The Stubborn Tortoise

Jenny Gruber is a tough woman. She has limped for miles on a bad ankle because she didn't want to let her husband and son down. She has tackled some tough races and persevered. Her latest challenge is bouncing back after contracting COVID-19. Plus bonus content of Hazel at the end. (Well, in the video version. In the audio, I try to describe it.)

I'm making my second attempt to run 100 miles at the end of this year. The first time, I stopped at 100K because I hurt and my mind wasn't right. Hundo, aka Orlando Montalvo, has completed more than a half-dozen of these beasts on different terrains. He takes us through his journey and offers advice for you aspiring 100-ers.

Getting older is inevitable. Having health issues as you get older is likely. You can try to outrun bad genes, but sometimes you just are stuck with them. I found out on Friday that I have high blood pressure -- this runs on both sides of my family, so it isn't a huge surprise. I guess I figured being active and eating fairly healthy would help me outrun the bad-news gene pool. On top of that, I h...

I volunteered and ran at Reveille Peak Ranch this past weekend. It was two days of weather contrasts: cool, cloudy and breezy on Friday and blazing sun, hot and humid on Saturday. For me, it was a welcome relief from early March at Camp Eagle, where my face felt frozen. It was fun to help out at the start-finish and get in a short 4-miler on Saturday. Got to reconnect with some folks and make some...

Sweet Jesus, I really beat myself up on Saturday at the Hippie Hill challenge. We need to respect our bodies and what they are capable of, including getting a massage, using a roller stick, massage gun etc. I sprang for a massage gun on Sunday after being debilitated by Saturday's challenge. Folks, if you are even mildly serious about this sport, book a massage and/or get an implement to aid in yo...

Ann is kind of a baby master's runner because she just turned 50. She is a mentor for the San Antonio Off-Road Runners. She talks about the ups and downs of her running career and shares some ambitious goals for the coming year.

This is the first in a series of experiences chronicling my choice to sign up for/do things I would otherwise regret this year. First up, the Vernal Equinox 8-12-24-48-hour race held at my childhood area of Batavia/Owensville, Ohio. I did the 8-hour event. The most important part was coming in to see my family. It was SO worthwhile. I also enjoyed introducing them to this crazy lifestyle of mine o...

Paz and Hundo sweat. A LOT. We could run 10 miles and end up wringing out our socks. We know how to handle summer heat and humidity. And it's coming. So listen up and heed our advice.

Today, I break down the evolution of this podcast, what it takes to do one (commitment, consistency and a common theme.) I also tell you what kinds of resources you'll need and where to get it published. I know I make this seem easy, and it is. But it does entail some work. Yes, you can make money from it but I'm kind of embarrassed to ask for sponsorships. If anyone wants to sponsor me in exchang...

Well, it's mid-March here in south-central Texas and that means the weather is having a moment or five. Glory be, it was cold this weekend at the J&J Trail Running Reunion. The winds were gusty and filled with dust and pollen. I volunteered from Friday afternoon to Saturday afternoon and had some fun adventures helping runners. Sunday, after springing forward into Daylight Saving Time (why can...

This is the second in an occasional new spinoff where I talk to runners who overcome obstacles and reach seemingly unimaginable distances. Agatha Halekulani Kerr, a mom of two, with a full-time job, recently logged over 175 miles in 100 hours at the Jackalope Jam. The distance was achieved by running a 1.5-mile loop (.75 out and .75 back) on a grass-and-gravel ranch road. Two months earlier, she g...

I got a really cool gift box from my sister called a Runner Box. I show you what was in mine, along with an update on my new Suunto 3 and its maddening learning curve. Finally, a shoutout to my friend, Agatha, who logged more than 175 miles in 100 hours last weekend at Jackalope Jam. (Apologies for giving out the wrong number of miles when I recorded this. I was off by about 10 miles.)

My sports watch is on its way to Electronics Heaven, so I had to buy a new one. I go over what I look for an offer tips on what you might need or not. Plus, I got together with (most) of my girls to celebrate my belated bday and it was a reminder of how important friendships are. Oh, and we agreed to train together to tackle Rocky Raccoon 100K next year.

I celebrated my birthday by running a 50K. It was my first in three years. I wanted to quit three times but persevered. I also jammed my finger and banged up my left knee in a spectacular fall. The day before, I was given the highest award from Tejas Trails -- a huge surprise.

Yes, it gets cold in South Texas. It's a humid cold. If you don't dress properly, you will be a sorry, sodden mess. Paz and Hundo, two veteran sweat-ers in both heat and cold, take you through their best tips. Paz also shares some offerings from her San Antonio-based running group.

Vivian Montalvo of San Antonio is not only an accomplished runner but she also applies her experience to help other runners. She is there to crew people on long runs or just a quick Sunday morning run. She'll load up her Town and Country with coolers full of refreshments and be there to hand them out if needed. She selflessly drove us to Brazos Bend in December for Maria's 50-miler and my marathon...

He's pulling back on the running, while I'm tapping the accelerator a little. Some background on why me and school buses did not get along in my early years.

Ben Garcia lost his ability to walk after a devastating motorcycle accident. But, through grit and determination, he regained that ability as well as the aptitude for running long distances. He is a veteran of the Iraq War and is now a 12-year veteran of the San Antonio Police Department's downtown bike patrol. Running is Garcia's therapy and he uses it as a way to give back to the community. In t...

This past week was incredibly stressful: starting the semester earlier than usual, a zillion Zoom meetings, prepping my house for Hundo Jr. to move into my spare room fro the semester (this was the least of my concerns) and my debit card being compromised and not getting a reasonable solution in a short amount of time. I have depression. I have talked about this before. Last week was the lowest lo...

I rang in the new year as part of Team Wildebeest at the Snowdrop 55-Hour Race and Relay for children's cancer research and scholarships for children's cancer survivors. A few of my friends: Hundo and Babe (Mrs. Hundo), along with Seresa, Tanya, Agatha, Don and others tackled the 100-mile challenge. The weather was like summer: mid-80s with wicked humidity. We were all struggling -- some with inju...

Judy Shipway is humble. She doesn't like to talk about herself, but I managed to coax some great stories from this 67-year-old San Antonio native. She now resides in Austin and is a retired Travis County prosecutor. She has had an on-and-off relationship with running but has settled into the trail scene. She is a force to be reckoned with in terms of placing in her age division (and it's a growing...

Paz n Hundo (aka Orlando Montalvo) discuss their best ideas for gifts for the runner in your life. This is our first video episode, so there are visual aids in addition to our expressions. Hope you enjoy this one. We loved recording this.

It really is something to behold when you are a witness to a person's first trail race, much less their first 10K, marathon or 50K. But on Friday, I was fortunate to watch a number of folks tackle those benchmarks with grit and character. I was dispensing advice, cheer and sustenance as they passed through our aid station every 3.5 miles or so. It was uplifting to watch them finish. On a separate...

I finished my first marathon on Saturday. According to my watch, it was 28.56 miles, so it was more of a 50K than a marathon, but who's counting? It went well, despite my not-so-great training. Running at sea level is a wholly different experience and one that I prefer almost anytime. It helped that we had an amazing support crew in Vivian and Rebecca. Vivian drove us, cooked for us, anticipated w...

I apologize about last week's episode. Well, not for the content, but for the horrendous crackling of my mic cable. It has been replaced and I can almost guarantee you, this will sound 100% better. I recapped my race at Wild Hare since I doubt anyone could listen to the entire previous episode. In addition, this weekend I will take on my first marathon and I am horribly undertrained. On the good s...