When I was in 6th grade, my older sister took me for my first ever run. She is four years older than me and was already running on the high school cross country and track teams.
I'm pretty sure I hated it. Running is hard, after all. And I'm sure I was out of shape. But I wanted to run 7th grade track, so I kept at it. Funny how one small decision can define the course of your life, even if, at the time, it doesn't seem like a big deal at all.
I did run 7th and then 8th grade track. I was nothing special certainly, but it was fun and I made some friends. For someone who was (and still is!) awkwardly shy, making some new friends was all the reason in the world to continue to run.
In 1993 (yep, I'm that old), I was a freshman in high school. I was super excited to run cross country that fall. By that point, I loved being on a team for the friendships, but I had also fallen in love with running itself.
That love affair would last for the next 20+ years, and continues today.
That freshman year that I spoke of? We won the State CC Championships. I was the 5th runner on the team.
My teammates have always been my closest friends.
On any given Saturday in the fall...
I know you love the mesh basketball shorts! Uniforms have changed a bit these days...
I know the picture is out of focus, but I keep this one to remind myself that I AM capable of some knee lift...
Cross country can be muddy.
We were probably supposed to be warming up, but instead we were fooling around on the bus.
This scenario played out often in my HS races. I would lead for a long time and then Chrissie would outsprint me to the line. I never had much giddy up and go.
After that freshman year, I made another conscious decision that also changed the course of my life. I decided that I wanted to be the very best I could be at running. Which meant working hard and making some sacrifices. From there I started to win a few races and decided I wanted to run in college. In the fall of 1997, I headed off to Penn State to continue my running career.
Either my freshman or sophomore year of college, NCAA Nationals was held at the University of Kansas. This here is Jim Ryan and I. :)
The 3 Beths: myself, my coach Beth, and my teammate Beth.
I didn't have to search hard to find a picture of Kim and I running together. We've (literally) been running in the same circles for years. :)
Running not only gave me amazing friends and some of my best memories, but it also gave me my husband. My teammate introduced me to Oscar when I was a sophomore in college.
In 2001, I competed in my last Big 10 Championship and Oscar made the drive (with Kim's mom, no less!) from Penn State to Indiana University to watch me race.
After college, I continued to run. Because running is one thing I know how to do. And because I love it.
A particularly cold race...
One of my best friends and college teammates and I, after running the Cleveland Marathon together. This is still my stand alone marathon PR, although I've since run faster in an Ironman.
Finishing a local half marathon.
Of course now I focus more on triathon. Luckily I still get a good dose of running with tri training! But it's safe to say, running will always be my first love.
This past May, Jesse and Tim of QT2 approached me about taking on the run coaching portion of the business, Your 26.2. I was thrilled! And super excited and thankful for the opportunity. Coaching others who share the same passion for running as me? And they pay ME to do this? DEAL!! Although at first I wasn't sure I was qualified, I then realized I've been training a lifetime for this job. From the time I went on that very first run with my sister, almost 25 years ago, to now and all the years, miles and memories in between. Running sure has been good to me.
You didn't really think I'd write a race report without "a few" thank yous, did you? :)
I had so many for Kona that I decided to just make it it's own separate entity. It's so hard to even know where to begin. I feel an amazing amount of gratitude for so many. Here goes...
My sponsors:
1) Casey and the gang at CID: who would have thought, 2 years ago when we met at the Y, that this is where we'd be now? I hope you can truly understand the impact that you've had on my career as a triathlete and my ability to chase my dreams. You have made a world of difference!
2) Coeur: love you guys! Your support means the world to me. I have loved watching you grow as a company and see you flourish. Of course I knew it was inevitable because your product is amazing AND you know how to treat your athletes well. Best of both worlds.
We had fun at the Coeur booth at the expo.
3) PowerBar: if there is one thing I've learned about racing Ironman, it's that fueling isn't any less important than swim/bike/run! Thanks for fueling my training and racing efforts for the past 8 years.
4) Rudy Project: like I said in the video, I owe you my life, because you saved it 7 years ago! THANK YOU!
5) QR: when you spend as much time as I do on a bike, you only ride one you love. Thanks for making just that bike, for me! You guys are the best!
6) NormaTec: of all the wonderful triathlon gear I own, my NormaTecs are the only piece that I use EVERY SINGLE DAY. Including in airports. Yep, that happened... THANK YOU!
My QT2 teammates:
I am absolutely honored to be a part of this team. It was such a treat to see so many of you out on the course, crushing it. It gave me a boost each and every time! When I graduated from college and was no longer on a "sports team", I felt a huge void. QT2 has filled that void plus some! Thanks for letting me be a part of your squad!
Just a few of the group that raced.
My family and friends:
I so appreciate every note of encouragement, support, good luck and well wishes. I read every one and they mean the world to me! Thank you for taking the time to make me smile.
Special thanks to Cait, Mikela and Beth for taking care of me in the weeks leading up to the race. And to Amber for making me laugh hysterically during those same weeks. I've never seen anyone smile as much as you!
To Kim: you made Saturday more special for me than you could ever know. We've come a long way, baby!
