Dallas White Rock Half Marathon

Team FSR athletes Jackie Lewis and David Smart took on the Dallas White Rock Half Marathon on December 13 along with a field of 6,000 competitors. Jackie finished the 13.1 miles in under 2 hours in a time of 1:59. Jackie placed in the top 19% of her age group.

Jackie said, "Overall, I was extremely pleased with my results. At the beginning of this year, I would have never thought I could achieve this. Thanks, Dana."

David ran the half marathon as a training run for the upcoming marathon. David finished in 1:54:44. His overall pace was 8:34 per mile.

Congrats, Jackie and David!!

ARC Decker Challenge Half Marathon

Finish Strong athlete Craig Wakefield competed in the ARC Decker Challenge Half Marathlon in Austin on December 6. Craig finished in a time of 1:42. Congrats, Craig!

California International Marathon

The California International Marathon was held on December 6 in Sacramento. Representing Finish Strong Coaching in a stellar manner was Gavish Mago. Gavish ran a 2:55:45 marathon finishing 32nd in the men's 25-29 age group and 162nd overall. His overall pace was 6:42 per mile. He passed the half marathon mark at 1:27:48. Outstanding race, Gavish!!

Run through the Woods

Over 5,000 athletes made their way to the starting line for the Run Through the Woods 5 mile run/3 mile/1 mile race in The Woodlands. Lots of Finish Strong coached athletes were among the crowd in the 5 mile run.

Here's some of the Finish Strong athletes participated in the 5 mile race.

Sharon Morin 35:11.3 2nd overall female masters. PR!!

Allan Richardson 29:18.8 1st in 50-54

Dana Lyons 29:25.9 2nd in 50-54
Hannah Monk 49:45.8 2nd 10 and under (Tim's daughter)

Anna Lyons 39:57.8

Margo Lyons 33:34.5 5th in 15 to 19 age group

Christelle Gigant 34:07.8 2nd in 30 to 34

Shannon Strole 41:21.8

Kristin Collins 39:27.9

Casey Clark 32:21.2 8th in 35-39 age group

Randy Barron 43:07.6

Laura Gaddy 40:21.5 11th in 40 -44 age group

Jackie Lewis 43:01.4

Kristie Chandler 42:52.3

Carolyn Barron 43:15.5

Janet Luna 50:54.2

Richard Mac Namee 33:09.9 5th in 40-44 age group in his combat boots!

Chris Hill 33:37.4 19th in 40 to 44 age group

Jody Gaddy 34:34.5

Deb Lyons 41:35.3 10th in 45-49

Cindy McMannis 46:50.6

Deena Birdsong 48:58.8

Cassandra Mays 48:50.2

David Smart 39:35.9

Jed Beck 42:17.1

Rich Cooper 43:05.5

Jimmy Baker 54:31.5

Mark Tefft 45:20.5

Scott Lebsack 43:24.8 7th in 60 to 64 age group

Dave Holsey 44:15.9 9th in 60 to 64 age group

3 Mile Run participants

Hannah Barron 22:19.9 2nd in 12 to 13 age group. And she's only 11!

Lane Barron 21:25 9th in 12 to 13 age group. And he's only 10!

What a great way to start off Thanksgiving! Congrats to all!

Ironman Arizona

The sixth running Ford Ironman Arizona took place Sunday, November 22 in Tempe, Arizona and the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. Just over 2,400 athletes undertook the 2.4 mile swim, 112-mile bike, and 26.2 mile run. Among them were TEAM FSR athletes Tommy Sustala, Jim Harrington, Michael Collins, Tom Schwartzkopf, Marshall McGinnis, and Kyle Mays.

Tommy Sustala had a PR of 11:04:43 and improvement of 17 minutes over his Ironman Arizona 2008 race. Tommy completed the swim in 57:37, had a blisteringly fast bike in 5:19 and trudged through the final marathon in 4:38:49.

Another veteran ironman was Jim Harrington who posted his second sub 11 hour Ironman coming in at 10:59:47! Jim swam the 2.4 mile course in 1:06:58, biked a solid 5:32:58, and ran a 4:11:16 final marathon.

Another veteran who posted a sub 11 hour Ironman was Michael Collins who finished in 10:54:18. Michael finished the swim in 1:18:27, biked 5:20:48, and ran the final leg in 4:06:29.

