Sugarland 30K

Finish Strong runners Leo and Julio Morales (pictured directly above), Quinci Morales, Jose Contreras, Sandy Vasser, Brandon Sager, Colleen Sager, Mike Menster, Skip Moschell (pictured at top), Jessica Menendez, Scott Pinkston and Rich Cooper all enjoyed good performances at the recent Sugarland 30K held on December 11.

Several of the athletes were using this race as a training run, but many still managed podium finishes.

Brandon Sager took 2nd in his 25-29 AG in a time of 2:03:44(6:39/M pace).
His wife, Colleen, crossed the line in 3:00:47.

Jessica Menendez also captured 2nd in her 35-39 AG. Jessica finished in 2:20:56 (7:35/M pace). She blew away her pace from last year and credits the difference with her training with Finish Strong Coaching.

Michael Menster took 6th in his competitive 40-44 AG in 2:06:21 (6:48/M pace).
Also in the 40-44 AG was Scott Pinkston who finished in 2:52:51 in (9:18/M pace).

Skip Moschell took 4th in his 50-54 AG in 2:09:21 (6:57/M pace).

Leo Morales finished in 2:25:07 at a 7:48 per mile pace. Leo's brother, Julio, was close behind finishing in 2:37:43 at 7:56 per mile pace. Leo's daughter, Quinci came in 3rd in her AG with a time of 3:01:26.

Jose Contreras finished in 3:00:45 achieving negative splits. Sandy Vasser(who raced both Saturday and Sunday) finished in 2:42:56. Rich Cooper crossed the finish in 3:15:21.

Congrats runners!

IM 70.3 Asia-Pacific

Finish Strong Racing's Buck Snyder participated in the Asia-Pacific 70.3 race held in Phuket, Thailand on December 2. Held at the resort of Laguna Phuket, the event provided a very challenging course set along a picturesque tropical paradise.

Buck swam the 1.9 kilometer course in 41:49. The 90 kilometer bike course was so steep that he actually had to get off his bike during certain points, but he was still able to complete the course in 3:10:07. He made up time on his competition by running the final half marathon (21.1K) in 1:47:19. His overall time was 5:46:01.

Congratulations, Buck!

Delaware Marathon

Christelle Gigant had a fabulous race at the Delaware marathon. She represented Finish Strong Racing well by finishing 2nd in her age group and 4th female overall in a time of 2:20. We can't wait to see the pics! Hurray for Christelle!!

Jingle Bell Houston 5 mile race

TOTAL Jingle Bell 5 mile run was held in Houston on December 11. Three Finish Strong athletes -- Rusty Davis, Kirk Langford, and Terry Peppers -- were among the over 1,000 runners who finished this holiday race.

Terry Peppers came in 8th in his AG and finished in 35:03 at a brisk 7:01/M pace.
Rusty Davis kept up a 7:52/mile pace to finish in 39:21. Kirk Langford maintained a steady 9:09/mile pace to finish in 45:44. Well done!

Run Girl Half Marathon

Aubrey Young finishes 3rd in her AG at the recent Run Girl Half marathon!

Suzanne Young overcomes injury to run a PR race at Run Girl. (above middle)

Finish Strong Coaching gals were looking confident at the recent Run Girl Half Marathon held on Sunday, December 11 in Humble. Aubrey Young placed 3rd in her 14 and under age group with a time of 1:55:40 (a PR by 5 minutes!)

Suzanne Young ran in a time of 2:15:43 which is also a PR by 6 minutes! (Just imagine what Suzanne will achieve when she is injury-free!)

Tammy Grado finished in 2:00:49. Katherine Powell finished 18th in her AG with a time of 2:16:31.

Amanda Fails completed her first half marathon in 2:45:15.8. Way to go!

Rock 'N Roll Vegas Marathon and Half Marathon

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Marathon and Half-Marathon were held at night on Sunday, December 4, 2011. The event attracted 44,000 official entrants from all 50 states and 54 countries. Among them were Finish Strong's Susie Schreiber, Javier Noyola, Mary Kerschbaum, Karyn Perugini and Scott Lowery.

Susie completed the half marathon in 1:55:52. Javier's time was 2:04:57. Karyn posted a PR in 2:09:38. Mary finished in 2:21:28. Scott ran the full marathon in 3:55:52. Good job, everyone! Any pics?

Ironman Cozumel

Finish Strong triathlete Greg Gibbons proved his mettle at the recent Ironman Cozumel where he finished in an amazing 10:52:26. Greg swam the 1.2 mile course in 1:03:14. He biked a solid 5:30:14. And finished the day with a 4:08:49 marathon. Well done, Greg!

GE Run Through the Woods

Over fifty Finish Strong athletes and their families were enjoying Thanksgiving morning by taking part in the fun GE Run Through the Woods 5 mile, 3 mile teen race, and 1 mile children's race in the Woodlands.

Here are the results:

11-14 Girls
4 Hannah Hill 37:40.0 7:32/M
5 Avery Davis 37:40.7
9 Pilar Glaser 39:38.9
74 Gwendolen Jones 48:30.4

15-18 Boys
84 Jackson Gordon 44:47.7

25-29 Female
1 Chelsea Estes 33:24.3 6:41/M
2 Sara Hudgens 34:37.2 6:55/M
5 Sabina Lorca 37:52.9
121 Amanda Fails 57:12.4

25-29 Men
3 Brandon Sager 28:34.7 5:43/M
5 Chris Weir 30:27.7 6:05/M

30-34 Women
14 Judith Clark 38:40.3

35-39 Women
3 Chantal Requier 35:28.9
84 Kim Neveu 47:58.8

35-39 Men
25 Scott Lowrey 35:18.2
80 Cory Richard 42:56.2
140 Javier Noyola 53:40.7

40-44 Women
2 Lisa Hill 36:10.3 7:14/M
8 Kristin Collins 39:22.8

40-44 Men
3 Michael Menster 30:04.5 6:01/M
5 Casey Clark 31:58.1
8 William J. Glaser 32:58.9
20 Alan Neely 36:27.3
44 Stephen Clouthier 39:26.8

45-49 Women
4 Sharon Morin 36:37.9
56 Janet Luna 50:58.2

45-49 Men
3 Rip Reynolds 31:59.2 6:24/M
4 Ed York 32:03.6
5 Christopher Hill 32:10.9
9 Edson Jones 34:15.1
17 Kyle Mays 35:59.0
20 Charles Knific 36:21.7
24 Kim McElligott 37:00.3
36 Steve Hardy 38:37.0
55 Bret Strong 40:35.4

50-54 Women
2 Pam Meaux 34:56.9
5 Susan Schreiber 39:56.6
7 Deb Lyons 40:58.5
39 Katherine Powell 49:23.7
48 Sharon Free 50:57.7

50-54 Men
1 Dana Lyons 29:46.6 5:57/M
2 Skip Moschell 31:44.6
28 Charlie Schuber 39:51.4
36 Chris Normyle 40:48.6
80 Kirk Langford 45:45.8

55-59 Men
63 Mark Tefft 49:43.0

60-64 Men
4 Phillip Deprang 36:09.2

Clydesdale
18 Richard Cooper 42:13.7
25 Brian Waldrop 45:02.6

Great job!!

Ironman Arizona

Finish Strong Racing's Michael Collins competed in his 12th Ironman when he took on his 6th Ironman Arizona on November 20 in Tempe. His wife, Kristin, was there to cheer him on to his finish in his new personal record of 10:37:13! Michael finished 35th in his 35-39 AG. His splits were 1:28:01 swim, 5:09:31 bike (super strong - 21.7mph pace!), and 3:51:17 (8:49/mile pace) run.

Michael has raced Ironman Arizona every year since its inception in 2005. This year recorded his fastest time ever for this race. Here's his times from previous years.

11:10:22 in 2010
10:48:47 in 2009
11:07:57 in 2008
12:04:20 in 2007
12:11:29 in 2006
12:36:15 in 2005

Congratulations, Michael!!

Malibu Marathon

Sabina Lorca, a regular at Finish Strong Coaching's Tuesday Night Track, recently completed the Malibu marathon in 3:56:23. This is just 2 weeks after she completed the Marine Corps marathon. Congrats, Sabina!

