Facebook Page Profile: Jerritt Park - Wednesday, March 9, 2022

Jerritt Park would likely take no offense to somebody saying that there wasn't a race that he didn't like.

So, for the second time in four years, he did two as part of The Woodlands Marathon event.

He is seen here this past Saturday starting the 10K to check off all of the distances that the event has to offer - for former college track and field and cross country athletes.  (A nice way to say that he wouldn't run the 2K, unless they put in on the track!)

Seriously, as we continue to share the work of official Texas 10 Series race photographer David Reynolds of Digital Knight Productions from Saturday's The Woodlands Marathon races, Jerritt is tied with Julie Stevenson as the Volte athlete with the most races as part of The Woodlands Marathon with 11.

He is also fifth on The Woodlands Marathon's list of total events, behind leader Kathy McWilliams, who has run every half marathon plus the 5K every year it has been offered on the Saturday prior for a total of 15.

And there were two years (2012 and 2014) that he didn't run any of the events that were offered.

Jerritt ran the marathon in 2013, the half marathon from 2015 to 2019, the 5K the last four years since it split to a separate weekend and the 10K in 2022.

Now about those races, how many do you think he'll do in 2022?  40?  45?  50?  

Only time will tell.

Photo courtesy of David Reynolds, Digital Knight Productions

Facebook Page Profile: Judith Albarran - Monday, March 7, 2022

Air time here for one of the athletes within Volte - Judith Albarran - who has made the biggest improvement in their running over the last five years as we continue to feature the work from Saturday by official Texas 10 Series race photographer, David Reynolds of Digital Knight Productions.

Saturday was Judith's fifth event at The Woodlands Marathon.  

It was her fourth half marathon finish to go along with a 3:53:01 marathon here a year ago in 2021 that she swore would bring her back to the half distance forever at The Woodlands.

Her first half marathon at The Woodlands was in 2017 where she ran 2:01:04.  

Two years later in 2019, she lowered it to 1:52:13 and then followed in 2020 with a time of 1:50:59.

Saturday, she continued to make gains with a consistent 8:09 pace that rewarded her with a 1:46:48 finish in the 11th annual Houston Methodist The Woodlands Half Marathon.

Photo courtesy of David Reynolds, Digital Knight Productions

Facebook Page Profile: Jason Bodie - Tuesday, March 8, 2022

With fellow Volte athletes Kim White - behind him to his right (the viewer's left) - and Rob Gay (to his immediate right), Jason Bodie has a bit of a pensive look as he sets out on his debut race at a The Woodlands Marathon event.

We continue to feature from Saturday's race the work by official Texas 10 Series race photographer David Reynolds of Digital Knight Productions.

Bodie, who posted times of 3:35:49 (Tunnel Light, September 2021) and 3:31:10 (Houston Marathon, January 2022) in his first two marathons, is in maintenance / "stay in shape" mode, according to Volte founder Bill Dwyer, before he begins training in earnest for his fall marathons that he hopes will yield him a Boston Qualifier.

On Saturday, Jason ran 1:53:30 in the 11th annual Houston Methodist The Woodlands Half Marathon.

More good things to come for Bodie in 2022!

Photo courtesy of David Reynolds, Digital Knight Productions

Facebook Page Profile: Rob Gay - Sunday, March 6, 2022

Solid day in tough conditions at Saturday's 11th annual Legacy Capital The Woodlands Marathon, 11th annual Houston Methodist The Woodlands Half Marathon and Woodlands Marathon 10K.

We'll start to share some photographs from those taken by Digital Knight Productions (David Reynolds), who is the official photographer of the Texas 10 Series.

Rob Gay (below) heading to the finish line at the end of a 1:41:17 half marathon performance.

