Note: Previous 2007 notes have archived and have been moved to the 2007 Archive page. For other stories from 2007, visit the 2007 Archives page.

Lisa Cron rebounds from iron deficiency

By Fiona Green

The female overall winner of the Loop 15K at White Rock Lake on  Saturday, Oct. 4, was 29-year-old Lisa Cron of Irving. Posting a remarkable time of 55:50, despite humid conditions, put her in sixth place overall -- not bad considering that was her first 15K and that before the race she had modestly predicted that she might finish in just over an hour.

A vegetarian and animal lover, Lisa is an accomplished distance runner, specializing in the marathon. She had, in fact, set her sights on qualifying for the Olympic Trials in the marathon. After running a PR of 2.55 at the Big D last year, she believed she had a shot at reaching the Trials' standard of 2:47, but it was around this time that her running started to become more difficult.

She noticed that she was often tired and lacked her former speed and endurance. After  consulting her doctor, she discovered that she was suffering from iron deficiency. Steps were taken to control this, but her dreams of attending the upcoming Trials were over.

Nevertheless, as Saturday's race showed, she is back in excellent form and is enjoying 100-120-mile training weeks in preparation for the DRC Half in November.

At only 29, she has many good running years ahead of her and we look forward to following her progress and watching her in London 2012.

According to DRC President Libby Jones,  more than 507 runners completed the 15K course while 170 completed the 5K. Male overall winner of the 15K was Matt Pulle,  while Masters winners were Fiona Green and Michael Held. Before the race, Michael explained that he was under pressure to finish the race quickly so he could attend his daughter's soccer match. Sometimes it pays to race under pressure!

William Moore was the overall winner of the 5K with Sheila Natho once again dominating the female race. Angela Eusery and Don Crawford were the Masters winners.

Hot runs for cold cash

The Tour des Fleurs in Dallas attracted some speedy runners on Saturday (Sept. 20) with $500 on the line for the overall winners, and payoffs for the top eight. In the women's 10K division, Melisa Christian of Dallas held off Debbie Arzola of Allen to win with a 35:12. Arzola finished in 35:43. In the men's race, Stephen Ariga of Grand Prairie took home the $500 with a 31:05 for the 10K, while Joshua Trevino of Irving pocketed $400 for his second-place 31:55 time.

There also was money for the masters winners, and the division paid the top four. In the women's race, Jody Hawkins of Frisco at age 41 would have been eligible for the masters title, but she opted for the open division. She finished third with a 36:35. Sheila Natho of Dallas won the women's masters and $250 for her 39:58 time. In the men's division, Ernesto Caballero, 53, won the men's masters with a 32:52 and William Moore was second with a 34:22.

In Sherman, there also was prize money on the line at the Celebrate the Run SEF Arts Festival 5K and 15K. Winning the $100 top prizes in the 5K were Diego Osoric (17:00) and Brooke Farris (20:14.4). In the 15K, Agustin Heernandez (51:50.9) and Keri Sweet (1:03:52.3) won.

***

Natho beats everyone at Autumn Equinox 5K

Despite the possibility of stormy weather, several diehard runners gathered at White Rock Lake on Saturday (Sept. 13) morning to participate in the Autumn Equinox 5K and 15K runs. The overall 5K winner was Sheila Natho, whose 19:46 time was good enough to beat the entire field, the first time this has happened at the race in 23 years.

Natho, an accomplished triathlete, who recently set a course record for the Plano Pacers 3K, has watched her times drop significantly over the past few months and ran a sub-19 for a 5K earlier this year. She attributes her success to focusing more on her running as opposed to the three disciplines of the triathlon.

Finishing first among the males was seniors runner, Jimmy Parker. In the 15K, many participants said that the humidity and wind contributed to slower times than usual. Overall male winner was Mark Miller of Carollton while the overall female  winner was Fiona Green of Keller. Angela Eusery and Troy Suritt claimed the Masters titles. See results. -- Submitted by Fiona Green

***

Masters ruled

Sheila Natho of Dallas led the way for the masters (40-older) runners over the Sept. 13-14 weekend by running faster than anyone to win the Autumn Equinox 5K in Dallas. See above.

Natho, 42, ran a 19:46. In the men's division, 57-year-old Jimmy Parker of Mesquite won with a 20:35.

Other masters runners who won overall titles were Michael Henry (40) and Linda Kelly (57) at the Dream Mile 5K in Dallas; Fiona Green (43) who won the women's race at the Autumn Equinox 15K; Yolanda Hopping (46) and Mark Olateju (46) at the Race For Children 5K in Lewisville; and Sandra Ricaud (44) and Norman Roper (51) at the Irving Symphony League 5K.

Life might or might not begin at 40, but these runners show that it isn't over.

This weekend, at least nine races are in the D-FW area. The Celebrate the Run in Sherman is offering prize money for the fleet of foot. Also, the Candlelighter run in Fort Worth has been canceled, and The Peace Run has changed its venue from the TCU soccer fields to Kelly Park.

