Kelly Liljeblad

The Sistas are teammates again!

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K SWISS!!!!!  So excited to be on the K Swiss team for 2011! The sistas are teammates again. It’s been so fun training together again and we are both really looking forward to a great year or training and racing. We are traveling to 70.3 San Juan in March. It’ll be my first race of the season and so far training has gone well, so I am hopeful for a great start to 2011. Next up will be Ironman Texas or St George, still deciding on that one since I worry about St George being cold! Kim and I are headed to Clermont in March for a mini training camp. It will be so great to be able to ride and run outdoors. We have been getting hammered here with cold and snow. I am so ready to see the sun and feel the warmth! 

K SWISS!!!!

Happy to be joining the K Swiss Team for 2011! I have an exciting year planned! Details to follow Gotta go train!

The story behind the breakthrough! Dan The Man….

I would like to dedicate this blog to my friend and athlete Danny Golden from my old hood, The Woodlands, Texas. Danny is the model of a perfect progression leading to a huge breakthrough. Danny ran his first marathon in 4:56 in 2002. 7 years later, this past weekend, he ran a 3:16:09. One hour and forty minutes faster, and accomplished his dream of qualifying for the ever so prestigious Boston Marathon. He is the prime example of what hard work, sacrifice, commitment , and patience can do for any runner. (oh yeah, and a kick ass program and coach, let’s not forget that!) I wanted to take a little behind the scene look at how a runner can PR by almost 2 hours in a marathon.

Be patient and think long term. Most runners think short term. They want to run this marathon in 3 months and want this time. While there is nothing wrong with this, I believe the real way to get faster is a gradual progression and change in workout intensity and volume. How did we do this with Danny? 2003, we focussed on weekly consistency, and light workouts. We didn’t worry about pace or specific speed intervals or tempo running. Danny ran “organically” with regard to pacing. There were no pace charts or heart rate monitors. I wanted him to get a feel for running and learn his internal limitations and effort levels. The result was almost an hour pr. He ran 3:46 in our first year working together in 2006. In 2007, we spiced up the program by adding speed and stamina sessions in a periodized approach. In addition we increased the weekly mileage from 30 to 35-40. The result was a stronger  and more well rounded Danny. While he didn’t PR this year, he gained a tremendous amount of strength and stamina and formed the foundation for our work together in 2008. (He did however PR in every other event this year) After Houston 2009, where Danny again Pr’s with a 3:29, he told me his goal for 2010. Qualify for Boston and break 3:20. I knew we had our work cut out for us. This was a lofty goal and we needed to take his training to yet again new heights. Our goal for this training cycle was to increase mileage and add more stamina workouts to the mix. In order for him to be able to handle this increase, we came up with a “injury prevention” strength training program. He completed workouts he never thought would be possible. Long stamina marathon specific workouts, many more long runs, and several at GMP. It was essential to dial in GMP. The volume went up to 50 mpw and he handled this quite well. I knew he was “on”

This past weekend Danny ran The Houston Marathon in 3:16, crushing the qualifying time by 4 minutes. He did it. He accomplished his goal, and now he’s headed to my old stomping grounds. Throughout the year Danny had PR’ed in every event and every race. It was the perfect progression and a season every coach dreams of.

What makes his accomplishment so special is how he handled the gradual progression year after year. He was not only patient but  so structured in his training and left no stone unturned. It was a long term gradual progression. He has a very demanding job, a wonderfully supportive wife, and a son. The sacrifices he has made are to be commended. I am so proud of him and all that he has done over the years. It just goes to show that patience, a long term plan, commitment, dedication, and of course a lot of pain and suffering along the way does pay off. Congrats Bud! Here are some pics of that great day in Houston 2010! What can I say, I love my job.

Now get your ass out the door and train!  :)

Operation Rebound Relay in Vegas

It seems to me that so much hype and attention goes out to the professional athletes and the winners of a race. While this is certainly well deserved, I personally am more motivated and inspired by the CAF, Operation Rebound athletes. These men and women have stared down death in the face. They come home mentally, physically, and emotionally injured.  Yet they overcome their new physical challenges and gain strength from their experiences and a new sense of living life to the fullest. They journey on to new challenges, new goals, and seek other ways to fulfill their sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.

It was an honor to be part of their relay team. We had a wonderful time and I left the race feeling inspired. This course is known to be one of the hardest half marathons on the circuit. I believe it was as I was running that run course. Duane was the cyclist for our team. He lost both his legs in Vietnam when a grenade struck his troop. With his legs blown off, he managed to pull one of his soldiers out. He was the only survivor from his troop. Here is his inspiring story.

In the early morning hours of 15 May 1967, Duane’s company was attacked by enemy mortar and small arms fire. Close combat quickly ensued and Duane was hit by an enemy hand grenade that blow off both of his legs below the knee. Though severely wounded, Duane dragged himself and another injured Marine to safety. For his actions, Duane was awarded the Silver Star.

Upon returning to the U.S., Duane was told by doctors that he would never walk again. However, Duane defied the doctors by walking without the aid of a cane or crutches the first day he received his

Duane Wagner, U.S.M.C. prosthetic legs. He then began riding a bike every day and soon became an elite long-distance cyclist. In 2008, Duane became a member of CAF Operation Rebound and now serves as a mentor to many newly injured veterans, supporting their efforts to become active again after experiencing a traumatic injury. Duane does not consider himself disabled. “It’s just an inconvenience”, says Duane. Duane continues to demonstrate that losing his legs won’t slow him down.

I really enjoyed my time in Vegas and made some great new friends along the way. Keith and Kimberly with New Balance took great care of me and I enjoyed my time with them. I also got to see the Hoover Dam, which was amazing. Here are some pics from the weekend.

Here I am with the beautiful Tallie, The team operation rebound mascot and service dog. She even warmed up in the water  with them. So cute. How loyal she is!