TIMEX Ironman Easy Trainer GPS Giveaway!

RunnerDude has partnered with TIMEX to bring you this awesome giveaway! Follow the directions below to enter for a chance to win one of two TIMEX Ironman Easy Trainer GPS watches. One male and one female winner will be selected at random by Rafflecopter. The winners will be announced on the blog on June 17th, 2014. Good Luck!

After registering, be sure to check out my interviews with TIMEX Multisport Team Members Susanne Davis and Meredith Dolhare.

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RunnerDude Chats With TIMEX Multisport Team Member Susanne Davis

Recently I had the privilege to interview Timex Multisport Team member Susanne Davis. Susanne is a decorated athlete who has set course records and won many Sprint Distance Triathlons.  As a Professional Triathlete in the 1990s, she travelled the world racing ITU World Cups and competed in the 2000 US Olympic Triathlon Trials.  In October 2010, in only her second Ironman, she turned Kona upside down by breaking the existing 35-39 Age Group World Record and placing 2nd Overall Amateur at the 2010 Ironman World Championships.  She was the 1st American Woman and placed 23rd among the Pro Field!  This year in 2013 Susanne put in one of the greatest races of her life.  She is now an American record holder being the fastest  Amateur over 40 in the 35 year history of the Ironman World Championship going 9:41:40.   She is also the reigning 2013 USA Triathlon Masters Champion at Olympic Distance.  She finished the year as the number one ranked Master’s triathlete in the country. In 2011 during her first year on Timex Multisport Team, one of the country’s most successful triathlon teams, Susanne was voted Rookie of the Year. 

Read on to learn more about this amazing athlete....

RD: Tell us a little about your youth. Were you athletic as a child? Did you grow up in an athletic family?

Susanne: I grew up running track and cross country in High school and College at University of Wisconsin LaCrosse.  I am the youngest of 6 kids and my sister Beth who is closest in age to me (5yrs older) was my biggest influence.  I went to her meets and loved the camaraderie and team spirit.  Her coaches would always come up to me and say, "I hope you are a runner because you've got those long, lean, fast "Martineau legs"." That invitation and wanting to be as good or (actually better) than my sister was my motivation.  I always was competing to keep up with her growing up. Water skiing, down hill skiing, mountain biking, running, swimming faster across the lake each year camping etc. It makes me laugh and wonder if my daughter who is 5 years younger than my son if this will play out in her life.  Her personality is a lot like me.

RD: When did you first realize that the triathlon and more specifically the Ironman was your niche?

Susanne: I did my first triathlon in summer of 1993.  I was almost last out of the water, road past half the field on a borrowed bicycle and ran very strong passing tons of people to the finish!  I had no idea but at the awards ceremony they announced me as the winner and gave me a check for $100.00!  I was shocked and elated. This is where my dream started and ironically the motto of Ironman, "Anything is Possible".   I thought, wow I can make money at this?  I won this triathlon on my first attempt!  I think I could be one of the best anywhere! Being 22 years old and a bit naive has it's advantages.   Here I was from a town of 12,000 people where I beat 150 of them.  It didn't dawn on me that the world has 7 billion people.  I read in Triathlete Magazine that the best athletes trained in Boulder so I moved there for the summer to become one of the best triathletes!  I took 30 minutes off my next triathlon and in my senior year of college I won almost every NCAA cross country race.  It was from the strength and speed I earned simply from doing triathlon for 3 months. I was convinced triathlon was something I should pursue.  I became the top Triathlete in the state of Arizona and was invited to live and train at the Olympic Training Center as a resident athlete training for the first Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia in 2000.  My swim wasn't strong enough to make it out of the water in the lead pack and with drafting on the bike it made it impossible for me to catch up and finish 1st or 2nd which is how you qualified.  I was burned out and took a 3 year break from triathlon.  I went back to running and balanced it around a sales rep job.

RD: How does being a triathlon competitor in the 90s compare to being an Ironman competitor in 2014?Susanne: Ironman didn't become my niche until I had children.  I gained 50 lbs with my first son and worked as a Sales Rep traveling on the West coast for 60 hours a week.  I cried everyday I had to leave my son to drive to LA.  I quit and a neighbor/CEO asked me to coach him for an Ironman.  He didn't know how to swim, never biked and hadn't run since college.  I trained with him and lost the weight.  I decided to try a half ironman, qualified for Kona and placed 11th amateur overall and 3rd in my AG 30-34.  Not until 5 years later after having my second child did I realize Ironman would be my niche!  I grew my coaching business and trained with many of my clients.  It was the perfect environment to light the Kona fire in me again.  I was 3rd overall with the pros in my qualifying race at Honu!   At Kona, I was the top American amateur in the World Championships and 2nd Overall Amateur.  I had beat my existing age group World Record and taken 30 minutes off my previous Kona time finishing in 9:51!  What!?  It was then in 2010, 17 years after my first triathlon that I thought I found my niche.  God gave me a taste of success and I believed I could get faster and become the best in the World.  

RD: What was your toughest race? What made it so tough?
Susanne: Last year at the Ironman World Championships. 

I was on fire from the start swimming 90 seconds faster than my previous years, biked 11 minutes faster and was stoked going into the run which is my strongest leg of a triathlon.  But, at mile 2 my pace slowed from 7:15 to almost 9 minutes as my hips and glutes were locked and not firing.  No uphill to blame. I thought OK, my body will be OK it just needs another mile to stretch out from the ride, but every step hurt. My husband screamed, "Banana (Susanna banana) nick name) you are going to CRUSH the world record! For the past two years I've run 3:17 or 3:18 off the bike.  I yelled back, " I'll be lucky if I break 3:45 today". It's going to take all I've got.  I chanted the names of people I loved and who supported me and sang songs of faith, "He can move the mountains, my God is mighty to save... Please lord move this mountain of pain and slow running.  Then at the Energy lab, "Eye of the Tiger came blasting through the only speaker on course. Rising up back on my feet.  I pumped my fist in the air, yelled out let's get this party started and boom - I took the pace back down to 7:30 pace!  

RD: What's a typical training week look like for you?

Susanne: Monday my alarm goes off at 4:20am.  I make a double shot cappuccino and teach YMCA 90 minute spin class at 5:15am.  I run home, make breakfast, pack lunches and at 8am I drop my kids at school.  I go for a run and start coaching athletes or write programs on Training Peaks all day until I pick my kids up from school at 2:20pm.  I make a snack, do homework, make dinner, read with them, go to bed and start again! 

• Tuesday I have an off day and coach people and catch up on daily house or mom duties.  I also teach math as a volunteer in my daughters class.
• Wednesday is my mid-week long ride with a run after it.
• Thurs is speed day. I do a speed set running in the morning, coach personal sessions and swim Masters over lunch. 
• Friday I teach another Spin class at 5:15am, then run or swim.
• Sat: My husband watches the kids and I ride 4 hours and run off the bike.
• Sunday: is a family day, church and off or a long run.  

I'll squeeze in extra swims throughout the week to make sure I'm swimming 4 times just before Ironman.  

All of my mileage and paces vary throughout the year based on what phase of periodization I'm in.

 

RD: What tools do you use to help elevate your training.

Susanne: I train with a Timex Run Trainer 2.0 Heart Rate and GPS monitor.  I'm a big believer that numbers are important and provide needed guidance in training.  Every workout is written with a specific goal of heart rate and pace.  I maximize my time, effort and benefit from the training at the highest level.  I also use rpms and watts as well to control anaerobic efforts at race pace when teaching spin class as a turbo session weekly.  All these numbers can be pretty important on race day.

RD: You're also an endurance coach. How does the time commitment of training others affect your Ironman training?

Susanne: Certainly the time could get away from you easily and some weeks it's very challenging to balance. I am very good at organizing a calendar.  Many of my clients who I coach are with me for years and they understand the complexity of balancing time with other commitments. I coordinate some long Sat rides with clients who are around the same strength.  It's a benefit to us both.  I do group sessions the last two months leading up to a big Ironman race.  I also limit how many clients I personally work one on one with so I can keep balanced.  I've hired a few amazing assistant coaches who know my philosophy in coaching and are experts as well in different areas of training.  I love my daughter's saying, "mom I'm not an octopus".  I have to remind myself of that when I'm over commit myself.   

RD: Have you ever pictured yourself doing something different with your life?

Susanne: No! I love my life!  I love my family, friends, where I live, my job as a coach and the Timex Team. I feel so blessed to be where I am.

RD: What do you enjoy most about coaching others?

