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The story behind the breakthrough! Dan The Man….

posted: January 22nd 2010 | posted in Blog, Family & Friends, Racing | No Comments »

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

posted: November 24th 2009 | posted in Blog, Family & Friends, Racing | No Comments »

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!

Ironman CDA in the books!

posted: June 25th 2009 | posted in Blog, Family & Friends, Racing, Sponsors, Travel | No Comments »

What a fun week! I have to say a big thank you to Kim for coaching me for this race and for taking such great care of me the days leading up to race day. Thank you Kevin and Cindy (Nancy !) for welcoming us into your beautiful home. We truly enjoyed our stay and getting to know you both!

I had a suitable welcome to race week when upon arrival at the Spokane airport, I opened the car door and knocked myself in the eye, giving me a beautiful  black eye. I had blood streaming down my face and said to Kim , “Oh, That’s gonna leave a mark!.” It hurt a lot but we laughed it off. She said , “Let the beatings begin.”

We got there early in the week and this gave us plenty of time to goof off, practice open water swimming, and check out the bike course. I felt very confident at the beginning of the week but got nervous as the week progressed. Just when I thought things couldn’t get worse, they did. First I find out that the weather on race day would be in the low 50’s with wind, thunderstorms, and a chance of hail. “Great” , I thought. I can run in anything, but the choppy ocean like lake, and wet roads on the bike is something that makes me very nervous. The bike course was technical with steep downhills and sharp turns on the descents. My handling skills are less than ideal for this kind of course. I just prayed for no rain on the bike. Bring it on for the run. I can handle any weather condition on the run. Then to top it off, they inform us at the pro meeting that it will be a land start. Oh how I love these, start in the sand in your friggin rubber suit, sprint in the water, and begin hammering the swim. Nothing like starting an Ironman with a heart rate of 200, getting kicked and punched while hyperventilating. What a great way to start the day with a full blown panic attack!  I remember standing on the starting line of the Miami Marathon with some friends who were all trying to get their olympic trial qualifying time and one friend said to me, “This is the worst feeling in the world. It’s so nerve racking!”  I looked at her and replied, “Oh honey , you have NO idea!!! The start of an ironman swim is by far the wost! No one is going to run up to you and grab your legs or punch you in the face, while you are gasping for air” ok you get my point.

The swim was very challenging. We were given a 35 minute head start on the age groupers. Well it was a 2 loop course, so the slower swimmers were screwed. Just as I turned to head towards the second loop, I missed a buoy and a lady in a kayak was yelling at me to go around it, so I turned around to go around it just as I heard the U2 It’s a beautiful Day song, (now every time I hear this song I’ll feel sick to my stomach) and I knew in 10 second I was screwed. The 2500 age groupers had started and I was about to get the living shit beat out of me. I was on the left and tried to get to the right of the buoy because I knew that once we hit that red left turn buoy, I would be stuck in a traffic jam around the buoy. There were so many swimmers that I couldn’t get left. I felt like Chevy Chase , “Big Ben kids, Just can’t get to the left!” I was so scared I actually had an evacuation plan and said to myself that if by chance I got pushed under the buoy, not to panic and just swim under it to the other side. There was a dead stop traffic jam at the turn buoy, we were actually just treading water trying to get around. I actually aqua jogged a bit around the buoy and actually passed some swimmers! A few minutes later and many kicks in the face, I lost my goggles, and had to stop to put they back on. It was brutal and I came out of the water in 67 minutes, 5 minutes off my goal time.

I got on my bike and felt ready to get some girls. Kim said to hold back the first loop and pace myself. I felt like I was riding strong but my pace was a little slower than planned. Because all the girls swam so much faster than me, I was ALL alone out there on the bike. There was no one. It was very lonely. I had a hard time getting in a rythem on the bike. I heard a jarring in my gearing and couldn’t figure out where it was coming from. Seemed like we were either going up, down, or around a turn. I tend to do better on courses like Lake Placid, long climbs versus smaller hills one after another. My lack of technical bike skills definitely showed in my time. I found myself wondering how hard to push. I was worried about the run. I knew that the marathon would be a struggle off 2 days a week of running.

