Finish Strong Tuesday Night Track athletes had a great showing at the Lake Houston 10K. Brandon Sager took first overall with a time of 38:13 at the recent Lake Houston 10K in Kingwood on August 29. Skip Moschell was the 3rd male overall and 1st in his age group (39:56).

Brandon reports, "This was a PR, but only because it was my first 10k road race; my only other 10k was the Muddy Trails 10k earlier this year (42:16)."

Be sure to congratulate these two when you see them at Tuesday Night Track!

The last I heard, 1,508 Texans are signed up for Ironman Texas with over 100 from The Woodlands! As predicted, the race sold out in a matter of weeks.

There has been much speculation about the course. Here is what I have gathered from various discussions with people who are in the know.

The swim will be in Lake Woodlands starting at Northshore Park and ending at Town Green Park. The point to point swim will take athletes down the west side of the lake and then back up the easy side before entering the Waterway.

There will be a short, fairly steep uphill run leading from the swim exit to the transition in Town Green Park (located between the library and the Cynthia Woods Pavilion). The transition is close to the center of The Woodlands shopping and dining area so plenty to do for friends and family.

The bike route will head west out of The Woodlands via Lake Woodlands or Woodlands Parkway (both are 4 to 6 lane roads with shoulders) before heading north on FM2978. FM 2978 is a 4 lanes road with wide shoulders until crossing FM1488 where is becomes a lightly traveled 2 lane road with a smaller (3 feet) shoulder. The road turns into Fish Creek Thoroughfare. Riders will turn left and head west on FM2854, a moderately busy two lane road, before crossing a major 4 lane road (SH105) and continuing around the north side of the town of Montgomery (the loop is called Lone Star Parkway) before turning right right and heading north on FM149. At this point, cyclists will encounter a steady diet of rolling hills until reaching Bethel Rd/FM1791 where they turn right and then left onto Tailaferro. Tailaferro turns into County Road 209. Riders will turn right onto Bays Chapel and head north for a few miles before making a u-turn and coming back down south to FM149 and then continuing the ride to Richards on FM149. All roads up to this point are in excellent condition and local cyclists use them on a regular basis (with the exception of Tailaferro and Bays Chapel). FM149 is also shaded for most of it's length as it goes through the Sam Houston National Forest. Bethel Road, Tailaferro, CO Road 209 and Bays Chapel are also shaded.

Upon reaching the small hamlet of Richards, riders will turn south on FM1486, another lightly traveled rolling road with a tar and chip surface. The route will cross SH105 again at Dobbin and then turn south on Jackson Road a few miles south of SH105. After several miles, Jackson Road merges with FM149 which riders stay on until they hit FM1488. From here, the route will most likely turn left onto FM1488 and then make a quick right onto Spur 149 Road. Less than a mile later, a left hand turn will take riders onto Dobbin Hufsmith Road (locally called the "Dog Loop" by cyclists and triathletes for reasons that no longer apply). This is a narrow road with no shoulders but in good condition and is fairly lightly traveled. Dobbin Hufsmith intersects at FM2978 where riders will turn left and head back up to Woodlands Parkway where they will enter The Woodlands and head for T2.

The run will consist of 3 loops taking in a good portion of the Waterway and looping around Lake Woodlands. The run will traverse both sides of the Waterway and afford spectators ample locations for catching the action. Personally, I would book an outside table along the Waterway at the Goose's Acre where you can get great food and plenty of drink. The run will proceed counterclockwise around Lake Woodlands via Grogans Mill, Lake Woodlands Dr., E. Panther Creek and Woodlands Parkway before entering the upscale neighborhood of East Shore for a lakeside tour of it's large houses and townhomes. The back onto the Waterway for an out and back before heading around the lake again. The run course will be very flat and shaded in many areas. It will be on wide pathways and some roads.

The finish is slated to be in Market Street, The Woodlands premier shopping, dining and entertainment venue. For those lucky enough to book a room at the swank Avia Hotel, you will be literally steps away from the finish line. Market Street is also directly across the street from the transition area.

This is a spectator friendly course. The swim start will be visible from Northshore Park and the Lake Woodlands bridge. Mobile spectators can quickly bike to the south side of the lake to see the turn before heading over to the Waterway where the last 800 to 1200m will be in a canal that has sidewalks on either side. Spectators that want to get out to the bike course can but there will be limited parking and viewing areas. The run course will be great for viewing as stated. Great spots all along the Waterway and it's a short walk over to East Shore if you want to get away from the crowds.

