Lonestar 70.3: Managing Expectations

~Photo by John Chung~

We are always our own worst critic. It's likely one factor that can allow us to do great things, but on the flip side, we have to know when to back it off and to see the bigger picture. I went into Lonestar 70.3 aiming high, as I always do. Sure, I had raced the week prior, but the general consensus seemed to be that the one week turnaround seemed to work actually better than the two week, and I was optimistic; as well as smart and careful in the week between the events, paying attention to all the small details; ice baths, very easy training, spending some time in my recovery pump boots, getting the needed acupuncture and ART, etc. The body felt good, I felt confident in my fitness and ready to lay it all on the line; for the third time in four weeks (a little detail I tried not to remind myself of too much).

This race was the designated 'US Pro Championships', hence there were many strong US women, but also a solid contingent of ladies from around the world, all wanting a piece of the hefty prize purse but also the highly sought after "Kona Points". I, of course, being among them! I did have some nerves, but I have looked at these as a good thing; they mean that you care about what you are doing, that you're anxious to compete. It's only after the race, seeing how I somewhat beat myself up over my result, that I realize the nerves may have been moreso 'pressure'.

We kicked off promptly at 7:03 AM on Sunday, a few minutes behind the men, in Galveston Bay. Don't let the word 'bay' fool you; this bay hands you some solid waves, and today was no different (though a good bit calmer than last years swim). The lead swim women broke up rather quickly and I found myself - as usual - swimming alone. Not optimal in waves, but I went with it, cruising along in my Zoot Zenith sleeveless wetsuit, feeling decent, but knowing I had been dropped a bit. Nothing to worry about; soon enough, we were exiting to transition and onto the bike, which I set out on as the 4th or 5th woman. Moving right along...

We hit Seawall Blvd and it was there we would stay for the next 56 miles; 28 miles out and 28 back. The winds were tricky, but I tried to settle into a rhythm. I was rolling my Reynolds wheels, the new RZR 92 rear and a 46 front. I had ridden the RZR 92 the day prior, but I felt like the winds were tossing around the front end a bit (we're talking strong, persistent and changing crosswinds) so I opted to be safe and ride my 46 front to allow for better handling. I was not feeling great but did not think it was too ugly, yet by the time we hit the turnaround (hell, by the time I hit mile 20) it seemed as though 10 women had passed me. Talk about a mental struggle. It was not so bad that they had passed me, but moreso the ease with which they seemed to do it. I tried to stay positive, but honestly speaking, it was extremely difficult. I told myself 'keep in it, you never know what is going on up ahead, and maybe they're not putting too much time on you'. Once I turned around, I found we did have a bit of a tailwind coming home, but it has been awhile since I wanted a 56 mile ride to be over with so badly. It was a welcome site to see transition; yet an unwelcome thing to hear "11 minutes back from the leaders" as I exited onto the run.

If there is one thing I am, it's persistent, and today was no different. That margin sounded HUGE and I am fairly certain I was in 15th place off the bike. I came out of T2 on a serious mission to at least try to claw my way back into the race. No use in dwelling on the bike, but put in 1 hr and 20 min of running as hard as you can and call it a day, period. I caught a few ladies early on, one was walking, and a few others I was simply able to catch and pass. With a 4 loop run course, I could see some action up head and I could tell the gap was large, to say the least. Around Moody Gardens we went, and I was able to clip off women with each ensuing loop. That said, it did not feel 'smooth'; I was working hard, with no idea of my pace, but racing is hard and I expect that. As I passed women, I had no idea of my place except that it was better than when I started the run.

Here is where it got exciting. At mile 11 or so, I was told that I was only a small bit behind my good friend Desiree, who was having a great day out there. I figured that with as well as she had ridden, she was the top American; meaning if I could catch her, than I would be the top American. I managed to pass her at about mile 12 and gave her some encouraging words, but tried to stay on the gas. Derick then yelled to me with maybe a half mile to go, "Mary Beth is 30-seconds up!" to which I replied "Shit, she's AMERICAN!" I could see her ahead as we hit the winding sidewalk, with maybe 2-3 more minutes to run. TALK ABOUT PAIN! I put everything I had into that final 1/2 mile, but it was not quite enough, and I fell short by 14 seconds to Mary Beth; but, the effort was enough to move me into 5th overall, which, in hindsight, was a hell of a run considering where I was before it started!

Back to the 'managing expectations' part. I expected a lot out of myself in this race. As an athlete, we try to be as absolutely prepared, strong and mentally tough on race day as possible. My body, my mind and "I" wanted this so badly; to come into a race where I was 3rd last year, be on top of the podium; to close out the first bit of my racing season with a bang. I had said that Top 3 would be awesome on this day, and if not, then I wanted to be Top American. It's not always enough to 'want' something, sometimes life has other things in store for us. I fell 14 seconds shy of this goal, which is pretty nominal when we are talking 4+ hours of racing.

Perspective: I've been fortunate to win many races lately; spanning back to the latter part of last season. It's fun to win, it feels good, and it's quite addictive. Should I 'expect' myself to win each one? Not at all. Should I be content knowing that I put it all on the line; that without any doubts, I know I gave it all I had in me, at the time, on the day? That I raced with heart? Without a doubt.

