Success Stories
Michele Genereux is my wife of 31 years. She has asked for my coaching advice, off and on, for the past 8 years. During this time, she has completed 8 x 50 milers, a 100K, and a 100 miler, as well as numerous 50K's and other trail races. Here she is after finishing Rocky 100 miler in 2021. Her time was 29:38
Alyssa Hayes has been crushing it this year. She ran a 1:40 half marathon at the Austin 3M, then ran a Boston Qualifying time of 3:27:50 in her first marathon at Mt. Charleston!
These are Franz Konczak's feet. They got him through a 50K, three different 50 mile races, and the Mohican 100 mile race in the past seven months. He finished Mohican in 28:19. I think he deserves a little rest, but look for him to continue to do amazing things!
Holly Stewart is a very accomplished marathoner and triathlete who has previously dabbled in trail racing. She recently completed the TransRockies 6 Day Stage Race in Colorado with her teammate / running partner, Analise "Pony" Thompson. They ran a cumulative 120 miles with over 20,000 feet of vertical gain over the 6 days! They made the podium, in a very competitive division, in every one of the 6 stages!
Alyssa Hayes just completed her second quad crushing marathon of the year at the Big Cottonwood Marathon in Utah. This race features 5K of descent and starts at 10,000 feet of elevation. Alyssa ran a super strong race and finished in 3:42.
Franz Konczak went back to Ohio in July to run the infamous Buckeye 50K. He finished 3rd in 4:57. He also has run three 30K night races around Texas this Summer. He took 6th at Pedernales Falls in 2:46, 1st male at Colorado Bend in 3:05, and 2nd male at Reveille Peak in 3:02!
Giana Ariel loves to travel to run different races around the country. She recently ran the Orca Half Marathon in Seattle and set a new personal best by over 20 minutes in a time of 2:13!
Kate Motsko is one of the most determined runners I have met. She recently completed the Cactus Rose 150 mile trail race for the second year in a row. She bested her time from last year by over 4 hours and finished in 42:13:19. She did this after suffering a serious injury earlier in the year and being sidelined from running for over 5 months. She was the overall winner at Cactus Rose 150 in an amazing performance!
Michele Genereux just completed the Cactus Rose 100 mile trail race this past weekend. This was a bit of a redemption race for her. We had attempted to run the Cactus Rose 100 together in 2020 to celebrate 30 years of marriage. She ended up dropping from that race at mile 72, but our marriage survived. She trained hard for this one, put her head down and got it done her way. She finished in 40:55:37.
Kathryn Schade just completed the Javelina Jundred 100K for the second time in four years. She showed incredible grit and determination in getting this done, but also improved her time by 1.5 hours. Not only that, Kathryn brought a smile to everyone's face by dressing in a full cowprint outfit and decorating her tent as #Moooville! Kathryn finished in 25:29!
Blaine Adams just completed the Javelina Jundred 100 mile race. He put in 4 solid months of training in the San Antonio Summer heat. He then executed a great race with patience and confidence. Blaine put the hammer down on his last 20 mile loop to go sub 24 hours with a time of 23:46!
Lily Vecino just completed the New York City Marathon in 6:15:05! She has numerous half marathon finishes, but this was her first full marathon. With her longest training run being just over 16 miles, she conquered new territory with every step after crossing the Queensboro Bridge! She paced herself well and demonstrated great perseverance!
Machelle Cochran-DeStefano has a long history of endurance running with numerous marathon wins. She has been fighting to run pain free for years and to maintain some joy for running after undergoing back surgery two years ago. She recently completed the Trivium 50K road ultra in 6:36:21!This is an extremely hilly course with over 3K of vert in the 50K. I believe Machelle is finding her path!
Francisco Garay took 2nd place in the Wild Hare Trail Races. It was cold, rainy, and a sloppy course as the day wore on. This was still a P.R. for Francisco and a sign that he has some fast times ahead!