Photo courtesy of David Reynolds, Digital Knight Productions

The Woodlands Marathon - Volte Athletes With 5 Or More Individual Finishes

THE LEGACY CAPITAL THE WOODLANDS MARATHON (2012-2022)

VOLTE ATHLETES WITH 5 OR MORE INDIVIDUAL FINISHES IN ALL EVENTS

11 - Jerritt Park (5 HM, 4 5K, 1 MAR, 1 10K / 2 Doubles)

11 - Julie Stevenson (6 MAR, 3 HM, 2 5K / 2 Doubles)

10 - Mike Kuykendall (6 HM, 3 5K, 1 10K / 3 Doubles)

9 - Llana Bingham (8 HM, 1 10K)

8 - Kim White (4 MAR, 2 HM, 2 5K / 2 Doubles)

8 - Mayra Caamano (5 HM, 3 MAR)

8 - Naika Vargas (6 HM, 2 MAR)

8 - Neven Krstulovic-Opara (6 MAR, 2 HM)

8 - Rob Myers (6 HM, 2 MAR)

8 - Susan Rouse (6 HM, 2 MAR)

7 - Paul Vita (3 MAR, 4 HM)

7 - Tammy Grado (7 HM)

7 - Tim Russell (4 HM, 3 MAR)

6 - Criss Neumann (6 MAR)

6 - Dan Jordan (5 HM, 1 MAR)

6 - Debra Myers (5 HM, 1 10K)

6 - Michael Csikos (3 MAR, 3 HM)

6 - Paolo Biagi (2 MAR, 4 HM)

6 - Rich Cooper (6 HM)

6 - Sandra Tezino (5 HM, 1 MAR)

5 - Juan Murillo (2 MAR, 2 HM, 1 10K)

5 - Judith Albarran (4 HM, 1 MAR)

MARATHON RELAY was contested in the first nine years of the event, but annual relay team rosters have not been maintained nor their accuracy assured.  Therefore, they have not been included in these counts.

Thank you to all of our Voltes, alumni and friends who have supported our hometown event from its inception, whether you have run it or volunteered!

From Volte With Love, Running Into Valentine's Day

Despite freezing temperatures in the greater Houston area weekend on Saturday and Sunday, February 12-13, Volte athletes and our friends ran very well as many dial-in for The Woodlands Marathon and Half Marathon coming up in just under three weeks.

Officially joining our group a few weeks ago after training with us off and on the last few year, Angel Martinez Interiano won his age group in 20:02 at one of the largest, yet unknown 5K races in the city, the Steps For Students 5K, which raises monies for Catholic schools in the greater Houston area.

Last weekend, Lillian Evans was winning first place.

Saturday, at the Katy Half Marathon, she was holding her pace -- as the 2:05 pacer!

She said it was her first time to officially pace a race and "got the team across the line on time" with a finishing time of 2:05:29.

Meanwhile, our friends blew out the awards chest.

Volte alumni Kate Looney (Mach5 Racing) was the first overall woman in 1:31:38 while Volte friend Mark Amann was second overall in 1:19:47.  Rip Reynolds (Fleet Feet) was first in his age group in 1:33:48 while C. Stevenson-Lake was second in hers in 1:45:45.

Another Volte alum, Dave Odom, ran the Mesa Half Marathon in 1:54:47 the same morning, February 12, in Mesa, Arizona.

Paolo Biagi and Tammy Grado were there to run the marathon in respective times of 4:09:00 and 4:15:13, respectively.

Volte friend and Waco Miracle Match Marathon race director Nancy Goodnight ran the marathon, where she finished third in her age group in 3:24 -- good for a brand new personal best ... at the age of 55!

Nancy has finished every single Memorial Hermann Ironman Texas and this past year did Ironman on Saturday and Boston on Monday.

Former Volte coach Adrienne Langelier notched a time in Mesa of 3:27:29.

Volte friends Jon Walk and Ken Johnson ran the Spindle Tree parkrun 5K in Magnolia also in 33:39 and 48:04, respectively.

Then came the rescheduled Bridgeland races - the next to last race in the 2021-2022 Texas 10 Series - on Sunday, February 13.

With Erika Sampson and Jen Smith out to support Volte and our friends, a good day was had by all.

Christopher Reed and Stephanie Reed represented us in the 5K with times of 20:12 and 22:57, respectively, that were good for second and first.

The Reeds waiting pensively for the start of the 5K!
(Photo courtesy of Bill Dwyer)

Volte friend Velvia Keithley of the Seven Hills Running Club came in at 1:05:22.