There is nothing wrong with expecting the best out of ourselves, but when we let those expectations turn into pressure, even in the slightest sense, this is when a problem arises. I don't think that this slightly lackluster result was any more than I was getting fatigued; my cycling legs were telling me 'enough racing' and they did not want to fire like they should have. And, that's ok. Lesson learned; it is time to rest. But as Derick said, I should hold my head high, knowing that I layed it all out there and I never gave up. When it comes down to it, that's all we can ever and should ever expect of ourselves; give it what you've got, at the moment, on the day.

A big thanks to my those who are instrumental in what I do, Zoot Sports, Quintana Roo, PowerBar, Reynolds Cycling, Recovery Pump, Katalyst Multisport, ISM Saddles, Road ID, Jack & Adams, Advanced Rehabilitation, Hill Country Running, Go with the Flo Acupuncture, Xcis Software, Oakley, and 3 Cosas Massage. It's been a good start to the year; now it is time to rest and gear up for one big training block in preparation for Ironman Texas on May 21st.

Thanks for reading!
~Kelly

Oceanside 70.3 - A Hard Fought 5th

I would be lying if I didn’t admit that I was slightly disappointed with my performance this past weekend in Oceanside, California. That said, this sentiment was with me through about mid-day on Sunday, at which point I had done enough thinking about the race, mulling over it, and I then snapped out and realized that in reality, I had a very solid race, it’s just that a few ladies had even better races, and if I looked at my performance alone, I am extremely pleased with the execution and the effort. It’s interesting what time can do to your perspective, and I’ve spent far too many years as an athlete ‘beating myself up’ over one event. I now realize life is too damn short. Give yourself 24 hours, think through the good and bad, learn from it, move forward and be better for the experience.

We arrived on Thursday morning to San Diego, went to our friends condo in La Jolla, and I built up my bike immediately. I have a history of often times doing something ‘new’ on race day, but this was an entirely new level here; I would be riding my new pink camo Quintana Roo CD0.1 along with my Reynolds RZR 92s (race wheels) for the first time on race day! Brilliant! Not ideal, but due to the timing of it all, it was what it was; I had ridden the new bike on the trainer a few times. We dialed in the bike on Thursday, I took the day off, and we hit up Pizza Port in Solana Beach for dinner. If you go to San Diego, you must eat at Pizza Port! Their pizza dough tastes like a doughnut. Great pre-race food!

Friday was a fairly busy day, as I got up, did my short 30 min spin and 10 min jog, and then had a few sponsor commitments in the afternoon. I did a Zoot panel at the race expo from 1-1:30, a Quintana Roo signing from 2-3 (don’t be shy people! I signed all of two photos! Everyone was at Andy Potts’ and Matt Reed’s booth across the way, I’m not sure why. What have they done?) :) and then did the usual pre-race meeting at 4:00. We enjoyed an early dinner with Hillary Biscay & her fiancée Maik, some pizza and my obligatory beer (a Peroni, nice and light!) and it was off to get some sleep.



Admittedly, I felt a bit of self-induced pressure on race morning. I have been fortunate to have started 2011 off with a good bit of success, and with that has come a slight bit more attention. I joke that I want to always ‘fly under the radar’. Maybe that is why when the body markers said “Age?” I said “33.” I figured maybe if my leg said 33, no fellow pro women would know who I was. Yeah, I probably should have the “P” on there…in any case, I digress. I tried to lighten the mood a bit when we went down to the swim start (those final few minutes are awful! So intense and we are all nervous as hell) and they said “Pro ladies, you may now step into the water, loosen up in your wetsuits.” To which I responded, “Meaning, we can all pee now.” Everyone laughed, but I was being serious; who doesn’t do that the minute you hit the water?! But of course, it’s my way of relaxing myself as well.



Promptly at 6:45, the ladies were off into Oceanside Harbor. I knew there were a couple of good swimmers and luckily Dede Griesbauer and I got a quick lead and swam great together. (I say together, but I really just stuck on her feet like glue!) I tried to get around her a few times to take a pull, but the effort to do it seemed silly as our pace was truly ideal so I just tried to navigate off of Dede. We swam well together and exited 1-2. I did the long run through transition, moving into first, only to negate any time gained by grabbing my bike, slipping on my Zoot Prophet wetsuit, and making for an epic fall. Good thing we are required to wear helmets in transition! I dropped my bike, mildly cut my foot on my chain ring but when I got up, the front wheel wouldn’t spin! So I panicked tried to fix the problem, quickly adjusting the front skewer. Unfortunately, the front brake had been knocked off center a bit. So while I recovered fairly quickly, I knew the alignment was slightly off. I was frustrated to have lost time here, but tried to look forward and move on. A great swim was off-set but a T1 mishap but what can you do?



I got out onto the bike course which is pretty flat for the first 15-20 miles, and then the fun begins. I got passed by a few women during those miles, again frustrating but I plugged along, waiting to eat up the hills. We got to the first big climb and when I stood up to go, I heard a slight ‘swoosh’ and I knew the front brake was rubbing a bit. I debated a few times stopping to adjust, but I was fairly certain it was just on the climbs, so I decided to try to ignore it, but it definitely messed with my head a bit. All in all, the bike felt mediocre to me today, as my quads just felt heavy and I did not feel quite like my normal self. But as with the T1 problem, can you do except keep on going? And that is precisely what I did, trying to stay on the gas and get to T2 as quickly as possible.

