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. 2d ago

    Hydration, Fueling, & Running in the Heat with Dr. Vijay Jotwani

    How much water do runners actually need? Are electrolytes necessary? And does training through a Houston summer really make you a stronger runner? This week on Runners of HOU, host Vicky Oddi sits down with Dr. Vijay Jotwani, a sports medicine physician at Houston Methodist who works with athletes ranging from recreational runners to professional sports teams, including the Houston Astros and Rice University Athletics. They discuss the science behind hydration and fueling, why Houston’s heat and humidity make running so challenging, and how runners can prepare for races in cooler conditions. They also cover electrolyte supplements, sodium intake, fueling with gels and gummies, caffeine and pre-workout, and the warning signs of heat-related illness. Plus, Dr. Jotwani weighs in on some common running myths, including whether thirst means you’re already dehydrated, whether every runner needs electrolytes, and whether treadmill training is a good alternative to running in the heat. The biggest takeaway? There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to hydration and nutrition. Learning what works for your body is an important part of becoming a stronger, healthier runner. Please note: This episode provides general information from a sports medicine perspective and is not intended as individualized medical or nutritional advice. Consult a healthcare professional or registered sports dietitian for recommendations specific to your needs. In This Episode: 00:00 – Introduction: Hydration, fueling and running in Houston 01:16 – Meet Dr. Vijay Jotwani 03:32 – Hydration Basics 06:15 – Electrolytes, Sodium & Overhydration 10:35 – Running in Houston's heat & humidity 13:45 – Treadmill training & heat illness 17:10 – Fueling for long runs & marathons 23:30 – Recovery nutrition & race preparation 26:50 – Caffeine & pre-workout 29:45 – Running myths: fact or fiction? 34:45 – Final advice for runners About Our Guest Dr. Vijay Jotwani is a board-certified, fellowship-trained primary care sports medicine physician at Houston Methodist. He specializes in the medical and nonoperative orthopedic care of athletes and active individuals. He serves as a team physician for the Houston Astros, Rice University Athletics, Houston Ballet and RodeoHouston, and works with U.S. Soccer. Connect with Runners of HOU If you enjoy Runners of HOU, please follow the podcast and leave a rating or review. It helps other runners discover the show. Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@runnersofhou⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@vickyoddi⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Runners of HOU⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook Group - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Runners of HOU Friends⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for the newsletter!

  2. 5d ago

    The Extra Mile: Nike After Dark, Valencia & Knowing When to Stop

    How do you know when to push through a difficult run and when it’s smarter to call it a day? After completing her longest run in three years, Vicky is navigating the challenges of marathon training at 45, returning from injury, and figuring out how to balance progress with staying healthy for December’s California International Marathon. Plus, there’s plenty happening in the running world this week. Why are men participating in Nike’s After Dark race series, an event designed to celebrate women? American women deliver impressive performances at the Valencia Half Marathon, while Austin-born Yaseen Abdalla runs faster than the American record — but isn’t eligible to claim it. Vicky also discusses the provisional suspension of Olympic marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir, remembers legendary running coach Frank Gagliano, and previews two upcoming races in the Houston Marathon warm-up series. In this episode: Knowing when to push through a tough run — and when to stopNike After Dark LA and the debate over men participating in women-centered racesEmily Venters and Allie Ostrander’s Valencia Half Marathon performancesWhy Yaseen Abdalla’s 59:12 isn’t an American recordPeres Jepchirchir’s provisional suspensionRemembering coach Frank “Gags” GaglianoHouston 25K and Coach Andy Stewart’s 30K Episode Chapters 00:01 — Welcome to The Extra Mile 00:48 — CIM training: When is enough enough? 02:24 — Discomfort vs. pain and knowing when to stop 03:40 — Nike After Dark LA: Why are men participating? 04:49 — When is men’s participation appropriate? 06:15 — Valencia Half Marathon: American women’s performances 07:10 — Yaseen Abdalla runs faster than the American record 08:15 — Rodrigue Kwizera and record eligibility 08:40 — Peres Jepchirchir’s provisional suspension 09:30 — Doping and its impact on elite running 10:05 — Remembering legendary coach Frank Gagliano 11:05 — Around HOU: Houston 25K and Coach Andy Stewart’s 30K Connect with Runners of HOU Follow @runnersofhou on Instagram for more running stories, Houston race updates, and weekly episodes of The Extra Mile. Have thoughts on Nike After Dark, the performances in Valencia, or knowing when to stop a run? Send @runnersofhou a DM! If you enjoy Runners of HOU, please follow the podcast and leave a rating or review. It helps other runners discover the show. Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@runnersofhou⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@vickyoddi⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Runners of HOU⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook Group - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Runners of HOU Friends⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for the newsletter!

