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.