I transitioned and I knew that there was a race going on far ahead of me (I was told approximately 6 minutes was the gap to first), and that I had a lot of work to do. I was asked on Sunday at the Zoot Ultra Team camp, “What do you think about coming off the bike knowing you are a few minutes down; do you want to just get back in the mix or do you want to win?” I may not always be correct, but no doubt, my mindset is “Run your ass off and win this thing!” I never want to settle and I never want to feel sorry for myself. The bike was less than stellar, but I love to run and I wanted to make this exciting. That said, I knew Mirinda was up ahead so I figured just try to use her as your sight and lessen the gap to her, because no doubt she would be eating women up ahead of me.



I headed out on the 2-loop run course, which in my opinion is not ‘flat and fast’! It’s beautiful as we run right along the ocean for a few miles, but you do have a couple of small hills and mentally, I find the long stretch along the ocean challenging because it feels endless. I felt alright but not stellar for the first loop, and I had made up a couple of places, but I believe I was in 8th off the bike and I knew I needed to run very fast and some ladies up ahead would need to run not so fast. I also knew that many of those women ahead were strong runners! Nothing was going to be easy today. By the time I hit mile 9, I think I was in 6th place and I literally said to myself, “OK Kelly, you are running out of time here, get it moving if you are going to do anything here today! Pick it up!” The body seemed to turn a corner and those final 3 miles felt better than I had the entire run, which is pretty atypical. I was able to pass one more girl, Melanie McQuaid who had put up a stellar bike, and run myself into 5th place overall.

So final thoughts? It may sound odd, but I am glad that this race turned out as it did. This is a good reminder that shit happens in races and it is all in how you react to it; and as far as ‘shit happening’, this was minor; a fall in T1 and feeling less than stellar out there on the bike. I feel fortunate that the past few races I have felt strong, things have gone very according to plan and I have been able to come out on top. But every race is different; and nothing is ever given to you. I kind of like having the cards stacked against me when I am out there, as they were going out onto the run. It gives me two options: feel sorry for yourself, or do something about it? No matter how far down, I will always take the second option. I have to give a huge shout-out to the ladies up ahead of me, as they made this a hell of a race and they all put together very strong runs; as well as the entire field of women, this was a fast and challenging field assembled and it is races like this that raise the bar for all of us. Good stuff.



So life is good! Derick and I had a great weekend in San Diego, saw some amazing friends, and I got to go and do what I love to do. Lucky me, I get to do it all over again in just 6 days! A huge thanks my sponsors Zoot Sports, Quintana Roo, PowerBar, Reynolds, Katalyst Multisport, ISM Saddles, Road ID, Recovery Pump, Jack & Adams Bicycles, Advanced Rehabilitation, Hill Country Running, Oakley, Xcis Software, Go with the Flo Acupuncture & 3 Cosas Massage, for your unconditional support. Also a gigantic thank you to my parents who have yet to see me race this year! But are always with me when I am out there and my husband Derick, my official super support race Sherpa.

Thanks for reading & see you in Galveston!
~Kelly

San Juan 70.3

I have never been comfortable with getting too much attention. Our wedding was one test for me. Granted it was an incredibly laid back affair, but before I was to 'walk down the aisle' or rather the grassy path between the chairs leading up to the back of an old barn (barefoot), I began to get a bit nervous given that almost 100 sets of eyes would all be on me. Nothing that a glass or so of white wine couldn't fix!



The weekend in San Juan was a bit of a whirlwind for me. I went into the event ready to 'officially' kick off the 2011 racing season, anxious for some stiff competition, but also a bit uneasy. I was fortunate to have won quite a few recent triathlons, but I tried not to think about the 'streak' I had going. I know no matter what the event, who is there, where it is, it is anyone's game, period. Previous performances mean very little when we all toe the line; there is a difference in being confident and over-confident. The latter can start to create pressure, and I know I perform best when I try to keep the pressure down and the focus on the here and now; getting out there and executing a strong swim, bike, and run combo; and ultimately doing what I love, plain and simple.



We arrived 3 days early, settled into the Hilton Caribe (the host hotel) and I felt quite at ease. I had put in a pretty large training weekend prior given that I had a good 3-4 weeks of racing to ensue (race/recover/repeat) so once we arrived on Wednesday, I pretty much shut it down into Saturday. My total time 'exercising' in those 3 days was probably little over 1.5 hrs. I felt confident in the training I had done, yet once race morning rolled around, I found myself begin to get more nervous than expected. So much so that a few minutes before the women lined up to walk down to the water, I almost lost it with Derick; I felt a bit of a panic attack coming on. I quickly pulled myself out if it, realizing that this was just another race, and knowing those moments before we start are the toughest; once the gun goes off, it's simple, we just do what we all do best and have done so many times before. Luckily I dodged a bullet there and was able to compose myself rather quickly.



The swim kicked off right on time, just before 7 AM, and us 20 or so ladies were off. It was an out and back well marked swim course and I tried to stay to the outside to avoid fighting, though I was a bit too cautious and missed the small front pack. It is a very bad habit I have, but I love to swim in clear water all my myself! They had gapped me by 10-15 seconds about halfway into the swim at which point we turned into a bit of chop, and of course the 3 of them were a bit more efficient than solo Kelly, so I lost a bit more time. But I didn't let it get to me. I knew that I have some swims where I am in the mix and others I am just out of it. I pushed on to the clearly marked swim exit ramp and began the ~400 meter run to transition.