I will get some pictures of the course and start posting them on this site.

For out of towners, please feel free to contact me and I would be glad to answer any questions you may have about the course or local area. Our weekend rides and runs take in most of the Ironman course.

Team FSR members collect awards at Memorial Hermann Tri. Pictured: Rodrigo Abascal, Lane Barron, Craig Wakefield, Hannah Barron.

Team FSR showed up strong at the Memorial Hermann Sugar Land Tri on Sunday June 27, 2010. The triathlon distances included a 300-meter pool swim/10-mile bike/3-mile run.

Hannah Barron came in 2nd in her 10-14 age group with a finishing time of 1:02:20. Hannah swam 300 meters in 6:19; biked the 10-mile course in 29:26 at a 20.4 mph pace; and finished the run strong with a 24:55 3 mile run at a 8:18 pace.

Not to be outdone, Lane Barron finished 1st in his 10-14 age group with a time of 58:49. Lane posted a 5:43 swim; 27:21 bike (21.9 mph pace); 24:24 run (8:08 per mile pace). Both his bike and swim were the fastest in his age group. Wow!!

Rodrigo Abascal was insanely fast winning his age group and placing 15th overall. Rodrigo swam the course in 4:26; biked the course in 25:55 (23.2 mph); and soared with a 7:15 per mile pace to finish the run in 21:46. Yes!!

Craig Wakefield blew away the competition in 40-44 age group and came in 8th overall. Craig crossed the finish line in 52:23. His splits were 4:08 swim/24:13 bike (24.8 mph pace!); and 21:52 run (7:17 per mile pace). Woo hoo!

Chris Normyle took 6th in the 50-54 age group with an overall time of 1:04:16. Chris had the second fastest swim in his AG finishing the swim in 5:02. He biked a solid 29:50 (20.1 mph pace) especially considering he had to stop for traffic! Chris took it easy on the run and still had the 5th fastest run in his AG finishing the 3 mile course in 25:41. Great performance!

Go TEAM FSR!!!

"This is a topic that is near and dear to my heart. And what better time to talk about long course racing now that we are only days away from having an Ironman right here in The Woodlands! There is a tremendous buzz in the tri community!

I truly feel blessed, because I love what I do. Racing and achieving goals for myself is fine, but I truly get more satisfaction being able to coach others and help them to achieve their dreams.

I have had the privilege of coaching over a 100 athletes from many different backgrounds. I coach juniors (like Hannah and Lane Barron who placed 5th at the USAT Nationals last year, first time triathletes preparing for their first sprint tri, age groupers who are finishing on the podium, athletes who are training for a half or full Ironman,and even professional triathletes looking to improve their performance.

I have enjoyed preparing dozens of athletes to compete in nearly 40 separate Ironman races around the world. I’ve seen athletes overcome incredible obstacles to achieve their dream. I’ve shared the joy when my athletes have trained hard and accomplished their personal bests. (Example, Tim Monk qualified at Wisconsin IM with a time of 9:53 and raced in Ironman Hawaii in 2009 or Casey Clark becoming sea sick at the Florida IM but still able to complete the race).

Being able to cross the finish line and hear the announcer say your name and that famous four word phrase: 'You are an Ironman!' This is something you will never forget.

Based on my personal experience in racing and coaching, I’ve come up with a list of attributes needed to succeed at taking on the challenge of competing in long-distance multisport events such as a HIM or full IM.


1. Commitment
• Support of family and friends is key
• Discipline – Determination to stick it out (when others are turning for home and you still have another 3 hours of riding to go). Consistent training (but don’t drive yourself into the ground)
• Time – 12 to 22 hours/wk, long weekends, early mornings
• Resources - Money for registration (IM and HIM), travel, equipment and coaching. Find someone with long course race experience to help you out.

2. Preparation
• Determine goals – complete IM in less than 15 hours or HIM in less than 6 hours
• Establish supporting objectives – comfortable run for 3 hrs in HR zones 1/2 by a certain date
• Select and prioritize appropriate races – train your limiter, race your strength
• Attend a training camp – learn in a class room setting and apply what you learn. Finish Strong Coaching will be holding a 2 ½ day HIM training camp in mid-September at the La Torretta Lake Resort, site of the Ironstar HIM. I am also in discussions with WTC to host an official Ironman training camp in the spring.

