tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58398316543181791472024-02-19T05:54:00.487-08:00AIM HIGH!Live your life. Be true to yourself. Attack big goals. And when someone says it can't be done, prove them wrong.Kelly H Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01819445022646176185noreply@blogger.comBlogger159125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839831654318179147.post-35571080063031777332013-01-29T10:26:00.002-08:002013-01-29T10:28:17.727-08:003M Half Marathon: Putting Yourself Out There<span style="background-color: white; color: #302d2c; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, arial, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 21px;">One of the many things I have learned over the past years as an athlete is that we cannot paralyze ourselves with a fear of failure. If we let ourselves go there, we are finished. It is no different than quitting a session or a race because things are not going as we had planned (or hoped) and we begin to envision the dreaded ‘failure’ ahead. We start to walk the line of ‘I may not do as well as I know I want to, and how will I handle that’…which can be scary territory; but it’s realistic territory. I know I seem to bring the F word up a lot in my blogs, (in my blogs people, not in my vocabulary; two different words!) but there is a good reason. No matter how much you win, no matter how many times you accomplish your goals, it is human nature to ‘not want to fail’ and to worry about failing; yet the reality is that every single one of us will fail to reach a goal more often than we will ever succeed. One cannot happen without the other.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #302d2c; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, arial, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 21px;">This year officially-unofficially kicked off last weekend (January 13) with the local 3M Half Marathon. Last year, this race was very good to me. I managed a gigantic PR (1:14.42) and it gave me a huge confidence boost to kick off 2012. I was running very well at the time, and I knew that time was possible, but when I did it, I was still a bit shocked. Needless to say, even though circumstances may have been different this year, there was a part of me that wanted to repeat that performance. I’d be lying not to admit that, and in my opinion, I would not be a fierce competitor if I didn’t seek to repeat that 1:14 performance. The lead up was somewhat different. Last year, I finished my season with Ironman Arizona in November, took a few weeks of rest, did some 5k’s in December, and on January 1, kicked off a solid 3-week training block to prep for Panama (and also 3M). This year, I finished in October with Kona, planned to do Ironman Arizona in November but backed out as I felt ‘overly tired’; it just didn’t feel right. Ironically, I got strep throat in November which didn’t seem to knock me down too much, but I think it was a sign that I was wiped out. December greeted me with my 5k’s but also in the thralls of a newly implemented 8-week cycling specific strength program (courtesy of Anthony Falsone at Memorial Hermann). Our 2-week holiday trip to see our families and friends was great, and I maintained my training, but it suffered a bit the latter half in Indiana when my parents got nailed with 15-inches of snow; put a small damper on my intended running in Southern Indiana. We got home on New Year’s Eve and when Tuesday Jan 1 rolled around, I realized that 3M was a week from the coming Sunday. Ouch.</span><br />
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One of the many things my husband (and coach) Derick has taught me is that when you are at a certain level of fitness, you can take short breaks, and that fitness will often times come back pretty quickly. Yet again, he is right. This is one reason that I love those off-season 5k races. I like to stay in touch with that speed, but without really putting much overload on my body or inducing any unnecessary fatigue. It allows me to mentally remember what it feels like to go fast. (Additionally, they are FUN; just something I really enjoy). As we put my training plan together for the first few weeks of January and leading up to Panama 70.3, I got a bit skeptical of this 3M race. It would appear I had enough time to squeeze in one tempo run, one longer run, and one speed run; then it would be time to rest a day or two for the event. By the first weekend back, I was tired. The excitement of being ‘back at it’ fully for the first time in 2+ months took a small toll and I was fatigued. Yet again, I brought up the idea to Derick that maybe I should just train instead of race the weekend of 3M. His response was “No, I think you need to race it. Kelly if you run a 1:14 or a 1:17, who cares. Get the fitness out of, put the effort in, and blow the cobwebs off. It will help you for your early season.” Yet again not the response I was seeking! The tempo run race week included 3-4 miles at a faster pace, the final 2 of which I clocked in at 5:47 and 5:56. They hurt. A lot. It made me nervous.</div>
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Truth be told, I was 50/50. I wanted to race because I believe anything is possible and I thought maybe I would surprise myself; and, I love to race; I love to toe the line. I didn’t want to race because I was afraid I may fail, scared that not only would I not run a 1:14 but what if I ran truly slow…what if I sucked? The thought of holding a 5:50 pace for 13 miles (a 1:16+ which I had decided I would be okay with) seemed a bit overwhelming given the effort it took me to run 2 miles at this pace just a few days ago. The days leading into the event, I had quite a few conversations with my conscience. What I finally had to tell myself was, “Kelly, remove your head from your ass. Stop over thinking. Let go of your expectations. This is one of the most low key events you’ll do all year long. Enjoy it, race it, and finish it. Do your best, that’s it.”</div>
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Race day came. I found myself a little excited. I warmed up and my legs felt a bit springier than they had in awhile, a good sign. I was still a little jealous of Derick (there as support, not racing), as it was very cold, very windy, and I knew it would hurt. But then I reminded myself that you always want to be on the other side; if I were not racing, I’d want to be racing. The gun sounded promptly at 6:50 and we were off. Mile 1: 5:41. Whew, not bad. (But that could have been in part due to trying to get warm!) Calm down, Kelly. Mile 2: 5:50. Better. I felt strong, controlled, relaxed. Mile 3: 5:45. Alright, maybe this won’t suck too badly. (Counter thought: Easy killer, not too fast. You still have 10 miles to go. There’s still time to blow up). I tried to relax at this point, turn my head off a bit, and just settle into my pace. I rolled through 10k in 35:45 and by calculations figured I was still in the range of 5:45’s. My left leg felt like it may cramp up, so I began trying to use my right leg more. (Oddly enough, a few days post race, my right leg was more sore; the human body never ceases to amaze me!). The miles clicked off and I tried to stay calm, relaxed, and positive. I came through Mile 11 and saw 1:03.30, which amazingly enough was still about 5:46 pace. This could be good!! Unfortunately, the course had a small change from the previous year, and mile 11-12 was brutal; it seemed this mile was all uphill. I tried so hard to attack this, as on the previous rollers (though they were minor) I had felt very strong; but I started to crumble a bit. Mile 13 came and I saw a 1:15.30 on my watch, and I knew sub-1:16 was going to be tough. But honestly at this point, I said to myself, “Whatever… you did well today…give it all you’ve got and be proud of your finish.” I crossed the line in a 1:16.19, and all in all a very happy camper. Not a PR, far from it, but on a day when I was truly battling with the fear of even having the nerve to TRY, I was damn glad that I had not backed out.</div>
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I have always tried to be conscious of not being an ‘excuse-maker’. But often times, it is not so much excuses as circumstances. I was quoted post-race as saying “I didn’t even train for this race”, which was far from the truth. (I may have said it, but what I meant was, I didn’t feel I had the time to train the way I would have liked to for this race!) I am always training in some facet. The 5k’s in December probably helped out on race day. I probably had maintained more fitness over my extended off-season than I thought I had. In the big picture, the time doesn’t matter…what did matter was that I faced the worry of ‘not running well enough’ and did what I had feared I may not be able to do, and that was run well. I was nervous to race for fear of not being perfect, and that fact scared me, because I know that we cannot think that way; and I usually do not think that way. I love to compete, I love to see what my body is capable of on any given day; for better or for worse. I also realize that we cannot have the perfect race. In some strange way, this 1:16 made me happier than the previous year’s 1:14. I felt ready for that one…this one I was unsure, and I dealt with a lot of self-imposed pressure; but was able to shake it off. In short, this one is summed up by simply saying that failure to try will always result in failure; we will carry that with us… but the potential for success will always involve risk. Ultimately, living your life and trying new things is one big risk. So get out there and risk something! And don’t forget to have fun in the process.</div>
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<br />Kelly H Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01819445022646176185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839831654318179147.post-26727494335709371992012-10-31T17:00:00.000-07:002012-10-31T20:27:21.631-07:00Kona 2012: Disappointment, Gratitude, & ResilienceAnother Kona has come and gone, and it's hard to believe that I have now done this race three times (2010, 2011 and 2012). I guess that come 2013, if I return, I can no longer call myself a 'newbie' to Ironman Hawaii can I? Damn, there goes one excuse! It's an interesting dynamic that even if this is not your one and only 'big' race of the season, it seems that everything essentially revolves around it. It's the marker for most things. I have frequently found myself saying 'before Kona' or 'after Kona' throughout the season. After two weeks of much reflection and digestion of how the day unfolded, I figured I would take a slightly different approach to my race report on this one. I was out riding today in Austin and I tried to think of three words that can describe my rather long day out there getting pounded to a pulp by Madame Pele. Here is what I've come up with.<br />
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1) <b>Disappointment</b>. Yep, I am going to be honest here and not sugar coat anything. I don't intend to sound negative, just honest and pragmatic about the situation. I think it's safe to say that going into Kona, I had put together the best season of my 11 years as a professional. While I had many other important races, the majority of my training was designed to be successful in Kona. I felt prepared. I had a big goal, but I believed it to be a realistic one. I felt like I'd left no stone unturned. Race morning and even race week, I found myself more relaxed (which is almost always a good sign for me) and genuinely excited than I had ever been before an Ironman. I was bursting at the seams. It had been almost a full year since my last Ironman, and I knew my fitness was better than a year ago. I figured the potential was huge! Sure I knew it'd be a tough day, but I like tough; it becomes mental then, and I love the mental battle. One of my favorite phrases is a 'good swift kick in the ass' and that is precisely what I got out there. Why? I don't know. What went wrong? We're not entirely sure. The problem was solely the bike, which tends to be a nasty little bugger of a challenge that I cannot seem to shake. I know I've had more good than bad bike legs this year, however, Kona unfortunately was a season lowlight on the bike. This all goes to show us what we know; no matter how well prepared you feel, how relaxed you are, how many 'good signs' you seem to have... on race day, it doesn't matter. What matters is putting it together, and some days, it just doesn't come together; no matter how badly we want it to. I knew as I hit the final 30 miles that it would be bad. I didn't cry, though I wanted to. I was angry with myself, but I tried not to be. Those final 30 miles, I am fairly sure I was ahead of no more than a handful of pro women. It hurt; it hurt my ego, and it didn't seem fair. But one thing I told myself was "Swallow your damn pride Kelly and keep pedaling. Some days just suck; get over it." Once I finally limped my feeble self into town, the next self talk was "Run a sub-3 hr marathon and make something good of this!"</div>
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<b><i><b><b><b><b><b><b><b><i><b><i><b><i><b><i><b><i>The positive? Out of disappointment, we become stronger; we learn more about ourselves. We learn how deeply we can dig when all is stacked against us. We ask the hard questions about what went wrong; we reflect on what we can do better. I've learned far, far more from the disappointing races than I ever have the good ones. Without disappointment, we have no opportunity for growth. </i></b></i></b></i></b></i></b></i></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></i></b></div>
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2) <b>Gratitude. </b>Numerous times out there, I thought of all I had to be thankful for. 9 hrs and 45 minutes is a lot of time to think. I thought of the many notes and emails I had received from friends and family (and friends I don't know) wishing me good luck and telling me that they were already proud of me. I thought of all those generous people who had donated to my Can Do MS fund; we raised over $11,000; my performance today would not change that fact; already, much good had been done. I thought of my Aunt Sandy, who has MS, and tells me that she is that little angel on my shoulder when things get tough. I thought of the numerous great races I had had this season. I thought of my parents who came out to support, as they have every year in Hawaii (and most races!)... and how awesome of a chance it is to spend a week with them in Hawaii. I thought of my husband who has been on this journey with me every step of the way; without Derick, I'd not have the privilege of even being here. I thought of how fortunate I am to even be ABLE to do this great sport. Perspective, even in the heat of battle, is a good thing. Even when emotions run high and that dreaded feeling of 'failing' is on the horizon, I always try to gain some realistic perspective on the situation. Much to be thankful for.<br />
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3) <b>Resilience</b>. And here is the big one. This came to me within hours upon finishing. Thanks to good old Merriam-Webster, resilience = the capability of a strained body to recover its size and shape after deformation, caused especially by compressive stress. My interpretation of this is the ability to bounce back from failure; the ability to not be defined by a beat down; the ability to lift your chin up just a bit and say, 'not today...you may try to break me, but try as you may, I'm not breaking.' This concept was what got me through the day. I came into this expecting to do well; planning to do well, prepared to do well. Coming off the bike after 5 hrs and 40 minutes, it was embarrassing. I know everyone had bad days, but I have been working to prove to myself that I AM a good cyclist; that I CAN bike well for 112 miles. And here I was, slapped in the face with precisely what has sat uneasy with me for two years now (ever since my first time in Kona)...another bad bike split. And as much as I wanted to curl up in a corner and feel sorry for myself as I dismounted into T2, I said to myself "Come on Kelly. It's done, move on. Run a sub-3 hr marathon and make something good out of this day. It's not over. You do NOT quit just because it's not going great." I could not bear the thought of quitting out of embarrassment or the 'fear' of a bad result. So off I went. I shot out of there like a bat out of hell and ran for broke. I gave the run all I had in me right from the start; I didn't even try to pace myself; I didn't have the time to do so. And, I clawed my way back into the Top 15. Not the Top 5, like I had envisioned; not even the Top 10, which I imagined would be an "ok" day. But the one thing I've learned as an athlete is we give it what we've got, at the moment, on the day; and that, I had done.<br />
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Where a race like this gets really difficult is those few days afterwards. Within 24 hours, you're so tired and glad that it is over, you don't really feel much emotion; eh, bad race, so it goes. I always find however that it's the next 1-2 weeks when the emotional roller coaster begins. You beat yourself up over it, you ask what went wrong; you ask how could that have happened when you worked so hard. You feel angry one minute, yet indifferent the next. This is when the resilience becomes important. I realized that I've had a great (and long) season... a 1:14 half marathon back in January, three 70.3 wins, two 70.3 seconds including the World Championships; and some great success at the Olympic distances as well. I feel as if it would be very selfish of me to walk away from the season disappointed, having had so many successful races; you cannot let one race define you, be it good or bad. I'll digest it and learn from it. I'll take some much needed down time, rest, re-focus and look forward. I will be resilient.<br />
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I cannot thank enough the<b> <a href="http://www.kellyhwilliamson.com/?page_id=211">amazing support system</a></b> I have around me; I am proud to represent each and every one of you, and appreciate your belief in me as an athlete and a person. Thanks to Memorial Hermann, Zoot, PowerBar, Quintana Roo, The Westin Lake Las Vegas, Reynolds, Recovery Pump, ISM, Road ID, Jack & Adams, Vision, Giro, BMW of Austin, Durata Training, Katalyst Multisport, SRM, Oakley, Go with the Flo, Hill Country Running, and Kendal Jacobson. I may not win 'em all, but you can rest assured, I'll give it every ounce in me and I'll be damned if quit. Here's to a great 2012. I'm grateful, appreciative and hungry for more! Now onto the fun stuff... planning out my Off Season 5K Race Schedule...<br />
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<br />Kelly H Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01819445022646176185noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839831654318179147.post-75532401485501702672012-09-13T11:51:00.006-07:002012-09-14T13:51:56.248-07:00Vegas 70.3 Worlds: Slow like Turtle, Fast like Hare<div style="text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal">Given some time to reflect on the 70.3 World Champs, I can’t help but feel like I’m a bit like a turtle. Maybe this is because I spent a bit of time at the Westin Lake Las Vegas’ outside patio, looking out over the water, admiring the giant turtle fountains spitting out water; cute little guys. While I’ve managed to put together a string of good results the past few seasons, the progression to this point in my career has been extremely steady and consistent. At times frustratingly slow and steady, but, in retrospect, I’d prefer to have had it no other way. It has allowed me to be that much more appreciative to see it all come together as it has. </p></div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheIQ_M7xgd5I6bq2inFRFo6rM1A7IPPUOyg5BWoiAIOGTbR12Th_tweL2vpQ8vRrNi2k5L-IWaikXvICj4ABcg9m-B3P_zMQN_jJQksQeSg-kFU5g8zkg50ZffH8QOY4OJ3vrWTs1LuzU/s1600/Bike+by++Jay+P+from+below.jpg" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9I-gHuvIHPF6ZJ6jRhE7OI7Dd4MwVTHoUqzbDen_zdWL5TQfyb4m9GKIxMiwQrMc6jLjt9-_dnPkeTMcoFkLT-fN7vVv4Zq5M4S38GjTMsHTmOP7n7bAh8nC0C-_3esUc2-7XomBEmWk/s320/Look+out+for+Turtles.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5787736429820143842" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh30D30TpNTQbeRaWGm4WJWtMTwb2hu7ZauX4KIQ-dYBiEO7G9RQ3_n5OFH5UyHpH6OTkXo1i57feASCX7bXLgAMuBzkl067HfI6OOivj1cWRy1RI9CxLQxdr8YdbBmRyISLKniywRLzi8/s320/IMG_6245.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5787737204273679650" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /><br /></a></div><div><div style="text-align: left;">Sunday's race was an interesting one. Given the week leading up, I tried not to change any of my goals or expectations; but truth be told, that is really tough when your 'master plan' gets the least bit rattled. It just challenges your mental capacity and attitude that much more. I had been out to the Westin Lake Las Vegas in June for a solo mini training camp/bike focus, and I loved the venue. Calm lake swim, hilly and challenging bike course with wide sweeping turns, and a hard hill run; and hot temperatures. There were few things that, if I could hand-pick a course, I would opt to do differently. To top it off, I had the support of my husband Derick, my parents, and my Aunt Sandy and Uncle Del all in attendance. Some of you may know that I'm <a href="https://www.gifttool.com/donations/Donate?ID=1795&AID=2044"><b>raising money for Multiple Sclerosis</b></a>, as it is something very close to me. My Aunt has had MS for 40 years now, and to have her there to watch my race made it all the more special. I just hoped I could put on a good show! </div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheIQ_M7xgd5I6bq2inFRFo6rM1A7IPPUOyg5BWoiAIOGTbR12Th_tweL2vpQ8vRrNi2k5L-IWaikXvICj4ABcg9m-B3P_zMQN_jJQksQeSg-kFU5g8zkg50ZffH8QOY4OJ3vrWTs1LuzU/s1600/Bike+by++Jay+P+from+below.jpg" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheIQ_M7xgd5I6bq2inFRFo6rM1A7IPPUOyg5BWoiAIOGTbR12Th_tweL2vpQ8vRrNi2k5L-IWaikXvICj4ABcg9m-B3P_zMQN_jJQksQeSg-kFU5g8zkg50ZffH8QOY4OJ3vrWTs1LuzU/s1600/Bike+by++Jay+P+from+below.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF8DRk8KRxjddfE6ctbxiH2H0bIBpgJSiDZJ-bM0i6z_gSqfJcu9RpNXT1glj5-Z71so6efceFpvNXq7NoyGx0gqhyM7GNsT-S-mR0IxVKlXWadMqldk_JqrmVMGrPYittHOZ7c91E_V4/s320/Swim+Exit+by+Kevin+K.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5787736426490515410" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 212px; height: 320px; " /></a><p class="MsoNormal">We kicked off right at 6:30, a few minutes behind the pro men. I felt strong from the gun, and managed to separate myself from the mass of women within a few minutes. I could see one woman up ahead and I guessed it to be Jodie Swallow. I could feel a couple people tapping my feet throughout but thankfully they were all nice! It forced me to keep my foot on the gas; when I felt them tap, I’d try to pick it up a bit. It ended up being Leanda Cave and Meredith Kessler; who, like me, aren’t into dogfight swims (to me it’s just wasted energy). I exited about 30-45 seconds behind Jodie with Leanda and Meredith right along with me. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">We were onto our bikes after a nice long climb out of T1 and Leanda was right ahead of me. I figured that since last weekend at HyVee we had ridden together most the way, well, we would do that again. Ha! Not if she had anything to do with it! She soon drifted off ahead as we entered Lake Mead Rec Area, and the carrot was gone. I stuck to my plan, tried to stay strong and steady; work the climbs but also get small and fast for the huge descents. I was feeling fairly good, but I was also getting passed here and there. I just tried to stay positive, even though at the turnaround (~mile 24), I could see that the top women had put in a good gap. I thought back to the many long rides I had done out here (back to back 100 mile days) in June and reminded myself that this was only 30 more miles; compared to my training, compared to all the intervals, this was nothing. Foot on the gas, eyes down the road. </p></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheIQ_M7xgd5I6bq2inFRFo6rM1A7IPPUOyg5BWoiAIOGTbR12Th_tweL2vpQ8vRrNi2k5L-IWaikXvICj4ABcg9m-B3P_zMQN_jJQksQeSg-kFU5g8zkg50ZffH8QOY4OJ3vrWTs1LuzU/s320/Bike+by++Jay+P+from+below.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5787737211431303938" /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9I-gHuvIHPF6ZJ6jRhE7OI7Dd4MwVTHoUqzbDen_zdWL5TQfyb4m9GKIxMiwQrMc6jLjt9-_dnPkeTMcoFkLT-fN7vVv4Zq5M4S38GjTMsHTmOP7n7bAh8nC0C-_3esUc2-7XomBEmWk/s1600/Look+out+for+Turtles.JPG" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPw8tt8NFIApOoGOfaw0bf65HEJA_7rCfZdvoHdhHNthusotyHRMT-vHY3F9BCWVkR-C7UwjRryA2_1d2SReB0J1zdjv-l-VvEzbPfpckHEsWczSIEaYMicRa5PwYhmkyHxsOw3Z7W7-g/s320/Bike+by+Jay+P+from+front.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5787736440159721378" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 226px; " /></a><p class="MsoNormal">I entered T2 with far more of a gap than I would have preferred (about 7-8 minutes) so I knew I had serious work cut out for me on the run. I bombed out of transition while balancing changing my hair (low ponytail to high, my usual, so my visor fits better) and carrying my flask of 4 PowerGels, and it was time to get after it. It was a 3 loop run that is basically either downhill or uphill. I managed to move through the field the first loop, probably moving from 7<sup>th</sup> into 4<sup>th</sup> or so. I was feeling incredibly strong out there. Well into the second loop, about mile 8, I managed to pass two women which moved me into 2<sup>nd</sup> place. I was still feeling great, but at about mile 10 as I started the final long climb, my body started to really feel the effort. I knew my deficit to Leanda was decreasing (I was literally hearing ‘6 min down! 4:30 down! 3:45 down!) but I also knew that I was running as fast as my legs would let me. By the time I reached mile 12, I was told “1:45 down!” I knew that unless Leanda blew up (and she was running downhill, mind you… an unlikely scenario) that I would have to settle for 2<sup>nd</sup> place. Nonetheless, when I made the final turn downhill for the finish, I gave it all I had in me. I managed to cut the difference to 1 min 19 seconds, and while I wanted nothing more than to be the 70.3 World Champ, I was pretty satisfied to have run myself into 2<sup>nd</sup> place.</p></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9I-gHuvIHPF6ZJ6jRhE7OI7Dd4MwVTHoUqzbDen_zdWL5TQfyb4m9GKIxMiwQrMc6jLjt9-_dnPkeTMcoFkLT-fN7vVv4Zq5M4S38GjTMsHTmOP7n7bAh8nC0C-_3esUc2-7XomBEmWk/s1600/Look+out+for+Turtles.JPG" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhey42s8EDPiQS5zfR1R4MfP-Y0oAHhzFfzee7vCzL1BHYcjE4TW3TbOg6GlMFJZw4rT5prOBXVhkJkAwpKLLPysBFj7sjI0Qkz7h9YPw6qCIESONYkixcD4_IZEuNB1ShokJ9MD9mBx6g/s320/Out+of+T2+Run+by+Kevin+K.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5787737219712267538" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 212px; height: 320px; " /><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 230px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEhHv6nrW0VDLovU4sSZv6MKO-v8Dq8ZdJA1qJhX-iyCY78oeIKGCe41H51D-CmW-O61Pck_590w8vK-1KGxxzCJ1wuji-2teztq-L7-DMdhJl3HQHgqQJWOEgmTPZ-9RDY4zrZAaGywE/s320/Run+by+Jay+P.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5787737230767193890" /></a></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9I-gHuvIHPF6ZJ6jRhE7OI7Dd4MwVTHoUqzbDen_zdWL5TQfyb4m9GKIxMiwQrMc6jLjt9-_dnPkeTMcoFkLT-fN7vVv4Zq5M4S38GjTMsHTmOP7n7bAh8nC0C-_3esUc2-7XomBEmWk/s1600/Look+out+for+Turtles.JPG" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyo_qJCA4_r_C9WvgFfK3VS0_VJhFkZ52JYO-f2pL-Th9KzSWgbUAC3APfqJM4cZXH6-Zd1OlyzS_RLSH5irq5OLb-jkHBMnqyzEfYEbBRK2QJojWuEqG0_G4X12SueuirfOIQg0U5zfk/s320/Kelly%2527s+Back.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5787737243873011010" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px; " /><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; "><br /></div></a><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtqGUopDntOzI76JD9S3IjxD7elKIkdmjZsduIfjFZPeXDe61OWAzpxq4166cl7bASn-AToA-bCNYaFa3G9s8rYUP3H1Hu5ojrz908adm5Rr1QxCklcl9f-pI2pqbLdxqzyir5RLIQwwA/s320/High+5%2527s+Finish.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5787738708457536226" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 256px; height: 320px; " /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxfOqlKmLPPxdCxkyNb3ao6_alcXY5DVdjpyJQ1Nf5R6YvJVSmerdAzy9cSwkgfEzyL_KQglctWPlBp4kTGrMtEY6NDm8CsfAmujD-V85vmY1mUbD3mNkTAW2yjjgUUZFfEOoLG79tQTw/s320/FINISH+with+Dave.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5787738717821111602" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 256px; " /><div style="text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal">When I came here to train in June, I ran the run course a few times to know what to expect. I am not a huge fan of ‘visualization’, but I would picture myself out there, racing, and I would envision myself with a victory here, on race day, at this venue. It didn’t feel forced; it felt natural; it was something I believed I would do. It’s tough to actually believe and picture yourself as a World Champion. Many of us can ‘say’ we believe we can do it, but to truly buy into it with every ounce of yourself is something totally different; you can’t force that. I truly believed that on this course, in this venue, at this distance, I was 100% capable of winning the World Championships. It didn’t happen on the day, but for some reason, I haven’t walked away disappointed. Every race is its own beast. I dealt with some things going into this one that I’d not expected. While I don’t know if the week leading up to it affected my race, what I do know is that I executed that race, start to finish, to the best of my abilities. I felt good, I had no major mishaps, and I never ever gave up on myself; even when I knew I had 8 minutes to make up. I can honestly say, I don’t know if I had an extra 1 min 19 seconds in my race that day; there is nothing I think I could have done better. When you walk away like that, with no regrets, it’s tough to be anything but satisfied. </p></div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9I-gHuvIHPF6ZJ6jRhE7OI7Dd4MwVTHoUqzbDen_zdWL5TQfyb4m9GKIxMiwQrMc6jLjt9-_dnPkeTMcoFkLT-fN7vVv4Zq5M4S38GjTMsHTmOP7n7bAh8nC0C-_3esUc2-7XomBEmWk/s1600/Look+out+for+Turtles.JPG" style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Georgia, serif; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ZT9WOXPTwWaYZMNaFHoXLpHV3iPOSXVMksuL0Yp2B4kH8jpLB8S0CHqskbLFweNfbLsNrSHO9eZr_PXCsoHzowamt_bGegvg5emdoWLUKtEepjrmflN536heD6UUsW7I7KePhHA40kQ/s320/Finish+by+Kevin+Koreskys.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5787738726336169202" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 212px; height: 320px; " /><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; "><br /></div></a><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXS8wcJDdyH0kaXfeUAzzXHAIqFElFNmebGyNfA7Wx25k1Tp2bZg8FIK_nLt1BnMQGXQXnHj_WAkKn3EgmAQKkMTOoAPj6_WX8y9wokT_vIjN9sNcbH0Nvq9NcMcvYONDmkzjoxJgRbes/s320/IMG_6288.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5787740161353233250" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9I-gHuvIHPF6ZJ6jRhE7OI7Dd4MwVTHoUqzbDen_zdWL5TQfyb4m9GKIxMiwQrMc6jLjt9-_dnPkeTMcoFkLT-fN7vVv4Zq5M4S38GjTMsHTmOP7n7bAh8nC0C-_3esUc2-7XomBEmWk/s1600/Look+out+for+Turtles.JPG" style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Georgia, serif; "></a><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9I-gHuvIHPF6ZJ6jRhE7OI7Dd4MwVTHoUqzbDen_zdWL5TQfyb4m9GKIxMiwQrMc6jLjt9-_dnPkeTMcoFkLT-fN7vVv4Zq5M4S38GjTMsHTmOP7n7bAh8nC0C-_3esUc2-7XomBEmWk/s1600/Look+out+for+Turtles.JPG" style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Georgia, serif; "></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9I-gHuvIHPF6ZJ6jRhE7OI7Dd4MwVTHoUqzbDen_zdWL5TQfyb4m9GKIxMiwQrMc6jLjt9-_dnPkeTMcoFkLT-fN7vVv4Zq5M4S38GjTMsHTmOP7n7bAh8nC0C-_3esUc2-7XomBEmWk/s1600/Look+out+for+Turtles.JPG" style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Georgia, serif; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcP6bRZ78C4vP6nfFH2w4HL9Iyex4_fsl-Aac-vCamY7v1LWvixD7rSqGqnXhRmCsIEFQtP0B3tyrSTFN0hdc9S0pzTyBPLg8SmSVdHFYtq7saflPx2HpLxzJXvYCHxXACqymhPzF8W6E/s320/Kelly_hug.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5787740148665065698" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 301px; height: 320px; " /></a></div></div><div><p class="MsoNormal">It has almost been a dream season for me (…it isn’t over yet!). I set out with big goals and with competitive races on my schedule, dating all the way back to February with Panama 70.3. Some people look at my schedule and think it’s ‘too much’, but I plan what I know I can handle and after 10 years of racing as a professional, I know myself pretty well. I like to race good competition as much as I can, but I also try to respect my body and give it the R&R that I know it needs. To me, this ‘Triple Crown’ thing really isn’t that big of a deal… I hadn’t raced in 8 weeks when HyVee approached, so I was fully ready to get back at it! I think that we can gain so much fitness from racing, given that we recover and rest afterwards. So that’s what I am now doing… trying to give my body the rest it needs so that I can be ready for the big one, Kona, in just 4+ weeks. It’s all the easier to get that ‘rest’ when you have blips like a slightly bum heel or a cold that hits after a race (both of which I’ve had)! In any case, while I have raced a lot of shorter races this season, I am very excited at what is around the corner. Ironman still holds a lot of unknowns for me personally. I’ve never really performed like I think I am capable of at this distance. So it’ll be fun to challenge myself on the most tried and true proving ground there is in our sport. But for now, I will enjoy the feeling of the 2<sup>nd</sup> place at 70.3 World Champs to cap off what has been a great year thus far.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I have to give a huge thank you to those who have been instrumental in my success’ this season: Derick, my husband and coach; he supports me when I need it but also knows how to get me to do things I don’t think are possible. My parents who are probably shocked their 34-year old daughter is ‘still an athlete’, just as she was 20 years ago, but are never anything but supportive. My Aunt and Uncle for coming out to Vegas to cheer me on. <a href="http://www.kellyhwilliamson.com/Sponsors.html"><b>And my sponsors</b></a>: Memorial Hermann, Zoot, Quintana Roo, PowerBar, Reynolds, Durata Training, Recovery Pump, Road ID, ISM, Vision, Katalyst Multisport, Jack & Adams, Giro, BMW of Austin, SRM, Oakley, Go with the Flo Acupuncture, Hill Country Running, Advanced Rehab and my newest sponsor, The Westin Lake Las Vegas. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">I’ve had a few people call me ‘inspiring’. I don’t know if we ever really consider ourselves worthy of such a compliment; inspiring is when people overcome the impossible, they have every odd stacked against them and they somehow succeed; I don’t feel like I have had to leap too many hurdles in my life. But when I step back and take a look at my own career and progression through the sport, in my opinion I have just stubbornly clawed my way up the ladder. There have been times I’ve wanted to throw the towel in, thinking there’s no way that my cycling would ever make me competitive with the best. But just as often I’ve said to myself, “Why the hell not? With persistence, hard work and visible progression, there’s no reason you can’t get to that level.” Pardon the cliché nature of this statement, but if my success’ can inspire just one person to believe in themselves a bit more, or decide that there is nothing to lose by chasing a dream or a goal, then every success I achieve becomes multiple times more meaningful. With that said, aim high, my friends. There’s a lot to be gained, especially if you’re not afraid to fail. </p></div><div><div style=" font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center; font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:100%;"><span style="color:#0000ee;"><u><br /></u></span><br /></div></div></div>Kelly H Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01819445022646176185noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839831654318179147.post-33228985509032417372012-09-12T08:24:00.009-07:002012-09-12T09:38:52.623-07:00HyVee 5150 Champs: It Takes an Army<span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij64W-lwjv0GsxYiCgHzTCJ3bLdDWr-s1WgzI_HRBLg9ieo_7OGJv_vEY5YENgq79WV0Jml1knU7N69V9W5oE559CDBTW8osYCVdzhv5giACB3eBQAZJ7CL-fALCMRmhq0VSKGzB-ZvVY/s1600/Cruiser+Outta+Here.JPG"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfZB0cJ3yl9TilpPTNp5Oiuam5xqdfI_NJn0Ioir9nc4aHCqRG2g-Hj_pEZdLBtkn8p8pWRpfrFCNIxbq_qI70F61jvkXQOYlJKpwwnYRvVZTr6Dh7wWbkCZsoOMmzKMorw4U4oeZxkKE/s1600/Cruiser+1.JPG"></a><span style="font-family:arial;">It’s no secret that I have had my eye on the final part of my season all year long. The overall plan was to start early, knock out the necessary points, and gain fitness f</span><span style="font-family:arial;">rom the first half of my season. We then shut it down in the heat of summer, head to Colorado and focus, undistracted, on training 2 months. I love to race, but this allowed me to shut off, put in some volume and also get that fire in my belly again to compete. The big racing push would include three Championship events: HyVee 5150, Vegas 70.3 and Kona. Call me greedy, but my goal is always to win! Maybe not all, but at least one! Thus far, however, I am pleased with the first two results, especially give</span><span style="font-family:arial;">n an unexpected ‘glitch’ at HyVee. In short, I was 6</span><sup style="font-family: arial; ">th</sup><span style="font-family:arial;"> at HyVee. In long, here is how it unfolded.