The bike course entailed about 10 miles of cycling out of the city of San Juan, which included a few rollers (read: overpasses), at which point we started out two-loop portion of the flat, windy course. It was very beautiful as we had the ocean just over our shoulder on parts of this course, but you could not spend too much time sight-seeing for fear of getting whipped around by the winds. I was feeling very mediocre on the bike, and I was passed by a few ladies. Magali Tisseyre passed me very convincingly early on which started to get into my head... was she riding that strong, or was I just riding that poorly? I tried to keep her in my sights but it was her day on the bike and she just rode away! Then the mental struggles arose... I seemed to be leap-frogging a few ladies but also getting passed by some, and for the first 25-30 miles, I really began to think "Kelly, maybe this isn't your day. It would suck, but it happens." I kept pushing my PowerGels, to assure that I was not just low on fuel. Something clicked on the final turnaround (~mile 35) and I started to get pissed off at myself. I gritted my teeth and began to finally pick up my pace, and interestingly enough, felt best that final hour. I was also riding my new Reynolds Sixty Six/Forty Six tubulars for the first time, and they felt incredible in the flat yet windy conditions. I started to think that maybe this could still be a good day, and entered transition in about 5th place.



I am about to show my age here and I fully acknowledge it! But when I transitioned onto the run, they were playing Guns n' Roses "Paradise City" and it got me fired up. That and Adam Reiser was announcing, as I know Adam and he had some encouraging words as I went out for the run. I was told that I was about 4 minutes down from the leader. I knew if I could put together the kind of run I was capable of, this was still a race. The pink Zoot TT's were on and it was time to roll!

I have been wearing my Tissot T-Touch orange screen watch while racing lately; it may become a superstition now, but I opted to go completely sans splits on the run. I figured I was racing here and I wanted to do whatever it took to win, not focus on what each mile pace was. I took it out smooth and controlled, rolling along the road towards Old San Juan, hitting a steep uphill followed by a downhill on cobblestones which led me to the fort section, a winding out and back. I was able to catch not one but 3 ladies here, as places 2-4 were all running together, and by mile 4 I had moved into 2nd. I kept the pace steady and was able to move into first place right at the first loop turnaround, which was pretty cool among all of the crowds! I have had a history of getting excited, high-fiving people, or waving to my parents at this point, only to be followed by an epic blow up or pass in the finish chute, so I kept my head down and kept plugging away. The second loop I tried to run smooth yet very controlled; as strong as I could without risking a blow up. All felt amazing until about mile 11, when it began to hurt a bit. Here is where mantras get you through ('you can do anything for 2 miles'...'you ran 'x' pace on the track last week, this is no problem'...) -- really whatever works for you, use it! When it gets tough physically, try to lean on the mental side to be your backup. Easier said than done but the alternative will only make it exponentially harder.



When I finally took the final turn over a small pedestrian bridge to the finish, I let myself begin to celebrate. The fans were lining both sides of the chute, Adam was announcing and it was amazing. It was probably the biggest smile I have had in a race finish, and I was welcomed with so many of the locals wanting to get their picture taken with me! Awesome. Shocking. Overwhelming. But ultimately I just felt such a sense of relief, knowing that the past few successful races 'were not flukes', that 9 years of hard work (yes, I have had a pro card since 2002) have started to truly pay off, and that I was able to put together the kind of race I have known was 'in me' for quite some time. The evening awards was icing on the cake, as I was asked to make a speech (again, not so comfortable in the spotlight, but I actually enjoyed it and tried not to ramble on) and I had the opportunity to mention that this past week was Multiple Sclerosis Awareness week, and I was fortunate to be able to donate a portion of my prize winnings to the National MS Society; something that means a lot to me.



This sport can sometimes be seen as 'self serving'. I for one have battled with this at times; am I being selfish? Is it wrong of me to chase something that burns inside of me so strongly yet in the big scheme of things, is not really doing anything to help anyone else? Then I counter it with a few thoughts. I am simply trying to make a living; and I am able to do something I love in the process. I have also climbed a huge, daunting ladder for the past few years to get to where I am today. I have learned more about myself than most other 'jobs' could have shown me, and in the process, I hope that others have been inspired even in small ways to not be afraid to chase after big goals; no matter how big, and no matter their starting point. When I was out there on the bike I recall thinking "Ugh, make the pain end. Why do I do this?" Then I get on the run and I realize that I love the pain. I love the feeling of pushing my body to it's limits and finding new horizons within myself in the process. I love the spirit of competition, and while I may have a serious game face out there from start to finish, I have so much respect for my competitors and all of the others out there taking part. I think this was part of my problem with ITU racing; I never liked that we had our own event (the professionals), and I loved getting back to the longer course, non-drafting when we raced alongside all of the age groupers. A good friend from college used to call me "Kelly the Swimmer," to which I would respond "No, I am Kelly the Person." I guess this comment sums up my personality well; while triathlon is the avenue where I want to succeed, it is not what I want to define me. I want to just be a normal person who strives to accomplish abnormal things.

A huge thank you to my amazing sponsors and support team: Zoot Sports, PowerBar, Quintana Roo, Reynolds Cycling, Recovery Pump, Road ID, Katalyst Multisport, ISM Saddles, Jack & Adams, Xcis Software, Hill Country Running, Advanced Rehabilitation, Go with the Flo, 3 Cosas and Oakley. And no doubt I will be leaning on all of you to help me be ready to do this all again in just a short 1.5 weeks at California 70.3! This race is without a doubt one of the most beautiful venues, accompanied by some of the most welcoming people. An amazing way to kick off the season but be sure you stay at least an extra day to relax and enjoy all that San Juan has to offer.