Paige Craig just finished the 50K at the Wild Hare Trail Races. She took on this race in preparation for a longer race in a little over a month. The day was cold and rainy, but Paige has the best attitude for endurance running and she just embraced the day! She finished in 7:54:26!
Clint Oncken is preparing for a 100 mile trail race. I talked him into racing a 50K as part of his race prep and to test his conditioning. It turned out to be a cold and wet day, but he still set a 50K P.R. in 5:27:49 and took 3rd place! We talked about using the mantra of "smooth, relaxed, efficient" to pace himself. Clint stated that as the course got sloppier he changed his mantra to "victory over adversity". I love this kind of mental shift to find what will work in that moment. Clint's mantra is now on my mantra page!
Suzanne Barber has pushed herself through some difficult running goals this year. She recently took on the Disney Wine & Dine two course challenge. She ended up completing a 5K Friday, 10K Saturday, and a Half Marathon Sunday. She did a great job of setting a high goal and having a fun runcation!
Franz Konczak ran the Bandera 100K on 1/7/23 in a crushing 12:12:06. I think that Carlos Ray Norris may have a lot of belts (black ones), but he looks a little envious of the buckle Franz earned. Congrats Franz!
Alyssa Hayes and Jess Winnett are the epitome of trail sisters. They empower one another through their camaraderie on the run. They started the Wildcatter 50K together, worked through the highs and lows of a race that was tougher than it looked on paper, and finished it together in 7:31:57. Not only that, they took first place! Congratulations to both of you!
Paige Craig ran her first 50 mile trail race at the Big Bend Ultra on 1/15/23. I think she has a fantastic attitude about trail racing. She is positive, likes to challenge herself, and focuses on the experience above all. Paige finished in 13:31:02 and was the female Masters winner! Congratulations Paige!
Stefan Grater is a talented runner and athlete. He trained well for the Big Bend 50K on 1/15/23, then got sick about 10 days out. He felt well enough to run three days before the race, so he decided to go for it. He ran a great race and finished as the male Masters winner in 4:51:03! Congratulations Stefan!
Holly Stewart always seems to be having fun in her race photos. Is it a skill, is it natural, or both? Whatever the case, she ran with a positive attitude and natural speed to win the female 50K race at the Big Bend Ultra with a time of 5:37:45. Congratulations Holly!
Michele Genereux is a fan of the Big Bend Ultra 50 mile race. She has run it four times now. After taking a wrong turn last year she ended up dropping from the race after 35 miles of fun. She got her redemption this year by winning the female 50 mile race and finishing in 13:05:29. Congratulations Michele!
Clint Oncken ran his first 100 mile race at the Rocky Raccoon 100 miler. He trained incredibly hard over the past six months, then went out and executed flawless and consistent pacing that Nick Coury would be proud of! He finished 20th overall in a field of 400 runners in a time of 20:03:52. Amazing!
Franz Konczak finished his second 100K in a months time. This time he set a personal record at the Rocky Raccoon 100K with a time of 10:18:32. He finished 4th overall in a very competitive race!
Franz has continued to crush it in 2023 by finishing his third ultra in three months. He won this one at the J&J Trail Race and Trail Running Reunion 50 Miler in a time of 9:42!
Alyssa Hayes just cruised from Hopkinton to Boston in the 127th running of the Boston Marathon. I wish you could see her feet in this picture - they're floating inches off of the ground. She ran a strong race (3:43) in a crowd of 26,603 exceptional runners! Getting to Boston is definitely a lifetime achievement for many - I won't be surprised if she returns!
Matthew Allen put in four solid months of training in his relatively flat state of Kansas to get ready for the mountains and altitude of Ft. Collins, Colorado. He joined several trail running buddies from San Antonio, who now reside in Colorado, for the Quad Rock 25 mile Trail Race. Matthew (on the right) finished strong in 6:39 with his friend, Blaine!
