Post Race Interview by Molly Nolan

First I must say that I am incredibly proud of you. A triathlon is certainly not something I would have ever thought you would do. However, when I read that you were doing it for Community Partners of Dallas, I thought, “yep, that’s Kate!”

What was your time?
I finished the race in 3 hours & 40 minutes. For me, this was a personal best because I was counting on finishing between 4 hours & 15 mins to 4 and half hours. To put it into perspective, you have 6 hours to complete the whole race. The professionals who raced and won their categories finish the race in 2 hours on average. So if you look at a side by side comparison, I swam a mile in 45 minutes and the pros swim it in about 20 minutes. I completed the 25 mile bike ride in an hour and a half and the pros do it in an hour or less. I ran 6.2 miles in an 1 hour and 20 minutes and the pros run it between 30-45 minutes. Another thing that factors into your race time is how long you spend in the transition area between legs. I need a lot of work in this area because I am slow. I took almost 6 minutes between the swim & the bike and 6 and half minutes between the bike and the run. The pros never spend more than 2 minutes in either transition and it's usually about one and a half minutes.

How are your clothes fitting now?
Much to my dismay, my clothes are not fitting any differently. I only lost 3 pounds over the 14 weeks of training. I'm definitely more toned, I've got some new muscles and my face is thinner, but I must say I was hoping for much more visable results - like jeans fitting & no gut.

If you had to say what your favorite part of the swimming, running or biking was, what was your favorite part? The biking was my favorite part of three. I think this is because I've swallowed more chlorine and lake water than I care to think about and running long distance is hard. I had not spent any time on a bike since I was young. As long as you are not going up really steep hills, the rides are nice and relatively relaxing. It makes you feel young again.

Which stage were you most surprised you did well at doing?
I'm amazed that I can run 6.2 miles. In January, I could run a half mile and I was exhausted when I finished, so every time I made it another mile in my training it actually brought tears to my eyes. I still don't like to run, but it's a necessary evil.

Did you fall off the bike?
I did not fall off the bike during the race. I did fall off a few days prior to the race and suffered lots of bruises on both legs, an arm and my backside. I took my time clipping in before I took off and I didn't have any problems. Two times during the race riders passed me so close on the left that I was extremely uncomfortable and one guy passed on the right - which is not supposed to happen so this shook me up a little. A pedestrian also almost walked into me and I had to yell at him to watch out - which I thought was most bizarre.

What is the first thing you thought when you crossed the finish line?
In those last few minutes I was focusing on a fast strong finish, so I think the first thing I thought was to smile for the camera while simultaneously thinking I did it! I was surprised I didn't tear up because I had so many times during training when I accomplished a new goal. I thought I would be overwhelmed, but I was just happy and ready to see my friends and family that cheered me through the race.

What was the first thing you saw when you crossed the finish line?
A photographer laying on the ground.

Will you do another triathlon?
Yes. There are many in my future. There are lots of short "sprint length" races,which are less than half the distance of an Olympic length. These are all around the metroplex year round and I'm also considering starting to train for another Olympic length race that would take place in September.

What was the toughest stage?
The run. I had no doubts I could run the 6.2 miles because I had trained and worked up to this distance. I was mentally prepared. I did not however factor in the immense heat. The sun was brutal and blaring down on me at 95 degrees. I got really sunburned and it just zapped the remaining energy right out of me. The first 3.5 miles were fine, but a little after mile 4 started, I struggled to keep my pace. Of the 6.2 miles, I walked on and off about a half mile during the last portion of the run. I had been running about a 10 minute mile, but race day I ran slightly over a 12 minute mile. I did finish at a really strong pace, so although I'm disappointed I had to walk some, I'm happy with the outcome.

How much did you raise to give back to Community Partners of Dallas?
To date *fundraising isn't over*, I've raised $2700 thanks to all my very generous friends and family. I've got 3 more weeks to raise money, so feel free to click my donation link on this blog and make a much needed donation.

Did you ever feel like you weren’t going to make it?
No, not at any point. I was really tired during the run, but not discouraged. I was very prepared and knew I would finish.

So your husband was there, did you ever see him?
Yes. He found me right before I went into the water, so I saw him before & after the swim. I saw him once on the run course. I had to get up at 4:30 and leave the hotel at 5:30 the morning of the race with my training group, so that is why he had to find me in the mass of competitors.

