Women's History Month!

March is Women's History Month and that makes it a great time to reflect on some inspirational superwomen.  In my life, I have been fortunate to be surrounded by incredible women who inspire me daily.  I have two amazing Sisters, and incredible friends and collegues that never cease to impress me. 

Though I am surrounded by some incredible ladies, my Mom, Patti, takes the cake as my number one inspirational woman.  She is the whole package: super-intelligent, an amazing mother, an even more incredible Toots (Grandma), a kick ass runner (she's been running for 40 years), a professional, a creative genius, a fabulous wife, and she's hot to boot! I honestly don't know how she does it. 

She's juggled a career and 3 kids for over 30 years and 25 moves as an Army Wife.  I had no idea how hard all of this was when I was kid, she just made everything happen, and it did, seamlessly.  She literally handmade our Halloween costumes, ensured every Birthday celebration was exciting and fabulous, and supported all three of our different after-school sports.  She earned her Master's Degree while teaching full-time and raising three crazy kids.  It wasn't until I had my daughter that I realized how hard she worked to make our lives wonderful.  I am so much more appreciative of her now that we have shared sleepless and achy Christmas and Birthday eves to ensure that every package is perfectly wrapped and magically placed.  It's hard work, especially after returning from a long day at work, and she never let on.   My Mom didn't even have a second to rest after all of us kids moved out, because she has selflessly cared for our little girl (and our rambunctious dog) every time my husband and I have deployed.  Hazel is never happier than when she is with her Toots and as tough as it is to be away from her, I am so fortunate that she is able to spend so much of her life with my incredible Mom.  My Mom inspires me to be a better mother, runner, athlete, fashionista, and professional every single day.  Thanks Mom!

 My Mom has encouraged and inspired me to achieve my dreams and I couldn't be where I am today without her!  I'm honored to be featured on the Army Morale, Welfare, and Recreation page for Women's History month!  There are four other stellar Army Women Athletes featured too. I highly recommend checking it out at the link below for some excellent inspiration. 


MWR Women's History Month


Military Women in Sports Spotlight
CPT Kelly Calway"Running is a huge part of my life and I am fortunate to be able to continue my running career through All Army Sports. The team competitions fostered by All Army Sports help develop leadership and teamwork skills which directly translate to my leadership role as an officer in the Army. All Army sports has given me the opportunity to travel and socialize with Soldiers from countries all over the world. This has provided me with a global perspective that I can apply in my work as a Military Intelligence Officer. Additionally, I am encouraged to maintain a high-level of physical fitness in order to continue to participate in All Army Sports, which translates to a high level of physical fitness and excellent APFT scores."

---

MOS: 35D, Military Intelligence

Duty Station: Fort Carson, CO

Sports/Position: Marathon, Cross Country, and Track
How Many Years of All Army Sports: 8
How Many Years of Military Service: 8
Hometown: Everywhere--I’m an Army Brat!
Alma Mater: North Carolina State University 2006, West Potomac HS 2002

Career with All Army Sports:
· All Army Ten Miler Team, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
· All Army Cross Country 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 (Champion), 2013 (Champion)
· All Army Marathon Team 2008, 2013 (Champion)
· CISM Cross Country 2010
· CISM World Games Track and Field 2011, 10,000m
Personal:

• Her personal goal is to make the Olympic Marathon Team in 2016.
• Kelly enjoys running! She also loves spending time with her awesome family, hiking, camping, shopping, cooking, and coaching.
• Kelly chose to be a part of All Army Sports because she loves to represent the Army and race for all of her fellow Soldiers and Army families. She also loves the opportunity to engage with other services and countries during Armed Forces and CISM competitions to promote friendship through sport.
• Best sports advice given to her was from her Dad, who was a superstar basketball player at West Point: “Hard work pays off!”
• Few people know that she is a vegetarian.
• Kelly is most proud of her incredible family. Her accomplishments in running would mean nothing if she was unable to share them with her family.
• Kelly’s mom, Patti, has had the greatest influence on her athletic career. Her mom has been running for over 30 years and has always supported Kelly’s running career. When Kelly was young, her mom drove her to track practice and even ran with her during road races, cheering her on all the while. Even now, Patti facilitates Kelly’s running career by watching her daughter while Kelly travels to races. Kelly always calls her mom the night before a race and Patti always provides encouragement.
• Best moment of her athletic career to date was either running a personal record and placing 25th at the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials or winning the Marine Corps Marathon 2013.
• If you walked into Kelly’s house, the first thing you’d probably notice is her crazy running partner: her dog, Aspen.
• Among reality shows, she would fare best on The Amazing Race.
• Best thing about being a Soldier-athlete is getting the chance to represent the United States at World Competitions. It’s a huge responsibility to represent our country and our military during the CISM World competitions, and Kelly really enjoys it.
• Kelly would most like to meet the President.