</span></span><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">I’ve been excited to do HyVee ever since I put it on my schedule late 2011. I train for 70.3 and Ironman, but I try to keep in touch with the shorter speed here and there. I trust in my ability to race well in both Olympic distance events and Ironman. I headed to HyVee after having been down from altitude for 1 week, and really doing mostly 70.3 and Ironman focused training in Colorado. I knew it w</span><span style=" ;font-family:arial;">ould be fast and furious (especially on the swim) but I was anxious to throw myself into the mix and see how I measured up against some of the best in the world at this distance; fully knowing that it could go great or I could get it handed to me.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">I liked the feeling of Des Moines from the moment we arrived. It felt like a mellow town, easy to navigate, low key, not too busy. I guess I’m just a small town Indiana girl at heart; but I always feel relaxed arriving in a town like this to compete. It was a treat to have Derick and my parents all </span><span style=" ;font-family:arial;">there, and I felt fairly relaxed going into it, knowing this was not ‘the’ focus race for my year; moreso a good stepping stone for what was to come.</span></span></p><span style="margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuh-h5qdcGTDUSBCrHKeWlAAv7N69mMehyybcSc6_QzSbma4yBIM2WponfEcg1OsmhpxCzbNnIfFa2eOvdZximLIaMyYwRz4ouZNW0bULgTdDDhrFuPZzCBV-LcW9MktTm92_y58UqT30/s320/Marcing+to+Swim+Start.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5787327974753248258" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span><div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBVwCAZs3z8LzkXvkwCreMsBhnFuE3czVVg70yu80N8NvFdA1ueBccRxIpW1uUK-L2JeJnZV4kPRQiUQJ3LuOEDalJeiOy_Dn2tuLwwa1vClNEjTLZFhZYYMKmoBgw4tDBT5w-_DRDWyk/s320/Swim+Start+on+Pontoon.JPG" /> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=" text-align: left; font-family:arial;">This race organization spares NOTHING. Top notch, first class everything; they go above and beyond to make you feel like they are truly glad you’re here in Des Moines for their event. Before the swim, all 30 women lined up with an ‘escort’ carrying our country’s flag. Incredible! We marched down to the pontoon for the dive start, and after fireworks went off, took our spots, and awaited the gun. Off we went for the 2-loop swim. I gave it all I had from the gun, but watch a few women drift off into the distance, trying to stay within myself. We exited after 750 meters, ran down the pontoon and dove in for the second loop. That heart rate jolt was a bit of of a shock! I felt a bit better as I settled into the second half, but found myself counting my strokes at the end. My mind was definitely drifting! I’m a very steady swimmer and I knew I was going as fast as I could. Upon exiting, I got to try out my new </span><a href="http://zootsports.com/" style="font-family: arial; text-align: left; ">Zoot speedsuit</a><span style=" text-align: left; font-family:arial;">, which unzips by simply tearing it apart; worked like a charm and no cord to deal with! Smooth as butter. I was about 1 minute down from the leaders; not ideal, but I didn’t let it rattle me.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style=" text-align: left; font-family:arial;font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX3JkyuK4jOzG9SF-seSiONtNmt3ve5iGZvzy5DGdfBeRxOwOfjDXyWrZGl3FwPUEhEuAaNTzG44PqRaMsFohY4hA08iTcjCrN5o5U18LIHhwx39rh0CpoWTVlNlqKo1skMuSVArHUP2o/s320/Bike+Waiting.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUZ47RjgX5B_x08cx0I1LNcC-xOwEglDZKEnrnGxiaA-SWtQxkAaVr6tQxP1qVe4QJ_k7gZhEkIEIJRQLnzSUQl61wSlCSLQ0JaEh2DiGnyy2SKHdDr3LzeLXPjITfLkYjvxTIPlYEplM/s320/Biking+Out.JPG" /> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=" text-align: left; font-family:arial;">I hopped onto my </span><a href="http://www.quintanarootri.com/" style="font-family: arial; text-align: left; ">QR Illicito</a><span style=" text-align: left; font-family:arial;">, threw on my new </span><a href="http://www.giro.com/" style="font-family: arial; text-align: left; ">Giro Selector</a><span style=" text-align: left; font-family:arial;"> helmet (which I’m a huge fan of) and tried to bike like hell. We had a 4 loop course and it was a lot hillier than I had expected. I knew it would be technical with many turns, but it was also a lot of shifting and a LOT of punching high end power. I felt strong but definitely a bit out of my element; that intensity is so different than what my bike focus has been. I managed to hold my position more or less throughout the bike, passed a couple of girls, got passed by a few. I actually lost a few (4) spokes halfway into the bike when a competitor made a pass so close to my right that something on her bike (perhaps the skewer) ran up against my front wheel. I heard the noises, and when I looked down I could see something was off with the spokes. My Reynolds 46 front wheel seemed to still ride fairly true, but upon standing I could see it wobbling. For one thing, it pissed me off, which is never a bad thing…I tend to do well in this state. J But it also made me nervous with the technical course that the wheel could be a bit unstable. I was so thankful to finally finish up the bike knowing I had finished it in one piece. It was truly impressive that my </span><a href="http://www.reynoldscycling.com/" style="font-family: arial; text-align: left; ">Reynolds 46</a><span style=" text-align: left; font-family:arial;"> wheel held up and still carried on safely with 4 broken spokes!</span></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyXZzEARKUho3SSTbFNBE3f7PT8DUegT9ncuFwKutlsUx2C-478kuVAad4pfAjaEiew6rtqAT3LsC_O0IOid4hVK2BJO-RTsvDRkbfV-IHSH07JNPQWIFj6rcUMQqFXz_Jj1s-WstlFCs/s320/Bike+to+Run+Transition+by+Aaron+Patel.jpg" /> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=" ;font-family:arial;">When I made the final turn to dismount, the line jumped up on me, a bad mistake I had made (completely my own fault) in that I didn’t realize the dismount line was THAT quick after the final turn. They had firmly emphasized being completely OFF your bike by that line with the huge primes. The good thing was I had a stellar dismount! The bad thing was I landed so hard on my left heel that after throwing on my Zoot Ultra Race shoes, running out of T2 I had an indescribable pain in my foot and up my entire lower leg. I literally hobbled, then stopped and shook my foot out. I decided if I could continue to run ‘normally’, I would carry on. If not then I would have to quit, knowing what races I had to come. These moments can be so tough as an athlete; do you pull out to be ‘safe’ or do you grit your teeth and suck it up? I began to run and it seemed the pain went away, so while I knew something was not entirely right in there, I decided ‘game on’ and began to put together the best 10k I had in me. I managed to go from 14</span><sup style="font-family: arial; ">th</sup><span style=" ;font-family:arial;"> to 6</span><sup style="font-family: arial; ">th</sup><span style=" ;font-family:arial;"> over the course of the 4 loop, 10 km course. Quite a good result given where I had started. The bad part was I could barely walk after I finished. I definitely wanted to be in the Top 5, but I my concern over my foot overshadowed that and I was pleased with the result. I enjoyed the evening with my family but a fun dinner out became pizza and beer in the room, along with icing and elevating my foot.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfZB0cJ3yl9TilpPTNp5Oiuam5xqdfI_NJn0Ioir9nc4aHCqRG2g-Hj_pEZdLBtkn8p8pWRpfrFCNIxbq_qI70F61jvkXQOYlJKpwwnYRvVZTr6Dh7wWbkCZsoOMmzKMorw4U4oeZxkKE/s320/Cruiser+1.JPG" /> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">It made for an incredibly stressful next few days. Derick got me crutches at Walmart that I used the next day to get home, simply because any weight on my left foot was horribly painful. Nothing like leaving a race on crutches! I had an MRI on Tuesday which showed thankfully no damage to the bone or the plantar fascia, only inflammation and fluid in the heel. At this point, I had to make the decision about Vegas. I told myself it there was no real damage to my foot, I would still race. I pushed my departure back to Friday, as I needed all the time I could get in Austin getting acupuncture, massage, and seeing another doctor for a second opinion. Thursday before Vegas, I was still nervous and stressed out about even heading to the race. I was assured (as much as a doc can ‘assure’ anything) that he really felt like with ice, anti-inflammatories, and rest until Sunday, no further damage would be done. SO…I decided to head to Vegas despite a bit of skepticism, and hope that it came around by Sunday. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">It was not the week I had anticipated going into what was one of my biggest focus’ of the year, but having been in this sport for so long, I’ve come to realize this is part of it. I could have been worse off, and I had to mentally realize that the lack of running all week had not hurt me in anyway; if anything, the forced rest had probably been good. I had a few doubts but as the weekend approached, I tried to push them out of my mind, knowing I had the fitness and I simply had to try to ignore any potential foot pain on Sunday. Yet again, a lesson in ‘shit happens, it’s how you deal with it’! If you’ve not had things like this happen, you haven’t been in the sport long enough, because they will. I knew it was up to me how I chose to deal with this; take myself out of the race from the start, or forget about it and go in with a focus as if it had never happened. I tried my best to do the latter. </span></p> <div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; border-style: none none solid; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0in 0in 1pt; "> <p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; padding: 0in; "><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">I cannot thank enough the ‘army’ who helped me out during this tough week. My husband <a href="http://www.duratatraining.com/">Derick</a> (and of course my mom!) who were just there for me in the ups and downs; Kim Mullen, a chiropractor and friend who initially assessed me; <a href="http://www.massagept.com/">Kendal Jacobson</a> my massage therapist; Jack Murray of <a href="http://www.jackandadams.com/">Jack & Adams</a> reached out to get me in touch with a podiatrist; AJ Zelinski of <a href="http://www.atxrehab.com/">Advanced Rehab</a>; Karen Smith who paid me a home visit to do <a href="http://www.gowiththeflo.net/">acupuncture</a>; Aaron Brougher and Reynolds who came through with a new front wheel; James Balentine at Jack & Adams to get the wheel glued up. The community we have found in Austin is truly unparalleled. Additionally thanks to my <b><a href="http://www.kellyhwilliamson.com/Sponsors.html">sponsors</a></b> for their constant support. It was time to stop feeling sorry for myself, put on my game face and get after it; despite any doubts I may have had, I was stoked at the opportunity to toe the line in Vegas and give it my all. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;border: none; padding: 0in; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij64W-lwjv0GsxYiCgHzTCJ3bLdDWr-s1WgzI_HRBLg9ieo_7OGJv_vEY5YENgq79WV0Jml1knU7N69V9W5oE559CDBTW8osYCVdzhv5giACB3eBQAZJ7CL-fALCMRmhq0VSKGzB-ZvVY/s320/Cruiser+Outta+Here.JPG" /> </p> </div></div></div>Kelly H Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01819445022646176185noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839831654318179147.post-23823117158609292352012-08-19T16:58:00.002-07:002012-08-19T17:09:58.668-07:00Active MSers Feature: Larry Danahey<div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; "><span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Larry is from Denver, Colorado and appropriately (given the amazing surroundings, terrain and environment living in Colorado) he has taken to cycling as his activity of choice. Though he was diagnosed with MS about 13 years ago, he has in recent years tackled some of his biggest and longest rides. It is very inspiring to hear Larry say that the exercise has helped his MS symptoms; and additionally, the social interaction and simply being outside has improved his overall well-being. So great to hear these stories! Please take a moment to read his story; thank you Larry for submitting it, and thank you to all of you who have donated to my Can Do MS Fund. </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; "><span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; "><span style="font-size: 13px; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b>We are at $4700, and my goal is $10,000 by October 13th. Please help spread the word! </b></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><b><span style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "> </span><a href="https://www.gifttool.com/donations/Donate?ID=1795&AID=2044">https://www.gifttool.com/donations/Donate?ID=1795&AID=2044</a></b></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; "><span style="font-size:85%;">--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; "><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Here is Larry's story, in his words:</span></div><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><div><span style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br /></span></div>I was diagnosed with RRMS in January of 1999 at the age of 48. I had noticed various symptoms for the previous 9 years ranging from foot drop, numbness, and vision changes, to balance issues, but the thing that drove me to find out what was going on was the paralyzing fatigue. I spent the next three years trying to get my mind wrapped around the diagnosis of MS, a disease which the wife of a very good friend of mine had passed away from just a few years earlier. Eventually, the worry wore me out and I decided to just get on with living. </span><br style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Through out my life I had generally managed to stay active. Although I have never been a swimmer and now running was becoming more and more difficult, I eventually discovered that riding the spin cycles at the club was doable. That prompted me to dust off an old mountain bike I had and start riding outside. The bike took my mind off of the MS because there were so many other things to think about like where I was, where I was going, how far, how fast, the rain, the wind and the traffic and of course the scenery and whatever chaos might be going on around me. It was an exhilarating opportunity to experience life again and I fell in love with it almost immediately.</span><br style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">I attempted my first MS 150 in 2005. I was only marginally successful. I sagged and short cut my way to the end and still barely made it. I felt my effort was so miserable that I didn’t even attempt the ride in 2006 but I did step up my training on the bike. I successfully completed the MS 150 in 2007 and it was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done in my life, but I decided then that I would do this ride every year until I couldn’t do it anymore.</span><br style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">In 2008 I noticed that my time on the first day of the MS 150 seemed to improve and by quite a bit and I began to see that the bike riding was actually helping me overcome some of the MS damage, so I started to pay more attention to that aspect of riding. I began to notice positive changes in fatigue levels and strength. I found things I had not been able to do at all in previous years that I could at least do to a moderate extent. I stepped up my training again in 2009 and again improved my first day saddle time in the MS 150. I decided to step out and try some longer, harder rides.</span><br style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">In 2010 in honor of our 60th birthdays, a friend and I did the “Ride the Rockies”, 7 straight days, 532 miles, 27,000 feet of ascent. Although I took one of the recovery days off to visit some old friends, I DID climb ALL 6 of the mountain passes the ride covered. The MS 150 that year was relatively easy for me and again I improved my first day saddle time.</span><br style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">At the end of 2010 I had a brief relapse that I felt was brought on by an MS drug that I tried. I spent the first part of 2011 getting through the damage from that relapse. In spite of it though, I signed up for the MS 150 including the 2nd day century. I also signed up for the “Triple Bypass”, a single day, 123-mile ride with 10,000 ft. of ascent. Again I improved my time on the first day of the 150 even if only by 7 minutes and I didn’t have any problems on the 2nd day century either, except maybe a little with the heat toward the very end. Unfortunately, I failed miserably on the “Triple Bypass” though. I did several other rides with varying degrees of success that year too and I took the liberty of blaming my failures on the relapse I’d had late in 2010 and my successes on my training. I decided to repeat most of the rides that I did that year again in 2012 to see if I could improve my success rate.</span><br style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Although the “Triple” would only constitute a relatively hard training ride for a pro, there is a good chance that it might be more than I am capable of, but whether or not I complete it is not really the point any more. The real point of these rides is the training they encourage me to do. I know how lucky I am to be able to ride at all because I know so many who can’t. </span><br style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Over the years I’ve seen how beneficial the training has been for my MS, I believe there is more at work here than simple strengthening of atrophied muscles. And, of course, the various rides with fabulous scenery and multiple opportunities to make new friends, provides more incentive for me to concentrate on that training. Sometimes it is a difficult concept to explain to a more competitive rider, but although I appreciate being able to complete the rides I sign up for and I thoroughly enjoy seeing the improvement in my riding abilities, it’s really all about the training and the tremendously beneficial effect it has on the MS.</span>Kelly H Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01819445022646176185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839831654318179147.post-49426381478068111182012-08-10T15:26:00.002-07:002012-08-10T15:26:35.661-07:00Visions of Flour: Running in SalidaWe are well into our annual Salida, CO "summer training/escape the Austin heat" trip. We've been here 4 weeks, and we have just less than 2 to go. As always we have had an awesome stay here; cooler temps, afternoon storms, and the daily river plays with our dog Amico. Derick and I are both mountain people by heart; we love Austin but we have to get away and see mountains at least once a year. I have yet to take to the Arkansas river and make it into my own swimming treadmill, but... there's still time!<br />
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Yesterday I was out on my 11 mile uphill Tempo run which Derick so kindly assigned to me. The one thing that Salida lacks is a nice long fairly flat dirt path for running. Living in Austin, we forget how spoiled we are with a marked 10 mile dirt path around Lady Bird Lake. It makes it easy to do fast tempo runs, long runs and even recovery runs on a softer surface. Here, there is no shortage of hills but at 7000+ feet, they can get pretty taxing if you are always running up or down. And, given that I am doing Ironman training, at times I need to get the 'miles' in, not just the time. The first long tempo run I did here was out and back 291, a long fairly flat stretch of road. The next week, I took the 12 miles to a treadmill for a softer surface and less pounding. Then Derick discovered a long dirt road that goes uphill for (at least) 12 miles. He suggested that I do an 'uphill tempo' on this as an alternative. I agreed. I then said 'so what pace do you think I can run it?' and he said '...probably 7 min pace or faster.' I thought to myself...huh. Really? That sounds fast. But I figured to give it a go and see what happened.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">thinking 'oh shit, what have I gotten into..'</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">and mentally preparing here...</span></i></div>
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The run goes from our condo and takes 3 miles to the start of the dirt, but half of this is already going uphill on pavement. Then the dirt begins; the start line for 8 miles up. Derick marks every mile with flour (I guess this is a runner thing?) so, lucky me, I could see my run splits. When you're told 7 min pace and you see 8:22 on mile 1, it can be a little demoralizing. (I of course yelled at Derick when he drove by me the first time something to the effect of "7 min pace my ass!") But, I tried to suck it up and keep on running, knowing this was a strength workout, not necessarily speed. Mile 2 was more brutal as the road was both twisty and steep.<br />
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By about 2 miles in, I start to just zone out and take it as it comes. It's long, and while the environment is beautiful, it is unrelenting and simply put, my hill does not end until the 8 miles are completed; no matter how fast or slow I split each mile, there are still 8 of them. The good thing was I had done this a week earlier, so I knew what to expect and I also had previous splits to base this run off of. Thankfully, these ones were slightly faster than the previous week. Derick would leapfrog me to mark off the miles, along with Amico in the car to spectate and 'support'. Up, up, up I go.<br />
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Soon enough, I hit the 4 mile mark which was a nice sight to see...halfway! I watched for Derick around this point because previously, he had pulled the car off to let the dog play in a fairly open spot and hand me some water. However as I approached Amico's play field, the cows had decided to take it over for the day, so the poor little guy was left in the car to bark at the cows. Thankfully, they let me through the road; and looked at me like I was crazy. (smart cows!)</div>
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From this point on, it is kind of 'all downhill' (mentally) since I know I am down to 3+ miles to go. The air gets a little bit more thin, temps cool off a bit, but it's still about trying to stick to the best pace I can sustain while ...yes, still going up. By the time mile 6 rolls around, the terrain kicks up again and also gets a bit more rocky; which can be tough given the amount of fatigue which has accumulated by now. I'd start to see rocks up ahead of me, which appear white in the dirt, and I kept thinking they were lines of flour; but most times, they were just more rocks! I'd think "Damn, where is the flour!" I tried to not look at my watch except for the mile splits, because it kind of messes with your head if you fixate too much on the time; moreso, it's just one line of flour at a time. </div>
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Even though the run 'only' tops out at about 9800 feet, it almost feels like I'm getting closer to the sky as I finish up the final couple of miles. And one of the best parts of this entire run is, the final 1/4 mile the terrain actually levels off and descends a bit. A nice way to finally find some leg turnover and finish it up strong!<br />
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...aaand, done. The run culminates with the view from the top and a happy Kelly; thanks to my awesome sherpa husband and of course Amico in tow to keep Derick company. This dog loves few things more than car rides (except maybe playing in the river, biting waves).<br />
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This run, to me, is kind of a symbolic microcosm of all of my time training here in Salida. Vastly all of what I do is on my own, solo, for 6 weeks. While most the time I relish in solo training (I feel good, I roll with it...I feel like shit, I dial it back; no added stresses of pacing off of/with someone else) I have to admit that I have had a few ups and downs. I may struggle one day to get myself out the door, but once I do, I realize why I do what I do and how much I truly love it. I've got an incredible playground here in Salida, and it's just a matter of figuring out where I'll do what on each day. Swimming is probably one of the harder things here; swimming at 7000 ft is extremely challenging, in an indoor 25-meter pool that is kept at a balmy 84F no less. There is no open water lake, or at least none actually 'in' Salida. However, like anything else... you make it work. I miss my masters group in Austin, I miss the long course meters pools...but I know that the altitude is making me stronger, and if I want to get it done, it's up to noone but me. And I have to hand it to Derick. I would have never (ever) chosen to run uphill for 11 miles and call it a 'tempo' run. I am usually pretty tied to paces; tempo means fast, and I want to see fast splits. However, in this situation, tempo means strength and even though the turnover is not there, to mentally run up a hill that lasts for 1.5 hrs is brutal; not to mention the physical challenges it brings and that it can actually make you a 'faster' runner. It requires so much fortitude and persistence, regardless of that satisfaction of seeing 'tempo pace' on my watch at each mile. One foot in front of the other, relaxed upper body, consistent breathing, keeping the effort in check...and just clicking off each line of flour. Noone around to keep me honest, noone next to me to keep me moving forward; just me. If that won't make you mentally stronger, I'm not sure what will! </div>
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Here is a little glimpse of what tomorrow has in store...this is me riding back from Buena Vista, after climbing up Cottonwood Pass; which tops out at 12,126 feet. When it gets tough and the legs are burning, I'll just remind myself that there are no mountains like this in Austin! It's not a bad way to spend a Saturday. Because this is the reward at the end; a natural ice bath & entertainment from Amico! </div>
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Thanks for reading! </div>
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Kelly H Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01819445022646176185noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839831654318179147.post-7166458556762370452012-07-26T16:33:00.001-07:002012-07-26T16:33:58.275-07:00Active MSer Feature: Beth Ulibarri<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Beth is from Albuquerque, NM and was just recently diagnosed with MS. She keeps up to date on a blog to document her journey: www.milesandtrials.com. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">You can also find Beth on Twitter: @MilesAndTrials</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I also want to say CONGRATS to my most recent Active MSer feature Jill Walsh, who recently finished Ironman Lake Placid; Jill, You Are An Ironman! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Here is Beth's story, in her words.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #454545; font-size: 13px;">Hi Kelly,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br style="color: #454545; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="color: #454545; font-size: 13px;">I have been a fan of yours since I saw you do so well at Boulder 70.3 last summer as I was there to cheer my husband on. It was with great delight when I saw your personal interest in supporting the MS community, as I have been recently diagnosed.</span><br style="color: #454545; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #454545; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="color: #454545; font-size: 13px;">My MS story started about a year ago, first with some leg tingling that I would feel after a long run (I was training for a marathon at the time), then an electric shock feeling in my rib cage, and fatigue is pretty much a constant in my life. The tingling and numbness in my feet and legs got gradually worse in the Fall of 2011 and finally got my attention enough to get it checked out. I thought it was simply a pinched nerve or something like that, but test after test later, I got the disturbing news that I have MS. </span><br style="color: #454545; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #454545; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="color: #454545; font-size: 13px;">That was in March of this year. I am still adjusting to the news, but one of the first things I did was research athletes that have MS. I have been a runner for a few years and fallen in love with running marathons, so I was hopeful that I would not have to give this passion up. I was pleased to find many runners and triathletes who have MS that continue to train and even do amazing things like run marathons and do Ironmans! I plan on continuing to run marathons, do the New Mexico MS 150 bike ride this summer, and possibly even do some triathlons.</span><br style="color: #454545; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #454545; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="color: #454545; font-size: 13px;">I decided to start a blog (</span><a href="http://www.milesandtrials.com/" style="color: #234786; font-size: 13px; outline: 0px;" target="_blank"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1343344763_1" style="color: #366388; cursor: pointer;">www.milesandtrials.com</span></a><span style="color: #454545; font-size: 13px;">) to document my journey of trying to stay in shape while dealing with what MS might throw my way. I hope that I can inspire others to not be deterred by this diagnosis and to keep moving, or start moving their bodies, because exercise is shown to be so helpful in dealing with MS. I just completed my fifth marathon, my first one post MS diagnosis (PMS, as I like to call it!). It was my fastest marathon so far, and I even qualified for the Boston Marathon. I hope and pray that I can stay healthy enough to have many more marathons and triathlons in my future. Thank you for your commitment to MS awareness and fundraising.</span>
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Keep it up Beth, and thank you for submitting your story! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>And let's keep the donations coming</b>! Ironman Hawaii is in just 3 months, and we're almost halfway to my goal of $10,000 via MS Can Do. Please consider a donation, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">none is too small! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="https://www.gifttool.com/donations/Donate?ID=1795&AID=2044">https://www.gifttool.com/donations/Donate?ID=1795&AID=2044</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Thanks for reading,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Kelly</span><br />
<br />
<br />Kelly H Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01819445022646176185noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839831654318179147.post-14884901785680805962012-07-13T18:00:00.000-07:002012-07-26T16:34:36.020-07:00Muncie 70.3: An Indiana Win!Life is full of uncertainties. We can have the best plan of
attack; and things may go right as planned for awhile. Then we hit a road bump;
an unexpected detour. It’s natural to be frustrated, angry and ask questions.
But it’s these times in life that force us to keep moving forward; prevent us
from becoming complacent, and constantly motivate us to stay on our game and
make us appreciate why we do what we do. At the time the road blocks suck, but
in hindsight, think they’re an essential part of life.<br />
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I headed to Muncie 70.3 with a fire in my belly. It was no secret
that the previous race (Rev 3 Quassy) left me in the aforementioned state;
confused, frustrated and with some discontent. Sure maybe I was not firing on
all cylinders that day, but bottom line was I got it handed to me and I didn’t
like it. That led Derick and I into talking about ‘what next’ before Muncie,
and we decided upon my escaping Austin to ride my bike. The goal was open
roads, lots of climbing and many miles. I landed in Henderson, Nevada and did
my solo 8 day training stint, which included about 500 miles over the course of
7 days, many rides with 3000-6000+ feet of climbing. For me, this was a huge
amount of cycling. I headed back to Austin, recovered, and sharpened up for
Muncie 70.3. I was 2<sup>nd</sup> in 2011, so I definitely wanted to try to
move up the podium this year, but also bounce back from Quassy and find my form
again. </div>
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When the decision was made to shorten the course (which we
found out about on Friday at the Pro Meeting), understandably many of us were a
bit annoyed. However upon talking to the race staff, I realized that this was
purely for the safety of all involved; athletes, volunteers and spectators. In
hindsight, this was the right decision. I’ve realized having been in this sport
for 10+ years that people love to find things to complain about; if they had
gone ahead with the full distance under nationally issued heat advisories, you
know some would have said they should have shortened it. Bottom line is a race
is a race; the directors are in that position for a reason; and it’s our job to
race the course presented, and respect their decisions. With that attitude, I
embraced it and got excited to go hard the next day. I had a bit of concern
about my cycling, since I had put in all of those fairly ‘slow’ miles in
Nevada; what if I didn’t have the high end power? Then I quickly said to myself
“Kelly, remove head from ass and race.” Sometimes you just have to tell
yourself to shut the hell up!</div>
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We arrived at about 5:30AM for the 6:30 start and things
kicked off right on time. The small women’s field (about 10-12) took off into
the warm waters of Prairie Creek Reservoir (supposedly 88F!) 4 minutes after
the men. I was stoked that my <a href="http://www.zootsports.com/" style="color: orange;">Zoot Ultra Speedzoot</a> was so thin, as you really
didn’t want to wear much more than a bikini in this water! I tried my best to
hook in behind Jodie Swallow, who is an incredible swimmer. I got gapped a bit
but was able to maintain a few meters behind her throughout the 1 mile swim and
about 21 minutes later, we exited; I was pleased to see I was only about 10
seconds behind her. Good start! </div>
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Up the hill from swim exit and onto my <a href="http://www.quintanarootri..com/" style="color: orange;">QR Illicito</a>, we
headed out to the cornfields of Muncie for the 30 mile journey. I remembered
this course from last year and I really liked the bike; they closed the course
to traffic, which rarely ever happens, and it was fairly flat and quite fast.
Being among a bunch of farmland and corn made me feel right at home (as I grew
up in Zionsville, IN, just 1-2 hrs away). Jodie and I were quite evenly matched
on the bike, again something I was pleased with as she’s one of the best out
there on two wheels as well! I tried to break away and put a gap on her a few
times, but it seemed each time I did she’d come back around me. That said, it
felt good to push hard and feel so dang strong in the TT position; something
that I have truly been striving to find for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">years</i>.
I taped over my <a href="http://www.srm.de/" style="color: orange;">SRM</a>, but I felt like that high end power that I was worried
about was there just fine. Every time I felt like I was letting up, I’d try to
hit the gas again. It was fun knowing I could really go to the well without
risking a blowup knowing that the bike was only 30 miles. Ah, another
interesting part of the bike was this… I had a gel flask on my top tube
(intended for the 56 mile distance) with 400 calories of <a href="http://www.powerbar.com/" style="color: orange;">Powergels</a>. I downed
the entire thing in the 1 hr 10 min on the bike! I think that my body was
craving the sodium (that was also 800 mg Sodium), so I figured I’d just go with
it. That gel flask along with water and I was good to go for the 10k run.<br />
<br />
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I took off out of transition and I tried to start off fairly
hard. I knew that Jodie was close behind, but I also didn’t really know exactly
how far back the other women were. I told myself that they were within a minute
so it forced me into thinking that I had to go and go hard. About 1.5-2 miles
in, the lead biker looked back and told me ‘noone in sight’ so I was able to
take a breath and relax, just a bit. The run here in Muncie is not full on
hard, but it is not a walk in the park either. It consists of a few rollers and
not much wind, which makes it feel a bit more challenging than it may appear.
It was a very nice treat to turn around after only 3 miles, and I was able to
get a better view of what was going on behind me at that point. I had a good
lead, however I always try to assume that people are hard charging and that I
can’t let up; I have been caught at the line before and it sucks! I think it’s
just a small mental trick that helps. Finally the last couple of hills
approached and with a quick turn to the left, the finish was in sight! I was so
happy to take the win here, as there is a bit of history with Muncie 70.3. It
was my first half Ironman in 2004, so it’s an incredible feeling to, after 8
years, finally be able to win this one in my good old home state of Indiana. </div>
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I have to give a huge thank you to my parents and family for
being there to support; they were there in 2004 (even though my dad did mock me
that year upon the bike exit saying “Kelly, where ya been? <chuckle>”
when I came into T2) and they were here this year. My mom even informed me that
this year when they heard the bikes were approaching, he said “Ooh! Well let’s
count the women as they come in to see how far back Kelly is!” My mom hit him
and walked away. One
of the best parts of the weekend was getting to go back to their cabin in
southern Indiana, unwind and do the rope swing my dad built over their lake on Sunday.