Marine Corps Marathon

Finish Strong Coaching's Roger Mercier, Sabina Lorca, Jack Reed, raced the Marine Corps Marathon on Sunday, October 30. Roger improved his time by 37 minutes from last year to finish in 4:48 - a new PR. Sabina finished in 3:56. Jack had a great race finishing in 3:25.

Roger reports, "After sunrise, the conditions were ideal with clear skies, minimal wind, and temp during the run approximately 40 degrees F. Nice!"

Way to go!

Rock and Roll San Antonio Marathon and 1/2

San Antonio hosted its annual Rock N Roll Marathon and Half Marathon on Sunday, November 14. Finish Strong athletes Matthew Murphy and Frankie Ascagni were among the thousands who completed 13.1 distance race.

Matthew Murphy finished his half marathon in 2:08:06. Francesco "Frankie" Ascagni finished in 1:47:22. He raced with his boss and our friend from CB&I Dan Kinsey and his son, Brandon, who finished together in 2:04:16.

Congrats to all!

26.2 Metric Marathon

Finish Strong Coaching athletes were in abundance at the 26.2 Metric Marathon held on November 13. Dustin Harris, Brandon Sager, and Pam Meaux won their age groups. Others put in fine performances, too.

Here's the results:

Dustin Harris won his 20-24 AG in 1:52:19.

Brandon Sager won his 25-29 AG in 1:49:17.

Michael Menster took 5th in his 40-44 AG in 1:52:24.

Robert Simmons took 9th in 40-44 AG in 1:57:39.

Leo Morales, took 11th in 40-44 AG in 2:02:39.

Quinci Morales took 2nd in females 19 and under in 2:28:06.

Julio Morales took 19th in his 35-39 AG in 2:12:40

Edson Jones finished 18th in his 45-49 AG in 2:14:23.1.

Skip Moschell took 5th in his 50-54 AG in 2:00:36.

Pam Meaux won her 50-54 AG in 2:06:24.

Congratulations to all our Finish Strong athletes!

Team Red, White, and Blue Veterans Day 5K/10K

Several Finish Strong athletes raced the local Team Red, White and Blue Veterans Day 5K/10K on Saturday morning, November 12. Both the 5K and 10K races started and finished in Northshore Park in The Woodlands.

Bill Mack ran the 5K in a time of 23:25. He finished first in his age group and was 9th place overall.

Energizer Night Race 11K on 11/11/11

On 11/11/11 Finish Strong Racing's Steve Hardy ran the 11K (6.8 mi) Energizer Night Race for a Brighter World at the Sam Houston Race Park. Steve's finish time was 51:14 for an average pace of 7:32. Age groups were 10 yr groupings so Steve ran in the 40-49 group and came in 22/71 in his AG (he would have been 9th in a normal 45-49 AG) and 116/736 overall. Congrats, Steve!

Oilman 2011

Oilman 2011 Half Ironman saw some wonderful performances from Finish Strong Coaching athletes, including plenty of podium finishes, some PRs and some first-time half Ironman distance finishes.

Linda Trinkle claimed the overall master's female winner finishing in an amazing 5:08:05. Linda's splits were 41:29.8 swim, 2:33:35.5 (22.7 mph pace!), and 1:48:32.3run (8:17 pace). Wow!

Chelsea Estes, 2nd for her 25-29 AG in 5:38:47. Chelsea made it look effortless as she finished her splits in 32:29.3 swim, 3:08:31.7 bike (18.5 mph), 1:52:47.3 run (8:37 pace).

Brandi Watterson, took on her first half Ironman and placed 13th in her 30-34 AG in 6:18:05. Brandi's splits were 44:20.0 swim, 3:24:55.8 bike (17.0 mph), 2:02:14.9 (9:20 pace).

Finish Strong tri of Ronnie Delzer, Scott Peterson, and Gavish Mago did an outstanding job in their 30-34 AG. Ronnie took 3rd place finishing in 4:58:37. His splits were 39:17.4 swim, 2:43:30.7 bike (21.3 pace), and a speedy 1:31:46.1 run (7:00 pace).

Scott Peterson was 7th with a time of 5:08:35. Scott splits were 36:08.3 swim, 2:51:38.9 bike (20.3 mph pace), and 1:35:59.9 run (7:20 pace).

Gavish was right behind Scott to finish in 8th place with a time of 5:14:48. Gavish's splits were 46:10.8 swim, 2:49:11.4 bike (20.6 mph pace), and 1:34:26.9
(7:13 pace).

In the 35-39 AG, Chantal Requier took 2nd place finishing in 5:31:56. Chantal swam 33:28.8 (fastest in her AG), 2:55:33.3 bike (19.8 mph), and 1:58:34.4 run (9:03 pace).

Jane Foley placed 8th in her AG at her first half Ironman. Jane swam 38:49.3, biked a 3:13:03.3 (18.0 pace), and finished the day with a 1:56:27.1 half marathon run (8:53 pace) to finish in 5:53:53.

In the men's 35-39 AG, David Kayda came in 15th. David swam a 40:34.3, biked a 3:00:09.8 (19.3 mph, and ran 1:46:44.1 (8:09 pace) for a total time of 5:34:30.
Kirk Noyes came in 34th in the same AG. Kirk swam the course in 42:20.8, biked a 3:15:03 (17.8 mph), and finished with a 2:12:52.8 run for a completion time of
6:14:52.

Richard "Gordy" Bunch also competed in the 35-39 AG. Gordy's splits were 51:38.5 swim, 3:13:55.1 (17.9 mph) bike, and 2:42:56 run to finish in 7:00:12.

In the 40-44 AG, Guillermo "Willie" Ocejo took 4th place. His splits were 37:18.6 swim, 2:49:19.9 bike (20.6 mph), and 1:36:09.3 run (7:20 pace) to finish in 5:06:51.

Winston Cervantes took 11th place. His splits were 44:01.4 swim, 2:46:07.3 bike (20.9 mph), and 1:58:56.8 run (9:05 pace) to finish in 5:34:10.

Stephen Clouthier, Abraham Hernandez, and Louis Neveu also competed in the 40-44 AG. Stephen swam a 38:53.4, biked a 3:06:14.4 (18.7 mph) and ran a 2:23:59 (10:59 pace) to finish in 6:16:09.

Abraham Hernandez' splits were 1:03:05.6 swim, 3:23:22.1 bike (17.1 mph), and 2:16:40.2 half marathon. His overall time was 6:48:38.

Louis Neveu's splits were 43:49.4 swim, 3:21:35.9 bike (17.3 mph), and 3:10:47.2 run. His overall time was 7:31:53. This was the first time Louis and his wife, Kim, competed in this half Ironman distance.

In the 45-49 AG, Sharon Morin claimed 7th place. Sharon posted a 47:22.3 swim, 3:45:10.1 bike (15.5 mph), and second fastest run in her AG at 1:55:04.4 (8:47
pace) for an overall time of 6:35:15.

Jim Harrington won his 45-49 AG with an overall time of 5:14:50. Jim swam a 36:42.4, biked a 2:46:19.5 (20.9 mph), and finished strong with a 1:51:07.2 run (8:29 pace).

Cindy McManis also won her 50-54 AG with a finishing time of 6:31:57. Cindy had the fastest swim 40:08.7 and the fastest bike 3:11:52.2 (18.1 pace) in her AG. She held on with a final half marathon run leg of 2:33:49.

Mary Kerschbaum took 3rd in the same AG with an overall time of 7:28:21. Mary swam a 51:15.9, biked a solid 3:36:57.1 (16.0 pace), and finished with a 2:51:11 run.

In the men's 50-54 AG, Bruce Smart took 13th with an overall time of 6:15:10. He swam a 41:49.2, biked a 3:14:31.5 (17.9 mph), and ran 2:11:13.

Craig Daniell took on his first half Ironman at age 62. He fought hard and finished in 7:58:33. He swam the course in 1:17:42.3, biked 3:37:22.4 (16.0 mph), and ran 2:48:47.

Also taking on her first half IM distance was Kim Neveu who took 5th in her Athena category. She swam a 47:50.3, biked a 3:51:17.6 (15.0 mph), and ran a 2:57:09.6 to finish in 7:45:22.

Competing on relays were Finish Strong Tommy Sustala, Dana Lyons, and Scott Pinkston.
The team of "Dots to FSR" won the male relay. Team member Chris Sustala swam a 26:46, brother Tommy biked a 2:27:27 and Dana Lyons ran the final leg in 1:25:30 for a total time of 4:22:46.