First time Ironman Tom Schwartzkopf finished in just 11:16:18. Tom had a strong 59:03 swim, 5:55:14 bike, and finished strong with a 4:11:37 marathon.

Marshall McInnis was another first time Ironman. Marshall finished the challenging event in 12:48:07. He logged a 1:04:46 swim, a 6:08:44 bike, and 5:15:32 run.

First timer Kyle Mays persevered and crossed the finish line in 13:48:27. Kyle posted a 1:23:19 swim, a 6:06:40 bike and a 5:56:35 run.

Congrats -- you each worked hard to earn the Ironman title!

Rock and Roll San Antonio Marathon and 1/2

Featuring a scenic course and ideal temperatures in the mid-60s, the San Antonio Rock and Roll Marathon and Half Marathon was the place to be on November 15. It was a great day for TEAM FSR runner Gavish Mago. Gavish, 29, posted a 1:24:42 half marathon placing 12th in his age group (25-29). He came in 63rd out of the 20,067 runners who completed the 13.1 mile race. Way to go Gavish!!

Also, Rodrigo Abascal competed in the half marathon. See photo to the right. He met his goal time by completing the event in 1:34:52. Well

done!

Iron Star Half Ironman

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!

HMSA Classic 25K

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!!

Ironman Florida

Four Finish Strong coached athletes completed the Ford Ironman Florida race on Saturday, November 7.

Mike Bard blew away his goal of 14:30 and finished in under 12 hours at 11:56:09. Mike swam the 2.4 miles in 1:04:25, biked 112 miles in 5:28, and finished the final marathon in 5:08:05.

Todd Gibson shaved almost an hour and a half off his last Ironman and finished Ironman Florida in 12:06:24. Todd posted a 1:08:32 swim, a 5:45:11 bike, and a 5:00:33 marathon.

Michael Lechtenberg crossed the finish line in 13:20:01. He had a strong swim at 1:06:22, biked an average of 16.9mph for a time of 6:37:35 and completed the grueling 26.2 miles in 5:19:38.

Casey Clark overcame sea sickness when faced with 5 to 6' swells and finished the tumultuous 2.4 mile swim in 1:19:40. He managed to cover 112 miles on his bike in 5:58:44. Casey refused to give up and finished the final marathon in 6:31:05.

Ride for the Roses

Lance Armstrong (L) with Finish Strong coached athlete, Dave Holsey, at recent Ride for the Roses in Austin. Proceeds benefited the Live Strong foundation.

Core Conditioning Seminar

Thirty people attended the "Core Conditioning" seminar presented by Finish Strong Associate Coach Richard Mac Namee at Bike Lane on Sunday, November 1. Participants learned the importance of strength training and how to easily incorporate core conditioning into their weekly training program.

Ironman World Championships Kona, Hawaii

Tim Monk enjoyed the race of his life at the Ironman Championships in Kona, Hawaii on October 10. Tim described the event as "one of the most humbling experiences in my life."

For more details, check out Tim's race report at http://timothymonk.com/

You rock, Tim!

Houston Half Marathon

The Houston Half Marathon, the first race of the 2009 Marathon Warm-up Series, was held in downtown Houston on Sunday, October 25. Once again, Dana Lyons coached athletes made their presence known.

Gavish Mago, 29, came in 3rd our of 117 in in his competitive 25-29 age group. Gavish clocked a 1:24:34 half marathon at a brisk 6:28 per mile pace. What a performance!

Cindy Weller, 35, posted a 2:05:20 half marathon. Cindy finished 50th out of 206 in her age group. She kept up a 9:34 average per mile pace. Way to go!

Austin 70.3

The Austin 70.3 (Half Ironman) was held October 25. Jim Harrington and Craig Wakefield finished this challenging half ironman with good performances. Jim, 45, came in 16th in his age group (181st overall). Jim swam the first leg in 32:51, biked 2:40:29 at a brisk 20.9mph pace, then finished the final half marathon in 1:48:01 at an 8:15 pace. His overall time was 5:08:16.

Craig Wakefield came in 85th in his age group (469th overall). Craig, 40, had the 10th fastest swim in his age group finishing the first leg in 30:24. He powered through the bike in 2:40:20 at a 21 mph pace. He kept on going to compete the final half marathon in 2:20:25 at a 10:43 per mile pace. His overall time was 5:37:40.

