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!

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!

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!

Welcome to the very first episode of Running Hot Takes!

I'm joined by Houston runner and marathoner Sarah Hudgens for an unfiltered conversation about the opinions runners love to debate.

Is Grandma’s Marathon really flat? Do treadmill miles count? Is running actually an inexpensive sport? Are run clubs changing running culture? And why are so many runners trying to cram multiple marathons into a single year?

From race courses and fueling to influencers, super shoes, and recovery, we share our honest takes — and don’t always agree.

Instagram - @shudgens

Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠@runnersofhou⁠⁠⁠

Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠@vickyoddi⁠⁠⁠

Facebook - ⁠⁠⁠Runners of HOU⁠⁠⁠

Facebook Group - ⁠⁠⁠Runners of HOU Friends⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Sign up for the newsletter!

In this episode, I’m joined by my friend Jess Mayon for an honest conversation about what it means to be a runner through every season of life. We talk about her journey from a first half marathon to qualifying for Boston, running Chicago, CIM, and a virtual Boston Marathon, balancing marathon training with a demanding career, recovering from burnout, and how running changes in your 40s.

Whether you’re chasing a PR, navigating perimenopause, or simply trying to fit running into a busy life, this episode is a reminder that your goals can evolve—and that’s not a setback, it’s growth.

We also share plenty of stories from races we’ve run together (including Grandma’s Marathon), discuss why strength training and recovery matter more than ever, and answer the question: Is it ever too late to chase a big goal?

Because the runner you become can be even stronger than the runner you used to be.

Instagram - ⁠⁠@runnersofhou⁠⁠

Instagram - ⁠⁠@vickyoddi⁠⁠

Facebook - ⁠⁠Runners of HOU⁠⁠

Facebook Group - ⁠⁠Runners of HOU Friends⁠⁠

⁠⁠Sign up for the newsletter!

After nearly four years away, Runners of HOU is back.

In this solo episode, I’m sharing where I’ve been, why the podcast disappeared, and everything that’s happened since we last talked — from returning to the corporate world and getting married to training for Grandma’s Marathon, taking eight months away from running, and finding my way back one mile at a time.

This isn’t just a story about a podcast hiatus. It’s about how life changes us, how injuries can reshape our identity, and why sometimes the break ends up being exactly what we needed.

Whether you’ve been here since the beginning or you’re joining for the first time, I’m so glad you’re here.

Let’s catch up.

Instagram - ⁠@runnersofhou⁠

Instagram - ⁠@vickyoddi⁠

Facebook - ⁠Runners of HOU⁠

Facebook Group - ⁠Runners of HOU Friends⁠

⁠Sign up for the newsletter!

Don't call it a comeback! Once again, I'm joined by Emilia Benton who guest-hosts. In this episode, we discuss what I've been up to since running the Houston Marathon and also delve into what's been happening in the Houston running scene including the change to the local elite program for the Houston Marathon and the last minute change to the Houston Half Marathon course. I'm then joined by Houston Half pacer Sara Hudgens to chat through what race day looked like at this year's Hou Half.

Instagram - @runnersofhou

Instagram - @vickyoddi

Facebook - Runners of HOU

Facebook Group - Runners of HOU Friends

Twitter - @runnersofhou

Sign up for the newsletter!

Meet me - @vickyoddi. I will apologize in advance for the length of this episode but can't thank Emilia Benton enough for her guest-hosting duties. In this episode, we discuss how I first got into running, my collegiate experience as a pole vaulter and how that eventually led to my focus on distance running. We also chat about my extensive background in the running industry that includes stints at USA Track & Field, NBC Olympics, the Houston Marathon and Komen Houston.

Instagram - @runnersofhou

Instagram - @vickyoddi

Facebook - Runners of HOU

Facebook Group - Runners of HOU Friends

Twitter - @runnersofhou

Sign up for the newsletter!

Meet Regina Massingill. She got her start in 2013, quickly ran her first marathon, ventured into the world of Ironman and tried her hand at trail racing. Listen in as we talk about how she got started, how the pandemic led her to chase FKTs and what it was like to run two marathons and a 133 mile FKT over three consecutive weekends. I still can't believe all the stories Regina shared...she's crazy, amazing and such a talented runner.  

Instagram - @massingillregina

SHOW SOCIAL