3. Training
• consistency – training day in and day out, missing few workouts
• 1st goal – weekly training hours equals or exceeds goal time at easy intensity (those that attempt a IM without ever having gone the duration in a week of practice! Makes for a long day!)
• 2nd goal – 2 or 3 day period where training hours equals or exceeds goal time at easy intensity
• 3rd goal – repeat 1st and 2nd but at race intensity
• Epic weekends – Saturday long brick, Sunday long ride and swim (6 to 12 hours)
• Proper intensity
o Easy, race effort, harder than race effort
o Heart Rate Monitor
o Power – excellent way to significantly improve bike strength/more in equipment

4. Nutrition/Hydration
• The 4th sport – pro’s walking in Kona/this can make or break your race!
• Pre, during, post-workout plan, taking into account more calories burned per hour than can be consumed
• Race day plan - spend time on this. Practice it.

5. Equipment
• Bike with aero bars. Aero helmet and wheels will help.
• Bike fit (I'm a FIST certified tri bike fitter which includes pedal alignment)
• Power meter, HR monitor – I train a lot of athletes with power. Seen gains of up to 2 mph! Tim Monk (5:22 in WI) and myself (2:22/23.6 mph in New Orleans)
• Wetsuit and clothing

6. Race
• Prepared & confident (has done the work and met all objectives = great race!
• Checklist – 1 for each bag, ziplock
• Nutrition and hydration for race day
• Race strategy
• Race-ready equipment

I hope this talk has helped you get a better understanding of what it takes to accomplish an Ironman or Half Ironman race. If you feel like this is something you’d like to take on and you’d benefit from coaching, I encourage you to e-mail me at dana@coachlyons.com. I will send you an Athlete Information Package and we can arrange to meet one-on-one to discuss coaching services.

Thank you."

The Rock de Hills in North Little Rock Arkansas found Team FSR participants in the SMW Regional Youth Championship (Ages 11-15) Kids Race; the SMW Regional Junior Development Race (Ages 16-19) and Age Group Adult Super Sprint. Each race featured a 375 meter swim/6.2 mile bike/1.6 mile run.

In the male 11-12 AG, Lane Barron came in 4th. Lane had the fastest bike in his age group averaging 19.7mph. He finished with an overall time of 34:40.

In the female 13-15 AG, sisters Hannah and Katherine Barron took 5th and 6th respectively. Hannah finished with the third fastest run (with an 8:31 per mile pace)in her age group completing the race in 41:38. Katherine finished just 14 seconds behind with an overall time of 41:50.

In the male 16-19 AG, Rodrigo Abascal came in 2nd with a time of 35:33. Rodrigo had the fastest swim time in his age group completing the 375 meter swim in just 3:44.

Not to be outdone, Rodrigo's dad, Manuel, came in 2nd in the adult division. He finished in 40:25 with the fastest swim for the adults at 5:14.

Way to go!

Finish Strong Coach Dana Lyons will be speaking at the next Lonestar Multisport Club meeting on Monday, June 21 at Rico's in Sterling Ridge. The title of his talk is; “So You Want to Go Long, Considerations for Training and Racing Long Course”. This topic will be of particular interest to those planning for their first half or full Ironman.

The meeting is 6:30-7:30 pm at Rico’s Grill in the Sterling Ridge Shopping Plaza (Woodlands Parkway and Kuykendahl). Hope to see you there!

Team FSR Kristin Collins competed in the Astros Run for the Pennant 5K held on May 29 in Houston. Kristin placed 5th in her 35-39 age group with a time of 23:56. She held an average 7:43/m pace for the race.

Way to go!!

Four Team FSR athletes competed in the COMBAT Triathlon on May 29 in Texas City, Texas.

Team FSR Kent Morris (pictured above) won his 50-54 age group and placed 17th overall at the recent Combat Tri. Kent's overall time was 1:04:43. He swam the first leg in 5:06, 37:23 for the bike averaging 24.1mpg and the final run in 20:36 at a brisk 6:52 mile pace.

Kyle Mays took 3rd in his 45-49 age group with an overall time of 1:06:28. Dave Holsey took 6th in his 60-64 age group with an overall time of 1:22;36. John "Scott" Reaves came in 17th in the 35-39 age group, finishing in 1:12:58.

Great job!

Group photo from Muddy Buddy Adventure Race: Scott Pinkston (4th from left) and his teammate, Quentin, placed first. Steve Hardy (5th from left) and his teammate finished 5th. Other friends pictured placed 4th.