Thanks for reading; and see you at the next one,
Kelly

Rev 3 Costa Rica 2011

It is quite strange to be doing my first race write up of the 2011 season, seeing that it is only February, but things kicked off early this year with a trip to Costa Rica. I decided last year when this race was announced that it should at the top of my list this year, and when Rev 3 kicked it down from a half to an Olympic distance, I was a bit disappointed. Once Derick (my husband) and I arrived here and I saw how hot, windy and hilly the course was, I was extremely glad it was a shorter race! While it may be a bit tough to get the body to go so fast in February, it was short and sweet and over before I knew it.

We arrived in Liberia on Thursday, which gave us two days to get our bearings down here. The resort where we are staying is beautiful, complete with a huge pool that overlooks the ocean. We had lunch on Friday along the beach at a restaurant with a Tiki hut, and I had to resist the urge to kick back in my bikini under an umbrella with a strawberry daiquiri. Friday we had a pro panel at the race site, along with a short pro briefing, and Saturday was filled with a whole lot of nothing; just the way I like it before a race. One really cool part of being in a foreign country and having to roll with the setup you are given (and many of us staying at the same resort)was that I was able to meet a few fellow professionals who I did not know or had not met before.

Sunday morning felt like an Ironman wake up call, as the alarm sounded at 3:30 AM. Luckily we had rented a car (a Peugeot, nonetheless; FYI, this car fits a Trico bike box in the back seat and multiple bags, though no one would believe me when I said it would! it feels like you are riding in a little coffee bean) and drove over to the race site at about 4:15 for the 6:15 start time. I set up transition and meandered down to the beach, a quick 2 minute walk away. I was not very nervous; maybe a touch, but I tried to keep this race in perspective: It is February, it is an Olympic distance event (and I am training for Ironman), and we're in Costa Rica. These three reasons alone are reason to take a deep breath and relax when the nerves overtake. And I always remind myself, once the gun goes off, that is the easy part; that is the part I do best, I just do not like the hype and build up before the race. The racing itself is the fun part.

The pro men kicked off right at 6:15 and us women followed at 6:18. A small pack of about 4 of us formed quickly, and headed directly into no mans land. Yes; we were straying extremely far right of the first turn buoy! I kept looking up (as I was on their feet) and thinking "I don't SEE a red buoy..." but like a herd of sheep, I followed. Finally we did a quick and decisive turn LEFT and viola, there was a red buoy! From the beach, I hear this was pretty entertaining. We definitely did not take the quickest line, but nonetheless, we figured it out. It was a two loop swim and on the second loop, our group of 4 became 3. This time, the line between the two turn buoys the other two women strayed off course again; and I got lucky, staying right on target, and gaining a bit of time. I met up with super swimmer Amanda Stevens at the final turn buoy and she took the lead, as I began to sing to myself "Come on and take a Free Ride, 'free ride'..." in my head, following in behind her feet. No joke, I really was singing this. We exited out as 1-2 but others were quick to follow, and onto the bike.

We were greeted with a few HUGE HILLS immediately upon exiting transition, that is after riding over a short gravel/dirt/sandy patch that was probably about 200 meters long. I absolutely love to climb and I took this opportunity to try to separate myself from the other women. I was able to move into first on these hills and much to my delight, hold the position through the bike course. For anyone who may consider this race for next year, expect a few big hills exiting the resort, followed by a two loop bike out on the roads outside the resort with a few nice false flats, some good challenging winds, and possibly a cow here or there just to keep you on your toes. Luckily, I did not have to dodge any cows, but they were hanging out right alongside the road to spectate. The bike course was well marked and challenging, just the way I like it!

I descended into T2 and was extremely cautious on these descents, as we hit the gravel patch again, and I went over this at a snails pace. I was stoked to get off the bike after having pretty much trying to trash myself to hold the lead and see if my running legs would be there for me.

I exited out immediately on to sand, which continued for about a half a mile. We ran to another small village, which was so cool as it was only 8:00 AM and there were already locals out there cheering for us! I could see a few ladies not too far back on the run turn around, so I tried to stay on the gas, despite the legs feeling not terribly 'snappy'. I took in my raspberry PowerGel early (I had taken two on the bike) as I felt in need of the extra energy. Once we exited the sand and gravel, we were hit with a long uphill on the roads. Stellar! This course was brutal, and I was loving it. There truly were few sections on this run that were flat and 'fast'. I came through the first loop still in the lead but again, I never count anything in the bag until I see the finish line; and even then, I am brilliant at getting out-kicked. I tried to dig deep and run strong that second loop, and I think I put a bit more distance between me and the other women though I could see them all charging hard. The best part of this course was that they cut out the long golf course section from the first loop, so I made a turn and saw the finish only 50 yards away, expecting another mile or so of running.

At this point, with the beautiful finish chute that is the epitome of Rev 3 races, I breathed a sigh of relief and began to smile. There is nothing like seeing that finish line and knowing you laid it all out there, and can come away with a win. A great crowd was there to greet me and a huge sense of satisfaction came over me, knowing that today, at least, I was the fastest one out here; I savor each victory so much, because nothing is ever a sure thing and on any day, anyone can come out on top. A bit thanks and congrats to all the fellow professional women, I worked so hard out there trying to keep them behind me and I know they were charging hard! It's great that we can all make each other stronger in this process; because ultimately, we are all in this together.

