Runners of HOU

Don't call it a comeback! Once again, I'm joined by Emilia Benton who guest-hosts. In this episode, we discuss what I've been up to since running the Houston Marathon and also delve into what's been happening in the Houston running scene including the change to the local elite program for the Houston Marathon and the last minute change to the Houston Half Marathon course. I'm then joined by Houston Half pacer Sara Hudgens to chat through what race day looked like at this year's Hou Half.

Meet me - @vickyoddi. I will apologize in advance for the length of this episode but can't thank Emilia Benton enough for her guest-hosting duties. In this episode, we discuss how I first got into running, my collegiate experience as a pole vaulter and how that eventually led to my focus on distance running. We also chat about my extensive background in the running industry that includes stints at USA Track & Field, NBC Olympics, the Houston Marathon and Komen Houston.

In this week's episode, I sit down with my Houston Harriers training partners Emilia Benton, Veronica Goebel and Jessica Mayon to chat about all things related to the Houston Marathon. We talk through how our training has gone, what are plans and goals are and so much more. 

Meet Sara Hudgens! I first met Sara maybe seven years ago through Lukes Locker and the Houston Marathon Ambassador program. She also paced the 1:45 group that I ran with at the Hou Half in October. In this episode, we talk about how she first got into running, what it was like when she ran Boston, NYC, Chicago and CIM, how she got to run through the desert with The Speed Project and what that was like, and what it was like to work for Strava. And make sure you wish this Christmas baby a Happy Birthday on Saturday! 

Meet May Shek! May first started running in 2009 after moving to Canada for work as a way to expand her friend group. In this episode, we talk about how May went from hating PE to loving running, why she signed up for her first marathon, why finding the right coach is important - FYI she is currently working with Get Running Coaching Services and pro runner coach Neely Spence Gracey - and why paying it forward is important.

Meet Daniel Dannug! A sports chiropractor and acupuncturist by day, Daniel is also the co-founder of the Champions Running Association as well as a lululemon and Houston Marathon Ambassador. In this episode, we talk about how Daniel first got into running, why he felt the need to form the Champions group, what it took to go from 2 hour half marathons to a 1:35! and why he keeps going. 

Welp. I did it. I finally signed up to run a full marathon. In this episode, I will talk about what got me to this point, why I finally signed up and what I hope to achieve at the 2022 Houston Marathon. 

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Meet Rebecca Garza! Rebecca first started running in middle school but was sidelined her junior year in high school with an ACL tear. It wasn't until after the birth of her first child that Rebecca decided to start running again. First, she was hooked on the competition and challenges of Orange Theory. But there was no turning back after he husband surprised her with a treadmill for Christmas in 2018. She ran three half marathons in 2019 (the one she ran for fun ended up with her nabbing a then-PR of 1:36:13) and finished out the year with a trail marathon in San Francisco! Find out how, with the help of Starla Garcia, Rebecca BQ'd when she ran her first road marathon, how she PR'd just last weekend in the Cypress Half, and what keeps her running.

Meet Jon Perz! If you are a trail runner, are interested in trail running or just love a good story, this is the episode for you. Jon went from "literally hating running" to running 100 mile races in just a few years. It started with his first road 5K in 2011. By 2012 he had run a trail and a road marathon. 2013 saw his first 50 miler and, after ramping up with four 60Ks in 2014, Jon ran his first of many 100 miles races in 2015. And at every one of his races, Jon has met someone that is still in his life today.

Just a few more days until the Houston Half! Today, it's just me talking about how my training has been going, what to expect on race day and where you can find me race weekend. See you all out there!

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Meet Laura Mantilla! Originally from Cartagena, Colombia, she moved to Houston 10 years ago. A self-proclaimed tiny but mighty endurance junkie, Laura is a full time mom, consultant, coach and athlete! So busy! In this episode, we talk about her virtual 2021 Houston Marathon, that she ran in 3:13! and what it was like to compete at the 2021 Half Ironman World Championships. Laura also takes me through the differences for training for everything from a half marathon to a full Ironman, why her favorite race fuel is mini baked potatoes and why, if she could run with anyone, it would be Molly Seidel. 