Favorites:
Athlete: Joan Benoit
Movies: The Royal Tenenbaums
TV Shows: Breaking Bad
Music: The Decemberists Actor or Actress: Bill Murray
TV Sports Personality: Phil Liggett
Foods: All vegetables!
Vacation spot: Hawaii! The best place ever.
Best Athlete Ever Faced: Shalane Flanagan in college and during the Olympic Trials.
Quote: “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” –Chinese Proverb

Kelly is currently completing her Master’s Degree in Kinesiology. She will be an instructor at West Point in the Department of Physical Education beginning in the summer of 2015.
Follow Kelly on twitter: @wikigazelle

I'm back!

Life and work got in the way and unfortunately, my blog fell by the way side.  I kept running through it all, and I will do my best to breeze through the past year and half that you all missed out on. 

 



 

 

So I'm a 10,000m runner now. . .

Getting back on the track after 6 years is a huge and refreshing change from road races and marathoning. I'm looking forward to the next race: Payton Jordan on 29 April.

In lieu of a long post-race recap, here are my thoughts on what I need to maintain/improve before I race again. I scribbled this out during Hazel's swim lessons.



I must give a huge shout-out to my husband, who played coach during the race, and WCAP teammates, who told him exactly what to say! Thanks for all of the support!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Olympic Marathon Trials and what comes next

I'm still on cloud nine following the Olympic Trials in Houston last week. My race was "textbook," according to my coach, and I couldn't have asked for a better place to set a five minute PR of 2:37. It was an incredible experience for me. It was also a validating experience, I have dropped 22 minutes over the past 16 months, and have gone from totally unranked nationally and unqualified for the trials to 25th place at the Olympic Trials! Oh yeah, and I was the first military person!




My immediate (and I mean immediate, I hadn't even had any water!) post-race excitement was captured in this article by Tim Hipps: http://www.army.mil/article/72075/Calway_leads_military_runners_in_U_S__Olympic_Marathon_Team_Trials

The Trials:

For starters, the event was first-class. The athlete and family support was fabulous and very well-planned. Everything from check-in, to provided food (tons of veg options and healthy stuff) and refreshments, to massage was amazing. The volunteers were awesome and everyone was super helpful.


I've never had more support before a race, my parents, husband, daughter, coach, and in-laws all made the trip to the Lone Star state just for me. And those who couldn't make it sent good luck letters, messages, and emails. It was awesome to know how many people stood behind me. Before the race, my family was super-supportive, they helped drag by bags all over Houston, juggled all of my gear for me, and even helped decorate my fluid bottles so that I could find them on the course.



Princess wands! What a great idea!


During the race, my support crew was spectacular! They spread out over the entire course with signs, cameras, and extremely loud voices! They recruited random spectators to cheer me on and tweeted my time, place, and pictures during the race. I couldn't have asked for better support. I love my family!

Race-Prep:
I've never felt so good during a taper or so ready to race before the trials. I owe most of that to my Coach, who in 3 months prepared me better than ever before. I did more miles and more long-tempo runs and a lot fewer track workouts than before. I ran through the summer heat, the 5 minute fall, and through the blizzards and crazy wind in Colorado, and Coach was with me (usually on a bike) the whole time. My last big work out before the trials I ran 2xmile and 3x 1,000 all faster than I've run in the past. We discussed the race plan several times. I knew I was ready to go.

I actually "carbo-loaded" 72 hours out from the race, which I've never done before. I thought it would be fun, but I actually thought it was a bit gross to try to get the amount of carbs necessary when I wasn't very hungry from tapering. By the time race day rolled around I felt like my whole body was oozing Gatorade. I think my eyes were even bloodshot. Needless to say, my glycogen stores were up!


I got a bit nervous the night before the trials. My first Olympic Trials! I already knew what I had to do, but I just needed to get over the pre-race butterflies. My routine helped with that, I painted my toenails, braided my hair, and still had some doubt when I climbed in to bed. Then I opened the many good luck cards from friends and family across the country. It meant so much to me that everyone took time to wish me luck and it was humbling to see how many people believed in me. How could I doubt myself? I snapped out of it, and got my race face on. And then I slept like a baby.



