Runners of HOU

Runners of Houston
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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, Spotify or however you get your podcasts.

  1. 6d ago

    Rosa Perez: When the Finish Time Stops Telling the Whole Story

    “It doesn’t show the effort. It doesn’t show the miles. It doesn’t show the early wake-up times. It doesn’t show the tears. It doesn’t show handfuls of medication that I have to take every day.” For years, Rosa Perez measured her progress as a runner by getting faster. Her first Houston Half took her just over three hours. By 2020, she had worked her way down to 2:25, eventually reaching the 2:17 range. She ran marathons, chased faster times, and learned to see herself as a runner. Then, in 2024, Rosa was diagnosed with mixed connective tissue disease, an autoimmune condition that changed what running — and progress — looked like for her. In this conversation, Rosa talks about learning to train in a body that no longer responds the way it once did, the heartbreak of dropping out of the 2025 Houston Half, and what it meant to return a year later and cross that finish line with two friends beside her. We also talk about her role in helping build Latinas Run Houston, why representation and community matter, her 3:25 finish at SeaWheeze that means far more to her than the number suggests, and the marathon goal she isn’t ready to give up. Rosa isn’t chasing the clock anymore. She’s chasing the feeling of knowing: I did that. I earned that. IN THIS EPISODE: How Rosa went from casually running to chasing faster times (3:10)How life changes after 2020 helped Rosa rediscover the joy of running (11:54)Rosa’s mixed connective tissue disease diagnosis and how it changed her running (13:36)Learning to train, recover and race with an autoimmune condition (18:39)The 2025 Houston Half DNF that made Rosa wonder if she’d ever race again (22:11)Why Houston Race Weekend means so much to her (26:01)Returning to the Houston Half in 2026 and making it to the finish line (32:44)Helping build Latinas Run Houston and creating a place where runners feel represented (36:08)Destination racing, SeaWheeze and Rosa’s husband’s surprise first half marathon (40:48)Why Rosa’s 3:25 SeaWheeze finish tells almost none of the story (43:27)How her relationship with running has changed at 40 (50:21)Why she’s returning to the marathon — and what she’s chasing now (52:26)What running has taught Rosa about her body, gratitude and community (56:54)The biggest thing running has given her that has nothing to do with pace (1:00:53)Rosa’s advice for new runners: Don’t fall into the comparison game (1:05:01)ABOUT ROSA: Rosa Perez is a Houston runner, marketer and one of the women who helped establish the Houston chapter of Latinas Run. She has been running for more than a decade and has completed three marathons and 25 half marathons. After being diagnosed with mixed connective tissue disease in 2024, she has had to redefine what training, racing and progress look like — but she isn’t finished. Rosa is currently preparing to return to the marathon distance at Every Woman’s Marathon in New Orleans in February 2027. Instagram - ⁠⁠@roro.runs Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@runnersofhou⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@vickyoddi⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Runners of HOU⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook Group - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Runners of HOU Friends⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for the newsletter!

  2. Sep 21

    Jamilah Robinson: Run, Remember, Heal

    Jamilah Robinson has been running for more than 20 years, but her relationship with the sport has changed through different seasons of life. In this episode of Runners of HOU, Jamilah shares how a nonprofit fundraiser led her to her first half marathon, what it was like returning to the Aramco Houston Half years later with a running community around her, and how running at 47 looks different than it did in her 20s and 30s. Content note: This episode includes candid discussion of miscarriage, pregnancy loss and grief. Jamilah also opens up about experiencing two miscarriages in 2018 and how finding support through her own grief eventually helped lead to the creation of Missing Pieces Support Group. Today, the organization provides resources and community for individuals and families navigating pregnancy and infant loss. We talk about running, grief, healing, finding community, the importance of simply showing up for someone who is grieving, and how Jamilah’s running and nonprofit worlds have come full circle through the Life After Loss 5K & Fun Run. LIFE AFTER LOSS 5K & FUN RUN Saturday, October 17, 2026 9 a.m. Mason Park | Houston, Texas Run. Remember. Heal. The annual Life After Loss 5K & Fun Run brings together families, runners, supporters, healthcare professionals and community members during Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Month. Participants can run or walk in person, form a team, or participate virtually from anywhere during the month of October. Learn more and register:  https://missingpiecessupportgroup.org/event/life-after-loss-5k-event/ HOUSTON WAVE OF LIGHT REMEMBRANCE CEREMONY Sunday, October 11, 2026 5 p.m. Levy Park | Houston, Texas The annual Wave of Light Remembrance Ceremony brings families and supporters together for an evening of remembrance, hope and healing honoring babies lost through miscarriage, stillbirth, infant loss and other forms of pregnancy and infant loss. The event is presented by Missing Pieces Support Group in partnership with The Woman’s Hospital of Texas, March of Dimes, Harmonie Grace Foundation and Bo’s Place. Admission is free, with registration encouraged. Learn more:  https://missingpiecessupportgroup.org/event/wave-of-light-remembrance-ceremony/ CONNECT WITH MISSING PIECES SUPPORT GROUP Website: https://missingpiecessupportgroup.org/ Facebook - Missing Pieces Support Group Instagram - Missing Pieces Support Group TikTok - Missing Pieces Support Group Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠@askjamilah Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@runnersofhou⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@vickyoddi⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Runners of HOU⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook Group - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Runners of HOU Friends⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for the newsletter!