Scott Pinkston swam the first leg for his relay team. (What was your team name, Scott?)

Great job, everyone! Check Finish Strong Coaching facebook for more pictures.

Monster Mash 10K and 5K Race

Finish Strong Tuesday Night Track runner, Bill Mack, ran the Monster Mash Run this past Sunday, October 29 and placed 3rd in his age group and 22 overall! Way to go, Bill!

5i50 Galveston and Lonestar Sprint Tri

Finish Strong's Chelsea Estes wins the Lonestar Sprint Tri!

Finish Strong's Jim Harrington takes 4th in his AG at 5i50 Galveston.

Finish Strong's Hector Gonzalez places 5th in his AG at 5i50 Galveston.

Finish Strong Racing athletes found their way to the podium at the Galveston 5150 and Lonestar sprint tri races on October 23. Chelsea Estes was the overall female winner for the sprint race with a finishing time of 1:09:27.

Chelsea had a great race. Her splits were 9:29 swim, 36:06 bike, and 20:58 final run (6:46/mi pace).

Also competing and landing on the podium in the sprint race was Phillip Deprang who won his 60-64 AG in 1:15:49. Phillip's splits were 12:16 swim, 36:02 bike, 24:04 run.

The 5150 Tri distance is 1.5K swim, 40K bike and 10K run. Finish Strong's Jim Harrington placed 4th in his 45-49 AG and 22nd male overall finishing in 2:25:27. Jim's splits were 26:18 swim, 1:09:23 bike, and 46:41 run.

And Finish Strong's Hector Gonzales placed 5th in his 30-34 AG and 34th male overall in the 5150 distance race in 2:27:59. Hector's splits were 28:40 swim, 1:10:06 bike, 45:32 run.

Clint Bryant came in 11th in his M 40-44 AG in 2:36:21. Clint's splits were 33:44 run, 1:07:50 bike, and 49:01 run.

Steve Hardy placed 11th in his M45-49 AG in 2:42:56. Steve's splits were 30:37 swim, 1:13:23 bike, 55:16 run.

Kirk Langford came in 16th in his 50-54 AG in 3:41:30. Kirk rocked the swim in 29:03, biked a 1:40:04, and ran a 1:26:59.

Mark Tefft competed and finished 7th in his M55-59 AG. Mark swam the course in 38:58, biked a 1:27:10, and ran 1:14:53 for an overall time of 3:27:40.

Congrats to all our athletes!

Austin 70.3

Seven Finish Strong Racing athletes raced the Austin 70.3 on Sunday, October 23. The one-loop 1.2 mile freshwater swim was held in Decker Lake. Athletes biked the 56 mile scenic one-loop bike course through rolling Texas farmland, sprawling ranches, cedar-covered vistas and sunflower fields. The 13.1 mile run course took athletes through Walter E. Long Park and along the shores of Decker Lake.

Linda Trinkle had a phenomenal day! She placed 2nd in her 40-44 AG and qualified for the World Championship. At 2:31:20, Linda had the the 3rd fastest bike for all amateur women and beat the bike splits of 8 of the 14 pro women! Linda's overall time was 5:07:36.

Brandi Watterson, 33, did a fine job. She finished her day in 6:05:42. Her splits were 41:32 swim, 3:12:21 bike, and a strong 2:01:37 run.

Husband-and-wife athletes, Greg and Maureen Gibbons, also took on the Austin 70.3 race. Maureen finished in 7:13:24. Her splits were 37:51 swim, 3:32:39 bike, and 2:51:30 run. Her husband, Greg, 38, finished the race in 5:19:48. Greg's splits were 34:08 swim, 2:37:59 bike, and 2:00:32 run.

Josh Scott, 37, crossed the finish line in 5:17:23. Josh had an outstanding swim in 32:02, biked the course in 2:38:12 and ran the final half marathon in 02:02:23.

Terry Peppers, 34, tackled the course 6:19:09. His splits were 43:28 swim, 3:01:22 bike, and 2:25:46 run.

Ed "Steady Eddy" York, 49, took 6th in his AG and finished under 5 hours (4:58:33). His splits were 36:44 swim, 02:33:26 bike, and 01:42:14 run.

Congrats to all our Austin 70.3 finishers!

Dubai Sprint Tri

It is always fun to see Finish Strong Racing athletes appearing in races around the world. This past weekend on October 21, Buck Snyder raced the Dubai Sprint Tri. Buck reports that he wasn't able to get splits for the day, but it was a windy day making the 750 meter swim pretty choppy and the 2-lap windy 22 kilometer bike challenging. Nonetheless, Buck finished 41st overall and 19th in his 16-39 AG with a time of 1:15:37. Buck reports, "It was fun to try it and something I might do again. Dubai use the same course for a series of 6 races per year." Congrats, Buck!

Run the Woodlands 5K

Congrats to everyone in Finish Strong Coaching's group marathon and half marathon programs who ran the Run the Woodlands 5K on Saturday, October 22. Seven PRs were reported from Marjorie Rawson, Kelly Clemens, Mark Crichton, Misty Harris, Mary Mitchell, Leo Morales, and Cory Richard. New VDOTs are coming!

Try Andy's Triathlon

Finish Strong Racing had a great showing at Try Andy's Tri on Sunday, October 18. Shannon Crowe won her age group and set a PR! Also, landing on the podium from Finish Strong Racing were Katherine Barron claiming 2nd place and Lane Barron taking 3rd in their AGs.

Shannon Crowe took 1st in her 40-44 AG with a time of 54:45. Shannon's splits were 5:30 swim/27:03 bike/20:23 run (a blistering 6:48/mi pace) Shannon had the fastest bike and run in her AG. Shannon set a PR by 4 minutes at the race!

Lane Barron, 12, took 3rd in his 10-14 AG finishing in 54:32. Lane clocked a 4:52.5 in the swim portion of the tri. He had the second fastest bike in 20:07.8 cruising along at a brisk 23.0 mph pace. Lane finished the race with a strong 21:04 run (7:01/mi pace).

Katherine Barron, 16, claimed 2nd place in her 15-19 AG with a time of 56:55. Katherine's swam the first leg in 5:44.9 swim. She followed the swim up with the 2nd fastest bike and run times in her age group. Her bike split was 28:40 bike (20.9/mi pace) and her run split was 21:12 run (7:04/mi pace).

Way to go!!

Ten for Texas

The Ocejo Family races Ten for Texas. Willy wins Masters!

Dustin Harris (2nd in 20-24 AG) , Skip Moschell (Grand Masters Winner), Brandon Sager (1st in 25-29 AG), Michael Menster (2nd in 40-44 AG), Chris Weir (2nd 25-29 AG)

A gathering of some Finish Strong athletes looking good before the race begins.

Wow! It was awesome seeing 60 Finish Strong athletes at Ten for Texas on Saturday, October 8 enduring the ultra humid conditions to race ten mile course in The Woodlands and finish in Market Street.

Finish Strong claimed four of the top 10 race finishes and eight of the top 25 spots. The team had eleven podium finishes. Eight athletes running the Ten for Texas for the first time. And several athletes enjoying a personal best.

First across the line and third overall and second in his ridiculously competitive 30-34 AG was Scott Peterson who finished in 1:00:25 (6:03/mi pace). Next was Gavish Mago who came in sixth overall and fifth in his 30-34 AG in finishing 1:01:50 (6:11/mi). Brandon Sager was ninth across the line and first in his 25-29 AG finishing in 1:02:40. In 10th place was Guillermo "Willy" Ocejo who won Masters by finishing in 1:03:10. Next was Ronnie Delzer who finished 13th overall and 7th in his 30-34 AG finishing in 1:04:03. Michael Menster 2nd in his 40-44 AG and 16th overall with a time of 1:04:44.22 Skip Moschell won Grand Masters by finishing in 1:07:10 and 22nd overall. And Chris Weir finished second in his 25-29 AG and 25th overall in averaging 6:44/M to finish in 1:07:21.

Robert Simmons and Ed York finished 36th and 37th overall - just 6 seconds apart. Robert finished in 1:08:59 claiming 6th in his 40-44 AG. Ed York came in 7th in his 45-49 AG and finished just behind Robert with a time of 1:09:05. Dustin Harris came in 42nd in 1:09:45 - fast enough to claim 2nd in his 20-24 AG. Hector Gonzalez had a nice race averaging 7:07/M for a 1:11:13 finish and taking the 11th spot in his 30-34 AG.