Susanne: I love to share my knowledge and see the light click, the confidence build and the results improve. The appreciation and accolades I get from my clients goes full circle.  I inspire them and push them to be better and they do that for me.  Qualifying for Boston the Kona Ironman or getting on a podium is a life long journey for some.  Watching them get there and knowing I'm part of the reason is seriously rewarding.  They cheer for me as aggressively as I cheer for them.  Many have become lifetime friends.

  

RD: Looking back over your athletic career, what would you do differently? 

Susanne: I would have raced Ironman much sooner.  I went 9:51 at the age of 39 in my first real effort to perform there.  If I think back, a young Kate Major (a good friend) had a really successful career with several 3rd place finishes.  She set an amateur world record just 2 minutes faster than my effort back when she was 23.  I've looked at that and thought where could I have been if I started this Ironman journey in my early 20's.  Unfortunately, I thought it was a crazy distance that I wouldn't even be able to handle.  I think I could have been a fairly successful Pro at this distance over the Olympic ITU format.

RD: How did it feel becoming the fastest amateur over 40 in the 35 year history of the Ironman Word Championship with your 9:41:40 finish time?

Susanne: There were so many emotions.  Surprise after my run start.  Incredible satisfaction from the fight of the race.  A thrill that I finally made the top of the podium.  Relief as I'd chased this for the last 4 years.  But mostly it was the sweetest ending to an extremely difficult year for my family. Triathlon has been a great stress reliever in my life through the years. I'm thankful I had it last year.

RD: Are you hoping you hold on to your reign of the USA Triathlon Masters Champion title at the Olympic Distance for a while or would you be okay with someone edging you out?

Susanne: Most races on my calendar I go into with the intention of winning.  There are a few that are tune up races where I know I'm not in top form.  This race is in Milwaukee and I'm surrounded by family so I certainly have a star next to it on my calendar.  It's an "A" race for me and I will prepare myself (as I'm my own coach) to win again.  I'm OK if someone edges me out on the day.  I can control my preparation, but I can't control the day.  You never know what is going to happen to your body or equipment on any given day.  I do know that I will be fast and ready and I have a program that got me there last year.

RD: How does competing at the masters level differ than when you were younger? What do you know now as a masters competitor that you wish you had known when competing in your 20s? 

Susanne: My confidence as a master's is what I didn't have racing as a Pro in my 20's.  Then, you were only as good as your last race.  If you didn't win money you didn't get to travel to the next competition and I was afraid I'd lose my sponsorships and disappoint many people in my life.  Now I'm a mom, wife and coach.  I also happen to be the top Master's triathlete in the world.  Figuring out how to find this balance is so rewarding and if I don't win, I still feel the other rewarding parts of my life.  My family still loves me if I'm 1st or 15th.  It's always a win-win now.

RD: What do you think about younger and younger kids (teens and pre-teens) competing in ultra-type endurance competitions? 

Susanne: Great question.  I've coached elite Jr. High and High School runners and I've seen the difference between coaching philosophies and the other athletes on their team.  The old adage of everything needs to be done in moderation couldn't be more true at a younger age.  If a parent has a teenager with the passion to run a half marathon or a marathon then they should investigate coaches.  Find a coach who can build them up gradually and help them cross train or do the right core strength to avoid over use injury and burn out.  I've seen both sides of the coin.  Athletes who were burned out, injured and didn't run again after high school. I've also seen my clients go on to have full ride scholarships and shine in college.  

A child's desire to be great is something you can't teach but comes from within.  It's how you stoke that fire that makes the difference.

RD: What are your future aspirations? 

Susanne: I feel like I've achieved everything I've wanted to achieve in the sport.  That's not to sound conceited but I am satisfied with what I've done.  The fire is still there and I will compete like I always have but do I have to be the top amateur or top 20 pro or set a world record in the 45 age group?  For now, no. But ask me in a year.

My focus now that I've reached the top is to share my knowledge and passion with more people.  I will be growing my training business to help make a difference in more people's athletic life.  I will continuing being a role model for my kids, clients, people over 40 and moms who want to achieve something great for themselves.  Racing a marathon, a triathlon or cutting time off your next race is doable at any age.  If you need help, find a coach like me. Some people think they can't achieve their dream or are overwhelmed.  I say dream, plan and believe anything is possible. I know, because I just proved it. 

Be sure to checkout Susanne's website  www.tricoachdavis.com.

TIMEX Giveaway!

Stay Tuned! In honor of Susanne's great accomplishments, RunnerDude has partnered with TIMEX to giveaway two TIMEX Ironman Easy Trainer GPS watches! Look for more on the giveaway and how to enter for a chance to win one of two GPS watches this Monday!

RunnerDude's Gear Review: Timex Ironman Triathlon 150-Lap TapScreen

As long as I can remember, Timex has been long associated with quality,  dependable and affordable time pieces. From my childhood, I remember the Timex commercials (back when they were 60secs not 15) with the "They take a licking and keep on ticking" slogan. The old John Cameron Swayze ads are still very vivid in my mind where they did everything from a speed skater putting the watch on his skate blade to putting the watch on the end of an arrowhead to the funny one in 1977 where they had a planned "failure" when an elephant stomped on the watch completely crushing it with Swazye replying, "It worked in rehearsal." The company has long since stopped using the catchy slogan, but I still can't help to think of durability and dependability when I think of Timex.

Actually, my first experience with the Timex Ironman watch rivals their old commercials. I was in my 20s and at the beach on vacation. Walking on the beach I spotted something in the water wrapped in seaweed. I quickly bent down to pick it up before the tide swept it back out to sea. Covered in slimy seaweed was a Timex Ironman watch. It had a tattered Velcro strap on it with a palm tree design. I figured it must have fallen off a surfer. No telling how long it had been in the water. It was a little beat up, but to my surprise it was still working. I cleaned it up, bought a new band, and actually wore that watch for about 5 years.

Ever since that walk on the beach, I've been a Timex Ironman wearer. I have several fancy GPS watches that I've tested for various companies, Timex included, and they all work really well, but sometimes a basic sports watch is all I want. Plus I don't have to worry about always having to charge the dang thing. Or worse be on a long run and it die on me.

Recently I had the opportunity to test one of Timex's newest sports watches the Timex Ironman Triathlon 150-Lap watch. It has all the expected Ironman tools such as the INDIGLO Night-Light making it easy to read at night, easy to find start/stop/reset buttons, and set up that so easy it's basically ready to use right out of the box. It also includes a Target Time Pacer and dated training log with best lap, average lap and total time as well as a 100-hour chronograph with lap and split times. The hydration and nutrition alarms reminding you when to refuel are pretty cool too.

But the coolest thing about this new Ironman watch is it's Tap Technology. This new technology allows you to log split times with one firm tap on the watch face. No more hitting the wrong buttons, slowing down or almost tripping while you look at your watch to measure splits. You can also set the tap to light, medium or hard. So no worries about accidentally tapping the screen and marking a "false lap." Another thing I like is the oversized display. The large numbers make it easy to read at a glance. It's also water resistance to 100m, so I don't have to worry that my soggy summer runs will damage the watch nor when I forget to take it off before hopping in the shower after a run.

So, if you're in need of a sports watch and want to easily keep track of your laps or miles as well as all the other cool bells and whistles Timex provides, check out the Timex Ironman Triathlon 150-Lap watch.

Note: While Timex requested the product review and provided the watch for testing, I received no payment for completing the review, nor was I encouraged to write a positive review. The review results are strictly based on my experience with the watch.

RunnerDude Chats With Bart Yasso, Sarah Reinertsen, and Brian Boyle

Back in the spring, I had the awesome opportunity to interview Bart Yasso, Chief Running Officer at Runner's World, about his new book, My Life on the Run as well as his quest for Comrades. During that interview, he mentioned two athletes that were inspirations of his own—Sarah Reinertsen, and Brian Boyle. In addition to Bart, both Sarah and Brian were inspirations in my own life as well. I had followed their personal and professional stories over the past few years.

Sarah was born with a congenital birth defect and at the age of 7, her leg was amputated. This didn't stop Sarah though. As a teenager, she began to break all kinds of records and set firsts for female above-the-knee amputees including being the first female leg amputee to complete the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii. Sarah tells her story in her autobiography, In a Single Bound: Losing My Leg, Finding Myself, and Training for Life. My daughter and I fell in love with Sarah and her story while watching the reality show The Amazing Race back in 2006 in which she was a contestant.