  3. Sep 14

    Melissa Bittick: From Couch to 5K to 27 BQs

    Melissa Bittick started running with a Couch to 5K program and a roughly 35-minute 5K. Since then, she’s run 29 marathons, 75 half marathons, qualified for Boston 27 times, and lowered her marathon PR to 3:06:41. In this episode, Melissa talks about how that progression happened, what she’s learned from years of high-volume training and racing, and why she still doesn’t take a BQ for granted. We also talk about being told she might never run again, coming back from injury, racing frequently without treating every race like an A race, training through Houston summers, using the treadmill for long runs, and why slowing down on easy days may actually be one of the most important things runners can do to get faster. It’s a conversation about consistency, longevity, resilience — and still loving the sport more than a decade after that first Couch to 5K. Instagram - ⁠⁠@melissa507t Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@runnersofhou⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@vickyoddi⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Runners of HOU⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook Group - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Runners of HOU Friends⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for the newsletter!

  4. Sep 7

    Hot Takes with Sara Hudgens Round 2

    Sara is back for round two of Running Hot Takes, and apparently we still have plenty to argue about. This time we’re talking Boston and BQs, downhill marathon PRs, running too many marathons, racing 26.2 without training, the ever-expanding World Marathon Majors, $500 super shoes, running etiquette, who should actually be a running coach…and why your running goal doesn’t always have to be getting faster. Plus: going commando, mid-run bathroom talk, and further proof that runners have absolutely no concept of TMI. These are our opinions. You are absolutely allowed to disagree. In fact, we hope you do. Instagram - ⁠@shudgens⁠ Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠@runnersofhou⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠@vickyoddi⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook - ⁠⁠⁠⁠Runners of HOU⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook Group - ⁠⁠⁠⁠Runners of HOU Friends⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for the newsletter!

  5. Aug 31

    Sharde Davis: Your Race, Your Pace

    A few years ago, Sharde Davis couldn’t run a mile. Today, she’s a marathoner, Black Girls Run Houston run coordinator, and Houston Half Marathon ambassador. In this episode, Sharde joins me to talk about starting over with run-walk intervals, finding a community that made her feel like she belonged, training for and finishing her first marathon in Chicago, and why middle-of-the-pack runners deserve to see themselves represented in running too. We also talk about the reality (and expense!) of becoming a runner, the mental roller coaster of 26.2 miles, pickle-and-Coke marathon recovery strategies, and why Sharde believes you should take your training seriously — but never forget to have fun. Her motto says it best: Your race. Your pace. Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@shoedooo⁠ Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@runnersofhou⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@vickyoddi⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Runners of HOU⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook Group - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Runners of HOU Friends⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for the newsletter!

  6. Aug 24

    Naureen Malik - Nearly 20 Years of Running and Still Getting Faster

    Naureen Malik has been running for nearly 20 years — but her journey from 4+ hour marathons to a 3:11 PR was anything but linear. We talk about how she went from a mostly solo runner making up her own training plans to qualifying for Boston, racing World Marathon Majors around the globe, and chasing a sub-3:10 at Chicago. Naureen also shares how the Houston running community changed her approach to training, why running remains her “me time” as a mom of four, and what nearly two decades in the sport have taught her about bad races, big goals and simply continuing to show up. Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@naureenimalk Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@runnersofhou⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@vickyoddi⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Runners of HOU⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook Group - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Runners of HOU Friends⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for the newsletter!

  7. Aug 17

    Gaby Ramirez on Getting Older and Getting Stronger

    What does it look like to keep getting stronger as a runner in your 40s? Gaby Ramirez joins me to talk about more than 20 years of running, from her first Houston Marathon as a new mom to running 3:49 in 2026. We talk motherhood, burnout, strength training, letting go of the pressure of the clock, finding balance as her kids get older, and why she believes it’s never too late to start — or to keep getting better. Instagram - ⁠⁠@negative_split_girl Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@runnersofhou⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@vickyoddi⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Runners of HOU⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook Group - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Runners of HOU Friends⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for the newsletter!

  8. Aug 10

    Amanda Schnell Keeps Showing Up

    Amanda Schnell has spent most of her life moving — and she has no plans to stop anytime soon. In this episode, Amanda joins me to talk about growing up running in Michigan, finding community in Houston, winning her first 140.6-mile race, finally BQing, running 100 miles in under 24 hours, and her goal of completing a marathon in all 50 states before she turns 50. We also talk about Ironman training and nutrition, balancing big athletic goals with a full life, why she considers herself “consistently inconsistent,” and the philosophy that has kept her going through more than two decades of endurance sports: keep showing up and make sure you’re still having fun. Plus, we debate whether Grandma’s Marathon is actually flat. (It’s not.) Instagram - ⁠@t9erdancr Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠@runnersofhou⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠@vickyoddi⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook - ⁠⁠⁠⁠Runners of HOU⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook Group - ⁠⁠⁠⁠Runners of HOU Friends⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for the newsletter!

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About

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, Spotify or however you get your podcasts.

Information

  • Creator
    Runners of Houston
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    61
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Runners of Houston
  • Show Website
    Runners of HOU