Track and Field Blogs - Gerardo Mora

They say that tearing down and building back up is the process by which we get stronger. I was definitely on the tear down part the better part of last week. Running the 25K under tough conditions at a high intensity in combination with having taken ibuprofen since that Wednesday before was more than my body was willing to take. I had been taking the ibuprofen, of course, for the patella tendinitis. It had been over a year since I had taken it, as I don’t believe in taking medication for the most part. But the patella tendinitis had me… more »

The weather reports had consistently been telling us that it was going to warm up just in time for the race Sunday. Only, they had been telling us it would be a low around 60 degrees – not the 68 degrees we ended up getting. Not to mention the 10-15 MPH southeasterly winds we were now getting. It was not going to be a good weather day for racing. Well … not for most of us who like to race these events. The recreational runner would probably prefer 68 degrees over 40 degrees. In addition to concerns with the weather,… more »

It was a near perfect weather for the annual Texas Heart Institute Great Pumpkin Run. I want to say 53 degrees with no wind, low humidity, and not a cloud in the sky. Once again I arrive early so that I can park at my usual free spot for the downtown races. This time, however, it is a good half mile from the start/finish – it is a good thing I have to do a warm-up. I’m expecting Sean Wade and Adam Davis to be there to compete for the overall title. I also expected Joe Flores to give me… more »

We had some bad luck with the weather this year. It was not bad, mind you (63 degrees maybe), but when you consider how wonderful it was the day before, it was that much worse on Sunday morning. The wind direction had changed overnight and started coming in from the southeast which started to warm things up. I’m guessing the temperature was similar to what we had at the 10 miler in Clear Lake two weeks prior, but the difference being that the humidity was probably twice as bad – not to mention the swirling winds in the downtown area.… more »

It appeared like a pretty good morning. The cheap thermometer in my car read 60 degrees, but others said it was closer to 64. Take an average and 62 degrees sounds good for racing. It was cloudy and expected to stay that way all day so the sun wouldn’t be an issue, but I did notice that the wind was blowing the starting line banner around. We had a large crowd assembled for the USA United Space Alliance 10 miler – probably over 1000 registered runners. The lines at the port-o-cans were long and we had the usual suspects scrambling… more »

It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. I guess those two sentences would fit my sentiments for the USATF 5K Masters Championships this past Sunday. I was going up to Syracuse, NY with a group of Houston runners to try to compete for a national title, but our plans were pretty much dashed from the get go when one of our faster runners (Rudy Rocha) decided not to go at the 11th hour. Oh well … those of us who run and compete know to expect these type of things. The primary directive now became to… more »

Hello everyone. Been gone for a while, but been training well. Accomplished many 10 mile tempo runs during the summer with team-mate Tom King. I think I've created a monster - Tom is running strong. :-) Fall is coming. I want to say that it was six degrees cooler on Saturday morning than it was for my last race in Seabrook on August 1. Every little bit helps. Another race I had never done before and not really looking forward to doing – the Toughest 10K in Texas. I’d like to see another race put up an argument for being… more »

Decided to do another 10 mile strength run on Saturday. Once again I had Tom King join me which helps a great deal. Trying to do these runs on your own is very difficult. We started around 6:35 AM and made a very good go at it with splits of 6:18, 6:09, 6:12, 6:07, 6:13, 6:12, 6:24, 6:22, 6:22, 6:11 for a total of 1:02:30. Tom seemed very strong, but I got a side stitch around 5 miles into it and lagged behind some and Tom was unable to push without me. Still a very good work out as we… more »

It was another warm morning. At least the clouds showed us some mercy and kept the sun away for most of the morning. I was expecting another battle with both Rudy Rocha and Tom King this morning. I was told to expect both of them there and, as I was walking toward Outriggers to pick up my race number, I see Rudy and John Hedengren warming up together. We exchange pleasantries but I knew that it wasn’t going to be at all pleasant in about another 45 minutes. At least during my warm-up I felt OK, which is not what… more »

Two weeks later and here we go again. It was a little cooler than the Fourth of July 5K, but it was still warm and muggy none the less. It was probably about 82 degrees and humidity as high as can be expected for this NASA race. It was the 31st annual Honeywell Lunar 5K at NASA on July 18 which started at 7:30. I arrived in the parking lot about 6:45 and noticed that there were more than the usual number of cars already there. I knew from word of mouth that Sesar Figueroa was planning to be there… more »

