The Life and Times of Sam Luna

So staying at hotels and working out can be tough. Here are some outside options that I have found: Atlanta – Tribble Mill , Lawrenceville – 10 miles or so of single track trails. There is also a couple of miles of paved path for road bike riding. Grapevine – Rockledge Park , Lake Grapevine – Single Track MTB riding and trail running. The trail is 9 or 10 miles in length, so great for long runs or rides. Fort Worth – Trinity River Trail – Miles of paved trails for riding that goes from outside Fort Worth all the way into town. Arlington – River Legacy Park – DORBA maintains a 3 mile loop of singe track trails. OKC – Lake Hefner - Lots of paved trail around the lake, water stops every couple miles. Tulsa – Tulsa Cedar Creek Trail – Tulsa maintains paved trails for riding and commuting. Very hilly portions.

I spent this past weekend at the Hotter’N Hell 100 . On Sunday Morning I competed in the Wee-Chi-Tah 10k Trail Race . It was simply Muddy, I hope to get some pictures soon to show. I had a great race having spent Thursday-Saturday Working the Expo standing on my feet. I finished 2nd overall in the 10k race getting out kicked in the end. This makes me 1 for 3 in Wichita Falls. In my college days, I enjoyed competing in Collegiate Bike races. In my last year of college MSU held the regional collegiate qualifier for Nationals. I thought I would give it a go and see if I could qualify. It was over Easter weekend so the whole family loaded up and we drove out to Wichita Falls. The first day was a 4 loop, 80 mile bike ride. The first loop in, I was done, ka-put. The next day was the Crit, so I focused on it and got a good nights rest. The next day, 5 laps into the crit, I was off the back, 10 laps in and I was sprinting for a prime for the “last 3 guys on the course”. I won the prime and I ...

The wagon needs new wheels, horses, heck a complete overhaul. I completed the Darnd’st Du , same distances as my first Frost yer Fanny Du years ago, back then I went 17:30, 47 ish, 19:33, that was a 5:40 mile pace for the first 5k, 23.5 for the bike and 6:19 for the second 5k… total time was 1:26:14. My times weren’t even close, but I know with time it is possible. I knew the race would run be over 1:30 total. I also knew I have not done any training over an hour, so my body would not be adjusted to the time of racing. I took the first run out comfortably in 6:30 pace to run a 20:19 first 5k. That was the 20th fastest 1st run. The bike was painful. My body recognized the lack of training. I used to have my “comfortable pain” and my “push hard pain”. All I had on Sunday was PAIN. My bike avg of 20.5 had me finishing the 30k bike in 55:41. 38th fastest on the bike. The second run was just hanging on. 7:09 pace for a 22:20 5k, 21st fastest. So pretty even across the board. The race itsel...

It has been a while since my last post, and even longer since my last tri. I dusted off the shoes and helmet and did a local tri in San Antonio that has been around for over 25 years, as the website says. This was the 5th race this year, and was a 400 meter pool swim, a 12 mile bike and a 5k run. The pool is 50 meters, the bike course is a 3 mile loop, 4 times, and the run is out and back. The swim: Lets say they will need to fill it up before the slides open at 1pm! I drank my fair share and was reminded with every stroke why I should get in the pool more than once a year. Enough Said, swim to the bike! The bike: I have a habit of finding new ways to add onto bike courses I am not familiar with. The course is a circuit, 4 laps, 3 miles each. So by the last lap there are triathletes everywhere. I was seeded 6th in the pool swim, so I was actually third to hit the water with evens starting on one side, and odds on the other. The 20 sec interval put me a minute behind the first person in...