22:07.  Randy Harris and Leanne Harris, not related, finished within a second of each other as Randy passed the finish line first in 24:18.  Amanda Becker and Letty Gonzalez rounded out the Volte efforts in 35:55 and 43:39, respectively.

Faster than the men, except for Jerritt, put a smile on Leann Harris' face.
(Photo courtesy of Bill Dwyer)
Volte friends were led by Curtis Barton in 29:02 and Ken Johnson and Jon Walk ran the race together in 40:54.

Saturday, April 7 started in Needville’s Brazos Bend State Park where a few of our runners participated in one of the races at the Brazos Bend 50.

Getting started at 5:30 a.m. was Mimi Torrez, who officially joined Volte in May, as she was running the 100K.  A friend of Yaya Herrera, she’s training for the Tunnel Light Marathon with us. 

She finished in 13 hours, 59 minutes and 50 seconds – 13th of 24 women that completed the 62-mile distance.

Robert Dempsey started his race at 7:00 a.m., but it really started three and a half years ago, he says, as he “started a training program with a crazy dream of someday being able to run a 5K.”

Pressed down and shaken together over that time, Dempsey gave – a training plan of running 5 days a week and a Saturday long run - and a “new milestone run” of 50K was given unto him.

Robert finished in 6:23:05, 46th of 73 males.

He credited his wife, Michelle, with supporting and encouraging him, especially on race day.

“She biked all over the park, standing in the wind and rain as temperatures dropped into the 40’s just to give a few seconds of cheer and encouragement as I passed by,” he said.

Dempsey, who lives in Magnolia, connected with Dwyer and Volte to specifically train for Brazos Bend.

Layton Gill and Robert Dempsey at Brazos Bend
(Photo courtesy of Robert Dempsey)
Coach Layton Gill got a pacer bib and ran the back 25K with Robert.

“It was my first experience with a pacer but now I think it’s the only way to go,” he said.  “It was so hard at the time, but looking back it was a really awesome experience.”

As a bit of a tune-up for the Boston Marathon less than two weeks to follow, Shelby Williams took the 187-runner field out in the 25K and defeated all comers with a time of 1:51:23 – three minutes and 37 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher, Sugar Land’s Sharif Aboelnaga.

It was the third best women’s time in the race’s five-year history.

It also was a TROT race – Trail Racing Over Texas, that is – and that meant our friends Jose and Luis Murillo were racing.  Jose finished the 100K in 13 hours, 19 minutes and 36 seconds, good for 30th overall, and Luis was sixth overall in the 50-miler in 7:31:55.

Back in “the bubble” that afternoon, seven of our runners competed in the Muddy Trails races, which are put on by The Woodlands Parks and Recreation Department through the George Mitchell Nature Preserve.

Jerritt Park took second in his age group in the 5K to lead us in a time of 22:12.  His son Brayden finished in 28:37 while Laura and Brian Hanyzewski covered the course in 28:52 and 29:24, respectively.

Kristi Park made it a family affair as she completed the 10K in 55:54 while Hunter Smith was third in his age group in 57:50 and Andrew Smith wrapped things up in 1:00:17.

Volte woke up first on Sunday, April 8 in Haines City, Florida.  That’s where George Rux was racing Ironman 70.3 Florida.

He grabbed his third third-place AG finish in 70.3 competition in the last four years with a time of 6:52:52.

George swam the 1.2 miles in 40:02, biked the 50-mile course in 3:24:52 and ran the half marathon in 2:28:17.

Randy Smith has had a few races where he felt like a train ran over him, but never has he been stopped before – during a race – by a train.

That changed during the Vintage Park Half Marathon that same morning.

His overall time was 1:46:44, but Randy estimated that he lost three minutes.

Over the last few years, the railroad has stopped – for security reasons – communicating ahead of time with races if it was possible to ensure that trains didn’t cross a particular route.

In the 5K, Amanda Becker stopped the clock in 37:58.  Volte friend and one of our original coaches Adrienne Langelier was the first overall female in 19:24.

At the Austin American-Statesman Capitol 10K, Texas’ largest 10K, Juan Flores ran with his 81-year-old mother Domitila Flores as they covered the distance in 1:48:15.

Marta Mixa also tackled the course in 1:01:43.

All the work requires ice cream and Blue Bell answered the call on Saturday, April 14 in Brenham.

In the Blue Bell Fun Run 10K, Marta came back the following week and took first in her age group in 1:02:13.  Amanda Becker and Lynn Smith finished in 1:11:09 and 1:47:02, respectively.

Alfredo and Letty Gonzalez competed in the 5K and ran the course in 41:18 and 46:49, respectively.

A quintet of Volte friends ran various distances.

Mary-Ellen Wilderman-Hay was second in her age group in 1:49:22 in the inaugural half marathon.  Jon Walk was a bit further back in 2:20:46.

A second podium finish for our Fleet Feet Sports of Greater Houston friends was garnished by James Ingle in the 10K as he was third in his age group in 47:16.  Vincent Attanucci and Brad Hay took on the semi-hilly course in 56:28 and 1:00:23, respectively.