These summer races are not getting any better. I believe the temperature was 84 degrees and humidity must have been near 100%. As I was driving to the race, I just kept reminding myself that everyone else had to run under the same conditions. And that I had been training in the afternoon heat with enough regularity that should have acclimated me to the heat. I got to the start about 75 minutes before the start and parked in the same spot that I've been in the last 5 years or so. :-) I already had my bib so I… more »

I hope there are some of you out there enjoying this summer heat wave. I've never seen anything like it. I'm surprised they haven't issued water restrictions in Houston yet. I decided to go to Deer Park and get in a good workout if nothing else. I knew it was going to be a rough morning for a race as the thermometer outside my door was reading 82 at 5:15 in the morning. Someone else told me just before the start of the race that the thermometer in his car was reading 83 degrees at 6:45 in the morning, just… more »

It was a good morning for a race. The humidity was low. The only improvement we could have asked for would have been for less wind coming from the southeast. I showed up at the starting area of the Congress Avenue Mile about 7:00 AM, an hour and ten minutes before the start of my race. It looks like most everyone parked near the finish line and walked/jogged to the start area. I had never competed in this event before so I was intrigued by the entire process. Plus it was a new course. It now started on 11th street,… more »

I didn't expect to make this race. On Wednesday I managed to strain my right calf. Very upset with myself for not heeding the warning signs and not backing off when I first encountered some discomfort there. End result is that I was walking with a limp on Wednesday night and most of Thursday. I did decide to rest the leg on Thursday by getting on the stationary bike (36 minutes) during lunch and then 31 minutes of treading water in the afternoon. I also did the normal icing and taking of ibuprofen. Also wrapped the bad boy up to… more »

It was actually what I consider to be near ideal weather conditions for doing a workout this morning. I'm guessing about 70 degrees and a mild breeze. Since I'm not racing, I've started early on my favorite strength workout for the summer - a 10 mile tempo run. Total time of 1:03:29 with splits of: 6:24, 6:21, 6:20, 6:19, 6:22, 6:19, 6:22, 6:21, 6:18, 6:22 Rather consistent and felt good. I'm guessing between 90 and 95% effort. Ninth mile was fastest only because a guy decided to challenge me for about 1/8 of a mile as this helps to get… more »

I don't even know where to begin with this. Any of you out there who has ever been there to participate in this relay knows all about the events leading up to the race that make you nervous much more so than any other race event can. You have a team of six that is counting on you and you are counting on them. I arrived in Corpus at 2:30 PM Friday and went straight to the host hotel to pick up our race packet. I'm guessing that arriving before 3:00 PM is the key to avoiding lines. Off to… more »

It is that time of year. Going to take a day of vacation and leave on Friday morning, take my time, enjoy the ride down, and relax before the big event the next day. This year I'll be on an open team - haven't been on an open team in over 10 years. I've been running in mostly mixed teams for a while. Somehow I got talked into being on an open team with the younger folk this time. I respectfully asked the captain (Brett Riley) to find a young gun. I was told that I was reliable and dependable… more »

It was that time of the year. Actually, it was a little earlier than it is normally held, but the weather conditions are still as bad as you would expect in May and the rest of the summer. We're down in League City at Clear Creek H.S. for the annual James Glenn 5K. I'm not exactly motivated for this race because of the less than ideal weather conditions, but I wanted to give myself and achievable goal - to run under 17:00. Tough to do when it is 76 degrees, 100% humidity and breezy. I met one of my new… more »

It was a packed day on Saturday. I wasn't going to do it, but Dawn talked me into it, i.e., running in TWO races in one day. After all - she was doing a double herself! First was the Run For the Arts 5K race held at Memorial City Mall at 8:00 AM. I was hoping that (like last year) nobody would show up and I would be able to just jog a 5K and win the $200 gift card for the overall masters win. However, not long after I drove up, I saw Joe Flores heading back to his… more »

Well ... I let Chris Bittinger talk me into participating in an 800 meter race at the J. Fred Duckett Rice Twilight Meet last night. I had many second thoughts but I figured if Chris was going to be there that I wouldn't be tooooo far behind the last place guy. ;-) Other reasons or "excuses" for not going was that I left for San Antonio on Saturday for a short get-away and a work conference from Monday thru Wednesday (I actually left the conference after lunch on Wednesday so that I could make it to the meet). Well ...… more »