May 15/16 was another great weekend for adventure racing according to Finish Strong athlete Scott Pinkston. The first day was held at Camp Longhorn for the Terra Firma Promo Championship Series Race 1 at Burnet, Texas. Scott's team took 9th out of 23 teams.

The terrific trio triumph again! Lane, Hannah and Katherine Barron made a big splash at the Cedar Park Kid's Triathlon held Sunday, April 25 at Elizabeth Milburn Park in Austin. The tri course covered 200 yard swim, 6 mile bike, and 1.2 mile run.

Katherine and Hannah teamed up to take 4th and 5th out of the 19 senior females ages 13 to 15. Katherine posted the fasted T1 and T2 times. Katherine posted a 3:55 swim/20:12 bike/7:54 run for a total time of 32:52. Hannah was close behind her big sister. Hannah had a 4:11 swim/20:23 bike/7:12 run for a total time of 33:01. Hannah had the 3rd fastest run for her age group clocking in at a 6:00 minute mile pace.

Lane came in 2nd of 32 in the senior male 11 to 12 age group. Lane swam a 4:07; smoked on the bike with a time of 18:46; and followed up with an astounding 7:05 run. He had the fastest bike averaging 19.2mph for his age group and an incredible 5:54 mile pace for the run.

Triple kudos for the Barron kids!!!

An estimated 13,000 cyclists made the 2-day, 180-mile journey from Houston to Austin as part of the 26th Annual BP MS 150 supporting the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Cyclists began at Houston on April 17 and finish the race in downtown Austin on April 18, following an overnight celebration in La Grange. One of the participants was Finish Strong athlete Steve Hardy.

Steve reports that he had an inauspicious start to the race. He was clipped at mile 8 by a speeding police car traveling in the opposite direction down the street and was violently separated from his bike. Steve suffered some road rash, but both bike and rider continued on to finish the journey.

Team Finish Strong John Williams competed in the Inaugural America's Run half marathon in Dallas on April 11. This race is unique because it starts and ends in the new Cowboy's stadium. John said, "It was really cool to come through the tunnel and see yourself on the jumbotron. The course also took us through UTA, my alma mater. Brings back good memories." John achieved his goal and ran the course in 2 hours and 30 minutes and felt good!

Skip Moschell, a member of the Finish Strong Spring run program, won the master's and took 3rd overall at the Hog Hunt 25K in Huntsville on Saturday, April 10.


Skip said, "The conditions were perfect, but it's always a challenging trail race in Huntsville State Park."

It was a busy weekend for Finish Strong! Eighteen Finish Strong athletes headed to Kemah on April 10 and 11 to compete in the Gateway to the Bay Triathlon. Ten participated in the sprint distance event on Saturday. Eight competed in the Olympic distance triathlon on Sunday.

Pictured above: Trent Stevens (2nd), Andrew Strong (3rd) Pros Matt Reed (US Olympian) and Andy Potts, and Dana Lyons (1st). Dana is overall winner for sprint race!

Dana Lyons won the overall sprint race with a time of 1:02:30 -- over 35 seconds faster than the closest competitor. The field included a tough group of elite participants among the 514 finishers. Dana smoked on the bike posting an average speed of 24.1mph.

Jody Gaddy (above) places 3rd in his AG at Muddy Trails 5k.

TEAM FSR dominates at Frost Your Fanny -- USAT South Midwest regional championship duathlon race on February 28. This 3mi/15mi/3mi event was held in Katy, Texas.

Here are the results for the gals:
Hannah Barron, 13, placed 2nd in her age group (female 14 and under) with a time of 1:43:05.
Katherine Barron, 15, placed 4th in her age group (female 15 to 19) with a time of 1:44:19.
Carolyn Barron, 41, placed 12th in her age group (female 40 to 44) with a time of 1:43:38.
Cindy McManis, 50, placed 5th in her age group (female 50 to 54) with a time of 1:45:48.

Now, for the guys:

Dana Lyons, 52, won the overall master award (and 2nd overall) with a time of 1:14:20.
Lane Barron, 11, placed 2nd in his age group (male 14 and under) with a time of 1:32:16.
Rodrigo Abascal, 17, placed 7th in his age group (male 15 to 19) with a time of 1:27:43.
Kyle Mason, 18, placed 8th in the same age group (male 15 to 19) with a time of 1:29:56.
David Kayda, 34, placed 5th in his age group (male 30 to 34) with a time of 1:20:49.
Tim Monk, 39, placed 4th in his age group (male 35 to 39) in 1:23:14.
(Not bad considering he had to walk his bike to the finish after flatting on the course.)