Blaine Adams has been a busy guy since running the Javelina 100 in late October, but he loves trail running and loves being in the mountains. Now that he has moved to the Denver area and the snow is melting off the mountains, I expect he will be really getting after it. He started the season off by joining some old trail running buddies at the Quad Rock 25 mile Trail Race. He finished strong with Matthew in 6:39!
Marissa Adams just completed the TransRockies Run, which is a six day stage race in Colorado with 120 miles and 20,000 feet of elevation gain. Marissa has been running ultras for some time and was the first friend I knew who had finished a 100 mile race. She has never strayed far from the sport of ultra running, but I'm very proud of how hard she worked this Summer to get ready for this high altitude week! Congratulations Marissa on this special accomplishment!
Julie Schmal just completed the Capt'n Karl's 60K night race series. She finished 4th female at Pedernales, 1st at Muleshoe, 2nd at Colorado Bend, and 1st at Reveille Peak. If my calculations are correct, that's 148.8 miles in 35:23:37. Combine that with running in one of the hottest summers in Texas history + running at night on technical terrain = a very, very impressive collection of performances. Also, this was the 5th time that Julie has completed the Capt'n Karl's 60K night race series!!!!!
Clint Oncken had to endure a tough day at the Sky Island 50K. Sky Island is a trail race with tough technical terrain. Temps went from the low 70's at the race start to upper 90's by noon. Clint came in to the last aid station ready to drop from the race, but sat down, cooled down, allowed his heart rate to come down, then was able to take in some calories and finish the race. The more you race, the greater the odds that you will encounter a day like this. Ultra running is all about problem solving. Clint showed great patience and his perseverance paid off!
Mike Oakes just completed the Berlin Marathon. He ran for Team World Vision and raised donations both individually and through his church. He trained through some really intense heat and humidity in San Antonio this Summer, then got sick at the start of his taper - not ideal. Mike made a wise decision to focus on enjoying the race and experience vs. running for a specific time. There are many obstacles and limiting factors on some journeys, but finding a way to pivot and appreciate the experience can make all of the difference!
Jess Winnett recently completed the Marfa 100K bike race. I had nothing to do with helping Jess train for this race, but she has a great spirit for adventure and thought it sounded like a fun challenge to prepare for. She didn't know anybody else at the race, but went for the long ride, and a weekend of camping in Marfa, Texas. Inspiration is contagious; I can almost guarantee that there will be more than a few of Jess's friends at this event next year!Congratulations Jess!
Emmett Brumley completed the Cactus Rose 100 mile trail race in 39:56:31. It was a new course and the venue had to be changed the week of the race, but Emmett lined up with a positive attitude and there was never a question that he was going to get this finish! This unwavering and determined focus was the key to his success! Congratulations Emmett!
Paula Sanchez completed the Cactus Rose 50 mile trail race in 20:00:03.Paula did a great job of staying patient, took care of herself with a good hydration and nutrition plan, and focused on using this race as a building block towards longer races in her future! Congratulations Paula!
Julie Schmal won the Cactus Rose 50 mile trail race in 12:01:08 and was second overall. Here she is pictured with Tejas Trails Race Director, Chris McWatters minutes after finishing. Julie ran another incredibly consistent race with 25 mile splits of 5:58:57 and 6:02:11 - simply amazing! Julie used a mental strategy of dividing her race into thirds and focused on Composure, Confidence, and Competing! Congratulations Julie!
Alyssa Hayes decided to throw in a Hyrox competition in her training block towards an ultra marathon. She helps train other athletes for these Fitness Races, but hadn't tried one herself. Hyrox races consist of 8 x 1000 meter sprints, alternating with 8 skills, such as sled push, sled pull, rowing, skierg, burpee broad jumps, farmers carry with kettlebells, sandbag lunges, and wall balls. Most of the time, it's the workouts and prep races we do on the way to the big goals that become the most meaningful! Congratulations Alyssa!