This was an amazing way to start 2011, and I have to thank Rev 3 for putting on such an awesome event. I really hope to see this event grow in future years. Also a big thanks to my sponsors for 2011, including PowerBar, Quintana Roo, Zoot Sports, Reynolds, Recovery Pump, Katalyst Multisport, Road ID, Xcis, Jack & Adams, ISM, Oakley, Hill Country Running, Advanced Rehabilitation, Go with the Flo Acupuncture and 3 Cosas Massage; and of course the endless support from my husband Derick (and Durata Training) and his guidance. Now, I need to get off of this computer and soak up the Costa Rica sunshine while I can! Here's to a great 2011, best of luck with your goals and remember, keep it all in perspective; when it got tough out there, I looked over my shoulder at the ocean and at the people of the town and reminded myself where I was and that no matter how hard it got, I was lucky just to be out here doing it. Thank you for reading!
~Kelly

US Half Marathon National Championships

This weekend was the USATF Half Marathon National Championships in Houston, TX. Let's start by saying that I was stoked and simply honored to even BE at this race, among this field of ladies. I inquired about racing this in mid-December, and much to my surprise (my PR was about 1.5 min under the qualifying time) I was accepted. I really wanted to be smart about my 'off-season break', so I proceeded to take some good down time through early January; doing about one quality run a week, and then upon returning from our 3-week holiday excursion, I gave myself 3 weeks to focus on this event.

I went into it with a BIG goal. I wanted to run a 1:15-something. I felt incredible during the couple of weeks training for it, hit some of the best workouts I ever have, then this past week, my 2 runs felt flat out awful! Heavy legs, high perceived effort. I chalked it up to 'resting' and tried to roll with it; seems it is not uncommon to feel lousy the week of a race, I have learned through the years. As the event drew closer, I began doing what we should never do as athletes; looking at the start list and finding out how fast these chicks were. Almost everyone I searched had a best time of 1:13 or faster. Then I pulled myself away, realizing that my goal pace is 5:43 to 5:48. Period. Just run that, and don't worry about what anyone is doing. I knew that in this race, nobody there knew me nor I them, and this was entirely a race for myself; not for placing, but to aim to fulfill my own personal expectations.

I headed to Houston solo on Friday morning, as I had sent Derick off skiing this weekend. I figured if I shouldn't be skiing right now, he shouldn't be deprived of any fun. The race kicked off right at 8 AM sharp. I settled into a few 5:45 miles, which put me near the back of the women's race. It did not feel hard, but it did not feel easy either. Conditions were a bit muggy, definitely much warmer than it had been in Austin the past few weeks. (But that is the last excuse I can use, seeing that the winner Jen Rhines ran a best time by 45-seconds!) I felt great through 6 miles, coming through just around 5:48 pace. I was slowly taking women off. When I did so, I tried to keep my breathing very relaxed. I think it helps so as to make you realize you are maintaining your pace, not pushing too hard. We hit an interesting stretch from miles 7-10 whereby we went across two separate bridges; just a short out and back, which I found odd; just made for a few extra turns. Something happened in or around mile 9, and it suddenly got much harder. I am not sure if it was the heat or simply the pounding of 9 hard miles of racing, but by mile 10, I already felt like I was hitting survival mode. Not a good place to be with 5K to go. By this point, I had my own space, and I felt like my overall position was at least the top half. I came through the "1/2 mile to go" sign (what a treat!) and saw 1:13.59. I realized ALL I had to do was run an 800 in under 3 minutes. I had done this numerous times the past few weeks. Turns out that was tougher than it sounded, but somehow I managed it, getting passed by two women the last 100 meters (story of my life) but sneaking in with a 1:16.59. (I guess my gun time was 1:17 flat, but my chip time was 1:16.58 or 59 so I'm going to go with a 16 for obvious reasons!)

This put me overall 19th place (unfortunately 3 seconds separated 17/18/19th) which was in the top half of finishers. I was pleased with the end result in terms of placing, however, I will be honest that my goal time was significantly faster. Despite only about 3 weeks of focused training, I really wanted to do a 1:15 in some facet, and I have no doubt that I am capable of this. However, the time was not in the cards today, and I have to be realistic about the little buildup to this race as well as lack of mileage. I realized post race during a short cool down jog with my legs feeling beat to a pulp, that with a 1-2 mile warmup and the race, 15 miles was more almost 1/2 of my weekly volume the past few weeks. Probably not the best set up for a 2 minute PR!

Nonetheless, we have to take each experience in context and in that sense, this was a good day and a race which I think I can take away some good fitness; and, a PR. It was a true honor to get to run among some of the best female distance runners in the US, and given that my focus is triathlon, I put into this all that I could given the time frame I had to prepare. In hindsight, I think that my very low run volume was what did me in, and therefore I will aim to increase things a bit the next few months as I prepare for Ironman Texas. The next few weeks will entail a bit of a cycling focus, recovery for the running legs and slowly bringing the volume up in preparation for more focused Ironman training. I want to give a big thanks to my sponsors for this season: Zoot Sports, PowerBar, Quintana Roo, Recovery Pump, Katalyst Multisport, Road ID, Xcis Software, ISM Saddles, Reynolds Wheels, Jack & Adams, Advanced Rehabilitation, Go with the Flo, Hill Country Running, Oakley and 3 Cosas Massage. Without all of you this journey would not be possible.