<a href="http://www.kellyhwilliamson.com/Sponsors.html" style="color: orange;"><b>Thank you to my incredible sponsors</b></a>, I feel fortunate to have the best support
team out there and I’m always confident in my gear, equipment and nutrition. Also
thanks to the fellow pro women who raced Muncie; it was a solid field assembled
and I’ve said it a million times, it’s our competitors that propel us to be our
best on the day. And a huge thank you to my husband (<a href="http://www.duratatraining.com/" style="color: orange;">and coach</a>) Derick; he of course is the one who sees the
ups and downs in raw form, and he always keeps me even keel mentally and
emotionally; but he also is constantly helping me push myself a little beyond
what I may think is possible. Without him, I’d not be where I am today.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNbTFSiYdTqZWPRH34g3XHFtbED-SZUyv_azgSN9g-OZTjnAG_5mig-Ek0Nvqr3sopStajLNS8eST8UQMnKkQSjuXaQRgCPUyDWJoq1C9meQSJ-35o-Ifme5aVNXEsGZPNLUXTbFMeNUQ/s1600/Muncie+2012+%2819%29.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNbTFSiYdTqZWPRH34g3XHFtbED-SZUyv_azgSN9g-OZTjnAG_5mig-Ek0Nvqr3sopStajLNS8eST8UQMnKkQSjuXaQRgCPUyDWJoq1C9meQSJ-35o-Ifme5aVNXEsGZPNLUXTbFMeNUQ/s320/Muncie+2012+%2819%29.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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It’s one thing to hit ‘hot streak’ and find a groove, win
races, and feel (if even a little) invincible. It’s nice to say that after many
years at this, I think that I’ve at times found this ‘groove’ the past few of
years. That said, I think it’s invaluable to get knocked down at times as well.
It forces us to re-evaluate, dig deeper and remember that on any given day,
anything can happen. Past results don’t mean anything when we toe the line; it’s
always about US making it HAPPEN on the DAY. This win is a little bit sweeter
given that I felt like I overcame some questions and doubts the past few weeks.
Next up is a few weeks in Salida, Colorado, our little training escape and then
it’s a big few races: HyVee, Vegas 70.3 and Kona. It’s nice to take a little
confidence into this training stint.</div>
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Thank you for your support & see you out there!<br />
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</div>Kelly H Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01819445022646176185noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839831654318179147.post-23977405413703058312012-07-12T09:15:00.004-07:002012-07-12T09:15:55.750-07:00Active MSer Feature: Jill WalshJill Walsh, <a href="http://www.activemsers.com/">Active MSer</a>, is in the process of training for Ironman Lake Placid.<br />
Here is her story, in her words.<br />
<br />
<b><a href="https://www.gifttool.com/donations/Donate?ID=1795&AID=2044">Please consider a donation to my Can Do MS Fund</a></b>, which culminates in my Ironman World Championship race on October 13, 2012. Help support all of those living, training, and competing with Multiple Sclerosis. My goal is $10,000 and we are almost halfway there! Every bit helps!<br />
<br />
Best of luck to Jill on July 22nd; soon, you will hear "Jill, You Are an Ironman!" <br />
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
As I started to write my story, I realized it was going in an unexpected direction. <br />
Here it is.<br />
<br />
I
have been physically active my whole life. A year and a half ago I was
48 years old, still playing soccer twice a week, running most other
days, and training for my first ½ Ironman. I started to suffer from
vertigo, dizziness, and balance issues. I thought it was due to
overtraining.<br />
<br />Fast forward to today, and I still have bouts with
vertigo, dizziness, and balance issues, and have added foot drop and
left arm weakness to my growing collection of issues I am learning to
navigate with. <br />
<br />I have M.S., and am training for Ironman Lake Placid
on July 22, 2012—just a few weeks from now. All I can think about is,
“When is I all of this training going to be over? I’m tired”. But when I
start to reflect on my M.S. Ironman journey, I realize it’s not really
about me; it’s a lot more than that. Regardless of what reads after my
name in the race results: a time or DNF (but hopefully not a DNF), my
journey has taken a village—my village.<br />
<br />My husband should be sainted,
and my three teen-aged kids should be rewarded for being abandoned for
my training schedule. Hopefully, there will be, “Go Mom,” posters along
the course.<br />
<br />My coach, Brandi (an Ironman, herself), who would say—no
matter how much I whined, “It’s supposed to be hard. You will be an
Ironman!”<br />
<br />My physician, John (also an Ironman), thinks it might have
been foolish for me to have entered, said that if it is what I want to
do, he will help me any way he can to get to the finish line. He did
have to add, “But the run it won’t be pretty”. Ugh.<br />
<br />The brace maker
Jim, he is my new BFF. He has been very patient and helpful through the
many adjustments to my two braces. I now have a magic biking shoe and a
magic running shoe! Both braces are working well to keep my foot where
it was meant to be, regardless of M.S.’ opinion on the matter! He is
looking forward to hearing about my Ironman experience with his artwork.<br />
<br />Jeremy,
the bike shop guy: After I told him I didn’t have enough strength in my
left hand to safely brake, he found and installed a part that allows me
to now brake both wheels using only my right hand – it took a few
patient adjustments.<br />
<br />My favorite running shoe store (Fleet Feet!):
Can’t say enough good things about all those guys! This shoe, that shoe,
mismatched sizes to fit my brace (Yes, you can buy mismatched pairs).<br />All
my old friends and new training partners: Well, I will start to cry if I
go into how that have helped, encouraged, and supported me along this
journey.<br />
<br />Yup, it takes a village. We all belong to one, and I am
glad. Now my hope is – after what I know will be a long day for me—to
hear the voice of Mike Riley: “Jill, you are an Ironman!”Kelly H Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01819445022646176185noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839831654318179147.post-71402880794475625232012-06-26T13:07:00.001-07:002012-06-26T13:07:08.866-07:00Three Things I Learned in Vegas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I’ve never
been one to jump much on the idea of ‘training trips’. We re-locate for about 6
weeks each summer to Colorado, but that is simply because the oppressive
summers make it very difficult to put in the ‘big’ miles for Ironman. The
majority of the year, living in Austin, I’m in a perfect location to do all I
need to do for my job. Sure it gets hot, so I start my rides or runs early, or
move a run indoors to the treadmill. I swim with one of the best Masters teams
in the country (though I may be a little biased). The cycling may entail a lot
of stop and go at times, but you deal with it. I figure no place is perfect; you
do the best with what you’ve got. And of course, it is where my husband and my ‘kids’
(dog and cat) are. Given all the travel I do for racing, I’d just as well be at
home as much as I can.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">That said,
Derick and I agreed that after Rev 3 Quassy, it would be nice for me to escape
the heat a bit and get in a good little ‘cycling block’ (something else I had
never done). So after a few rest days, I was off to Henderson, Nevada. Why
Henderson? It is the site of Vegas 70.3 World Champs in September, and an opportunity
came up whereby I could stay at the Westin Lake Las Vegas, right where the swim
takes place and the bike starts. I made my plans and began to tirelessly
research the road riding in Henderson. It seemed to be an amazing place to ride
a bike, but going there alone, and planning to ride 90-100 miles a day for a
week straight definitely was a little bit daunting. I tried to embrace the
adventure and realized that while it may be a little lonely at times, I’d be
keeping myself busy enough (and tired enough) to be able to savor the solo
downtime. (I later realized that I would not be escaping the heat at all, just
exchanging hot and humid for hot and dry!). </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Returning
from the trip, I can look back and realize that the goal was accomplished. I
don’t talk much about my training, but this was a great week in Henderson. I
ended up riding 500 miles over 5 days (with 2 rest days) and I also logged my
longest ride to date, 120 miles, which took me all the way out to Overton, NV (with
110 of those miles being on the same road!). Swimming and running were
sprinkled in there a bit but the focus was cycling, and while I may not have
crushed all these rides, I did them and I can take a lot of confidence in this.
There is something very empowering about going somewhere that you know no one,
and riding roads you have never seen before; I was by no means camping in a
foreign country, but the trip carried some uncertainties and it felt good to
embrace them. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Which brings
me to the purpose of my post, “The Three Things I Learned in Vegas”. Yes I was
technically in Henderson, but ‘Vegas’ sounds better. Surely I learned more than
just three things, but when you have countless hours with you and the thoughts
in your head, you find certain thoughts keep coming back to you. So off we go. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">1) <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Do what scares you</b>. What scares me?
Long bike rides. Yeah, strange isn’t it? It has been something that has always
intimidated me, ever since I started triathlon. Think about it. Only on a long
bike ride can you pedal your way to 50, 60+ miles from your original spot. A
lot can happen out there. Flat tires, mechanicals, etc; but what has always
scared me most about long rides is the bonk. Bonking on a long ride is far more
dangerous than a swim bonk or a run bonk (of which I don’t think I have ever
encountered either one). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A bonk on a
long ride results in suddenly feeling dizzy, light-headed, and usually comes on
strong very quickly. It is the lack of focus it brings that really freaks me
out. I don’t like not being in control, and that feeling is very scary when it’s
just you at the helm on two very skinny tires often going 15-25+ mph. I guess
you could say the fear of the bonk is why I am pretty good at downing calories
on rides, 200-300 per hour, and up to 400 per hour on the bike in an Ironman. I
have always been a bit afraid of huge rides (100+ miles) and I’ve often been
known to stick closer to home in case I need to bail. I think this trip showed
me that I can do these, even on tired legs; I was able to tackle the 120 miler
on my 2<sup>nd</sup> to last day there, albeit after a rest day, and while it
was a little scary to head out to a town I’d never been to, with literally 40
miles between fuel stops, I did it. That feels good. To recognize what your fears
are, no matter if they seem silly or legit, will allow you to accept them, and
then work to tackle them. Empowering!</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">2) There is no time for emotion when
racing</span></b><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">. Where on
earth would I have come up with this one? I was there training, not racing. On
my final day, I opted to head to the run course and run two loops of it (just
under 9 miles); first loop steady, second loop ‘hard’. I am not really one for ‘visualization’,
however since I was out there, I tried to play out the various scenarios that
Vegas 70.3 may hold. I always love the run segment of races, and this course
really hands it to you; you are either going up, or down; albeit gradual hills,
they are hills nonetheless. I was finishing up the final stretch, a long
downhill segment, and I was thinking ‘what if you are winning right now come
race day? How cool would that be?’ then I thought ‘or maybe you’re trying to
catch someone up ahead, right there; you can see her but she’s running strong,
and so are you; damnit it hurts and I can’t go any faster!…’ or maybe it would
be ‘you’re holding steady Kelly but she’s right there behind you. Keep on the
gas, only ½ more mile…’ I then remembered back a few years when I used to often
wave or smile at my parents mid-race, feeling like a rockstar, only to crumble
minutes later and come hobbling home. I came to the realization that, when
racing, there is no time for emotion (at least for myself). The minute that
emotion starts to creep into your race, I have found a few things can happen. Excitement
can get the best of you and you start to think about ‘the finish’, when it’s
not yet there; you get ahead of yourself. Another thing that can happen from
too much emotion is feeling sorry for yourself, which never does us any good,
in any circumstance, much less in a race when we’re physically, mentally and
emotionally pushing ourselves. Now don’t me wrong, it is not a bad thing to
remind yourself how hard you’ve worked and you’re not going to let this one get
away from you… but the ultimate focus has to remain process-oriented.
Nutrition, pacing, hydration…one step in front of the other, one mile at a time…are
you going hard enough? Can you go harder? Should you dial it back? Long and the
short of it is, if there is one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s that if
you have a big goal for a race, you’re best served by trying to maintain a
focus the entire race; as we all know, it’s not over until you cross that
finish line (or at the very least, you can see it within your sights!). It’s
good to be reminded of this. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">3) Learn to spend time alone. </span></b><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In college, I used to love to go out
to dinner solo. My place of choice was Texas Roadhouse. I would walk in and hop
up to the bar where I’d order a peach margarita, eat peanuts and then order a
huge grilled chicken salad. I’d watch people; I may chat w/ a bartender; and I
even made friends with a cute little old man, who came in even more frequently
than I did (shocking); he even had his own coffee mug at the bar. One day, I
came in and I found out that he rarely came to the bar anymore because he had ‘met
a lady’; that was good news. I would look forward to these solo dinner outings.
My friends told me “Kelly, you shouldn’t do that; it looks like you just want to
hook up.” I’d say “Really? Because I am wearing jeans or a long denim skirt, or
some hippy looking skirt. I don’t really exude that vibe.” Maybe I enjoy the fact
that it’s something that you are ‘not supposed to do’, but in my opinion, why
not? It’s refreshing to sit down in a public place and just be with yourself;
watch people. It’s good for the soul. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In
Henderson, my days looked something like this: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wake up at 4:45, eat breakfast, drink coffee,
and head out the door at 5:30. The next 5-7 hours were spent on my bike. I wasn’t
totally solo, I had my musical friends in my right ear; but predominantly, it was
just me and my thoughts. And for some odd reason, I really never got bored. If
anything, I’d get bored moreso in my hotel room at times; but even then, I would
come back, lay down on the floor and recover for about 10 minutes, eat, then
sit in my Recovery Pump boots on the bed with mindless TV in the background; check
up on emails; drink more coffee. I may read my book. Call someone. But all in
all, it was pretty peaceful. If I started to go stir crazy or I had an easy day
to ensue, I’d venture ‘out of room’ to one of the restaurants and have a beer,
order food, and read my book along with more people watching. Point being…
racing triathlons (especially those in the range of 4-17 hours in duration) is
not a terribly exciting, stimulating endeavor. It’s a hell of a lot of time
with you, yourself and your own head. It is a very valuable thing to be
comfortable spending that time with yourself, knowing what kinds of thoughts
may come up; and with regards to training (or racing), <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>knowing how to combat the negative ones. No
matter what happens in life, you always have ‘you’ (we’re kind of stuck with
ourselves) so you better know how to be comfortable with that person. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So that
wraps up the Three Things I Learned in Vegas. Here are a few pictures of my
trip, including the amazing lake where I finished most of my days, some of the
food I enjoyed and many of the endless roads I bonded with. I will admit, while
it was a great trip, it’s good to be home! I missed my husband, my cat and dog,
and of course the Mexican food. Some things I’m not willing to give up for long!</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ9yaYSBkYy4ygAUFLCtPceCFX7dCYaXMNbQnvUQJIhWcnvwE0KHJfpQdyAqQnQZC0zkIQ0uUzrz4Gqrzh-wSjk08PfMQAOBTQygatcdehi2vne9Kzfbuy26TPcYxMYANNTqJuodbklrY/s1600/Lake+LV+Swim.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ9yaYSBkYy4ygAUFLCtPceCFX7dCYaXMNbQnvUQJIhWcnvwE0KHJfpQdyAqQnQZC0zkIQ0uUzrz4Gqrzh-wSjk08PfMQAOBTQygatcdehi2vne9Kzfbuy26TPcYxMYANNTqJuodbklrY/s320/Lake+LV+Swim.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swim Venue (Lake Las Vegas)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBHdUnCT608KUaSFAR-TS0yfuC7Dslo-sbnm7hv_TFu6v76QRA0Ub1-SHKAIuNIaMnI_Pk2xk0L82w7T89emyFlks2ezpgp_rQPofUDbkNIW5FfUd8s6hjPcAzPkcjKYC5fCZkTsoffIs/s1600/Road+out+of+Overton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBHdUnCT608KUaSFAR-TS0yfuC7Dslo-sbnm7hv_TFu6v76QRA0Ub1-SHKAIuNIaMnI_Pk2xk0L82w7T89emyFlks2ezpgp_rQPofUDbkNIW5FfUd8s6hjPcAzPkcjKYC5fCZkTsoffIs/s320/Road+out+of+Overton.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Road out of Overton, Nevada</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhND5KV6PDgnrmZgaCAqG3tfmUtriVMZM407MomE8GGb7F8sVkYLjiRIcs0-WLmGf39K9xeA4u3R-WfmsK9QqhHfVL0EaccmOSEXvhR4yxr87BjHSzipAOkgQQDqY-0iEPi8WwWTkIU3xE/s1600/Burger+Dinner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhND5KV6PDgnrmZgaCAqG3tfmUtriVMZM407MomE8GGb7F8sVkYLjiRIcs0-WLmGf39K9xeA4u3R-WfmsK9QqhHfVL0EaccmOSEXvhR4yxr87BjHSzipAOkgQQDqY-0iEPi8WwWTkIU3xE/s320/Burger+Dinner.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Burger night (& a beer)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPSwk65GGV6NLwEL1rqcngj9BGHsGz1ePf0rKVStW-yHH2pBa3F_dlMOUWl7sArHl0-mw09y4nrnJgQfn86I6ZjxRwXE1J8qLdn-Co_L7I_7lr2S9O79qoFUjlMZeyVG3YTMwNxGMDiq4/s1600/Laundry+Day.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPSwk65GGV6NLwEL1rqcngj9BGHsGz1ePf0rKVStW-yHH2pBa3F_dlMOUWl7sArHl0-mw09y4nrnJgQfn86I6ZjxRwXE1J8qLdn-Co_L7I_7lr2S9O79qoFUjlMZeyVG3YTMwNxGMDiq4/s320/Laundry+Day.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laundry Day <roughing it!></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSv7_QlgxTWC51jJMN02413vvE3ivF-uiGi4D5XmeRXUbaqgcSca-ZfaXObDk17xhMkvAVUHwOhuBGQUtBkwB8fvxcvsVeeD2n4YMxogsX8Bspz1HG3UqBCwsRDDMXzTO4npP6zkrHMCI/s1600/Pasta+Dinner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSv7_QlgxTWC51jJMN02413vvE3ivF-uiGi4D5XmeRXUbaqgcSca-ZfaXObDk17xhMkvAVUHwOhuBGQUtBkwB8fvxcvsVeeD2n4YMxogsX8Bspz1HG3UqBCwsRDDMXzTO4npP6zkrHMCI/s320/Pasta+Dinner.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salad & Pasta night (& a beer)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-7OSC6Otukrz2pUHjEiFEp8Q7L2S7KYCNEf_IyMBGrHrRKDcyNeDTQmFzfW6oa8Dyd_xR5JHS4o_Lm9eZbrSwby1DJyQRanPqZleu0TrWz1f8ikxDG5E_HZR45DVu31EuiNANMa4wbPU/s1600/Post+Long+Bike+in+Vegas+Self+Portrait.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-7OSC6Otukrz2pUHjEiFEp8Q7L2S7KYCNEf_IyMBGrHrRKDcyNeDTQmFzfW6oa8Dyd_xR5JHS4o_Lm9eZbrSwby1DJyQRanPqZleu0TrWz1f8ikxDG5E_HZR45DVu31EuiNANMa4wbPU/s320/Post+Long+Bike+in+Vegas+Self+Portrait.jpg" width="191" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rode with a camelbak every day</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm-U8IFV4mAQmIvFTu_jf8SJCFkGCIwXfNGlQVzrIJVHvlXk3WNs-aUTcz9Easons4pb7cG39U-7s2uWHG7U1fOFIOorE0G9G3JhbijWl4pwmEX0TD_HXckhs6mBLLbIQdPf_hJHzo8y4/s1600/Goodsprings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm-U8IFV4mAQmIvFTu_jf8SJCFkGCIwXfNGlQVzrIJVHvlXk3WNs-aUTcz9Easons4pb7cG39U-7s2uWHG7U1fOFIOorE0G9G3JhbijWl4pwmEX0TD_HXckhs6mBLLbIQdPf_hJHzo8y4/s320/Goodsprings.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Goodsprings, an old ghost town</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB632FoHnk_M__nNlWwIlx0_-2xwUPzMJs4oXKtE-j7pQb5FGiM5QmL6scirW-Mqp8kQ4dMRnc1zIkAzIRYqk3kFLMdXH_DTzXbli-YhSj2BOhSUlCXDdGTkHh2uFyIAiNXsHC-lEpmpU/s1600/Northshore+Road.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB632FoHnk_M__nNlWwIlx0_-2xwUPzMJs4oXKtE-j7pQb5FGiM5QmL6scirW-Mqp8kQ4dMRnc1zIkAzIRYqk3kFLMdXH_DTzXbli-YhSj2BOhSUlCXDdGTkHh2uFyIAiNXsHC-lEpmpU/s320/Northshore+Road.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Northshore Road; we did a lot of bonding</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnM7SqoySEtp12_8Cm4QbgREdKoH3yWhTZM11k3au2eI0pe5sHMNuUJKkgvpN3mXY8W06FsCJvDfyS3QcNUmrYgWwqSA6de06_n0lUaVUQwUxb2U6IXXNIaNXYm3TFbPDyV9KtYgkxCxc/s1600/view+from+boulder+city.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnM7SqoySEtp12_8Cm4QbgREdKoH3yWhTZM11k3au2eI0pe5sHMNuUJKkgvpN3mXY8W06FsCJvDfyS3QcNUmrYgWwqSA6de06_n0lUaVUQwUxb2U6IXXNIaNXYm3TFbPDyV9KtYgkxCxc/s320/view+from+boulder+city.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Boulder City, 'The City that Built Hoover Dam'</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBDbYx0X_nix37C-jss_KX_0Cn-pF3qp5Bl3XHt5osqHjC4l_m-m8tBtfnDXlCzdYTmt1BWpibngwdpi2WRBOgkpTvH7eh5PQEJeDzsN2vVVqSqlYy4U-Xxbi3BVdaBvzPXGeYNcvd3Pk/s1600/Beer+on+Bike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBDbYx0X_nix37C-jss_KX_0Cn-pF3qp5Bl3XHt5osqHjC4l_m-m8tBtfnDXlCzdYTmt1BWpibngwdpi2WRBOgkpTvH7eh5PQEJeDzsN2vVVqSqlYy4U-Xxbi3BVdaBvzPXGeYNcvd3Pk/s320/Beer+on+Bike.jpg" width="191" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Packing up & enjoying a Tenaya Creek IPA - After 500 miles I earned it! :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>Kelly H Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01819445022646176185noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839831654318179147.post-61034203610619237492012-06-16T19:29:00.000-07:002012-06-16T19:29:39.934-07:00Active MSers Feature: Alain VirlouvetIn continuing with my fundraising efforts through <b><a href="http://www.mscando.org/">Can Do Multiple Sclerosis</a> </b>, I have reached out to the <b><a href="http://www.activemsers.com/">ActiveMSers</a></b> community to receive various stories of individuals who are living with, and staying active despite of, multiple sclerosis. I have received so many incredible stories of people who are deciding to take action to live the best life they possibly can; so thank you to all of you who have submitted your stories, I will continue to post them in the coming months.<br />
<br />
<b><a href="https://www.gifttool.com/donations/Donate?ID=1795&AID=2044">Please check out my personal fundraising efforts through Can Do MS</a></b>. My goal is $10K by October; we are almost halfway there, every little bit helps! Please spread the word. <br />
<br />
Here is Alain Virlouvet's story. Alain happens to be a fellow Texan! He lives near Austin in the town of Brenham, which is the the hometown of Bluebell Ice Cream. I have to say, my husband and I definitely support the economy of his town through our ice cream consumption! A big thank you to Alain for allowing us to read his personal story, and best of luck to him with the MS 150 Bike San Antonio this October. In Alain's words:<br />
<br />
"Thank you for helping the MS cause. Here is my story that I hope will help in your fund raising efforts.<br /><br />
In 2009 at the age of 62 and out of nowhere, I started experiencing
extreme fatigue, vertigo, dizziness, balance issues and that tight
constricting feeling in the mid-section of my body that is known as the
“MS hug”. Finally, after 4 months of seeing different doctors and all
the tests, I was diagnosed with Relapsing/Remitting MS and started
treatment on Betaseron. One year on Betaseron resulted in elevated
liver levels so my medication was changed in late 2010 to Copaxone, and I
have done quite well on this medication.<br /><br /> It took me about a
year to accept and adjust to my new life. I decided to help myself as
much as possible to slow down this monster MS. I had been doing yoga
and meditation for some years and have continued both as I’m certain
they are a big help. I was walking every day, but that became laborious
and not much fun, so a year ago I started riding my bike. And to my
surprise I found that I felt absolutely no handicap while riding my
bike. So I had found my new love! I am now riding about 80-100 miles
per week and last October I did my first MS 150 in San Antonio. I plan
to do it again this year and will try to do the 100 mile course.<br /><br />
Since I’ve been riding I have seen an improvement with fatigue,
cognition fog, dizziness and just overall wellness. I feel that I’m
lucky (if you can say that about an MS patient) in that my diagnosis
came later in my life. Each MS patient’s progression and symptoms are
different, but I like to believe that with my Copaxone treatment in
addition to the yoga, meditation, vitamin D, vegetarian diet and regular
cycling have helped at the least to keep me stable and possibly may
even be slowing down the progression.<br /><br />I hope this has helped and again your support of MS patients is deeply appreciated.<br /><br />I wish you all the best with your races.<br /><br />Alain<br />
<br />Kelly H Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01819445022646176185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839831654318179147.post-55844236108966240022012-06-05T18:59:00.000-07:002012-06-05T19:51:11.655-07:00Rev 3 Quassy: Some Days are Diamonds, Some Days are StoneIf there is one 'fear' that I have before any race, it is the unknown
of if my body will give me what I want it to on the day. Nerves I can
deal with. Anxiety will always be there. I know I prepare the best I
can, do all the right things, take adequate rest, and stay off my legs
the day prior...but despite all these things, there is always that
question mark of, even though I know I am 'ready', will the legs be
there when I need them? As with nerves, I try to push this worry aside
since it is out of my control, and most times it is a non-issue. This
past weekend, unfortunately, it was 'the' issue.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7na1UzbkvX8sLGwyx5zN2-odKR6IZnmSSCmd3Nx6iWnpr1huddAABcWKAZDQQiLwrb2TCiLNC8JA5bwzGSneCzxFZhMhNZmdkWgbuKIXaK68BX5mlY91yMi7ien3_wOnJbNnWvB_rgEc/s1600/Swim+Start.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7na1UzbkvX8sLGwyx5zN2-odKR6IZnmSSCmd3Nx6iWnpr1huddAABcWKAZDQQiLwrb2TCiLNC8JA5bwzGSneCzxFZhMhNZmdkWgbuKIXaK68BX5mlY91yMi7ien3_wOnJbNnWvB_rgEc/s320/Swim+Start.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I
went into Rev 3 Quassy rested. I dialed the training back just a bit
more than my previous races, as I knew this would be the most quality
field I had yet raced, not to mention the largest prize purse and the
most challenging course thus far for 2012. I did all the things I knew I
needed to do. We arrived Friday, and awoke Saturday to a cool rainy
day, perfect for a long sleep in and not too much activity. All seemed
on par, except for little bit of a talking stomach. I skipped breakfast
(also due to the fact that we slept until 9am, a full 11 hours of
sleep!), did a light swim at the hotel pool and had my breakfast for
lunch; probably not ideal, but not a big deal. At the pro meeting, I
felt tired. I recall shutting my eyes a few times. Not totally like me.
Dinner was at a local Italian place, and I picked at my pasta dish.
Again, not like me; even if my appetite wanes, I eat. It's fuel and I
know I need it. I got back to our room at 7 and was in bed and asleep by
7:30. Again not like me. I tried to write it off as my body just needed
rest and I'd feel great come race morning; but, I'd be lying if I
didn't say that I knew this was atypical. I love to race, and I get very
excited to race. This didn't seem quite normal.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9YZwz2vmotnl4MODfW8pt-6hkMXdG-ci5gCQ4Y9wRx4IG8xjk_u8QgccfB2diLKKE0F2ULzYGI2k8DjdlRbl8j8csAfqzZTniOBoQNngVH4YbaJvOwOu3_hmOU-rhAnhmI1fPLOsLU50/s1600/Swim+Exit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9YZwz2vmotnl4MODfW8pt-6hkMXdG-ci5gCQ4Y9wRx4IG8xjk_u8QgccfB2diLKKE0F2ULzYGI2k8DjdlRbl8j8csAfqzZTniOBoQNngVH4YbaJvOwOu3_hmOU-rhAnhmI1fPLOsLU50/s320/Swim+Exit.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I woke
up, ate my usual breakfast, and laid back down at 5am. (We were set to
leave then and I am pretty anal when it comes to race morning arrival). I
was just so damn tired. But again; nothing major was happening. A
gurgly stomach, a lack of appetite and some fatigue. Big deal. We headed
out the door, it was a beautiful cool morning and the sun was about to
rise. This is an incredible locale to race; hilly, green, and a clear
clean lake to swim in; my favorite. But the energy was just not there
and it was pissing me off to say the least.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSDoMlppm7Eg4X4CiHnuQhAcEpqGUHHRx5TtzhPsmlyytVM6s1OuChI_cmEoEQXPVi8pUAsGKjPbi8c1btfPKTg6da9r0XzIIRQ-lm2c2vLPq08_cQFZhlriOuLHhCzzCArT_rgmBTU4M/s1600/Bike+Exit+by+Eric.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSDoMlppm7Eg4X4CiHnuQhAcEpqGUHHRx5TtzhPsmlyytVM6s1OuChI_cmEoEQXPVi8pUAsGKjPbi8c1btfPKTg6da9r0XzIIRQ-lm2c2vLPq08_cQFZhlriOuLHhCzzCArT_rgmBTU4M/s320/Bike+Exit+by+Eric.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I of
course debated starting or not, but the decision is much tougher to make
when you have no viable 'excuse'. I was not violently ill, I just
didn't feel quite right. Really, who can not toe the line because of
that? To me, that was an awful reason. We won't always feel great on
race day and we all know we can still have great performances. When the
gun goes off, I go into a mode that I simply cannot find otherwise. I
just tried to roll with it. The swim kicked off and I managed to get
right into the lead along with Laurel Wassner, and we swam great
together; truly my favorite kind of swim in a clear lake surrounded by
lush green trees. Picture perfect! I tried to take momentum from the
fact that she and I were leading the swim; maybe this would turn out to
be a great day and surprise me a bit.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWlhsOLhTBlbHtQ8UdWpFZ4kc0iQs4qCOw9hptD133mwFBjyBkal0ZEfYi7hXbWEyjVcwiGu8-e17iwN1Xx8OzQbJgVtkyhyynQiY4TpeVanmGKx6FpXQ6NRytMlxaaL3L5598vdY4Ez4/s1600/Bike+quassy+by+Eric.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWlhsOLhTBlbHtQ8UdWpFZ4kc0iQs4qCOw9hptD133mwFBjyBkal0ZEfYi7hXbWEyjVcwiGu8-e17iwN1Xx8OzQbJgVtkyhyynQiY4TpeVanmGKx6FpXQ6NRytMlxaaL3L5598vdY4Ez4/s320/Bike+quassy+by+Eric.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Onto the bike and
it was cold! A 50+ degree morning meant chilly temps to start the bike,
but I tried to appreciate the fact that I was out here doing what I
loved and work harder to warm up. There is not much warming up on this
course, as you are hit with the big hills right off the bat. I hammered
up them only to get passed by a few women in the first few miles. No big
deal, I'll come around, I told myself. About 1 hour into the bike, I
realized that there was no coming around. I was taking a bit less
calories because I was worried the stomach may go south. I started to
push them more mid-way, but there was nothing in the tank. I realized
that it was going to be a day like this; a day like I had imagined was
going to happen, but I had 'hoped' wouldn't. By mile 20 I wanted it to
end. By mile 30, I'd moved further back. Each time I got passed, there
was no desire (or ability) to try to keep that woman in sight. It pissed
me off, but I knew there was nothing I could do; today the body was
just not giving me what I wanted.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Ec-RhrGydKVAgX9PXDe88-0eJ_xzhXiNWjXBgGwfLU3NFhhxZmGkwHPSrxLu31g78jOumbkEY9fplX_hgAVL4cC6ekp7_qSF82bznzp0CHtNzOSwvzRJ_wBzyMDDsBqrKz2LkpHsuHo/s1600/On+the+Run.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Ec-RhrGydKVAgX9PXDe88-0eJ_xzhXiNWjXBgGwfLU3NFhhxZmGkwHPSrxLu31g78jOumbkEY9fplX_hgAVL4cC6ekp7_qSF82bznzp0CHtNzOSwvzRJ_wBzyMDDsBqrKz2LkpHsuHo/s320/On+the+Run.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The end of the bike
could not come soon enough, and when it did, I had moved well back
through most of the field, after exiting the water first. I felt
extremely dejected and I knew I was at least 10 minutes behind the lead
women. I figured what did I have to lose; hell, go for the best run
split! Maybe that would feel good. Off I went like a bat out of hell,
and did what I could to make up any time possible. I passed Derick at
about mile 10 or 11 and I recall saying "how far up?" and he said "to
the lead?" and I said "to anyone!" That right there about says it all! I
just wanted to claw my way back, but I'd be damned if I quit. It was
the easy thing to do, and my body had wanted to for the past 50 miles of
the race. I ran and I ran and I ran, and when it hurt, I tried to run
harder. The rhythm felt decent, but I knew that no matter how hard or
fast I ran, I'd likely not be in the mix today. I finished in for 6th
place, and I cannot tell you how much harder that 6th place was for me
to get than any of the wins I have managed this season.<br />
<br />
I've had a few comments from people like "ah, we all have shit
races." It's true. I have told myself, that's life. Life isn't easy, it
isn't fair and you sure as hell cannot win them all. But that doesn't mean that it didn't upset me. I thought I was being too hard on myself, but Derick wisely pointed out, "Kelly you are upset because this means something to you...that is OK..." The frustrating
part for me was that some of the best 70.3 women were here, and I wanted
nothing more than to see how I measured up against them; toe to toe.