I got off the bike and didn’t pass a single girl, but I felt ready to run. I loved the run course. 2 loops and an out and back, so there were people everywhere. I felt like I was in a race unlike the lonely bike ride. I paced great in the run and am very proud of myself for pushing to the end. I had a bad patch from 13-18 but finished strong (maybe it was all the coke I was desperately reaching for) and ran the last 3 miles at about 7 min pace with the last one under 7. I thought I was in 9th place and 8th place was 1:50 up with 4 miles to go. I had to dig very deep to push on and go after her. I caught her with 2 miles to go. I was so happy because I wanted top 8 so bad. Well I crossed the finish line and found out that was 9th place! Damn it!! Oh well it pushed me to the limits. I ended up passing 4 pro’s on the run. It was a very challenging race for me. The swim and bike was such a mental struggle for me, and the run as usual was very painful. All in all I am happy and raced to a PR by 4 minutes. What a great sport and such a challenge.

We went down to the finish line later that night to drink some beers and watch the final finishers. Fun fun.

I have to thank my sponsors New Balance and Trakkers for their support. Thank you!!!! I just loved my new flats, 769, great Ironman racer.

And most of all thanks sissy for taking such good care of me all week long! I had a blast and maybe , just maybe , I’ll do another! Love ya sis!

Here are some fun pics of our weekend.

Looking back, it would be funny to see a picture of me getting swallowed up by the 2500 age groupers but Kim couldn’t watch it. She said it was too painful, and had to look away as it happened. She felt too bad for me.

USA 10 Mile Championships

posted: October 19th 2008 | posted in Blog, Racing | No Comments »

My race a few weeks ago seemed to have been overshadowed with my excitement for the Hawaii Ironman. The race went very well and I finished 3rd behind Kara Goucher and Katie McGreggor. It was my first big race in a while and I was so excited to race it hard and be in the mix. I felt very happy with my race plan. Training at altitude, I was a little unsure as to what pace I would be able to handle. As a result, I feel I went out a little slow. By mile 4, I was in 5th place. 3rd and 4th were running together 15 sec up the road.  By mile 6 I was still 15 seconds back. We were running the same pace. I knew the last mile was all downhill and didn’t feel I had the leg speed for a final kick, so I decided I had to surge and catch up. I surged at mile 6-7 and caught up to the girls. Then the race started and it was really exciting. Everything I love most about racing. Surges, matching surges, real racing, no time trials. I surged, they surged with me. It was great. Then at mile 7.5 I threw in a big surge and broke away a little. I decided this was it. Surge and keep surging! I just went as hard as I could and told myself to get to mile 9 because then it is downhill for the finish. I tried not to look back, but I really wanted to bc I knew she wasn’t far back! My last 3 miles were probably around 5:30 pace and I was really happy about that. It’s great to be back and look forward to some great races this winter. I had a wonderful weekend and it was great to catch up with some old friends.What’s next? Not sure yet. I’ll decide in a week or so. One thing I know is that I will be training someplace warm this winter, hopefully with the sis!!!!  Thanks for reading 

Freakin Go Time For The Sista

posted: October 11th 2008 | posted in Blog, Family & Friends, Racing, Training, Travel | No Comments »

Well we are here. The biggest race of the year for any pro triathlete. Kona baby and this place is kickin. There is so much excitement in the air here. It is great. What a love for the sport and love for testing one’s own mental and physical abilities.  I really enjoy meeting people from all over the world. Kim is ready to seek a little revenge from last year. Last year was painful to watch. Kim started the race with an injury which later she discovered was a stress fracture of the femur. I thought I was tough one year when I ran the world championships on a stress fracture (didn’t know at the time) but she raced an ironman with one. She also didn’t know til after the race. So, needless to say last year was devastating for Kim.I have to say, I have never seen her more relaxed. So many people freak out and waste way to much energy worrying. She is very calm and confident. I ran with her the past few days. Some nice easy runs and some nice quick strides.  Kim and I had a blast training together in Boulder this summer. I like to think that on race day, I will be pushing her just like I did all those tempo runs out by the Boulder Res.  Kim and I are so close. I am so lucky to have my very best friend be my twin sis. We share so much together. When she races, I swear I am right on her shoulder. I feel her pain, feel her struggles, and feel her glory. It’s unexplanable.It’s going to be a great day. The whole family is here to cheer. Brian, my bud from HS Tanja (T dog), mom, and Brians whole family. We are looking forward to some excitement.Another shout out for my bud Michael Lovato. The Lovatos are amazing people and I have really enjoyed becoming great friends with them. Also to my friends Fee Docherty, Alex, Brad Seng, and many others. I’ll be cheering.See you all at the finish line. PS no  Kim was not drinking in that picture, but we were!!!!