Casey Clark, 39, placed 5th in his age group (male 35 to 39) in 1:23:33.
Tommy Sustala, 41, placed 7th in his age group (male 40 to 44) in 1:21:56
Craig Wakefield, 41, placed 8th in the same age group with a time of 1:23:06.
Rip Reynolds, 44, placed 9th in the same age group with a time of 1:23:25.
Steve Hardy, 44, placed 17th in the same age group with a time of 1:31:56.
(And Steve raced a half marathon the day before!)

Manuel Abascal, 43, placed 29th in the age group with a time of 1:46:13
Will Blackbird, 49, placed 14th in his age group (male 45 to 49) with a time of 1:35:30.
Kent Morris, 50, placed 4th in his age group (male 50 to 54) with a time of 1:24:27.
Mike Bard, 39, won the Clydesdale category with a time of 1:26:40.


Wow! What a fantastic showing by TEAM FSR!

On Sunday, February 21, nearly 400 people gathered to compete in the Run Wild Half Marthon at the Sam Houston Park in Houston. The three loop course on the Allen Parkway was flat, but weather conditions were humid. Winning the master's title and taking second overall was TEAM FSR member, Sharon Morin. Her winning time was 1:37. Deb Lyons also competed and took home her first age group win with a time of 1:54.

On February 14, thousands of people celebrated Valentine's Day by competing in the Austin Full and Half Marathon. 4,046 people finished the marathon and 8,502 finished the half marathon. Finish Strong athletes and friends were well represented at this event. Here are the results:

Marathon
Mike Bard 4:27:46
William Blount 4:43:15
Jed Beck 4:44:45
Casey Clark 3:58:37
Judith Clark 4:12:01
Mike Coleman 3:47:16
Allan D'Souza 3:50:14
Laura Gaddy 4:20:32
Scott Jaynes 5:07:50

Half Marathon
Alexandra Bouthillette 2:07:56
Paul Daly 1:59:47
Henrita Hanson 1:59:25
Steve Hardy 1:54:18
Jackie Lewis 2:00:37
Sabina Lorca 1:59:28
Kyle Mason 1:34:03

Congratulations to all the participants!

• Mike Bard, Half, 1:48:16
• Chris Hill, Half, 2:01:16
• Dana Lyons, Half, 1:21:57, 2nd in his age group
• Gavish Mago, Full, 4:01:27 - Gavish ran along side a friend for this marathon.
• Roger Mercier, Full, 4:40:49
• Scott Pinkston, Full, 4:39:59
• Tommy Sustala, Full, 3:43:47
• Rodrigo Abascal, Half, 1:36:11
• Deena Birdsong, Full, 5:54:59
• Casey Clark, Full, 3:48:24 - ran with his wife, Judith, who had an amazing race!
• Kristin Collins, Full, 3:49:49
• Jody Gaddy, Full, 3:47:38
• Jim Harrington, Full, 3:40:47 - overcame an injury to compete.
• Sharon Morin, Full, 3:29:04 - Another PR for Sharon!
• David Smart, Full, 4:13:13
• Cindy Weller, Half, 1:57:26
• Clint Bryant, Half, 1:35:55
• Buck Snyder, Full, 2:58:55 - 6:50 pace!
• John Williams, Full, 5:47:52
• Steve Hardy, Full, 4:17:54
• Michael Coleman, Full, 4:03:14
• Kathleen Craig, Full, 5:30:21
• Alan Neely, Full, 4:01:14
• Jimmy Baker, Full, 6:00
• Jed Beck, Full, 5:26:02
• Rich Cooper, Full, 4:37
• Jon Yarborough, Half, 2:02:18
• Max Bouthillette, full, 3:23:14
• Janet Luna, Half, 3:40:44

Congratulations to Finish Strong athletes who were ranked for the 2009 USAT/SMW region for duathlon and triathlon. Overall and top age group finishers will receive awards at the USAT/SMW annual awards banquet on February 27, 2010.

Dana Lyons won the top overall masters duathlete and the top male master's triathlete for 2009.