Casey Clark and Brad Johnson finished 71st and 72nd overall just seconds apart. Casey clocked a 1:12:45 and Brad Johnson right behind in 1:12:50. Brad finished 5th in his 50-54 AG.

We had three father-daughter combos -- Edson and Gwen Jones who boasted great races. Edson finished in 1:14:00; his daughter, Gwen trained and did well at this her first 10 mile race placing 6th in her 15-19 AG with a time of 1:34:48.

Father-daughter duo, Bill and Pilar Glaser also did a fine job. Bill finished in 1:14:29 (7:27/mi pace). Thirteen-year old Pilar took on her first 10 mile race and did a wonderful job finishing in 1:31:33 and taking 2nd in her under 14 AG.

And Jody and Molly Gaddy were in fine form. Dad Jody finished in 1:23:16. His daughter, Molly, 15, finished her first Ten for Texas in 2:11:05. Mom Laura who also runs for Finish Strong and completed Ironman Texas in May headed up the Gaddy cheering section.

Geoffrey Zubay, 43, kept up a 7:25/M pace to finish in 1:14:12.

Jessica Menendez was our first female to cross the finish line. She placed 86th overall and 5th in her 35-39 AG with a time of 1:14:14.

Sara Hudgens was not far behind finishing in 1:14:38 and capturing 2nd in her 25-29 AG.

Sandy Vasser, 55, kept up a strong 7:32/M pace to finish in 1:15:19.

Lisa Hill did a nice job averaging 7:34/M to finish in 1:15:42 claiming 2nd in her 40-44 AG.

Christelle Gigant pounded out a 7:38/M pace to finish in 1:16:24 claiming 6th in 30-34 her AG. Christelle was followed by Pamela Ferguson who finished in 1:17:02 and took 7th in her AG.

Sharon Morin was at the top of the podium taking first place for the 45-49 AG females with a time of 1:17:28.

Clint Bryant was right behind Sharon finishing in 1:17:44. Jim Harrington took a break from triathlons and ran a 1:17:58.

Charles Knific maintained a 7:53/M to finish in 1:18:52. Is this a PR, Charlie?

Bruce Smart and Alan Neely cruised to the finish line in 1:20:33 and 1:21:03 respectively.

Phillip Deprang at age 60 proved to be a force to reckon with finishing 4th in his AG in 1:22:48.

Susie Schrieber took 2nd place in her 50-54 AG with a solid 1:23:27 - 8:21/M pace.
Also, following a 8:21 pace was Kim McElligott who finished in 1:23:32 and Steve Hardy (not Hard as the race results reported)in 1:23:47.

Kristin Collins, who may be my friend with the biggest Facebook following, kept her fans happy by finishing in 1:23:55.

Scott Kahney finished in 1:24:16 averaging 8:26/mile.

New mom, Misty Harris, 30, trained and took on her first 10-mile race with an impressive 1:24:55 finish.

Deb Lyons took 4th in her 50-54 AG in 1:26:00 averaging 8:36/M.

Tuesday night track runners, Max Bachrach and Joseph Tokarz finished in 1:26:05 and 1:28:34 respectively. Triathlete Will Blackbird averaged 8:43/M finishing in 1:27:14.

Judith Clark didn't let her husband, Casey, have all the fun. She had a solid race finishing in 1:28:39.

Bill Blount at 60 kept up his 8:53/M pace to finish in 1:28:46 claiming the 8th spot in his 60-64 AG.

Another husband and wife team, Brandi and Danny Watterson also ran the race. Brandi who is training for her first Ironman earned family bragging rights by finishing in 1:29:54. Her husband, Danny, who is recovering from a foot injury finished in 1:37:54.

Javier Noyola and Bret Strong were separated by only 1 second finished the race in 1:31:22 and 1:31:23, respectively. Bret's legal firm, The Strong Firm, was one of the sponsors for the race.

Gordy Bunch who took on his first Ironman in May completed the Ten for Texas race in 1:33:01.

Cindy McManis held on to finish the race in 1:37:59.

Karyn Perugini trained with our group and enjoyed a strong finish in 1:41:15 averaging 10:08/mile.

This was Jacqueline Finnegan first 10 mile race. Her new personal record is 1:42:29.

Kimberly Neveu and Shani Monk both ran the event without their husbands. Kim averaged 10:33/M to finish in 1:45:33. Shani Monk finished the race in 1:45:01. Shani earned her second Ten for Texas tat.

Tuesday night track runner Cory Richard kept up a 10:32/M to finish in 1:45:19.
Craig Daniell fought hard and finished in 1:51:17.

Katherine Powell returned to running and stayed strong to finish in 1:53:38.

Brian Waldrop is also back at it and he finished the race in 1:59:09.

Janet Luna kept up her 12:13/mile pace to finish the race in 2:02:11.

Recovering from an injury, David Smart came back to finish the race in 2:06:32.

Althea Caldwell persevered and ran the entire ten miles finishing in 2:16:41.

New mom, Amanda Fails, took on her longest race to date accomplishing Ten for Texas in 2:17:49.

Congrats to all! More photos to be posted on Finish Strong Coaching facebook page.

Chicago Marathon

Finish Strong athletes, Stephen Clouthier and Winston Cervantes, took on the Chicago Marathon held on Sunday, October 9 with runners from all 50 states and more than 100 countries.

Stephen posted a 2:12:25 for the first half marathon. He persevered to finish in 4:49:33. Winston reached the half marathon mark in 1:49:00 and finished the day in 3:44:46. Congrats to both Finish Strong marathoners!

Winston reports, "The race was memorable in so many aspects. The new record was set at 2:05 for the men's, while in the women's it was the first ever in the race history to have a 3-time winner. A local participant gave birth after finishing the race, but on the other hand, it was a tragedy for the family and friends of NC fireman who collapsed and died 500m from the finish line. He was racing to raise money for burn victims.

At O'Hare airport the day after the race, one can notice the marathoners in the stream of travelers by the way they walk, their memorabilia shirts, and/or by the medal they proudly wear around their necks. Totally cool."

Ironman Hawaii - World Championships

If you are a triathlete, there is no bigger day in this sport than the Ford Ironman World Championship. Tens-of-thousands of triathletes try to get one of those coveted Ironman spots every year. Only 1,800 succeeded. Two of these individuals are Finish Strong coached athletes David Molthen and Jerry Palmer.

These two got to to test themselves on one of the biggest challenges the sports world has to offer ... 2.4-miles of swimming, 112-miles of biking, and a 26.2-mile marathon run through tough ocean waves, and challenging lava-covered terrain.

Jerry Palmer finished this grueling race in 14:16:13. He swam the 2.4 mile ocean course in 1:34:23. Then on to complete the 112-mile bike in 7:01:08. Finally, Jerry ran the final marathon in 5:25:18.

Dave Molthen finished in 13:24:29. His splits were 1:19:17 for the 2.4 mile ocean swim, 6:50:08 for the 112-mile bike, and 5:00:16 for the final marathon run.

Congratulations to Jerry and Dave! What an amazing accomplishment!

Ironmanlive.com on Oct. 8 - Kona!

Finish Strong Coaching Athlete: Jerry Palmer
Age group: M40-44
Bib number: 864

Finish Strong athlete, Jerry Palmer, is raising money for the Blazeman Foundation for ALS. This is an update he sent to his fundraising contributors last week. Go to Waronals.com to support the foundation.

"Well, as predicted, the summer flew by and the race is in two weeks and I am super excited. As I’ve done previously, I’d like to bring everyone up to speed on the Blazeman Foundation and my final physical and mental preparations for race day.

Blazeman Foundation: I would love to report at this stage that I have exceeded my fundraising goals, but at the moment I cannot. Fortunately for me I have the support of the Blaises who are quite adept at social media, so we all continue to pound the cyber streets of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Our fundraising effort was picked up as a story by the World Triathlon Corporation, the organization that owns Ironman, so we were invited to participate in some pre-race and race-day fundraising that will be promoted by Ironman and the Ironman Foundation. Ironman will also match dollar for dollar and funds raised through this mechanism so we really have the opportunity to hit a home run.