The Race


I knew that the level of competition in the women's field was unprecedented. Looking around in the warm up area, that was extremely apparent. There were Olympians, Medalists, NCAA champions, and a whole lot of super-fit women. When they called us up to the line, this pack of women, all of whom are used to starting with her toes on the line, crammed onto the narrow roadway. I was in about the third row from the front. When the gun sounded, along with a zillion different metallic clicks of wristwatches, the groups set in motion. At that point everyone was the same, a school of fish swimming down the asphalt. We all swam an extremely slow first mile, a 6:17 and by mile 2 we all picked it up.



First lap: Remain in control and run smart.
The field broke up into groups, the front pack, chase group, and I found myself in the second pack, something I have zero experience with. I let myself go with the group, trusting the pace, and periodically checking mile splits. I was pretty confident that it was a smart pack because I was running beside Colleen Deruck!




Second Lap: Pick it up
The group stuck together until about the half marathon point and then began to string out. At this point I knew I was feeling good and that I had to pick it up, so I went with the girls in the front. I was still in control and feeling good.





Third Lap: Race!
When I got to the start of the third lap, I knew I could achieve my goal and I knew I had enough strength to actually race. I was excited! I saw Chris at mile 21 and he was so wired, he shouted "you're beating a lot of people!" that's good, I thought, that's exactly what I came here to do! My Dad was at mile 22 and he was hollering like a crazy person! "go Kelly! You're a Brown, damn it!". My mom was just before mile 24 and she was jumping and screaming too! Coach even ran out to about mile 25 with his old school stop-watch and told me to "see how many girls I could catch!" I did catch them too, it was awesome! I passed 4 girls after that point, including Colleen Deruck, and gave it everything I had. I was ecstatic! I beat some incredible athletes out there and felt like I proved myself!



What Next?

For starters, this sets me up really well for the trials in 2016. I'll continue to work with my Coach, Mark Stanforth, and will continue to improve over the next 4 years. All I have to do is improve by 2% per year order the next 4 years. Sounds easy, but I know it'll be a lot more hard work, which would be an issue if I didn't absolutely love what I do.

More immediately, I'm going to give the 10,000 meters a shot. As a miler in college, I never raced the 10k before and I think I can fuse my remaining speed and now endurance together to do great things. The 10k will also give me an opportunity to incorporate more speed work which will benefit my marathon. Plus, I'm looking forward to hitting the track!

After the 10k, I'm going
to go do my real Army job, but I will definitely make time to continue training. I've come too far to give it up now!

Do the Little things:
-My iron (ferritin) dipped to 25 before the trials, ideally I'd like it to be at 50, so I am declaring operation Pump up the Iron! I'm even giving up coffee (for a little bit) to facilitate this. And, under the supervision of a doctor, bumping up my iron intake to 3 times daily. Hopefully, this will produce some results!

-Rest: It's going to be tough to get in all of my training while working full-time, and I can't sacrifice rest to get it all in. I've definitely learned to value sleep as a huge part of training and recovery. In order to continue to make progress, I can't skimp on it.

-Physical Therapy: I have a slight imbalance in strength on my left side due to the Achilles injury I had last year that I never properly rehabbed. I'm all over that now, which will correct an annoying issue and make me more efficient.

-Drills: those pesky things that correct inefficiencies and make me stronger. I'm going to do those more often now.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Finally! I ran a new half marathon PR by over 2 minutes; 1:16!

It was another beautiful year at the Big Sur Half marathon in Monterey, CA. They have, hands down, the best elite support of any race in which I have participated. The professionalism and care for runners doesn't stop at the front pack, however, it definitely continues until the last runner crosses the line. I swear they worked some serious magic for the race because the rest of the day it poured down rain!

I felt very strong throughout the entire race and followed my race plan to a "T" and it worked (surprise)! I went out at a comfortable pace and held it for the first 5k (I was told no faster than 5:40). The next 5k I held there as the pack of women began to string out. I started gaining on a few women in front of me and I knew I was feeling good, so at mile 9 I picked it up and passed two and then reeled in the next woman at mile 10. I was definitely strong and gaining speed where I would normally slow up. I got the 4th runner in my sights and I probably would've gotten her with another half mile! But I was pleased with my PR and 5th place finish, because there were some rad chicks (Olympians) in front of me!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Big Sur Half Marathon Post Race Report

New Sports Cards!