About a year before Sarah's conquering of the Hawaii Ironman, 18-year-old Brain Boyle was the victim of a horrific car crash in which a dump truck crushed him and his car. Brain was in a medically induced comma for 2 months. He lost 60% of his blood. His heart suffered horrific trauma, and his internal organs and pelvis also received devastating damage. During his recovery period, he lost 100lbs. Even though doctors thought he'd never walk again, Brian fought back with superhuman and unbelievable determination. Not only did he recover, he became an Ironman when he completed the 2007 Hawaii Ironman in Kona. You can read about the accident and Brian's comeback in his autobiography Iron Heart: The True Story of How I Came Back From the Dead.

After the interview with Bart, I got to thinking how great it would be to do an interview with Sarah and one with Brian for blog. So, I emailed Bart to see if he had any contact information for Sarah and Brian. Bart immediately said, "Yes!" But, Bart had an even better idea. Bart said, "I'd love to talk with Sarah and Brian too. What do you think about all four of us talking at the same time?" Excited to no end, I said, "Great idea!" Bart checked it out with Sarah and Brian and before I knew it, I was contacting everyone setting up the conference call.

Thanks, Bart for such a great idea! And thanks to Sarah, Brian, and Bart for taking the time to talk with RunnerDude and share their stories with the blog readers. You guys rock!

In the introduction to Bart's book, he says, "Running may be the connective tissue, but the true experience of the sport is a passage to a bigger world. So open the door and run through. Just don't be surprised if you arrive in a place you only dreamed existed." That's how I felt talking with Bart, Sarah, and Brian during the interview. Below is our conversation.

Bart: Okay Thad, you’re in charge buddy. Where do you what to go from here?

RD: Well, I do have some questions that I want to be sure and ask each of you, but with the four of us on the call, it would be great to just have a rich conversation and a good dialogue. If you guys have questions for each other or want to interject a comment at any time, please feel free to do so.

I wanted to start off by saying that I’ve read all three of your books, Bart’s My Life on the Run: Wit, Wisdom, and Insights of a Road Racing Icon, Sarah’s In a Single Bound: Losing My Leg, Finding Myself, and Training for Life, and Brian’s Iron Heart: The True Story of How I Came Back From the Dead. All of them were amazing books to read and so inspirational. I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis about 10 years ago and had a related surgery about 7 years ago and I used running to help me recover and get back into life. So, on some levels, I could relate to parts of your stories of overcoming struggles that life presents you. It meant a lot to read about how each of you dealt with your own unique struggles with life, health, and running and how you each overcame your life adversities to go on to accomplish such great things. Bart, your running over 1000 races and just recently running Comrades in Africa. Sarah, your setting all kinds of firsts and records for female amputees. Brian, I mean you literally came back from the dead to run your first Ironman and then go on to be competitive in so many more endurance events. So, thank each of you for sharing your stories.

It seems like each of you has this innate determination or lack of a better word “gumption” to live life to the fullest. I’d like each of you to speak to this. Where did it come from? Were you born with it? Did you get it from your parents or family? Was it cultivated over time?

BART: Who wants to go first? I always say, “Ladies first.” So Sarah, go for it.

SARAH: Yes, I’ll start, I know my family was a big part of it for sure in me finding my own independence and really encouraging me to find my own strength. They supported me to push myself beyond the limits. So for sure my parents played a big part. My mom was quoted in the Ironman interview and shared the story other times about when I’d fall down at the playground. She’d make me get up on my own. The other mothers thought that was cruel for her to make her one-legged daughter get up on her own, but she was helping me learn to be self-sufficient and independent. That was an important lesson for me to learn for sure.

RD: How about you, Brian?

BRIAN: I would say just like Sarah said, "Family first." I mean my parents were there all my life supporting me all the way through athletics and academics. I grew up with a very positive attitude and was very outgoing and very determined, so when the accident happened, it just went into overdrive. I was still kind of the same person; just more driven. Kind of driven to get back into life again. To walk. To jog. To swim. To ride again. Just to do everything I used to do. Having the support of my parents was a Godsend. And then to come back the way I did and then do all the races was just a wonderful thing to cross the finish line. It was like a big thank you to my parents and everyone who helped in my recovery. It’s a constant show of appreciation to everyone who has helped me in my journey.

RD: I think you mention on your website how all the nurses, technicians, medical staff and others at all the various hospitals and rehabilitation centers you stayed in were like family and played an important part in your recovery too.

BRIAN: Definitely. Everyone from the hospital to the rehab center to the outpatient rehab center gave so much support. The Ironman was a way of saying, “This is what you’ve done for me. Thank you.” That was a big day for me back in 2007.

RD: How about you Bart?

BART: Yeah, you know my mother and my brother George where truly the guiding lights in my life. My older brother was more of a father figure than a brother to me. He was a great teacher even though he wasn’t a teacher by profession. He was a financial analyst, but he was a great teacher. He knew what to give me. He gave me enough to get me going then made me do the work. I think of my mom as always there for me. My guiding light. You know my mom and brother aren’t with us any longer, so I rely on people like Sarah and Brian as my sources of inspiration and as mentors. I talk about them all the time in my shows. If you have this gift, this passion and then you have this story, you have to go out and share your story with others with great enthusiasm to motivate and inspire others no matter their situations.

RD: Sarah, I just wanted to let you know that one of your biggest fans is my 15-year-old daughter. We’re both big fans of the reality show The Amazing Race and she first became familiar with you and your story when you were a contestant in the race. She loves it when girls are just as gutsy and competitive as the guys and you were that and then some in that race. She thought you were awesome and it actually helped inspire her to eventually take up running. She just recently finished one of my beginning running programs. That provided us with a really unique bonding experience.

SARAH: Thanks, that’s one of my big missions as an athlete and role model is to mentor. Bart’s actually one of my mentors and inspirations and like he mentioned earlier, it’s important to help inspire others to get active and get into the sport, so I’m really tickled that your daughter was moved by The Amazing Race to get into running. Thanks for sharing that with me.

RD: Brian, are there any mentors you’ve look to for inspiration over the years?

BRIAN: I would definitely say going back before the Ironman, just growing up and watching the Ironman as a kid and watching the athletes compete and then seeing Sarah’s journey two years in a row and seeing the determination it took to get to the bike course to finish that race. As an inspiring Ironman, that was my determination just to be there and feel that Ironman spirit. And to do that and then be accepted into the marathon community and meet people like Bart has been awesome. Just doing each race is a journey in itself. You meet so many inspirational people like Sarah and getting to talk to Bart Yasso over the past year has been tremendous.

RD: I thought it was cool that both you and Sarah did the Hawaii Ironman in Kona. Did Sarah’s journey inspire you to run the same Ironman?

BRIAN: Growing up I just wanted to do an Ironman. It could have been any of the Ironman races, but to go in and run Hawaii is like completing the Ironman of Ironmans.

RD: It’s funny how life sometimes provides moments, events, encounters that can end up having such a profound impact on our lives. Sarah, I know in your book you talk about meeting a lady, Paddy Rossbach, who first planted the seed that you could run marathons. I think you were pretty young, maybe around 6th grade.

SARAH: Yeah, Paddy is a runner who runs on a prosthetic leg. Backing up, my dad was a runner. He was a Runner’s World subscriber. He'd often take me to races. This was the first race, however, where I saw someone running on a prosthetic leg in the same race as my dad. Seeing Paddy run opened up a whole new reality that if she could do it on a prosthetic leg then I could do it to. You know that really completely changed my life. I started meeting with physical therapists who taught me how to run. And like my dad, I clipped out articles from Runner’s World magazine and eventually started using their 5K and 10K training plans and you know got myself in all these races. It started this whole new passion in my life that's lasted over 20 years now. So, I owe a lot to Paddy Rossbach for sure.

RD: Brian and Bart, did either of you have some type of event like Sarah’s that sort of got the ball rolling for your interest in running?

BART: Yeah, there was a guy who was a few years older than me that went to the same school I was going to. I used to see him running every morning. And at one point I was jealous of seeing this guy running every morning. And when I got into running 33 years ago he was the gentleman that inspired me. I thought I had to get out there every morning at 5:30AM and run like this dude. He really inspired me.

RD: That’s cool Bart. So, if this older student hadn’t been a runner, no telling what you’d be doing now. Hey Brain, what about you?