Congrats!

Marine Corps Marathon

Nearly 21,000 people crossed the finish line at the Marine Corps Marathon held in Washington D.C. on October 25. Among them were Woodlands residents and coached athletes Scott Brian and Roger Mercier. Scott, 48, completed the 26.2 mile race in 4:05:05 finishing in the top fourth (5,330 out of 20,936 finishers). Roger, 62, finished in 5:02:39 - placing 115th in his age group. Congrats to both runners!

Firethorne Sprint Triathlon

Beautiful weather was enjoyed by many Dana Lyons' coached athletes who competed in local races this weekend. One such venue was the Firethorne Sprint Triathlon in Katy, Texas held Sunday, October 25. The course distance was 500 meter swim/15 mile bike/3 mile run.

Rodrigo Abascal, 16, came in first in his age group and 6th overall. Rodrigo pushed the pedals at an average speed of 21.6mph over the 15 mile course and completed the final run in 19:34 at a 6:31 pace. His overall time was 1:11:07.

David Kayda, 35, came in 6th in his age group and 35th overall with a time of 1:13:40. He posted a bike of 42:28 for an average 21.2mph pace. David finished strong with a 6:30 pace run completing 3 miles in just 19:31.

Kent Morris, 49, came in 3rd in his age group and 22nd overall with a finishing time of 1:12:04.
Kent had the fastest run in his age group posting a 19:58 3 mile at a speedy 6:39 per mile pace. He had hte fourth fastest bike at 39:20 at a strong 22.9mph pace.

A friendly rivalry was sparked by the Barron family who divided themselves into two relay teams to race the Firethorne Tri. Parents vs. kids. Carolyn and Randy formed a 2-person relay team and their kids, Lane, Hannah, and Katherine formed a 3-person team.

It was close but the kids team edged out their parents with an overall time of 1:20:38 vs 1:24:18.

Try Andy's Triathlon

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!

Nike Women’s Marathon 2009: Return of the Cowbell

By Kristin Collins

In late March, our bank account was charged for one entry to the Nike Women’s Marathon. I had submitted my name in the lottery and got in! This would make my 12th marathon and 4th NWM race. The next six and a half months were spent in preparation for the hills of San Francisco! We arrived in San Francisco on Saturday afternoon, stopped briefly at the race expo and then headed to Niketown where four floors of merchandise awaited me. Ahhh…I was in heaven!!!

20,000 people, mostly women, lined up at race start on Sunday, October 18th. More than 15, 000 of them registered for the half marathon with just under 5,000 running/walking in the full. Temperatures at race start were in the low 50’s- perfect conditions for a race! Michael stayed with me near my starting corral offering Gu, Power Bar Gel Blasts, granola bars, water, a little cowbell, and words of encouragement. After a brief meltdown and the usual “what was I thinking??”, I started to get really nervous!! The gun went off at 7:00 and we headed through downtown to the water front and the Embarcadero. Running past the piers and tourist areas, I settled into my pace.

The first small hill greeted runners at the 3 mile mark followed by the uphill entrance to Fort Mason at mile 4. I remembered this area from last year and the hills were still tough! The sound of cowbells took my mind off the hills: Michael had to be around here somewhere. Sure enough, to my left, a bicycle- riding Michael came zooming down the road yelling my name and clanking the cowbell. He was able to stay near me for the majority of the race, ringing that stupid cowbell. I started to welcome the silence of running alone and then the cowbell would ring again.

Next up was the incline from mile 6-10. There was a 295’ elevation gain from mile 6.2-7.2 . Straight back down to under 150’ at mile 8 and then back up to 295’ at mile 9.6. After that, we headed downhill towards the water, passing The Cliffhouse. Clank-Clank goes the cowbell. Taking a left hand turn into Golden Gate Park, miles 11-15 were uphill again…and then back down. More cowbell. After leaving Golden Gate Park at mile 16, we took a left onto the Great Highway and headed towards the SF Zoo. The open road meant easier spectator/bicycle access and lots more cowbell. We then made a left on Skyline Drive and headed out for the loop around the lake. Lake Merced was on my right and we had to run around the entire lake before coming back to the Great Highway. This is always the toughest part of the course for me because the hill running starts to take a toll on my legs and I start to get really tired of the cowbell!