One final note I found interesting. I recall in the long stretch from miles 10-13 how much pain I was in, realizing that my pace had slipped, knowing my ideal goal time was now out of reach. Everything hurt and I of course wanted to quit. I then realized "I don't quit" and it brought me to why I love triathlon. In triathlons, especially longer distance, you always have high and low points; one minute you feel stellar, the next minute you feel like crap. Given the nature of the sport and three disciplines (and everyone's different strengths and weaknesses), the minute you think you are finished, you are. I firmly believe 90% of racing is in your head. In running, if your pace slips, you are probably in trouble; it is your only lifeline, so to speak. In triathlon, you may be back in the swim; you cannot give up, it is only 1/3 over. You may be behind coming off the bike; you have to have faith in you run. Even once ON the run, so much can still change (and often does). While a part of me would love to focus purely on running one day, I realize that not only do I love the sport of triathlon, but it makes us so incredibly tough and really instills the 'never give up' attitude. Every race is an opportunity to become stronger, and though it may not always show in our times, I think we gain so much mental strength for future races. After all, no one said it was easy.

Thanks for reading. Train safe out there, and see you on the race course!
~Kelly

Failing vs. Quitting

The past few weeks has been a 'crash training' plan so to speak for a half marathon in Houston on January 29th. Having taken the month of November and December rather laid back and light in training, I came back from our 3-week Christmas excursion ready to get back at it. I have been given about 3 weeks of time to prepare adequately for this race, or at last 'as adequately as you can in 21 days'. The process has involved some very quality, focused and challenging run sessions (about 2 per week plus a long run with some speed). Maybe it was the shift that took place last year in training for much longer events, and needing to dig a bit deeper than I ever had before, but I have found myself thinking up 'mantras' when the going has gotten tough lately. I often start to think of these sayings or words about mid-way through a tough workout, and I try to simply repeat them as needed. Maybe it's a distraction from hurting, but they seem to help significantly.

Yesterday, Derick and I were doing mile intervals on the trail here in Austin. After the third one, I said to Derick, "It's OK to fail on these, right?" To which he responded "Definitely." Meaning, there are some workouts which should be so challenging that you risk failing. I pushed on, and as I started the fifth one with hurting legs, I began to weigh out failing vs. quitting. I've never been one to like to quit. Just the idea of it turns my stomach. The minute I quit, I start to beat myself up for having given up on an opportunity. I would much rather get out and compete, give it what I have, and if I end up last, so be it; at least I know I left it out there. Hearing Derick say that it was OK to fail kind of sounded nice; it meant that putting it all out there and perhaps not being able to finish was still being successful. It almost made me feel good, thinking "quitting is an option, cool." But, I did not want to go there, if at all possible.

So, it became a game of pushing so hard that I may blow up, but also pacing smart enough that the odds were in my favor of finishing, and finishing with a solid workout under my belt. Finishing having achieved the goals of the workout. I wondered what was better, failing or quitting, and I came to the realization that in any situation, no matter the circumstances, I would much much rather fail than quit. Failing means that you gave it all you had and for some reason, you did not quite get there. The definition of 'failure' will certainly be different to everyone, but in some way, you had to settle for less than what you'd of liked. BUT, you can also walk away knowing that you tried, you attempted, and in that, you can hopefully draw some satisfaction and learn from this. Quitting, on the other hand, means you did not give yourself a CHANCE to fail. You dropped out before you risked failing. (Granted there are some situations when quitting IS the smartest thing to do, don't get me wrong. And as endurance athletes, when we push ourselves to extreme limits, there are certain times when quitting is far smarter than pushing on. This is an entirely different situation). When I looked at the two terms like this, I then decided, I would push so hard that I knew I had left it all out there and if in fact my pace fell off drastically, well then, I knew my limits. I may fail, but I'll be damned if I quit.

So think about this the next time you are in a training session, or even in a non-sport situation where you have the two options. The task at hand is large, the ability to achieve it may be in question, and trying to achieve it will require most or all of what you've got in yourself. I challenge you to risk failure. Quitting is easy, but the repercussions of it are often tough; you will probably not feel good having quit. Failing is not a bad thing; it means you took part, you put your heart and soul into the task and for some reason you came up short. Which is good, because you have likely discovered a new limit, found a new boundary and in the process had some self-reflection which will no doubt make you a much stronger person.

So on that note, get out there and risk failing at something! What you won't realize at the time is that no matter the outcome, you'll be better for it in the long run.

"Good For You Foods" That Actually Taste Good

(Running December 2010 in Southern Indiana)

HAPPY 2011!
I was going to do a '2010 Year In Review', but that idea got thrown by the wayside when we spent our holidays in 14 states, putting 3830 miles on our car and visiting family over the course of 3 weeks. Don't get me wrong, it was an awesome trip, and since we had our car, I was able to have my bike, trainer, and of course running and swimming gear all on hand. Meaning, I was able to maintain a relatively consistent routine of training, thus preventing me from getting stressed out and grouchy. I don't do well when there is not a pool nearby for more than 2 or 3 days. I fear I may lose my gills.

With regards to our trip, here are a few pictures of us playing in the snow at my parents cabin near Nashville, Indiana. Amico saw snow for the first time and let's just say, I think he prefers this white fuffy stuff over the often oppressively hot Texas weather.





