The Stubborn Tortoise

I went into the Brazos Bend 50-miler on Saturday with the best of intentions. I wanted to finish, I had my mind right and had more or less dealt with a cranky left hip flexor a few days before. Well, I rode out the lows, which helped. The hip was achy, which didn't. The thing that I almost never get was blisters. Under my toenails and feet. I decided to drop. Yes, I know this is my third DNF in a...

Paz welcomes Hundo back to the pod for a chat about our upcoming races. The nerves and ghost pains are kicking in. I am more worried about the voices in my head and have some ideas about how to quiet them. We also debate the merits of bringing food to the race to eat between those 16-plus-mile loops. (There's three of them). We also debate whether my strategy of using timed intervals is wise versu...

Fresh from a trip to South Florida, I am reminded why I can't live there again. Oh, how I loved that place. But now it has morphed from being the quirky-cool cat into a freak show of garish skyscrapers, generic development and paving over every darn last square inch. It's a real shame. But, anyway, I suffered from Broken-Brain Syndrome on Friday and caved at the midway point at Wild Hare. Lots of...

I have a 50K on Friday and am a little worried because my training hasn't quite been there. But, over the weekend, I tapped into my mental game and reminded myself that the mental game is a big part of finishing. Looking ahead, I am worried about finishing the Brazos Bend 50-miler. The course can be soul-sucking with a lot of out-and-backs. On the good side, it is flat and the aid stations are gre...

David Infante is a bit of an outlier when it comes to ultrarunning. He doesn't necessarily use a training plan and goes by feel. He once ran a 50K fueling with one sugar-free Red Bull and finished in just over 5 hours. He doesn't sleep when he does 100or 200-milers. At one race, he and his companion had hallucinations but they saw entirely different things. The Rio Grande Valley native now lives i...

Holy moly, I did not have getting stung by a swarm of hornets on my Mission Tejas race BINGO card. But, that is what happened. I wasn't alone in getting surprise-stung, but I was hurting enough to choose to drop after 10K. The course is beautiful, yet more challenging than expected. Hats off to Cal Neff and Rob Goyen for quickly pivoting the course until the mad stingers were dealt with. (It makes...

This year marks the 10th and final year for Patty Godfrey as race director for the Snowdrop Ultra 55-Hour Race and Relay , held over New Year's Eve weekend in Missouri City, Texas, outside of Houston. It is a fundraiser for scholarships for children's cancer survivors as well as children's cancer research. Godfrey explains the origins of the race as well as training tips, and insight into the food...

So, I bailed on doing the Trailway marathon on Saturday because my allergies flared up and I figured spending all day in the woods was kind of a bad idea. Unfortunately, I hadn't run much all week as I anticipated saving my legs for the weekend. The weekend runs were productive but not near the mileage I needed for the week. This leaves me rather undertrained for the 50K at Mission Tejas in two we...

Brownsville native has only been running for about four years, but he has rocketed out of the gate, winning races and handling distances that many wait to do until they have more experience. Hurtado, 37, just smashed the course record at the Habenero Hundred race in August, completing 100 miles in 18:57:16. His experience working for the Cameron County Beach Patrol may have given him an edge becau...

After weeks of underwhelming mileage, I finally got super close to hitting my mark for the week. Months of training in ridiculous heat seemed to pay off when I did a pre-dawn 8-miler with my friend, Sara. We employed my 1:1 interval pace and with the exception of a couple of spots, stuck to it. The air was humid but much less hot than when I usually run. Well, starting just after 5 am versus 10 or...

My eye situation continued last week with being told that I needed to heal a little more before I could return to wearing contacts. While I'm grateful to be able to see, running with glasses is unwieldy and steamy. There were some other frustrating things happening. But as I looked up an email address for someone, a three-year-old email from my late friend, Patricia, caught me off-guard. She stern...

It happens to the best of us: you are more or less nailing your training workouts and then -- boom -- something happens. For me, I was foiled by some hydrogen peroxide contact lens cleaner that was supposed to be neutralized but wasn't. I tried mitigating the pain and sensitivity with water and clear drops, but it persisted. Long story short: I ended up in the ER and found out my left cornea suffe...

Lydia Rios has one of the most uplifting stories of anyone I've talked to. She came to the US from Zacatecas, Mexico when she was 12. Her father was dying from leukemia and passed at age 39. Rios' mother decided to keep the family in the US, despite having temporary visas. She started school in Pasadena, Texas, outside of Houston. She had to learn English quickly. She was a teenage mother and marr...

I volunteered at Reveille Peak Ranch Saturday night into Sunday at the final installment of the Capt'n Karl's Trail Race Series. It was great to help so many runners reach their goals and help others who decided that goal was not to finish. No shame in that.

Sometimes you gotta grind out those miles regardless of how ugly they may be. I have found the best sports bra (for me) And I got a sweet deal on some Altra Lone Peak 6 shoes...but make sure you visit your local shop to make sure which shoe is right for your needs.

Over the last week, I had a minor seismic shift in how I look at things. Rather than immediately defaulting to the negative, I opted to be positive. It's been a game-changer. Whether it lasts, who knows? But I do know that I'm trying to be more present and mindful of how I react to things. Also, I began my 50K training on Saturday and made a new friend. Turns out, she is doing Snowdrop at the end...

Brad Quinn, very quietly and without much fanfare, ran 26.2 miles (a marathon) every day for 400 days, beginning in 2019. He is a full-time occupational therapist, husband and father of four. Oh, and he occasionally was a race director for Tejas Trails. Brad talks about his running history, the marathon challenge and race directing. You can see him at Reveille Peak Ranch, at the end of August, whe...

It's been almost five years since I left the RGV for San Antonio, but there are so many things I miss from that time: huge, group runs where no runner was left behind (TM), running at La Sal Del Rey, Mission Trails and more. I am enjoying my group in San Antonio, but nothing will ever compare to where it all started.

I went kayaking for the first time last week. After flailing around, getting stuck on every dang tree or root, I finally figured out how to paddle and it was fun. It reminded me of learning to drive and trail running. All are things people can learn to do but you aren't going to be great at first. I just seemed to have forgotten that part and was reminded. I also returned to volunteer at the Captn...

It's July and hotter than any summer I can remember. But for a few days, I am enjoying the 70-ish highs of Glen Arbor, Michigan. Hanging with my family, climbing dunes, biking, running and boating. It is glorious. This weekend, I will be back in the summer heat that is Texas where I plan to volunteer and run at Muleshoe Bend -- one of the Capt'n Karl's night races.

After running 2 miles without stopping last week, I've been trying to emulate that by running a little slower and steadier each time. It hasn't been perfect but I think I am back onto something fundamental. To run consistently, you can be a speed demon every time -- especially for those of us not gifted in this realm. And, hey, rate this 'cast on apple podcasts, please.

This one is a bit embarrassing. It's about some financial stuff I've been handed this month. *I am not asking for money. I will be OK.* But it affected my outlook and ability to push through. But then, I had a couple of good runs and feel empowered. Never Give Up.

This episode includes a throwback to 2014 where I powered through and overcame my mental blocks. It is also about the ups and downs of the brain at a race.

Billie is one of my new favorite people. She has this energy about her that draws you in. She is a frequent participant and volunteer volunteer at Tejas Trails races. We talk about her running journey and I press her a little about how she got into a relationship with a narcissist. I think this will be helpful for a lot of folks who may be entangled in a similar situation. Her words are empowering...

Oh, boy. This one is personal. Very personal. It's about depression, taking medication and an unexpected trip to a mental hospital. This may trigger some, so just know this.