I got my new WCAP sports cards recently and they are double-sided! Rad! Let me know if you want one!





- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Check out my Article in the rad mag "This Mother Can Run"

You can find the full article here: www.thismothercanrun.com





















- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

First Race of 2011: Gate River Run 15k

After nursing an uncooperative achilles for much of January and half of February and missing out on Cross-Country and the Half Marathon Championships, I finally (FINALLY!) laced up my fast shoes for the 15k National Championships last Saturday.  I did not feel terribly prepared, as I had a mere 2 weeks of actual workouts under my belt, but I had to trust that the countless hours spent aqua-jogging in circles around the Manitou pool were worth it (I became a true regular in the pool, just ask me how many beams there are in the ceiling, the names and stories of all of the lifeguards, or how many tiles there are peeking above the waterline). 

It felt great to race again and I wound up finishing top 20 with a time of 53:35 (5:45/mile pace).  

Running on the Alter-G

When we push our bodies to the limit all the time, something is going to give.  After the workout from the last blog post, I have been struggling with my left achilles tendon.  Although I knew something was up, I kept running on it, last weekend doing a 14 mile long run, a 10 mile tempo, and part of my 5 and 8 mile day on Monday before realizing that something was not right.  I finally let my coach know what was going on and she had me finish my workout on Monday on the bike at her house (while watching the BCS National Championship, and repping my sisters' school, OREGON).

The next 2 days I chugged it out in the pool.  Running in the pool with no aqua belt and with a pair of running shoes on.  Speedo and running shoes: such a hot look!  It gets pretty boring using the deep end part of the lap lane, but it just makes me hungry to get back outside and run!

On Thursday I warmed up in hopes of doing a track work out, but after 20 minutes, my achilles started to seize up and I was sent back to the pool.  Yesterday I was able to run on the Alter-G machine, which is an Anti-Gravity treadmill.

I love this machine because it allows me to RUN through my injury.  Here's how it works:  you put on a pair of neoprene (wet suit material) shorts that have a tutu-like top with a zipper.  Then you step into a big bubble around a treadmill and zip yourself in.  The machine calibrates your weight and then you can begin running.  You can set the weight at as high as 100% (your total body weight) and as low as 20% of your body weight.  I generally run at 90% if I am not injured, but right now I am running at about 75% to take enough pressure off of my achilles while I run. 

Here's how it works, from their website:  http://www.alter-g.com/product/anti-gravity-treadmills

Unweighting is achieved in the AlterG by using air in a pressure-controlled chamber to gently lift the user. Precise calibration using our patented technology allows for very specific unweighting from 100-20% of the users body weight in 1% increments. Something no other unweighting modality can do.

Today I am back on the Alter-G for a 90 minute long-run.  I will take my trusty podcasts: This American Life, Fresh Air, Planet Money, and Stuff You Should Know and chug away.  I much prefer the Alter-G to pool running!

I'm doing RICE (Rest Ice Compression and Elevation) and physical therapy for my achilles.  Hopefully it will be healed soon and I can get back on the pavement soon!

One good thing that comes out of injury is that is definitely makes me appreciate running injury-free and motivates me to get back to running and training hard!

Back to the Track 2011

Back in Colorado and back to work.  This week has been pretty brutal: hill workout on Sunday, killer fartleks on Tuesday (on an uphill route), Wednesday I ran hard on the Alter-G, and today I had a 5 x 1,000 track workout.  I am smoked!  

The worst part about getting back to work is that I feel like I've lost a great deal of my acclimation to the altitude, which makes everything harder!  Getting back into things is never fun.  In this way I can totally relate to everyone who made a fitness resolution this year.  It's HARD work when you're starting out, but it gets better, I promise.  It's easy to want to throw in the towel when you first start, but when you stick with it for a few weeks it gets much easier and the end results are incredible!  

Hard work pays off!  

On tough workout days like this I have to constantly remind myself of that!  During workouts like this, I often find it hard to keep my thoughts positive.  It's easy for me to drift down a negative path when I am struggling to hit my times, I have to make a conscious effort to erase those negative thoughts and turn them into positive energy for my workout.  One tip I learned from Dr. Z is to envision the negative thought on a chalkboard, then wipe it clean with a mental eraser, and finally fill it's place with a positive word or phrase.  

I love this pic because it looks like I'm beating the pants off of Kenny.  The reality is that he was lapping me!