See a slideshow of the Irving Symphony League 5K on Sept. 13 at Las Colinas in Irving. Photos submitted by Movin' Pictures. Visit www.movin-pictures.com for more pictures.

Joe's Run adds 10K

Joe's Run (renamed last year from Run To Joe's and moved to Hemphill and Rosedale from the North Side) is adding a 10K to the March 28, 2009 event. The new venue and 5K course received good response from participants last year. The 10K course features long straightaways on Hemphill, 8th Ave. and Pennsylvania. The event also has secured RadioShack as its title sponsor.

Morgan, Angeles win Freedom Run

Ben Morgan of San Antonio won the men's division and Becky Angeles of Nevada, Tx., won the women's division at the Freedom Run 5K in Dallas on Thursday (Sept. 11) evening. The event, which had approximately 1,500 registered, included tributes to the U.S. military and rememberence of the Sept. 11 attacks on the Twin Towers and Pentagon. See results.

Inspirational series added

All runners have a tale to tell - their own unique story about what  drives them to lace up their running shoes and hit the roads. Many of  these stories are inspirational like that of Steve Swearingen of Fort Worth. This is the first of a series that will run periodically. See story. If you know of someone who has been an inspiration to you, this website will post your story. E-mail the report or questions.

Cowtown gets title sponsor

The Board of Directors of The Cowtown, one of the largest multi-event road races in the country, announced on Aug. 10 that the University of  North Texas Health Science Center has joined The Cowtown as the Title Sponsor of the event and will continue to serve as a Presenter.  See story.

The Cowtown's board of directors have selected a permanent logo to brand the marathon, ultra marathon, half marathon, 10K, adult 5K and kids 5K races. Read the press release, which includes the new logo.

White Rock is state championship run

The 2008 White Rock Marathon presented by NexBank on Dec. 14 has been selected as the RRCA Texas State Marathon Championship. It's the first time the 38-year-old race has been selected for the championship. The Texas State overall, masters and grandmasters championship titles and a $50,000 purse is available. See more information at www.runtherock.com.

Because there are several runners who are also pet lovers, a Pet of the Week will be featured here.
These pets at the Keller Shelter and Adoption Center need an owner. Visit the website.

The new Cowtown medals

Runners who run The Cowtown half, marathon or ultra will receive the medals on the left. If the runner competes for five consecutive years, the earned medals will form the star shown at the right.

The Cowtown Marathon medal.	The Cowtown Marathon 5-year set.
The Cowtown Half Marathon medal.	The Cowtown Half Marathon 5-year set.
The Cowtown Ultra medal.	The Cowtown Ultra 5-year set.

After collecting all the medals, mount them on a plaque.

Go Girl Go program promotes exercise

Story by Fiona Greenl; picture from Movin' Pictures

Noticeable at the start of one of the recent Ricky Cox evening races in Fort Worth was a group of young girls wearing matching pink T-shirts.

They were excited to be participating in their first 5K race, the culmination of a fitness program run by Nicole Crowdis and Brooke McDowell Hatcher, children's sports instructors at the Fort Worth Northwest YMCA.

The program, entitled 'Go Girl Go', was designed to encourage young girls from Grades 3-12 to get active in sports and gave them a basic introduction to running, agility and weight training. Before starting the program, many of the girls had not been physically active at all, so finishing the race was a huge accomplishment.

Of course, some found it tougher than others, which was hardly surprising considering the temperature was in the high 90s! For Brooke, one of the highlights of the event was having a mother tell her that she was her hero because she had never expected her daughter to be able to complete the race. Perhaps even more rewarding was the fact that some of the girls enjoyed the experience so much that they are keen to continue running and staying in shape. Go girls go!

Spurred On in Haltom

Runners take off at the Spur On 5K on Saturday (Sept. 6) morning. See the story, pictures and results.

Competitors begin the 15K at the FWRC's Labor Day Run on Monday (Sept. 1) at University Park Village in Fort Worth. See story and slideshows.

Going from Heavy Metal to heavy sweating

At first the idea of running a Half marathon in Texas in August sounded crazy. It's one thing to sweat through a 5K but running a Half seemed almost dangerous -- an event for those who like to live life on the edge -- and it was certainly not for me. However, a twist of fate that involved my husband buying tickets for a Heavy Metal show on Friday night meant that an early morning Saturday race was out of the question. Reluctant to miss a weekend race, I registered for the Hottest Half at White Rock Lake on Aug. 24, hoping that I hadn't bitten off more than I could chew. As this was an inaugural event, I hoped that the race organizers had taken care of all the small details.

I needn't have worried. Everything was perfect. With more than 1,000 participants for both the Half and the 10K, it appeared that many people enjoyed living life on the edge. Both the 10K and Half started at 7 a.m. ( a great idea considering it was August) with runners staying together until around the 3-mile mark.

