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.