My teammate, Kenny was super-motivating today.  He was really running strong and pushing himself to the limit.  He had to overcome an nasty illness this fall and is now back and better than ever!  It's great to workout with such a motivating person!  Thanks, Kenny!

Resolutions 2011

I'm not too big on New Year's Resolutions, because I like to think I can make a change for the better at any point throughout the year.  But I've identified four things that I can improve upon in life and in running in 2011.  Here they are:

1. Floss Daily-As a child I flossed every single night (seriously, you can ask my mother) and I've never had a single cavity.  Since I've become a mom myself, I've let my oral hygiene slip a bit.  So, I am getting back in the habit.  The goal is daily, but 3 times a week will be sufficient.  So far so good.

2. Drink More Water- I do really well in this area during the summer and while its warm.  But when it's cold outside the last thing that I want to do is grab a large glass of water (no ice).  So I tend to skimp on H20 and we all no that's not good for you!   So, I will do my best to carry around a water bottle, and maybe even buy some propel or Crystal light packets, because I'm more likely to drink it if it's tasty.


3. Strength Training- It's not that I avoid strength training (okay, maybe a little), but I don't have a formal strength training program right now, and I know that it would greatly benefit my training.  Starting tomorrow, I am going to meet with the WCAP Strength and Conditioning Coach to create a workout plan that I can incorporate into my training.  


4. Get Organized- My middle sister was born organized.  Her apartment is spotless and always looks like a design catalogue.  Unfortunately, I did not get this gene.  This is by far my most difficult resolution and I will do my best to stick to it.  I am going to get organized!  First, I have to cleanse myself of all of the "stuff."  That means going through the junk drawer and weeding all of the closets.  Then I am going to logically reorganize things so that it's easier to just put them away.  I'm heading out to buy some plastic bins right now.

A Gift Guide for Fast Girls

A gift guide for the Runner Girl on your list.
See more of my Gifts for Fast Girls list at ThisNext.

Since I am done with my Christmas shopping, I thought I'd help out anyone looking to buy for a Runner Girl this season.  Enjoy!

See more of my Gifts for Fast Girls list at ThisNext.

Relaaaaaaaaaaaaax.

Today I am doing NOTHING.  No run, no swim, no bike, no Alter-G.  Nothing.

Hang out with me for more than a few hours and you will realize that is not an easy thing for me to do.  I have fond memories of my family pushing me out the door for a run because I am too hyper.   My Soldiers in Iraq would very nicely ask me if I needed to go for a run on days when I would get stressed out.  I need to run.  I LOVE RUNNING!  When I can't run, I love swimming, biking, surfing, snowboarding, hiking. . . you name it.  I love being outside breathing fresh air.  I have a hard time sitting still, which is why I don't go to movie theaters.  I just need to move!

But today my training schedule says "DAY OFF."  I already called my coach to whine and she wouldn't budge.  She told me all of the things that I already know: that my body needs a break and that I have a long time and plenty of hard training before Rotterdam in April.  She promised me I wouldn't lose my fitness and that it was totally necessary.  She knows what she's talking about and I need to listen if I want to keep running well.

Rest is an important part of any training plan.  It's just hard to make a conscious choice to be lazy, especially after I've put in all this work! But I'd rather take some down time now than be forced to take some later on.  Therefore, despite the fact that it completely goes against my nature, I am going to sit on the couch with my feet up and watch some lame reality TV that I am embarrassed to admit I actually enjoy.

Finish Pic!

Can you tell I was excited?  