  In the middle of the day it was not looking good for the LP run. We  reached a record high temperature of 90 degrees and the wind was picking up. Luckily, the temperatures fell once the sun started to go down and the wind was not terribly bad once the gun went off. It was a very pleasant evening all considering. Down to about 80 degrees by the time my race started at 8:00 PM. The other good news was that I was able to win Runner of the Season for the 40 – 49 age group. I didn’t… more »

For those of you with inquiring minds that must know what I do for my workouts. Well, the last two years when I do intervals, I've been focusing on speed. I figure that is the purpose of SPEED work outs is to run fast with minimal rest to try to simulate race conditions. Of course, almost impossible for me as I've NEVER been a good workout person. One could look at my track workouts and think, "nothing special" and that would be a a legit statement to make. I've never been able to force myself to push during a workout… more »

I wasn't going to run this past Saturday, but I did this race last year and remember how well it went and the neat awards so there I was. Jose Lara was there so I figured that overall was not a realistic goal. :-) Then I see Tom King and Joe Flores so I figure that it is going to be more than just a hard run if I want to win masters. The course is just an out and back, similar to the Rockets 5K race. The first mile felt comfortable as we had a slight tail/cross wind helping.… more »

It was a good morning for racing. Not great, but good. I'm guessing about 62 degrees with some clouds and a mild breeze. I put in a solid effort in my attempt to match my last year result, but came in a little short with a time of 16:32. I went out rather hard with the first mile in 5:10 which is exactly what I wanted to do. Whether or not I was going to be able to hold it was left to be answered. I wasn't feeling bad, but I slowly did fade as two of the runners I… more »

That now makes it 26 consecutive HARRA races completed. It was probably around 45 degrees with the wind coming out of the northwest at about 15 MPH and gusting near 30 around downtown is my guess. This made navigating the first 2 miles a bit rough. I felt as though I went out a bit too hard and was laboring after the first mile coming through in 5:33. The second mile showed just how bad the wind was as I slowed to a 5:50 mile and had Joe Oveido and John Yoder creep up on me and I eventually let… more »

Legs have not been peppy as of late. Not sure what the cause may be. I'm going to try to back off on the intensity of my workouts for a week or two to see (hope) that it might get some pep and/or hunger back in my system. I've got two HARRA races coming up the next two weekends. I feel/want to do them so I plan to be there ... ready or not. My left shin/calf area not getting any worse, but not healed yet either. I'm hoping to get through the spring season with this nuisance and then… more »

I'm continuing to have mild shin pain in my left leg. It actually went away for a several days, but has returned. Debating on what to do this weekend. Racing tends to agitate it so I may need to scratch those thoughts and just do a training run on the memorial park trail which isn't so hard on it. May take a few days off again to rest it. It is always somethin'. more »

Well ... after a solid 10K race on Saturday which completed 25 consecutive HARRA races for me, I decided to join my On The Run teammates in an attempt to defend our relay title in Seabrook on Sunday. There was a clear creek high school team named the Young Guns that was there with a good chance of defeating us. They made a couple of tactical errors that would have made it even closer, but they gave us a scare nonetheless. They put their fastest guy first who opened up 1:12 on our first leg (Stephen Milford). Stephen ran a… more »

A March 14 race isn't suppose to be this cold! I'm guessing only about 45 degrees, but the wind was howling between the buildings downtown. The waiting before the start was the most painful part of the race. When the "gun" finally went off, you could almost hear a sigh of relief from the runners. The next surprise was all the talent that showed up for this race. Apparently there were several runners from both Colorado and Minnesota who were apparently in town for some U of H track event. At the 1 mile mark, I couldn't believe the large… more »

I decided not to race this weekend. I've had some discomfort in my left shin for the last three weeks which I've managed to keep at bay for the most part, but I want to keep it that way. It first popped up after the 5K I did in Katy recently. Racing too much can lead to injuries as you know. Though, I'm the type of person that feels like they need to race to get in some good workouts as I have trouble motivating myself to do speed work at high intensity. I've found that this can be a… more »

35:06 under very windy conditions this morning. I missed starting my watch so I can only recall my first two mile splits of 5:28 and 5:32, but the web site results have me listed as running the first 5K in 17:40 and the second 5K in 17:26. That may not sound correct, but if you had run the race you would understand. Between miles 1.25 and 4 we had a strong head wind. Climbing the Elysian viaduct was a double whammy as there was no protection from the wind which I understand was gusting up to 35 MPH. Having the… more »