Meet Julie Nguyen! Julie took time out of her day on her BIRTHDAY to chat with me, having just returned from running a 30+ minute PR at the Berlin marathon! Julie first got into running just under 10 years ago as part of rehab for a knee injury. After initially hating it, she found a couch to 5k program, signed up for a race...and never looked back. Julie says her first race - the Houston Turkey Trot - was the gateway drug to running for her. Julie is now an officer in the Sugarland Running Club, has run 10+ marathons, enjoys traveling to races and hopes to one day run all of the World Marathon Majors. But she will always have room in her schedule for her hometown Houston Marathon. 

Meet Fredis Benitez! Fredis is the Vice President of the Houston Harriers, is coached by Cal Neff of Hardloop, and is a member of the Brooks Run Happy Team. In this episode, we talk about how he first got into running at 16, how meeting Starla Garcia brought him back to running, his quest for an official sub 3 hour marathon and so much more! 

Meet Louie Zuniga. Louis is a pilot, member of the City Centre and Freaks Running Clubs, and Team Catapult Ambassador. A Katy-area resident, we chat about his run club obsession - seriously, he has a run club every day of the week and more on his schedule - what being a pilot does to his training, and his five-year goal of qualifying for the Boston Marathon. 

Welcome to Ask Me Anything! For my first edition, we've got questions about what my running journey has looked like, if I'll ever let anyone interview me, how do I fuel and what's my favorite workout, what it was like to work for USA Track & Field, which fall marathon I'm most excited for, and what races are on my bucket list. Thanks to everyone who sent in questions. Enjoy! 

If you want to be a part of future Ask Me Anything episodes, shoot me a DM or email at runnersofhou@gmail.com. 

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Meet Andrew Torma. A Rice University grad student studying Applied Physics, Andrew moved to Houston in 2019. A soccer player growing up who first got into running in undergrad, it wasn't until he moved to Houston that Andrew really started logging the miles. In this episode, we chat about his move to Houston, how he started running long - and by long I mean the random, unplanned marathon! - why he will never do the Goggins Challenge again, and so much more. 

Andrew is currently training and fundraising for the Chicago Marathon and Houston Marathon and we will both be running the Lululemon Seawheeze 10K and Half Marathon this September! Links below for how to support! 

Originally from California, Caroline moved to Houston two weeks before Hurricane Harvey. Having grown up a swimmer, she didn't get into running until 2019. She then ran her first half marathon in 2020 and never looked back. Listen in as we talk about what it looked like when she first started running, how she got involved with the BON Running Club, what led her to the trails and how much fun we're going to have at the in-person activation in Houston for the 2021 Lululemon Seawheeze Virtual Half & 10K. 

A Houston transplant, Correy found his running family at Zone Fitness Training. He grew up playing the typical American sports and found running in college and started consistently running after graduation. We chat through his intro to running, when he joined ZFT, the gains they've seen in the last three years, and what he has planned for 2021-2022.

Born and raised in Mexico, Juan Ruiz - aka @kermittherunner - first moved to the States in 2007 to live in Detroit, but it wasn't until he moved to Houston in 2012 that Juan was first introduced to running. In this episode, we talk through his weight loss journey (90 pounds!), his first-ever race - the 2020 Houston Marathon and when, exactly, he found out just how far a marathon is, everything he accomplished in 2020 and so much more!

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Aracely Richardson's first race was the 2016 Houston Marathon, which she signed up for after a friend talked her into it. Cely was so new to running that she didn't know she had just committed to running 26.2 miles. After running that first race in just over 5 hours, without her friend who didn't make it to the starting line, Cely was hooked on the distance. And over the next two years cut one hour and 48 minutes off her PR! 