Calway earns berth in 2012 U.S. Olympic Marathon Team Trials

http://www.armymwr.com/news/news.aspx?nid=326

Calway earns berth in 2012 U.S. Olympic Marathon Team Trials
By Tim Hipps, FMWRC Public Affairs Thursday, December 9, 2010
U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program runner Capt. Kelly Calway of Fort Carson, Colo., seen here finishing second among women at the 2010 Army Ten-Miler, earned a berth in the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Marathon with a fifth-place finish at the California International Marathon on Dec. 5 in Sacramento. (U.S. Army photo by Tim Hipps, FMWRC Public Affairs, cleared for public release, not for commercial use, attribution requested).  ALEXANDRIA, Va. – U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program runner Capt. Kelly Calway earned a berth in the 2012 U.S. Olympic Marathon Team Trials with a fifth-place finish at the California International Marathon on Dec. 5 in Sacramento. Calway’s time of 2 hours, 42 minutes, 19 seconds met the “B” qualification standard for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Marathon, scheduled for Jan. 14, 2012, in Houston, the first U.S. city scheduled to play host to both the men’s and women’s Olympic Trials for Marathon. Calway, 26, of Fort Carson, Colo., began training with Army WCAP distance runners in August with her sights set on competing at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London. “It’s everything I dreamed of and more,” she said of joining WCAP. “It’s awesome. It gives me time to train, get coached, and do everything right.” Calway, a former cross country and 1,500-meter runner on the track for North Carolina State University, finished second among women at the 2010 Army Ten-Miler with a personal-best time of 57:20 on Oct. 24. That was nearly three minutes faster than her Army Ten-Miler time of the previous year – just after returning from a six-month deployment in Iraq. “Every time I’m out here running, especially with Army on my chest, I’m running for way more than myself,” Calway said. “I’m running for all those Soldiers overseas and all of the wounded guys who are coming home. To be out here representing the Army is awesome.” Her mission now is to concentrate on marathon training. “I love the marathon,” Calway said. “It’s an evil, evil race. You really have to reach down into your guts and find what you’re out there for.” At the California International Marathon, Calway reached down and knocked 17 minutes off her previous best time for 26.2 miles – a 2:59 clocking at Boston in 2009. At the Pentagon, she dedicated her Army Ten-Miler runner-up finish to Marine Corps 1st Lt. James Byler, who was wounded a week earlier by an improvised explosive device in Iraq. With her husband, Capt. Chris Calway, still deployed in Afghanistan, and three- year-old daughter Hazel to care for, Kelly feels fortunate to find time to run. “Juggling being a Soldier in the Army, a mom, a wife and all that, it’s hard to get my training in,” she said. “But I’m able to do everything that I need to do and do everything right. I’m able to eat right, sleep right, get my training in, and rest when I need to. Go Army!”

Thanks for all of the support!!!!!

I did it!  I qualified for the trials with a time of 2:42 (a 17 minute PR)!  I am still feeling it, physically and mentally!  I am so excited, relieved, happy, and motivated to run harder and faster next time (Rotterdam Marathon April 10th 2011).   I guess that  means I have to update my blog header. 

The race went really well.  It was a lot hillier than I thought, but the hills kind of broke up the miles and made it go by quickly.  The first 10 miles clicked off like nothing, I ran a sub-60, and felt totally under control.  My half split was 1:18:16 (which is faster than Big Sur).  After mile 14, I started to feel a bit tired (at mile 16 I caught a second wind) and hung behind this awesome guy with a runner tattoo on his shoulder.  We ran together until mile 18 when he made a pit stop and never caught back up.  

I was planning on picking it up for the last 10k and I honestly tried, but I was suffering.  I was glad that I had a cushion to make my time, because my legs were heavy and exhausted and I fought hard against them to get to the finish line.  I did pass two women in the last 10k, one of which was in the last .2 (after Coach Lisa screamed "go get her!") and finished 5th overall.  I was so excited when I made it to the finish line and saw 2:42 on the clock!!!!  I gave my coach, Lisa, a huge sweaty hug right after I crossed the finish line.  

My coach cheering me on and giving me tips at mile 10.   She was out there several different times on the course helping me keep my head in the game.  

The BEST part of the whole thing is knowing how many people I have behind me cheering me on and pushing me to the finish line.  I know the greatest people in the WORLD and I am so grateful to have so much support.  I knew how many people were using the online tracking to virtually watch my race, from Afghanistan to Hawaii and everywhere in between, and I was not about to let you all down! 

Hazel and Grampie Bob were tracking online at breakfast in Manitou.  This was her reaction to the news!

My phone was blowing up with texts and calls after the race.  The first call I received after the race was from my middle sister, Kristen, who was balling.  Before I had even had a chance to process it, she was yelling into the phone, telling me how proud she was.  I love her!  

Next call was from my parents, who were also shouting!   My Father, who has done multiple combat tours and had 3 children, told me that the tracker stopped at mile 20 and that the time in between that and the end of the race was "the most nervous he's ever been in his life."   

My Dad had a reason to be nervous!  I look like I am dying in this picture! 

While on the massage table post-race, I got the call I most desired: my husband Chris.  He was able to use the virtual tracker despite the low-bandwidth in Afghanistan.  However, he was only able to track the race until mile 20 and then he had to go out on a patrol (if I had known that I would have been more nervous for him than myself).  He claims that he was so confident that I would make my time he didn't worry at all.   He was so excited to get back to base and call that he almost left his weapon behind!  

