Cap Tex and Combat Triathlons

It was a busy weekend for Finish Strong athletes with multiple races taking place. In addition to my race up in Arkansas (see story below), others raced at Cap Tex (Olympic and Sprint distance race in Austin) and Combat Sprint (a pool swim sprint tri in Texas City).

Casey Clark and Jim Harrington raced the Olympic in Austin. Casey had the 67th fastest run (out of 1327 competitors) on his way to a 2:23:42 finishing time. Jim had a solid bike (142nd out of 1327) to clock a 2:26:40.

In the Sprint race, Lisa Tilton-McCarthy won her age group with the help of a blistering 21:59 5k which was the 29th fastest run (males included)!

At the Combat Sprint tri, Hannah Barron won the girls 14 and under title and her sister, Katherine placed 3rd. Lane Barron finish 3rd in the boys 14 and under. Lane, who is 10 years old, was 140th overall out of 275 competitors. Carolyn Barron (mom) had to work hard to say ahead of Hannah. Carolyn continues ti improve with each race.

Kent Morris was 5th in his AG (45-49) and 42nd overall while David Holsey was 4th in the 60-64 AG and 91st overall.

For those contemplating their first tri, the Combat Sprint with it's time-trial-start pool swim is an excellent race.

Du for the Parks

It was a much longer drive up to Hot Springs, Arkansas than what I had expected but with the whole family along for the trip the time I didn't mind too much. This was our first time to Hot Springs and we wish we could have spent more time there. Scenic with lots of things to do if you liked being outside.

We made the trip so I could race the Du for the Parks which was the Arkansas State Championship race this year. The race course (2 mile run/12 mile bike/2 miles run) is rather scenic but it was raining and the course was slick. The goal for the day was to stay up right!

There was a lot of good competition on the start line and the first run started very fast. I was about 6th off the run in 11:34. Jim Griffis, also from The Woodlands, ad a good first run but slip coming into T1 and crashed into a barrier (see "slick course" statement above!). Out on the bike, the leader crashed going into the first high speed turn and that seemed to slow all of the lead group. On the out and back rolling course it was hard to get into a good rhythm but I was able to work my way up into a loose group of 4 riders. A young man from Tulsa was off the front and riding well. A quick transition got me on the second run with 3 others who had all out run me on the first run. I settled into a good pace but about 1/2 mile into the run I knew I had to do something as I was running 4th along side one with the other 2 about 20 yards up the road. I put in a surge but the guy stayed with me so I put in a second surge and broke him. I bridged up to the other two and kept on going hard. Todd Hink held on for a while but I could tell he was working hard so I kept the pressure on. I guess that I was running sub 5:30 pace during this time. Todd fell off just before the turn around and then I just did what was needed to stay comfortably ahead of him and the others (as you can tell by the picture of me looking over my shoulder!). I finished 2nd overall a little over a minute out of first place.

It was a good, competitive race which I like. And it was a very nice venue, one I would like to come back to. Especially if it's a nice sunny and dry day!

Silverlake Sprint Tri

The Silverlake Sprint Triathlon is held in west Pearland on the south side of Houston and has become a popular early season sprint race. The bike is fairly technical with lot's of turns and if you are not paying attention, you can easily bike off course as a few did this year.

Leading the charge for Finish Strong coached athletes was Tim Monk who finished 2nd overall and easily won his AG. Marshall McInnis was having a solid race before he, and others around him, rode off course (no volunteers at the corner). He still placed a respectable 13th in his AG. David Holsey won the 60-64 AG using a strong bike and run.

The Barron family once again did a great job! Lane (10 years of age) clocked a 1:07:06 placing 4th in the 10-14 AG while sisters Hannah and Katherine placed 2nd and 3rd respectively in the girls 10-14 AG. And Carolyn (mom) continues to improve with each race, finishing 9th in the ever competitive 40-44 AG.

Tri Girl Super Sprint Triathlon

Finish Strong coached athletes Carloyn, Katherine and Hannah Barron participated in the Tri Girls Super Sprint triathlon on May 10 in Houston.

Hannah had a super strong swim beating both her mom and older sister out of the water. Carolyn's average speed of 19.4 mph on the bike was a personal best. Katherine raced well on her new tri bike averaging 19.2 mph and also had some fast transitions!

The Barron girls took home a lot of hardware! In the 10 - 14 age group Hannah placed 3rd beating out her older sister by a mere 8/10th's of a second. Carolyn placed 5th out of 53 in her age group to make it to the podium. Additionally, Carolyn and Hannah placed 1st in the Mother Daughter race category. What a great way to start out Mother's Day!

CB and I Sprint Triathlon

It was another great day for Finish Strong Coached athletes and coaches! Nine finished on the podium and 5 placed in the top 10 out of 944 participants. In all, 22 Finish Strong athletes participated in the the race.