How did I measure up? They spanked me, hard. That stings. But, after a few
days, I have come to realize, I feel as though in a strange way, I
needed this race. I knew that it could be ugly, and it was, but isn't that racing? Every time we step up, we put ourselves on the
line. We'll either succeed brilliantly, or we'll fail miserably (or of course fall somewhere in between). That is
part of it. It is nerve-wracking, it's scary, and especially if we have
doubts, it's even more daunting. But how do we learn how deep we can
dig if we quit or even fail to start? I knew if I had pulled out just
because 'I had doubts', I would never be able to forgive myself. So, I
stepped up, and I got it handed to me; but that was all I had, on the
day, period. And I had no choice but to accept it and move forward. You have two choices: you can let a crap result define you, or you can let it motivate you. I am trying to do the latter. <br />
<br />
I've said it numerous times. The mental
fortitude it takes to finish on these days is exponentially greater than
on the days you win, no matter how hard you have to dig on those days!
When you feel good, you have adrenaline...you're pushing and your body
is letting you...you are in that zone, even if it hurts like hell. On
these days, you go through mental battles constantly "I want to quit.
But I can't quit. But my result will be shit. But that's ok, you're
human. But people expect me to win. But that's not realistic all the
time. But I want to win, I am here to win. No, I am here to give it my
best" etc etc. If not for days like this, we'd never realize how great
it is when it all comes together. I gave it all I had, and for that, I
am proud of the effort. On this day, it was all Mirinda, Heather Wurtele
and Angela, who were all stellar; they deserved the podium and fought
hard for it. Thank you the hard-working <a href="http://www.rev3tri.com/">Rev 3</a> crew, who put on an
awesome event as they always do; to my <b><a href="http://www.kellyhwilliamson.com/Sponsors.html">sponsors</a></b>
and <b><a href="http://www.duratatraining.com/">Derick</a></b>, who both support me endlessly through the ups and downs,
and my mom who allowed me to cry my eyes out to her post-race (we can
only do that to our moms, right?!). I think I have learned more about myself from this race than I have any race thus far this season. So on that note, let's raise a beer to the character-building races! <br />
<br />
<br />
Thanks for reading, see y'all in Muncie. <br />
<br />
<br />Kelly H Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01819445022646176185noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839831654318179147.post-31920298784075064412012-05-28T14:14:00.000-07:002012-05-28T14:14:40.820-07:00Active MSers Feature: David GillikinAs some of you may know, Multiple Sclerosis is something which is close to me and I have tried to help raise awareness and funds over the years. A few months ago, I came across a website called <a href="http://www.activemsers.com"><b>ActiveMSers</b></a>. It was started by Dave Bexfield who was diagnosed in early 2006 with MS, in his late 30's. A writer at heart, he is also an avid traveler and an adventure seeker. His MS, as he said, 'burbled merrily along' for the first few years, but in 2009 it became very aggressive. He started taking part in a clinical research trial called Halt-MS (an autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant using his own stem cells from his bone marrow, paired with high-dose chemotherapy). Since his transplant he has had zero progression physically. In Dave's words: "I'm on no daily medication for MS or for anything else, and the only supplement I take is Vitamin D. I'm still gimpy, using one or two forearm crutches or a walker when the legs get too stubborn. And for those wondering, yes I still exercise hard every day for 1.5 hours: cardio, strength, and stretching. And I still travel. What does the future hold? I'm as excited as you are to find out. Be active, stay fit, and keep exploring." <br />
<br />
His story and the community he has created through ActiveMSers fascinated me. It is a place whereby those living with MS or recently diagnosed can communicate with one another and gain useful information on living with and more importantly <i>staying active</i> with MS. I contacted Dave and told him that I was intrigued and impressed with what he has done, and I am honored to be able to help raise awareness for ActiveMSers, <a href="http://www.mscando.org"><b>Can Do MS</b></a> and also funds to help Multiple Sclerosis. <br />
<br />
I have started a fundraising effort which will culminate in my Ironman Hawaii World Championship race on October 13th. Leading up to the race, I would like to feature various people's stories on my blog; people who have been helpful in telling me their personal story with MS, and ultimately how they are striving to stay active in the face of it. <br />
Any donations are much appreciated, and absolutely no donation is too small. <br />
<b>My fundraising site is <a href="https://www.gifttool.com/donations/Donate?ID=1795&AID=2044">here on MS Can Do</a></b> <br />
Please feel free to share it with others!<br />
<br />
An with that said, I would like introduce you to <b>David Gillikin</b> and his personal story with MS. <br />
<br />
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br />
<br />
I just wanted to tell a little bit about my story. I was diagnosed with MS in 2004, and at the time, I lived in Michigan. A new job took me to Colorado, and the fact that I have MS, and moving to Colorado, probably saved my life. Shortly after moving there, my girlfriend and I signed up for the 5K MS Walk/Run, and we raised money and did the walk together. While we were there, we observed the runners doing the 5K Run, and I said to Diane (my girlfriend), "I'm going to do that next year. At the time, no one would have guessed that I'd be able to do it. I was 50 pounds overweight, a smoker, and I drank vodka like it was water. Add the MS to the mix, and I was a mess. <br />
<br />
But I did it. I lost about 30 pounds, stopped smoking, and stopped the drinking (now I'll have some beer, but I don't drink liquor anymore). Diane and I took up hiking, and we joined a gym where I would go to the treadmill and walk some, run some. It then came time for the MS 5K Walk/Run, and I signed up for the run part of it. Not only did I finish, but it inspired me so much that I've since run 7 marathons, about 28 half marathons, and many other 10K's and 5K's. I did all this after I turned 50 years old too. <br />
<br />
So I can surely say that finding out that I have MS, may have saved my life. Well at least added a few more years to it!<br />
I am now a RRCA certified running coach too so I am looking for others to inspire them to try and do what I did. It's not easy, but it is worth it.<br />
<br />
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br />
<br />
David's personal website is <b><a href="http://www.msrunner.com">MS Runner</a></b>, take a peek. <br />
Thanks David for your submission, & thank you for inspiring! <br />
<br />
<br />Kelly H Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01819445022646176185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839831654318179147.post-63301075157700326982012-05-09T12:52:00.000-07:002012-05-09T12:52:27.754-07:00St. Anthony's 5150 & Rev 3 Knoxville: Race + Race = Vacation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have had a few questions about my recent choices of races, those being St. Anthony’s 5150 and Rev 3 Knoxville, both Olympic distance events (on consecutive weekends). Seeing that the past two years have been focused ‘around’ Ironman events, the most common question has been “So what is your best event; what do you like most?” After trying to explain why I race what I race and why my schedule is as it is, I finally come back to the simple statement…I just love to race. Ultimately, I feel like I can span the three distances well, so I figure…if I love to race, then…why not?
The first of my two Olympic distance events was St. Anthony’s 5150 on April 29. I had not raced this distance since about 14 months prior, but that made it all the more exciting…it would feel so short! I had raced this event back in 2004, so I was vaguely familiar with the course, location, etc. I chose this specific race because it was a 5150, and I needed to race at least one of these events to ‘qualify’ for HyVee 5150 Champs in Des Moines, Iowa. I had the points from 70.3 events, but I needed to ‘validate’ so to speak by doing a 5150. This was also a higher points event (1500) so I figured if I could just finish strong here, then it would take care of getting me to HyVee in the most efficient manner. Derick stayed home for this one, and when I told my mom I’d just do it solo, she of course decided she should come and be with me for it. It didn’t take much coercing when it was in a beautiful and convenient locale like St. Petersburg, FL. We met there Friday, enjoyed a great dinner on the water, and Saturday I slept in and spent some time with sponsors; at the ISM Booth in the morning, and doing a short interview for Recovery Pump (along with pro meeting, yada yada yada). It was great to feel such light pressure on my shoulders going into this, knowing it was not ‘my distance’, however I did still want to do very well; but I knew that the intensity would be a shock to my system come race day. I really wanted to be a factor here, knowing that on paper, I’d be a bit overlooked on such a stellar start list.
We kicked off right at 6:55AM, and I swam simply awful. It was humorous, really. I think I had taken myself out of the swim before we even started. I knew there would be fast ITU women here and they start would be quick and a little ‘messier’ (more aggressive) than I preferred. Therefore, I stayed to the side and before I knew it, a huge swarm of women just swam alongside me, drifting up ahead. Idiot, Kelly, you are absolutely stupid, I told myself! We turned into a good bit of chop when, of course, having lost the group made it even tougher. I stopped at one point to clear my goggles because they were filled with water and kept plugging along. Luckily the finish came a few minutes sooner than I am accustomed to, and when I ran into T1 and heard “2 minutes to the lead!” I actually laughed out loud. OK, moving on. It can’t get much worse, right?
I hopped up on my new Quintana Roo Illicito and was off for the 24 mile bike. I tried to hit the gas from the gun and dang did it hurt! It was fun, but it was definitely a gear that I had not had to use in a few months and I could feel it. I just pushed as hard as I possibly could and overall it felt fairly good, but I knew there were many women up ahead of me and I just had to minimize any time lost to them and put myself back into contention for the run. I took two Powergels throughout the bike and barely finished one small bottle of water! It almost felt like nutrition was useless at this distance compared to a 70.3 or an Ironman, where it is essentially the ‘fourth discipline’!
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The bike came to an end and I was excited to get out there and see what my run legs had in them. Only 6 miles! What a treat! I threw on the Zoot Ultra Race 3.0’s and was out of there. I heard someone yell what sounded like “40th place Kelly!” and of course I said “What the HELL?” to myself…did some quick math and realized… “There are not 40 women here. That must have been 14th. Still. That ain’t so great.” I bombed out of there, probably a bit too fast on the first mile, and managed to pass women fairly steadily throughout the 10k run. I felt strong, but I never once looked at my watch, and I also took about 1.5 Powergels through the 30+ minute effort. I didn’t feel I needed it, but I knew it would not hurt me. As I closed in on the final ½ mile, I passed one more person and the final 400 or so, I could see another in my sights. I was told I was in 4th or 5th at this point, and I was working really hard…I ‘maybe’ could have kicked it up a notch to catch 4th, however, I didn’t…I knew I had another race the next weekend, and truth be told, I was very pleased to run into 5th place. I will not be so over-confident as to say “I didn’t care about catching her!”…it was a race after all! But, I had dug extremely deep to get to the end and I was pretty tapped out. I wound up 5th place with a very strong 34:26 run split, so all in all, it was an extremely successful day for me, and I was proud to have gone out and mixed it up with the speedsters.
It felt good to see that I still have this gear in me, and it also made vividly clear what I need to work on to be a bit more competitive at HyVee. I won’t say that I did not have any expectations for this event, but, I knew that it was a bit of a crapshoot and I needed to be realistic with myself. All in all I had a great time, found that extra ‘gear’ when I needed it and it reminded me that it really is fun to go shorter, as it entails so many less details! Less thinking, more RACING. To top it off, my mom and I had an awesome weekend together. It was nice to punch the ticket for HyVee, which is an event that will kick off my streak of a big finish to my season with HyVee, Vegas & Kona come September. In the shorter term, it was time to head back to Austin, train a bit, and rest again for Knoxville in just one week.
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I had raced this event (Rev 3 Knoxville) its inaugural year in 2010, and I had great memories of the event. It was extremely convenient with the hotel backing right up to the expo and finish chute, and you could walk to transition in about 5-10 minutes on race morning. I used to think I wanted to stay as far away from the race site as possible to ‘stay relaxed’… no more! I try to be as close as possible and if I need to hide away, I just stay in my room as much as needed. The event is near the University of Tennessee campus and the Tennessee River, and the setting is hilly and beautiful. Additionally it is so central that my family was able to drive to the event from both Southern Indiana and South Carolina. It’s always a bonus when I can race and see family and/or friends at the same time.
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Derick and I arrived on Thursday and headed to Chattanooga so I could visit Quintana Roo, who has now been my bike sponsor for 3 years. I spoke with the Chattanooga Tri Club that evening, at HUB Endurance, which was a nice informal Q&A; a great group of people with awesome questions. I love doing this kind of stuff! I forget how much I have learned over the years of doing triathlon! Friday, HUB hooked us up with a tour guide (fellow triathlete, David, who knew the area) who took us out on a 1.5 hr ride, which was incredible. If I had not had to race Sunday, I could have easily kept riding; beautiful country roads, rolling terrain, tucked in the mountains of Tennessee. HUB then helped me get the QR Illicito race-ready for Sunday (a HUGE thanks to Andy and the gang there!) and sent us on our way. We swung by American Bicycle Group in Ooltewah to see where they make all of the titanium Litespeeds (where all the ‘magic happens’) and check out the factory and then moseyed on up to Knoxville that afternoon. We met my sister and brother-in-law and my new niece Avery that evening for dinner and settled in. Saturday family arrived, I did a signing with Reynolds (my wheel sponsor), a quick pro panel and it was off for an early dinner… the usual.
Sunday morning I felt very relaxed…it was a nice change from the previous nervous energy that say Texas 70.3 and even Panama 70.3 (my season opener) carried with it. I almost felt a bit too relaxed! But for me, that is a good thing. I knew that I had a lot of huge races to come throughout the year, so the less emotional and mental energy I had to expend here, the better…I knew that once the gun went off, I would go right into race mode and do my thing. It was a gorgeous morning and I was very excited to tackle the hilly course.
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We got into the water at about 6:55 for the 7:03 start, and it was a brisk 66 degrees. I had on a Zoot sleeveless suit, and I was definitely the only one with a sleeveless…and I would have been just fine in a full suit, as I was pretty dang cold! Not sure what I was thinking when I packed it, except that maybe I think I am tougher than I really am?! But, I didn’t notice the cold after about 5 minutes of swimming; I always like the more natural feeling of my arms in a sleeveless suit if possible in the swim. That said, the first few minutes, I felt awful. Sara McClarty dropped us all like a bad habit so that never makes you feel too great about your speed. I also could see a large swarm of women right alongside me, which I didn’t like! I wanted to try to stay as close to Sara as possible, but alas, that was not even remotely possible. I think being a little cold added to that lack of ‘feel’ from the start. I tried to keep my head down, keep flailing away and try to move up. As we turned around (about 1/3 into the swim), I could see Becky Lavelle up ahead (in a yellow cap) and I slowly made my way back up to Becky. She is not only a great person but a smart, experienced racer and she was taking the most direct line. By the swim finish, I had gotten near her feet and she, myself and a few others exited onto the swim ramp together.
Into T1 and out onto the bike, I was angry and driven which you could tell by the look on my face! I felt like I had swum pretty mediocre and I was anxious to see what the legs had in them for the hilly bike course. I attacked it from the start and absolutely loved this course! Hilly, green, winding and a little bit of technical to it. I felt strong, especially on the shorter steeper climbs, and when we descended or it flattened out I tried to just stay on the gas. The ‘stagger rule’ is interesting because it results in you passing people on both sides, which can get dicey given half of a country road into some winding turns. I find you just do the best you can do to keep distance from the other ladies and ‘stay staggered’. I tried to break away from a few women but while I would pass on the hills, they would pass me back on the descents. Needless to say it was a fun bike course and I put all I had into it; but I realized by the final 5 miles or so, there was no point in expending a huge amount of energy over what I was doing to try to make a gap (which I was seemingly very unsuccessful at, even if I wanted to!), better to bike strong but smart and have some run legs left in me.
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I exited into T2 and was excited for the 10k run to come…I was all ready to tackle the hills we had run back in 2010. We started out on a road out from the parking garage where T2 was when Derick said “1 minutes to first Kel, just settle in”, at which point I pulled back the throttle a bit and told myself to just ‘let myself catch women’ but not to force it. We then headed out onto a running path about 1 mile in, when I realized “Hmm. This is a different run course.” Goes to show you how much homework I do on the course. Not enough! The course was pretty flat the entire time compared to 2 years ago, an out and back on a nice paved path but no major hills. Huh. Whaddya know. (I was expecting bigger hills!) Anyhoo, I continued running and managed to move into 1st about 2 miles into it. I told myself “Chill out and run strong until you take the lead, and once you turn back halfway in, then you can try to pick it up.” This was a good strategy as it just prevented me from digging too deep too soon. I always want to post as fast a run time as I can, however, I also know that the bigger goal is to WIN THE RACE and I try to be smart about my approach to make that happen, without getting greedy and stupid, risking a huge blow up!
I finally hit the road which told me I had about 1 mile left. I made my way to the winding path, which was precisely where I passed Sam Warriner in 2010 (into 2nd) and she then re-passed me with about 300 meters to go! So, I tried to actually pick up my pace from here on in, knowing that it ain’t over until you cross the line!! It was an awesome sight to see as I made the final turn, the typical Rev 3 colorful finish chute and my family and friends there alongside to throw out High 5’s!
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It felt really good to come back here and manage the win at this event. Coming into it, I knew this was my 6th ‘major’ race of the season (3M Half Marathon, Panama 70.3, San Juan 70.3, Texas 70.3, and St. Anthony’s 5150). Everyone was asking me how it felt to be the race favorite…I was hearing a lot about how ‘on fire’ I was…and while I did not so much feel pressure, it is easy to think ‘ah, this is just fun and it won’t be ‘as hard’ as my previous races.’ The minute I let that thought enter my head, I counter it with ‘Every race is a race, and when we toe the line, it is anyone’s game…NOTHING is EVER handed to you…’ I have total respect for my fellow competitors, and I know that the minute you get comfortable or think that it’s in the bag, there is someone right there on your shoulder ready to take the win…rightfully so, that’s racing! So I knew it would be a tough race, which it was; and I am extremely appreciative of not only a solid result, but to top it off, a win here in Knoxville. It feels good to know that I still have that ‘speed gear’ in my body, despite two years of Ironman racing.
A huge thanks to my sponsors, Memorial Hermann, Zoot, PowerBar, Quintana Roo, Reynolds, Recovery Pump, ISM, Road ID, Vision, Katalyst Multisport, Durata Training, Jack & Adams, Oakley, Giro, BMW of Austin, SRM, and Hill Country Running; and to HUB Endurance for helping get my bike ready to go. And to my husband Derick, who without his support and guidance, I would absolutely not be where I am today. The best part of these two back to back races is the 4 days we have gotten to spend in Indiana with my parents this week. It is quite possibly the most relaxing place we can go for downtime; a cabin in the woods with a huge deck overlooking a small private lake, where my only exercise entails a 20 min lake swims in the evening or a walk down the driveway with my mom!
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Thanks so much for your support…next up is Rev 3 Quassy, June 3…’til then, train safe and enjoy the journey...
~KellyKelly H Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01819445022646176185noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839831654318179147.post-58009673948824533612012-04-04T09:38:00.023-07:002012-04-05T05:11:49.091-07:00Ironman TX 70.3 : A Big Ol' Texas Sized Victory!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMae2auvbuIoVYJlTyA5Kkft4ztjvLj_lMsXyWav-V5lsnmlFiq3Hr4z2_kZTILH1wMGxV_kWv3J9KPfT5ojhJLyjQx9lAaeKGvo-SGrGDjIL9jKqKIUtv8tbvNxDeEtd_HKaskssUJn8/s1600/Aaron+Finish+2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMae2auvbuIoVYJlTyA5Kkft4ztjvLj_lMsXyWav-V5lsnmlFiq3Hr4z2_kZTILH1wMGxV_kWv3J9KPfT5ojhJLyjQx9lAaeKGvo-SGrGDjIL9jKqKIUtv8tbvNxDeEtd_HKaskssUJn8/s320/Aaron+Finish+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5727682751615735090" /></a><br /><br />I've always said that to truly be one of the best in this sport, you have to be able to race all kinds of courses well; not just those that suit your strengths. I also plan my schedule on 'what makes sense'...financially, logistically and relative to the overall goals of my season. These reasons are largely why I opted to race Ironman Texas 70.3 over say an Oceanside. Sure, I love hills, I love cooler climates; but it didn't make sense to travel all the way to California when there was a great event with a lot of points and prize money just 4 hours south of Austin. It is pancake flat and likely to be windy on the bike; but I figured all the more challenging for me! I actually got pretty excited to head back to Galveston for the third year in a row, and to hopefully turn around the past few results (3rd in 2010 and 5th in 2011) to something better. I'd be lying if I said that the bike course didn't intimidate me, but I figured suck it up, go race as hard as you can and see what you can do. <br /><br />Derick and I drove down on Friday mid-day from Austin. We enjoyed some amazing Italian food that evening with some great company (and of course a beer or two...Peroni of course, that's become my 'race beer'...nice and light!). Saturday I slept in and did a 30 min mellow spin on the trainer (since we were staying out by the interstate; just easier). I also did some stretch cords to move the arms a bit, and then it was off to the expo for some commitments. I did a signing for a new sponsor of mine, Memorial Hermann, from 12-1 and a signing for WTC from 1-2. It was really cool to meet so many different people and even a few kids; nothing better than seeing young kids involved in sport! The Pro Panel was at 2:30, pro meeting at 3:30 by which point I was rather wiped out. We opted to get take out and stay in because I just felt like I needed to put my legs up. It was a great plan; I got back to the hotel by about 4:15, sat down on the bed in my Recovery Pump boots, and Derick delivered dinner (a salad and a huge plate of pasta, veggies, chicken; and a Peroni) to me by about 5:45. I'm pretty sure I didn't get off the bed the rest of the night and was asleep by about 9pm. Perfect! <br /><br />Sunday came early as usual; 4am wake up, forced down the bagel, jam, peanut butter; banana; strong cuppa joe and we were out the door by 5 or so. This race is very easy logistically to get into; they did a great job with parking, so there was no backup getting into Moody Gardens (or maybe I am just that uptights when it comes getting there so early!). I got everything setup and then laid down on the expo state near transition with my legs up and listened to my music. I did this before San Juan, and it was a really great way to relax and chill out a bit on race morning. I may make this a regular part of my routine! Derick and I wandered down to the swim for the 7am start, and I got into my Zoot Sleeveless suit (Fuzion) and prepared for the warm swim. I couldn't believe so many others were in full sleeved suits; I get warm so quickly that if the water is over 65 or 68 I am usually in a sleeveless. I made the right choice as I heard many say they felt they overheated. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Beji5VvR4riuMZvm_-oHVJ6yBTol4aSSRfyCiswI5q88V-p3MWCwQqpOjZQI3iunuHtYThTX26ub2v2CSMsiszRU2bu5fLwwIs12qLO3DPHXic5NruEwA4yvAojMDzOUKg_2FhrhuYY/s1600/Swim+run+out.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Beji5VvR4riuMZvm_-oHVJ6yBTol4aSSRfyCiswI5q88V-p3MWCwQqpOjZQI3iunuHtYThTX26ub2v2CSMsiszRU2bu5fLwwIs12qLO3DPHXic5NruEwA4yvAojMDzOUKg_2FhrhuYY/s320/Swim+run+out.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5727682357770182498" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVzrnAk6MJ2Cd7c6h0lliXNGRSm3XTo2rybCXNTPqOF_RITF6r17i7HIouU6ggnseR8ZzB-RZl5LP7zPkV334m4zr7EpN8P44x06Pzs6bafrEBH38cSPSjimb-1DPzn7M0cLttcoIu5jM/s1600/Swim+run+out+strong+back.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVzrnAk6MJ2Cd7c6h0lliXNGRSm3XTo2rybCXNTPqOF_RITF6r17i7HIouU6ggnseR8ZzB-RZl5LP7zPkV334m4zr7EpN8P44x06Pzs6bafrEBH38cSPSjimb-1DPzn7M0cLttcoIu5jM/s320/Swim+run+out+strong+back.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5727682506110185890" /></a><br /><br />We lined up between the buoys right at 7am and off we went! We swam out at an angle to the first turn where we took a hard left, so I was far to the outside. I can't stand getting buried and pummeled by people and it was a great choice, as I actually had some speed to get up front and avoid any fighting. Around the first turn, I found some nice feet and there I sat for the next 1200 meters. It was pretty calm compared to past swims in the Galveston Bay, and my mind started wandering a few times to random stuff (like the recent video Lesly Paterson did, "Shit Triathletes Don't Say"...I was rehashing parts of the video and laughing to myself!). Then I would look up and see the feet start to drift off and say "Snap to Kelly. Focus." Not really sure what was going on there. Maybe I was bored? Can't say I've had that happen much in races before!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi208ctIl0vQBcHhqieBz6m71-vH67KsU3O5uNWT6EeC3mHdU2pMoNScUnSq6ZT0avsJXuI0XbgDRHiLz64Cx4rtPeki6-WPRnGcwNuEJmPNIiLQSZWBzivHTYwuyugqxSwZFJam6vtqpw/s1600/Bike+by+Marco+2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 271px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi208ctIl0vQBcHhqieBz6m71-vH67KsU3O5uNWT6EeC3mHdU2pMoNScUnSq6ZT0avsJXuI0XbgDRHiLz64Cx4rtPeki6-WPRnGcwNuEJmPNIiLQSZWBzivHTYwuyugqxSwZFJam6vtqpw/s320/Bike+by+Marco+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5727682841162902482" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnPuA9pfqgNoWHYrmI86P65tsO4DRUr-JYQ9zgyt9Y_UOEXqO7C6Btj3Qcs1BSeVcfKGR2QGhZbj_s81WGkFh-8B91ZI8Ilu6BDKGQu0_qswZEue3nIX3d8JapG5lJWRpTAylLVcgOC1c/s1600/Bike+TX+70..3+by+Marco+good.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 262px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnPuA9pfqgNoWHYrmI86P65tsO4DRUr-JYQ9zgyt9Y_UOEXqO7C6Btj3Qcs1BSeVcfKGR2QGhZbj_s81WGkFh-8B91ZI8Ilu6BDKGQu0_qswZEue3nIX3d8JapG5lJWRpTAylLVcgOC1c/s320/Bike+TX+70..3+by+Marco+good.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5727682983148202098" /></a><br /><br />We exited the swim and it was out to the bike course...28 miles out, 28 miles back. I think I was third out of the swim and as we headed out of the park, I managed to move into first. This was great! Flashback to 2011, I came out of the swim and within the 1 mile or so it took us to get to the main road, I'd been passed by a couple of women. Within the next 5 miles, I was passed by many, many more women. I guess you could say this time, when I took that lead, I was determined to hold it as long as possible! The winds were whipping but I expected this. The QR CD01 with my Reynolds 46/92 combo felt great, and I just put my head down, tried to stay small and motored away. I'm an "SRM person" however I taped over it as I had in San Juan, so it was no data, just ride. I felt pretty strong, but I never ever once looked back! It was not until maybe mile 25 or so that I was passed...I was stoked that I maintained the lead so long! However, I expected that one person passing me may lead to 5 or 6. We made the turn around and headed back (with far less tailwind than I had hoped for or expected) and much to my surprise, only two more women passed me the final 28 miles. I am fairly certain that as I neared the end of the bike something to the effect of "Holy shit Kelly, it's amazing what you can do in a race when you finally learn to ride your bike. You should have picked this up years ago!" crossed my mind. I also dialed my intensity *way* back with about 2-3 miles to go to prepare the legs for the run ahead. <span style="font-style:italic;">(In hindsight, I have to wonder how much of my strong position off the bike may have also been due to the fact that it seemed to be a very FAIR race on Sunday, at least on the women's side. I have been in many a race where a few women pass me visibly riding together, and I've never been able to, in my own conscience, 'hop onto' the pack. I've always, always been one to never draft even if I could get away with it and nothing angers me more than to see small packs going by me. It felt like a fair race; the women who passed me did so sporadically and we all had a lot of distance from each other. It was really pleasant to see for a change). </span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_rken5n4HPTyquot88U8oRn7TRud1vkzVx0886jvxcL6nLjY3ppHKRRyeswF9dO3SBp7xrz_fHRjmCFN480o1BSr6SJzqKgHq_gHi4ykE6t-jMBu_rbNH0-1GtWK1aoHtDrs80z54jgk/s1600/T2+from+Aaron+good+run+pic.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_rken5n4HPTyquot88U8oRn7TRud1vkzVx0886jvxcL6nLjY3ppHKRRyeswF9dO3SBp7xrz_fHRjmCFN480o1BSr6SJzqKgHq_gHi4ykE6t-jMBu_rbNH0-1GtWK1aoHtDrs80z54jgk/s320/T2+from+Aaron+good+run+pic.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5727683135449736242" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6fZStb1o3JiDhAkvIS_piu9EgvRXmKRdLlA8enYtodssIHHu7nL0mfnpcwx1LEl-C-T6-cnqT2lWeTQvtlTX-p6-nRCTdNO1uXOty5BtHlCJbSkH2BuNMDyipb7u5LN_nTLGS8CW_jBQ/s1600/Running+smooth.