I had to constantly check my Garmin to make sure my pace wasn’t slipping. I felt like I had a fast leg turnover, but the Garmin didn’t lie- I needed to pick it up!! I started making short term goals for myself- run to the next red light and see how the pace is. Okay, done. Now, run to the street light waaaaayyyy up there. Okay, done. Up next: The Ghiardelli Chocolate Mile- YAY! Usually chocolate sounds good, but for I was tired of the sweet flavors of Gu and Gatorade. My thoughts were to get the chocolate and hand it to Michael so he could enjoy it. After missing the first two volunteers handing out the chocolate bars, there was one last hope- as I grabbed the chocolate out of the hand of the last volunteer, he pulled his hand away before I had a decent grip and I dropped the chocolate bar. Nooooooo!!!! I couldn’t stop to pick it up because it would be too difficult to start running again. Clank-Clank goes the cowbell again.

The wind picked up as I made the final left turn onto The Great Highway. Nothing like running uphill into a head wind with dead legs!! One more uphill to mile 24 and then literally, the last 2.2 miles were all downhill. My legs hurt, my quads really hurt, my calves were cramping up and I was ready to stop running. Two more miles. Michael had gone ahead to the finish line so I was alone. Hang in there. You got this. Don’t stop now. I started to miss the cowbell.

Looking to my right, across the road, a steady stream of runners were still heading out to Lake Merced. What a relief to be heading to the finish line. I started focusing on people in front of me to pass and picked them off one by one. The roads started to become more populated with spectators and I drew strength from their encouraging words - “You’ve got this!” “Stay Strong!”, “ Keep Running!” “Way to Go, 4804!”. The crowds became more dense and then suddenly, up ahead was the Finish Line Banner. YESSSSSS!!! Looking at the finish clock, it became reality that I was going to fall short of my marathon goal. I finished in 3:56:14- my fourth sub-four marathon in a row, which for me, is still exciting. Next, I was handed a blue Tiffany’s box by a good looking Fireman wearing a black tuxedo. What a great way to end a race!! Michael and the cowbell were there to give me a big hug at the finish line.

Time for a little recovery and back to training. Up next: The Houston Marathon!!

Du the Bear Duathlon

Du the Bear Duathlon, 2m/12m/2m event was held at Bear Creek Park in west Houston on October 11. Finish Strong was well represented by David Kayda, Rip Reynolds; Rodrigo Abascal; Lane, Hannah, and Carolyn Barron.

David Kayda came in 3rd in his age group and 10th overall with a time of 1:00:29. He ran his first 2 miles in 12:04 (6:02 pace),then had a strong bike (3rd in his age group) at 34:02 (an amazing 21.2 mps) and then finished strong with the second fastest final run in his age group at 12:39.

Rip Reynolds, 43, posted an amazing time of 1:03:12 coming in 4th in his age group and 24th overall. Running the first leg of the race in 12:39 at a 6:20 per mile pace, followed by a 35:06 bike leg at an average of 20.5 mph, then really finishing strong with the final run (2nd fastest in his age group) at 13:14.

Rodrigo Abascal, 16, came in second in his age group and 19th overall completing his duathlon in 1:02:15. Rodrigo ran his first leg at a fast 6:03 per mile pace to finish in 12:05. Although the results were not posted for his bike, he hammered on the bike to complete the 12 miles in just under 37 minutes. Rodrigo finished his final run in 13:16 at a 6:38mph pace.

Lane Barron, 10, finished 3rd in his under 14 age group and 73rd overall with a time of 1:10:23. Lane ran hard to complete his first 2 miles in 14:16 at a 7:08 per mile pace. He had a strong bike finishing in 39:16 at a 18.3 mile pace. Lane toughed out the last 2 miles in 15:26 at a solid 7:43 mile pace.

Lane's sister, Hannah, won her age group 14 and under with an overall time of 1:15:52. Hannah, 12, had the fastest first and second runs in her age group. She sprinted through her first two miles at 14:40 at a 7:20 per mile pace. Then Hannah cruised on her bike to complete the 12 miles in 44:18 at 16.3mph. Her final triumphant run was 14:57 - just 7 seconds off her initial run time.