Well ... considering I didn't train much this past week because of a sore left shin, I can't really complain about my results. I ran the 5 mile race in 27:54 with splits of 5:29, 5:25, 5:39, 5:42, 5:40. Slight head wind for most of the run. I finished about where I wanted. Well ... maybe I hoped for another 20 to 30 seconds faster, but I got caught up in no man's land for a while and had nobody to hang with except for Bill Blancett. The problem is Bill likes to run negative splits and I knew that… more »

Well, the good news is that I ran a solid 5K under windy conditions. I was able to secure 2nd overall and 1st master position. There weren't many people there - A small race. I have to be pleased with it considering it has ony been 27 days since the marathon. The bad news is that I felt some pain in my left shin/calf area later in the day. I suffered the same problem in April of last year so I pretty much know what I'm up against. I need to stay off my feet as much as possible for… more »

I have to be pleased with how I ran. 21:56 was my time, but that doesn't tell the story. I ran about 20 seconds faster than last year and felt much better. I came in to this race only wanting to get in a good work out and build confidence for the upcoming spring season. I believe I accomplished that goal. I never got into oxygen depletion during the race and the legs felt strong - all while being able to finish ahead of Tom King and Chris Bittinger, two of my rivals. I plan to push myself in my… more »

Hehe. Not really, but the legs do take a while to come back. Yesterday the legs were actually feeling a bit more like normal which is a good sign. I do have the HARRA 6K cross country race this weekend so hopefully the legs will feel like they have a little more pop by then. I never do well at that race as I've never been much of a hill runner, but I still hope to finish in the top 3 amongst the masters. more »

Well, not much to report. All soreness and aches from the marathon are gone, but as most any of you who've run one under three hours will tell you, the legs are far from back to normal. It will be a while before the legs feel like they have any spring to them. Last year it took me about two full months before I felt like I had any giddyup back in the legs. Hence I'm expecting something similar this year. Mid March is when I expect to be racing at full speed. Until then I will try not to… more »

Feeling OK this morning. Might try to go for a 6 mile easy trot this afternoon after getting on the stationary bike (30 minutes each day) for the last two days. Two days off enough? We'll see how the legs feel when I start my trot and will only walk if they are still tight and not right. more »

I want to thank all of you who took the time to come out and cheer on Sunday morning. It helps more than you may realize. My time was not what I wanted, but I figured the warm weather caused me to lose a few minutes. I could never get into any sort of rhythm. I think I felt good from miles 2 thru 6 and the rest of the time I was just struggling to keep my feet moving. I was hoping for sub 2:40. Next year I think I going to pass on the Gu and just go… more »

Anyone been checking the weather forecast? Not looking good. It is going to be on the warm side. Maybe near 60 downtown at the start. Oh well. Nothing we can do about mother nature. I'll have to revise my times to start around 6:20 pace or so. I'm looking forward to all the OTHER activities this weekend. Greek dinner tonight, lunch on Friday with the elite runners, as well as Friday night and Saturday night. Expo is always a great event on both Friday and Saturday. See yaw there. more »

Yeah, I'm planning on running the Houston marathon, for those of you who are curious. I've been struggling with some tightness in my right Achilles area for the last two months. Had a 2 hour massage on Saturday which helped a bunch. I don't think it is serious enough to effect my race at this point, but it may effect my spring season. I'm fit - very fit. Yesterday I did 4 easy on the treadmill in 30:00 (that is as fast as the treadmill will go) during lunch. Then after work, I did 6 miles total (with 1 mile… more »

Well ... got back from a short vacation in San Diego. Good trip. Adventurous as I DROVE and slept in the car going and coming. I did sleep in a LaQuinta once I got there for two nights. Planning to stay another night, but it rained so I cut the trip short by a day. Had a great time - ask me about it some day! more »

Had a good run. I ran at 95% effort. I stopped several times to wait for Tom King - I was helping him secure an elite invite for the marathon. Mission accomplished! My splits were 6:15, 6:11, 6:14, 6:04, 6:03, 6:10, 6:08, 6:09, 6:06, 6:06, 6:12, 6:12, 6:17, 6:26, 6:17, 6:17, 6:23, 3:51 for a total of 1:55:36 at 6:13 pace. I felt relaxed and was not feeling drained at the end of this race which was a very good feeling. It was not great weather either as it must have been about 65 degress and humid! more »