  3. Oct 26

    Veronica Villegas Zoch: 10 Houston Marathons, Motherhood & Finding a New Pace

    What does it take to run 10 Houston Marathons? For Veronica Villegas Zoch, it’s taken years of training, a lot of support from her family, and sometimes a 3 a.m. alarm. Veronica started running more than 15 years ago with her younger sister, who remains her favorite running partner. After finishing her first Houston Marathon in 5:07 in 2015, she steadily improved to a 4:16 marathon in 2019. Then she became a mom, and everything about her training changed. In this episode of Runners of HOU, Veronica shares what it takes to balance marathon training, motherhood, a full-time career, and family life. We talk about how her goals have evolved, why she keeps returning to the Chevron Houston Marathon, and what earning legacy status after 10 finishes means to her. We also discuss the importance of strength training and recovery as we get older, her experience running the New York City Marathon, and why she’s setting a time goal again for what might be her final Houston Marathon. Whether you’re training for your first marathon, returning to running after having children, or learning to redefine success as a runner, Veronica’s story is a reminder that running can remain part of your life even when everything else changes. In This Episode Veronica joins Runners of HOU to talk about 15 years of running, completing 10 Houston Marathons, and learning to balance her love of running with motherhood, work, and family. We discuss: How a family loss inspired Veronica to change her life and start runningTraining for her first Houston Marathon with a longest run of just 16 milesImproving her marathon time from 5:07 to 4:16The role Houston Striders, track workouts, and hill training played in her progressHow becoming a mom changed her training schedule and racing prioritiesWaking up at 3 a.m. to fit in marathon trainingEarning Houston Marathon legacy status after 10 finishesRunning for Child Advocates through the Houston Marathon’s Run for a Reason programHer challenging experience at the New York City MarathonWhy strength training, stretching, and recovery matter more as she gets olderHer goal of running a 4:30 at the 2027 Houston MarathonThe importance of running with her sister and finding community through the sportEpisode Chapters 00:00 — Introduction: Meet Veronica Villegas Zoch 01:15 — Life as a mom, HR professional, and 3 a.m. runner 03:39 — How a family loss inspired her to start running 05:07 — Her first Houston Marathon and training with her sister 07:24 — Going from a 5:07 marathon to a 4:16 09:47 — How motherhood changed her relationship with running 14:36 — Cycling, duathlons, and finding other ways to compete 18:54 — Earning Houston Marathon legacy status 21:14 — Why she keeps coming back to the Houston Marathon 25:58 — The training changes that helped her finish feeling strong 27:45 — Her challenging New York City Marathon experience 32:20 — Learning to run your own race and stop comparing yourself 38:39 — Training with her sister and staying accountable 42:03 — Her 4:30 goal for the 2027 Houston Marathon 43:46 — Running in your 40s and prioritizing recovery 45:02 — Why running remains an important part of her life Connect With Runners of HOU Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠@ssfirunit Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@runnersofhou⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@vickyoddi⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Runners of HOU⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook Group - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Runners of HOU Friends⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for the newsletter!