Anneke Durkan just completed the McDowell Mountain Frenzy 50 miler in an outstanding time of 8:55:42. She finished 6th in a very competitive field with cash prizes on the line. This race has a lot of runnable terrain, but also goes over Thompson Peak at mile 31. Anneke paced herself brilliantly and set a new 50 mile P.R. for herself by an hour! Congratulations Anneke!
Kemper Dotson just recently completed The Circus 12 hour race. She had been training for a 100K trail race, but quickly signed up for The Circus when her goal race was postponed. She completed 43.5 miles in 11:46 and was 3rd overall! This was her own way of challenging herself and celebrating her birthday!Congratulations Kemper!
Brandon Ruiz just ran his first ultramarathon at the Hoka Bandera 100K and finished 10th overall in a time of 10:38:59. He had only run the 50k distance once before, and that was in a training run three weeks prior to the big race. He showed incredible strength, determination, and grit in tackling this challenge. I can't wait to see where his running journey takes him next! Congratulations Brandon!
Alyssa Hayes is always setting new goals and looking for unique challenges. This past weekend she ran the Hoka Bandera 50K and set a P.R. with a time of 6:06:31. When I suggested a conservative goal of seven hours, she told me that she thought she could go in six.... and that's what she did! Congratulations Alyssa!
Vic Guerra set some big goals in September, which he wants to accomplish before he turns 40 years old next month. His training ramp up has been spectacular! Last weekend he ran the Hoka Bandera 50K as a training run to prepare for his next race. In the process, he went out and crushed his 50K P.R. with a new best time of 5:37:05. Congratulations Vic!
I was given the opportunity to work with a few runners in preparing for the Hoka Bandera 25K Trail Race. There was minimal coaching involved, but more information sharing about the course layout, terrain, and ideas to help train for this event. One athlete whom I felt privileged to meet and help was TaMar Hicks. I learned that TaMar had a strong running background and has developed into an elite Spartan Race athlete. The multitude of Bandera rocks got to TaMar at mile six of the race, but despite rolling his ankle he was able to have a strong finish. I hope to see him at more trail races in the future! Congratulations TaMar!
Benjamin Morlang just completed the Chevron Houston Marathon this past weekend. This was his eighth marathon distance race in the past three years. He has a goal to complete two more this Spring, then possibly tackle some ultras! Congratulations Ben!
Vic Guerra just completed the 2024 Rocky Raccoon 100 Mile Trail Race in a time of 24:22. Vic had run a handful of 25k & 50k trail races over the past five years, but decided that he wanted to take on a bigger challenge to celebrate turning 40 years old. He built his aerobic base up starting in mid September and stayed dedicated to his training despite having to travel for work. The course got a couple inches of rain dumped on it the night before the race, so the conditions were sloppy and muddy. Vic ran a smart and strong race, took care of problems as they came up, and demonstrated pure determination! Congrats Vic!
Michele Genereux just completed the Rocky Raccoon 100K in a time of 20:15. Michele is my wife, so we have a running joke (pun intended) about her being one of the athletes I am privileged to coach. We say that there is an asterisk next to her name. She just asks me how long she needs to run for on weekends. Her work life keeps her busy, so endurance events are an escape for her. She enjoys her time on the trails, knows how to work through the miles, and knows how to get it done. Congrats Michele!
Jess Winnett is the kind of person who would have made your high school cross country team experience more fun. She is fun to run with, tells great stories, and is also a good listener. She has a lot of friends in the running community whom she has helped train for races. She also likes a good challenge herself, but doesn't shy away from running an event to support a friend or to just have fun. When Jess's friend, Liza, told her that she signed them up for the Mesa Marathon, there was no hesitation - Jess was in. Marathons are a fantastic challenge, whether running competitively or to support others. It's important to keep running joyful and a great way to do that is through friendships. Congrats Jess and friends!