Did you ever think about Brandon during the race? Yes, Molly, I thought about your boyfriend a lot during the race - especially during the running leg when I was hallucinating from the extreme heat. I was envisioning his hip new clothing line "Mackerel Life" being a major sponsor of the 2010 Cap Tex Tri. Then I thought of him agreeing to be my named sponsor for my next race and having the Mackerel Life logo displayed prominently on my tri top as well as some stickers on my bike helmet and water bottles. It was a cool line of thought with lots of logo placement opportunities and that got me through at least another mile in that blazing heat.

What did you do to celebrate completing this?
Probably just what I should not be doing - eating & drinking all my favorites that I've deprived myself of for the past few months. My stomach isn't happy about it. It's not letting me have as much as I think I want.

What was the most rewarding aspect?
Discovering I was physically capable of completing the training and enduring the race and receiving all the support and encouragement from friends and family. You can't imagine how many notes and phone calls I've received during this. It's been great.

Which stage did you excel the best at?
The swim. It has consistently taken me 45 plus minutes to swim a mile during my training, most of which was done in a swimming pool. The open water swims I did prior to the race were a disaster so I wasn't expecting much for race day. Surprisingly the water was smooth and I could actually see my hands and any feet in front of me. I swam the mile without stopping, without tiring and much faster than I ever have.

Did Brad give you a special gift for completing?
A hug! He also took some time off from work to spend with me so we could enjoy being finished with the training and the race a little longer.

Were any other family members present? Who?
I had a big cheering section and they were spread out all over the bike and run course so I saw them at a lot of different spots. My mom & dad were there. Brad's mother, his little sister and her boyfriend were there. My best childhood friend and her husband were there. She was the maid of honor in my wedding and his dad took all our wedding pictures. At this race, her husband took my race pictures with his fancy camera, so that was a fun unexpected surprise. Bethany Malloy & Rachel Karnes made the trip from Big D and brought lots of flair. They cheered from the sidelines with hot pink pom-poms, cowbells and big pink signs. They were easy to find and really loud and that was really very cool!

Did you develop any friendships while training or at the event?
Yes. Although we were a complete mix of personalities and backgrounds, our training group was small so we definitely got to know each other well. We all had the same common goal - to raise money for our cause and complete the race. We will always be the original group of All Tri, so there is a definite bond there and I'm sure we will see each other at future training sessions and races.

Did you talk to anyone during it, listen to music?
Our coach made it crystal clear we were not to listen to any music during the race. In fact, we were not supposed to listen to anything but our breathing during the last month of training. I saw other members of my group during the bike & run portions so we would give each other shout outs of encouragement. I asked a few bikers where we were supposed to exit the bike course and talked to a couple runners that were going the same pace as me.

What did you think about during?
I was so nervous the day before the race that I must have gotten it all out of my system for race day because all I thought about was my performance during each leg. I was very focused. During the swim, I concentrated on my strokes and watching where I was going. During the bike, I spent a lot of time counting my laps because I had to go around the bike course 4 times. I also looked for my husband & my parents during the bike course because I couldn't ever see them. I found out after the race they went to Whataburger for the better portion of the bike race and basically saw me start the course and leave the course. During the run, I just tried to get through it. All I can really remember was thinking about how hot it was.

Were you sore afterward?
Oh, Yeah! Very sore & very tired for the 3 days following the race. It started almost immediately with my feet and the sunburn. Then it was my legs. The day after the race my neck, shoulders and back were really sore. The next day it was just my calves & triceps. I'm all good now.

Do you have any words of wisdom for others considering doing a triathlon?
Get a good coach (Claire Oliver if she is available) and try to find a training buddy or some way to keep you very accountable. It's hard to stay committed to the training schedule when you do it alone. I was able to stick with it because I didn't want to let all the people that had donated down. Also, make sure you are aware of the financial commitment and the time commitment. It takes alot of both of these. I started from scratch on all my gear so this was an unexpected expense and the training schedule took over my life.

How will you present your money to CPD? Is there a specific program that they have that you have designated the money to go toward?
Checks will be presented at a special beneficiary breakfast sponsored by All Tri. I'll make sure take photos. I did not designate any specific area. I fully trust the leadership at CPD to put the money to good use in the area(s) that need it most.

Now that you have finished, what’s next?
I'm going to Disneyworld! (not really - that's just what they always say after winning the Super Bowl.) I wish I had something really exciting to embark on, but I'm just trying to get things back to "normal." A less hectic schedule is priority number one and getting a handle on work, family and all my upcoming volunteer commitments. Life goes on, so I'm jumping back in it!