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6fZStb1o3JiDhAkvIS_piu9EgvRXmKRdLlA8enYtodssIHHu7nL0mfnpcwx1LEl-C-T6-cnqT2lWeTQvtlTX-p6-nRCTdNO1uXOty5BtHlCJbSkH2BuNMDyipb7u5LN_nTLGS8CW_jBQ/s320/Running+smooth.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5727683283793108338" /></a><br /><br />Into T2, I heard that I had 1:45 down to first which was probably the best news I have ever heard, in any triathlon, ever, off the bike. I was so excited but I also reminded myself "You have 13 miles to run...easy killer." I had experienced a bizarre, sudden and pretty strong cramp in my medial left thigh on the bike that had subsided, but it seemed the kind of day where cramping could happen due to how hard I had ridden and given the hot, humid conditions. I threw on the Zoot TT5.0's and was out of there as quick as possible, gel flask in hand (4 PowerGels). <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6VfC6ULIZ-Qw-turxZMGdYXbeMYbSlcfqvuODlNUgzCHtz2cx3Hv8ImO39jQjcyI7mPLj3Fkc3lRnl4njWe8l-idVK-jQwvAhirDaaWIUQxUYWTWOg9uNt932Rmmrgkw8EB7PP5nGpUk/s1600/My+Back+Running.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6VfC6ULIZ-Qw-turxZMGdYXbeMYbSlcfqvuODlNUgzCHtz2cx3Hv8ImO39jQjcyI7mPLj3Fkc3lRnl4njWe8l-idVK-jQwvAhirDaaWIUQxUYWTWOg9uNt932Rmmrgkw8EB7PP5nGpUk/s320/My+Back+Running.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5727683518518446098" /></a><br /><br />I love this run course because it's so spectator friendly! As I came out of T2, I was told I had 1:45 to first. I felt very confident I could make that up, but I was pretty excited and I knew I didn't have to close that gap immediately. I tried to settle down and I managed to work my way to the front of the race by mile 2. Good! But, I kept reminding myself that all I had to do was keep this position. The goal was to WIN... not necessarily to post a super fast run split. Again, I took the 'no numbers' approach as I had in Panama and never once looked at my watch. I looked at it a few times in San Juan and I'd see a 5:50 then a 6:30; so I figured, don't let that crap get in your head. Just run. I felt pretty good through the first lap (~4 miles) and just tried to take it one lap at a time...the body definitely started to feel it into the second lap. It was so cool to hear so many people cheering my name and see people I knew! However I really tried to keep my head down, eyes on the road ahead and focus on the job to do. I constantly reminded myself not to get greedy; to run controlled and steady. If I blew up, walked and lost the race, that would be very stupid racing! <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivNvJaPK5jxTJt3wjrtEP3JePYHtC2f_hO-zDvQbHMokiJ7dyv-DDvMaHm56c_BdK4Aj_CsC40591U6BkPFSRCTEjcoeDM8YzffAG_-uWinAcmKrBUy3yvEja5in-NDXGkg57mZM0hiW4/s1600/Tight+Run+Turn+-+Good+Pic%2521.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivNvJaPK5jxTJt3wjrtEP3JePYHtC2f_hO-zDvQbHMokiJ7dyv-DDvMaHm56c_BdK4Aj_CsC40591U6BkPFSRCTEjcoeDM8YzffAG_-uWinAcmKrBUy3yvEja5in-NDXGkg57mZM0hiW4/s320/Tight+Run+Turn+-+Good+Pic%2521.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5727683754059635890" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6wO-E3UShXbkGsxolNJPXUsAmkVAMBYr5sRNLKz0-9EVY2DIblEDyq08FhD8FdtMLhYm7zhOkAhxyrhC5Aij4X77-RskoiU-uWzcxKqP7ncg3jVvHkpLWNZYn9xtI1gOkQbGxnp3DfMQ/s1600/Running+and+it%2527s+hot.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 227px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6wO-E3UShXbkGsxolNJPXUsAmkVAMBYr5sRNLKz0-9EVY2DIblEDyq08FhD8FdtMLhYm7zhOkAhxyrhC5Aij4X77-RskoiU-uWzcxKqP7ncg3jVvHkpLWNZYn9xtI1gOkQbGxnp3DfMQ/s320/Running+and+it%2527s+hot.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5727683968876271330" /></a><br /><br />As I neared the finish (just past mile 11), Derick yelled to me "Kel you got this...enjoy the finish" but even then, I told myself nothing was secured until I hit mile 12...and really until I saw that finish line. I continued through the crowd one last time, out onto the runway and finally back to the finish; and when I was on that home stretch, I breathed a huge sigh of relief and that goofy grin arose on my face; and it stuck there through the finish. And what a finish! People everywhere, announcing my name, and just the realization that finally, I had really nailed this race; not only in my home state of Texas, but I had put it together when I really needed to; to win, but also be the US 70.3 Pro Champion. It was also extremely satisfying to have 'mastered' a course which I felt had gotten the better of me in the past two years. It felt amazing! <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRlApHL1zoaO_Md6vDbJzz3TyVXY_8Sjxu3mJ_ZMIXvA51lil7LvI2j4vK39dlW2EA5WfeWuP6DeMbcWisO04FyJ6onRyJurK9vbfkUJoN7zHRNFojGrxJL1BTTIpJuFIpXvWDKJz3u2A/s1600/Banner+happy+2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRlApHL1zoaO_Md6vDbJzz3TyVXY_8Sjxu3mJ_ZMIXvA51lil7LvI2j4vK39dlW2EA5WfeWuP6DeMbcWisO04FyJ6onRyJurK9vbfkUJoN7zHRNFojGrxJL1BTTIpJuFIpXvWDKJz3u2A/s320/Banner+happy+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5727684232090802818" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQTKNy3-IZaY3sXdO_A5TXnkto6TxxQLusIRTP33gDkAAXm6pF-Ngd_uErXdSYfJBXVKQMOH_XadOUkU8dCclHSHYEuAqk56wWs4XfoDclFJfa5g5ltGRhe4-rv_Fl6YsAHJSZQxwkoNo/s1600/Finish+Hug+Great+Pic+with+D.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQTKNy3-IZaY3sXdO_A5TXnkto6TxxQLusIRTP33gDkAAXm6pF-Ngd_uErXdSYfJBXVKQMOH_XadOUkU8dCclHSHYEuAqk56wWs4XfoDclFJfa5g5ltGRhe4-rv_Fl6YsAHJSZQxwkoNo/s320/Finish+Hug+Great+Pic+with+D.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5727684344304838242" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDvF932POAJsBMsWdH97F8NBk0TdNGPUhyc_TdqpSd1ccEcdj1_bwc6ZpRoRZ6e_tds6aXDhyrPMT-Wk3i4gaxfo05wAd9tU54ljJjZG6HRqwYHpvhYo5n7WapsJif7HChLTprVx1fLUg/s1600/Hug+Derick.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 230px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDvF932POAJsBMsWdH97F8NBk0TdNGPUhyc_TdqpSd1ccEcdj1_bwc6ZpRoRZ6e_tds6aXDhyrPMT-Wk3i4gaxfo05wAd9tU54ljJjZG6HRqwYHpvhYo5n7WapsJif7HChLTprVx1fLUg/s320/Hug+Derick.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5727684572293091362" /></a><br /><br />When I first started winning triathlons (here and there) a few years back, I used to think it was arrogant to celebrate in any way. I'd allow myself to smile, but wouldn't raise my arms. It just felt odd. Through the years, I'd watch fellow athletes take big wins and I realized I loved watching their excitement; quite the contrary, those who celebrated seemed to show how much it meant to them. So now, when I can manage a win such as this, I let myself savor it. I often dip my head down once I get the banner; which to me is a small moment to myself; but the feeling of taking a win means so much to me, I try to really enjoy it and let my happiness, relief and emotions show. It sounds cliche, but the longer the journey, the sweeter the feeling of success. It's taken awhile to get here but I'd not choose to have had it any other way.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAFUMl9J7_qkmnRsj11vuX3cVnBkG6mx_YQktaKYUm5IUdw3R8OOxoZa7YLNpKzX2ctx8qYYQIKH8cmv92FLSuhA9p8r7ZW2V6qsU-RJpzc2a87ZaL2X3Pa3wSEEYG8nayI6bPXValIFw/s1600/Signing+Banner+post+Galveston.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAFUMl9J7_qkmnRsj11vuX3cVnBkG6mx_YQktaKYUm5IUdw3R8OOxoZa7YLNpKzX2ctx8qYYQIKH8cmv92FLSuhA9p8r7ZW2V6qsU-RJpzc2a87ZaL2X3Pa3wSEEYG8nayI6bPXValIFw/s320/Signing+Banner+post+Galveston.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5727682101411652146" /></a><br /><br />A huge thank you to my <a href="http://www.kellyhwilliamson.com/Sponsors.html">sponsors</a>: Memorial Hermann, Zoot, PowerBar, Quintana Roo, Recovery Pump, Reynolds, ISM, Road ID, Vision, Durata Training, Katalyst Multisport, Jack & Adams, Giro, Oakley, Hill Country Running, and Go with the Flo. I feel lucky to be surrounded by not only a great support team, but an incredible community of friends and such a supportive family. The attention has been a bit overwhelming! I was chatting with Derick after the Pro Panel. He said that I almost seem a little bit self-deprecating; while I could see that, I think I just try to always keep it all in perspective. Within myself I carry confidence that I can do well and I believe I will; but I also realize that every time that we toe the line, it's anyone's race to win. That's what I love about racing. Nothing is ever given to you; but that is exactly how I like it. <br /><br />Thanks for reading & see you at the next one!Kelly H Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01819445022646176185noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839831654318179147.post-58263188798573053842012-03-26T16:36:00.006-07:002012-03-26T18:29:34.479-07:00Memorial Hermann IM Texas Womens Preview Camp - RECAP!This past weekend was the first ‘official’ Memorial Hermann Ironman Texas Women’s Preview Camp. It went off without a hitch; the weather cooperated for us beautifully and the staff and campers were all enthusiastic and excited to be there. It was a nice intimate feel, and all of the women received a lot of one-on-one attention; no questions went unanswered over the 3 days, which was just what we were going for! I just wanted to re-cap the weekend so that all of you ladies racing Ironman Texas can know what you missed out on! :) (There's always next year!)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiohyWnUz9OweB2ZfBEBha9yEPKMbtrA7FEs0Dv3rARq6fPzGJL-TUp-0RdmiTsoNdI7NRXj4KCaktl1_jndZPyUJVze-F_PB9opiwjIxxBk0occXAtClbVTtjbYOeOQ3ZzhN43EM2dIeQ/s1600/Running+with+Group.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiohyWnUz9OweB2ZfBEBha9yEPKMbtrA7FEs0Dv3rARq6fPzGJL-TUp-0RdmiTsoNdI7NRXj4KCaktl1_jndZPyUJVze-F_PB9opiwjIxxBk0occXAtClbVTtjbYOeOQ3ZzhN43EM2dIeQ/s320/Running+with+Group.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5724355173502520178" /></a><br />Off for a run<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Thursday:</span> Derick and I arrived at about 4:30pm to The Woodlands, and we had an informal dinner at a local Mexican restaurant, Berryhill Baja Grill. We all enjoyed some Mexican food and a relaxed evening for the campers to meet the Memorial Hermann Human Performance Team including Terry Dupler (Exercise Physiologist), Penny Wilson (Registered Dietician), Kim Gandler (Biomechanist), Anthony Falsone (Strength & Conditioning Specialist) and Rebekah Palaian (Licensed Massage Therapist). After a good meal, everyone headed back to the host hotel (Courtyard Mariott) to relax for the busy few days ahead. One great part of this camp was that everyone stayed at the same hotel, and we had a designated meeting room for seminars, meals, recovery room, etc. The campers were able to get some much needed R&R between sessions in a convenient and time-efficient manner.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Friday:</span> Breakfast was from 7-8AM (every day they had bagels, fruit, yogurt, coffee, etc.) and Penny spoke on nutrition during/after breakfast. Penny is extremely knowledgable but what impresses me most is, Penny does not hop on the bandwagon of the ever-changing fads and ‘myths’ in the world of nutrition and sports nutrition. She is very educated, level-headed and takes a practical, straight-forward approach to the concept of ‘eating for performance’. She filled their heads with useful information and after the chat, it was time for a short run. We headed out at about 9AM and I headed up a run session on the IM Texas course (which was a short ½ mile or so from our hotel) focusing on pacing. I simply had the ladies run out 15 minutes steady, with the goal of coming back slightly faster. I think this is a simple but critical concept that is so important (and often overlooked) for Ironman racing. Once back at the hotel, I spent about 45 minutes talking through the IM Texas swim course and also discussing swim race tactics, approaches, mental strategies, and key bits of information that may help them come race day. The women had a couple hours of downtime until our 1pm-4pm Bike Skills & Transitions clinic. This is where my husband Derick stepped in, as he led the bike skills clinic in a grassy field by the IM Texas swim start, which included things such as ‘slow pedaling’, riding with a buddy (touching shoulders, etc), picking up a water bottle while riding (off the ground; we had a 100% success rate!) and finally a game of tag. Needless to say, every one of the women were much more comfortable and confident in their bike handling skills on the long ride the next day. I spent some time explaining Ironman transitions and also ‘regular’ transitions, and we finally headed back to the hotel for some rest before the evening seminar. Dinner was catered in (lasagna, salad, veggies, bread) and Anthony Falsone talked to the women about Strength & Conditioning, but triathlon-specific; mostly focusing on basic core exercises useful to us as well as the value of foam rolling and injury prevention. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiigdkO_GPqGq1t8H43VlPeS-_-GiI5bMP0jGCE8wfTooYatAlsCfnmpXjzIF5agbmcwwBmrAbdmGGT4t9mJ_U3fweiYYmimEXoGfdUXlxi0TRuXvfCLaaoyx0lmqlL8ee_Iqs_A6HJj8/s1600/Mem+Herm+Camp+1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiigdkO_GPqGq1t8H43VlPeS-_-GiI5bMP0jGCE8wfTooYatAlsCfnmpXjzIF5agbmcwwBmrAbdmGGT4t9mJ_U3fweiYYmimEXoGfdUXlxi0TRuXvfCLaaoyx0lmqlL8ee_Iqs_A6HJj8/s320/Mem+Herm+Camp+1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5724355314632050514" /></a><br />Transition practice<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Saturday:</span> Another early day, breakfast was from 6:30-7:30 and the cars loaded up at 7:30 sharp to take the women out to start their 95 mile ride on the Ironman Texas course. They were rolling by about 8:15 (Derick and I went out on our own ride today, as I had raced San Juan 70.3 the previous weekend and had IM Texas 70.3 the following, so had to do some of ‘my own’ training as well!) and they all knocked out the entire 95 miles, while vastly sticking together as a group. There were two aid stations at about miles 30 and 60, so they were able to stock up on all they needed, and there was also a sag vehicle and a mechanic car out with them as they rode. A few women ran off the bike, but with Ironman Texas 70.3 the following weekend, this was dependent upon what they needed to do for their own training; no one was ‘forced’ to run off the bike. By 3pm, they were back to the hotel, good and tired! They all got short massages from Rebekah, the massage therapist, and were also able to spend as much time as they needed on the foam rollers, get snacks, drinks and such to re-fuel for the next day. Dinner this evening was chicken, veggies, salad, and rosemary potatoes. Terry Dupler and Kim Gandler spoke this evening on lactate threshold testing (the value of it, why it is done, what it means) and running biomechanics (the importance of good shoes, the pros/cons of lightweight minimalist shoes, etc) as they fielded questions from the women. I have to say, it was good to see the women enjoying a glass of wine or a cold beer this evening with their meals…they all earned it! Some people hung around and chatted a bit more while others headed off for bed. (Again the convenience of ‘bed’ being ‘down the hallway’ was such a treat!)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwYwEmaO5DhbSxHrBu55TvKv-fLOwJiEi5i2apI8Bf0D8cDW5B2q3bS4rzIVfMxJ2ECP78CxWfN70USQ2aS9fYS6WTj09jKhjq7iiWe30iK_MIiDp1IFk1D82sCbWSC-YLbgsdemONQNE/s1600/Mem+Herm+Camp+2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwYwEmaO5DhbSxHrBu55TvKv-fLOwJiEi5i2apI8Bf0D8cDW5B2q3bS4rzIVfMxJ2ECP78CxWfN70USQ2aS9fYS6WTj09jKhjq7iiWe30iK_MIiDp1IFk1D82sCbWSC-YLbgsdemONQNE/s320/Mem+Herm+Camp+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5724355488417114418" /></a><br />Foam Rolling<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhku0XEW8A2c8MIxGlVnO2gJO-zoO9xermac-qj5VoX4KQ4p3yS4F93dgTCGGxf8MJJmJimXinzxtheH-fimq0lyn1IrTBXuAM-YFh-WRkqsCINGO1mZrNOwZJ7B6EDkyn9ZGSUOi6fm6E/s1600/Rebeka+Palaian+massage.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhku0XEW8A2c8MIxGlVnO2gJO-zoO9xermac-qj5VoX4KQ4p3yS4F93dgTCGGxf8MJJmJimXinzxtheH-fimq0lyn1IrTBXuAM-YFh-WRkqsCINGO1mZrNOwZJ7B6EDkyn9ZGSUOi6fm6E/s320/Rebeka+Palaian+massage.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5724355625715832466" /></a><br />Rebekah Palaian working massage<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZEgwjpCvu97RN8xSAVtax5vU4ZoIOIkCSNiSsddo33OzpuAzF9E8_j5H8Uf_o6eS1j1grA3dzu8Dobej8Vdv-7AmInJSQb-twSzwtZNkGmP-SHaVHKn08QFoJcbQP64lHEsA1DpAKCxU/s1600/Kim+Gandler.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZEgwjpCvu97RN8xSAVtax5vU4ZoIOIkCSNiSsddo33OzpuAzF9E8_j5H8Uf_o6eS1j1grA3dzu8Dobej8Vdv-7AmInJSQb-twSzwtZNkGmP-SHaVHKn08QFoJcbQP64lHEsA1DpAKCxU/s320/Kim+Gandler.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5724355752864397458" /></a><br />Kim Gandler talking Biomechanics<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Sunday:</span> The women were pretty much on their own today for their long run, as they all had different workouts on their schedules; but most ran in the range of 2-2.5 hrs, all on the Ironman Texas run course. The staff had marked the entire course with orange arrows (taped to the sidewalk) and also set up an aid station about halfway through, so the women had some support out there but were able to run their own pace. We returned to the hotel (and I grabbed a quick ice bath) and we all met for lunch (an amazing spread of make your own sandwiches complete with salad, coleslaw, chips, and the best chocolate chip cookies you could imagine!). We did a final little ‘wrap up’ session out on the porch in the warm Texas sun. Everyone was freezing in the A/C inside the hotel. Guess that bodes well for them for Ironman Texas eh?!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWzNjxidBqGlEhyzpcodNFz4SSoY0mODmarJ0nvSC3jM8en2NSzcEUTDxcCV0sE2enq1SyDn_U4IF_j3jJE13lc4bMlprdyloES6PFa3xK0UquI3ZMz6tBaYD_ri2l347WO2y34OsQYeQ/s1600/Aid+Station+volunteers%2521.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWzNjxidBqGlEhyzpcodNFz4SSoY0mODmarJ0nvSC3jM8en2NSzcEUTDxcCV0sE2enq1SyDn_U4IF_j3jJE13lc4bMlprdyloES6PFa3xK0UquI3ZMz6tBaYD_ri2l347WO2y34OsQYeQ/s320/Aid+Station+volunteers%2521.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5724355864398727698" /></a><br />Aid Station Volunteers<br /><br />All in all, the camp could not have gone better. The women left there with smiles on their faces, a little fatigue in their bodies, some good color in their faces thanks to the sunshine we had, but all super stoked to have seen the bike course and with the confidence that knew what to expect come race day. We had a few who had raced it in 2011 (or who had done an Ironman) and they were able to help those who were in for their first full distance race. I was just most impressed with how much these women were able to walk away with in terms of knowledge gained; the overall goal of this camp was two-fold: 1) Give them a preview for Ironman Texas and allow them to know what to expect, but also 2) Help <span style="font-style:italic;">educate</span> them on anything and everything “Ironman” and triathlon; hopefully, no questions went unanswered. I feel confident that they walked away with both of these things, a lot of ‘swag’ thanks to Memorial Hermann, Road ID, Recovery Pump, and Zoot, and a few new friends as well! All in all, not a bad way to spend the weekend.Kelly H Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01819445022646176185noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839831654318179147.post-71286023201918594232012-03-21T07:06:00.017-07:002012-03-21T15:44:55.931-07:00San Juan 70.3 - A Repeat!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHE2f17vbpNJhh-pqBDNLLYi1HnFZ1eOkduMujehXf5r_NhrUXGRl-fuOzXQ1iwF3HZ1J8cFJWwTTJk0yEDb_UI0XL_kJUMKE9L1y50_Ct-3BnKJBcJ7iXcBv63EiXthtKNJyUAW16tvk/s1600/0146_02886.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHE2f17vbpNJhh-pqBDNLLYi1HnFZ1eOkduMujehXf5r_NhrUXGRl-fuOzXQ1iwF3HZ1J8cFJWwTTJk0yEDb_UI0XL_kJUMKE9L1y50_Ct-3BnKJBcJ7iXcBv63EiXthtKNJyUAW16tvk/s320/0146_02886.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5722482769756138018" /></a><br /><br />I once had a coach who believed in me more than I (at the time) believed in myself. She would throw out these lofty goals, and I’d laugh and think ‘what world are you living in…I’m really not that good’. At the end of the season, she had been right…I’d achieved precisely what she had claimed I would. It seemed a little insignificant at the time (or rather just irony with a little luck), but it’s something I now reflect on often and it’s made me realize that one key to being successful is truly believing that you’re always a little better than what you’ve done in the past. I’ve also found that the naysayers motivate me a bit…while success can breed pressure (if we let it), there are always critics and I seem to thrive on not only success but those various challenges and unexpected elements that each and every race presents. <br /><br />So for the second year in a row, Derick and I were off to San Juan 70.3. It really wasn’t a question as to if I would return to try to defend the title from 2011, but it helped matters that the timing in the season was absolutely perfect. The race itself was incredible last year, especially for an inaugural event. It was convenient for the athlete (hotel right at the race site), a beautiful race course but moreso the people of San Juan are second to none in terms of friendliness. I was glad I had done Panama, as it seemed to help alleviate those ‘first season’ nerves that I felt much more heavily there. We arrived Friday which was on the tail end of when I like to get there, but I knew that training (especially riding) was difficult in the city so I figured it would be nice to be at home, in my routine, as long as possible. Travel went well and we were at our hotel, eating a fantastic dinner and relaxing in San Juan by Friday evening. <br /><br />Saturday was filled with the usual sleep in, a short swim and since I couldn’t ride, a 10 min light jog, breakfast, relaxing in the morning then a few commitments in the afternoon. I can’t stress enough how seamless this all was given that the pro panel, meeting, etc were all just downstairs! A huge thank you to Arturo and Alejandro, the Race Directors, for making the setup so incredible for all us athletes; it helps to minimize those pre-race stressors. We had an early dinner, my usual light beer (a Peroni!), and were up in our room relaxing by 7pm. I found it interesting just HOW relaxed I seemed. I was asleep by ~ 9:30 and actually woke up at 10:45 and I’d had a dream, sleeping so hard that I thought it was the morning! To top it off, I woke up again at 3:30 am and thought “Sweet, another 30 minutes” and was out again until 4 am. Pretty atypical! But I figured it was a good sign, just so that I could get into race mode in the next few hours. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEreYP7CVTt8pc2FRuoWXYXM0_1S-JuRtkN-X828e7HLdw9LdPLHB-H11Qub4RvLSGwl4uElWFIvUoO7iu_iYzFD7JmxLAOg-XbidQFGLgFkIFeFz8EsEyxWL9I5sk3np-Puvw1lkxFpg/s1600/0146_09935.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 212px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEreYP7CVTt8pc2FRuoWXYXM0_1S-JuRtkN-X828e7HLdw9LdPLHB-H11Qub4RvLSGwl4uElWFIvUoO7iu_iYzFD7JmxLAOg-XbidQFGLgFkIFeFz8EsEyxWL9I5sk3np-Puvw1lkxFpg/s320/0146_09935.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5722484465030110418" /></a><br /><br />The race kicked off promptly at 6:50 for the men and 6:55 for the women. Nina Kraft who always swims well took it out quickly while myself and a few other women tried to latch onto her speed. Luckily we were able to and while I like to find my own swimming space, it seemed that we were all about on the same pace (a small pack of 4 of us). I would have loved to of gotten up front and done a bit of work, but I knew the effort to get around people to do so was not worth it, so I just sat in and found myself in a nice little draft from the other three. It was a great water temp, well marked course and soon enough we were nearing the exit ramp and onto the very long run to transition… maybe 400 meters or so. I actually liked this, because it’s always a little dizzy’ing to stand up and go right to the bike. I made it to the stadium, grabbed the bike and was first out of T1, ready to tackle the flat but expected to be windy bike course.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihqzwA1FtGvJ3DJz11u11pZSqk46yuVksXWkXEtFfee5dYEPC7JYdnm9N71XIyl6mM-J0yYTYKfBYrCHvmRXohlGFE3WofcSSjnJnVzoiDHtj2QUO9yB3-jYx3hxHwftaQGxXqMdXJgAg/s1600/0146_11030.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihqzwA1FtGvJ3DJz11u11pZSqk46yuVksXWkXEtFfee5dYEPC7JYdnm9N71XIyl6mM-J0yYTYKfBYrCHvmRXohlGFE3WofcSSjnJnVzoiDHtj2QUO9yB3-jYx3hxHwftaQGxXqMdXJgAg/s320/0146_11030.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5722481598698758866" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUf6DvSrcQC8pYzsI_mDgd6YnwdwRrqrv7cI9ZknkxA_7pBII6pEpoSv8hLqTGiX3OWofeNQXqQ3N2bjtsSTN2iF62tzBhYH2YI51oluOxzXK5GL6zZvOLLInAYmmmbAcVcADS8esAYCg/s1600/0146_00005.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUf6DvSrcQC8pYzsI_mDgd6YnwdwRrqrv7cI9ZknkxA_7pBII6pEpoSv8hLqTGiX3OWofeNQXqQ3N2bjtsSTN2iF62tzBhYH2YI51oluOxzXK5GL6zZvOLLInAYmmmbAcVcADS8esAYCg/s320/0146_00005.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5722481872816384706" /></a><br /><br />From the start on the bike, I punched it pretty hard. Having come off a less than stellar bike in Panama, I had been doing some work especially in the TT position on the bike and I knew that if I wanted to go for a win, I had to bike well today, especially with the strong cyclists in this race. I also put electrical tape over my SRM so that I could not see any numbers. I like to think that I don’t get too caught up in seeing it, however, I think those numbers get in my head more than I’d like to admit so I told myself to just race, go hard, and find that edge right from the start on the bike. Needless to say, IT WORKED for me and I’ll without a doubt be doing this moreso in future races! I was able to maintain the lead on the bike through about mile 25 or 30 at which point Linsey Corbin passed me, which did not surprise me, as she’s a great cyclist. I tried to keep her in sight but that was only for a few miles, and when she disappeared, I just tried to keep on the gas and minimize the time that she was putting on me. We hit a bit of headwind coming back into T2, however it turned out to be a fairly calm day on the bike; I probably could have used my Reynolds RZR 92 front wheel, but I played it safe with the 46 (and 92 rear) and I am glad I did as it is still a super fast setup I felt strong throughout the entire bike 56 miles. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbkY8hoN-2iJwBUx66fBbmLbCJ-kjcOq_WvYpNQPNWyKSNIwG5wktGSmTHMFWlEfr_2uVDkUwdtzMWqPMjNWq3DXTLINkeWS_ZlQEA2O469rx-cXmPfioq8tam-Ap3ytH9aY8CxxXR_GA/s1600/0146_06594.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbkY8hoN-2iJwBUx66fBbmLbCJ-kjcOq_WvYpNQPNWyKSNIwG5wktGSmTHMFWlEfr_2uVDkUwdtzMWqPMjNWq3DXTLINkeWS_ZlQEA2O469rx-cXmPfioq8tam-Ap3ytH9aY8CxxXR_GA/s320/0146_06594.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5722482154305943074" /></a><br /><br />I was pretty happy to enter transition as I was tired of cycling by that point. I was ready to run (in my new Zoot Ultra TT5’s!), but as I dismounted I could feel the legs were pretty heavy; definitely heavier than they felt in Panama. But I told myself “You’re supposed to be tired, everyone else is too; just find a rhythm, stay relaxed and dial it in”. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmI8Fkwf663M9CZBCk95ggrfjWLIVA7zHfss-1bpV9HMRcB5ruA3mplhyphenhyphenUH-8p5yvsciNN8Xy3Azm0k8Q6lzrUQQWRsYYAT7n7syx4maBZUm6nnErobpp6_lMqaFiaXZ4oW90n-E3tzzg/s1600/0146_13996.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmI8Fkwf663M9CZBCk95ggrfjWLIVA7zHfss-1bpV9HMRcB5ruA3mplhyphenhyphenUH-8p5yvsciNN8Xy3Azm0k8Q6lzrUQQWRsYYAT7n7syx4maBZUm6nnErobpp6_lMqaFiaXZ4oW90n-E3tzzg/s320/0146_13996.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5722482316958153218" /></a><br /><br /><br />As I left the stadium, I was told I had about a 2 minute deficit, which got me excited as I felt confident about being able to close that gap. That said, it’s a race, and ANYTHING can happen… so I try to never think too far ahead, get too excited or even slightly think about finishing until I hit that final mile on the run. I started out and noticed that WOW the legs were not too spunky! But they had felt this way from the start, even in the swim, just a bit ‘heavy’ so I just kept on keeping on, tried to put it out of my mind; this is racing, I should be tired.<br />I headed out on the hilly and very scenic run course, up onto the cobblestone hill at about mile 2, down the cobbles onto the fort by mile 3 and started to relax a bit. I managed to move into first right at about mile 4, and Linsey respectfully offered some nice words of encouragement to which I think I responded, “good job Lins, this is brutal…” and tried to keep my head down and just keep the pace steady. For some reason, this run course felt quite a bit tougher this year than it did in 2011! Maybe it is because I knew what to expect, it’s hilly and definitely challenging and of course very warm. I came through transition at the halfway point, got a bit excited and then tried to again calm myself remembering I still had 30+ more minutes of work to do. On the second loop I saw Tim heading in with a few miles to go and he had a solid lead, and I thought “Damn, if he wins and repeats then the pressure is really on me!” Then I laughed at the absurdity of my thought and just kept on running. <br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjan7KlJDBh8eIMVRs60aCLDNeGqoh3_GA7X8s9VtgUagcXaazBrtCFpBW4aZT_D8IvI4Yl8tea3gb9PCN8YBafZmt_0FHX2ZqOxhUCt3D7fJvo-y9tF0i5YYV7LFvzdVA9TFoljaJmSbI/s1600/Running+the+Corner.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 229px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjan7KlJDBh8eIMVRs60aCLDNeGqoh3_GA7X8s9VtgUagcXaazBrtCFpBW4aZT_D8IvI4Yl8tea3gb9PCN8YBafZmt_0FHX2ZqOxhUCt3D7fJvo-y9tF0i5YYV7LFvzdVA9TFoljaJmSbI/s320/Running+the+Corner.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5722354984038828402" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheWVtdR9uygFJXpD7F-Nhse4EAxypJ4abH83WdTaJYeRe-Ic4sKl9dmq2A_f6fhxP0gsSKFK1U31QSSDTFa2PkMTn2W6OVab5ZJHSBuNfp_wVYx_A8NuwA8HnWRPdwIz9C6_mvCeqMU9g/s1600/0146_02884.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheWVtdR9uygFJXpD7F-Nhse4EAxypJ4abH83WdTaJYeRe-Ic4sKl9dmq2A_f6fhxP0gsSKFK1U31QSSDTFa2PkMTn2W6OVab5ZJHSBuNfp_wVYx_A8NuwA8HnWRPdwIz9C6_mvCeqMU9g/s320/0146_02884.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5722482590312188082" /></a><br /><br /><br />I finally hit those final miles, and by about Mile 12, I knew I had this yet I tried to keep on as strong a pace as I could through the finish. I heard some awesome cheers as I entered the crowds, one being “You have this, now relax and enjoy it.” I think a smile was plastered on my face from that point on, as I ran over the bridge and down the final hill into the finish. Whew! A sigh of relief and what a feeling! A huge crowd to welcome me and the satisfaction of knowing I defended a big title, something I have never done! <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVQWc7rlBqOlyG046WG9Q-B9nHG7lhBJugI5e7amJaXXDRPJAEInqVmqeDDh_LVTYIMJPg9lauFBXLEorGEDDQLbhmQSNhwgIQFWv1s-yM_enq9Lzc7tANkt75D30npJzhG7VvoNLJ3HI/s1600/0146_02887.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVQWc7rlBqOlyG046WG9Q-B9nHG7lhBJugI5e7amJaXXDRPJAEInqVmqeDDh_LVTYIMJPg9lauFBXLEorGEDDQLbhmQSNhwgIQFWv1s-yM_enq9Lzc7tANkt75D30npJzhG7VvoNLJ3HI/s320/0146_02887.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5722483058455180658" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjF3pfOd-t0i_oFild-ZMAe3WAT55VVf2OKzR_ofeijVfXM0lP1tbJra1RTThPtX7RRDOHCVCiN0xiHAzCYtLTHXhXkQ8ZIr5GDcKtcZPuB5Jw2F3ip-spLKU31SOgrIQKLdnbclbU7aE/s1600/0146_05844.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjF3pfOd-t0i_oFild-ZMAe3WAT55VVf2OKzR_ofeijVfXM0lP1tbJra1RTThPtX7RRDOHCVCiN0xiHAzCYtLTHXhXkQ8ZIr5GDcKtcZPuB5Jw2F3ip-spLKU31SOgrIQKLdnbclbU7aE/s320/0146_05844.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5722483880427291314" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtcMmKy5sAl5i2AmHRJcg-mQykS4c0FCuKjgeb3_4_gcMdsNHEqMWiAV5hxRgQdwYcGKPIsZo_g5Zkp6t6z0lgCEdHvyxyqX_iPHBfKtc9lp5ygi6S8DBrXD-ZHD4vBbSkj5Si9g6y_5o/s1600/0146_05835.