BRIAN: Early on in my athletic career in High School I started swimming competitively on the high school swim team. Before this my background had been basketball, shot put, discus, track, but no distance. When I switched over to swimming my sophomore year in high school, I really didn’t know the competitive strokes. I swam in some summer programs but that was more for fun. One of the upper classmen, Ethan Ratliff, (he was a senior and I was a sophomore) took me under his wing and showed me the ropes, kept me in the loop, and helped me perfect my swimming performance and racing abilities. The fact that I had an older guy believe in me (I was new to the team and he was “the King” of the swim team and state champion in Maryland) to be in that limelight with him was pretty overwhelming for me in such a positive manner. A few months went by and I was able to train and get better and get really, really good at the sport. I think in the first year near the end of the year, there was a state championship and he picked me to be on his relay team and we got a state championship medal which was tremendous for me in my athletic career so as an athlete that was a big thing for me.

RD: Sarah, in your book you talk about the gift of being different and you talk about how hard it was to fit in as a youngster in different situations. I wondered if you could speak to kids today who find themselves in similar situations by sharing what helped you persevere and get through those tough times.

SARAH: I have to give a lot of credit to sports for really making me feel comfortable in my skin and whole in my body when I did feel so different. I think a lot of teenagers, even if they’re not disabled, all go through some experience of feeling different. I was just lucky to find the outlet of sports and go to the track and sweat it out and turn those bad days into good days and kind of leave all the teasing and tormenting aside. Sports really helped me find that. I think you’ve got to rock what you’ve got. I truly do believe that what makes us unique is what makes us beautiful. Part of the human experience is that we all bring this unique point of view and I’m glad I have that, but that’s hard for teenagers to see.

RD: Yeah, I just read a report that said that one out of every six kids are bullied in some way, so I think it’s great for kids to hear your message that we should celebrate out differences and find our unique outlets whether it's sports, or the arts, or whatever.

RD: A lot of people, especially non-runners think of running just as a means of exercise and staying fit, but for me it’s so much more. It’s part of what keeps me sane. Can any of you imagine life without running? What would it be like without it?

BART: Wow, I’ve never been asked that question. But you know, I can barely run these days. I run literally like 1/100 what I used to run, but I feel very lucky that I still work in the sport and through Runner’s World I can still stay connected to people through running. I don’t know…there are so many things to gravitate to in life. I just think that if I can’t run that I’ll gravitate to something that's going to make me just as happy and still keep me connected to people. I just think you have this type of personality that you have and you go wherever it’s going to lead you.

SARAH: Well, Bart’s modest about saying he doesn’t run much, but I know he manages to squeeze in miles here and there and he pushes himself even though he has Lyme disease which is hard on his joints and makes it not the easiest thing to run these days. He still bikes and I know he gets out there and hammers and he does find some activity to get his heart pumping. I think we all have that common thread of knowing that sports helps us feel alive and if we find we can’t run some day, we’ll bike. And if we can’t bike, we’ll swim. And if I can’t swim, well I don’t know, maybe I’ll take up watercolor painting, just something (laughing) that keeps me active and makes me feel passionate and keeps me as an observer in the world.

BART: I totally agree with what Sarah’s said.

RD: How about you Brian?

BRIAN: Definitely agree with what Sarah’s said. That’s the perfect answer there (laughing).

RD: I’ve had the privilege to work with all ages and abilities of runners, but one of my groups that I find the most inspirational are the beginning running groups. Not always, but often the group ends up being comprised of individuals coming to the sport for the first time as older adults in their 40s, 50s, and 60s. Most of them are very concerned about how they’re going to stack up to the others in the group. Will they be the least fit? The slowest? The oldest? The funny thing is that they have no idea that every one of them is thinking the exact same thing. What’s so cool is to see these very hesitant runners progress over time. Seeing them gain physical strength and muscular and aerobic endurance is awesome. Even more awesome is seeing them become more confident. More than physical constraints, lack of confidence is what often holds individuals back from becoming more active, especially as older adults. How do you guys feel about the importance of staying active throughout your life to maintain a good quality of life and how do you share that with others? Sarah and Brian you guys are both still youngsters, but Bart….? (Chuckling)

BART: Yep, I’m just about ready to turn 55 in a couple of weeks…yeah; I meet people of all ages getting into running and triathlons. I’m just happy people got to the sport. The great thing about running is that we do include everyone. We don’t turn anyone away. If people would just get to a race, they’d understand that they’d fit in. The hard part is getting them to take those first couple of steps to run and then enter an event, because it is intimidating. Everyone does think that all the runners run as fast as Ryan Hall and Carl Lewis and that’s just not the case when you go to a local 5K. But that’s someone’s perception and when they go out and run they know they’re not that fast so they just suppress their feelings that they should be out there. But, once they get out there, someone can convince them into trying and taking those first steps, then they are hooked. Then they feel a part of something. That’s what I love. I want to keep doing this for another ….I don’t know how long I’ll be at Runner’s World, but you know, I hope to work here a few more years and then I hope to keep this passion going that I have of connecting with people through running for a long time.

RD: There’s a lot of research I’ve read recently that says this is the first generation of kids whose life expectancy is shorter than that of their parents. There are so many contributing factors to this like kids living more sedentary lives, schools reducing or taking out physical education and/or recess, kids being engrossed in television and/or computer games, non-stop texting, families no longer eating together and/or eating more fast-food or prepackaged meals. All of this is causing the childhood obesity rate to skyrocket. What do you think is a solution? I see running playing a part in the solution, but what are your thoughts?

BART: Go ahead Brian; you’re still a kid in my eyes. (Brain chuckling) I mean you’re still in school.

BRIAN: I’d say it’s a pretty tough call. For many people my age and in high school, video games are a big factor. When you’re not in class, a lot of your time is spent playing these games. I think it’s an escape for some stress-free time, which is good, but if you’re not careful it can consume more time than you realize and that’s an unfortunate thing. Not all kids get caught up in that cycle. I was one of the rare few and I still am. You know I just preferred to go and be outdoors not ever indoors. I had enough of that being in the hospital. I’d much rather be walking, jogging, hiking, running…anything. There’s so much more to that. The endorphins are going. You go out in an Ironman, marathon or any kind of race or event and there's so much more. It’s a social gathering. It’s a way of being in an environment where everyone is supporting each other. It’s like another family in a way. I think if young people in high school or college get out there and experience that feeling of being active and belonging, they’ll want that more and more.

RD: Yep, I couldn’t agree more. For the younger kids, it’s providing those opportunities for kids to experience being active especially being active in group situations. Last year I had the privilege of being on the board of a non-profit called GO FAR which stands for Go Out For A Run. This organization provides a 10-week program that trains 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th graders to run their first 5K. It also includes learning about good nutrition and character building. The kids culminate the program by running a 5K set up especially for them, their coaches, and families. I attended the spring GO FAR 5K and there were close to 1000 kids running. It was an amazing sight to see.

RD: On a different topic, what do you guys think about the Boston controversy with the registration filling up so quickly? Some think the qualification requirements need to be changed for everyone. Others think the women’s qualifying times need to be reconfigured. What is your take on the issue?

SARAH: Well, I don’t know that much about it, but you know running and racing in general is getting more and more popular and races are seeing the effects of this. As more people get active and run, then just naturally more people are going to qualify. The city has to put a cap on it. I’m certainly not going to tell Boston how they should do things.

BART: I can certainly touch on it. I communicate quite a bit with Dave McGillivray, the race director of the Boston Marathon and um it did sell out in what, something like 9hours and I thought it would because of this backlog of people that didn’t get in. I do feel sorry for some of the people who tried to get on in the morning and there were some server issues or computer problems. But, you know, this has been going on in Ironman races for years (Sarah and Brian in unison, “Exactly!”). They physically go to the races and sign up at the race because it’s the only way to get in. A lot of times there’s only a three-hour window where you can get in online. It’s just a part of the deal. If you’re that passionate about doing it, then you got to do it.

SARAH: I guess that’s why, when I heard “9 hours!” it seemed pretty….

BART: Seem pretty lenient, huh?

SARAH: Yeah! (laughing)

RD: So you’re wondering why they’re whining.

BART: Well, it’s news about the marathon so I understand and people got caught off guard. But, I’ve been telling people for months how fast Boston was going to sell out. If you’re passionate about doing it, you have to commit and do it. That’s all there is to it. You can’t waiver. You enter and that’s it. There’s no sitting on the fence. You know the Boston Marathon people are obligated to the seven municipalities that the race runs through that they’ll only have 25,000 runners. It’s up to the marathon if they want to toughen the standards. When I ran Boston back in the day when I was a young guy, you had to run a 2:50:00 and that was the standard. We knew that and we worked for that. Honestly, I do hope they toughen the standards, but I don’t know about making it tougher for women than men. I don’t agree with that. I think they should leave the older age group times alone because there’s not a lot of people in those age groups, but toughen up the open standard because those people are young and fit and they can run these faster times. They’ll just have to do the work. If Boston sets the bar higher, they’ll just have to for it. I think it would help runners in the US, if they toughen the standards, specifically on the open men’s side and women’s side.

