Run The Course

                  Maria Elena is the foundation for Runners Without Borders, Run the Course and Runnerverse. they are trainers but are still on the heavy side. They do however release the heat so no sweaty feet after a hard workout. And when it comes to overall looks she says Brooks has hit it out of the park.  MARCH 2022 -Elena is the foundation for Runners without Borders and is taking a well deserved break this week in one of her favorite destinations, Cancun, Mexico. This on the heels of the Cancun Half Marathon and 10K which was held on March 6, 2022. I caught up with her and asked her about her favorite running attire. Having to first suffer the 80 degree weather, the sunshine, blue skies and surf Elena broke down her hot and cold weather gear for me. For the hot weather races she wears a Nike breathable hat that keeps the sun off her head and lets the air pass through to keep from overheating. She owns several of these hats that h...

  A crazy sky, a wind picking up from the north and a warmth we had not seen here for what seems like a month! Bikers, short distance runners, long distance runners, walkers, baby carriages, and even an Arbor Day bear  made up the scenery at Quince and Bicentennial this morning. Oh, and a whole lot of trees just waiting to be adopted and planted. All types of trees set as a back drop for the Arbor Day races we all had anxiously awaited.  Organizers, sponsors, volunteers, and supporters all performing their tasks flawlessly and I never saw so many smiles and helpful folks as in this event. Well done one and all.  The course was the same tried and true path used in years past, except that the trees you run by have grown of course. This is a fast course, closed, flat, well paved, and with plenty of width to house the running of the bulls.  We had two Runners Without Borders represented at the race, both did well improving their personal bests for this course while ...

 With the McAllen Arbor Day race only a few days away I began to wonder exactly how the whole Arbor Day tradition began. It seems that the first pioneers that went out west realized quickly that there was something severely missing in their new world. Trees to be exact. Trees are not just great looking but they provide essential services. For example, they provide a barrier from the winds to keep the soil from eroding, they of course provide shade, provide oxygen, are a source for building materials and of course fuel. So way back in 1872, in Nebraska, a newspaper editor had had enough of the desolation around him and started a program, Arbor Day, where citizens of the great State would plant trees as a matter of civic pride. Initially it was set up as a contest to see which counties in Nebraska could plant the most trees while telling anyone who would listen the value of planting trees. The first official Arbor Day was set up as a holiday on April 10, 1872 and the people planted a...