Oh So Close

posted: July 29th 2008 | posted in Blog, Family & Friends, Racing | No Comments »

This is Kim as she crossed the finish line last weekend . After gaining the lead at mile 16 on the run, Kim  was past with 3 miles to go in the 146 mile race. Please check out Kim’s website at Kimloefflerracing.com for a race report.This was the gutsiest race I have ever watched. The rain started at 6:45 am and it freaking poured and I mean poured until the next day. Kim had a tough swim and came out of the water about 11 or 12 minutes down. She came back with an incredible bike, posting the fastest bike split of the day and narrowed the gap at the start of the run to 7 minutes. I was really worried about Kim on the bike because it was only in the 60’s but pouring rain. I was FREEZING watching and I knew she would be shivering on the bike and she was. Kim got really cold on the bike and as a result probably expended way to much energy fighting to stay warm. She started the run with a calorie deficit. She hung tough and ran as fast as she could. At 16 or 17 , Kim was winning.  By 20, Kim was struggling to hang. Her energy was zapped and as much as she tried to refuel, the cold had beaten her on the bike, and energy and fluids were low. I was getting updates online from friends and I learned about Caitlin coming up. She was having an incredible run. I knew Kim had no clue and I so wished I could tell her somehow, but I had no way of getting out there to tell her. I saw Kim on the hill at 23, just 30 seconds after the pass occurred. I could tell that she was devastated and that there was nothing she could do. She kept fighting. I am proud of her because she raced that race to win. She never held back. She never took chances and always kept the gap within reach. It was a smart race. She gave it her all in the swim, bike, and run. Kim lost 7 pounds in the race and was severely dehydrated.  She crossed the finish line in 2nd place and I knew that as disappointed as she was, she gave it her all. That’s why people admire Kim, not because she is a good athlete but because she pours her HEART out in every race.  She really did, and that is why I know that she will be an Ironman champion someday.  Just gotta keep fighting. Her day will come. I know it will because she won’t give up on it. EVER

Boston Marathon!! What a proud coach I am!

posted: April 24th 2008 | posted in Blog, Family & Friends, Racing, Travel | No Comments »

This past weekend was the Boston Marathon. If you didn’t know that get out from under that rock!! The most famous marathon in the world. I am so proud of all my runners! You all did great and are such an inspiration to me. Everyone worries about missing a day of training, or falling off schedule. Well, the absolute truth is that no one ever runs a program with out missing days here and there. It is just impossible. I always tell my athletes to finish what you start, to never give up, and never regret anything. If there’s one thing I can’t stand or understand is when someone has the balls to say “Oh, I think I could have pushed harder, or I wasn’t even tired at the finish” Then they are upset about their time!! It pisses me off!! I tell everyone if they think they can go faster and the finish is 4 miles away, then DO IT!! Go for it! Now there are obvious exceptions to this , for example if someone simply has a fun goal to finish. Then you have to be smart. Ok, you get the idea. So, I will say that all my runners really ran smart races and stuck to their race plans. No could have, should have, would have. I really respect that. They didn’t all pr, but they all finished what they started and raced smart. I had 1 PR for the day! Chad Shepard of Vermont. This guys middle name is hardcore!! Other congrats go out to Courtney, Tania, Matt, and Shawn!!  To anyone who had a tough day out there in Beantown, check out this video. Keep your chin up and know that your day will come.  Cut and paste this and turn this shit up!!  

