Trails, Sand, Potholes and Stairs: All In A Weekend in Volte, USA

As reports from our runners come in each weekend, we're continually amazed at the ways our people challenge themselves in Volte, USA.

The first weekend of February was no different.

Off the bike last weekend and onto the trails this weekend went Bonnie Scholz.

Bonnie Scholz was not only a Piney Woods finisher, but a winner too!
(Photo courtesy of Bonnie Scholz)

 Eleventh overall, fourth female and first masters in 2:54:26, she finished the Piney Woods Trail Fest 20-Miler with a negative split on the second of two 10-mile loops.

Proving her feeling "strong throughout" on the sandy loam soil surface, Bonnie's second loop time of 1:26:13 - after an opening salvo of 1:28:13 - allowed her to pass two runners, including solid local masters triathlete Carolina Carstens.

Speaking of sand, Marta Mixa made her seventh visit in the last eight years to the Surfside Beach Half Marathon.

"I enjoy running alongside the waves," she said.  "Just me, the sand, the windy breeze, the sounds of the waves.  This is why I love Surfside!"

Marta Mixa running strong towards the turnaround despite the gusty winds.
(Photo courtesy of Marta Mixa)

And Surfside seems to love her as she went 2:19:24, good for third in her age group.

She added the temperatures were cool, but the wind was pretty fierce.

Marta's complete race history at the Surfside Beach Half Marathon is as follows:

2010 - 2:09:16 (3rd in 50-54)
2011 - 2:10:44 (4th in 50-54)
2012 - 2:20:38 (9th in 50-59)
2014 - 2:15:07 (6th in 50-59)
2015 - 2:30:35 (7th in 55-59)
2016 - 2:21:54 (10th in 55-59)
2017 - 2:19:24 (3rd in 55-59)

Tammy Grado kept the hardware rolling on Saturday morning as she was the third overall female at the third annual Cleft Smiles 5K at Rob Fleming Park in The Woodlands.

She posted a time of 24:35 - also good for 11th overall.

Andrea Zapalac also ran the race in 30:28 while Andrea's mom, Patricia McLaughlin, also supported the cause with a 56:03 finish.

Volte friend Tiffany Hauerwas ran the Hot Chocolate 15K in Dallas on Saturday and grabbed first in her age group with a 1:05:48 showing.  Tiffany and her husband Brian have recently moved here from Dallas and run with us on Saturday mornings.

Brayden Park ran the Kids Running For Kids 1-Mile at Market Street in The Woodlands on Saturday in 7:23 while Nikki McMeeken, who trains with SelectTri but is the daughter of our Claudia McMeeken, covered the distance in 9:34.

Going to the Big Easy were Brian Schultz and Steven Lopez and a few Volte friends on Sunday to race the Rock 'N' Roll New Orleans Marathon and Half Marathon.

Brian led the group with a 3:47:41 marathon, while Steven posted his 18th career marathon finish in 4:40:12.

"Louisiana is now complete," he said for a marathon finish in his 13th state.  "Nothing fancy with this one.  It was mainly an obstacle course of avoiding potholes and other runners on a very hot day."

Steven's complete marathon history - including Ironman Texas last May - is as follows:

1/11/09 - 4:48:55, Disney World Marathon (FL)
1/9/11 - 4:06:11, Disney World Marathon
1/15/12 - 3:47:05, Chevron Houston Marathon (TX)
3/3/12 - 3:46:18, The Woodlands Marathon
11/11/12 - 4:26:20, Rock 'N' Roll San Antonio Marathon
1/13/13 - 4:02:55, Chevron Houston Marathon
10/6/13 - 4:13:36, Twin Cities Marathon (MN)
1/12/14 - 4:30:25, Disney World Marathon
5/4/14 - 4:07:22, Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon (OH)
10/12/14 - 4:04:11, Chicago Marathon (IL)
11/15/14 - 4:11:32, Richmond Marathon (VA)
4/26/15 - 5:03:37, Big Sur International Marathon (CA)
10/18/15 - 4:20;45, Detroit Free Press International Marathon (MI)
11/1/15 - 4:51:22, New York City Marathon (NY)
5/14/16 - 5:02:36, Ironman Texas
7/16/16 - 5:18:36, Aspen Valley Marathon (CO)
10/9/16 - 5:27:27, Portland Marathon (OR)
12/10/16 - 4:44:15, Kiawah Island Marathon (SC)
2/5/17 - 4:40:12, New Orleans Mardi Gras Marathon (LA)

Volte friend Steve Felson ran the marathon in 5:17:32 while friends Susan Marrero and her husband Rafael finished the half marathon in 1:57:40 and 2:35:41, respectively.

Wrapping up the weekend, we had a trio run in The Woodlands Running Club Sunday Night 5K on Sunday, February 5.

Finishing tall is Layton Gill at the Sunday Night 5K in The Woodlands.
(Photo courtesy of Bill Dwyer)

Jerritt Park led with a time of 21:05 as Layton and Katie Gill covered the course, which starts and ends at Barbara Bush Elementary, in 23:45 and 31:38, respectively.

Volte friend Jon Walk was going to give the Krispy Kreme Challenge (2.5-mile run, eat a dozen donuts and 2.5 miles back) in Raleigh, North Carolina a trial run on a visit to see his daughter Waverly, but he found a race about 45 minutes from Lynchburg, Virginia that they both could participate in.

The duo ran in wazUPwidis, a 3.25-mile urban run and 1,000 stair climb through downtown Roanoke, Virginia.  Up and down parking garage ramps, over a bridge or two and 20 flights up (and down) the Wells Fargo Tower, Roanoke's tallest building, they both went.

One of the few times Volte friend Jon Walk was ahead of his daughter Waverly.
(Photo courtesy of Mountain Junkies, LLC)

Waverly got the better of her father by beating him to the finish line by 19 seconds in 47 minutes even.

Dad noted that she could have expanded the gap a couple of times, but waited on him for a couple of seconds a few times at the completion of various parking garage portions.