Lane and Hannah's mom, Carolyn Barron, also represented Finish Strong well by placing 5th in her competitive age group and 149th overall with a time of 1:17:40. Carolyn ran her first 2 miles in 16:31 at a healthy 8:16 mile clip. She really came on strong for the bike (4th in her age group) in 40:48 at a 17.6mph pace. Carolyn brought it home with a final run of 18:46.

Congrats to all finishers! Feel free to post your comments.

Ten for Texas

We had delightfully cool weather for the Ten for Texas race on Saturday, October 10 in The Woodlands. Congrats to all our athletes!!

Christopher Hill Time: 01:11:20 AG: 14 Overall: 99

Gavish Mago Time: 01:02:51 AG: 2 Overall: 15

Roger Mercier Time: 01:24:33 AG: 8 Overall: 413

Brian Waldrop Time: 01:47:52 AG: 117 Overall:1217

Rodrigo Abascal Time: 01:09:52 AG: 3 Overall: 75

Deena Birdsong Time: 01:48:43 AG: 76 Overall: 1232

Casey Clark Time: 01:07:13 AG: 11 Overall: 39

Kristin Collins Time: 01:24:18 AG: 28 Overall: 410

Jody Gaddy Time: 01:10:43 AG: 11 Overall: 92

Jim Harrington Time: 01:11:22 AG:15 Overall: 100

Kyle Mays Time: 01:10:19 AG: 13 Overall: 82

Sharon Morin Time: 01:11:54 AG: 2 Overall: 106

Rip Reynolds Time: 01:09:34 AG: 7 Overall: 68

Bret Strong Time: 01:13:13 AG: 21 Overall: 128

Ed York Time: 01:06:48 AG: 6 Overall: 37

Angela Francis Time: 01:31:52 AG: 47 Overall: 681

John Williams Time: 01:57:23 AG: 19 Overall: 1384

Jimmy Baker Time: 01:56:01 AG: 111 Overall: 1363

Chris Allen Time: 01:24:18 AG: 20 Overall: 411

Jennifer Anthony 01:10:34 AG: 4 Overall: 89

Jed Beck Time: 01:26:56 AG: 68 Overall: 501

Liz Berry Time: 01:33:51 AG: 32 Overall: 750

Clint Bryant Time: 01:12:26 AG: 22 Overall: 113

Rose Mary Bundscho 01:48:00 AG: 14 Overall: 1219

Judith Clark Time: 01:30:50 AG: 41 Overall: 641

Rich Cooper Time: 01:26:16 AG: 66 Overall: 478

Kathleen Craig Time: 01:49:16 AG: 102 Overall: 1245

Paul Daly Time: 01:27:32 AG: 61 Overall: 522

Phillip Deprang Time: 01:16:18 AG: 7 Overall: 172

Joe Eubanks Time: 01:46:34 AG: 85 Overall: 1190

Lori Eubanks Time: 2:24:47 AG: 112 Overall: 1505

Walter Fitzgerald Time: 01:25:19 AG: 39 Overall: 441

Laura Gaddy Time: 01:33:30 AG: 50 Overall: 744

Christelle Gigant Time: 01:11:13 AG: 4 Overall: 97

Henrita Hanson Time: 01:29:52 AG: 31 Overall: 608

Steve Hardy Time: 01:33:10 AG: 87 Overall: 724

Leigh Ann Jordan 01:44:22 AG: 121 Overall: 1120

Charles Knific Time: 01:20:49 AG: 42 Overall: 297

Scott Lebsack Time: 01:34:59 AG: 10 Overall: 797

Deb Lyons Time: 01:27:01 AG: 16 Overall: 505

Debbie McNeely Time: 01:43:14 AG: 63 Overall: 1089

Alan Neely Time: 01:21:21 AG: 40 Overall: 312

Chris Normyle Time: 01:22:48 AG: 33 Overall: 355

Bill Oliver Time: 01:15:16 AG: 27 Overall: 155

Meghan Scank Time: 01:35:28 AG: 34 Overall: 828

Peggy Snedden Time: 01:25:46 AG: 8 Overall: 459

Rick Strole Time: 01:23:49 AG: 43 Overall: 392

Shannon Strole Time: 1:23:04 AG: 17 Overall: 369

Jon Yarborough Time: 01:28:22 AG: 58 Overall: 561

Jennifer Zambrano Time: 01:15:50 AG: 7 Overall: 166

Woo hoo! Way to go!

