"Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the slowest gazelle, or it will starve. It doesn't matter whether you're a lion or gazelle—when the sun comes up, you'd better be running."
Source unknown.



Christoph F. Eick's Running Homepage

Brief Running History

I ran my first race in 1994 and got more serious about training and running races in 1998; I jogged, enjoyed downhill skiing, hiked, played volleyball and tennis before I picked up running. I am a member of the Bayou City Road Runners and HARRA. I am living near the Allen Park Way Loop (near the 3.25 mile marker) which definitely helps fitting my runs into my somewhat busy schedule. I am mostly self-coached although I train sometimes with Jon Warren's & Sean Wade's Kenyan Way group.

Running Mile 17 of the cold, wet and windy Houston Marathon on January 13, 2013 (Photo taken by Arie Moghaddam).

I completed 33 marathons (7 Houston'96+'97+'03+'11+'13+'15+'17, 4 Dallas White Rock'97+'01+'06+'09, 4 Austin'99+'02+'04+'14 (1999 Race Photo), 2 New York'95+'02, 2 Boston'99+04, 2 Cleveland'01+'08, Califonia International'96, Virginia Bearch'00, Madison'00, Steamboat Springs'04, New Orleans'05, Big Sur'06, Vermont City'07, Fargo'10, Orange County'13, San Francisco'14, San Antonio'15 and Lafayette'17; DNF: Houston'01, Buffalo'05 and GreenBay'09; all finish times), running a 3:05:37 placing 128th in the 2003 Houston Marathon, and a 3:03:47 in the 2002 Austin Motorola Marathon. I won age group awards in the 2000 Madison Marathon, the 2002 Austin Marathon, and the 2004 Steamboat Springs Marathon. I also won top 500 finisher posters in the 1998 Crescent City Classic (placing 445th) and in the 2000 Crecent City Classic (placing 261st). I also ran a 5:16.7 in the Dec. 2001 Congress Avenue Mile, a 2:08:30 (6:54-pace) in Sugarland's First Colony 30K-race in December 2000, a 18:42 (6:02 pace) in the 2000 Bellaire Trolley Run, and a 1:27:17 (6:39-pace) in Houston's El Paso Energy Half Marathon ('Leader of the Compaq Marathon First Mile Hill' Photo taken by Jerry Robinson) in Jan. 2002.

I also ran 4 mountain races: Pikes Peak Ascent (almost 1.5 vertical miles!) in 1998, the Mount Washington (7.5M; elevation gain more than 600 feet per mile) in 1997, and Mount Evans Ascent (finish line at 14250 feet) in 2001, and the Eldora Mountain Trail 10K (Nederland, Colorado) in 2009. I enjoyed the scenery in all races; however, I have to report that I was not very fast going up those mountains. I also completed the Prickly Pear 50K (San Antonio, TX) in March 2010, the Skyline 50K (Castrovalley, CA) in August 2003 and the Bighorn Trail 53K (Dayton, WY) in June 2002 (Photos: 'Bighorn National Forrest Adventure Club', 'How the Tail Looks').

"You have to forget your last marathon before you try another. Your mind can't know what's coming."
Frank Shorter, 1972 Olympic marathon gold medalist.

Running the Virginia Beach Shamrock Marathon on March 18, 2000.

(Planned) Races in 2023
  • Tuesday, July 4: Red, White & Blue 10K Race, Rio Rancho, New Mexico.
  • Saturday, August 12: Habanero Hundred 20K Race, 7IL Ranch, Cat Spring, Texas.
  • Injured in September 2023!
  • Thursday, November 23: 38th Annual Sugarland Turkey Trot Five Miler, Texas
  • Sunday, December 3: Brazos Bend 100 Half-Marathon, Needville, Texas; Due to trail damage race was moved to January 7, 2024!
  • Sunday, December 3, 7:30a: Maybe, Conroe 10 Miler, Texas
  • Saturday/Sunday, December 16/17: Maybe, Texas Double Half Marathon or Christmas Glow 10K or Santa 5K Dallas/The Colony/Fort Worth, Texas.
    "Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never touched at all because we never push through the obstruction."
    ---William James, philosopher

    Interesting Links

    Christoph Eick's Running Training Advice Interesting Running Topics Non-Running Links Christoph F. Eick
    "Everyone who has run knows that its most important value is in removing tension and allowing a release from whatever other cares the day may bring."
    Jimmy Carter, US President

    Running the 2001 Congress Avenue Mile, Austin, Texas.

    "To be in company, even with the best, is soon wearisome and dissipating,...I love to be alone. I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude."
    Henry David Thoreau, in Walden.

    "With group running, you get your own personal cheering squad. Members of running clubs and teams root each other on during races and support one another through long runs. You'll also be more motivated to stick to your training because you and your running partners will hold each other accountable."
    Christine Luff.

    Running the TownBank Shamrock 8K Race in Virginia Beach on March 18, 2017 (with 7759 other runners, placing 855th, my 244th long distance race lifetime); it is one of the best Party Races in the US!


    Last updated: November 28, 2023