Lane Barron was top male 10-11 age group in duathlon and second in his age group for triathlon.
Hannah Barron was top female in her 12-13 age group and third in her age group for triathlon.
Katherine Barron placed 7th in her 14-15 age group in triathlon.
Carolyn Barron placed 5th in her 40-44 age group for duathlon and 47th in her age group for tri.

Rodrigo Abascal ranked 4th in his 16-17 age group for triathlon.

In the male 35-39 age group in triathlon, Tim Monk ranked 32nd, Michael Collins -- 48th, Buck Snyder -- 99th, Casey Clark -- 104th, and Mike Bard 153rd.

Tommy Sustala ranked 55th in his 40-44 age group in triathlon and Laura Gaddy ranked 58th in her 40-44 age group.

In the 45-49 age group in triathlon, Ed York ranked fifth, Tom Schwarzkopf - 60th, and Kyle Mays 61st.

David Holsey placed 18th and Richard Lewellen, 53rd, in the men's 60-64 triathlon age group.

To be eligible for the rankings an athlete must be a USAT annual member and have completed at least three USAT sanctioned races within the South-MidWest Region (Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Arkansas). Points are calculated from the athlete's three best performance with each event assigned a point value according to the level of competition that competed. All athletes are ranked by their age as of December 31, 2009.

For a complete list of rankings, please check out the January issue of Runner Triathlete News.

Another race venue for Finish Strong coached athletes this weekend was the Iron Star, a half ironman race, held in Montgomery on Sunday, November 8. Participants included Kent Morris, Jennifer Zambrano, Dave Moulthen, Rip Reynolds, and Jack Ladenheim.

Kent finished the 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, and 13.1 mile run in 5:31:14. He placed 9th in his age group. He swam the first leg in 46:31, biked in 2:48:58, and finished the half marathon in 1:50:48.

Dave Moulthen posted an overall time of 5:26:20 earning 7th place in his age group. He completed the swim in 39:41, the bike in 2:52:16, and the run in 1:51:65 at a solid 8:33 per mile pace.

Rip Reynolds finished 7th in his age group with a time of 5:35:28. His swim time was 45:09 followed by a steady 2:57:15 bike, and finishing strong with a 1:48:29 half marathon at a brisk 8:17 per mile pace.

Jack Ladenheim took 2nd in his age group with an overall time of 6:07:28. He flew through the water in 37:35, kept going on the bike to finish the 56 miles in 3:02:41, and completed the final half marathon in 2:22:32.

The participants were cheered on by other Finish Strong athletes who volunteered at various aid stations along the race course. Go team!

It was a busy weekend for Finish Strong coached athletes. Sharon Morin and Jody Gady competed in Houston at the HMSA 25K on November 8. The two athletes took on the three-loop race course as they prepare for the upcoming Houston Marathon in January.

Sharon and Jody ran together for the first two loops. Sharon finished third in her age group (45-49) and 93rd overall. Sharon posted a 1:57:54 25K.

Jody Gaddy finished 15th in his age group with a solid run of 2:01:36. Congrats, runners!!

Dana Lyons' coached athletes were in fabulous form at the recent Try Andy's Tri held on October 18. This sprint triathlon in Sugar Land features a 300-meter straight, point-to-point swim in First Colony Lake followed by a 10 mile bike and a 3-mile run. With a limit of 850 participants, this race is popular for first timers as well as multi-year returnees.

Two generations were well represented by the Molthens and Barrons. Dave Molthen came in first in his age group (45-49) and 10th overall at a time of 52:45. His son, Max, 14, came in third in his age group (10-14).

Carolyn Barron came in 5th for her age group (40-44). She finished in 1:07:50. Her son, Lane Barron, 10, was one of the youngest competitors. Lane came in 5th in the 10-14 year old age group with a time of 1:04:33.

Congrats to our multi-generation triathletes!

Thirty-nine people recently attended my "Nutrition and Hydration for Endurance Athlete" seminar held at TEKTONIC on Sunday, September 13.

I always hope that participants find the information helpful. Here's a sampling of feedback...

"I enjoyed your seminar very much as it represents an extremely important part of an endurance athletes training which is often overlooked. In my case, based on my age having a good understanding of proper nutrition and hydration makes all the difference between a good performance and a poor one. Sorry my nutrition coach (wife) could not have seen the seminar as she is trying her best to ensure I am properly fueled. I will look forward to your upcoming seminars." (Richard Lewellen)

"Great information on nutrition before,during and after the Race. I learned a lot about not to overdue it and be in tune with your body. Great insight from speaker on Ironman length events !! 1st hand experience. Will recommend!" (Patrick Sexton)

More seminars to come. Stay tuned!