Two weeks ago, Jack Bennett completed his fourth marathon at the 2024 Austin Marathon. It was his fastest marathon, as he ran a 4:19 for a 12 minute personal best. Jack has been committed to training and his fitness continues to improve. He has his sights on a much bigger goal race later this year, but sometimes the accomplishments along the way to a bigger goal are equally significant and important to acknowledge. Congratulations Jack!
Stefan Grater ran the Woodlands Half Marathon on 3/2/24 as a training race in preparation for the Boston Marathon. He ran a consistent and strong race, finishing in 1:34:37. He skipped the awards, but later found out that he placed 3rd in his age group in a very competitive field! Congratulations Stefan!
After Marissa Adams ran TransRockies last August, she dialed up her training for a big race. Unfortunately, that race was rescheduled twice and had a location change, which wasn't what Marissa had signed up for. She had to regroup, think about her running goals and what she wanted to accomplish. Her first stop was the Woodlands Half Marathon where she ran a consistent and strong race, finishing in 2:18:58! Congrats Marissa!
Jess Winnett ran the J & J 30 Mile Trail Race at Camp Eagle on 3/9/24. Camp Eagle is known for its' gnarly, rocky, technical trails and climbs. Jess knew that she was in for a challenge and the course didn't disappoint as she broke in some freshly cut trails. Jess finished 2nd female overall in a time of 7:43:12. Congratulations Jess!
Clint Oncken has a great work ethic when it comes to training. He ran some challenging, big races last year and started pushing towards other goals before he noticed something was missing. He recognized his need to dial it back and reconnect with what he loved about running. In time, he chose a technically challenging local race at Camp Eagle - The J & J 50 Mile Trail Race on 3/9/24. Clint ran an incredibly strong and steady race, finishing in 10:33:33 and taking 3rd male overall! Congrats Clint!
Anneke Durkan ran an outstanding race at the Prickly Pear 50K Trail Race on 3/10/24. She had previously won this race twice and had the course record of 4:43:36. Her goal was to improve her time by several minutes, but she ended up in a heated race and ran 15 minutes faster than her previous course record. Anneke ended up placing second with a time of 4:28:21, but it was a heck of a race and both women pushed one another to new personal records.Congratulations Anneke!
Katie Alexander ran the Prickly Pear 15K Trail Race on 3/10/24. Katie has run several trail races before, but she started training with more focus and it paid off. She jumped in with the first wave of runners and never took her foot off the gas, finishing 10th female in a time of 1:30:11. Congratulations Katie!
Alyssa Hayes participated in her second Hyrox competition on 3/16/24. She and her training partner, Amanda, finished 8th overall in a time of 1:08:04. They took nine minutes off of their time from their last competition in November. Congrats Alyssa and Amanda!
Kemper Dotson Completed the Prairie Spirit 100 Mile Trail Race on 3/23/24 in Ottawa, Kansas. She finished in a time of 29:13:56. It was a tough journey for Kemper to get to this finish line: she battled the mud and sloppy trails at the Rocky Raccoon 100 miler in February, only to miss the 80 mile cutoff by a few minutes. She had to recover from those miles and the disappointment, but also knew that the window was small to find another 100 miler that matched the terrain she had trained for. Kemper trained with all of her heart and approached this race with incredible determination, focus, and grit! Congratulations Kemper!
Marc Walker has been training consistently for 8 months. He has run numerous marathons, trail races, and one 50K which he hoped to improve his time on. He wondered about the miles beyond the marathon and how he would manage the aches, the boredom, and the fatigue. He wanted to challenge himself, but without the pressures of a race and cutoff times. He created a scenic route around Boerne that allowed him to refuel at home, had friends join in for different loops, and enjoyed having neighbors and friends waving and encouraging him on. I love a good do-it-yourself challenge and was totally thrilled to see Marc go after this one! He finished 50 miles in 13:11. Congratulations Marc!