Cely talks about how joining a running club was a game changer for her, that time a coach told her she would never qualify for Boston, why she is fundraising for 2nd Cup for the 2022 Houston Marathon, and what it's like running as a woman of color in Houston. 

Welcome Calum Neff to the Runners of HOU show! Cal began running at the age of 4 and has been enjoying everything running has to offer ever since. In this episode, we chat about his debut marathon - the 2014 Houston Marathon that he entered and placed 29th in! - how he keeps running interesting by doing things like running the Paris and NYC Marathons for fun or running 211 laps at the Armory chasing the indoor marathon world record, what it was like to pace Sara Hall at the Marathon Project and how he felt a few weeks later when he broke the 50K Canadian record. And so. much. more. 

Excited to kick of Global Running Day week with Starla Garcia! One of, if not the fastest female marathoner in the Houston area, Starla is a Registered Dietician, owner of the Healthy Shine, a 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier, and a body and cultural diversity advocate. We talk about what life was like for Starla growing up and running in the Rio Grande area, how she ended up at the University of Houston, the differences between eating disorders and disordered eating, qualifying for and competing in the 2020 Olympic Trials - Marathon, and so much more. 

In the first ever multiple guest episode, Patrick Pressgrove and Sam Robles chat with me IN PERSON about what Patrick has going on as a @lululemon ambassador, how Sam is recovering from knee surgery, what races they both plan on running this fall, what to look for in a running club, and so much more. 

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Excited to welcome Ryan Terry to the show today. Ryan is one of the most social runners in Houston, has twice been a Houston Marathon ambassador, and is a member of multiple running clubs. His FIRST EVER RACE was the 2015 Houston Marathon, he won a trip to the 2019 Athens Marathon and he was featured on @strava in 2020. 

Dean Digamon ran his first 5K in 2008 but didn't really start focusing on running until 2016. Listen in as we talk through how he got into running, the ridiculous amount of 1:28 half marathons he has run, his connection to Team Catapult...and Patrick Pressgrove, and so much more. Make sure you follow Dean on instagram. His photography is next level and his video is so good that Sara Hall shared his recap of the Marathon Project.

Becky Wade may be a Dallas native who currently lives in Boulder, but she will always be a hometown favorite in Houston. Having competed in two Olympic Trials - Marathon (2016, 2020) and two Olympic Trials - Track & Field (Steeplechase - 2012, 2016), Wade debuted in the marathon at the 2013 CIM, where she ran a 2:30:41! Listen in as we chat through her collegiate and pro career and find out why she will always come back to Houston. 

Multiple-time Hou Marathon and Woodlands Marathon Ambassador Fren-Mark Banes, who has run over 20 half marathons and 14 marathons, is highly active in the Houston running community. When not in the middle of a pandemic, he is the lead of the Houston chapter of Electric Flight Crew. Now training with the Houston Harriers, we chat about how he got into running, whether or not he is still anti-taper, and what it was like to qualify for and run the Boston Marathon.

2021 #HouMarathon Ambassador Glenda Newman first started running in 2014 and by 2015 had run her first marathon. She then took three years completely off following the birth of her daughter, but never lost the running bug and came back in 2019 to run the Chevron Houston Marathon. Listen in as we talk through her love for running for charity, what made her want to be a race ambassador, and how important having a running community is to her. 

Terry Love, aka @manofcivility, aka @blackmenrunhouston, ran his first half marathon in 2012 and hasn't looked back since! With numerous 5Ks and 10Ks and at least five marathons and 20 half marathons under his belt in the last nine years, Terry is a devoted runcationer and Co-captain of Black Men Run Houston. 

Lillian began her running journey in 2014. Since then, she has run 10 marathons, 25 half marathons, is a two-time Houston Marathon Ambassador and is now the President of the Katy Area Running Club. She was racing so often that she set a goal to race less! 

