The Life and Times of Sam Luna

This marked Sarah's 11th Houston Half Marathon! I provided coaching and pacing duties. I did pretty well if I say so myself. So did Sarah! I have not run the half in a LONG time, and was a bit nervous to attack the half with Sarah. She put in alot of hard work leading up to the race and had a really great taper. We got to the convention center early to park and stretch. With us both being in the A Corral it was a nice walk to the corral and a couple of blankets kept us warm. Race start temp was 58 and dropped through out the race to 52. I work multiple layers for the run, long sleeve, short sleeve and my Houston Tank (GO COOGS!) Once we crossed the start line the plan was to run 7:45-7:50 pace for the first half and then drop down to 7:40 pace for the second half. Sarah nailed the pace with me and was feeling and looking strong. We split from the full marathon and had fewer runners around us and so the wind kicked up a bit with the cold front rolling in. I made sure Sarah behind me

  As part of the lead up for Sarah's half marathon we decided to race a 10 miler. This would give her the chance to get comfortable running a faster pace for 10 miles, and build confidence.  The course is 2 loops with rolling hills along Memorial Drive from downtown to St. Thomas High. The plan was to avg 8 min pace for the first half and then run the second half at 7:45. 7:45 pace would be an ideal day target pace for the Houston Half Marathon in Jan. The second goal was a high overall pacing. I did some research on past races and the current Houston Female competitors and felt like Sarah would have a shot at the podium. Sarah did a great job and flowed right along. we nailed pacing and Sarah picked up the overall win! I snuck into the age group awards for 3rd, M 40-49. Donuts are always a well earned treat! Full Results

The Katy Triathlon helps fund scholarships for kids through the Rotary Club of Katy. So doing a race that helps support young people is always a good call. Not too much here to talk about race wise. The swim was like being in a HOT bath. Out onto the bike it was pretty flat out and back. Once onto the run through the neighborhood, I played a bit of cat and mouse with a competitor and wrapped up 3rd in the elite wave. Yes, I choose the elite wave, it started earlier than the age group waves and that would also have less traffic on the bike course to navigate. I really do have the best support crew!  Full Results

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