Harvey Didn't Wipe These Results Away

So, how are ya'll doing?  Indeed, it's been awhile.

And, no, Hurricane Harvey did not wash your results away.

As they are not only inscribed in your heart and soul, but digitally forever.

In fact, your loyal scribe got these results approximately 24 hours before Harvey made landfall.  Life has just now settled down enough to give your efforts the focus, attention and respect they deserve.

You wait for the good stuff, right?

Tri.  Beer.  Track.  Fun.  Humid.  Hot.  Night.

The seven states of endurance sports?  Maybe!

Those are our themes for approximately four weeks from the last weekend of July to the third weekend of August.

In hindsight, Rapha Machado will tell you that the end of July might have been about as stressful as Harvey was, but for non-weather related reasons.

Both Rapha and his wife needed to return to Brazil to have their visas reapproved in July - and Rapha's wife just happened to take three weeks ... too long.

And it also affected his training and preparation for the Cypress Sprint Triathlon, held on Sunday, July 30.

He covered the 550-meter swim (15:38), 13-mile bike (42:47) and 5-kilometer run (31:37) in an hour, 35 minutes and 18 seconds.

His parting shot of the entire experience was to say, "By the way, I feel like a truck ran over me."

The ladies' field at the third annual Southern Star Brewing Company 5K in Conroe seemed to think our Leanne Dyksterhuis was moving as fast as a big rig  on the interstate.

Just smiling for the camera as she comes in for the win is Leanne Dyksterhuis
(Photo courtesy of Run In Texas)

She defended her title by taking first overall in 21:24.

We had another half dozen run the race as well as a few of our friends.

The first of our runners across the line were the Hanyzewskis.  Brian took his second straight Run In Texas beer run 5K from Laura by beating her to the finish line by about 70 seconds.

Brian stopped the clock in 28-minutes even, while Laura crossed in 29:10.

We're certain that Laura is just biding her time for a win at a time of her choosing.

Waverly Walk has been doing a very diligent job with her training in getting ready to run her first marathon in January.

Southern Star was a race that she was to run with her youngest niece; however, she had other plans get in the way.

Running on the same course as a year ago, she finished in 31:29 -- a one minute, 47-second improvement over 2016.

Christine Falzon and Jimmy Baker ran the entire course together as Jimmy was able to put a bib on for the first time in a few weeks.  They went the distance in 36:12.

And as steady as he can be, Alfredo Gonzalez finished in 39:32.

Mary-Ellen Wilderman-Hay led our friends with a 23:26 second-place age group finish while her husband Brad came in at the 28:12 mark.

Tina Saims made it in 25:10 while Ken Johnson took some hardware back home to Huntsville with a 39:48 second-place age group finish.

Later that afternoon, Juan Flores coordinated another fundraiser for the Aldine MacArthur High School cross country and track programs at his alma mater.

Former Rice Owl (far right) Luis Armenteros leads some MacArthur Generals alumni around the school track on a hot Saturday afternoon  (Photo courtesy of Bill Dwyer)

Because of construction taking place around the high school, he made it a 3,200 meter run on the track, which brought out one of Houston's best road racers, former Rice Owl, Luis Armenteros.

El Organizador on the far left keeps pace with the youngsters.
(Photo courtesy of Bill Dwyer)

Juan was fourth overall in 11:56, while Rob Rodriguez posted a time of 14:40 and Marta Mixa was the second overall female in 18:25.

Marta Mixa making it look easy like on a Tuesday night at the track.
(Photo courtesy of Bill Dwyer)

The next evening, Sunday, August 6, was The Woodlands Running Club Sunday Night 5K and Volte v. Friends put another win in the Volte column.

Volte was led by Jerritt Park in 20:55.  Mayra Caamano was our first female in 24:13.  Monica Moreno and Chloe Kramer finished in 36:11 and 39:03, respectively.

Jerritt Park gets a little airtime in the Barbara Bush Elementary School parking lot during the TWRC Sunday Night 5K.
(Photo courtesy of Bill Dwyer)

Leading the Friends team was Edson Jones in 23:08, while Vincent Attanucci followed in 29:23 and Ken Johnson and Jon Walk ran the course together in 39:18.

Our jet-setting racer, Leanne Rosser, took off to Vancouver, British Columbia for the SeaWheeze Half Marathon on Saturday, August 12.

"I'm already plotting and scheming on how I can get to go back next year," she said.  "This was seriously a three-day party with a half marathon stuck in the middle of all of the fun ... not exaggerating.

"This race was only second to the Boston Marathon."

Leanne would stick out a time of 1:52:55 in one of north America's great and culturally diverse cities.

We're not done yet.

Humidity made itself known on Saturday, August 19 as it always does at the Lake Houston 5K and 10K.

"Very, very warm and humid conditions," said Volte head coach Bill Dwyer.  "Great job by everyone."

Great to have a young woman who has worked as hard as Amanda has to get where she is in her running - and life - today as part of Volte.
(Photo courtesy of Bill Dwyer)

Making her Volte racing debut was Amanda Cruise and she did so in fine fashion with one of her fastest 5K times ever of 18:46 (three sub 19's), which won her age group and was second overall.

Rip Reynolds was second in his age group in the 10K in 41:18, while Alfredo Gonzalez completed the course in 1:24:37.

Bonnie Scholz's friend Julie Spain ran the 5K in 59:13 while Brooke Perkins, Leanne Rosser's stepdaughter, ran her first 5K ever in 41:06.

After doing the last Trinity 5000 Summer Series 5K on Thursday evening in Fort Worth in 32:38 and the Sabine Causeway 5K in Port Arthur the night before in 32:48, Jon Walk ran the 10K in 1:07:38.

Hot belonged to the Habanero Hundred in Cat Spring, Texas.

"They don't call it Habanero for nothing," said Juan Flores, who ran the 30K distance in addition to Bonnie Scholz.  "The heat and humidity was no joke."

Dwyer gave the green light to race to the duo - as they're both part of the group doing Tunnel Light Marathon on Sunday, September 17 - under one condition:  they managed themselves well.

"Everyone doing Tunnel Light was scheduled for an 18-miler," he said.  "The 30K was close enough in distance ... and they managed themselves well."

100 degrees.  Noon start time.  30K.  All no problem for Bonnie Scholz.  We're guessing the jalapeno jelly might be a little hot too.  (Photo courtesy of Bonnie Scholz)

Juan finished in 4:55:21, but Bonnie was the first overall woman in 3:32:33.

"We are all a little crazy in the trail running groups to be excited about starting an 18-mile run without cover at noon in Texas," she said.  "Thanks Juan Flores for telling me about this."

Juan's reward?  Bonnie said she'd share with him her winning prize:  Jalapeno jelly.

The Murillo family split the distances up with a pair doing the 10K and another two running the 50K.

Gustavo and Luis went 1-2 in the 10K in 47:03 and 52:35, respectively, over the sandy course.

Jose and Juan ran together in the 50K where they both slipped under eight hours in 7:59:55.

And we close the stretch with our night race -- the El Chupacabra de Houston 10K, which was held at the Lake Houston Wilderness Park near New Caney.

Well, they have a 5K too, but all of our folks and friends ran the longest distance.

Monica Moreno took first in her age group in 1:30:04, while her daughter - and Volte friend - Sabina Lorca finished in 1:10:35.  Frank Lopez took third in his age group in 1:27:45.