Ironman TX 70.3 : A Big Ol' Texas Sized Victory!

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.

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!

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.





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!





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. (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).





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).



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!





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!







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.



A huge thank you to my sponsors: 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.

Thanks for reading & see you at the next one!

Memorial 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!)


Off for a run

Thursday: 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.

Friday: 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.


Transition practice

Saturday: 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!)


Foam Rolling


Rebekah Palaian working massage


Kim Gandler talking Biomechanics

Sunday: 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?!


Aid Station Volunteers

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 educate 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.

San Juan 70.3 - A Repeat!

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.

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.

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.



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.





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.



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”.




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.
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.








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!







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.



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.

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.

…..and Michelle Blessing, thanks for believing in me, even when I was just a flailing first year pro!

Panama 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."
(Jacob A. Riis)

Photo by Finisher Pix

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.

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.

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!

Photo by Ramon Serrano

Photo by Ramon Serrano

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!

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.

Photo by Ramon Serrano

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 Reynolds 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! :)

Photo by Ramon Serrano

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 PowerBar 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.

Photo by Ramon Serrano

Photo by Elizabeth Kreutz

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.



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.

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!

Thanks for reading,
Kelly

Racing in the Now

~photo by Kelly West, Austin American Statesman~

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.

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!

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.

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".
(self-fulfilling prophecy here!)

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?"

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.

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!

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.


~photo by Kelly West, Austin American Statesman~

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.

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!

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.

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!

The 5K Off-Season

Everyone 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.

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.

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. (As a side note, I really wanted to go sub-17 but by a hefty margin, on really no training specifically for a 5k!)


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.

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!)

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.

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.

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!

2011 Season Recap

~Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it’s the courage to continue that counts~ (Winston Churchill)

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.

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.





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.

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!





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.



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.





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.





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.









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…

• My PR Ironman time dropped from 9:36 in 2010 to 9:07 in 2011
• My Ironman bike dropped from a 5:22 to a 5:03, my run from a 3:11 to a 3:03
• I was 2x 70.3 Champion (San Juan & Buffalo Springs) & 2x 2nd place 70.3 (Muncie & Boulder)
• I ran a PR in the half marathon (1:16.59) and a 5k (16:48, which was 3 weeks post-Kona)
• I have now done 5 Ironman races, and I am a far more experienced Ironman athlete than
I was one year ago
• 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

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.

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.
Thank you for your continued support ~ Aim High my friends!