Volte and Friends Weekend Results from October 26-27

Another busy weekend in Volte, Texas.

Mixed with tradition, rain, a little Iron and a dash of color.

It wasn’t just a little Iron to Tabitha Young, but rather a huge Ironman 70.3 finish in Austin on Sunday.

Tabitha, Hurry up and pop the top on your successful debut half Iron distance finish!
(Photo courtesy of David Young)

“After six months of intense training and a lot of weekend hours spent running, biking and swimming, Tabitha completed her first 70.3 race,” said her coach Adrienne Langelier.  “She started the day off with a solid 46-minute swim – first ever sporting a wet suit! – in a cold Walter E. Long lake and overcame fatigue on a hilly and challenging bike course to execute a well-managed and paced run.”

Tabitha’s time was 8:29:17, including “smiling all the way to a 2:59 (run) split,” according to Langelier.

She was supported by her husband, David, her mother – and sister-in law, her parents, her coach and fellow Voltes Kelly Green (after an 18-miler on Saturday) and Todd Snider.

“I couldn't have asked for better support.  As always, I'm overwhelmed with the gracious people God has placed in my life,” said Young.  “But David deserves the most props because he is the best husband, support crew, cheerleader anyone could ask for.”

Not to be left out was Langelier.

“She believed in me and tolerated me for the last 6 months,” she added.  “I'm so thankful that I can call her my coach and more importantly my friend.”

Mother nature – and its accompanying rain and lightning -- was nearly not the friend to 3,243 official timed finishers of Sunday’s Houston Half Marathon near downtown Houston.

After an hour postponement, the Houston Striders were able to execute a very good event, according to Volte founder Bill Dwyer.

“Conditions were good after the storm passed through, bringing cooler temperatures,” he said.

And it helped put the gnarly conditions two weeks ago from Ten For Texas in the rear view mirror.

“This is total revenge from the 1:15 in my 10-miler two weeks ago,” said Keith Wiley, who led the way with a 1:25:29 finish.  “It feels good to get the monkey off my back.  This is what being an athlete is about:  taking the good with the bad and re-group.”

While Sam Houston Park got deluged with rain, Volte coach Rich Cooper thought at 6:30 a.mm. about simply regrouping another day.

Rich Cooper and Bill Dwyer celebrating Rich's sub-2 hour finish on Sunday.
(Photo courtesy of Mary Carter)

“As I was sitting in the parking garage, I really thought staying in bed would have been the right thing to do,” said Rich.  “Luckily, the race start was postponed an hour so we didn't start in a downpour, but we still got wet.”

Yet the conditions set Cooper up for a very good race.

“The hardest part about running a race is holding back especially when you feel good at the beginning,” Cooper explained as he turned in a 1:58:38 performance.  “That was exactly the case on Sunday.  Luckily, I did hold back and turned in a very strong second half of the race.”

Woodlands Fit coach Will Ott, who trains with Volte during the week, continues to setup well for the Philadelphia Marathon in three weeks with a 1:37:43 showing on Sunday while Paul Vita notched a 2:08:35 effort as well.

“Everyone did very well,” said Dwyer.  “Keith and Will both put the hot and humid-impacted Ten for Texas times behind them with very strong finishes.  I was very happy to see Rich run under two hours, which was the goal.  He executed his race plan perfectly.   Paul also did very well.”

Volte friends got in the half marathon act too on Sunday.

Three weeks removed from a solid 3:39 Chicago Marathon performance, Brian Schultz ran 1:42:21 on Sunday while The Woodlands Team In Training’s Brenda Munoz got in 12 miles in approximately 3:15 after being directed wrong early in the race by a police officer and then asked to cut short her distance as the event was forced to open roads according to its original permit times.

Major congratulations go to 78-year-young Jim Braden, who won his 75-and-over age group in 2:11:47.  Jim was one of three runners from The Woodlands who won their age group joining Pam Meaux (50-54 female) and Nora Wilson (55-59 female).

Embracing tradition on Saturday was David Odom.

Continuing his recovery from knee surgery, David recorded a time of 21:27 at Run The Woodlands 5K.

And bringing a dash or two or three of color to the entire picture was Nicole Mikelonis as she and two of her daughters ran in Sunday’s Color Run 5K at Minute Maid Park.

Nicole Mikelonis and her two daughters were colored in fun at Sunday's Color Run 5K.

A couple of our long-time friends were busy this weekend.

Team Strive founder and Finish Strong coach Kimberly Mac Namee was the third overall female in the USA Masters 15K championship at the Tulsa Run 15K on Saturday in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The 42-year-old, who is prepping for January’s Chevron Houston Marathon, covered the distance in 57:45 behind Colorado’s Melody Fairchild and Pennsylvania’s Lori Kingsley.

Friends of the Running Community’s Jon Walk snuck in the fifth annual Devil’s Chase 6.66-Miler in Salem, Massachusetts on Saturday with a time of 1:06:56 before finishing his 50th career marathon at the Cape Cod Marathon in Falmouth.

He finished the gorgeous, yet hard and hilly course in 5:20:59 for a marathon in his 32nd state.