What A Fun Weekend!!!

posted: April 16th 2008 | posted in Blog, Family & Friends, Racing, Travel | No Comments »

Just got back from an awesome weekend in Dallas Texas. I worried about getting in since most of the AA flights were canceled. I got there fine, but Kim as USUAL! got stuck in DC once again. Poor girl. I told her husband Brian that I think she is secretly having an affair with someone in DC since she so often gets “stuck” there! Haha, not funny. I thought Texas would be warm and sunny, but it was cold and WINDY, like REALLY WINDY!! I kept saying it was like Kona winds and Kim would roll her eyes and say” Not even close sissy” So the race update:I thought I would beat Kim out of the water. Just goes to show that pool swim times mean nothing open water. Kim said the swim was fine, not rough at all. In fact she said” I didn’t get kicked around at all. It was calm. Well I did have some knucklehead trying to swim on me at one point and I kicked her to get her off. I thought it was you Kelly” I laughed and said “ha It was me, sorry, I was getting kicked as well!”  So, I exited the water and saw Kim running to transition. she beat me by about 20 seconds or so. It was fun being in T1 together. She had to crack  a joke and say ” Kelly your aero helmet is on backwards! As she zipped away from me”  I tried to keep her in sight but she was gone just like that. The bike course was definitely not my kind of course. It was flat, windy, lots of turns, and freezing cold the first lap. I couldn’t get rolling and felt weak. I kept plugging along, working hard and finally made it to T2. I had a good run battling the winds making it the fastest of the day. It was a double out and back so I got to see the sis 2 times. I finished 4th ad Kim placed 2nd. I have a lot of work to do on the swim and bike!! I am very happy with the race considering I have just returned to triathlon after a  long layoff. Looking forward to more!! We celebrated the first race of the season classic Liljeblad style.  A burger, and nice dark malty ale, and some obnoxious laughing!! So, here are some pics from the weekend! Here we are freezing after the race!!

Here are my shoes after the run. I made a rookie mistake and didn’t put sock on. The inside of my shoes are not suppose to be red. I always said slowing down b/c of a blister is such a bogus excuse. I refused to slow down b/c of a blister!! Ouch   My feet now look like I have the chicken pox. 

Kim biked so fast, she busted out of her shoes! What kind of a Pro races with ripped shoes. haha Please note, this is b/c of her orthotics, not b/c of the make of the shoe Still funny.   

And lastly, my lil girl consulting Pre about her aero position! I think he approves but thinks she needs to tuck her ears in more. Needless wind resistance! He is also wondering when he will  get his favorite Clif Shot Double Chocolate Expresso, Unfortunately I have discovered that is his favorite!

It's GO TIME For The Sistas!!

posted: April 9th 2008 | posted in Blog, Family & Friends, Racing, Training, Travel | No Comments »

Training has been great the past few weeks. Kim travelled back from Maui and Australia and has reunited with her not so missed trainer!! We are both traveling to Irving Texas for a Half Ironman this Sunday. We are so looking forward to the race but most importantly we are excited to see each other!! My cheeks will probably hurt on Monday from laughing so much all weekend. Let’s just hope we make it to the start on time. Last time we did a half together was in Ottawa Canada. We were dilly dallying and floating out to the start and boom, The gun went off, I looked at Kim and said “Was that the gun!” She said my eyes were popping out of my goggles they were so big. She yelled”Yes!!!!” and off we went 100 yards back from the rest of the starters. We laugh about it now of course. There’s more to tell about that trip but I’ll save that for another blog, (It involves her car breaking down in the middle of NO WHERE!! and ending up at a strip joint w/ not an English speaking sole in the joint)So, we are both looking forward to starting the season off this weekend. We will be battling it out in a friendly way. Kim is so strong on the bike and has been dealing with an old shoulder injury due to a bike crash. So, I figure I may beat her out of the water, say hello to her lonely bike, and cruise on out. I figure by mile 5, she will blow by me and make some funny sarcastic comment that will get me going. Now the thing is, although I haven’t run many bricks (and the few I did REALLY hurt!!) I am in decent run shape. I ran 13 miles today with 4×1 mile on a rolling loop averaging 5:30’s at altitude so I am pretty confident in my run. So, I keep telling her she better bike really hard and look over her shoulder because I’ll be coming!! Also the bike is supposedly 54 miles, so thats a plus for me haha. It’s all in good fun. We are really not competitive with each other. We are each others number 1 fan, maybe tied with my mom!! Check out our blogs next week for pictures and of course the race recap!