I certainly could not have done it on my own.  From my amazing Family to my Coach, from my Father-in-law who came out to babysit, to WCAP and ACEP,  all of the pre-race good luck wishes and post-race congratulations, and everyone who believed in me, I am so lucky to have such incredible people behind me every step of the way.  

THANK YOU!

If you were tracking the race, let me know where you were and what your reaction was by leaving me a comment below!      

Cali-Bound!

I am so ready to race and set a new PR at CIM!  I feel great and I am very excited to get it over with!

This past week has been taper-tastic!  I've had less than 10 miles to run each day and I've had tons of time to complete my Christmas shopping, decorate the house, bake cookies, and, best of all, send packages to my husband in Afghanistan.  I only had one workout, 400s, on Tuesday.  It went really well, but I am ready to run fast and for a long time, 26.2 miles, to be exact!

The weather looks great, temperatures between 40-60F and only a 20% chance of rain.  It doesn't matter what the weather is because I am going to GET IT DONE!

You can follow my race progress and virtually cheer me on at this link: http://www.flashresults.com/2011_Meets/CIM/

My race number is: 109

Last Long Run: Not the Only Hurdle Before CIM!

This past week I was getting pretty stressed out about the upcoming marathon.  I was basically just putting a lot of undue pressure on myself.  This is the last shot to make the Trials standard for two of my teammates, with whom I raced this weekend, and I think some of their tension rubbed off on me.  Additionally, I didn't have the best 5 mile tempo track workout on Thursday and I was crushed.  I was letting it get to me and thinking very negatively.  Luckily, I know who to call-- Dr. Z.


On Friday, I called Dr. Nate Zinsser, the Director of the Center for Performance Enhancement at United States Military Academy.  He was able to squeeze me in to his busy schedule and talk some sense into me!  He heard my sob story and quickly got me back on track.  He asked me if I enjoyed running, to which I responded "of course!"  Then he said

"just ENJOY yourself and think of this marathon as an OPPORTUNITY."

Today, I felt so free on my 18 mile long run (is that redundant?).  I went out without a Garmin and just had fun.  That Eagles song "Get over it, Get over it, All this whinin' and cryin' and pitchin' a fit 
Get over it, get over it" was going through my head the whole time :)  I felt strong the whole way and picked it up for the last 6 miles.  I ENJOYED myself and am, once again, EXCITED to race at CIM!


I am so grateful to be in WCAP, with the opportunity to do what I love, representing the US Army and the incredible Soldiers who serve our Country.  This is my opportunity to show off how hard I've worked.  This is my opportunity to get to the Olympic Trials.  I know that I can do it and I can't let negative thoughts get in my way!

Tips from an Ironman Champ

There is a reason why Chrissie Wellington wins Ironman…

Her 10 tips are what makes an athlete perform to his or her best ability.  How many times have you heard me say many of the same things!

Please take a minute to read through these “pearls of wisdom”