Well, I'm currently planning to be there, but only as a training run. I'm hoping to run between 6:00 and 6:30 pace and just get in a nice tempo 'long' run. I've been having some minor issues with my right Achiles and I don't want to aggravate it any more than it currently is. I hope it doesn't rain on us. It seems like the weather will be a little on the warm side. Recognize the guy in the picture? Looks like he needs to eat more. :-) From our company x-mas party. more »

I forgot to mention the other day about a little excitement in my neighborhood. It was on Friday morning after Thanksgiving and I was looking out my window when I saw a suspicious looking character walking slowly by the parked cars and looking inside the vehicles. I knew this guy was up to no good so I decided to put on my walking shorts and sandals (should have put on my running shoes instead) and went out to confront him. Sure enough, by the time I got out there, he was inside someone's vehichle! As luck would have it, the… more »

Another pleasant day. I couldn't be happier with how the day turned out. I was not feeling well the day before as my throat had been scratchy (still is a bit) and I was a little congested and just feeling worn down yesterday (maybe it was nerves?) I went to bed at 9:30 and just hoped for the best. Woke up with the throat still feeling a little scratchy, but I felt I needed to make a showing. I looked at my log from last year and tried to follow my habits and I did for the most part. Legs… more »

Well, I wanted to go to Kemah this weekend to do that neat new race over the Kemah bridge. I still might go and run it as a hard workout, but I'm really focusing on Thanksgiving day. I'm planning to go to The Woodlands to run the 5 miler up there since I've won the masters division there the last two years. I'm running well now, but always concerning this time of year with upper respiratory issues. I currently have a slight sore throat - hopefully some gargling with warm salt water will take care of it. Train hard and… more »

Looks like the event went on without any major glitches as far as I could see. The race organizers must have paid mother nature a lot of money to have her deliver weather like that. The course only had one minor glitch that I could see - mile marker 4 was in the wrong spot which of course made it short and made the 5 mile split long. All other mile markers appeared to be in the right spot. I'm guessing it must have been about 56 degrees at the start? Not sure. It was comfortable and humidity was low… more »

Decided not to race November 1. And it was probably a good thing as my legs were non-responsive when doing a 10 mile tempo run. Only managed to do them in 66:48. Legs are obviously tired. Going to do one last hard workout on Tuesday before backing off for the 25K on Sunday. more »

Well, I would have to say that I have to be pleased with how I ran today. The weather was not great, but not bad either - about 60 degrees with no wind and a bit humid and clear. 7:10 race start so the sun was not really a factor. My time was 1:15:52 with splits of: 5:48, 5:40, 5:42, 5:45, 5:42, 5:42, 5:51, 5:49, 5:51, 5:46, 6:00, 5:54, 5:48, :34 I won my age group, but more importantly I was able to secure an elite runner invite to the Houston Marathon in January. I developed a side stitch at… more »

Well, could have put in a stronger effort, but I still ran a respectable 16:49 on a nice day. This is a great course and recommend it to anyone who is looking to run a fast time. It only has one turn - out 1.55 miles and back. The weather was perfect for a 5K - about 60 degrees and no wind. I managed to finish 3rd overall and take the masters win. Not a bad day. more »

Well, considering it was about 72 degrees and 100% humidity at the start, I was happy with my performance. I ran 58:12 and finished 14th overall in a strong field of runners. Sean Wade showed up so I could forget about winning any money. I made the mistake of taking it out a bit too strong and paid for it - my splits were: 5:31 5:33 5:42 5:55 5:52 5:51 5:50 5:58 6:02 5:58 The good thing is only one person passed me in the second half of the race, so most everyone else died worst than I. more »

Well, my team managed to eek out a victory at the HARRA Cross Country Relay this past Saturday. It is a very tough/hilly 2 mile loop - 4 member teams. My team consisted of (in order of legs) Chris Bittinger, Tuan Nguyen, Steven King, and myself. Here is a link to the website with pictures of the winning teams. Check out our awards! :-) http://www.harra.org/955dir/News/news.html more »

Hope everyone is doing OK. I wanted to go to Memorial Park to run on Sunday, but decided against it when I heard Interstate 10 was still under water in the area. I was one of the lucky few who was out of electricity for only a short time - 18 hours. Life is back to normal for me as I didn't even get a chance to miss a day of work. :-) Hope everyone else is doing well. more »