RD: Brain, what are your thoughts?

BRIAN: I’m just hoping to get to Boston, first…. (RunnerDude: “Me too.” [laughing]) One question I do have is, do the marathons after the registration period qualify you for the 2012 Boston? How does that work

BART: Yeah, so if you do Marine Corps or Philly and made your times, then you'd qualify for 2012.

BRIAN: Oh man, then I should have done Baltimore. I’m not even close, but I was curious how that whole process works.

RD: Yeah, I think there were a lot of runners qualified that didn’t make it before the registration closed. Those were the ones who were speaking out the loudest, but that's just the nature of the beast. Good or bad.

BART: And honest Thad, I think for a couple of people it will change their mindset that they thought they always had to do Boston every year because they qualified. They’ll pick another race like London or Big Sur and they may find that they like these smaller marathons or ones more exotic locations. For some people it will be a blessing in disguise, but they’re going to have to find their way and see how they feel about it.

RD: Earlier today, I spoke with Matt Fitzgerald; he’s the senior editor at Triathlete magazine and the author of Run: The Mind-Body Method of Running by Feel. The book talks about how the brain really is what’s in charge of your training not a plan. It details the importance of knowing your own body and its limitations, but also what’s possible beyond the boundaries, how hard to push yourself, and when to rest. I was wondering how that or if that played a part in your training. Do you have a plan you follow? How much to rely on feel

SARAH: I’ll just say briefly, I haven’t read Matt’s book, but when you were just describing it, my immediate thoughts were that I’m definitely a plan person and I like to look at a training schedule and if it says to run that much I’ll do it. I like to have that to follow; however, I have medical considerations that I have to think about. So, definitely sometimes when I’m out there and my prosthetic leg is rubbing and it’s going to put a sore on my stump, I’m like, “you know I’m not going to push it” because then I’ll have a worse sore on my stump and then I have to recover and then I can’t run as much. So, I definitely know my own mind-body connection and I know what I can and cannot push it to and I think that’s just something that you learn over time. Anyone who has a medical consideration kind of finds those parameters.

RD: And they probably find those parameters sooner than runners without medical conditions. Sometimes I think the average runner finds themselves in trouble because they do stick so rigidly to the plan and don’t realize they have some input in their training. Sometimes the body needs to rest while other times it might be ready to go beyond what’s slated for the day. Matt mentioned that many of African runners he’s spoken with think American’s tend to over-think running. Instead of running more by feel, we tend to have to run a certain distance at a certain pace on a certain day. The book is enlightening in that it frees up the runner, not to toss the plan, but to just be liberated to not feel guilty if he alters the plan based on where he’s at mentally or physically each day.

SARAH: Yeah, sometimes I love to run a race without a watch. I think that’s a great way to tap into that whole running by feel. Don’t worry about the time, just run based on how you feel that day.

RD: Yep, in fact a good friend of mine Dena Harris just did that very same thing in a local half marathon and ended up with an awesome time.

SARAH: Well, and especially since you have the chip timing. You’re paying for that service and you’re going to get a split, so it’s like free yourself from that labor of checking the watch.

RD: How about you Brian?

BRIAN: I try to get an overall plan set up for the season and I do my best to try to stick to it, but with my accident, I lost a lot of organs and the organs that were affected still cause a lot of medical problems now. So, if I know I have a hard week, I try my best to stick to the plan, but if I get sick or get bronchitis then I’ll have to adjust the schedule to work around it. Like Sarah said, you know the part of the race that’s the best for me is the experience of it. A lot of races I just run to be in the experience and be with the other runners and enjoy the sights. You just feel it…physically…emotionally…psychologically...every way possible. To me that’s so much better than crossing the finish line and setting a personal best. When you race a lot, you can’t always get a personal best so you’ve got to go out there and just enjoy it too.

RD: I know, Bart, you said that even though you’re running a lot slower than you did years ago that you still get that thrill of crossing the finish line each time.

BART: Yeah, you know prior to Comrades, I did 10 marathons in like a 21-week period and a lot of times my time was 2 hours slower than what I used to do, but the thrill was still there. And it wasn’t that I just was running 2 hours slower. I was physically running what my body would allow me to run. What I discovered and what made me happy was that I was surrounded by a lot more runners than I was used to, and these runners liked to communicate and encourage you and I could do the same to them. I didn’t have that in my other running life, so it was eye-opening in many ways and absolutely a wonderful experience.

RD: A lot of the runners I work with are in their 40s, 50s, and 60s and many of them will come to me saying, “You know I’m not running like I used to. I’m fatiguing sooner.” They often think it’s just related to getting older, but I’ve found that it has more to do with having a weak core and upper-body. As we age, we tend to be involved less in activities that would naturally strengthen the core and upper body. So, if a person is just running to keep fit, they’re getting a great leg workout and aerobic workout, but the upper-body is being neglected. The Core is the power source for a runner and a strong upper-body helps maintain good running form. It’s kind of a domino effect. If the good running form goes, then more stress is put on the core that in turn puts more stress on the lower-body and then before you know it, you’re fatigued and slowing down. I’m a big advocate of full-body strength, especially focusing on the core and upper-body shooting for muscular endurance to help maintain good running form, but also to help increase stability, balance and flexibility for everyday life. Do you guys incorporate that into your training

BART: Brian was a body builder at one point, right Brian? (Brian laughing) My wife was in love with Brian. He’s got long hair. I have no hair. (Everyone laughing) He’s got muscles. I have no muscle. He’s young and good looking and well, I’m neither. So my wife always loves to be around Brian. I believe (and you can speak to this, Brian) the reason why Brian survived his accident was that he had body mass. When you lost over 100lbs you were still strong enough to survive.

BRIAN: Yes sir. Yes sir. Back during the accident recovery, I remember hearing the doctors saying that if I hadn't had all that muscle mass and been in such good physical health, that I wouldn’t have survived. My heart would have stopped beating and everything would have just shut down. I wouldn’t have been able to have pushed through those two months of being comatose. A lot of my program now involves cross-training--swim, bike, run--weights, core work (abs, planks). Planks are really tough and frustrating, but they have a really great benefit to them (Bart agreeing in the background). A lot of medicine ball work. Having the background with power lifting and body building helps, but it also has its affects because I was built like a linebacker. You know I don’t have the best running form, but I’m out there just doing what I got to do. Trying my best.

RD: That’s great. I think a lot of runners have a fear of doing resistance training and lifting weights because they’re picturing a bodybuilder physique and they’re hesitant thinking if they lift weights they’ll add bulk which will slow them down. Unfortunately many don’t see and miss out on all the benefits of working the core and full body conditioning geared more for muscular endurance rather than strength. Great hearing you and Bart talk about using other methods in your training in addition to the aerobic workouts.

BART: Core strength is really vital, when you mentioned being in your 50s, because you have to keep a good posture during running and that really comes from your core. As you get older, people tend to slouch more not only in the shoulders, but they'll lean more from the waist and that’s not good in running. I work on core strength all the time. In the Comrades piece in the current Runner’s World, I had to bring in all these old running photos of me. They wanted kind of a history of me running from college till now. So, I brought this tub of photos and gave it to the photo editors and they kept saying, “Oh my god, you had these ripped abs" and all this stuff. I don’t have those abs any more, they’re covered up with 15-20lbs I put on when I cut back on my running, but I still have core strength. I just don’t have the 6-pack Men’s Health ab thing, but I still feel like I have good core strength and I work on that at our gym. We are very fortunate here at Rodale to have our own fitness center and it’s convenient. I go there at least 2-3 times a week.

RD: That’s great. Sarah, how about you? How do you incorporate other types of training into your plan?

SARAH: You know, I was going to say as well that weight training is important, especially for women for prevention of osteoporosis. I do hit the gym. Sometimes I’m not as consistent about it. I don’t really like being indoors that much, but I do workout. I've also practiced a lot of yoga the past 13 years, not that yoga is necessarily the same exact thing, but I do think it helps work on my core and it’s helped me to stretch as well as other things that have helped me as an athlete.

BART: Sarah’s totally ripped! She’s got legs and arms like I wish I had. She works it. And, plus Sarah, I would assume that your non-prosthetic leg does so much work, that you just use it nonstop.