  4. Oct 23

    The Extra Mile: CIM Training, Amsterdam Drama & Olympic Trials Controversy

    Welcome to the first episode of The Extra Mile, a new weekly addition to Runners of HOU! Every Friday, host Vicky Oddi is talking about what’s happening in her own running, the latest running news, and upcoming races and events in Houston. This week, Vicky shares an update on her California International Marathon (CIM) training after completing her longest run in three years. With injuries and setbacks complicating her return to marathon training, an 11.5-mile long run and a surprisingly strong six-mile run have her feeling cautiously optimistic about making it to the CIM starting line in December. Then it’s time for some running news, including a controversial finish-line moment at the Amsterdam Half Marathon, record-breaking performances at the Amsterdam Marathon, the heartbreaking death of runner Grace Nolan, and an Olympic Marathon Trials qualifying controversy at the Baystate Marathon, where two runners met the qualifying standards only to discover their times wouldn’t count. In this episode: Returning to marathon training after injury and running 11.5 miles for the first time in three yearsRethinking BQ goals while preparing for CIMCian Gerber’s Amsterdam Half Marathon finish-line controversyRemembering Detroit marathon runner Grace NolanWhy two Baystate Marathon runners’ Olympic Trials qualifying times won’t countThe difference between USATF course certification and race sanctioningThe upcoming Houston Half Marathon & 10KChapters: 00:00 – Welcome to The Extra Mile 00:55 – My longest run in three years: 11.5 miles 02:14 – CIM training, injuries and changing marathon goals 03:36 – A long run that finally went right 05:54 – Recovery and a surprisingly strong six-mile run 07:25 – Feeling cautiously optimistic about CIM 07:48 – Amsterdam Half Marathon finish-line controversy 09:21 – Amsterdam Marathon course record and race results 09:51 – Remembering Grace Nolan 10:35 – Baystate Marathon Olympic Trials qualifying controversy 11:13 – USATF certification vs. sanctioning: What’s the difference? 13:17 – Houston Half Marathon & 10K preview 14:11 – Wrapping up the first Extra Mile Have a running story, hot topic, or Houston running event you’d like me to cover? Send a message on Instagram at @runnersofhou. New Runners of HOU interviews every Monday, with The Extra Mile on Fridays. Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@runnersofhou⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@vickyoddi⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Runners of HOU⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook Group - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Runners of HOU Friends⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for the newsletter!

  5. Oct 19

    Pattie Peña: When You’re Done With Marathons…Until You’re Not

    After more than a decade of running marathons, Pattie Peña thought she was ready to move on. The Houston native had accomplished what she set out to do: become a Houston Marathon Legacy runner, break five hours in the marathon, and build years of memories along the way. After the 2025 Houston Marathon, she announced she was done with the distance. Following the 2026 Houston Half Marathon, she decided she was ready to step away from long-distance running altogether. But then a friend asked her to run another marathon. In this episode of Runners of HOU, Pattie talks about going from her first three-mile run at Memorial Park to completing a marathon just months later, the training that helped her take more than 30 minutes off her Houston Marathon time in 2020, and the emotional experience of running a half marathon after losing her mother. We also talk about her adventures in triathlon, the challenges of finding motivation after years of structured training, and why she’s approaching her next marathon differently. Pattie is now preparing for the 2027 Every Woman’s Marathon in New Orleans, where she’ll run in support of a friend who survived breast cancer. It’s a conversation about changing goals, finding motivation, the friendships that running creates, and realizing that sometimes being done with something isn’t quite as permanent as you thought. In this episode: How Pattie went from running three miles to completing her first marathon in 2013Why she kept returning to the Houston MarathonThe training and friendships behind her 4:26 marathon breakthroughTaking on triathlons despite being afraid of swimmingCompleting the virtual Houston Marathon during the pandemicRunning a five-second PR in Houston in 2025Why she decided to retire from marathons—and then long-distance runningThe half marathon that helped her feel connected to her late motherFinding motivation again after stepping away from structured trainingWhy she’s running another marathon in February 2027 Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠@run_salutation_ Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@runnersofhou⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@vickyoddi⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Runners of HOU⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook Group - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Runners of HOU Friends⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for the newsletter!

