As Easy As SAP: Schultz, Amador and Perez

Reporting from Easy Street ...  Just kidding.  Things are never that easy, right?

Although it really is an easy week here in Volte, USA.

We spend the bulk of our focus each and every year in the races of the Chevron Houston Marathon and the Fidelity Investments The Woodlands Marathon.

Once we get past The Woodlands Marathon, many of group's runners follow various paths as they have different "A" goals until the Fall when Ten For Texas becomes the biggest race on the Volte dance card.

Nothing says though that we can't still enjoy pinning on a bib and testing ourselves.

Three of our team did just that this past weekend.

Brian Schultz didn't let the disappointment of the outcome of The Woodlands Marathon settle in too long as he jetted off to our Nation's Capital last weekend.

Four of Brian's marathons have come at Rock 'N' Roll events and he was there at Saturday's United Airlines Rock 'N' Roll D.C. Half Marathon.

Maintaining a fairly steady pace throughout the race, Brian finished in 1:52:35, good for 39th out of 249 runners in his age group.

Closer to home, we sent two across the Sabine River to the Zydeco Half Marathon in Lafayette, Louisiana last Sunday, March 12.

And they ran well enough to be welcomed back.  (We're in a festive mood, aren't we?)

Keri Amador couldn't run the half at The Woodlands Marathon the week before last, as she was sick.

She sure made up for it in Louisiana.

The 33-year-old notched a five minute and 33 second personal best as she finished 14th overall in 1:46:53.

"I'm really happy with my time today," said Amador.  "I was one second behind fourth (in her age group) and one minute behind third.  It was a great race.

"I felt much stronger than last race as it was 45 degrees and 16 mph winds, and the rain had stopped by the time we started running."

Ruth Perez before last Sunday's Zydeco Half Marathon in Lafayette.
(Photo courtesy of Ruth Perez)

One spot off the podium was Ruth Perez.

One spot and three tenths of a second.  Hashtag heartbreak!

Ruth was doing a Louisiana double of sorts after running the Louisiana Marathon in January in 5:02:12, she returned with a 2:09:11.9 performance -- three-tenths of a second behind Sherry Weaver from Foley, Alabama.

It certainly didn't dampen Ruth's spirits as she said that the race's "after party was great" but that she "couldn't stay long because it cold and windy."

Even our Volte friends took a bit of a pause this past weekend.

Well, except for Ken Johnson and Jon Walk.

They found their way to downtown Houston for the 32nd annual John J. Eikenburg Law Week 8K, one of the Houston Area Road Runners Association's (HARRA) Spring Series races.

Jon covered it in 49:21, while Ken was second in his age group to Larry Lindeen in 1:04:52.