SARAH: Yeah, I’m actually doing exercises to strengthen other parts of my body to help prevent getting injuries because I know that I’m going to be demanding so much of that leg for the rest of my life…just to live, not just to run a race.

RD: This has been great. I wish we had the time to talk for the rest of the day. I’ve learned so much more about each of you as athletes and individuals. So thank you for sharing yourselves with the readers of RunnerDude’s Blog. I wanted to end by asking what’s next on the horizon for each of you.

BART: Go Sarah. You start us off.

SARAH: Yeah, let’s save Bart for last, because he probably has the busiest schedule ahead. I’m going to be at Rocket City Marathon in December. I’m also doing the half-marathon at Rock-n-Roll Vegas and Muddy Buddy in a couple of weeks and that’s about it for the rest of this season of 2010.

RD: Hey Brian, what about you?

BRIAN: I’m actually packing today (10/27) to do Ironman Florida next week (11/5). Then the following week I have my first 50K. Then the next week is the JFK 50-Miler. Then maybe 2 or 3 weeks after that is the Charlotte Marathon and that will be the end of 2010.

RD: Man, both of you have busy schedules ahead. The Charlotte Marathon, huh? Cool. That’s just a little less than 2 hours SW of me here in NC. I’m in Greensboro, more in the middle of the state.

BRIAN: Yeah, Thunder Road!

RD: Bart, your turn man.

BART: Yeah, I’ve got a few more events ahead this year. Nothing I’m going to run, but some I’m going to attend—NYC Marathon, Richmond Marathon, the Running Event in Austin Texas, the Barbados Marathon. And then I get into all these warm places in the month of December, January, and February because my wife is a California girl and doesn’t like winter in Pennsylvania and since we don’t have kids, we can travel, you know, through the winter. That’s what we do. We go to warm places and I find races in all the warm areas. But it never ends. I get speaking engagements during the week. I just feel so lucky I get to stay so connected to the sport through the speaking engagements and going to the events.

RD: Busy man. Busy man. I just wanted to thank each of you for taking the time to speak with me today and give us a little peak into your lives. I can’t thank you enough for sharing more about your stories and your sport and I know the readers of RunnerDude’s Blog will enjoy immensely getting to know more about each of you. Each of you in so many different ways has contributed so much to the sport as well as being such a source of inspiration to me and countless others across the country and the world. Keep doing what you’re doing.

BART: Thank you. Thank you for doing this and what you’re doing for the running community.

SARAH: Thanks!

BRIAN: Thanks very much.

BART: I say this all the time, that Brian and Sarah are the two greatest athletes I’ve ever encountered because to be a great athlete, not only do you have to be a great athlete in the athletic sense, but whatever you accomplish you have to share with everyone and have that passion to do that and these two do that better than anyone I’ve ever encountered.

RD: Thanks again and happy running!

Runner of the Week: Suzanne

A few months back, I was at seminar for Triathlon coaches. The seminar was about an hour away in the Raleigh-Durham area of NC. The session was great. It was divided into three sections—yoga for athletes, resistance training for triathletes, and running drills. During a break the yoga instructor asked if I knew the lady sitting in front of me since we were both from Greensboro. I had been looking at the back this person's head for the past hour, never realizing we had both traveled from Greensboro for the session. The instructor introduced the lady to me as, Suzanne Duncan. My eyes lit up upon hearing this name. You see, Suzanne is a yoga instructor as well as a triathlon coach in Greensboro. I'd heard her name many times and had heard great things about her yoga classes, but had yet to have the opportunity to meet her.

We emailed after the seminar and Suzanne stopped by the studio one day and we had a great chat. It was during this chat that I learned of Suzanne's plans to run an Ironman in the weeks ahead. After conquering the Ironman, Suzanne did a free seminar at RunnerDude's Fitness for my clients and other runners in the community. It was a packed house! Suzanne, has a wonderful story of how she came to fitness, yoga, and the world of running, swimming, and biking. Read on to learn more about Suzanne.

RD: Are you a native North Carolinian?

Suzanne: I was born in Ohio but grew up in Carmel, Indiana. After college, moved around through Tampa, Atlanta and Memphis and finally settled in North Carolina.

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RD: Share a little about yourself. What do you do for a living? Hobbies?

Suzanne: I have an accounting degree from Indiana University and am a CPA. I was lucky to be able to give the 40+hour/week job up about 6 years ago to concentrate solely on teaching fitness classes, yoga and coaching. My husband and I travel a lot during the year to some rather exotic locations. However, I'm just as happy laying on the couch reading a good book.

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RD: How long have you been dong triathlons?

Suzanne: I did my first triathlon in 1994. It was an indoor triathlon at the Spears YMCA and I was scared out of my mind that I wasn't going to be able to finish. I cried when I did because I was so happy I had actually completed the 50 minute event.

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RD: From reading your website, I know you lost a lot of weight. What motivated you to do so and how did you go about achieving your great results?

Suzanne: I always tell people that I had been trying to lose weight my whole life. I always remember being overweight. After letting my weight creep up to over 300 pounds and being in a crappy marriage, I finally realized that I deserved to be happy. Something clicked in my brain and I made a commitment to myself to start eating healthier. I joined Weight Watchers and concentrated on my diet for a few months. I then started walking and eventually added in all the other stuff I do now. It was a long journey but so worth it!
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RD: What got you into triathlons?

Suzanne: I had always watched the Hawaii Ironman on TV each year and wondered why people would put themselves through that much torture. Well, I guess now I know why. There was a local triathlon at Sedgefield that some of the YMCA cycle instructors were talking about doing. They asked if I was interested and I said no because I hadn't been running. Once I picked up running, my friend Mary Beth encouraged me to sign up for the indoor triathlon. My current husband had also done triathlons in the past so he was there to encourage me as well.

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RD: What do you enjoy most about the triathlon--the run? swim? bike?

Suzanne: Biking is my true love of all the three disciplines in triathlon. It's the one I do the best at and the one that makes me feel fast. I think it comes from the fact that I started cycle classes way before I began to swim or run.
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RD: What are your favorite training foods?

Suzanne: I certainly have to give a shout out to Erin Baker's Wholesome Baked Goods (formerly Baker's Breakfast Cookies). They are such delicious, good-for-you cookies. She was also my very first sponsor. She gave me lots of cookies to pass out at races and really made me feel special by being on the company's triathlon team. With my recent Ironman training, I also enjoy Latte flavored Power Gels, Pomegranate Berry Cytomax and Clif Bars. Mango flavored smoothies with a shot of protein powder and peanut butter is also one of my favorite recovery drinks.

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RD: Are you a lone runner or do you run with some buddies? What do you like about each?

Suzanne: I first "learned" to run with a YMCA buddy that took me through the paces of building up from a walk to a run. I really enjoyed running with her. Then, I began to run alone because I was slow and most of my friends were faster. I enjoyed being on my own schedule and going wherever I wanted and going at my own pace. Now, however, I have recently started running with a few other people and absolutely love it. I love being able to chat and take my mind off the pain. They push me to be a faster runner which is something I really feel was lacking in my first years of running.
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RD: What's the funniest or oddest thing that's happened to you while on a run or a ride?

Suzanne: In triathlons, the organizers always use an orange spray paint can to mark rough patches of road. During the Woodlake triathlon a few years ago, there was a dead deer on the side of the road - partially in the road and partially off to the side. It was huge and was not something that we would have missed. However, the race organizers drew a big orange circle around it, just in case we did miss it.

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RD: What's your biggest running / triathlon accomplishment? Why?

Suzanne: This one is easy. I just finished Ironman Coeur d'Alene. It's definitely my biggest running AND triathlon accomplishment all wrapped up in one because I had never run a marathon or even anything longer than 19 miles prior to this triathlon. Coming from being an inactive, overweight smoker completing an Ironman is huge. It was a huge boost in my confidence. Today, I feel as if I could accomplish anything.
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RD: Do you have a favorite brand of running shoe? Which model? Why?

Suzanne: I have been running in Asics my whole running "career". They feel fantastic on me and I'm of the mindset "Why fix something that ain't broke?". Some shoes look flashier but I'm good with the Asics.

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RD: What's your favorite race distance(s)? Do you have a favorite race you run each year?

Suzanne: My favorite races are anything that's flat and in cooler weather. I really enjoyed the Indianapolis Mini Marathon. The course has tons of support from locals and lots of music and bands along the way. It was also my very first half marathon. Being from the Indianapolis area, running around the Indy 500 track was an awesome experience. My race schedule seems to change a little each year depending on our travel schedule so there isn't one that I just have to do each year.