I won the Miami Marathon :) The Highs and Lows of Running

posted: January 29th 2008 | posted in Blog, Family & Friends, Racing, Travel | No Comments »

I just got back from the ING Miami Marathon. I am so thrilled and also so disappointed. It’s amazing you can have 2 extreme emotions all in the same race. My number one goal was to get my Olympic Trials Qualifier. (sub 2:47) My number 2 goal was to win, and my number 3 goal was to finish. Going into the race I must say that I was consumed with worry. When I signed up for the race December 1st, I thought I had 2 months of solid training to prepare for the race.  That time was cut in half due to the bronchitis and sinus infection that wasn’t getting better. I was put on 2 different kinds of antibiotics which I finally finished just 2 days before the marathon. I just felt so sluggish the past 4 weeks and was not able to get in any key long runs. I knew the odds were against me, but stubborn me wanted to give it a try. Once I arrived at the race I remembered a quote my mom gave Kim when she placed second in the New Zealand Ironman after battling with the flu just 3 days earlier. It said “A wish changes nothing, a decision changes everything” I made the decision to race and give it my all. I knew it would be painful due to lack of training, so I needed to completely mentally prepare for this.  I am happy with the way I raced and wouldn’t change a thing. I went out at 6:15-20 pace and I felt great. I felt light, loose, and focussed. It felt so easy. I took the lead at mile 16 and couldn’t believe I was winning a marathon. It was 3 years ago, where I swore I would never be able to ever run a marathon again, let alone win. I was really living in the moment and when the press truck came up to me and I saw the camera, I couldn’t help but to see the past 3 years flash through my head. All the trial and failures, all the injuries, all the sadness , somehow seemed so miniscule compared to what I was feeling at that moment in time. Words can not express how incredible it felt to be out there fighting, challenging myself, winning, and doing what I love most in this world. At 18, I could feel a little fatigue in my quads. Whenever I don’t get in enough long runs my quads are the first to give out. (I don’t know why, they are so huge and muscular hahahahaha!!!) At 20, they were getting tighter. I made a decision to hold the 6:15-20 pace for as long as I could because I knew they were going to give out on me no matter what my pace was. Slowing down to 6:30 was not going to prevent them from straining. I could feel it getting worse with every mile. At 23 they completely gave out on me and every step was like the sledgehammer to the quads. Then the infamous elephant jumped of my back and was beating my quads with a sword. I wondered if anyone else saw him. It was hard because cardiovascularly I was fine, but the quads were screaming. I am always amazed as to how much pain I can put my body through! I lost close to 2 minutes the last 3-4 miles and saw the clock turn 2:47:01. I didn’t make the cut off, but I swear I fought til the very end. I kept trying to move my legs faster but the quads weren’t responding. At 2:47:01, I immediately shifted focus and became overwhelmed with the fact that I won the race. I gave some spectators high fives and through my arms up in the air to celebrate my return to running and my win. Although I am not happy with my time, I think that this is one of the best races of my running career because I really had to dig deep (something I truly missed) and it was so incredibly meaningful. There was a little angel on my shoulder. The devil was on my quads!     

Thanks Mom and Kim for a great weekend and your continued support and encouragement means the world to me. Everyone asks me what is next. What else? What a silly question.  I try again. What am I suppose to just give up? I am going to focus on recovery and promise to be at the starting line in Boston in April.    

“Our greatest honor is not that we never fall down, but that we pick ourselves up again each time we fall. This is so important in life. We should never be afraid to go after something we want for fear of failure. We all need the courage to try, we may not get there straight away, sometimes we may never get there, but we must never be afraid to give all that we can to go after our goals and dreams.” Paula Radcliffe     Check out Kim’s blog at www.kimloefflerracing.com