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtcMmKy5sAl5i2AmHRJcg-mQykS4c0FCuKjgeb3_4_gcMdsNHEqMWiAV5hxRgQdwYcGKPIsZo_g5Zkp6t6z0lgCEdHvyxyqX_iPHBfKtc9lp5ygi6S8DBrXD-ZHD4vBbSkj5Si9g6y_5o/s320/0146_05835.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5722483293252237474" /></a><br /><br />Emotions got me a bit at the finish line during a brief interview. While I knew that I was ‘capable’ of this performance, there are so many unknowns and it just felt great to know that I had put it all together, with three solid segments today, to make this win a reality; while not letting that ‘pressure’ get to me of being the defending champion. I knew that the key was for me to ride strong and to see that I still had that run in me despite pushing harder on the bike so much reaffirms that I am doing the right things right now; in training, in my head and when I am executing out on the race course. I also acknowledged many times pre-race that this was a new day, and when we toe the line, it’s anyone’s game… history doesn’t care about today’s race. It’s all about who is the strongest on the day, and that is what makes it all so exciting. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirtu6JUhMoXZaM6xCVt56DiEYgYh-kPeHtrh_rDXMPbNynsZtN6ZaSIzpKvwxu8XHvqiagrrQqj6UfNbadfvUv-ssZjELhjD4P1-ih-bKnFS9Z0X8ZSNkr5hyphenhyphentz9VFSrKJw8dQxG3F0hA/s1600/0146_05836.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirtu6JUhMoXZaM6xCVt56DiEYgYh-kPeHtrh_rDXMPbNynsZtN6ZaSIzpKvwxu8XHvqiagrrQqj6UfNbadfvUv-ssZjELhjD4P1-ih-bKnFS9Z0X8ZSNkr5hyphenhyphentz9VFSrKJw8dQxG3F0hA/s320/0146_05836.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5722483503214485938" /></a><br /><br />I felt like this was only possible by the incredible support system I have, first and foremost my husband Derick who sees how hard I work day in day out when no one is looking and no one cares! The people of San Juan are so welcoming that it just makes you happy to be there; a huge thank you to the race organization and all the volunteers. Thanks to Arturo and Alejandro for all of their endless hard work to put together San Juan for the second year in a row; everyone should do this race. Thanks to my sponsors Memorial Hermann, Zoot, Quintana Roo, PowerBar, Reynolds, Recovery Pump, Jack & Adams, Road ID, ISM, Durata Training, Katalyst Multisport, Vision, Oakley, Giro, Hill Country Running, Go with the Flo Acupuncture, and Advanced Rehab. I’d also like to mention that this race fell on National MS Awareness Week as it did last year, and I am happy to be able to donate a portion of my winnings to the National MS Society in helping out this very important cause, as well as the organization ActiveMSers. If you or someone you know has MS or has recently been diagnosed, please check out www.activemsers.org as this is an incredible community of people living with MS and fighting to stay active and not let it get the best of them; they are doing great things. <br /><br />While I have Galveston 70.3 in just two weeks, I am going to try to let myself savor, enjoy and appreciate this victory. Life is so short and we never know what tomorrow will bring. I feel lucky to be able to get out there and compete; challenging myself and my limits each and every time. Until the next one, train safe and have fun. <br /><br />…..and Michelle Blessing, thanks for believing in me, even when I was just a flailing first year pro!Kelly H Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01819445022646176185noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839831654318179147.post-31371107770472919652012-02-14T13:52:00.000-08:002012-02-15T06:43:45.933-08:00Panama 70.3: The Final Mile!"Look at a stone cutter hammering away at his rock, perhaps a hundred times without so much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred-and-first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not the last blow that did it, but all that had gone before." <br />(Jacob A. Riis)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtUxbpBfRW2ELOKr11czNh7sqWMSDKVW6J4JeFhFOsj91SsMVG0TuJPKEC6sjYtO3k2HzhZgGiLIVD25ommhPhPniV8eOot53nzbKap_lP6dP1l8oqY_dx6jdBMRnQs0KjDFGQ44oUsLw/s1600/Kelly+Pro+Panel.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 290px; height: 276px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtUxbpBfRW2ELOKr11czNh7sqWMSDKVW6J4JeFhFOsj91SsMVG0TuJPKEC6sjYtO3k2HzhZgGiLIVD25ommhPhPniV8eOot53nzbKap_lP6dP1l8oqY_dx6jdBMRnQs0KjDFGQ44oUsLw/s320/Kelly+Pro+Panel.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709364812577727826" /></a> Photo by Finisher Pix<br /><br />This quote sits firmly planted at the bottom of the homepage of my website. I'm not a huge quote person, but sometimes people just put so perfectly into words how we feel and what we believe to be true. This one really speaks to me. I guess the way that I personalize this quote is that I've spent the past 10 years as a 'pro triathlete'. I use that term loosely, because many of the first 6 years I was just chipping endlessly at something; something I saw in my future but the results really didn't seem to reflect. The past few years all the hard work has come to fruition. We all have a story, and I guess you could say that mine all revolves around that 'never give up', 'believe in yourself' philosophy. <br /><br />The 2012 season kicked off early with Panama 70.3 this past weekend. It was set as the Latin American Championships (not really sure how what races get these titles?!) but moreso, it was an opportunity to go race early, hard, and 'big'. I knew that a solid field would assemble here and despite having to shake out the early season nerves, it would be a good chance to test the fitness, gain some fitness and hopefully bang out some much sought after points and of course prize money.<br /><br />We arrived Friday for the Sunday race. Not a lot of time to adapt, but it was only a few hour flight from Austin and a 1 hour time change. I also realized that it would likely be a big city (as was San Juan) so no need to arrive and have the delusional expectations that I would be able to train there. Best to arrive, sleep, prep and race. A slightly sad fact of the job, but unfortunately I go to some amazing places without really 'seeing' them. I don't mind it though, as I still consider myself lucky to get to say I have been to them, even if briefly!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMxlTvh-mifkcl-zF-6ruv5ItPVLe5bkI4Ii6A3wIEC9fvw6pGEFS1wwZFSAS8lVW9ecP7gQJF98tUL8R9Z7lD0sXsSEtSwORbdVRSh1m1eBoNZjl_ILjBMlRpB4OZ5tJqyt0bCzQ-ZGI/s1600/Press+Conf+with+Collins%2527%2521.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMxlTvh-mifkcl-zF-6ruv5ItPVLe5bkI4Ii6A3wIEC9fvw6pGEFS1wwZFSAS8lVW9ecP7gQJF98tUL8R9Z7lD0sXsSEtSwORbdVRSh1m1eBoNZjl_ILjBMlRpB4OZ5tJqyt0bCzQ-ZGI/s320/Press+Conf+with+Collins%2527%2521.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709365168428883490" /></a> Photo by Ramon Serrano<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHLGXNN-aSCZ76ZLabIFQ_TVvJ-oNDHGoEZmhKP3nR1JC2bjYeM_9JYSlZSaxNO1TWcuCe70znGWiNXS7Po8-0PNJ0QiBNR4bkwCO3VXaXGFfkd35pLXgFILdNuC5f9WTqcwiq7XfV8o0/s1600/Press+Conf+Girls.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHLGXNN-aSCZ76ZLabIFQ_TVvJ-oNDHGoEZmhKP3nR1JC2bjYeM_9JYSlZSaxNO1TWcuCe70znGWiNXS7Po8-0PNJ0QiBNR4bkwCO3VXaXGFfkd35pLXgFILdNuC5f9WTqcwiq7XfV8o0/s320/Press+Conf+Girls.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709365442170169618" /></a> Photo by Ramon Serrano<br /><br />Saturday was busy with a good sleep in, a nice 10-15 min swim in the hotel lap pool, a big breakfast and then the afternoon pro panel and meeting. Before I knew it it was 5PM and I was back in the room after a few hours in the heat, ready for a cold beer (the local being Balboa...a ritual I have! always relaxes me and allows me to remember that tomorrow is just another race), a good dinner and an early night to bed. Unfortunately once the TV turned off at about 9:30, my mind started going (damn nerves!) and it was at least 11:30 before I finally fell asleep. The 3AM wake up came far too early, but as we all know, it's the 2 nights before that really matters!<br /><br />The race kicked off Sunday morning about 20-30 minutes behind schedule, but it didn't bother me too much. You cannot let these things get to you on race day. We were off at about 7:15AM, swimming with the current of the Panama Canal. It was a fast swim and we settled into a nice little group. I found some good feet and along we went, nothing too exciting here, exiting the water in just over 20 minutes. After a quick transition, it was onto the (what I had heard) hilly and slightly challenging bike course.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid637bkkwEuHVj_STPFyLsksqX9qd27u9-IFqKlPQa2hiKFCSLmTqqmGnsSGMN3B7C7VeyqmTaJ_GPg_e0mFWN68CbnmIZ73r_RqrCH3R8LJVHJXRoTDKw3fvj7YjKDhZrlVK7E-mCqj4/s1600/Bike+1+Ramon+Serrano.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid637bkkwEuHVj_STPFyLsksqX9qd27u9-IFqKlPQa2hiKFCSLmTqqmGnsSGMN3B7C7VeyqmTaJ_GPg_e0mFWN68CbnmIZ73r_RqrCH3R8LJVHJXRoTDKw3fvj7YjKDhZrlVK7E-mCqj4/s320/Bike+1+Ramon+Serrano.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709365837757527058" /></a> Photo by Ramon Serrano<br /><br />The first 5-10 miles were intense! Many hills and fairly protected. I really enjoyed this part of it, as I love to climb. However as we proceeded, it got more and more open and likewise more and more windy. I had opted for my regular <a href="http://www.reynoldscycling.com">Reynolds</a> RZR 92's, which are a front and rear 92mm rim wheel. They are awesome, aero and fast! However, as I encountered some rolling hills and big winds, I realized that I was a bit in over my head. To me, the winds felt comparable to Kona the final 15-20 miles. Little did I know, some of the strongest guys out there had changed out their front wheels to a narrower rim race morning due to winds. I am glad I hadn't known that prior! I tried to just suck it up, deal with it and get through as best as I could. Needless to say, I was sitting up much of the bike course those final miles for fear of getting blown into the forests! I was passed by a few more women as the bike neared the end, but again tried to keep my head down, make the best of it, fuel and hydrate. I can't tell you how many times I said to myself "Don't give up. It's not over 'til it's over." In short, by the time the bike leg ended, I felt a bit beat up! I love the few people that have said to me "I love your strategy on the bike." Unfortunately, that was no strategy... I was going as hard as I could out there... that was all that was in the tank! :)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYX2dh7oWz8l9i7vYEtp1oaGEy1thDFQGvege55-AnPTtd2oCRBO_fIrEUinsFfxvE0XYd1PwQCMlO20TJDQ5ParD_MeU0P2aTlrtz0y-h-bhoY0HQGv0oPY4g8qb5QroO_HpvjnG_Ppw/s1600/Run+1+Ramon+Serrano.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYX2dh7oWz8l9i7vYEtp1oaGEy1thDFQGvege55-AnPTtd2oCRBO_fIrEUinsFfxvE0XYd1PwQCMlO20TJDQ5ParD_MeU0P2aTlrtz0y-h-bhoY0HQGv0oPY4g8qb5QroO_HpvjnG_Ppw/s320/Run+1+Ramon+Serrano.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709367582643885778" /></a> Photo by Ramon Serrano<br /><br />As I exited T2, I saw Derick and said "How far back?" I was fully expecting to hear 10 minutes. He told me 8, but later after the race, told me I was actually 10 back but he didn't want to tell me that! I put my head down and started moving. The first marker I saw was 3km. I didn't really check my watch (other than I saw it said 10:21am when I left transition) so I was not sure what kind of pace I was doing. It was a 2-loop run course, and after the first turnaround (about 3 miles), I realized it was a HOT DAY and I had better run smart and not run purely on emotion. I told myself on the rest of the first loop to dial back, run controlled, and try my best to run the second lap stronger as I knew there would be some implosions in this heat. I managed to catch a few women and work my way into 5th or so by the halfway point. As I started the second loop, I started not stomaching something...I guess you could say I was spitting up every few minutes. Not good. Upon some quick troubleshooting, I realized it was the water I was taking in. I had a gel flask of <a href="http://www.powerbar.com">PowerBar</a> green apple gels, and I was feeling that 'potential bonk' feel, so I knew I NEEDED the calories. On the final turnaround, I opted to stop taking in any water, only take my gel flask, and use the water and ice to just cool myself. It worked as the stomach calmed down. Here was where it got exciting.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigj5z9ywQZYYOfnvjGKKg1iWnjg6ubIRQJCJA2juc8eIy050U1io2E6jb_YLHD8CLp5Wq8XP4e0J5Nz-i6_8Vue70P_EXR9Safa0rVntVqkirIGj0OlecgeRDK9H5qtRUxcLMrv_P-nlg/s1600/Run+Good+Ramon+Serrano.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigj5z9ywQZYYOfnvjGKKg1iWnjg6ubIRQJCJA2juc8eIy050U1io2E6jb_YLHD8CLp5Wq8XP4e0J5Nz-i6_8Vue70P_EXR9Safa0rVntVqkirIGj0OlecgeRDK9H5qtRUxcLMrv_P-nlg/s320/Run+Good+Ramon+Serrano.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709367943234240482" /></a> Photo by Ramon Serrano<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbI6PTsASMTTWAYK6guJDZo8Jz_bdHeddh0pjRcOnf_ucfCeBSTHwy0eoHfITe_IWcdLCVBNq_mNU4PHTyiuFoN7-kd0DLvIC5lrEoaBssJAYsgNORS8LzRm0qGDQH0s6LCeyayAubMKg/s1600/Run+by+Liz.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 235px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbI6PTsASMTTWAYK6guJDZo8Jz_bdHeddh0pjRcOnf_ucfCeBSTHwy0eoHfITe_IWcdLCVBNq_mNU4PHTyiuFoN7-kd0DLvIC5lrEoaBssJAYsgNORS8LzRm0qGDQH0s6LCeyayAubMKg/s320/Run+by+Liz.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709368310338251762" /></a> Photo by Elizabeth Kreutz<br /><br />I think I had passed the 18k mark. I was fairly certain that 13.1 miles was 21km's. So, within 3km's to go, I had moved myself into 4th place. I knew this was a good spot, a podium would be nice, but all I could do was keep moving forward. The crowd support was AWESOME at this point! People were everywhere. I tried to ever so slightly put my foot on the gas and pick up the pace just a bit. Then, I saw Leanda up ahead...sweet, 3rd place. I managed to pass her and was happy to be on the podium. We started to draw closer to the stadium, and not entirely knowing the course (typical for me), I figured that the finish line must be there. Then, I see someone else up ahead; 2nd place woman, Margaret Shapiro who was having a stellar race. Damn! 2nd place up there?! Now I REALLY have to go hard! I decided to drop all I had left, as in, full on sprint. I passed Margie who was so sweet to say something to me (I think a nice 'good job Kelly' or something similar) and I entered the stadium, thinking "Where the hell is the finish". We were taken around the stadium and it was the absolute fastest pace I could hold. I finally saw the finish, a very welcome sight, and crossed in 2nd place, a 4:19, a bit wobbly, but a very happy camper. I had, without a shadow of a doubt, left it all on the course. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0-TFkqHjiCDMTR_5UvE3qltXyJIuDloIEnWy_a941dar7ikvXC5qmooQdH0x75rieBNKfm-nUBBJ-2JL-4vmxnRtQpTlTFQzGufr2CQgcyPnA3f68B549OXY_plz_1NZ5QuNhiumhE4A/s1600/Run+Finish.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0-TFkqHjiCDMTR_5UvE3qltXyJIuDloIEnWy_a941dar7ikvXC5qmooQdH0x75rieBNKfm-nUBBJ-2JL-4vmxnRtQpTlTFQzGufr2CQgcyPnA3f68B549OXY_plz_1NZ5QuNhiumhE4A/s320/Run+Finish.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709368648648797298" /></a><br /><br />After the finish I was whisked away for drug testing and got out of there at about 1:00. Derick and I went back to the hotel to shower and it was only then that I had a chance to look at the computer to see my time and splits. I was *shocked* at the 1:16.18 that I did on the run, flat out shocked! I knew I had run well but a 1:16?! It was so hot out there! But that said, in hindsight, I didn't feel like the heat really affected me too much. I am still in a bit of disbelief, but at the same time, I know that I have done the work (years of it) and I think that this is just, as stated in the quote above, the time that everything seems to be 'coming together'. That combined with the simple fact that I LOVE TO RACE. I actually like being down because it motivates me to work even harder out there. I seem to find a whole different gear and a tunnel vision mindset when I am in the heat of the battle out there. Good stuff. I could not be happier to have managed to kick off the season with this race, which turned out to be an incredible inaugural event. <br /><br />Many thanks to my amazing support team and your belief in me as an athlete, including Memorial Hermann, Zoot, PowerBar, Quintana Roo, Reynolds, Recovery Pump, Road ID, Vision, Durata Training, Katalyst Multisport, ISM, Jack & Adams, Oakley, Giro, Advanced Rehab, Hill Country Running, Go with the Flo Acupuncture, and Active MS'ers. Here's to an exciting 2012! <br /><br />Thanks for reading,<br />KellyKelly H Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01819445022646176185noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839831654318179147.post-16447952100262900302012-01-29T12:57:00.000-08:002012-01-30T12:09:48.679-08:00Racing in the Now<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUITefI31_VPjJg5S32-BWd4Tqp7rxxx41OIdAPb4CyL_2ein1nGmmnc2Q3KZSTjjqllIu-bdMhVjNye_CatN33sqQSOiTtUS3xY87jrj9K3-Ya4NOBjM_s9W7XLx0JngJaZbyDeMUCGE/s1600/3M+Half+Win+2012.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUITefI31_VPjJg5S32-BWd4Tqp7rxxx41OIdAPb4CyL_2ein1nGmmnc2Q3KZSTjjqllIu-bdMhVjNye_CatN33sqQSOiTtUS3xY87jrj9K3-Ya4NOBjM_s9W7XLx0JngJaZbyDeMUCGE/s320/3M+Half+Win+2012.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703161333475794146" /></a><br />~photo by Kelly West, Austin American Statesman~<br /><br />To put it simply, I feel like this race removed a huge monkey off my back. I raced the 3M Half Marathon here in Austin, notoriously known as a 'fast half' but my past experiences (2007 & 2008) only recall a very painful half that ate me up and spit me out by mile 10. It is a gradual downhill race, point to point, so a net loss in elevation, but they actually threw a few ups into the course this year for good measure. Personally, I much prefer this to all flat or too much down as it just pounds your legs to a pulp. I have run countless 1:17-1:18 half marathons, and a few of those were off the bike no less. While my overall 'time goal' deeply seeded in my head was fairly fast, I just wanted to firmly break through that 1:17 barrier that seemed to haunt me for the past few years.<br /><br />I viewed this race as a good way to start my (early) season, try to see what I could do for a half marathon, and gain some good fitness. I also wanted to just shake out the nerves a bit. With Panama 70.3 in just 2 weeks, it's a rather high-profile race, and while this is not 'small', it is small(er) scale and simply by virtue of it being a running race vs. triathlon, I feel like I can carry a bit less pressure into it. That said, I did give myself 2 very light days of training so that my legs would feel a little snappy on race day. I have plenty of time to slog through 4-5 hr bike rides this season, so I spared myself of this the Saturday before race day. Just a nice swim, a few plays with the dog and a few hours spent watching a movie, lounging on the couch. I have to say, it was a rather pleasant way to spend a Saturday! Somewhat like a "normal" person! Another nice thing about racing, it allows us to REST a bit...a novel concept!<br /><br />My plan was to try to keep the pace between 5:40s and 5:50s, nothing too much more ambitious, at least the first 6 miles. I started off with a woman who I have immense respect for, Chris Kimbrough, one of the best masters runners in the country. Chris and I rolled through 3 miles in about 5:40 pace at which point she said "woah" and I took note. A little fast, but not too far out of the range and I was feeling good, so I tried to dial back slightly but still roll with it. There was a woman up ahead a bit, but I wanted to race my race today...not worry about placing, unless a win presented itself. That said, she was like a little carrot up ahead which kept me wanting to run a bit faster. <br /><br />I was able to move into the lead by about mile 6 or 7, and I simply tried to hold my pace. I was looking at my watch but just as a gauge, trying not to get too wrapped up in each mile split precisely. When I hit mile 7, the mental game kicked in a bit. I told myself, "Only 6 miles. You've done 6 miles of tempo within your long runs the past 3 weeks, on tired legs, this is nothing. Keep it rolling." It really helps to try to keep your race in perspective, especially when it gets tough. I took it one mile at a time, and I came through 8, then 9, and finally 10, when I told myself "Just a 5k. You've done tons of these the past few months. You love 5k's". <br />(self-fulfilling prophecy here!)<br /><br />I also peeked at my watch and saw something like 57:05 at this point. Quick math told me that a 20 min 5k would give me a 1:17, and an 18 min 5k would give me 1:15. Those both sounded very doable. I then thought "Hell, maybe I can run a 1:13-high?"<br /><br />And this is where the mental game became even tougher. There is a point in a race when, it's not so much how badly it hurts or turning off the pain, but on the flip side, you're having a great day; better than expected; maybe what you had hoped as 'best case scenario' is actually happening. It's really easy in this situation to get ahead of yourself, get excited, see some stellar finish and suddenly the body begins to tie up. I've had it happen many times. So I forced myself to pull away from that vision, back to the moment, and said "Keep on pace. It's not over 'til it's over. One mile at a time. 3 strong miles. Control right now." I had to keep myself IN THE MOMENT and this is something I have learned can be so tough to do; it is essentially not letting your emotions take over, but focusing on the here and now.<br /><br />Thankfully, the miles came along and the body held up. 11, finally 12, and YES as I love to say "The Final Mile!" Here, you lay it out. It's all you have left in the tank. Unfortunately, they gave us a short uphill to lay it out on... however given all the downs, I was alright with this. It was time to grit my teeth and just go!<br /><br />The finish was a welcome sight, and it is hard to describe how ecstatic I was to see that a 1:14 would happen...I pushed forward, and let myself enjoy it. Pumped my fists a bit, smiled on the outside but smiled even bigger inside. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqst0OAw14sEPdRqqKhsevw1X1lO4IIBDvzfMqgO7zNi8kyvW1aIRwQI4wtRQmw0rD9vcdaMRNtb4B7s6SWLdWoiSo34VAFPWGWB9WkUuJ2LalOGFTqoikVdp8UbRRmO42kB6uCKGKnRI/s1600/3M+Half+Win+2012+smiling.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 169px; height: 255px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqst0OAw14sEPdRqqKhsevw1X1lO4IIBDvzfMqgO7zNi8kyvW1aIRwQI4wtRQmw0rD9vcdaMRNtb4B7s6SWLdWoiSo34VAFPWGWB9WkUuJ2LalOGFTqoikVdp8UbRRmO42kB6uCKGKnRI/s320/3M+Half+Win+2012+smiling.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703516493787453474" /></a><br />~photo by Kelly West, Austin American Statesman~<br /><br />Unfortunately I didn't have Derick to share it with, as he was off in South Carolina playing "Good Uncle" to his new niece Avery...and I was playing "Bad Runner Aunt"! But the end result was luckily worth the missed trip, and I'll hopefully make up for it by working a visit into my Rev 3 Knoxville trip. <br /><br />I am extremely happy with the result, but I also know that it's a long season and this is just the start. I know that nothing comes easy in sport, so I'll take this, savor it, hold my head high and be proud of the result, but also re-focus for the next one in just 2 weeks. Short of making it sound like I don't enjoy the moment (as I feel I am pretty good at that!), I believe that past results can propel us forward but we still have to MAKE things happen in the future. Seems these days everyone is getting faster. I'm just doing my best to keep up!<br /><br />A huge thanks to my amazing sponsors: Memorial Hermann, Zoot Sports, PowerBar, Quintana Roo, Recovery Pump, Reynolds, Katalyst Multisport, Jack & Adams, Road ID, Vision, ISM, Durata Training, Oakley, Giro, Hill Country Running, Advanced Rehab, and Go with the Flo Acupuncture. It's a great way to start off 2012 and I look forward to what the year holds.<br /><br />Thanks so much for stopping by. And if you raced 3M, congrats, and take your recovery from this one as serious as you took your race. It's a doozy on the legs!Kelly H Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01819445022646176185noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839831654318179147.post-26513827934231701392012-01-05T15:24:00.000-08:002012-01-05T16:19:37.080-08:00The 5K Off-SeasonEveryone seems to have their own take on the 'right' way to approach the off-season. If you ask 3 different people, you'll no doubt get 3 different answers. I have been racing since 2002 so seeing that it's now 2012, that is a lot of off-seasons I've been through. I like to approach it similar to how I approach nutrition. Listen to your body, be smart, have a conscience, and everything in moderation even moderation itself. Which leads me to my next point, I am not terribly good at sitting around on my ass for 2 weeks and literally doing NO training. I just cannot do it. I am too antsy, and I do this stuff because I really love it. I'll get moody and irritable and not nice to be around, just ask my husband! I have always enjoyed 4-6 weeks of doing something most days, not too much, but whatever my body tells me that it needs on the day. That is often a bit of a sleep in, a light swim of a maximal of 2-3k, and if there is a second workout it is something along the lines of a 1-hr trainer spin (accompanied by the Real Housewives or Patty the Matchmaker or something else intellectually stimulating), or a 30-40 min run. I may also head to the gym a bit for some core strength stuff. I don't go too crazy with drinking beer or wine or eating 'bad for you foods' (which I don't really believe in anyway) because those are things that I never deprive myself of, even in heavy training cycles. But, I may enjoy a 2nd one knowing that the alarm will not sound at 5AM. <br /><br />When this past December rolled around, I was about 1-2 weeks out from having done my last of three Ironmans in 2011. That is a pretty hefty year for me, but I also dialed back racing in general from August on. The only racing I did in September, October and November was Ironman Hawaii and Ironman Arizona...no 70.3's (my first love). I felt good and ready for Ironman Arizona, but I was also fully ready to enjoy some downtime. In short, I was ready for the off-season but did not feel like I had totally buried myself. <br /><br />I have always loved doing 5k's when triathlon training is not bogging down my weekends. They are cheap, they're over before you know it and you can throw yourself deep into the hurt locker knowing that even if you hit a wall, the end is not far off. It's a different crowd (all runners, some young kids who always jockey for the starting line position, many people who dress up, and those amazing 70-80 year olds). Given that I took a week entirely off (well, mostly entirely off) after Arizona and did very little the 2nd week, I was feeling antsy to jump into the Austin 5K scene for the month of December. Thus began my Off Season 5K Quest. <span style="font-style:italic;">(As a side note, I really wanted to go sub-17 but by a hefty margin, on really no training specifically for a 5k!)<br /></span><br /><br />The first one was the good old Jingle Bell 5k up at The Domain. I of course dragged Derick into this quest, which he went along with begrudgingly. We awoke Sunday morning December 4 to the sound of cold rain. Yes, you could tell it was cold by the sound. We headed up there and jogged around a bit in the cold rain with all the other crazies and off we went. Santa started us. I was in a sports bra and shorts, but one guy was even crazier than I, in just shorts. The course is nice and fairly fast with few turns. I managed a 17:12 in this one, and Derick managed a win as well, and we walked away with $200 in Rudy's BBQ gift cards. Well worth the early wake up and the cold rainy run, especially since we enjoyed a big breakfast for all of our effort at Galaxy Cafe and hot coffee post-race. Total running time that day was maybe 45 minutes at most. We'll let you all know when we have a BBQ catered party with a keg of beer. <br /><br />Next up was the following weekend, December 10, the St. Judes Jingle Bell 5k in New Braunfels. Again, it was cold yet dry for this one but seemingly colder and windier. There was a huge turnout and I was ready to attack it, it was a sub-17 day! There was a clock at the start, counting down to race start time, and for some reason with about 2 minutes to go suddenly we heard a gun. So, we went. Like a flock of sheep, we ran out oddly enough in the direction opposite the cones. Seemed strange to me, but I went with it. After about 100 meters, we hit a dead end and all turned 'right'. After another maybe 300 meters, a truck turned around so we all did too. At this point I was laughing at the absurdity of it but of course thinking "Damnit! So much for my PR!" Then, I figured what the hey... just run hard. Out we went, down the road, through the neighborhood, and back to the finish. I clocked a middle mile, just for the hell of it, and saw a 5:20. Well, if that's correct, that's good! Finished up at 17:09 on this one, not sure if it was accurate or not, but...a little faster. Again total run time maybe 40 minutes today. It was cold, and the car was very warm. (As a side note, the Badass Award went to the man who pushed his walker the entire 5k!)<br /><br />Final chance was the Reindeer 5k on December 18, which was also the day we'd start our drive to Indiana. What better way to kick off 17 hours in the car than with a 5k? Derick bought into it! This one was at Camp Mabry, and upon warming up, seemed to be a bit hilly. It was a smallish race, but it seemed fairly well organized. I spoke with a guy at the start who was pushing his son which he had done at the Austin Marathon twice, running a 3:15-3:20 both times. I also met a guy post-race who had lost his leg 5 years prior in a cycling accident; he ran with a prosthetic an incredible 18:15 today, and he looked so smooth running. Very inspiring. The gun sounded and off we went, out and around Camp Mabry. Derick was running this with two high school kids he coaches and Derick being Mr. Controlled at the start of every race was trying to get them to start out no faster than 5:20-5:30 pace. I was just ahead of them and came through Mile 1 at about a 5:32 or so. Eek, gotta go. I immediately picked it up and encountered a few hills the next 1.5 miles. The finish put us onto a dirt path which was kind of fun for a change, and I saw 16:05 or 16:10 when I hit the 3 mile mark. Oooh! That's good! I tried to drop all I had in me the final .1 and crossed in 16:45, YESSSS!! That's what I was going for!! Victory. :) The morning was made even more perfect when we hit Taco Deli before the drive started and not only got tacos and coffee for us but of course bacon for the dog. One big happy clan in the family truckster as we drove North. <br /><br />So, what's the point of this blog? Really not a lot, but I do think there is a good message here. For me, 'the 5k off-season' is something I look forward to. It's nothing I have ever done on purpose, but I look back and realize that often in December, I find myself often hopping into these things. IF it is something that SOUNDS FUN to you (that is of utmost importance during your down time!), I think it's a great thing to do as a compliment to all of the long, grinding training we do all year round. It is over quickly, it's a nice change of pace and environment, and it fulfills your need to 'still do something' without needing to run too long. It definitely prevents me from doing too much at this time of year. And to top it all off, I believe that they can make you a much faster runner. The kind of pain you can put yourself into in a 5k is very different from that of any triathlon. I have wondered a few times if it's a problem that I like 5k's this much and I am training for a 9-hour event, but...for simplicity sake...let's just not go there. <br /><br />Thanks for stopping by. Now go sign yourself up for a 5k this weekend, just for the hell of it, and embrace the pain! It is over before you know it!Kelly H Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01819445022646176185noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839831654318179147.post-49178328142898563132011-12-07T17:43:00.000-08:002011-12-07T19:25:23.666-08:002011 Season Recap<span style="font-weight:bold;">~Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it’s the courage to continue that counts~</span> (Winston Churchill)<br /><br />I love the simplicity and truth of this quote. Reflecting on 2011, my thoughts seem to be divided between the many highs and a few lows. I feel fortunate that my lows were not terribly low; they may have been in my book, but we are always our own biggest critic. I raced a lot, I trained strong, consistently and healthy and I grew immensely as an athlete, especially at the Ironman distance. I have a lot to be thankful for and at the same time, I like to take the month of December to think about what went well, where I can be better and how I can learn from the past 12 months as the upcoming season approaches. In doing so, I wanted to do a quick re-cap of 2011; it allows me to focus on the positives but also bring some ‘closure’ the year and prepare to move forward. I like to try to always focus on what is ahead; the past is how we learn and grow, but the future is what we have control over. <br /><br />JANUARY & FEBRUARY: Houston Half Marathon (US National Champs) was my goal race at the end of the month. Prep for this was a brief 3 weeks, and while I tried to eek out as much as I could from my run training in this short time frame, it resulted in a 1:16.59, not quite as fast as I had hoped for, but a PR and good for 19th overall among some of the world’s best runners. I truly enjoyed this race, especially running among the very ‘elite’, and felt honored to be there. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtqqpLx0QBfEsCs38O0joILbphAvu6gNUnBBSATD3g0H1obosr8adrwCiv9bQhB8aXI1ajSDnFdf3v45PQixG8j0R5q-GoHO0PHGp5V4e7i4TMgTJwFjIiiFXj-7ZBmyZQt1QLshgxFAw/s1600/Houston+Run+by+Lon.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 248px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtqqpLx0QBfEsCs38O0joILbphAvu6gNUnBBSATD3g0H1obosr8adrwCiv9bQhB8aXI1ajSDnFdf3v45PQixG8j0R5q-GoHO0PHGp5V4e7i4TMgTJwFjIiiFXj-7ZBmyZQt1QLshgxFAw/s320/Houston+Run+by+Lon.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683568458880986594" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIwvyaiKdPTPH8FCqChTdbZXvhKtphFuJHZ5n4mkJe4frETktMeUdCPD9Aa9UzBWNyZHrV3kZBwQkMzCQL1rw9ikmCGumfctkksI1SzuLk45ThCPR-BCtD0rG_lNimBlg-T1S3paV_15o/s1600/Kelly+Done+%2526+Happy.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 235px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIwvyaiKdPTPH8FCqChTdbZXvhKtphFuJHZ5n4mkJe4frETktMeUdCPD9Aa9UzBWNyZHrV3kZBwQkMzCQL1rw9ikmCGumfctkksI1SzuLk45ThCPR-BCtD0rG_lNimBlg-T1S3paV_15o/s320/Kelly+Done+%2526+Happy.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683568645878017218" /></a><br /> <br />In February, I hit up the Rev 3 Costa Rica Olympic distance race. It fun to see a new part of the world, enjoy a laid back atmosphere, yet also get to line up against a good competitive women’s field. I was pleasantly surprised at my early season speed, up front out of the swim, taking the lead at the start of the bike and holding it through the end, finishing 1st in a 2:10. <br /><br />MARCH & APRIL: I decided to continue my Central American ‘tour’ and head to the inaugural San Juan 70.3 in mid-March. Despite feeling fairly flat through about 30 miles on the bike, I decided to dig deep and push the final half, at which point the legs seemed to come alive. I started the run in fifth or sixth and by about the halfway mark of the run, I gained the lead and didn’t look back. I was able to secure my third 70.3 career victory here in a 4:15, a solid 4 minutes ahead of 2nd place; a great way to kick off the season! <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigfs2aRj5ooWjtJ8q79jo-o3E1I9SikrS0vd3FB1XFXmKp-BjGSHUw0zYGjlDRUnw_gtYe-Vq1bKFPLV6ZF9-tXBnXyp1fslBOfMcBNBBwSS5VUXK1BETsZ7CbuT2xJeTXwqXkg7iYU3A/s1600/Banner+Good+Pic.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigfs2aRj5ooWjtJ8q79jo-o3E1I9SikrS0vd3FB1XFXmKp-BjGSHUw0zYGjlDRUnw_gtYe-Vq1bKFPLV6ZF9-tXBnXyp1fslBOfMcBNBBwSS5VUXK1BETsZ7CbuT2xJeTXwqXkg7iYU3A/s320/Banner+Good+Pic.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683569007292122786" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHwZs84U6pMtuI13Elmjl8FT0CckaW0fKDgP-dqc60LHaDTFDe_SYDDUW2XHONJ_ywDVB956X8yYYsYA5CE6SZvokaOuYq_5ExsmAukqqqaPk77TjFoiIW0pyhr3ygD6SYM558oVe1bsY/s1600/Bike+%2526+Sky.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 212px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHwZs84U6pMtuI13Elmjl8FT0CckaW0fKDgP-dqc60LHaDTFDe_SYDDUW2XHONJ_ywDVB956X8yYYsYA5CE6SZvokaOuYq_5ExsmAukqqqaPk77TjFoiIW0pyhr3ygD6SYM558oVe1bsY/s320/Bike+%2526+Sky.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683589573863639826" /></a><br /><br />Later March, I headed out to Oceanside for California 70.3, and I would attempt my first ever ‘back to back’ 70.3 races on consecutive weekends. I absolutely love this course as it always draws a top notch field and is an honest, hilly, challenging course. I wound up 5th (4:29) with the 2nd fastest swim and run times. I then headed just south of Austin for Lonestar 70.3, the US 70.3 Pro Championships, the following weekend. I was 5th (4:14) here as well, with a solid swim, lackluster bike but a stellar run which moved me right back into the action. I was just 14-seconds shy of 4th place and the Top American slot, so despite being a bit bummed that I missed out on that, I was very pleased with a come from behind run to solidify a solid result. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD2-2W-ScSIEuqLz5vjb9q3JETi0M9Gp16wF9J2YO3_8R7ARCTHBZ1LRmQeCFzN1eqLF6fJby3RgEKvZwjm73_5IqsymkFSYdFrtenp_ME_F9h8bzh0s4z1-6TKmAag7AtZYio34-S9Ug/s1600/Swim+Exit+by+FLM.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD2-2W-ScSIEuqLz5vjb9q3JETi0M9Gp16wF9J2YO3_8R7ARCTHBZ1LRmQeCFzN1eqLF6fJby3RgEKvZwjm73_5IqsymkFSYdFrtenp_ME_F9h8bzh0s4z1-6TKmAag7AtZYio34-S9Ug/s320/Swim+Exit+by+FLM.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683589139114317378" /></a><br /> <br />MAY & JUNE: May was the big one that I had been focused on for all of 2011 at that point, Ironman Texas. It was right in my backyard (3 hours south) and I felt excited, relaxed and confident. The end result for me was huge, as I exited the swim 1st, came off the bike in 9th and ran myself into 2nd with a 3:04 run and an overall PR by 29 minutes of 9:07. I was not surprised by the place, as I knew I was capable of finishing near the top, but I was pleasantly impressed with my overall time. I took some much earned downtime and came back in mid-June to one of my absolute favorite events (as I have done it 5 times!), Buffalo Springs 70.3, and notched 1st place there with a 4:26, a good 8 minutes ahead of 2nd place. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy2D_xEI15EqbAMJt0X3eWUVluhlOdYA9fECU5ilxa0kaO-QWTlYsE2tuF4MOfudhHySjykyOkRCAyu7Fj9nnIBA596Jegp8IajEzSpjjYHmMe5QK174oxXbtOtCz_kkqWVfi3-zwVv4k/s1600/Finishing+by+Amit.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 196px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy2D_xEI15EqbAMJt0X3eWUVluhlOdYA9fECU5ilxa0kaO-QWTlYsE2tuF4MOfudhHySjykyOkRCAyu7Fj9nnIBA596Jegp8IajEzSpjjYHmMe5QK174oxXbtOtCz_kkqWVfi3-zwVv4k/s320/Finishing+by+Amit.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683589884717589154" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvBFArm1ZP6GErdJ1jQryu9ik-z0jzMhXzLQgzMXi72d9f9g4VCmtSHaIPvUTtd6o0Mi_TCmRDn8Va9FG2qCFNno9tIuyljZshqyrwijMKO1pTUEPyTPcNUGx_NOzSbEQUg_88MZfJ_20/s1600/BSLT+Win.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvBFArm1ZP6GErdJ1jQryu9ik-z0jzMhXzLQgzMXi72d9f9g4VCmtSHaIPvUTtd6o0Mi_TCmRDn8Va9FG2qCFNno9tIuyljZshqyrwijMKO1pTUEPyTPcNUGx_NOzSbEQUg_88MZfJ_20/s320/BSLT+Win.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683590037932993538" /></a><br /><br />JULY, AUG & SEPT: I headed to my home state of Indiana in mid-July (2 weeks after Buffalo Springs) to race Muncie 70.3, which also happened to be my first half ironman back in 2004! Needless to say I was a little bit faster than 7 years ago, taking 2nd in a 4:12. July saw my husband Derick and I head out to Colorado to host a 5 day triathlon camp, followed then by a 5 week training stint in Salida, one of our favorite places nestled up at 7,000 ft. I raced Boulder 70.3 in the middle of this trip and in the middle of my Ironman Hawaii training block, but felt incredible, taking 2nd in another solid 4:12. As you all know, I opted to skip Vegas 70.3 in favor of focusing on Kona, so September was just a month of training here in Austin. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBq7xvnTiwQPg47PLUJAn_hy-15x_F_FkWIcZg52Nl-t8rIqeZZ59TnDoDHKkEU8oZ1sWUWKuLlbyg9MuIZAxaw89pMd9wZEhK5iUWBOQMcB4CL9L6BPFklTnM5x__P6zEkPT3X9yz5JE/s1600/Cori%252C+Kelly%252C+Robin+post+race.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBq7xvnTiwQPg47PLUJAn_hy-15x_F_FkWIcZg52Nl-t8rIqeZZ59TnDoDHKkEU8oZ1sWUWKuLlbyg9MuIZAxaw89pMd9wZEhK5iUWBOQMcB4CL9L6BPFklTnM5x__P6zEkPT3X9yz5JE/s320/Cori%252C+Kelly%252C+Robin+post+race.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683590489500080338" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBCOyvsvKXvJhCynz4guo1heUUCzxIOFScbkEF-fw7huGyGGPlva95zmD1jfMZC-7F3wy25Pum3ZHNe9FHAFyFOWVQFSADnR3De5JpurpgeTdHzEyNwCbJMGOakWi9-e43J_QQskfCf1I/s1600/Run+Good+Pic+by+LB.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBCOyvsvKXvJhCynz4guo1heUUCzxIOFScbkEF-fw7huGyGGPlva95zmD1jfMZC-7F3wy25Pum3ZHNe9FHAFyFOWVQFSADnR3De5JpurpgeTdHzEyNwCbJMGOakWi9-e43J_QQskfCf1I/s320/Run+Good+Pic+by+LB.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683590787438282306" /></a><br /> <br />OCTOBER & NOVEMBER: Kona finally arrived, and we headed out there a week early to get situated. I felt great going into it, I had focused on my weakness’ (which to me, compared to 2010, every discipline needed to be faster!) and I was relaxed and jumping out of my skin to race. I exited the swim in a :55, which was 2 minutes faster than the previous year. I seemed to struggle to find a groove on the bike, and gave up about 2 minutes from the previous year; but I stuck with it and ran a PR 3:03 marathon to move myself up to 13th in a 9:29, a good 7 minutes faster than in 2010. I set very high standards for myself, all of which I set based on what I truly believe I can do, and this was not where I wanted to finish; that said, there were many positives to come from the day and in the big picture, I still consider myself a bit of a novice at the Ironman distance! There is so much to learn and Ironman Hawaii can really throw it all at you. The fire is fueled and the lessons are taken to heart to be better in 2012. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi8z-C67OeAdwxm3l3Y5qzRdT1ZTFvVj_SgVRxsSl2tT5XIQf3R4yL1azpj4PBbQpuYqQS_pZ_2VARMDXSybJ3HHS3S3NO8dZ77GzBSdjpxmVazpy8oaRq3UpQVbnBiGNEZHvKf9BM36M/s1600/Zoot+Signing+with+Claudia.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 238px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi8z-C67OeAdwxm3l3Y5qzRdT1ZTFvVj_SgVRxsSl2tT5XIQf3R4yL1azpj4PBbQpuYqQS_pZ_2VARMDXSybJ3HHS3S3NO8dZ77GzBSdjpxmVazpy8oaRq3UpQVbnBiGNEZHvKf9BM36M/s320/Zoot+Signing+with+Claudia.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683591326210950098" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVV0fnpY9NswPbb_bDFkieprIsEt-SCehtkrW8LsCjWawYkPnFdRwS45ZdTJPSjXkR0w0Gi6z3FLmSZe9UjuBqPQ35HJQTsP-XPTvtpamX8t8xPgK8bZ3ab9Ixra8QdNZFroyKKqkcqS8/s1600/Kel%252C+D+and+Mike+L+2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVV0fnpY9NswPbb_bDFkieprIsEt-SCehtkrW8LsCjWawYkPnFdRwS45ZdTJPSjXkR0w0Gi6z3FLmSZe9UjuBqPQ35HJQTsP-XPTvtpamX8t8xPgK8bZ3ab9Ixra8QdNZFroyKKqkcqS8/s320/Kel%252C+D+and+Mike+L+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683591591702625266" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcMDfu5WtO78MzKjWqp1D91uIxbWTOS3cx1MN4P79iDV4raaH8aiitQ6KOKf6f1f37FyRgtL5QCdD0mUk_zRJcKNgWJXdhfYRbi4rmBpBzGPibsCRPqb6_dECG2h4GEEYFYtebHfJE5Zc/s1600/Kelly+%2526+Mom+at+dinner.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcMDfu5WtO78MzKjWqp1D91uIxbWTOS3cx1MN4P79iDV4raaH8aiitQ6KOKf6f1f37FyRgtL5QCdD0mUk_zRJcKNgWJXdhfYRbi4rmBpBzGPibsCRPqb6_dECG2h4GEEYFYtebHfJE5Zc/s320/Kelly+%2526+Mom+at+dinner.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683591793950213010" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4l1V8hvNXYVCEMc7zutpHLldzpYpvaL4QXNT0TTMCgXRsdSR-v1c0QV95Benc9m4dUiE2WLbbhtZJx1PQKig_yIzvdZJWIEKBHO9b9y6pWV2d-of23-Cfiq8CpelwkOTtAmhPp5stl1w/s1600/Bike+by+Reynolds+front.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4l1V8hvNXYVCEMc7zutpHLldzpYpvaL4QXNT0TTMCgXRsdSR-v1c0QV95Benc9m4dUiE2WLbbhtZJx1PQKig_yIzvdZJWIEKBHO9b9y6pWV2d-of23-Cfiq8CpelwkOTtAmhPp5stl1w/s320/Bike+by+Reynolds+front.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683591966201118114" /></a><br /><br />I closed the season by heading to Ironman Arizona, which I decided upon after Kona. I felt strong and like I had better in me…I have had an insatiable appetite for competing this year, and my body has been recovering up well. Physically and mentally, I wanted to do one more race. I did many strong 3 hr rides in the short interim period, with the goal of biking well in AZ. The day started solid, with a 51 swim (2nd) and a 5:03 bike, which felt incredible (through mile 90). I believe that we have to take risk sometimes, even in Ironman. I started the run strong, with ground to make up, and struggled with some stomach issues; that said, I hate making excuses and in hind-sight, I feel I may have ‘overpaced’ it to start; no fault but my own. On a day when I was forced to make a few stops and walk a bit, I still managed a 3:11 run, and a 9:12 overall for 6th place. While I had hoped and envisioned a better result, I can step back and realize a few things from Ironman Arizona and my entire season…<br /><br />• My PR Ironman time dropped from 9:36 in 2010 to 9:07 in 2011<br />• My Ironman bike dropped from a 5:22 to a 5:03, my run from a 3:11 to a 3:03<br />• I was 2x 70.3 Champion (San Juan & Buffalo Springs) & 2x 2nd place 70.3 (Muncie & Boulder)<br />• I ran a PR in the half marathon (1:16.59) and a 5k (16:48, which was 3 weeks post-Kona)<br />• I have now done 5 Ironman races, and I am a far more experienced Ironman athlete than<br />I was one year ago <br />• I proved to myself in Arizona that I CAN BIKE WELL; I came back from a disappointing bike in Kona and I put to rest the doubts I had about my cycling<br /><br />I have always been one to see the bigger picture. I got my pro card in 2002. I have now raced everything from ITU to Ironman. I wake up each morning and I love what I do; I look forward to the anxiety of “can I hit this workout?” and I struggle to take full downtime in the off season because it makes me happy to ‘train’; it is just part of who I am. I’ve been told by a few people along the way that I would never be a good Ironman athlete, because I cannot ride well enough. I don’t do things to spite people, but I love when the card are stacked against me because it takes a hell of a lot for me to give up. I don’t really buy into race predictions and previews, because I believe on any given day, it’s anyone’s race to win (or for that matter, to lose). We choose our own path and I believe the mind plays a crucial role in the outcome. <br /><br />So here’s to another stellar year in 2012; I don’t know what it will bring, but rest assured I’ll be giving it everything, just as I have the past 10 years. <br />Thank you for your continued support ~ Aim High my friends! <br /> <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDQKGWftLZUI1ALKCUq-ZpS7gd54n2ZxJHjdXSuonTJ0Z9DRSPsMfo8c3CWF2xOLcphSwPIef5RK7vMgkmpTsMq2Bw_Matu0tCMyuu67XJJv8T4VGfoZ1AUm_Ppk2umiV3V8mmUkbQNc0/s1600/Mom+and+Laura.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDQKGWftLZUI1ALKCUq-ZpS7gd54n2ZxJHjdXSuonTJ0Z9DRSPsMfo8c3CWF2xOLcphSwPIef5RK7vMgkmpTsMq2Bw_Matu0tCMyuu67XJJv8T4VGfoZ1AUm_Ppk2umiV3V8mmUkbQNc0/s320/Mom+and+Laura.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683592249251782338" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkHh2v8xxXCnbxLeM0lLM1tehqYCb0wEArCvh9NLnYxr0W_khR7QOzxjsyQZKBul_q62svGmi1u-PtfO8pkLc8vZdVU0UVwdAMh9BC4TVgUKYje05tNACU5l90FPYX3Xn8ZiP4guAM86Q/s1600/Kelly%252C+Leanda%252C+Erin.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkHh2v8xxXCnbxLeM0lLM1tehqYCb0wEArCvh9NLnYxr0W_khR7QOzxjsyQZKBul_q62svGmi1u-PtfO8pkLc8vZdVU0UVwdAMh9BC4TVgUKYje05tNACU5l90FPYX3Xn8ZiP4guAM86Q/s320/Kelly%252C+Leanda%252C+Erin.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683592362878734642" /></a>Kelly H Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01819445022646176185noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839831654318179147.post-47698746925309409002011-12-02T07:16:00.000-08:002011-12-02T08:12:51.272-08:00Merrywood Elementary "Career Day"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0EjESeBOmB3QU4uZOhsCw8qZqyBW1ea5YFxiKriVoJ93tGuZvKobPiG22TDuVpeRyNYmVm0jggMYqjgGL3srioqjiX0JQN5XvTmv939G3g7N8ctBULTJqKWEN6G4szxGa8Fe5sLlB-Jg/s1600/Kelly+2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 212px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0EjESeBOmB3QU4uZOhsCw8qZqyBW1ea5YFxiKriVoJ93tGuZvKobPiG22TDuVpeRyNYmVm0jggMYqjgGL3srioqjiX0JQN5XvTmv939G3g7N8ctBULTJqKWEN6G4szxGa8Fe5sLlB-Jg/s320/Kelly+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681563334818146626" /></a><br /><br />Over our Thanksgiving trip to South Carolina, Derick and I had the privilege of speaking to a group of 5th graders at Merrywood Elementary in Greenwood, South Caorlina. This is where Derick spent the first 18 years of his life (in Greenwood, not Merrywood...) =) His mom Donna (my mother-in-law) is currently the school guidance counselor there, and she was able to set this up fairly last minute. Unfortunately I didn't have my bike with me, as that would have surely been a captivating item for show and tell, but I did have my aero helmet and a few photos which we were able to put up on the 'smart board' (I guess this is the modern day chalkboard!). <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTxLIrR8h3SzP_Xn93_E_JtboM3VHN-mw0kafseKA4LOnnsp-hN5SuoaKNN2BoRzeredcKhyhyphenhyphen-Gt0I_6-k_qyV0XpARYHXeBqoR8B4AXt4s42FKBASGHccLCE0nxYGqQ515fVl73afPw/s1600/Kelly+1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 212px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTxLIrR8h3SzP_Xn93_E_JtboM3VHN-mw0kafseKA4LOnnsp-hN5SuoaKNN2BoRzeredcKhyhyphenhyphen-Gt0I_6-k_qyV0XpARYHXeBqoR8B4AXt4s42FKBASGHccLCE0nxYGqQ515fVl73afPw/s320/Kelly+1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681553641592490706" /></a><br /><br />We spoke with 2 classes each with about 30-40 kids in it, each for about 30 minutes. I talked first about what it was like to be a professional triathlete, how I got to where I am and how many years it has taken me to get there. Then Derick spoke on his education and how being a runner helped him get to college, and how his running really pushed him to his graduate degree and also current job of coaching and having his own business. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5xq2yJlF7MCeo6vNMcEUDb9UypblxXTaOyPB8_X_CC08cXDNJ98RaD4gnLmw0cmbTigpskjogQduIiwxF8-uJzqsl7oshyphenhyphen5SLiGRyO4EZ7gWXAgOvWaIKYfvNxAAvuGysCBw6PiPfjXc/s1600/Derick+2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 212px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5xq2yJlF7MCeo6vNMcEUDb9UypblxXTaOyPB8_X_CC08cXDNJ98RaD4gnLmw0cmbTigpskjogQduIiwxF8-uJzqsl7oshyphenhyphen5SLiGRyO4EZ7gWXAgOvWaIKYfvNxAAvuGysCBw6PiPfjXc/s320/Derick+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681554310627380946" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbqtF7bGumi0DlS_xEFhG26O6OPKoht2v93JFT_QdUe_BfC7DY5F3uelZJ1iYPjcNBA-1kwLgYPqHGay8o9-sK7uZNffg09H5sVg5u3ml_Ab0tCHKZxP2DcxozHC7dExRHaBAcD2tWpd8/s1600/K+Helmet+Why+its+Pointy.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 212px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbqtF7bGumi0DlS_xEFhG26O6OPKoht2v93JFT_QdUe_BfC7DY5F3uelZJ1iYPjcNBA-1kwLgYPqHGay8o9-sK7uZNffg09H5sVg5u3ml_Ab0tCHKZxP2DcxozHC7dExRHaBAcD2tWpd8/s320/K+Helmet+Why+its+Pointy.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681560781573647170" /></a><br /><br />Amazingly enough the time went very quickly, and we both were able to allow a few questions during each of our talks. I loved the comment when the slideshow started that went something like "Hahaha...she isn't wearing any pants in that picture!" Some of the Top Questions included:<br /><br />"Why is the helmet pointy at the end?"<br />"How many races have you won?"<br />"Do you have sponsors?"<br />"Where have you traveled to do races?"<br />"What do you do each day?"<br />"Do you run on a track?"<br />"How fast do you go on your bike?"<br />"Who's faster, you or her?" (to Derick)<br /><br />I have to hand it to these kiddos...they had very good questions! One little guy even knew the exact distances of an Ironman! When I told them that riding 112 miles was like riding your bike to Greenville and back, that got a lot of "ooohhs" and "wows". They were so attentive, even when we talked about the boring stuff like 'even when you don't want to get up and do a workout, you have to, much like how you don't want to do your homework sometimes... because in the big picture, it is what you have to do to get to where you want to be.' My favorite part of chatting with them was when they called me "Miss Kelly." So cute. <br /><br />I have to say that we both really enjoyed this, and it is something I would love to do more of. If you or someone you know would like to have us speak to your students, please feel free to contact me. It's something that I have not initiated enough, but especially in the off-season when time is more available, it is an excellent thing to do. These kids were like sponges; and even if this planted a small seed in their head (about dedication, sports/being active, hard work, goal setting, etc) then it was very much time well spent! <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDbWCpjsTwTpkOeuFLW9h4r5iqkQNOzpFdO0CZTcowKfJ1sSTJsyKzBHjrZba2H-hjkjynR7tjHB3xKzLV0dQbzpa2bwG66mJnftI_Y2avtSCjjt11ABo2UGzqJv7kc1F7Il1OVHY_pJA/s1600/Derick+Pointing.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 212px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDbWCpjsTwTpkOeuFLW9h4r5iqkQNOzpFdO0CZTcowKfJ1sSTJsyKzBHjrZba2H-hjkjynR7tjHB3xKzLV0dQbzpa2bwG66mJnftI_Y2avtSCjjt11ABo2UGzqJv7kc1F7Il1OVHY_pJA/s320/Derick+Pointing.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681563515990743778" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpBcAMgGpnipGgBKZSf3awHO5auG9Pf-21by6VSOWnGGgiqwbeHzr7BtFNXvGVi-D53AYrJd_bCristIlvVUoNv3664tApzxwxAvkPQ0zRK-tMeIXjGSN7yP2nsdAYPgthrKsebR3GV8M/s1600/Kelly+3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 212px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpBcAMgGpnipGgBKZSf3awHO5auG9Pf-21by6VSOWnGGgiqwbeHzr7BtFNXvGVi-D53AYrJd_bCristIlvVUoNv3664tApzxwxAvkPQ0zRK-tMeIXjGSN7yP2nsdAYPgthrKsebR3GV8M/s320/Kelly+3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681563782765312306" /></a>Kelly H Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01819445022646176185noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839831654318179147.post-41792631740273850602011-11-25T07:35:00.000-08:002011-11-25T08:15:44.786-08:00Ironman Arizona 2011<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQGdQytSB003tKAUJqxQ8nj7V7Tga5nlkRepWyuIETaOQ9CcamXM7z2oCJQSgKh__-fh0fuQ2Vm6MDPlBTQbq_rOBa4TUI2ijisQZxujZmHvx2Yivy3XPwnbqBzXczgn0osrAPPy7Njuk/s1600/Kelly+%2526+Mom+at+dinner.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQGdQytSB003tKAUJqxQ8nj7V7Tga5nlkRepWyuIETaOQ9CcamXM7z2oCJQSgKh__-fh0fuQ2Vm6MDPlBTQbq_rOBa4TUI2ijisQZxujZmHvx2Yivy3XPwnbqBzXczgn0osrAPPy7Njuk/s320/Kelly+%2526+Mom+at+dinner.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678960048797947410" /></a><br /><br />It’s sometimes the toughest to create a race story around an event when your end result is in that ‘gray zone’… it wasn’t the stellar race you had envisioned, yet on the flip side nothing went catastrophically wrong and made it an all out failure. You’re left with a mixed bag of emotions, walking away taking a few positives and a few lessons learned. This is how my Ironman Arizona race panned out. That said, knowing that it came at the tail end of a rather long season, I am trying to really focus on the positives as I look forward to embracing my off-season. <br /><br />I went into Ironman Arizona feeling great. I had taken solid recovery from Kona, put in a few quality weeks of training in Austin, and felt like my body has absorbed the fitness from October yet also gotten a small bump in fitness from one short final training cycle (notably cycling, as I focused on a number of outside rides in the 60-mile/3 hr range during this time frame). Just as with Kona, I can honestly say that approaching Arizona, everything felt good; there was nothing as I joke that I could have ‘used as my bad race excuse’ going into it. Most important was my mental state; I was genuinely excited to toe the line. This was probably the biggest surprise to me, as I often hit November and all I want to do is think about some downtime. I have to attribute this to likely having not had the race I had anticipated in Kona; I felt like I had ‘unfinished business’ and I was chomping at the bit to get to it. <br /><br />The days leading up to the race were filled with the arrival of family (my parents, my husband Derick and a good friend from Austin who surprised me at dinner the night before the race!) along with a few race commitments. I did an autograph signing on Thursday and met numerous first time Ironman racers, which is always great to see; and crazy to remember that I was in their shoes just 18 months prior! I also enjoyed a Slowtwitch gathering put on by Tribe Multisport, an awesome tri shop in Scottsdale, and meet many of the local triathletes from the Tempe/Phoenix/Scottsdale area as well as meet numerous others racing on Sunday. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_bOpVcXY6o56OIZHXGpZmull6rVo-YXmsoPRBkb224gskMH8UIP4O9BdmO0tQozT6bGIQqcU5gTgD7h5ObZcUnmyGjO9GDwon4gFcBlY1-QsrWJFAyjCzCWpLcxXn1Y5ocjf-a-wGATM/s1600/Kel+%2526+Laura+dinner+surprise.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_bOpVcXY6o56OIZHXGpZmull6rVo-YXmsoPRBkb224gskMH8UIP4O9BdmO0tQozT6bGIQqcU5gTgD7h5ObZcUnmyGjO9GDwon4gFcBlY1-QsrWJFAyjCzCWpLcxXn1Y5ocjf-a-wGATM/s320/Kel+%2526+Laura+dinner+surprise.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678959855310405202" /></a><br /><br />Sunday was the usual up bright and early for the 6:50AM start. It was a cool morning, but a short 5-minute warmup jog and I felt great, making the call to forego any clothing on the bike. I knew the sun would come out and figured that it would end up being an amazing weather day for a race (which it was). I worked my way into my Zoot Prophet full wetsuit (water was at about 61F) at about 6:20 and began to make my way towards the swim start. It was not my favorite kind of swim start, as they would send off the pro men and women together (I still don’t quite understand the rationale behind this, given that we are not competing against one another?) but I figured no sense in worrying about it. We hopped into Tempe Town Lake at about 6:40 and made our way towards the start line. <br /><br />The gun sounded and we were off. Despite it still being quite dark, I was able to see the yellow buoys fairly well and I seemed to find a nice rhythm within about 15 minutes. The turn came quicker than I had expected, and a group of about 3 of us were swimming together. I knew Meredith Kessler was next to me and I was not sure who else was there, but we pushed on and I ended up leading the small but nicely arranged (read: no fighting) pack until the final red turn buoy to the finish. I’m not sure why, but it felt like forever coming back home! I noticed something for the first time in a race was that my hands feeling were swollen near the end of the swim. Again, I noticed it but as we closed in on the finish, I quickly forgot about it as we had a serious flight of stairs to climb upon exiting. I made it up and headed towards T1 with Meredith, patting her on the back, as she’d had a great swim and I am always happy to compete alongside Meredith; a true class-act professional. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg41Ho3MQK65CA2dAANmeJi73h0d7Sa12b2x37SZX7eMZ5yEOdPwseVkwJxEzGKbcPIl5QqPuzjk3ub2n1To7vR-b6V0OonPeRPsF9_Jz-lZhGjsAcOqTozkRIX6X4W1251srwfVcuzNjk/s1600/Cycling+IM+AZ.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg41Ho3MQK65CA2dAANmeJi73h0d7Sa12b2x37SZX7eMZ5yEOdPwseVkwJxEzGKbcPIl5QqPuzjk3ub2n1To7vR-b6V0OonPeRPsF9_Jz-lZhGjsAcOqTozkRIX6X4W1251srwfVcuzNjk/s320/Cycling+IM+AZ.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678959761006450834" /></a><br /><br />Heading out on the bike, I realized that Meredith, myself and Leanda were just about 2-3 minutes behind stellar swimmer Amanda Stevens. Meredith pulled ahead out of T1 and I settled into my rhythm aboard my pink camo QR CD0.1. I had opted for my Reynolds RZR 92 wheels, which ended up being absolutely perfect for this course and its conditions. We had a 3-loop bike ahead and I was ready to tackle it with all I had. Since Kona, I had put in a fair number of strong longer (~3 hr) rides. I knew that I did not feel quite like myself in Kona on the bike, and I tried to address that in the short time I had between these two races. I knew that to be at the top of a quality field like this at the finish, I could not afford to ride too conservatively; in short, I was going to roll the dice on the bike; ride a bit more risky than I had in the past, take care of myself nutritionally, and hope that my run was there as it usually is. I figured that I didn’t have much to lose and I was hungry for a top finish here in Arizona. No risk, no reward, right? <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTGT1oDRYS_jCPJiqIz20v23eD8qIhaufcEmEJuPSKqUv0-Hk16pf5m6cZlG69OXJ4NQU_7_vWY1vmZqe0qnY7b8S2l0LRxx0BJsgZKFSGBDTGMjXWVO4adQfhj-8jwvhCrrDDEzzvm0w/s1600/Bike+by+Reynolds+front.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTGT1oDRYS_jCPJiqIz20v23eD8qIhaufcEmEJuPSKqUv0-Hk16pf5m6cZlG69OXJ4NQU_7_vWY1vmZqe0qnY7b8S2l0LRxx0BJsgZKFSGBDTGMjXWVO4adQfhj-8jwvhCrrDDEzzvm0w/s320/Bike+by+Reynolds+front.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678959637010515938" /></a><br /><br />This plan was working spectacularly through almost exactly 90 miles. A few things happened at this point. I was out of nutrition. How did that happen? I pride myself on nailing my nutrition (thanks to ~15 PowerBar gels and Perform drink) yet I had already blown through 2100 calories on the bike. I had taken 2000 in past races on the bike (and about 100 in transition from swim to bike) and it had worked fine. Suffice to say, it would appear that I am an eating machine when I race. When I found myself out of my 14 gels and 2 bottles of drink, I had no choice but to take a gel from an aid station. Options were chocolate or vanilla (which is precisely why I always stock my own, certain flavors work, others don’t). I had to take one and the one I grabbed was chocolate. I got about half of it down and kept moving along. Unfortunately the stomach went a bit south, but so did my power on the bike. I knew I had taken a ton of calories and I could feel some stomach distress, so I tried to carry on those final 15 or so miles on little calories to hopefully let the stomach calm down. This is when having a power meter is a very bad thing… the numbers were so discouraging! But telling…I knew I had cracked a bit and I was anxious to get off the bike. <br /><br />Into T2, I tried to just focus on the task at hand… running… which I was excited to do. While I had been doing a good bit of cycling going into Arizona, my run legs had also been feeling pretty great and this was my favorite part of the race! I just knew it would be good (or so I thought). I was out of there in my Zoot Kapilani’s, visor, Oakley’s and my 2 gel flasks (8 gels total). <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh97HcMr7CVZxGxKKnEwj2NO0NvfLGGzw7QfuxYB-8QHeZzUzKcRGycTEgtNc_rlW8Gn5F1DuoKh6bhh5AjWrRSo51qX6uzIOnyjJxNlTEX08yJ_RoXgweoFjfCJKvu_lv5onmLP6rRkQI/s1600/Running+on+Gravel+OK.