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RD: If you were speaking to a group of non-runners or runner wannabes and trying to encourage them to run, what would you say?

Suzanne: Most of my clients are new runners and new triathletes. If you have a desire to do something then do it. It's like putting your shoes and socks and running clothes out the night before. When your alarm goes off, you just go get dressed. Don't think about it or you might talk yourself out of it. Once you get going - or once you get done! - you will feel better about getting your workout done. The other thing is that if you have a big goal set for yourself, be confident that if you follow a plan you will succeed. I always tell my clients to "trust their training". There has never been one time where I have failed if I have been true to my training.
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RD: Open Mike: Share anything you'd like about your running / triathlon experiences, past accomplishments, goals, dreams....anything you haven't previously shared.

Suzanne: The last thing I would want to share is the thing that I learned from completing an Ironman. Don't let previous negative experiences or past negative thoughts hold you back or discourage you from doing something that you want to do. One of my clients gave me a magnetic that I have prominently displayed on my fridge - "Life begins at the edge of your comfort zone". That is so true. Don't be afraid of trying something new. You might just surprise yourself!

Thanks Suzanne for sharing your story! Be sure to check out Suzanne on Facebook and at her website.

Runner of the Week: Christopher Wilno

Over the past year-and-a-half of writing this blog, I've interviewed some amazing runners, like Grannie Annie who started running at 50 and by 66 had run her 70th marathon and at least one in each of the 50 states! Then there was Noah, who lost 60lbs in 5 months and who's being an awesome healthy role model for his young son and thousands of others who've heard his story. And now there's Christopher Wilno. Christopher has turned hardship and family tragedy into an amazing life journey and has inspired many a runner. Read on to find out more about his amazing story.

RD: Where are you from?

Christopher: In my head I am from Atlanta but at 43 years old, I have spent most of my time in Los Angeles. I was born in Florida, moved to Chicago for one year and then spent 4th-10th grades in Georgia. I moved to Los Angeles in 1982 and still reside there.

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RD: Share a little about yourself. What do you do for a living? Hobbies?
Christopher: Most of my career has been spent in Finance. I exited college in 1991 and entered the world of public accounting where I stayed until I was promoted to senior manager at KPMG. At that point, I left for a company that I helped to take public. From that point through 2008 I was always in a finance position as a controller, VP Finance or CFO. In April 2008, the company I worked for was acquired by Synnex, Inc. All of Finance was absorbed and, although I was offered a job within Finance it would have required a move to Northern California. I was not ready to uproot my family at that time so I turned it down. I was instead offered a position as Director of Product Management and have been in this role ever since managing a $1 billion portfolio of consumer electronics.

Outside of work, I love to run and bike. I am desperately trying to learn to love swimming but I am not there yet. I swim but it is work for me. I love all sports but primarily baseball, basketball and football.

Outside of work and my own training, much of my time is spent as a marathon coach for Team in Training. Coaching and fighting cancer is a big part of who I am. Since 2004, I have personally raised over $70,000 for Team in Training while completing 3 marathons, 2 Century rides and 3Triathlons (one of these was Ironman distance). I have completed more races than these but these are all the events for which I fundraised.

RD: How long have you been running?

Christopher: Depending on how you look at it, 27 years or 6 years.

RD: What got you into running?

Christopher: My very first exposure to running was in Atlanta as part of the wrestling team for my high school. It was very limited exposure but I mention it because it left a mark on me. I remember thinking there was a great deal of mental toughness needed to keep moving forward. When I later moved to Los Angeles, I dropped other winter sports and joined the cross country team. This move came out of nowhere but I think it ties to my exposure to the sport in Atlanta. Sometimes it only takes limited exposure to affect someone's life and a few miles in Atlanta made an impact on me. I ran cross country and track for my junior and senior years. In a short period of time, I was running 16 minute 5K's and sub 5 minute miles. As I think back, I am amazed at how fast a young body can adapt. I had horrible shoes and no idea what a good or bad time was. I just ran. I remember going out early into my running career with the more experienced folks on the team. It was a fartlek workout and about 5 miles in, these experienced runners turned around and I still remember the shock on their face to see I was still there. I remember that moment like it was yesterday. It was a moment that made me think I might actually be okay at this sport.

I wish I could say I stuck with running after high school but this did not happen. I stopped fairly cold turkey in 1984 and did not take up running again until 2004. I had always wanted to run a marathon and a series of events that hit my family over an 18 month period brought me the opportunity. In late 2002 my father was diagnosed with leukemia. I spent a lot of time flying from CA to South Carolina where my parents were to help support my Dad during this tough time. While he was battling, my wife became pregnant which was amazing. One unexpected blessing this news brought was providing my father another reason to keep fighting despite the torture chemotherapy was bestowing upon him. Unfortunately, on August 1, 2003, one day before the due date for Isabella Soleil Wilno and one day after my wedding anniversary, my little girl passed away before ever taking a breath on this planet. It was needless to say a awful day. My wife still endured labor knowing that the outcome was not going to be a happy one. I also had to make the toughest call of my life to tell my father that he would not be holding his granddaughter anytime soon. This marked a turning point for my father as he lost a little of that fight to live. Shortly after the loss of my daughter, my father was pronounced terminal and was given a few months to live. I quit my job and spent the next few months with my father. In January 2004, my father lost his battle.

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Shortly after his passing, my wife became pregnant again with my son Jaden and shortly after this she was diagnosed with cancer. We had the tough decision of risking our baby or my wife. We chose to fight the cancer after my son was born. I am happy to say that a few years later, my son Jaden is very healthy, my wife and I have had another child, Thalia and, although the cancer returned in November 2009, I am happy to say she is currently cancer free.

To take this back to running...during the final few weeks of my father's life, I decided that I would run a marathon. I have no idea why. I think it is because it is something I wanted to do but was always afraid to do. My father was always amazing at sports so it was my gesture to him...to attempt something beyond myself and do it to honor his life and all he did for me. To get started, I found a little store on Hilton Head Island, Go Tri Sports, and set off to buy shoes. When I got there, I walked in to meet the owner of the store. His name was Al...coincidentally my father’s name. I proceeded to tell him the story about my father and he handed me a purple and green flyer. This flyer was from Team in Training.......a program I knew nothing about. He was a coach and told me the program was to teach people to run a marathon while raising money to fight blood cancer....the disease that ultimately would take my father’s life. It was amazing. My desire to run a marathon for my father became even more meaningful now that I could raise money to fight back against this horrible disease. While a long story........this is my entry back into running after a 20 year break. I have been running and with Team in Training ever since. I am now a coach and try my best to give back and make a difference in people's lives and ultimately make a difference in this world.

RD: What do you enjoy most about running?

Christopher: There are so many things I like about running which ties to all the reasons that I run and ties to my coaching with Team in Training. From a personal perspective, I really feel whole when I am running. Running, and training in general as I try to stay Triathlon fit, really defines who I am. It is in many ways an escape for me...not an escape from reality but a way to work things out, leave stress from a long day on the road and be fit for my family. It is a sport that theoretically does not get easier because you are always pushing yourself to go faster or farther. It may get easier to run a certain pace, but when your body adapts...you go faster so you are constantly challenged. Running builds mental toughness and really tests who you are as a person.

While this may sound a little odd, running keeps me somewhat connected to my losses. This was very true right after I lost my daughter and father. When I was running, I felt like I was with them. I felt like they would come join me on the road and keep me safe. It probably ties to the Team in Training experience because when I was tired or sore, I had my daughter, father and wife's battle to keep me in focus and drive me to push forward. I remember my first marathon finish line well. I was having a bad day and had to draw on every bit of my story to push forward. I crossed the finish line, found my wife and burst into tears. I felt like my daughter and Dad were there at the finish line to share the moment and to this day I like to think my Dad takes a break from some golf course in Heaven, grabs my little girl and comes down to watch me cross every finish line.

I also enjoy running because I think the community of runners is amazing!!! Everyone is so supportive of each other and supportive of those that are thinking about entering the sport. I think we are a welcoming bunch because we know the impact that running can have on one's life. As part of Team in Training, I have seen running change lives and even save lives. Yes, some of this change is tied to fitness and health but I think it goes well beyond this. I have seen running get someone off the couch that didn’t think they could make a difference in the world. I have seen running get someone out of the despair caused by the loss of a husband to murder. I have seen running teach so many that we are capable of anything we set our minds to. I keep all of this close to my heart every time I set out for a run. When I go around my neighborhood and see someone running that I know wasn’t running the month before, I like to think I might have had an impact on their decision to hit the road simply by seeing some else take those steps first.