On a related [note] I wanted to let everyone know that Adam Webber will be wearing #179 on race day. Adam is a superstar age-group triathlete who is a former professional and recently won the prestigious Hy-Vee Triathlon in Iowa. Adam has also been inspired by Jon Blais’ story and went as far as to name his first son “Blaze” after Jon. That’s dedication. My official number will be #864 but I’m sure I’ll find a spot for an extra #179. Adam and I have also exchanged notes and are going to connect in Kona so it’s really been a win all around.

Final Preparations: I’ve diligently logged all of the miles [of] swimming, biking and running that are required to be physically ready to complete this race. My girlfriend, friends and family can surely attest to this. Although race day is an individual effort it really is a team effort to get to the starting line of one of these races. In addition to you all and those I’ve already mentioned there are triathlon coaches, physical therapists, nutritionists, swim coaches, training partners, bike mechanics who have had a hand in the experience and are vital to a successful race-day experience. I have been truly blessed with a great support crew. So, with the physical preparation out of the way, the mental preparation really starts. I go through an inventory in my mind of what success looks like on race day; I also go through dozens of “what if” scenarios to try to prepare for just about everything from jellyfish stings to flat tires or broken cables. Finally, I think about some inspiring quotes—these tend to be particularly helpful at about mile 18 of the run when your body is begging you to stop moving. Some of my favorites (from triathletes) are the following:

“You can quit and they won’t care, but you will always know.” – John Collins, one of the original inventors of the Ironman

“To some extent, we are all labeled by what we’re able to achieve. But more importantly, we are defined by what we attempt.” – Scott Tinley, two-time Ironman World Champion

“A dream is a goal with a plan” – Chris McCormack, two-time Ironman World Champion and author of I’m Here to Win

“Live more than your neighbors. Unleash yourself upon the world and go places. Go now, giggle, know, laugh, and bark at the moon like the wild dog you are. Understand that this is not a dress rehearsal, this is it, your life. Face your fears and live your dreams. Take it all in. Yes every chance you get, come close. And by all means, whatever you do, get it on film!” – Jon Blais, The Blazeman

Thanks again for everything. You can follow #864 at Ironmanlive.com beginning at 7 a.m. Hawaii time on Oct. 8. It’s time to get this done.

Your friend,

Jerry Palmer"

Toyota U.S. Open Triathlon - Olympic Distance

The Toyota U.S. Open Triathlon was held in Dallas on October 2. Finish Strong athlete, Kirk Noyes, took on the Olympic distance race. Kirk finished in 2:50:48. He was 37th in his 35-39 AG.

Du the Bear Duathlon

Three Finish Strong athletes raced and finished on the podium at the Du the Bear Duathlon on October 2. Ronnie Delzer, David Kayda, and Rip Reynolds all did a great job at this 2 mile/10 mile/2mile run-bike-run event.

Ronnie Delzer came in 3rd in his 30-34 AG and 6th overall with a time of 50:02. Ronnie had the fastest run legs in his age group running a 10:36 (5:18 per mile pace). His final run was 10:51 (5:26 per mile pace). In between the running, Ronnie biked the 10 mile course in 27:31 (21.8 mph).

David Kayda came in 2nd in his 35-39 AG and 12th overall with a time of 52:10.
David also secured the fastest runs in his AG -- 11:22 for his first leg and 11:35 for his final leg. He had a fine bike of 27:57 (21.5 mph).

Rip Reynolds came in 3rd in his 45-59 AG and 17th overall. Rip had the second fastest runs in his AG. His splits were 11:53 run, 27:35 bike, 12:17 run for an overall time of 53:22.

Congrats!!

5K Race for the Cure

Sara Hudgens, Associate Coach for Finish Strong's Jr Hi Summer Run Program, ran the 5K Race for the Cure on Saturday, October 1. Sara won her age group and was the 10th female overall! Her time was 21:07. Way to go!

Berlin Marathon

Finish Strong Racing's Don Cole finished the Berlin Marathon on September 25 in 3:20:20. Don reports that despite some fatigue around mile 18, he is pretty happy with his race. Don especially liked celebrating at the Octoberfest in Munich on Tuesday. Herzlichen Glueckwunsch! (That's "congratulations" in German -- can you tell we have an exchange student from Austria contributing to this blog?)

Houston Olympic and Sprint Tris

The Houston International and Sprint distance triathlons held Sunday, September 25 drew 29 Finish Strong athletes - 22 in the Olympic distance and 7 in the sprint. Many podium finishes and personal records were enjoyed by our Finish Strong athletes.


In the Olympic distance, Finish Strong Associate Coach Derek Yorek took 4th overall with a time of 2:01:11. Among the age group finishers, Rodrigo Abascal took first in his 15-19 AG with an overall time of 2:36:28.

Terry Peppers competed in the male 30-34 AG and finished in 2:54:53. Brandi Watterson competed in the female 30-34 AG and finished 16th with a time of 3:08:18.

Chantal Requier took 2nd in her 35-39 AG with a time of 2:39:07. She had the fastest bike in her AG - 1:11:51 averaging 20.0 mph. Also in the 35-39 AG, Maureen Gibbons placed 18th out of and finished in 3:16:42.

Josh Scott placed 4th for the men 35-39 with an overall time of 2:25:24. Josh had the fastest swim time in his AG posting a 27:32. Also in the men's 35-39 AG were Greg Gibbons, David Kayda, and Matthew Murphy. Greg finished 12th in 2:34:06. Greg had the third fastest bike split in his AG recording a 1:01:13 averaging 23.5 mph. David finished in 2:39:33 with a fast final run leg - 46:33 averaging 7:30 per mile. Matthew finished in 3:08:40 in this competitive AG.

Casey Clark came in 16th in the 40-44 AG with a time of 2:42:06. Casey had a consistent effort in all three legs. Leandro Morales and Scott Pinkston also competed in the 40-44 AG. Leo finished in 2:47:33. Scott finished in 2:50:11. Scott had the fifth fastest swim leg in 29:55.

Michelle Nelson came in 9th in her 40-44 AG with an overall time of 2:51:44. Michelle had an excellent bike finishing in 1:09:58 averaging 20.6 mph.

Sharon Morin came in 7th in her 45-49 AG with a time of 3:15:26. Sharon had a strong bike 1:23 (17.2 mph) and run 55:37 (8:58 per mile).

Ed York won his 45-49 AG with a time of 2:21:27. Ed had an amazing bike (1:00:57 averaging 23.6 mph) and the fastest run leg in his AG in 43:30 (7:01 per mile). Jim Harrington came in 4th with an overall time of 2:33:05. Also in the 45-49 AG were David Molthen and Steve Hardy. David finished in 2:47:36. Despite missing a turn and taking a lengthy detour on the bike, Steve Hardy still managed to finish in under 3 hours.

Bruce Smart came in 8th in his 50-54 AG with an overall time of 2:58:37. Kirk Langford also competed in the 50-54 AG. Kirk had the fastest swim in 31:12 and finished overall in 3:31:20.

Phillip DePrang finished 2nd in his 60-64 AG with an overall time of 2:47:45.

In the sprint distance race, Lane Barron came in 2nd in his 14 and under AG with an overall time of 1:11:48.

Finish Strong Coaching's Tuesday Night Track participants, Pamela Ferguson and Jane Foley had nice races. Pamela came in first in her 30-34 AG with an overall time of 1:14:01. She finished with a strong 21:59 5K. Jane came in fourth in her 35-39 age group where she had a PR on her final 5K.

Brian Henderson finished 14th in his 35-39 AG with an overall time of 1:19:44.
Irasema De Aquino finished well in her 40-44 AG with an overall time of 1:41:46.

Finish Strong Associate Coach Richard Mac Namee won his 40-44 AG with an overall time of 1:03:34. Richard had the fastest swim time in his AG in 7:44. Not far behind was Tommy Sustala who finished 3rd with a time of 1:04:47. Tommy had the fastest bike split in 31:06 averaging a blazing 23.2mph.

Charlie Schuber finished 4th in his 50-54 AG with a time of 1:25:40. Charlie finished strong with a 25:52 final run. Congrats to all the finishers!!

Redman Aquabike

Finish Strong Racing's Cindy McManis raced the Redman Aquabike on Saturday, September 24 held in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Cindy swam the first leg in 1:23:02; then crushed the bike course in 6:43:35 to finish in overall time of 8:19:45. Congrats, Cindy! Any pics?