So we are now back to Austin, settled into 'home' and despite it being rather cold here, it is great to be back. Training is going well and I am looking forward to running the Houston Half Marathon in a few weeks; a 'real runners race' I call it, also the USA Half Marathon National Championships, and I'll no doubt get my ass handed to me a bit. But, it is awesome to get the chance to line up alongside some of the best female runners out there. I will try to minimize my losses, make the spread between the winner and myself and small as possible, and ultimately just go for a personal best time.

Back to my blog title, sorry to wander astray.

At this time of year, not only being the start of a new year but also the winter months, it is fun to spend a bit more time indoors, cooking, and also occasionally "looking" at what you are eating. *Disclaimer*: The last thing I am intending to do is preach about nutrition, and I will say that I do not have any nutrition degrees or higher education in nutrition specifically! But Derick and I try stay up to date on foods that are good for us and incorporate 'healthy foods' into our diet on a regular basis. That said, we are the last people you'll see eating bland, disgusting food because it claims to be a wonder food. Case in point: I recently bought Zico Water because everyone was drinking it and I had heard how good coconut water was for you. I even got the Pomegranate kind. The first sip, I thought "Eww, that's nasty." So I let it sit in our fridge. I took a little sip about once a day for the next 3 days, and finally admitted it was awful. We regularly eat dairy, gluten, fruits, veggies, sugar, alcohol, chocolate, ice cream...we leave nothing out of our diet! I recall a few months back seeing something from the New York Times health section titled "The 11 Best Foods You Aren't Eating." Even though I think the title is a bit presumptuous, I like to look for recurring 'themes' from the information that I find. I also subscribe to Real Simple magazine and they recently had an article entitled "Your New Healthy-Eating Plan: The 30 Healthiest Foods." (Yes, I know that Real Simple is not a dieticians research journal, however the panel of experts included a list of 10 various Registered Dieticians). I am going to list the results of the two articles side by side.

New York Times:
BEETS - CABBAGE - SWISS CHARD - CINNAMON - POMEGRANATE JUICE - PRUNES - PUMPKIN SEEDS - SARDINES (freaky) - TUMERIC - BLUEBERRIES - CANNED PUMPKIN

Real Simple:
SKIM MILK - MUSHROOMS - WHOLE GRAIN PASTA - WALNUTS - NATURAL NUT BUTTERS - BARLEY - QUINOA - LENTILS - BULGUR - ALMONDS - EGGS - NONFAT GREEK YOGURT - CHICKEN BREASTS - WILD SALMON - SARDINES (still not eating them) - KALE - KIWI - BLUEBERRIES - BROCCOLI - OLIVE OIL - EDAMAME - CHARD - KIDNEY BEANS - ORANGES - SPINACH - PUMPKIN - BLACK BEANS - AVOCADOS - SWEET POTATOES - OATMEAL

So there you have it. Some of these are things that we very regularly eat ('regularly' being a few times a week) including spinach, cinnamon, blueberries, walnuts, avocados, olive oil, whole wheat pastas, eggs, black beans, and peanut butter. Some items that we try to eat a few times a month include cabbage, prunes, tumeric, broccoli, kale, salmon, chicken and sweet potatoes. If you are looking to slowly, gradually and 'sanely' incorporate some of these foods into your diet, here are a few ideas.

Cinnamon - Can regularly go on cereal, oatmeal, or even into yogurt.
Spinach - Use this for basic salads; I slowly moved away from iceburg and now I use predominantly spinach. Iceburg is nice for the 'crunch' factor, so maybe consider doing half and half if you prefer the 'crunch'.
Blueberries - They are not cheap, but they are packed with antioxidants and tasted good. In my opinion, they are worth the money; throw onto salads, cereal, or just eat a handful here and there.
Walnuts - Add to salads in place of crutons; if you don't like walnuts because as my sister claims they 'taste like trees', try almonds.
Black Beans - Make quesedillas with black beans, bell peppers, avocado, cheese and salsa; these are extremely versatile.
Avocados - Add to sandwiches, salads, any mexican dish, top on to soups.
Olive Oil - Cook with it!
Peanut Butter - If you cannot figure out how to eat this or you just don't like it, then well, I cannot relate to you as I cannot go a single day without it. Enough said.
Cabbage & Kale - We often chop this up, and saute it with olive oil, walnuts, red onion; a dash of cinnamon is good on the cabbage for a bit of sweetness. Also look for 'asian salad/slaw' recipes which are cabbage based, and often very tasty.

So there you have it (for the second time). As stated early on, I am not a nutrition expert, but I do feel that if you are food-allergy-free, it is a good idea to try to stay atop the information that comes out on foods and maintain a balanced diet, yet one that also appeals to you. You like coffee? Enjoy your coffee in the morning. You a wine or a beer drinker? Have one in the evening when making dinner. Go to the local market and try a new beer, or keep a good bottle of wine on hand to enjoy. Is ice cream your vice? Have a little bit after dinner. Enjoy what you think tastes good, life is too short not to! I found this quote, which came from an article on Scottish Brewer BrewDog, about how they had created the worlds strongest beer at 32% alcohol by volume: "Everything in moderation, including moderation itself. What logically follows is that you must, from time to time, have excess." To that point, deprivation is not healthy. Treat your body well; exercise it, rest it, challenge it, and fuel it. But most of all, enjoy it!

Thanks for reading,
~Kelly