Kudos to Finish Strong coached athletes Jim Harrington and Richard Lewellen who competed in the Austin Triathlon on Labor Day, September 7.

Jim Harrington, 45, competed in the Olympic distance 1500 meter swim/40K bike/10K run event. He placed 6th in his mammoth age group 62 deep of (45 to 49 year olds) and 69th overall in a field of nearly 650 age groupers. Jim had a particularly strong bike leg covering the 40K distance in just over 1:05.

Richard Lewellen, 65, competed in the Sprint distance 700 meter swim/27k bike/5K run event.
He placed 5th in his age group of die-hard 60 to 64 year olds. Richard had an excellent swim of just over 17:37 for the 700 meter.

Way to go!

The Woodlands Lady Highlanders Cross-Country Booster Club and team hosted the first high school meet of the school year on Friday night, August 28. We had over 1,700 athletes signed up to compete at Bear Branch Fields in The Woodlands.

After several years of heading up the event,
Cindy and Scott Andrews eagerly passed the torch of "Race Director" to me this year. But, fortunately, both stayed on to coordinate volunteers and help in countless other ways. Thank heavens!

At 8:30am, we had a great troop of eager and able-bodied volunteers doing the back wrenching work of setting up the course to accomodate the 2 mile and 2.8 mile course for the competing JV and Varsity boys' and girls' teams. Others were helping set up the concession stand under the competent direction of Martha Miller.

By 5pm, we were in the midst of signing up folks for the open race, helping coaches get their race packets, putting volunteers in place, checking the timing system, and all the countless other last minute chores. Things were coming together.

At 6:30 pm sharp the 2 mile open race was underway! My eighth grade daughter, Anna, was competing along with a slew of high school students and other adults from the community. We watched as the competitors made their way around the first loop of the course. At 6:38pm, a violent burst of wind snapped the tent for our timer and announcer. No one was harmed, but the timing clock was knocked over forcing us to announce times as the runners crossed the finish line.

The uncooperative weather persisted. Several streaks of lightning crossed the sky forcing a delay of the remaining races. More lightning forced the cancellation of the race much to the disappointment of the everyone -- athletes, coaches, spectators, and volunteers.

On a positive note, as a Race Director I'm so appreciative of all the effort and hard work that so many people put in to make a great race. Is it too early for me to ask for you to volunteer for next year's Friday Night Lights?

Hannah and Lane Barron continue their preparation for the USAT Jr National Championships with another winning performance at the Kiwanis Kids Triathlon.

The race was a 100 yard swim, 2 mile bike and a 1/2 mile run. Hannah was 3rd out of the water with a great swim and a blistering T1 to put her in 2nd place heading out onto the bike course. She raced aggressively on the bike and had a solid run to finish in 14:08 and claim 2nd overall in the girls 7-12 age group. She also beat all of the 7-12 year old boys (except her younger brother).

Lane was 2nd out of the water with a strong swim and also had a super fast T1 that allowed him to be first heading out onto the bike course. He never looked back lengthening his lead on both the bike and run to finish in 13:33, first overall and approximately 40 seconds up on the next male competitor.

This is nice pool swim tri that is great for those looking to do their first tri or just looking for a tri that the whole family can do.

The trip to Katy was worth for Kent Morris & his daughter Brittany as both had great races. This was Brittany's first tri and she ended up winning the female 14 & under age group and placed an awesome 140th overall (there were about 400 in the race). I believe Brit is being coached by dad. Kent placed 3rd in the 45-49 AG and 25th overall.

Kyle Mays placed 2nd the 45-49 AG (with the help of the fastest bike split in the AG) and 13 overall.

It was a busy weekend for Finish Strong athletes with multiple races taking place. In addition to my race up in Arkansas (see story below), others raced at Cap Tex (Olympic and Sprint distance race in Austin) and Combat Sprint (a pool swim sprint tri in Texas City).

Casey Clark and Jim Harrington raced the Olympic in Austin. Casey had the 67th fastest run (out of 1327 competitors) on his way to a 2:23:42 finishing time. Jim had a solid bike (142nd out of 1327) to clock a 2:26:40.

In the Sprint race, Lisa Tilton-McCarthy won her age group with the help of a blistering 21:59 5k which was the 29th fastest run (males included)!