Cecilia Vela started training to do a road marathon 10 months ago. She planned for several races, then had to cancel and start planning again. She settled on the Whiskey Basin Trail Half Marathon in Prescott, Arizona on 4/13/24. She said it was beautiful and involved technical trails and scrambling through boulders in some parts. This proved to be a much tougher challenge than a road half marathon, but Cecilia persevered and finished in 4:48. The only real disappointment was the empty whiskey glass at the finish. Congratulations Cecilia!
Stefan Grater just completed the Boston Marathon in a time of 3:53:43. This makes Stefan's marathon total somewhere around 20, although he has done Comrades Marathon twice, has completed numerous 50K's, 50 milers, and beyond. Stefan encountered a fateful hamstring injury three weeks before the race. He rested, treated the injury, and kept a fantastic attitude throughout the process. He went out strong, but knew by mile 11 what he had to do to finish and adjusted. Stefan commented that this was one of his proudest finishes. I am impressed by the flexible and grateful attitude Stefan carried and which made this race a special success! Congratulations Stefan!
Alyssa Hayes just ran the Jack And Jill Half Marathon in North Bend, Washington. Alyssa absolutely crushed this race and lowered her threshold pace by over 30 seconds after months of hot Texas Summer training. She set a new personal record by over 3 minutes with a finishing tome of 1:36:33! Congratulations Alyssa!
Anneke Durkan just completed the Oregon Cascades 100 miler in a time of 22:20. Anneke ended up placing 8th female in a very competitive field. I am very proud of Anneke for her patience and ability to problem solve throughout this race. She had to make adjustments to her nutrition and pacing, which helped her get the most out of herself and a fantastic result! Also, don't you think that the picture of her eating a pancake on the couch makes 100 milers seem cool and fun? Congratulations Anneke!
Dawn Folsom just completed her first road marathon at the Peacehealth Appletree Marathon in Vancouver, Washington. She ran an amazing and strong race, finishing in 3:30:03. In the process, she ran a negative split in the second half of the race, finished first female in the Masters Division, and was Fourth Female Overall. Her initial goal was to get a Boston qualifying time, which would have been 3:50. It's clear that she knocked out that goal quite handily! Congratulations Dawn!
Stefan Grater (left) and his brother, Gunter, trained for some high altitude adventuring in the San Juan Mountains. They covered 50 miles of the HardRock course in 2 days, going from the Lake City area to Telluride. They summited Handies Peak at 14,058 feet on the first day and over the notch at Kroger's Canteen on the second day. I believe that you could compare this effort with a Grand Canyon R2R2R crossing, except at much higher altitude! I think this was a really great adventure to share with a family member! Congratulations guys!
Benjamin Morlang just completed the Red feather Trail Jamboree 50 miler, Northwest of Ft. Collins, Colorado. Living in Houston has some distinct disadvantages when training for mountains, but Benjamin complimented his strength training by traveling to Huntsville and Bandera for trail time, as well as the Guadalupe Mountains for vert. Ben shared that the race was going fairly well until he got to the last aid station, learned that the course was slightly longer than 50 miles, and had to dig deep to get to the finish line ahead of cutoff. He did so and earned this great finisher award which was a jar of jam!Congratulations Benjamin!
Katie Alexander and two of her friends just completed the Kerrville Half Ironman Distance Triathlon as a relay team. Katie ran the half marathon, which started after her teammates completed the swim and bike legs of the race. It was 90 degrees when Katie started her leg, so she had to pace herself intelligently. We had talked about using this race as a training run and that was before we knew how hot it would get. I can't wait to see Katie crushing it as the weather cools a little! Congratulations to all three women of the "Tri-ing For A Break... From Our Kids" Team!
Alyssa Hayes just completed the Chicago Marathon in a time of 3:42:26. She ran a great race and outperformed my predictions after grinding through another Texas Summer of tough heat training. I know that she puts in a lot of hard work in her job as a coach and it seems impossible to calculate how much that counts. I believe that Alyssa is able to bring a little extra to the equation every time she races. Some people are better practice players and others just shine at game time. Congratulations Alyssa!