The Life and Times of Sam Luna

So first a little history.  Try Andys Tri was one of the first triathlons I did. It was also one of the most well know triathlons in the Houston area that was great for first timers, beginners and those looking for a fun event. Andy Steward put this race on for years. During the years I worked at Sugar Land Finish Line sports, I got to see both what it takes to put on an event, before and after the internet changed the way triathletes sign up and register. I also saw the time it takes to not only put on the event, but to prepare ahead of time to have a safe and fun triathlon. So it was great to that Kyle has taken over the event and continued its legacy!  So 22 years later I was able to complete one of the first triathlons I did. This version was slightly longer, a 500 meter lake swim, about 12 miles of biking and a 3 mile run. <iframe src='https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/embed/11522321428' title='Sugar Land Multisport' width='465' height='598&

  So first lets discuss training and plans. After spending the winter training for the mile, I decided to get in a race workout. As I have aged I have decided racing in cold or wet weather isn't as fun any more. This year the Dirt in your shoe duathlon looked to be warm and dry. Ben puts this race on in his series, and this is my first time to try it with decent weather. Switching from a 5 min race to a 1 hr + race requires some mental flexibility and adaptability. As an athlete and human, its pretty hard to do it all, so you teach your body and mind along the way.  Doing these races has also become a great family day. With the girls and dog in tow, they are my best cheerleaders and support. Its a great way to show our youngest about following your passions, working hard and how to work through tough days. I decided the race would be a great way to support the even, and begin my next phase of endurance training for some summer events.  This race also features unique racing Primes/

Over the winter break after the Brickhouse Triathlon I decided to mix up my winter training and work on some running speedwork. I found the USATF Masters was hosting their regional meet at UH, so of course that sounded perfect. Training I created a training plan that had 1 speed workout and 1 strength run a week; a couple recovery runs and a couple days of easy cycling. Core speed work focused on repeats at mile pace, or just slightly under. My goal was to get to a 5 min mile. Most of my speed work ended up at a 5 min mile pace, which set me up race day for a 5:08-5:10 goal mile. Assuming 1 sec slowly per 400, plus another 1.5-2 for the full distance. Race Day I decided race day to give the 5 min mile a go, fully knowing that my times didn't reflect it. Warm up consisted of about a mile and half jog, 4x100 strides a bit faster than mile pace, lots of stretching and waiting. I went out at goal pace and held on through 1009(first lap of the mile is 209m), with 2 laps to go the wheels

  This was Sarah's 10th Houston Aramco Half Marathon . The Houston marathon has a Legacy Runner program to highlight runners who have completed 10+ events.  Going into the race Sarah had a great base over the fall and winter. She smartly ran with the 3:40 pace group who held a 8:15 avg pace. Once the group split around 7.5 miles for the Marathon and Half Marathon Course, Sarah continued on and ran negative splits for the second half. (she ran faster). Congrats to all who ran, and thank you to all those volunteers and those cheering the runners on.