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh97HcMr7CVZxGxKKnEwj2NO0NvfLGGzw7QfuxYB-8QHeZzUzKcRGycTEgtNc_rlW8Gn5F1DuoKh6bhh5AjWrRSo51qX6uzIOnyjJxNlTEX08yJ_RoXgweoFjfCJKvu_lv5onmLP6rRkQI/s320/Running+on+Gravel+OK.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678966552604194914" /></a><br /><br />As with the bike, I attacked it. I left transition quickly but tried to settle into a rhythm within a mile or so. I was not checking my pace too much, as I just wanted to run by feel; focus on taking one mile at a time, and try to tick time off of those ahead. The first loop (8-9 miles) was fairly smooth, gels were going down, and I had finished 4 of them by mile 12. At this point, things started to get a bit foggy. I recall my stomach feeling full and I did something I’ve never done in a race and ducked into a bathroom. After a fairly unsuccessful trip, I exited and tried to keep on running. Every time I took a hit of my gel flask, my stomach turned sour again. What?! This doesn’t happen to me! (which goes to show, even if it hasn’t, it can…) Miles 13-18 were again very foggy. I walked briefly, visited the bathroom again (to little reprieve) and just kept moving forward. I ended up with another first, which was resorting to taking Coke. The thing about Coke is, while it may settle alright, the amount of calories from a sip out of a cup is not as much as I’d be getting from my gels. The body was just not cooperating. Herein came the mental battle. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtAWTHp0FGXOXzQMMJ283CYj6gIGZPv_vDxjG0iray0XseEYk9J1ceLBTFEtJ3oZSZ0wAf7By3xEwg2Q8iJ_LiMplmkaAj0WahL2gZ-72Tc9tt7gk-GD6FlZr7wRMbHw-9vDqVKLfRPy8/s1600/Running+by+Aaron.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtAWTHp0FGXOXzQMMJ283CYj6gIGZPv_vDxjG0iray0XseEYk9J1ceLBTFEtJ3oZSZ0wAf7By3xEwg2Q8iJ_LiMplmkaAj0WahL2gZ-72Tc9tt7gk-GD6FlZr7wRMbHw-9vDqVKLfRPy8/s320/Running+by+Aaron.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678960107588024786" /></a><br /><br />I knew I had swum fast (51? 52?). I knew I had biked in or around the 5 hour mark, a huge success for me. I was on pace for an amazing race, a PR and the hopes of a race at or under the 9 hour mark. I knew this was possible; I knew I had the fitness for it. But there comes a point in a race when, if your body begins to shut down, you have a choice to make. You either pull the plug, or you gather every ounce you have and you push forward, knowing the result will not be what you wanted; knowing that despite giving it all you have, you’ll cross the line; it may not be a time or a result you were seeking, you had planned for and you KNOW you were ready for, but you’ll be damned if you quit. I, of course, chose the latter. I always have full confidence in my run, but today, it was not happening, no matter what I did or how badly I wanted it to. <br /><br />I pushed on and miles 22-25 could not come soon enough. I had been moving between 6th and 7th, thanks to the bathroom stops. At mile 25, I decided I was not giving up 6th place and pushed with everything I had for the final mile. I didn’t look back, and I crossed in 9:12, overall 6th place, with a marathon of 3:11. Needless to say, I was pretty toasted by the time it was all said and done. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh98V87R3eo6aKGBLnfOg5QujDLmeAufHL3avTPf9sdBusRXE8y8wHcT5Dac1Yb2WNGduO4rizHJy7qX_3mqRbX_UTxdzQB31IQYcv5qrKfXKBQhAkTaDCar6pfxWGhQUR9hk-hohj7gDw/s1600/Kelly+%2526+Amanda+post.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh98V87R3eo6aKGBLnfOg5QujDLmeAufHL3avTPf9sdBusRXE8y8wHcT5Dac1Yb2WNGduO4rizHJy7qX_3mqRbX_UTxdzQB31IQYcv5qrKfXKBQhAkTaDCar6pfxWGhQUR9hk-hohj7gDw/s320/Kelly+%2526+Amanda+post.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678959975774678978" /></a><br /><br />Upon a few days of reflection, I have come to the realization that I believe I ran with too much emotion and may have cost myself a solid run time and a few spots up the podium. My first 9 miles were run at an average of 6:34 pace (approximately, according to the Ironmanlive split). The first 2.2 miles were at 6:18 pace. That is simply too damn fast. In hindsight, I can acknowledge this… at the time, I had biked with a bit of extra aggressiveness, knowing I had little to lose; in short, I was willing to take a gamble on the bike. I am glad I did and it was a great ride for me. That said, it was not smart on my part to try to also take a gamble on the run and bomb out of the gate. Had I of run this as I did at Ironman Texas and said “It is 3 loops. Run controlled on the first one and build as you go,” the end result may have been different…I say MAY because I am not one to make excuses and place blame on anything. I can just look back and realize that I was not running smart in the start of the marathon, and I do not think I gave it the respect it deserved. Huge, huge lesson learned on my part. I am glad that after a few days of stepping back, I can see this perspective and learn from my mistake. In Kona, I nailed the swim and run but lacked the bike strength; in Arizona, I nailed the swim and bike and crumbled on the run. I guess you could say I am still figuring out this whole Ironman thing! (Thankfully this year, there was Ironman Texas...!) <br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyBslkMPhd3l9ccxsfOgYA1eRGhSL1Y_JKfvnoHJ3eUfLI5KKPfuUTbChvYPkyUV9YcmCGHHWO3h2Xyaz7eWhjh4ecShxSAVw4MmD2ag0wGIN3lfwZJPxBK-UxMropKtgGrt1YfvTNvo8/s1600/Mom+and+Laura.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyBslkMPhd3l9ccxsfOgYA1eRGhSL1Y_JKfvnoHJ3eUfLI5KKPfuUTbChvYPkyUV9YcmCGHHWO3h2Xyaz7eWhjh4ecShxSAVw4MmD2ag0wGIN3lfwZJPxBK-UxMropKtgGrt1YfvTNvo8/s320/Mom+and+Laura.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678960204670325042" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzostLG1udhrW9Fqj5frJNkDrAvY3yoZBxMjRq5Ofb1LrQxnRszCM7ZktDhjskHCK1IlqwLcCljmbFQjcCCk-Rtgg28dKuWsCF8Hjj-0SxBLSSA-fcLbsQkJY9qLNFdAHuflaBswOaQ6E/s1600/Alyssa+and+Bryn+at+race+cute.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzostLG1udhrW9Fqj5frJNkDrAvY3yoZBxMjRq5Ofb1LrQxnRszCM7ZktDhjskHCK1IlqwLcCljmbFQjcCCk-Rtgg28dKuWsCF8Hjj-0SxBLSSA-fcLbsQkJY9qLNFdAHuflaBswOaQ6E/s320/Alyssa+and+Bryn+at+race+cute.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678960339544519106" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXj2Mrk2s9QxRlcXRqSu_OzqL-adIAGzJnpJWK-_TSWy_MSh5X8G9QdGKSdDkbsPJTEYjoFqhVT0jx2reC3x8hv-AdHmq7TkIjpkiT6OQpHi2T234B4AIqPFNl6x-mwZjvww0aNXhja20/s1600/Steve+and+Kids+at+race.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXj2Mrk2s9QxRlcXRqSu_OzqL-adIAGzJnpJWK-_TSWy_MSh5X8G9QdGKSdDkbsPJTEYjoFqhVT0jx2reC3x8hv-AdHmq7TkIjpkiT6OQpHi2T234B4AIqPFNl6x-mwZjvww0aNXhja20/s320/Steve+and+Kids+at+race.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678967647218775522" /></a><br /><br />And so ends the 2011 season. It obviously did not end on quite the high note I had hoped for, but I can also step back and realize that compared to one year ago right now, I am a far better athlete and I have learned so much in the past 12 months. I am thankful for the great races and moments and can appreciate the rough ones as they allow me to become a better athlete. Ironman Arizona was a great event, one that I may be back for in the future. It made it all the better to have so many good friends and family there to support. While I may feel a bit down about the end result, I can hold my head high knowing that I finished on a day when things were not going according to plan; and I knew the result I was capable of was slipping through my fingers. I have said it before and I’ll continue to say it, the days like this when challenges crop up (especially in an Ironman) are the days that we grow ten-fold as an athlete and likewise as a person. A huge thank you to my sponsors for their support all season long: Zoot, Quintana Roo, PowerBar, Reynolds, Recovery Pump, ISM, Road ID, Oakley, Durata Training, Katalyst Multisport, Jack & Adams, Xcis, Hill Country Running, Go with the Flo, and Advanced Rehabilitation. It’s been a good 2011 – Cheers to some R&R and coming back even stronger in 2012. Thanks for reading, and see you next year! <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhujXuCgAU9DLCDRZK7VElPa5TROYma5KfFTn_Y0qg8vLLNTLaMrGdwIobMqjnHeA4CDnc4pyjT4W3_E8PP3Q2fDqhKNRKAS40zr6dTIAd3P69Ohcb4NNE5Vhl75ZeCUcPtcU05ubGtCMI/s1600/Kelly+with+Bike+Pre+Race.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhujXuCgAU9DLCDRZK7VElPa5TROYma5KfFTn_Y0qg8vLLNTLaMrGdwIobMqjnHeA4CDnc4pyjT4W3_E8PP3Q2fDqhKNRKAS40zr6dTIAd3P69Ohcb4NNE5Vhl75ZeCUcPtcU05ubGtCMI/s320/Kelly+with+Bike+Pre+Race.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678960275978837170" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCPqXDoTc4qLVrhHIwqVMMB0V8hIMPQJOyZ3fLxk2vqLr43MExOXPaahf7M85LTt7DPWviYkPDq9YGPB4O89NhSOTFmmQMSBKBE8zW3-wW4nGvnQuYYOrHR4Zpua5PtYefHDgf-_Nu6Lg/s1600/Tempe+Sunset.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCPqXDoTc4qLVrhHIwqVMMB0V8hIMPQJOyZ3fLxk2vqLr43MExOXPaahf7M85LTt7DPWviYkPDq9YGPB4O89NhSOTFmmQMSBKBE8zW3-wW4nGvnQuYYOrHR4Zpua5PtYefHDgf-_Nu6Lg/s320/Tempe+Sunset.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678967498564013634" /></a>Kelly H Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01819445022646176185noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839831654318179147.post-76829984646181944872011-10-11T19:35:00.000-07:002011-10-11T20:28:40.523-07:00IM Hawaii 2011 - Perspective Is Everything<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGSDrmxc3ENe2OjLzWt6jDmN_LPgyObhnDO0PYue0lcgqNnW45NAky1E3HRacnKnWQp2qW-dGGprAwWREv_cqFkojg1fSqjwIGVSdXX-GyqMPsP4qlNclatmaOBt1H_jjXeKwbs8iPtmA/s1600/Zoot+Signing+with+Claudia.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 238px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGSDrmxc3ENe2OjLzWt6jDmN_LPgyObhnDO0PYue0lcgqNnW45NAky1E3HRacnKnWQp2qW-dGGprAwWREv_cqFkojg1fSqjwIGVSdXX-GyqMPsP4qlNclatmaOBt1H_jjXeKwbs8iPtmA/s320/Zoot+Signing+with+Claudia.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662437752278406754" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5fw1ccoGk9ktzKPajVEKvzdTzRx3V2qsx-wQoCQlsJt9HUlVmjS0MvLduIeoGIc668MabnVvLLKYb33KZyvdGNwYGQPAu8gyGAS_BR-ytucxQcFeiJK6yTIsWN8RK7R9WtCidUJLgvJw/s1600/Kelly%252C+Ian%252C+Paul+Hang+Loose.jpeg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5fw1ccoGk9ktzKPajVEKvzdTzRx3V2qsx-wQoCQlsJt9HUlVmjS0MvLduIeoGIc668MabnVvLLKYb33KZyvdGNwYGQPAu8gyGAS_BR-ytucxQcFeiJK6yTIsWN8RK7R9WtCidUJLgvJw/s320/Kelly%252C+Ian%252C+Paul+Hang+Loose.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662435160208849794" /></a><br /><br /><br />Part of the beauty and mystery of sport is that we can prepare perfectly, we can do everything right, but come race day, absolutely nothing is guaranteed and even less is going to be given to you. I am the last person to ever expect it to ‘be so easy’, but this year's race was emotionally a bit of a doozy. While I had not put all of my eggs into the Kona basket (so to speak), this was a huge focus for me the entire season. If we are talking eggs, I’d say I put 80% of them into this basket. I passed up Vegas 70.3 so that my preparation for this would be optimal. I knew I had raced early in the season, so I opted to train a bit more and pull back the racing throttle going into Kona to be ready and focused to toe the line, knowing I had put in the big training I needed. Unfortunately, the end result was not what I had hoped for, nor what I had expected. But, in hindsight, I would not have changed a thing and I am immensely proud of the fact that I gave it every ounce I had until I crossed the finish line.<br /><br />Before I get into the nitty gritty of the day, I want to give a huge thank you to those who have supported me this year...Zoot Sports, Powerbar, Quintana Roo, Reynolds, Recovery Pump, Road ID, ISM Saddles, Katalyst Multisport, Jack & Adams, Durata Training, Oakley, Xcis, Hill Country Running, Advanced Rehab, Go with the Flo, and 3 Cosas; and to my family, friends and so many supporters who have followed my journey. Your support means more to me than you’ll ever realize.<br /><br />I went into this event believing that a Top 5 finish was entirely possible. On paper, most would say I was crazy. Probably 8 or 10 women on paper would have beat me from the start. I guess you could say, I am not one to believe predictions and what ‘should happen’. I like to moreso believe that anything really is possible, given adequate, focused and logical preparations and a never-say-die mindset. A genuine calm confidence in oneself can elicit great things. I knew that I had to swim much faster than last year’s dismal 57+ minute swim. I started off right next to Rachel Joyce, who seems to seriously fly under the radar yet is a stellar athlete. I learned the day before that she had the fastest women’s swim split last year (doing my homework!). She had put 5 minutes into me in 2010; while I did lose her feet and I was unable to bridge the gap, I managed a 55-minute swim, about 2 minutes faster than last year. Unfortunately I was pulling along a huge group in a challenging ocean swim. I had a feeling that was what was going on behind me, but what can you do? I sure as hell wasn’t slowing down! I felt good about what ended up being the 5th fastest swim, so a decent start to the day.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8YWknU1MjiQGY2APOnhuFjXwWtfPx7n7KJF5XH7lTH0uv8XOhnrfbvhV_if9ZSGLASRpaMMaO0DF_-bwIxaJxHgj_oR4CSuGelWoHgjqAynIFh8eBCis5X1Sju8RVklc58ydowZvbQBI/s1600/Biking+Closeup+by+Reynolds.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 230px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8YWknU1MjiQGY2APOnhuFjXwWtfPx7n7KJF5XH7lTH0uv8XOhnrfbvhV_if9ZSGLASRpaMMaO0DF_-bwIxaJxHgj_oR4CSuGelWoHgjqAynIFh8eBCis5X1Sju8RVklc58ydowZvbQBI/s320/Biking+Closeup+by+Reynolds.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662440218396304354" /></a><br /><br />Onto the bike, I had a small mishap in T1 as my Giro Aeon helmet strap came loose. (I opted for a non-aero helmet given the conditions…I definitely could have used the extra few minutes, however I knew that cooling would be important on this fairly steamy day.) Luckily I was able to fix it quickly and only lose a minute or so, but it goes to show you how you really need to maintain composure in those situations. I was soon off and onto my awesome ‘vehicle’, my QR pink camo CD0.1 with my Reynolds 92/46 RZR combo, and ISM Breakaway saddle. Despite a kickass bike set-up and having felt great going into this race, here is where the days struggles began.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmpDiCvUlenpTf4G_I3do0AbWzDh2v3fOzBW5ECI5hwXuwBUr8XXfvW9N-HPz6GMiYEG2ECgtNKP9fJU3lHx3_ZkICgsoK17KnUplkTu-DffUrJVzXi6BMMPaPw_gAXOhxpDWZdolhqEk/s1600/Bike+Out+QR.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmpDiCvUlenpTf4G_I3do0AbWzDh2v3fOzBW5ECI5hwXuwBUr8XXfvW9N-HPz6GMiYEG2ECgtNKP9fJU3lHx3_ZkICgsoK17KnUplkTu-DffUrJVzXi6BMMPaPw_gAXOhxpDWZdolhqEk/s320/Bike+Out+QR.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662433633970515394" /></a><br /><br />Long story short, I just never felt strong on the bike. My legs felt like they were working very hard from the start, yet I figured that I would settle in and find that rhythm that I have had so many times this year, both in races and in training. But, it just never came. I felt very in control despite some ripping winds out near Hawi, even on the turnaround (stable and comfortable in the crosswinds), and I had hoped that once I turned back on the Queen K I would get a tailwind. No go there; it felt like an unrelenting headwind, non-stop, the entire last 30 miles. I kept eating, drinking, hoping I may find one more gear; but it just never came.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV9FuSHYS5vuFcMRuJno_UMG4_VvlhzdGEFxfk6PkzLcA6WvZQ20ku5HJTIqzyyJ_BkS-PEkXGCf9L7V3sPPhfoOhpRH3_OLDGm-K9Bagrn2Z-W3uf_t2UwJbnlETnEax60Uq9CLqhJKM/s1600/Biking+Up+Palani.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV9FuSHYS5vuFcMRuJno_UMG4_VvlhzdGEFxfk6PkzLcA6WvZQ20ku5HJTIqzyyJ_BkS-PEkXGCf9L7V3sPPhfoOhpRH3_OLDGm-K9Bagrn2Z-W3uf_t2UwJbnlETnEax60Uq9CLqhJKM/s320/Biking+Up+Palani.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662440860101467746" /></a><br /><br />As I neared the end of the bike, I tried to let off the gas (or let off the little bit of gas I was giving it) and relax the legs a bit for the run to come. This is Ironman, and a lot can happen those final 3 hours. I knew a few women ahead of me would likely stay there, but I also knew that I had the capability to run some down. I exited and headed out for my final 26 miles of the race; hoping that I could actually get back up where the action was. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj12l3jeVy2U_DXp5qOkmatCqaQEx_KcYBPnC07kVKJ5JOfUXmHYMZCJp8Q5CJ1dJQpzv7RO2Yee5Az6qqRI3PhZELTCl3wEGUBb_xle2gJ-d2JgppL3iVwX2b-GP2WkaAzovC5tgR8r0s/s1600/Running+on+Ali%2527i.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj12l3jeVy2U_DXp5qOkmatCqaQEx_KcYBPnC07kVKJ5JOfUXmHYMZCJp8Q5CJ1dJQpzv7RO2Yee5Az6qqRI3PhZELTCl3wEGUBb_xle2gJ-d2JgppL3iVwX2b-GP2WkaAzovC5tgR8r0s/s320/Running+on+Ali%2527i.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662439576787861458" /></a><br /><br />I cruised through the first few miles and I saw some splits in the 6:25-6:30 range. I knew that this was a bit quick, but my thinking was this…you have a hell of a lot of ground to make up, so screw pacing. You cannot afford to dial this back. Run strong, push your pace and try to run sub-3 hours; otherwise you have no chance of getting anywhere near the front end of this race or even the Top 10. So I did just that. I was able to pick people off one by one, starting about 10 miles into the race, once we neared Palani Hill. Some dude was running with me for a few miles, so close that he was elbowing me despite having an entire shoulder of the road. Really?! We are not Dave Scott & Mark Allen, sir, nor are we racing one another. Back off. Simmer. I kindly told him to give me some space and he told me he ‘wanted some draft’. Really?! Who SAYS that? Anyhoo, I tried to track some of my mile splits, but I finally just told myself to run by feel and run as strong as you know you can. Sometimes when we know that the race is not going as we hope and we know we’re not running for a win (or for the end result we had envisioned), this is the best approach; otherwise, it is easy to get too ‘heady’ about it all; maybe wanting to throw in the towel if we see the pace slip. I would check a split here and there, and it was not until about mile 20 or 21 where I really started to feel some strong fatigue; much like I had felt out there on the bike. I didn’t worry or panic, but I was told that I was 2 minutes to the next girl with about 2 miles to go. I knew it would be hard to close that gap, but it forced me to drop my pace as best as I could and really drop whatever hammer was left in me. I ended up finishing in 9:29, just 40 seconds out of 12th place, closing with a 3:03 marathon. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXJHheaS1IbNUfupzG8p0sz4SZBltT7J9yvV8SxEtzMNADrNwItGMrEmVJTkpbGzgjD9Q6Zn-f-5bqe8fqc7tfD-25wYwyBxT_BTAA16h8DmbLywPNSFctdFUGhum-TAcIFixPV5H4xnE/s1600/Mile+110+by+Reynolds.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXJHheaS1IbNUfupzG8p0sz4SZBltT7J9yvV8SxEtzMNADrNwItGMrEmVJTkpbGzgjD9Q6Zn-f-5bqe8fqc7tfD-25wYwyBxT_BTAA16h8DmbLywPNSFctdFUGhum-TAcIFixPV5H4xnE/s320/Mile+110+by+Reynolds.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662442054275071762" /></a><br /><br />The finish kind of took me by surprise. I actually thought I was closer to a Top 10 finish, if not within the Top 10. As I ran down Ali'i Drive, I just gave it all I had. I knew I was not running for a win; far from it. I knew that the Top 5 goal I had was well out of reach. But I was here, I was still competing and I had too much pride to ease up just because I was out of contention for a top finish. I wanted to post a good fast run split and know that I had left it all out there; this was the World Championships after all. I owed it to myself, to my family, to my friends, to my sponsors, and to all of the amazing spectators to respect this race enough to know that I had put every ounce of myself into it. I crossed, saw Derick and lost it as we hugged. Not so much because I was disappointed in the end result, but moreso because of the physical and emotional toll it took on my body; and a feeling of mixed emotions, disappointed it was not what I had hoped for, but also a huge sense of pride that I had not given up. <br /><br />I have been fortunate to now have experienced Kona twice. Last year, I was here to take it all in; looking back, I feel like a 15th place was pretty amazing given my lack of Ironman and specifically Kona experience. The run was fairly overcast and I would describe the conditions as mild, definitely far from brutal. This year, it seemed many of the professionals who crossed the line collapsed immediately or spent a good few hours in medical. Of course we all leave it all out there, but in some way, it seemed different this year. I think I got a slightly skewed perception of this race last year. Before Saturday, I would say all of my first three Ironman races were similar; challenging, but you are putting your body through a test of 140 miles of endurance; challenge is a given. Every race is hard in its own way, course and conditions aside. After this race, I can honestly say that I now realize what the lure of this event is. The air felt steamier, the winds felt stronger, and there was this sense all around me that no matter who looked good out there, we all were similarly hurting. As I said before, nothing is given to you on race day, and it is not supposed to be easy.<br /><br />I did something that I have never done before as well; I went down to the finish to watch the final 2 hours of ‘midnight finishers’. I saw many of the 70-80 year old racers cross the line, looking like they may fall over, but grinning ear to ear; I witnessed one woman cross the line only 5 seconds beyond the 17-hour cutoff. I saw one man cross the finish line and go straight to the ocean, pulling a bag out of his pocket, and tossing his mothers ashes into the water, as she had died of breast cancer recently and he promised her he would finish. The stories and the journeys of those who came here were incredible. The place was alive and jumping, far more than it was 8 hours earlier. I realized that the end result mattered to me. It mattered a lot, it is what I was focused on, what I wanted so badly and what I had prepared for. I believed it, I knew it was possible, but in the unpredictability of sport, it was not my day to have that elusive ‘perfect race’. And that is OK. It can take some years to figure this race out. I took a step in the right direction. I am better than I was last year. I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that it was all I had in me on the day, but it is not all I have in me. I can take solace in that, but also in the fact that I am lucky to be a part of such an amazing sport. Now I understand and respect so much more the mystery and the tradition that is Ironman Hawaii. <br /><br />Having had a few days to reflect on the race, I found myself feeling rather disappointed today. As with the finish emotions, it took me by surprise. I am not one to mope in misery or feel sorry for myself. But when asking ‘why’ I am so disappointed, I realized it is simply because I expected so much. When you expect huge things of yourself, you have to accept that disappointment and letdown are a possibility. I would rather deal with this than the alternative, play it safe, expect less yet never realize the satisfaction of achievement beyond what you ever thought possible. So, on that note, here’s to dreaming big. Life is too short not to. I once heard the saying "Aim for the moon; if you fall short, you’ll land somewhere among the stars." I love that saying. It’s all a journey and it’s what we take from it and who it makes us in the process that really matters. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpAOLWMk4fNTQVKUqaRYRyOHw76gsmAIlhMMGqW-7EIbPhltijUnBFwdhfkk-PWxhZB91tNPyuho-98pix-RcWNj1UAAlk3DyMzsdT0LD12cX2pC1d3Z3780CsmqQWPi5bqQH_eyoUrJ8/s1600/SRM+Bike+Setup.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 317px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpAOLWMk4fNTQVKUqaRYRyOHw76gsmAIlhMMGqW-7EIbPhltijUnBFwdhfkk-PWxhZB91tNPyuho-98pix-RcWNj1UAAlk3DyMzsdT0LD12cX2pC1d3Z3780CsmqQWPi5bqQH_eyoUrJ8/s320/SRM+Bike+Setup.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662439956988968082" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi55z67OzcIdEXG8XCMOJbaxPEDSRhERLOktjL6e90mXOjeOHwyCbXedpccpuYDGTc64wLVR-nnp2GS4KeHnLvRJF7gVQJIoNofX_YmHgRIOErXNMfR3nfEOKrzWAa7p1H4FH77bk_rIHY/s1600/Kelly+%2526+Ian.jpeg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi55z67OzcIdEXG8XCMOJbaxPEDSRhERLOktjL6e90mXOjeOHwyCbXedpccpuYDGTc64wLVR-nnp2GS4KeHnLvRJF7gVQJIoNofX_YmHgRIOErXNMfR3nfEOKrzWAa7p1H4FH77bk_rIHY/s320/Kelly+%2526+Ian.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662434565767030466" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgui15f-2ayaUsEhMROV7tAjfAIKiXsd0PD9WxpOjJsoR_aUVupI8doFiVdSzFIavz1EqRp_lwdVTMhXwDfQeG7-PrOL7KEtB0bXTCKT04eB5OETC7ecGYaayzTk10nstgQQXWKN-SyA-w/s1600/QR+Kelly+%2526+Bike+Photo+shoot+in+kit.jpeg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgui15f-2ayaUsEhMROV7tAjfAIKiXsd0PD9WxpOjJsoR_aUVupI8doFiVdSzFIavz1EqRp_lwdVTMhXwDfQeG7-PrOL7KEtB0bXTCKT04eB5OETC7ecGYaayzTk10nstgQQXWKN-SyA-w/s320/QR+Kelly+%2526+Bike+Photo+shoot+in+kit.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662433942421499202" /></a>Kelly H Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01819445022646176185noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5839831654318179147.post-72406951417079953552011-09-15T15:05:00.000-07:002011-09-15T15:17:46.150-07:00Success is not a Staircase<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYqyGPlFKZ7UMUkCPyY52eSJY4XwIVLJ-9tKi_BpqAOKZyHnxCSuoOgSsCz_wy616cHO0ERw7t748yEiOK3czQcHXQZp2nGDJn8lkr-c_BZ9V9woVYFrShk5Cm1Uw_GHb2BueuUe37uxE/s1600/Snowy+Run+in+IN.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 228px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYqyGPlFKZ7UMUkCPyY52eSJY4XwIVLJ-9tKi_BpqAOKZyHnxCSuoOgSsCz_wy616cHO0ERw7t748yEiOK3czQcHXQZp2nGDJn8lkr-c_BZ9V9woVYFrShk5Cm1Uw_GHb2BueuUe37uxE/s320/Snowy+Run+in+IN.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5652713286219217890" /></a><br /><br />It is hard to believe sometimes that my husband Derick and I have been coaching athletes for 6-8 years now. I believe that the ability to ‘learn to coach’ is not dissimilar to anything else in life. You may have the appropriate tools (a physiology-based education, experience as an athlete) yet it is the accumulation of years of working with people, learning how to interact, learning that every person is different, and figuring out how various people respond to training that allow you to offer the best possible guidance for each individual who comes your way.<br /><br />I have also learned a lot through the years about ‘expectations’. Some people come to us with very specific goals in mind and likewise, they expect that they should reach these goals (understandably so). Others may approach a coach simply looking to improve their current fitness and in the back of their mind, they have goals that they would like to address in a year or two. No certain approach is necessarily better than the other, as it all comes down to your personal ideals. One thing however is certain. Everyone who comes to a coach is looking to be successful, in his or her own way. Maybe that means winning their age group at a key event, or maybe it means improving a time, or eventually qualifying for a certain event. Maybe success is simply finishing their first marathon. I have found that some people think this success can happen in a certain time frame; as if it is an equation. What I am here to tell you is, there is no given time frame for success, and the road to it is not a stair-step climb. <br /><br />Improvements as an athlete are made through the very basic principles that we have all heard numerous times before: consistency, dedication, hard work, following a plan, and patience (to name a few). You must sketch out some sort of a plan which includes where you currently are, and where you would like to go. This entails a ‘road map’ of sorts. Whether it is you individually or a coach doing it, this is a necessity if you would like to get from point A to point B. You must then figure out what needs to be done to get you there (ie: the training plan) and this needs to be implemented and followed as consistently as possible. There will be road blocks along the way (family obligations, unexpected injuries, small setbacks) but this is all part of the process. You manage the small road blocks, you take them in stride and you stay on track as best as possible. You find that you have good days and bad days; some days, the dedication part is easy. You feel great, you nail the workout and you know that the plan is working; you believe in the plan. You believe that success is just around the corner. Life is good on these days; but these days are only made so great by those that counter them, the tough days… when you may not hit the training, when your body is not giving you what you need from it, and when it does not come easily. These are the days that test our patience, make us ask ‘why am I doing this’, and often may make you want to just throw in the towel. Again all part of the process, and if you do not have these days, then you have not been at it long enough, and I guarantee you, you will. <br /><br />As much as we would love to buy into the philosophy that ‘doing everything right’ will lead to ‘success’, this simply not the case. If it were this easy, then realistically speaking, we would all be world champions if we stuck to the plan for a long enough period of time. This is where talent, reality and of course patience come into the equation. The reality of it is, if you work hard and stick to your plan, you will likely improve; if you get to the point where you can train a bit faster, you will likely in turn race a bit faster. Goal accomplished! But along the way, there will be setbacks (damn that word is back!). You’ll get faster; then you may have a mediocre race. You may have a mediocre year. You stick it out, you figure out what may not be working, you assure that this is what you WANT to be doing, and you carry on. You look at various factors, you try to utilize all the possible tools around you, and you push forward. The overall profile will likely be something to the effect of (we hope) up/up/down, up/up/down, up/up/down… repeat. Rather than our profile of success looking like a staircase, it may more realistically look like many small staircases lined up; and of course, there will be times when our road to success may involve some valleys. <br /><br />But getting through the valleys are what makes us able to rise up again towards the end goal; it is hitting the bottom and finding it within yourself to climb back out that will elicit success. Nobody, not even the best athletes out there, experience a road to success without some low points along the way. And the overall journey? It is just as tough for the strongest of athletes as it is for those who may never win their age group… we all work hard, we all push through, and we all have to keep our eyes set on the end goal, having faith that we will get there, though we cannot unfortunately predict the time frame. That is the exciting part. Put in the work, keep your head down, keep your eyes firmly focused down the road, and one day, when you may least expect it, that is when it all comes together; and the moment is made truly special from the mountainous journey you took to get there. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG6FtDGW0CuGiR6RM483_jOZBJ1fxbVD9jtVnqclgZA5_jcaSgaQVrCA-v88lvF0DxMrV0_A4wqWsqmH2_NDRJFanVCWJ-4qBYpVpgCNDuyj7876IBddhwISOjQz2r-RamJHIVmtnoYLw/s1600/Oceanside+-+Reynolds8728.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 211px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG6FtDGW0CuGiR6RM483_jOZBJ1fxbVD9jtVnqclgZA5_jcaSgaQVrCA-v88lvF0DxMrV0_A4wqWsqmH2_NDRJFanVCWJ-4qBYpVpgCNDuyj7876IBddhwISOjQz2r-RamJHIVmtnoYLw/s320/Oceanside+-+Reynolds8728.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5652714007055981138" /></a>Kelly H Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01819445022646176185noreply@blogger.com3