In the five-miler, Volte grabbed a pair of second place age group awards as Jane Campbell record a new personal best in 36:54 while Mike Kuykendall enjoyed a time of 50:57.

Good to see Mike back in blue as he put together a solid 5M performance on Sunday.
(Photo courtesy of Bill Dwyer)

"It was an epic five-mile race," he said.  "(My) fastest pace since knee surgery.  Only decided to run this one the day before and enjoyed hanging with my Volte teammates."

Volte friends Tiffany Langwell and Ken Johnson finished in 1:07:19 and 1:16:51, respectively.  Ken's time was good for third in his age group.

And in the 10-mile race, we had six Voltes and six friends toe the line.

Still leveraging his 2:39 marathon fitness from Houston a few weeks ago, Lu Bouanga won his second Texas 10 race ever with a time of 59:50.  He and women's winner Heather Oliva from San Antonio were misdirected and ran an extra kilometer.

Lu continues to run incredibly well, picking his second win of the 2021-2022 Texas 10 Series.
(Photo courtesy of Bill Dwyer)

Bonus mileage is good - when it doesn't cost you the overall win!

Committing a day before and paying full price, Roger King paced Rob Gay for the second straight Texas 10 race as Roger's time of 1:12:07 earned him third place, while Rob was a second behind in 1:12:08.

Marines > Navy as Roger leads Rob through a 1:12 running of the 10-mile course.
(Photo courtesy of Bill Dwyer)

Earning an age group placement in her 18th consecutive Texas 10 Series race dating back to 2013, Mayra Caamano won her division and got back under 1:16 for the first in six Texas 10 races with a time of 1:15:58.

Auggie Campbell and Kyley Hampton belted out a pair of new personal best times with marks of 1:19:28 and 1:24:23, respectively.

Big smiles into the finish for Auggie Campbell with a brand new 10-mile personal best.
(Photo courtesy of Bill Dwyer)

C. Stephenson Lake led our Volte friends with a second place age group finish of 1:16:24.  

Northside Running's Christina Gray and Erin Gowton finished close together in 1:32:01 and 1:32:45, respectively.  Erin took first in her age group.

Erin's husband, Jimmie, hustled to a time of 1:44:11 while Norman Langwell and Paul Roche stopped the clock in 1:47:36 and 1:49:02, respectively.

Ramon Rosales' 2nd Place, 100-Mile Finish at Rocky Raccoon Leads Volte into February

The first week of February in Volte, USA was light, but eventful.

Just three weeks after running a stellar 2:36 at the Chevron Houston Marathon, Ramon Rosales, with great support from his wife, two sons and pacers Luis Murillo and Francisco Garza, finished second overall at the Hoka One One Rocky Raccoon 100 Mile Trail race in Huntsville on Saturday, February 5.

Yes!  Ramon Rosales was second overall at 29th running of the Rocky Raccoon 100!
(Photo courtesy of Bill Dwyer)

Ramon finished in 16 hours, five minutes and 11 seconds in his offical debut 100-miler.  (He had previously run 100 miles in a "Backyard Ultra"-like event previously.)

Early the next morning, Sunday, February 6, our runners did a pretty good job of making the "Big Easy" look easy at the New Orleans "Rock N Roll" Half Marathon.

Christopher Branch stopped the clock at 1:38-even, Kim White and Julie Stevenson ran together in 1:51:42 while Judith Albarran posted a time of 1:55:33.

Lillian Evans, in her second Terry Hershey parkrun 5K of the new year, was the first overall female in a time of 24:25 on Saturday, February 5.

Closer to home, and on that same morning, Waverly Walk ran the new Spindle Tree parkrun 5K in Magnolia, which is held on the Spindle Tree Jogging Trail, in a time of 31:47.

Volte friends Vincent Attanucci and Jon Walk completed the course in respective times of 30:55 and 32:51, respectively.

And in a sparsely attended The Woodlands Running Club Sunday Night 5K on Sunday, Febuary 6, Jane Campbell was the first overall finisher in 24:46.  Her husband Auggie finished in 27:28 while Volte friend
Ken Johnson did so in 45:15.