Two days before the Boston Marathon, Volte friend Sabina Lorca-Acosta ran a marathon in her 18th state at the Rhode Island Marathon in Newport.  She finished in 4:16:16.

Monica Moreno ran the half marathon in 2:24:25.

Volte also competed in the second oldest race in Montgomery County on Saturday, April 21 when Brooke Kramer finished the David’s Dream Run 5K on and around the grounds of Woodforest Stadium in a time of 31:36.

She almost totally put the hammer down early on Volte friend Jon Walk, who finished in 28:48, but slowed down for awhile to visit with a friend that was also running the race.

Down in Houston, a trio of our ladies ran the West End Brew Run 5K where Ruth Perez and Geri Henry captured first place age group awards.

Ruth finished in 27:36, Geri in 32:17 and Penny Garza knocked out a time in a fun race in 50:19.
George was up before two weeks ago, but Julie and Louise Pearce were six hours ahead of us running the London Marathon!

Julie Pearce wrapped in the UK flag and a PR
(Photo courtesy of Julie Pearce)
Julie posted a new personal best of 5:00:42, eclipsing her 5:03:45 from the 2015 Chevron Houston Marathon, while Louise finished in 5:01:08.

“Bloody hot, bloody hard work and bloody marvelous,” said Julie, blending in the native tongue of the locals.  “Listening to what seemed like the whole of London shouting your name – bloody amazing.”

As long as they don’t put you on a balloon and fly you over the city, you’re good!

“Best.  Race.  Ever,”  is how Louise described the crowds that in some places were 15-20 deep.

“I choked up several times during the race feeling the love, support & encouragement from the crowd (anticipated >2 million people),” she said.  “We passed the Tower of London, “Chariots of Fire” and “We Are The Champions” playing out of peoples windows, the London Eye, Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace, deafening support, amazing race marshals & volunteers.”

As the Pearces were crossing the finish line in London, Lauren Hoffart and her mom were toeing the line in Bryan for the Wine and Roses 5K.

Lauren finished in 25:38 while her mom, Sherri Fox, ran it in 39:16 to earn a third place age group award.

Darcy McClinden and Amanda Becker headed south to Galveston for the Divas Half Marathon.

It was Darcy’s first half marathon and she put the two-hour standard on notice with a time of 2:05:53.

Darcy McClinden with a big smile after her first half marathon.
(Photo courtesy of Leanne Rosser)
“I have to thank my amazing support team. I want to thank God, my awesome husband Skip, my two beautiful children, all my friends, family, Volte runners and, last but not least, my coach, Leanne Rosser,” she said.  “Thank you for your time, support and encouragement.  I can’t wait for the next one.”

Amanda was thrilled with her finishing time of 2:42:33.

“Who says you can’t get better with age?” she exclaimed.  “My half marathon time this morning was better than when I ran my first half marathon at half my age!

“I’ll take it seven weeks after my first marathon.”

Volte founder Bill Dwyer competed before an audience of one on Saturday, April 28 in the virtual edition of Grand Rapids, Michigan’s Calvin Spring Classic 5K with a finishing time of 38:24.

He was out to support Volte runners at Texas 10 Sienna on Sunday.

Amanda Jenkins sprints to a second place finish at Texas 10 Sienna.
(Photo courtesy of Bill Dwyer)
Amanda Jenkins led us all in the marquee 10-mile race as she finished second overall – to Bree Schrader - in 1:04:34.  Mike Csikos and Jerritt Park were the first two men for Volte across the line in 1:12:9 and 1:14:22, respectively.

Greg Nettleton breaks 1:20 for his debut 10-miler.
(Photo courtesy of Bill Dwyer)
Greg Nettleton ran his first 10-miler and broke 1:20 with a mark of 1:19:17.

Hunter led the Smith family with a time of 1:22:58.  Andrew stopped the clock in 1:26:38 while Alyssa finished in 1:49:21.

Happy family:  Alyssa, Hunter and Andrew Smith after Texas 10 Sienna.
(Photo courtesy of Bill Dwyer)
Kim Joyce won her age group in the five-miler in 46:02 while Denise Powers was out of the hardware, but finished four minutes faster in 42:02.

Volte friends were led by Paolo Biagi with his 38:27 showing followed by Jon Walk in 51:37 and Dianna and Ray Sarno in 1:05:57.  Ray was first in his age group.

Brayden Park was first overall in the 5K race in 27:49 and then ran the Lil Texas Kids 1-Mile race.

Happy Volte crew in Oregon:  Leanne Rosser, Mike Kuykendall, Mary Carter, Richard Tong and Mack Miller.
(Photo courtesy of Jim Rosser)
Leanne Rosser completed the third best marathon of her career with a 4:06:45 finish at the Eugene Marathon.  It was her 16th career marathon finish.  Richard Tong was our other Volte marathon finisher in Oregon as he finished his fifth in 4:43:02. 

In the half marathon, Mike Kuykendall led us with a 2:10:28 effort while Mack Miller and Mary Carter followed in 2:19:46 and 3:24:40, respectively.

No comments:

Post a Comment