Daniel Barron started running in 2005 with some friends at work. Fast forward to now and he has run 16 marathons, BQ'd four times, and is the President of the Houston Harriers Run Club. 

Daniel also co-founded 30 for Ana - a 30 mile run to honor his sister, Ana Barron Garcia, raise awareness about inflammatory breast cancer, and endure the pain of running 30 miles, all while raising funds  for The Rose.

Patrick Pressgrove was born with a rare genetic disorder which left him wheelchair-bound by age 13 when he decided to have elective bilateral above-knee amputations. In 2015, he was encouraged by his prosthetic clinician and a fellow patient, Mark Barr, to begin using a pair of running blades he was granted from the Challenged Athletes Foundation a year before...and he hasn't looked back since. Now an integral part of Team Catapult, Patrick has run everything from a 5K to a marathon and has completed sprint triathlons and a half Ironman. 

Ten-time marathoner Emilia Benton is a staple on the Houston running scene. She got into running at a young age and ran her first marathon, the 2010 NYC Marathon, fresh out of college. Emilia is also a freelance journalist who has covered more than her share of running stories, in Houston and nationally. A BIPOC runner herself, Emilia struck a chord in the running community over the summer with a piece for Runner's World - 11 Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) Runners Speak Out About Running and Race. Listen in as we talk through her running journey and what it is like to cover the running industry as a journalist.

If you ran any of the big 5k or 10 k races in the Houston area between 2014-2018, chances are Maximo beat you at some point. A prolific racer during his days at Luke's Locker, he got started running at a young age and ran his first half marathon when he was just 15 years old. After running a 2:35:30 at the 2016 Chevron Houston Marathon, Maximo thinks he might run another marathon one day, but for now is focused on his son, Maximo Jr., who is just getting started. 

Not only is Subbu Venkat a member of the HARRA and Houston Marathon Committee Board of Directors, he is also a living organ donor. We talk through some of the 25 marathons he has run, including his 3:10:30 PR at the 2018 Grandma's Marathon, how he was instrumental in Hitomi Niiya's win at the 2020 Aramco Houston Half Marathon in a Japanese national record, what it takes to be a living organ donor, and why runners make good candidates. 

A relative newbie to Houston, Blake is excited to explore the Houston running scene. We chat about everything from his exploration of the best places to run in Houston to what it was like having to take a year off from running to recover from a fractured patella. 

While Stephanie only lived in Houston for a few years, she had a big impact on the Houston running community. Listen as we talk through her running career at Purdue, including the second-best day of her life, what it was like to participate in the 24 hour Houston Hack-a-thon, which brought about the creation of Swiftally, and chasing a sub-3 hour marathon. 

Meet Mary T - the founder and executive director of Girls on the Run Greater Houston. A runner for over 50 years, Mary T did not run her first marathon until after her children were born. And she started with the Paris Marathon, which led to a goal of running on every continent! Find out how far she is in her journey and learn more about how you can get in involved with Girls on the Run Greater Houston in the latest episode of the Runners of Hou podcast.

Girls on the Run Greater Houston

Meet Heather Foley. One of the happiest mother runners you will ever come across. Heather got started in running in 2008 when a coworker told her she wouldn't be able to run a half marathon. Twelve years, four 100km races, 25 ish marathons, and countless other races since, it's safe to say she proved them wrong. 

Find out what a purse potato is and what she wants to do with Matthew McConaughey in this episode! 

You can find Heather here:

Sam Robles is a runner, striking coach at Gracie Barra Heights, and former employee of Luke's Locker. Sam has been one of the most outspoken members of Houston running community for the past eight years - from when he joined Luke's Locker, to when he became a coach of their 9-5 program and was the head of the Team Luke's program, to being a guide for team Catapult. 

Welcome to the Runners of HOU Podcast! I'm your host, Vicky Oddi, and I'm here to share the the stories of the runners in and around the Greater Houston Area. The goal is to make this a weekly podcast, so be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Soundcloud or however you get your podcasts. 

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