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Jaime Rodriguez There are lots of fun runs, but not all runs are fun. However, Jaime Rodriguez is one of those special people who can add fun to anyone’s run. Having a quick wit and a good nature, he can get up to five jokes per mile pace. He is not all about fun and frivolity. He has served as race director of the Tornado’s cross country relay for many years, led numerous Tornado workouts, and can speak three languages fluently. Once he adapted a French love song to order Mexican food at the taqueria, truly a Renaissance runner. He then proceeded to say a soliloquy to an empty beer glass: “I feel your loneliness, with no beer inside Even your condensation has evaporated, leaving no tears to cry.” In addition to Jaime’s many intellectual gifts, he also has the gift of running, having run a 16:55 5K and a 1:54 30K. He is also able to run to his absolute threshold of pain. When asked to relate some of his favorite races, he picked his funniest not his fastest ones.
Another of Jaime’s favorite races was the old Katy HS Dad’s one mile X-C race, which had several obstacles. The gun went off and the fifty contestants dashed towards a pond. One overzealous runner went right into the water! Jaime was in fifth place as they went into the trees. He went to pass on the right and the next thing he saw was utter darkness. He had just run straight into a tree! He recovered his senses in a few seconds and took off after the lead pack. Not having fully learned his lesson that trees are harder than his head, he boldly went for another attempt at fourth place! This time he was successful and went on to get number three as well. Emerging from the trees, he was able to reel in number two and then go for first place. However the finish line interfered with his plans and Jaime finished in second with a very worthy time of 5:02 for a cross-country mile. He was one tree short of breaking five minutes! If you are in need of a truly fun run, hook up with Jaime Rodriguez and the Tornados. For details visit www.tornadosrunningclub.com |
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When
Jaime was only 16 years old he entered his first 20K race, having previously run
much shorter distances. For the race he borrowed, without asking, his sister’s
number 8 jersey. The race started outside of San Jose, Costa Rica and finished
inside the city. Jaime was running hard after a man right in front of him. He
could see his competitor and the finish line, and both were getting closer.
Then he saw nothing. He had passed out within a stone’s throw of the finish
line. Jaime, from even a young age had the ability to run all out, even
dangerously so. His picture appeared in the paper the next day and his sister
recognized her jersey. She wasn’t concerned; she was mad! I guess the moral of
the story is don’t pass out in public in your sister’s shirt.