People come to Team in Training for many different reasons and I think many of these reasons apply to running in general. Some come because they are overweight and need something to kick start their life. Some come because they are tired of hearing society tell them what can’t be done. Some come because of some personal hardship that they believe running can help them push beyond. Some come simply to meet new people. Running can meet every one of these needs. It can be the catalyst that leads you to a different lifestyle. It can teach you what you CAN do. It can help you work through and past hardship and it certainly can take you to some amazing people.

RD: What are your favorite training foods?

Christopher: I am probably not the best to ask about food because I am not the healthiest eater in the world. I have always been very skinny and struggled to gain weight but during my first Ironman this became exponentially worse. I was training so hard that I was losing weight. I compensate, I ended up eating 5,000 to 6,000 calories a day just to maintain. To this day, I still eat quite a lot of food and have not quite figured out how to eat that much and have all the calories be good for you. Don’t get me wrong…..I am not eating candy all day but I certainly am not afraid to pull out some Ben & Jerry’s S’mores flavored ice cream and down a pint.

When I am actually running, I train with Gu (Vanilla or plain flavor), Shot Bloks (all flavors), and Nuun sports drink. I also lose a lot of salt when I workout so I supplement the above with Endurolyte Electrolyte replacement pills. On the bike, the only thing I do differently is that I use Carbo Pro in my Nuun sports drink to supplement carbs and calories.

After a long workout.........I eat whatever I want. I will always get some type of strange craving on long runs or rides and will eat to that craving. During training for one of my recent races, the last 5 weeks of hard training lead me to a Chili cheese dog, fries and a root beer float. My son was very grateful for this craving!

RD: 5,000-6,000 calories...and skinny....a lot of people aren't liking you right now. LOL!

RD: Are you a lone runner or do you run with some buddies? What do you like about each?
Christopher: I lead a very busy life so most of the training I do for myself is solo and at very odd hours. I work 60-70 hours a week and I coach and am a Dad and am a husband so I try to train at hours that interfere as little as possible with the rest of my life. There are very few people that want to run at 11pm or 4am so I generally am on my own.

My group runs come on Sundays as part of coaching for Team in Training. Most of my teams are approximately 100 or so athletes and I try to spend time with everyone on the team.

RD: What’s the funniest or oddest thing that’s happened to you while on a run?

Christopher: When I am training for an event, I will not let anything get in the way of my workouts. During one season, I was scheduled to get in a 19 mile run but it conflicted with my friend’s wedding. This particular wedding was held on a Friday night and ended sometime around midnight. While my wife thought I was insane, along with everyone else at the wedding, I wore my running clothes under my suit. When the wedding was over, my wife dropped me off near the beach with a fuel belt and off I went for a long run home. My path home happened to take me past every bar in Southern California. Needless to say, between midnight and 2am there are a lot of drunk people at the bars. On this particular night they all seemed to be out on the patios as I ran by. I must have heard 'Run Forrest Run' no less than 50 times. It was the drunk battle cry of the evening.

RD: What’s your biggest running accomplishment? Why?

Christopher: From an overall perspective, my biggest accomplishment is being a coach for Team in Training. It is amazingly rewarding and a way to honor the losses and battles that brought me to running. To have the ability to affect lives is a blessing I do not take lightly. I have been a part of teams that in total have brought no less than 500 people across the finish line and combined we have raised millions of dollars to fight cancer.

From a personal perspective, I would say the slowest marathon of my career is my biggest accomplishment. It was part of my first Ironman. It was 100 degrees for the race and I do not do well in heat. I cramped so bad on the bike that I actually fell over from the pain causing me an inability to pedal. I sat for about 30 minutes with my bike and I only left at news that medical was on their way to see me. I was afraid they would shut down my day and I was not going to let that happen. I fled the scene despite horrible cramps and made my way to the bike finish. I remember heading out onto the run and hearing my wife offer words of praise telling me "You've got this Baby". I remember looking at her shrugging my shoulders because I really did not know if my future held an Ironman finish. I tried to run but it did not take long before my legs went into horrible cramps. A lot of folks were having bad days. The dropout rate was very high from the oppressive heat. I fell down on many occasions from the pain but I always managed to pick myself back up and keep going. I experimented with every run-walk interval combination I could think of and sadly ended up at a 30 second run - 2 minute walk......this was all my body could handle. It was pitch black before I could hear the crowds cheering letting me know I was near the finish. I remember some guy in the crowd yelling those infamous words you hear near the end of a race "Great job, you are almost done". I remember going right up to him, grabbing his shirt and asking exactly where the finish line was. I was very close to a complete collapse and was trying to make sure that collapse did not happen until I crossed the finish line. This kind gentleman clarified the location of the finish line so when I felt it was safe….. I started running it in. I gave a few high 5's but realized quickly this was a bad idea as I almost fell down from the impact. Four hours after I should have finished the Ironman, at just under 16 hours, I crossed the finish line and was crowned an Ironman. About 2 feet after crossing the finish line I collapsed and was carried to the medical tent. I remember a pain I didn’t think possible from cramps alone. It took four people to seize my muscles while I clung to an iron gate writhing around. My time on this particular day was not anything to be proud of but I did not give up when many people would have. On this day, I lost 16 pounds which is a lot of anyone let alone someone as skinny as I am. My body just shut down and, honestly, it was a mess for a few weeks into the future. It was this race that led me to preach that it is not always your fastest time you are most proud of.

RD: Do you have a favorite brand of running shoe? Which model? Why?

Christopher: I wear Saucony Grid Hurricanes. I have been through many shoes and this has been the best performer for me. I pronate and don’t have the best feet so I prefer both motion control and cushion. If I am not running but like to kick it in some running shoes I will wear K-Swiss K-Ona shoes.

RD: What’s your favorite race distance(s)? Do you have a favorite race you run each year

Christopher: Marathon is my favorite distance because of the mental and physical challenge it requires to finish. I coach both the half and full marathon and am proud of the finishers of both distances. I just find the journey to the marathon finish much more challenging and, as such, much more rewarding. On any given day you can kick the marathon's ass, but on any other given day, the marathon can kick yours. I truly believe that 26.2 miles can change your life!

RD: If you were speaking to a group of non-runners or runner wannabes and trying to encourage them to run, what would you say?

Christopher: I would first say to be patient when starting into the sport. It takes 4-6 weeks for your body to adapt and for you to see positive results. As a coach for Team in Training, the hardest part of the season is the first few weeks because of the initial struggle folks have in the transition from non runner. If your very first run is a struggle, how could you possibly finish 26.2 miles. This is natural conclusion, but far from the truth. The world is not a different place on your second run or your third run or even your fourth run. In 4-6 weeks, however, you will go out for a run and, 3 miles into that run, will realize that it was remarkably easier than that first workout of your running career. It is at this point that you will start to get joy out of running. It is also at this point that you can first see the affects running will have on your life. You ran 3 miles and your entire being was full of doubt but you pushed through that self doubt and made it happen. This happens time and time again over the course of training for any race. Doubt comes and you learn to shove it aside. This thought process begins to invade all that you are. People tell you something is not possible and you shove them out of the way to show the world anything is possible. If you trust that all this can come from running, why not start running today!

RD: Open Mike: Share anything you‘d like about your running experiences, past accomplishments, goals, dreams….anything you haven’t previously shared.

Christopher: The only thing I would like to add that although some of my circumstances above are tough to read and sad in nature, I am not one to focus on negative. The events above taught me that blessings come from even the worst of times. Yes my daughter passed away and yes it was and continues to be something that can bring a tear to my day but the event also gave my father comfort when it was his time to go. He believed that he would get to meet Isabella and that made his exit from this world much more tolerable. Isabella’s passing also led to a lot of tests that ultimately led to the discovery of my wife’s cancer. If she had not passed, my wife’s cancer could have kept growing undetected. This cancer could have ultimately cost my wife’s life. I like to believe that my little girl knew all of this and volunteered for heaven.

Cancer taking my father’s life was also a sad moment but also brought with it many blessings. It brought me back to running. It brought me to some amazing people and it brought me to an amazing organization where I have affected many lives. I like to think that cancer regrets it’s decision to attack my father because it picked the wrong guy’s son to mess with.
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So, if some sadness or hardship enters your life, please be patient. The blessing or blessings may not immediately present themselves but I am confident they will appear. Keep your head up and your eyes open. You are where you are meant to be.

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Thanks Chritopher for sharing your amazing story! You truly are an inspiration! Be sure to follow Christopher on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Run2SaveLives! For more information on Team in Training, [click here].