One shot, one opportunity

Athletes flock to The Woodlands for state's first-ever Ironman Texas

Ironman Texas hopefuls, may you all feel the finish line euphoria displayed hereon two-time Ironman finisher Wilmer Gaviria's face at Ironman Cozumel in 2010.
Who needs a strict training schedule when you can train with friends? HelenaFinley's fun philosophy has taken her quite far in training for the IronmanTexas. Finley is second from right on the back row.
The race begins with a 2.4 mile swim.
The second leg of the Ironman is a 112 mile bike ride.
The triathlon ends with a grueling 26.2 mile run. Yes, folks, that's a fullmarathon.

You may call swimming 2.4 miles, biking 112 miles, and running 26.2 miles in one day the epitome of insanity. But to some 2,000 athletes from all over the world convening upon The Woodlands this weekend, it's merely called Ironman Texas.

On Saturday, the first full Ironman ever held in Texas will take place beginning at 7 a.m. with a swim through Lake Woodlands. After a brutal claw through the water, the bike loop will shoot Ironman hopefuls through The Woodlands and out to the farmland, careening them through Sam Houston National Forest before returning to town. The entire event culminates with a marathon-length pavement pounding completely contained within The Woodlands city limits.

Successful Ironman finishers must cross the finish line 17 hours later on Market Street before midnight — the official cut-off time.

Ironman Texas will be the third Ironman triathlon for Shama Cycles' Wilmer Gaviria. "It's a tough day," he said. "It's physically demanding. You have to fight with yourself."

But in the end, all the agony is worth it. "The last mile of the Ironman, you're running above the clouds," Gaviria said. "All the pain goes away. It's the culmination of months of training for one or two miles of complete nirvana. You really are the rockstar."

The Ironman in The Woodlands will be quite a bit different for Gaviria, who completed his other two Ironman races in Florida and Mexico. For Ironman Texas, Gaviria will have a dedicated cheering section.

"I signed up for [Ironman Texas] to give my family and friends a chance to see what these things are like," he said. "I'm always training, but they don't get a chance to see what I'm training for."

For Houston Fit Adventure Racing's Helena Finley, completing Ironman Texas will cross off an item on her bucket list. "The huge advantage is that this one's local," she said.

A South African national swimming champion who came to the University of Houston on a swimming scholarship, Finley said she cut out formal swim training altogether in preparation for the Ironman.

In fact, most of her training was quite unorthodox. "I did a lot of 'social training' — I didn't have any kind of plan. I just looked at what friends were doing, and did whatever was fun."

This approach seems to have worked for Finley thus far, as she placed eighth in her age group (45-49) at the Memorial Hermann Ironman 70.2 (or half-Ironman) last month.

"It's not going to matter to me whether I'm 34th or 38th," said Finley, 45. "All that matters to me is that cut-off time."

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chill out

Houston Astros ballpark gets cool new name for the next 15 years

Courtesy of the Houston Astros

The Astros' stadium will have a new name in 2025.

The Houston Astros are about to have the coolest ballpark in Major League Baseball. The team announced on Monday, November 18 that its has reached a naming rights agreement HVAC manufacturer Daikin Comfort Technologies North America, Inc.

Beginning on January 1, 2025, the stadium will be known as Daikin Park (die-kin). Scheduled to run through the 2039 season, the new name replaces Minute Maid Park, which has been the stadium’s name since 2002. It opened in 1999 as Enron Field.

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Astros fans online are already calling the new stadium “The Ice Box,” replacing its informal “The Juice Box” moniker. That name feels likely to stick.

Japan-based Daikin Industries is a leading manufacturer of HVAC systems. It sells air conditioning units and other products under brand names such as Daikin, Goodman, Amana® and Quietflex. Critically, it operates Daikin Texas Technology Park in nearby Waller, which is the largest HVAC manufacturing facility in North America. The company employs approximately 10,000 people in Greater Houston, according to a release.

“We are excited to be partnering with Daikin for our ballpark’s naming rights,” Astros owner Jim said. “Daikin is an international company that proudly calls the Greater Houston area its North American home. The Houston Astros and Daikin share the same values, a commitment to excellence and a desire to give back to our local community. As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of this ballpark in 2025, I am proud to have Daikin alongside us to create even more special memories for our fans now and in the future.”

The Astros will use the revenue for new stadium amenities and other upgrades. It will also continue the team’s various community initiatives. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. the Houston Chronicle notes that naming rights deals may be worth anywhere from $3.5 million per year (T-Mobile park in Seattle) to $11 million per year for the Texas Rangers’ Globe Life Field.

The team’s first game in Daikin Park will take place on Monday, March 24, which it plays an exhibition against its Triple-A affiliate, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys. It will open the regular season on Thursday, March 27 against the New York Mets.

“Daikin fit all of the criteria we set out to find in a naming rights partner,” Astros senior vice president Matt Brand added. “Their name and reputation fit our iconic downtown Houston home, and their values mesh perfectly with those of the Astros. We are grateful to partner with the entire Daikin team and to help them succeed in their business goals. Daikin Park will be a special place for our fans for many years to come.”

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