Fort Hood Tri

Finish Strong Racing athlete, Kent Morris, and his daughters Brianna and Brittany took on the Fort Hood Tri on Saturday, September 24th. The lake was too low for the swim so the race was changed to a mini-duathlon - 1.5k run/12 mi bike/ 1.5k run.

Kent reports, "Brianna is on the Baylor Tri Team and this was their first race. About 27 of them caravanned with us over from Waco. Brianna was 14th out 31 in her very competitive 18-29 year old AG. This was her 2nd race ever. Brittany was 2nd out of 3 in her AG. I was 1st out of 8 in my AG and 19th overall out of about 190. It was held at the park on Belton Lake. Very nice and hilly venue. It was free and not a USAT race so I guess no points. I ran a 6:13 pace on the first run (chasing the Baylor rabbits!) did 20mph on the bike and 6:55 pace on the 2nd run for 1:00:32 total."

Congrats to the Three Morris-keteers!

Pre-Race and Race Nutrition for Ten for Texas

Many runners ask me what to eat before a 10-mile race. As you might expect, there is not one fool proof answer for all. Everyone is different. For instance, the amount of time it takes to complete a 10-mile race can vary significantly. Some top runners will complete a 10-mile race in 60 minutes; others may take 120 minutes or more.

That is why I recommend that you plan your pre-race fueling and hydration in the same way you planned your training. Race day is not the time to try eating and drinking something new.

Here are some tips to consider. Plan your pre-race meal and emphasize easily digested carbohydrate foods. Some common foods include bananas, bagels with jam, plain toast and OJ. Many runners prefer liquid pre-race meals using products such as Hammer Nutrition’s Perpetuem. A good time to experiment with pre-race nutrition is before your long training run.

For those taking 90 minutes or less to complete the race, you should not have significant in-race nutritional needs as you’ll be able to tap into stored fuel. For those taking longer than 90 minutes, you should aim to consume 25 to 50 grams of carbohydrates. Gels and sports drinks are two popular options.

Hydration will be critical for all. Faster runners racing in cooler weather may not waste time to stop and drink but as race times and temperatures increase, good pre-race and race hydration becomes essential. Fluid intake will benefit runners taking longer than 60 minutes to complete the race. Take advantage of the water stations and plan to consume 16 to 24 ounces over the race course.

Be sure to stop by the Finish Strong Coaching tent after the race to enter to win a free group training program for your next race. For more details on our coaching programs, go to coachlyons.com home page.

Casa 5K

Finish Strong Associate Coach Susie Schreiber finished first among all the women racing at the CASA 5k held on Saturday, September 17. This is a 5K trail run through Jones State Forest that benefits Montgomery County CASA. Way to go, Susie!

Woodforest Charity 10K

Finish Strong Racing's Brandon Sager won the Woodforest Charity 10K race in Conroe on Saturday, September 17. Brandon finished first overall with a time of 37:16. Next up for Brandon, Ten for Texas!

Prairieman Aquabike

Finish Strong athlete Jerry Palmer took second in his age group and sixth overall male in the recent Prairieman Aquabike held on September 11 in Houston. Jerry swam the 1.2 mile leg in 45:16 (2:27 pace). He biked the 56 mile course in 2:46:44 averaging 20.2 mph. He had enough energy to sprint the final 200 meters to finish with an overall time of 3:35:46. Way to go, Jerry!

Avia Triathlon Austin

Austin was home to the Avia Triathlon over Labor Day weekend. Finish Strong athletes abounded at the Olympic distance event. Finish Strong Associate Coach Derek Yorek and his wife, Theresa, competed in the elite division. Derek came in 5th overall with a time of 2:00:47. His splits were 24:10 swim, 1:02:06 bike (24.0 mph pace), and 31:09 run (5:01 per mile pace.) Theresa also had a great race placing 10th in her division. She swam 38:35, biked in 1:13 (20.2 mph), and 45:26 (7:20 per mile pace).

Another Finish Strong couple, Brandi and Danny Watterson, competed in the Olympic age group division. Brandi came in 23rd in her 30-34 AG with an overall time of 2:56:40. Brandi swam the first leg in 34:31, biked the course in 1:24:44 averaging 17.6 mph, and finished the day with a 50:59 run (8:13 per mile pace). Her husband, Danny, had to overcome some obstacles but still finished in 3:24:54. His splits were 36:33 swim, 1:30:14 bike, and 1:11:31 run.

Kim Neveu competed in her first Olympic distance triathlon and finished in 3:46:20. Kim's splits were 40:30 swim, 1:46:52 bike, and 1:11:06.7 run. Well done.

Cindy McManis placed 7th in her 50-54 AG with an overall time of 3:01:26. Cindy swam the course in 36:18, powered through the bike course in 1:20:43, and finished strong on the final run to finish in 58:21 (9:25 per mile pace).

Buck Snyder competed in the 40-44 AG. His splits were 33:09 swim, 1:13:23 bike (20.3mph pace), and an even 45:00 final run (7:15/M pace) for an overall time of 2:36:55.

Phillip Deprang took 2nd in his 60-64 AG with an overall time of 2:45:07. Phillip had the second fastest swim in his AG at 32:49.5. He biked the course in 1:17:30 (19.2mph pace) and finished the day with an amazing 49:44 (8:01/M pace) run.

Great job triathletes! Anyone have pics?

Lake Houston 10k

Finish Strong Associate Coach Derek Yorek won the recent Lake Houston 10k held on Saturday, August 27. Derek finished in a blistering 31:57.9 averaging 5:09 per mile. Derek dominated the 10K winning by over four minutes. Way to go, Derek!

Santa Barbara Tri

Winston Cervantes took on the Santa Barbara Tri on August 27 in California. Winston finished the race in 3:55:88 coming in 38 out of 77 in his competitive men's 40-44 age group. Winston's splits were 40:53 for the 500 meter swim, 1:47 bike, and 1:23 for the final run.

Winston reports, "Santa Barbara is a beautiful, beach/surf city. The race weather was perfect. 60's in the morning and by midday at the end of the race, around 80's. The Santa Barbara Triathlon was held by the beach. Swim course was a rectangle, which posed the challenge of sighting while facing the rising sun through halfway of the course. But the most challenging part of the race was the hilly and curvy bike course. Usually, the biking leg was I enjoyed most but not this time. I borrowed a road bike for this race and it felt like it needed more granny gears (which was the case). The run course was along the beach. It was relatively flat but there were a few uphills. I enjoyed the running part because of the gorgeous views, excellent weather, and no cramps!"

"I must add that this race was mostly participated by the local and surrounding triathlon clubs. I was 1 of the 2 only out-of-state participants (in our age group) of 77."

Great job in representing Finish Strong and Texas!

XTERRA Magnolia Hills Tri

Finish Strong Racing Greg Gibbons and Mike Bard finished neck and neck at the recent XTERRA Magnolia Hills Triathlon - a rugged offroad triathlon. Greg finished 25th and Mike 26th for the entire male 39 and under competitors.

Mike was in the lead after the swim posting a 13:51 time compared to Greg's 15:48. Greg edged ahead on the bike with a 1:33:49 versus Mike's 1:35:21, Greg finished the day with a final run in 50:51 (12:43 per mile pace) to edge out Mike who ran the final leg in 55:18 (13:50 pace). If you think these times are slow, guess again! The run and bike courses were on slow, sandy trails.

Congrats to two fine competitors!

Lost Pines Triathlon

Mary Kerschbaum won her age group at the Lost Pines Triathlon held on August 28 in Bartrop. Mary claimed the fastest swim in 1:51 (averaging 2:47 seconds per 100 meters). Mary biked the hilly course in 1:03 (15.1 mph) and ran the final leg in 39:31. Well done!

Ironman Canada

Held in Penticton, British Columbia, Subaru Ironman Canada is the oldest Ironman race held in continental North America. Don Cole was there on August 26 where he represented Finish Strong Racing very well. Don finished in 11:47:42 placing 39th out of 245 in his 50-54 AG and 590th overall.

Ironman Louisville

Team Finish Strong Racing's Tommy Sustala took on Ironman Louisville on
Tommy finished the grueling endurance race in 11:44:56. He swam the first 2.4 mile leg in 55:41, biked the 112 mile route in 5:31:06, and finished the day with the 26.2marathon run in 5:08:24. Congrats, Tommy!