  6. Oct 12

    Marathon Goals, Running Hot Takes & Learning to Let Go with Sara

    Sara is back on Runners of HOU, and we’ve got a lot to talk about. First up: the Berlin Marathon. Sara and her friend Whitney crossed the finish line together in 4:33:03 after a training cycle that didn’t exactly go according to plan. She shares why Berlin lived up to the hype, what surprised her on the course, and why this race meant so much more than a finish time. We also catch up on my ongoing struggles training for CIM, the increasingly competitive Boston Marathon qualifying standards, and some of the biggest running stories to come out of Berlin — including an influencer caught cheating and the women’s champion who finished with a ruptured Achilles. Then we’re getting into running hot takes. Are influencers making the sport too expensive? Does every marathon need to be a PR attempt? Is one marathon a year enough? And when is it okay to stop during a race? We wrap up with an honest conversation about something we’re both navigating in our 40s: accepting that our bodies, our paces, and our relationships with running are changing. In this episode (approximate timestamps): 00:00 — Welcome back, Sara! Berlin Marathon recap 04:30 — Running for Heaven’s 27 and honoring her dad 09:00 — Berlin crowds, race-day logistics, and surprises 25:00 — My CIM training struggles and learning to adjust expectations 47:30 — The Berlin Marathon cheating controversy 54:00 — Boston qualifying: Has it gotten too difficult? 1:01:00 — Tigest Assefa and the finish-at-all-costs mentality 1:17:00 — Running hot takes: PRs, influencers, marathon training, and more 1:38:00 — Aging, body image, and changing our relationships with running Enjoyed this episode? Follow Runners of HOU on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts, and share it with a running friend who loves a good hot take. 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!

  7. Oct 5

    Annie Almendarez: 25 Years of Marathons and Still Running

    What does it look like to have a relationship with running that lasts for decades? Annie Almendarez has been running since high school, but her distance-running story started with a challenge. After a fellow police officer told her Black people didn’t run marathons, Annie decided to prove him wrong. In 2001, at 35 years old, she ran her first Houston Marathon in 4:28. More than 25 years later, she’s still running. Now 60, Annie is a Houston Marathon Legacy Runner and a 2027 Chevron Houston Marathon Ambassador. She’s run more than 20 marathons, raced around the world, and watched Houston’s running community transform from a place where she saw very few runners who looked like her to one filled with run clubs and runners from every background. But longevity has also required Annie to change. After a torn meniscus, arthritis in both knees, and a doctor once telling her she should stop running, Annie has had to rethink what being an athlete looks like. These days that means more rest, less mileage, biking and duathlons, listening to her body — and accepting that she doesn’t have to be the runner she was at 35. In this episode, Annie and I talk about training for marathons before GPS watches and gels, becoming an unexpected face of marathon advertising, running while living in China, why the Houston Marathon still feels like home, racing at 60, knowing when to push and when to stop, and why she believes the secret to staying in the sport is knowing your why. We also talk about what running has given her over the years: health, friendships, confidence, community, and proof that getting older doesn’t have to mean giving up the things you love. Follow Runners of HOU wherever you listen to podcasts and share this episode with someone who needs the reminder that it’s never too late to start — or to redefine what running looks like for you. Instagram - ⁠⁠@gpdsgt732 Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@runnersofhou⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@vickyoddi⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Runners of HOU⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook Group - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Runners of HOU Friends⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for the newsletter!

  8. Sep 28

    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!

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4.9
out of 5
13 Ratings

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
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    68
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Runners of Houston
  • Show Website
    Runners of HOU

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