IronKids Nationals

By Carolyn Barron

IronKids Nationals were held in Tucson (Oro Valley), Arizona on Sunday, October 4, 2009. Hannah and Lane both qualified for the race last month in Alpharetta, GA. Sunday morning was beautiful- cool and sunny- a perfect day for racing. The distance for the intermediate age group was a 150 meter pool swim, a 4 mile bike and a 1 mile run.

Hannah, 11, had a great race! She swam well, made up lots of time on her bike leg (4/17) in her age group and finished up with a strong run of 7:23 which placed her in 5th.

Lane, 10, also had a solid swim, rode hard on the bike (ranking 1/19) in his age group and even though he did not have his best run he was able to also place 5th which was a podium finish!

Overall, they both had good races and did well competing against some of the fastest youth triathletes in the country.

Meat Pie Tri

By Deb Lyons

MEAT PIE TRI you say? Here's the history.

You probably can't spell or pronounce it, but might remember Natchitoches (NACK-uh-tush) from Steel Magnolias or when Oprah Winfrey declared it the Best Little Town in the Whole USA! Louisianians knew about this quaint historic town long before the stars arrived. Since the 1700's it's been home to the famous Natchitoches Meat Pie, when street vendors chanted Hotta meat pies!

This year former Ironman Champ, Peter Reid, was on hand to encourage the participants. Among them were Dana Lyons and Kent Morris. Both enjoyed themselves and even sampled the famous meat pies offered post-race. Meat Pie Tri began at 7am on Sunday, September 27 with a very spectator friendly 1/2 mile swim in Cane River Lake. Then out of T1 up a short steep incline onto Front Street for a 20 mile out and back ride over some light rolling terrain. Participants racked their bikes and headed out of T2 up the steps of the Riverbank for a 5K under the beautiful canopy of oaks along the lake.

Dana finished the race in 1:24:27 placing 3rd overall and top masters. Dana had the fourth strongest bike at 50:22 for the 20mile leg. His run was the sixth fastest overall at 19:34 for the 5K run. Kent finished 3rd in his age group with a time of 1:35:19. In his age group, Kent had the third fastest at 15:21 for the 1/2 mile distance, the second fastest bike at 54:33, and the third fastest run at 22:30. Way to go!

USAT Halfmax Redman Triathlon Championship

The USAT Halfmax Redman Triathlon Championships was held September 19 in Oklahoma City. The event was a half Ironman distance with 1.2 mile swim/56 mile bike/13.1 mile run.

The race was delayed due to rain. Competitors had to dismount their bikes during the bike leg and wade through 14 inches of rain. Still 574 competitors managed to finish the race - 152 female and 422 male.

Finish Strong coached athletes had a good showing. Tommy Sustala and Mike Bard both posted PRs at this race.

Tommy Sustala, 49, came in 10th in his age group of 75 competitors, 45th of all 421 males. Tommy swam the 1.2 mile swim in 26:49, biked 56 miles in 2:31:54 and ran a fast half marathon in 1:44:11 for an overall time of 4:48:05.

Kyle Mays, 46, finished the half ironman championship race in 5:06:16. Kyle came in 20th out of 50 competitors in his age group and 127 out of 422 males. Kyle completed the swim in 32:55, the bike in 2:40:55 and the final half marathon in 1:47:54.

Mike Bard came in 5:15:13 setting a PR and placing 3rd in the Clydesdale division. Mike swam a solid 29:41 swim, completed the bike leg in 2:37:53 and final half marathon in 2:04:17.

Grand Prairie Half Iron Man

By Tom Schwartzkopf

Everyone loves good pictures of a tough race. This is the Prairie Man Half Iron race at Joe Poole Lake in Grand Prairie Texas. This was my toughest race this year in both distance and overcoming adversity. The word of the day today was "adapt". It rained all day and night before the race. The rain never let up during the day but that made for cool temperatures.

Here I am coming in after completing the 1.2 mile swim. The waves were tough to overcome and made navigation difficult. My plan was to relax and enjoy the swim. I did have fun but the waves, wind and current conditions made the swim difficult. A few swimmers were brought in by boat due to the tough conditions.

Look at the fat guy. I missed the swim exit by a few yards and had to run back to the water exit point. It was another lonely exit for me as few people wanted to stay out in the rain waiting for everyone to come in.

I can't help but look back and see how I fared with my competition. I did well on the swim and came out of the water in first place.