Clear Lake Tri - Olympic

Clear Lake Tris - both Olympic and Sprint - took place on August 27. Five Finish Strong Racing members tackled the Olympic distance of 1500 meter swim, 26 mile bike, and 6.2 mile run under very hot conditions. One member, Kirk Noyes, took on the sprint distance. Finish Strong Racing excelled scoring 25 points for the team!

Scott Peterson took 2nd in his 30-34 AG with an overall time of 2:29:28 for the Olympic race. Scott had the fastest run in his AG 39:54 (6:26 per mile pace) in blazing hot temperatures. Ronnie Delzer took 6th in 2:35:04. Ronnie was not far behind Scott with the 3rd fastest run in his AG finishing in 44:46.

Josh Scott took 2nd in his 35-39 AG with an overall time of 2:29:51. Josh had the fastest swim in his AG finishing in 24:31.

Jerry Palmer raced well in his competitive 40-44 AG finishing in a time of 3:00:10.
His splits were 33:31 swim, 1:24 bike, and 59:05 run.

Will Blackbird won the 50-54 AG with an overall time of 2:46:51. Will had the 2nd fastest swim in 30:53 and the fastest bike in 1:15 (22.2 mph) in his age group.

This was Craig Daniell's first Olympic distance triathlon and he came away with 5th in his 60-64 AG in 3:49:32!

For the sprint race, Kirk Noyes finished 9th in his 35-39 AG in 1:16:25. Kirk's splits were 13:18 swim, 45:42 bike, and 15:33 run.

Congrats to all the triathletes! Any pics?

Tri Girl

Our girls ruled at the recent Tri Girl race on August 14! Finish Strong Racing's Chelsea Estes won the overall race with a time 1:00:34. Due to the drought, the swim portion of the race was cancelled -- turning the triathlon into a 1 mile run-11 mile bike- 3mile run duathlon. Chelsea finished first in all legs. She finished her first mile run in 6:13, followed by a fast bike of 31:54 (20.7 mph pace), and finishing the final 3 mile run in 20:57 (6:59 per mile pace).

Finish Strong Racing sisters, Katherine and Hannah Barron, performed extremely well at the race taking 1st and 2nd in their age groups respectively. Katherine came in 11th overall in 1:06:35. She ran the first mile in 6:59, biked the course in 32:55 (20.1 mph), and finished the final run in 25:34 (8:31 per mile pace). Hannah was not far behind with an overall time of 1:11:10. Her splits were 6:54 run, 34:57 bike, and 27:49 run.

Kristie Chandler also had a strong finish placing 7th in her competitive 45-49 age group. Kristie ran the first mile in 8:08, powered through the bike in 34:17 (19.3 mph) and finished the day with a 28:10 final 3 mile run. Kristie's overall time was 1:12:58.

Congrats to all the tri girls!

USA Triathlon Youth National Champion!

On August 6, Finish Strong Racing's Lane Barron from The Woodlands won the 11-12 boys division at USA Triathlon Youth Nationals in San Diego on the strength of a division best bike split, averaging 21.1 mph on the 10k bike course. He also used fast transitions and a strong run to edge out Charlie Velez of California and Drew Sotebeer of Colorado by 5 and 10 seconds respectively. This was Lane's third trip to Youth Nationals. This year's race helped erase some bad memories for Lane, as two years ago, Lane had his race come to a disappointing end with a flat tire on the bike course. Congratulations, Lane!

Bridgeland Tri

Chris Normyle withstood hot temperatures to compete well at Bridgeland Tri!
Huge smiles from Steve Hardy, Cindy McManis, and Jackie Lewis post-race!
No pre-race jitters for Manuel, Irasema, and Rodrigo Abascal!


Finish Strong was well represented at the recent Bridgeland Tri held in Cypress, Texas on Sunday, August 7. Finish Strong Associate Coach, Derek Yorek, won the race with a phenomenal finish! Derek won the race in 57:22 with his final run in 18:37 (5:01 per mile pace).

Here's highlights for the Finish Strong Racing athletes.

Placing in top five for their AGs:
Rodrigo Abascal, 1st in his 15-19 AG, 1:10:16.0
Joshua Scott, 4th in his 35-39 AG, 1:10:18.5
Tommy Sustala, 2nd in his 40-44 AG, 1:06:57.0
Will Blackbird, 4th in his 50-54 AG, 1:14:33.9
Phillip Deprang, 1st in his 60-65 AG, 1:20:14.0
David Holsey, 2nd in his 65-69 AG, 1:30:32.8
Chantal Requier, 5th in her 35-39 AG, 1:16:52.6
Linda Trinkle, 5th in 40-44AG, 1:17:03.7

Brandi Watterson, 27th in her 30-34 AG, 1:31:14.1
Maureen Gibbons, 24th in 35-39 AG, 1:34:30.1
Kim Neveu, 66th in 35-39 AG, 1:55:09.4
Jackie Medina-Lewis, 10th in 40-44 AG, 1:25:31.6
Irasema De Aquino, 35th in 40-44 AG, 1:43:32.2
Cynthia McManis, 8th in 50-54 AG, 1:29:04.4

Jack Ladenheim, 7th in 15-19 AG, 1:28:01.2
Michael Lechtenberg, 15th in 30-34 AG, 1:15:08.1
Stephen Tschirhart, 35th in 30-34 AG, 1:19:48.7
Tim Taylor, 37th in 30-34 AG, 1:20:35.6
Terry Peppers, 43rd in 30-34 AG, 1:21:35.3
Jose Contreras, 66th in 30-34 AG, 1:28:13.1

Greg Gibbons, 6th in his 34-39 AG, 1:10:50.2
David Kayda, 16th in his 34-39 AG, 1:13:53.5

Timothy Monk, 7th in his 40-44 AG, 1:11:40.3
Scott Pinkston, 34th in his 40-44 AG, 1:19:20.1
Manuel Abascal, 45th in his 40-44 AG, 1:21:42.0
Bill Mack, 111th in his 40-44 AG, 1:36:04.6
Louis Neveu, 141st in his 40-44 AG, 1:51:26.4

Steve Hardy, 7th in his 45-49 AG, 1:14:33.4
Bruce Smart, 18th in his 50-54 AG, 1:25:05.1
Chris Normyle, 20th in his 50-54 AG, 1:27:46.9
Kirk Langford, 37th in his 50-54 AG, 1:39:43.6
Mark Tefft, 19th in his 55-59 AG, 1:47:02.2

What a great turnout! Congrats to all!!

Tri Pearl

Finish Strong Racing's Mary Kerschbaum headed to San Antonio on July 31 to compete in Tri Pearl - a 400 meter, 17 mile, 3.3 mile distance triathlon. Mary took 3rd in her 50-54 age group with an overall time of 1:44:56. Her splits were 10:44 swim (2:41 sec/100m pace), 55:00 bike (18.5 mph), and 35:22 run (10:43 per mile pace). Great job, Mary!

Tri Waco

Tri Waco featured both a sprint and Olympic triathlon on July 24. Finish Strong Racing members took on the longer tri challenge. Chantal Requier competed in the Olympic distance race and took 5th in her 35-39 age group finishing the race in 2:56:37. For the men's 35-39 age group, Finish Strong Racing's Michael Collins took 12th in 2:36:47 and Kirk Noyes came in 18th in 2:52:30, and Matthew Murphy came in 21st in 2:56:35. Great job!

Kiwanis Kid's Tri #4

Lane Barron, Finish Strong Racing member, rocked the Kiwanis Kid's Tri #4 held on July 23. He came away with the win for the 12 year old boys with an overall time of 11:11. Go Lane!!

Bayou Duathlon

Finish Strong Racing's Shannon Crowe was the overall female master's winner at the Bayou Duathlon held in Bay City on July 17. Shannon, 41, had the fastest splits among female masters for each legs of the duathlon. Her splits were 13:36 (6:48 per mile pace) for the first run, 34:01 (20.3 mph) for the bike, and 14:31 for the final run. Congrats, Shannon!

Marble Falls Triathlon

Jack Chapman of Finish Strong Racing was one of the participants in the Marble Falls triathlon on July 17. Jack swam in the warm freshwater of Lake Marble Falls, biked through the scenic hill country, and then finished with a run through the quaint lakeside neighborhood of Marble Falls. Jack came in 9th in his 50-54 AG with an overall time of 2:15:49. Way to go!