And to my mom: I don't know anyone who would consider a "Hawaiian vacation" to be fun when it's filled only with sitting around in a condo, helping me tape things to my bike. Or worse yet, standing outside in the hot sun all day watching a bunch of skinny people swim, bike and run. But you do, because you are amazing. THANK YOU, for always being there.
I'm not usually one for high fives, but for my mom, most definitely. :)
My coach, Tim:
There aren't words. So honestly, I'm not even going to try. Other than to say, "thank you a million times over" isn't even close to being sufficient. I'm so thankful for you.
And finally, to Oscar:
I remember when I first told you I wanted to try a triathlon. It wasn't so long ago! You didn't even blink an eye and told me to go for it. And your support hasn't wavered one inch since then. It's been quite a ride, 'eh? Thank you for loving me through all the ups and all the downs. And for allowing me to pursue this dream, no matter the financial, physical, or emotional cost. There is nobody in this world that I'd rather take this journey with.
And with that, the 2014 season is a wrap! (I tried to talk my way into a fall IM but that got shot down pretty quickly) It's been a great season. Now time to rest up, heal up and dream of ways to make 2015 even better!
One of the most frequent questions I got during my buildup and time in Kona (other than the infamous "are you ready?"), was "why Kona?" Some times asked more nicely than others, it seemed like a lot of people wanted to know why "someone like me" would want to pursue the goal of Kona, without any hope of walking away with a pay day or a top finish.
I appreciated the question, mostly because it really made me ask myself "seriously, why Kona?!" Why not focus on races that are closer to home, that are less expensive, that don't require a ton of racing to qualify for, where I have a hope of walking away in the "black" instead of the "red"?
I was pretty sure I knew the answer to that question before the race, but after the race, I REALLY knew the answer. Which, in short, is the simple fact that Kona captivates me. Sure, it doesn't make sense for a lot of reasons. But for THE MOST IMPORTANT reason, it makes all the sense in the world. Kona excites me. It is a race that I dream about. The challenge of getting there motivates me beyond belief. And I don't necessarily feel that same way about other races/goals. I realize it's not the same for everyone, of which I truly respect. But for me, Kona is the ultimate. And as I tread water in Kailua Bay, with 35 of the best female long course triathletes in the world this past Saturday morning, my answer to "why Kona" was solidified. It was one of the most terrifying, electrifying, amazing experiences of my life. And I won't soon forget it. I will surely need that memory to fuel me through the hard days, when I'm trying to qualify again for next year's race.
I finished 27th. Yep, pretty far from that top 10 finish (36 minutes, in fact!). But in my mind, 27th isn't that far away from 25th. And 25th isn't that far away from 20th. And 20th isn't that far away from 15th. And 15th isn't that far away from 10th. Who knows if I have enough years left in the sport to accomplish all of these jumps, or any of them, or even if I can qualify again and return to Kona next year. But my answer to "why Kona" is, you must pursue in life what truly scares you, and motivates you, and what you dream of, and what enthralls you. And Kona is all those things (and more) to me.
As for the race itself, I had what I would call a "solid" day. Nothing spectacular. But also nothing bad, either. Despite a slow swim time, I swam with a group of women that I would not normally be able to swim with. And I learned that even in the World Championships, people will backstroke if they no longer want to do the work up front. So yeah, I was the sucker and pulled my entire group in from the turnaround. Of course this made NO SENSE WHATSOEVER to me, because I was BY FAR the weakest swimmer of the group. But hey, I just wanted to get out of that water as soon as possible and that seemed like the best option to do so, at the time!
Of the 3 years I've competed in Kona, this year was the toughest in terms of conditions on the bike (and swim also, actually), as the wind was WHIPPING up a storm at Waikoloa and on the ascent to Hawi. Like "stop you in your tracks" type of headwind with a good dose of "knock you off your bike" crosswinds. One of the biggest highlights of my day was getting to ride with Natascha Badmann, a true icon of our sport and one of my heros growing up. She is every bit of awesome that you hear about. And in fact, when I missed a bottle at one of the aid stations, she rode up next to me and asked if I was okay and got everything I needed. Amazing doesn't even begin to describe. When she passed me for good she encouraged me to "keep up the speed, let's go, let's go!" I haven't known too many of the other pro women to be to chatty while racing so I was loving it. Natascha, by the way, is 47 years old and had one of the fastest bike splits on the day. Epic.
Look at that snazzy QR!
And the run? It was a decent day although that darn Energy Lab gets me every time. Why is it so hard to keep up a good pace in that place? I can't explain it because it's really no different than any other stretch of road. I struggled quite a bit in the final miles but that's how most IMs go! And I did manage a 21 minute Kona marathon PR. :)
It's all fun and games on Ali'i.
And then you climb Palani and the real work begins on the Queen K.
When I was finished I was happy. Happy to be there racing as a pro, especially considering my relatively significant injury in the spring. Happy to have finished a solid, safe day. And happy to have the experience and all the learning that went along with it, in my back pocket. But I certainly wasn't satisified. And so it begins. How will I get back next year and improve upon 27th? Only time shall tell...
Found these two jokers to sit with at the pro meeting. Another thing I learned about Kona? There is a LOT of hype. Like, a lot. The pro meeting alone was a zoo!
Got to meet many of my QT2 teammates, Bruce included.
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