Here I am exiting the transition area prior to the bike ride. As you can see, the rain is coming down pretty hard. The roads were slick and slowed everyone down. The bike course was shortened from 56 miles to 42 miles. I did have a setback on the bike by falling down on the course. I'm ok but my bike is still in the shop.


This is me in the center of the photo at mile 2 on the run. The rain made it nice and cool for a long run.


The only real draw-back to all this rain is running in wet shoes.


I finished the 13.1 mile run averaging 9:41 per mile. Not my best but I was able to keep the pace for the entire run. My goals for the race were to finish without stopping to rest and to validate a nutrition plan.

Another long race under my belt. I was feeling good but also tired. My final time was 4:51:49. This is my last race before heading to Arizona in November. Ironman Arizona is twice as long as this race and is truly an endurance event. As always, my goals are to finish the race without stopping and having fun. For me, these are personal challenges but I also enjoy the friendly competition I have with the many friends I have in this sport. I will keep you posted on my progress. Ironman Arizona will take place on November 22nd.

Nutrition and Hydration Seminar

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!

PrairieMan Half Ironman

Two Finish Strong Athletes Tom Schwarzkopf and Michael Lechtenberg finished a grueling Half Ironman in Grand Prairie, TX on September 13.

According to Tom, the weather was nasty with constant rain, cold temperatures, flooded roads. The surf was so high and the wind so fierce that several swimmers had to be rescued. The slick roads led to treacherous conditions for the bike. Blown down course signs on the final run lead many to run extra mileage.

Despite these brutal conditions, Tom and Mike managed to finish the race. Tom in 4:51:49 and and Mike in 4:57:45.

Tom's final analysis,"Overall, I'm happy that I finished the entire race without stopping…or quitting."

IronKids Alpharetta Race

Submitted by Carolyn BarronHannah and Lane Barron competed in the IronKids Alpharetta (Atlanta, GA) race on Sunday, September 13. This was the largest kids’ race we’ve ever seen much less participated in. Almost 900 kids ages 6-15 were registered.

Hannah competed in the 11-year old female category which had a total of 38 girls. She had a solid 150 meter swim, a super 4 mile bike on a course with some long hills (2nd fastest bike split in her age group) and a good run (3rd fastest run) to claim the 2nd place in her age group!

Lane also raced well in the 10 year old male category and completed his swim easily, rode hard on the bike (fastest bike split of all 66 ten-year old males) and finished strong with the fastest run split of all his 10-year old male competitors as well! He placed 1st in his age group.

This race qualified both to race at IronKids nationals in Tucson, Arizona in October. Watch out …here we come!

Clear Lake International Triathlon - Olympic & Sprint

Five Finish Strong coached athletes (L to R) Tim Monk, Kyle Mays, Tommy Sustala, Rodrigo Abascal and Mike Bard (not pictured) have award winning performances at the recent Clear Lake International Triathlon held on August 22.

Tim Monk was the overall winner of the Clear Lake Triathlon Olympic distance open race. Tim finished the 1.5k/40k/10k race in 2:05:33. He finished the swim in 21:10, the bike in 59:55 and the final run in 42:06 at a brisk 6:47 pace.

Kyle Mays placed second in his 45 to 49 age group in the Olympic distance. Kyle had the second fastest run and completed the race in 2:25:45.

Mike Bard placed second in the Clydesdale group in the Olympic distance. Mike finished in 2:27:49. He had a strong swim at 24:04 and bike at just 1:01:15.

Tommy Sustala came in third in the enormous 40 to 44 age group in the Olympic distance. He finished in 2:16:38 with the fastest swim in his age group of just 21:40.

In the Sprint distance race, Rodrigo Abascal won his 15 to 19 year old age group and placed 10th overall! Rodrigo had the fastest run and bike in his age group and the second fastest swim. He swam the .75K distance in 11:50, completed the 30K bike in a blistering 47:37 at a 23.4 mph pace, and finished strong with a 21:12 5K run at a 6:50 pace.

Special thanks to Irasema (Rodrigo's mom) for snapping these photos at Clear Lake.

Tuesday Night Track Group!

The Tuesday Night Track program continues to grow. We recently did a 1,600 and 3,000 time trial. Based on the time trial, we each learned our VDOT that helps us with our training intensities for different paces and distances.