First Place in Age Group

• Tim Monk, 35-39, 7th overall
• Ed York, 45-49, 9th overall
• Mike Bard, under 40 Clydesdale
  

Second in Age Group

Richard Mac Namee, 40-44, 5th overall

Tom Schwarzkopf, 45-49, 15th overall

Third in Age Group

Jm Harrington 45-49 19th overall

Rodrigo Abascal 15-19 58th overall

First Female Overall

• Michelle LeBlanc 2nd overall

First Master

• Dana Lyons 3rd overall
  

In the 45-49 age group, Finish Strong athletes also placed 4th and 5th.

Corpus Christi Triathlon and Duathlon

This year the Corpus Christi Duathlon served as the USAT South Mid West Region Championship race. The turn out was a bit light but that's what you get when the Regional Championship race is scheduled on the same day as the USAT National Duathlon Championship (held in Richmond, VA this year). I'm not sure why the SMW Regional board can not find a race that does not conflict with Nationals!

But take nothing away from STARR, the Corpus Christi Tri club that puts on this race (26 years running!). The course was flat and fast with the exception of when you had to run or bike into the 30 mph headwinds! I ran the first 5k in 17:26 and then headed out on the out and back bike course. Into the wind on the way out it was all I could do to maintain 20 mph but once I made the turn, I headed back into town averaging 31 mph! Fun while it lasted. I was able to bike myself into the lead by the turn around and then extend that lead to a comfortable margin before heading out onto the run. I was pleased that my second run (17:47) was only 21 seconds slower than the first.

Needless to say I was mildly surprised to take the overall win and take home a nice check!

In the triathlon, Kyle Mays braved the 4 to 5 foot seas very successfully exiting the water in 19 minutes (1000m). A solid bike and run earned him a second place finish in his age group. If you ask Kyle, he'll tell you it was the most challenging open water swim he has ever completed.

STARRs put on a nice post event awards party in Cole Park. All in all it was a nice weekend get away for me and my family. If you are looking for a challenging race and a nice place to take the family to, try the Corpus Christi tri or du sometime.

Boston Marathon Race Report from Kristin

My 10th marathon, the Houston Marathon in January 2009, was my Boston Qualifying marathon. That was the defining point in which I called myself a runner. Running Boston has been a goal of mine for several years and the training and discipline finally paid off. It was still hard to believe that in April, I would toe the line with the some of the nation's and world's best runners to run the oldest marathon in America.

Many people gave me tips and pointers on how to run the race, what the course was going to be like, where I was going to hurt, how painful Heartbreak Hill was, how the downhills get you early on etc...so on race day, I took all of that into consideration. Running Boston wasn't about a PR for me, rather, it was a celebration of all of the hard work and sweat culminating from several years. With that said, I still wanted to respect the course and do the best I could, while enjoying every step of the 26.2 miles! Afterall, this was the 113th year of the marathon and I would be running on the same roads as the elite and other famous runners, many of which made history during their race. I ran with a camera to capture the course from a runner's standpoint and managed to take 60 pictures- mostly in focus!The crowd support for the marathon was absolutely incredible. From the beginning of the race in Hopkinton all the way to the Finish Line at Copley Square, people lined the course cheering on the runners.

It was like a 26 mile tailgate party with people barbecuing, kids playing, stereos cranking out music, and continuous updates on the score of the Red Sox game ( they won 12-1 by the way!) With all of the crowd support, it was easy to feel like a Rock Star and the road was your stage. They didn't know who I was, but they sure encouraged me anyway. Around mile 12, there was a sign that said "Brace your Ears" and you soon found out why. About a half mile away, you could hear this faint high pitched noise. Yep, the Wellesley Girls and the screaming tunnel. Wow. Shortly after Wellesley was Newton and the infamous Heartbreak Hill. I remember hearing someone at the bottom of the hill yelling out "strong and steady! strong and steady!" so I chanted that to myself the whole way up. Before I realized it, Heartbreak Hill had come and gone and I was on the downhill side of it, still able to run. ( must have been all of that hill training on Flintridge!) Nothing in my way now!

Boston College came shortly after that and the yelling and cheers from the students lining both sides of the street were like an extra shot of caffeine. From that point on, the streets were lined with wall to wall people. It was easy to draw strength from their encouraging words, smiles, high fives and signs. The Citgo sign appeared at mile 25. While I was excited to be near the finish line, I was also sad knowing that my race was almost over. Shortly after that, I heard my name from the side and it was Michael- he made it from the T just two minutes before I ran past him. I was still feeling great. Up ahead were the final two turns: Right on Hereford and then left on Boylston. After turning left on Boylst on, I wanted to stop in my tracks and just stare at the masses of people lining the streets and the finish line ahead. The noise level of the crowds echoed between the buildings and was so energizing. Crossing the finish line in 3:57:47 was bittersweet. I reached my goal of going sub 4 in Boston, but my marathon was over. Not to worry, I WILL be back!