Coach Lisa

Performance tip #1: Passion gets you further than gear. "You've really got to be passionate and enjoy the sport and never lose sight of that. Amateurs sometimes get caught up in the minutia. You've got to have the latest bike and this, that and the other thing. You have to keep the love for the sport in mind." Performance tip #2: More isn't always better. "There's always a tendency to think that more is better, especially with regard to Ironman training. People think, 'I have my log book and I have to be a slave to it and log as many hours as I can.' Whereas for me, people are always surprised that I don't do as much volume as they think. Don't get me wrong; I work incredibly hard. But always err on the side of quality rather than quantity." Peformance tip #3: Don't be afraid to go fast. "Lots of people go for long, slow, steady rides. If you ride long, slow and steady, you're going to race long, slow and steady. You have to go faster, harder and stronger in order to reach those faster times. There's a place for periodization and for not doing too hard of intervals too early in the season. But as race season starts, you want to change it up. There's still a place for those slow miles, but you also have to incorporate harder, faster efforts as well." Performance tip #4: Rest is as important as training. "Recovery is an integral part of training. People have their log books, and they tick everything off in all of the columns, but where's the column for recovery? That's the 4th pillar. Without that, the whole structure collapses. I break recovery down into nutrition, compression garments (which I wear), getting enough sleep, and resting between sessions. Also learning not only to relax your body but also relax your mind. Without recovery, I wouldn't be the athlete I am." Performance tip #5: Train your mind, too. "It amazes me how little time people spend on mental training. 30K into a marathon on race day is too late to figure out that you need to train your brain. There are many different tools you can use. Have a bank of positive images and songs. It doesn't have to be related to sport at all. That way, when the going gets tough--and it will get tough--you can draw on those images and have peace of mind." Performance tip #6: Have a mantra (or two). "I have some that I write on my water bottle and wristband when I race. One is 'smile,' and another is 'never give up.' There's a poem I write on my water bottle--Rudyard Kipling's If. It encapsulates everything you need to do to be a good athlete, especially the mental side of the game. 'If you can keep your head when all about you/Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;/If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,/But make allowance for their doubting too...' It's all about keeping calm under pressure and knowing that triumph and disaster are one and the same thing. You can win or lose, and often losing can be just as much of a learning experience as the victory can. Someone said to me in an interview the other day, 'You've never lost an Ironman; what would it feel like to lose?' And I think, is coming in second losing or is it coming in second? It's changing the concept of success and failure, triumph and disaster." Performance tip #7: Make it hurt. "It's important to hurt in training and to learn to suffer a bit. Embrace fatigue and pain--welcome it and develop strategies to embrace it. If it doesn't hurt, you're not working hard enough. You're not always going to have easy days in training--you're going to be frustrated and have a bad day and it's important to learn to endure those in training. When you experience it in a race, you've already encountered it and can have that peace of mind." Performance tip #8: Develop a deep understanding of your own body. "People say how do you know how fast to go? I've trained at that pace I know I can sustain for X number of hours. Whether you train with a power tap or heart rate monitor or another device, that's all well and good, but you need to be able to control your own effort and your own intensity and internalize that race pace so when you get onto the course you know what pace you can sustain. When everything's hurting 30K into the marathon, no heart rate monitor is going to help you." Performance tip #9: Get stronger by getting smarter. "You have to be prepared to be objective and honest about weaknesses and where you can improve and learn from your mistakes. That's how you grow." Performance tip #10: Eat! "I eat a really healthy, well-balanced diet. I think it's important for women that they have role models who consume a sizeable amount of calories each day. Nothing is naughty or banned for me; I eat sensibly and healthfully. I eat red meat once a week and have lots of good fat and lots of carbohydrates. I fuel my body, and that's an integral part of my training. Breakfast is a big huge concoction of oatmeal, flax seed, chia seeds, nuts, coconut, and then another cereal (like Kashi GoLean), and I put yogurt on it and put honey on the top. That's after my first training session. Before it, I have maybe three to four rice cakes with nut butter and honey." "I'm uber-competitive and I don't make apologies for that. I love racing other athletes, and I wanted to race them on the best stage of the world [Kona]. I love the atmosphere, the cameraderie, and the thrill of winning. But when I first got into the sport, I said to my coach at the time, Brett Sutton, 'I feel so selfish, I'm doing this for me alone.' I had just moved from international development to becoming an athlete. He said, 'within a few years, you'll be able to affect more change through your sport than you ever thought possible.' And it's true: I'm not just racing for myself I'm racing for a cause, for women in sport, to spread awareness and inspire and encourage people. I don't just want to win. I want to win in a manner that affects change but in a way that shows my passion and my love and inspires others." Christi "Think like a bumblebee and train like a racehorse!"

The Big Sur Half Marathon

A great shot of me and the guys at the start!

Getting some goodies on the podium.

What a gorgeous race!  The event was run flawlessly (even the weather cooperated) and the events for the elite athletes were top-notch.  

The conditions leading up to my race were not exactly ideal: battling the flu, a knot in my IT band, falling on ice, and a twenty-miler on Monday.  But I certainly can't complain about the results:  I got second place overall!  

It was a lonely race, because the first girl ran a 1:09 and I was all by myself from mile 4 on!  I was a little disappointed with my time, but I just really didn't have any competition out there, so I let myself get comfortable for the last 4 miles.  I am mad at myself for not giving it my all, but second place with a 90% effort is not too shabby.  It was a great race before my marathon because now I am HUNGRY.  I have to put in a few more weeks worth of work and then I get to redeem myself at California International!  

A few articles from before and after the race:

JET SETTER: Ethiopian Gebre breaks course record with time of 1:09:43 - MontereyHerald.com

Big Sur Half Marathon Elite Field

Such a pretty place!

Goofing off before the awards.

Post race ice-bath in the bay.  It was outrageously cold!