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!