Jeff and Brede's Houston Racing Triathlon

Finish Strong Racing father and son, Manuel and Rodrigo Abascal, competed in the Jeff and Brede's Houston Racing Triathlon on Sunday, July 10 in Katy. This sprint triathlon featured a 300M pool swim, 12 mile bike, and 3 mile run.

Rodrigo came in first in his 15-19 AG and ninth overall with an overall time of 1:00:02. His splits were 4:26 swim, 34:34 bike (21.7 mile pace), and 19:54 run (6:38 per mile pace.) Rodrigo had the fastest swim, bike, run, and transitions in his age group.

Manuel came in 14th in his 40-44 AG with an overall time of 1:12:24. Manuel posted a 5:54 swim, 37:27 bike, and 26:55 run.

Congrats to this amazing father-son duo!

Door County Tri

Team Finish Strong triathlete Charlie Schuber had fun at the Door County Triathlon on July 17 in Wisconsin. Charlie reports that he enjoyed the great conditions of the sprint race, including the calm and cool 69 degree temperature for the swim and a tail wind for the last nine miles of the bike. Charlie finished in 1:33:37.

Charlie had the fastest T1 and T2 in his 50-54 age group. Charlie commented, "The racing within my age group was quite intense which was fun with plenty of lead changes. One guy swooped ahead of me right before the bike-in but he had not done his transition homework and was befuddled when he could not find his rack. His jaw dropped when I went around him, racked my bike and took off. I love it when that happens!"

Well done!

Freedom 5K

Shannon Crowe captured the overall master's win at the Freedom 5K road race held on the Fourth of July. Despite the heat and the 97% humidity, Shannon raced hard to finish in 22:04. Way to go!

Magnolia Trail Run 15K

Team Finish Strong Racing's Josh Scott finished third overall and second in his age group at the Magnolia 15K trail run on Sunday, July 3. Josh completed the race in 1:18 (8:05/mi pace) under very challenging conditions. Josh reports that this was his first true trail run. The first 10K was twisty with soft paths through thick woods, then the route went around a small lake and back to the forest for the final 5K. Despite the challenging hilly, technical course and the hot and humid weather conditions, Josh had a great race and had lots of fun!

Adventure Racing

Scott Pinkston represented Team Finish Strong Racing well at the recent Terra Firma Adventure Race held on Saturday, July 2. Scott took third in his age group despite a hole in his boat! Congrats!

Memorial Hermann Sugarland Tri

The Memorial Herman Sugarland Sprint Tri was held on Sunday, June 26. Five Team Finish Strong Racing athletes were on hand to compete in the 300 meter swim, 10 mile bike, 3 mile run sprint triathlon. The team collected one 2nd place, two third place, and one 4th place AG awards.

The Barron kids had their usual brilliant performances. Hannah Barron came in 2nd in her 10-14 AG with a time of 1:04:25 - a mere 4 seconds behind the 1st place finisher. Hannah had the fifth fastest swim 6:06, the fastest bike 30:42 (19.5 mph pace), and the third fastest run 25:50 (8:37 per mile pace).

Lane Barron, age 12, came in 3rd in his 10-14 AG with a time of 1:01:26. Lane's splits were 5:32 swim, 28:50 bike (20.8 mph pace), and 25:21 run (8:27 per mile pace).

Katherine Barron, age 16, also came in 3rd in her 15-19 AG with a time of 1:02:27. Katherine swam the course in 6:12, biked the course in 29:37 (20.3 mph), and ran 25:26 (8:29 per mile pace).

Inspired by his kids (and his wife, Carolyn, who recently completed her first Ironman), Randy Barron competed in his very competitive 40-44 AG. Randy clocked a 10:10 swim, 29:49 bike (20.1 mph pace), and 28:12 run (9:24 per mile pace) for an overall time of 1:11:27.

Jack Chapman enjoyed a 4th place finish in his 50-54 AG with a time of 58:16 just 1:41 behind the leader in his AG. Jack swam 5:46, biked 26:40 (22.4 mph), and had the second fastest run in his AG at 23:00 (7:40 per mile pace).

Congrats to all for a great race!

Y Freedom Tri

Team Finish Strong Racing member Mary Kerschbaum competed at the Y Freedom Tri held on June 26 at the YMCA in Pearland. The distances for this sprint triathlon are a 300 meter pool swim, 11 mile bike, and 3 mile run.

Mary came in 8th in her 50-54 age group with an overall time of 1:15:58. Her splits were 7:34 swim, 33:03 bike, and 33:37 run. Mary posted the second fastest time in her age group for her bike. Way to go!

Ironman Coeur d'Alene

Team Finish Strong Racing's Michael Collins added yet another Ironman finish to his impressive Ironman resume. This one was Ironman Coeur d'Alene held on Friday, June 24 in Idaho. Michael started the morning off with a two-loop swim in beautiful, but chilly Lake Coeur d’Alene. Michael swam the frigid waters in 1:30:37 averaging 2:23 per 100 meters. After he recovered from the swim, Michael went on to his strongest event -- the bike. Unfortunately, he was plagued with three separate mechanical difficulties. He worked hard to make up for the time he lost for flats and repairs and ended up clocking 6:21:41 on the bike course (17.61 mile/hour pace.) Michael finished strong on the run with a 4:11:24 marathon and an overall time of 12:16:03. His wife, Kristin, was there to cheer him on to yet another Ironman finish!

Iron Kids Round Rock

Hannah and Lane Barron took 1st place and 2nd place in their AGs at Iron Kids Round Rock this weekend!

Escape from Alcatraz

Team Finish Strong Racing athlete Linda Trinkle qualified and raced at Escape from Acatraz Triathlon in San Francisco on June 5. This daunting 1.5 mile swim, 18 mile bike, and 8 mile run is not for the feeble.

Linda competed and took 14th out of 57 in her 40-44 AG. She escaped from Alcatraz island by swimming the 1.5 miles to reach mainland in 42:03. Next she biked a hilly San Francisco course in 1:04:42 (16.7 mph pace). She finished the day by running the last 8 miles in 1:07:39 (8:28 per mile pace) for an overall time of 3:05:19.

Ask Linda about getting bumped during the swim by a sea lion!

Sylvan Beach Tri

Josh Scott claims his 2nd place AG award at Sylvan Beach Tri.

Six Finish Strong Racing athletes participated in Sylvan Beach Tri or Du held on Sunday, June 12 in La Porte, Texas. The triathlon race distance was 1000 meter open water swim, 30k bike, and 8k run. The duathlon race distance was 2 mile run, 30k bike, and 8k run.

Rodrigo Abascal came in 1st in his 15-18 AG. Rodrigo had the fastest swim in his AG at 1713. The fastest bike in his AG at 51:44 (21.6 mph) and the second fastest run in his AG at 37:01 (7:31/mile pace) for a total time of 1:47:24.

Josh Scott took 2nd in his 35-39 AG and achieved a new PR at this distance by finishing the race in 1:42:43. He got out of the water 6th overall and first in his age group by 2 seconds. He had the fastest transition in his AG at 41 seconds and headed out on the bike. His bike time was 48:48 (22.9 mph pace) - fourth in his AG. Josh finished strong with fastest run in his AG at 35:11 (7:09 per mile pace).

Tommy Sustala took 3rd in his 40-44 AG with a time of 1:36:25. Tommy had the fastest swim in his AG at 14:48; the second fastest bike 43:20 (25.8 mph); and the 7th fastest run 35:51 (7:17 per mile pace).

Manuel Abascal finished 14th in his 40-44 AG with an overall time of 1:59. Manuel's splits were 22:23 swim, 53:50 bike (20.7 mph), and 40:51 run (8:18 per mile pace).

Kirk Langford took 21 minutes off his time from last year - 9 minute improvement on the bike, 8 minutes on the run, plus 4 minutes on transitions. Kirk also had the fastest swim in his age group clocking just 17:23. His bike time was 1:00:25 (18.5 pmh) and his run was 1:01 for an overall time of 2:21.

Charlie Schuber took 6th in his 50-54 AG! He had the fastest T1 and T2 in his age group. Charlie swam the course in 24:50, biked 58:00 (19.2 MPH), and ran 43:58.6 (8:56/m) for a total time of 2:08:24.

Congrats to all the Finish Strong Racing triathletes!