Water and Gatorade stops were plentiful throughout the race as were eager and helpful volunteers. The course was interesting and well marked, leaving runners with little chance of getting lost. After their hard efforts, all finishers received an attractive souvenir medal. Overall and Masters winners received a plaque, while age-group winners were presented with a sports mug.

Winner of the women's 40-45 age group in the Hottest Half was Angela Eusery of Grand Prairie. A regular participant in DFW races, Angela was also the overall female winner of a 5K organized by American Airlines one day earlier. The 40-year-old massage therapist has enjoyed running since high school, and now races all distances from 5K to the marathon.

Two years ago, the fact that she is a runner may have saved her life. After experiencing shortness of breath for several days, she decided to seek a medical opinion. The diagnosis shocked her -- pulmonary embolism, caused by several life threatening blood clots that had formed on her lungs. Doctors told her that she might have suffered a stroke or worse had she not been in such great physical shape.

She immediately began treatment and counts her blessings that she was able to make a full recovery. Her current training involves 50-mile weeks in preparation for the New York city marathon in November. Apart from her great smile, one of the most remarkable things about Angela is her flexibility. A former gymnast, she has maintained this over the years by continually stretching. It was her incredible flexibility that earned her a phone call from producers of the reality television show, '`Survivor.''

Although she didn't make the final cut to appear on the show, her video, in which she effortlessly contorted her body into all sorts of positions, made an impression.

He went from smoker to smokin'

Ken Brewer is a regular road-race runner and you've probably participated with him at several events. And even though he's 71, you might have just been viewing him from the backside because he's usually in the low 24-minute to mid-23-minute 5K finishers. One might expect that the slight, fast Arlington resident had been running most of his life, but he didn't start until he was 35. That's when he gave up smoking (he says it's a hard addiction to overcome) and started playing league soccer to insert some activity into his otherwise sedentary life.

Soccer provided good speed and interval work just by the nature of the sport. When he decided that he might be suited for running because of his slight stature, he started running. And he has been going ever since. He has logged five marathons, but said that's not a good distance for him. For years, he ran 10Ks because they were more prevelant than they are now. Even though he's running more 5Ks now simply because there are more of them, he will slip in a 10K and half marathon.

His training regimen has changed somewhat from what he followed for several years. He has backed off somewhat from a program that calls for three days a week of ``quality'' interval, tempo and long runs. Even the long run is supposed to be done at an ``uneasy'' pace, Ken said. It was a program that put him among the front pack of runners for several years. But he's not putting as much intensity into his workouts as he once did. By watching him run in road races, though, he apparently is saving that intensity for his competition. At the FWRC Watermelon 5K, for example, he finished in 23:53. So, say hi to him as he smokes past you next time.

Marines to run DRC Half remotely;
sponsor one for the November event

(Following is an article from the Dallas Running Club website)

Before "Legion 1" (or more properly, 1st Platoon, Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division) deploys this July to the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit in Okinawa, their platoon leader asked about the possibility of becoming "Running Mates" with the Dallas Running Club.

2nd Lieutenant Ryan Bintz had heard so much about the DRC and its support of the community that he believed it would be a great opportunity for his platoon to establish a state-side connection for the men of Legion 1 while away from home. They will be gone for at least six months, training, traveling, and missing home. Conceptually, each marine in Legion 1 could have a running mate within the DRC that can be his state-side training colleague. LT Bintz calls his platoon "a running platoon," one that prides itself on its ability to move fast on foot and get the job done, much like the members of the DRC.

Club member Brittany Baker has volunteered to serve as the communication link between Legion 1 and the DRC. Presently, planning is in place for the Marines to participate, remotely, in the DRC Half Marathon, held on November 2. They will look into the possibility of measuring out a 13.1 mile course wherever they are on the date of the DRC Half, start their participants off at exactly the same time the race starts in Dallas, and then "radio in" the results as soon as possible.

The DRC will be providing bibs, technical event shirts by New Balance (which has donated the shirts), and finisher medals to the Marine competitors. In recognition of the sacrifice being made by these men, member Brittany will be seeking volunteers to contribute on behalf of each marine in Legion 1.

For DRC members participating in the Fall Training Program, the famous (or infamous) hill training exercise known as "Ryans" will have a personal aspect. The "Ryan" drills are named after 2nd LT Ryan Bintz, USMC, who just happens to be the younger son of Coach Dave. It is an opportunity for DRC trainees to enjoy the experience of Marine Corps discipline. Visit the DRC Half website.

Note: All the 2007 notes on the Side Trips page have been archived to make room for 2008 notes. Also, many of the 2007 stories also have been archived. All are in PDF and are on the 2007 Archive page.

Calendar | Results | Fastest In Metroplex | Texas Marathons | Archives | Where To Run | Neighbors | Home