At the Combat Sprint tri, Hannah Barron won the girls 14 and under title and her sister, Katherine placed 3rd. Lane Barron finish 3rd in the boys 14 and under. Lane, who is 10 years old, was 140th overall out of 275 competitors. Carolyn Barron (mom) had to work hard to say ahead of Hannah. Carolyn continues ti improve with each race.

Kent Morris was 5th in his AG (45-49) and 42nd overall while David Holsey was 4th in the 60-64 AG and 91st overall.

For those contemplating their first tri, the Combat Sprint with it's time-trial-start pool swim is an excellent race.

The Silverlake Sprint Triathlon is held in west Pearland on the south side of Houston and has become a popular early season sprint race. The bike is fairly technical with lot's of turns and if you are not paying attention, you can easily bike off course as a few did this year.

Finish Strong coached athletes Carloyn, Katherine and Hannah Barron participated in the Tri Girls Super Sprint triathlon on May 10 in Houston.

Hannah had a super strong swim beating both her mom and older sister out of the water. Carolyn's average speed of 19.4 mph on the bike was a personal best. Katherine raced well on her new tri bike averaging 19.2 mph and also had some fast transitions!

The Barron girls took home a lot of hardware! In the 10 - 14 age group Hannah placed 3rd beating out her older sister by a mere 8/10th's of a second. Carolyn placed 5th out of 53 in her age group to make it to the podium. Additionally, Carolyn and Hannah placed 1st in the Mother Daughter race category. What a great way to start out Mother's Day!

It was another great day for Finish Strong Coached athletes and coaches! Nine finished on the podium and 5 placed in the top 10 out of 944 participants. In all, 22 Finish Strong athletes participated in the the race.

First Place in Age Group

• Tim Monk, 35-39, 7th overall
• Ed York, 45-49, 9th overall
• Mike Bard, under 40 Clydesdale
  

Second in Age Group

Richard Mac Namee, 40-44, 5th overall

Tom Schwarzkopf, 45-49, 15th overall

Third in Age Group

Jm Harrington 45-49 19th overall

Rodrigo Abascal 15-19 58th overall

First Female Overall

• Michelle LeBlanc 2nd overall

First Master

• Dana Lyons 3rd overall
  

In the 45-49 age group, Finish Strong athletes also placed 4th and 5th.

A vast majority of local triathletes, and many Finish Strong athletes, competed in one of three races held this past weekend in Galveston. The Lonestar Triathlon Festival offered a Sprint race on Saturday, and a Quarter and Half Ironman on Sunday. The three races drew over 2400 participants (974 in the Sprint, 795 in the Quarter and 638 in the Half)!

In the Sprint tri, Rodrigo Abascal placed 5th in the under 18 age group (and 34th overall) with a time of 1:11:23. Richard Mac Namee, associate Finish Strong Coach, placed 3rd overall with a blistering time of 1:01:47.

Tim Monk has taken some time from his training for Kona to race a few shorter races early in the season including the Quarter distance in Galveston. He still showed some good speed by placing 2nd in his age group and 5th overall with a time of 2:13:20. Deb Crawford raced well in her first Quarter distance race with a time of 3:34:18.

In the Half Ironman race, Tommy Sustala led the way for Finish Strong coached athletes with a time of 4:52:31 which placed him 8th in his age group and 54th overall. Tommy’s time was a 35 minute PR! Jim Harrington (5:12:07 and pictured above), Kyle Mays (5:20:54), David Molthen (5:22:56) and Brian Waldrop (6:44:01 in his first HIM) also did well.

Finish Strong Athletes dominate at the local Ironstar Triathlon. Race morning temperatures greet the nearly 400 competitors but the sun was out the the temperatures quickly climbed into the 70's by the time most were on the run course.

Finish Strong coached athletes had some great performances. Michelle LeBlanc was the 1st women and 3rd finisher overall in a stellar time of 4:32:43. Michelle capped off her race with a 1:29:50 run over a hilly course. Lisa Tilton won her age group in a time of 5:37:35 and was the 9th women to cross the line despite stopping to help a fellow triathlete who had a flat out on the course.

On the men's side, Walt Yarrow set a PR finishing in 5:08:15 which was good for a 5th place AG finish and 21st male across the line. Walt has been working on his run and it showed! He had a 1:43:15 which was 3rd fastest in his AG. Casey Clark and Phillip DePrang were competing in their first half ironman race. Casey finished with a 5:24:09 while Phillip with a 6:35:57.