Meet OutRival Racing Athlete Bekki Schwartz coached by Mary Kelley

As a triathlete you have likely heard some things about gravel cycling but maybe haven’t tried it yet. As a triathlon coach for over ten years, I’m here to tell you – there are many reasons to check it out and here are the top 5.

As a woman getting my PhD, I had plenty of doubts – most of all wondering if I really did belong there. Finding triathlon, however, was different. First, when I started in 2014, I had no idea what I was doing and that was a bit of a blessing in disguise, when you don’t know what you don’t know, it's hard to question it. Second, it was just for fun, a new hobby, and outlet for energy. Third, it turned out I was fairly good at it, the swim was hard, but I could make up for that on the bike and the run, of which especially the last came a lot more natural to me. As I progressed to the 70.3 distance, and the realization came that I could compete at the top end of the age group field grew, the pressure did go up a bit. I was however still so new at all of this that the elements of joy and surprise outshone any doubts I had about myself.

As a personal trainer and running coach, when I prepare run training programs, strength training is always an integral part. Strength training has many benefits including contributing to increased lean muscle mass, strength of connective tissue, bone density, resting metabolism and cardiovascular health. Strength training can also improve balance, coordination and posture, boost energy levels and improve mood. As runners, strength training, particularly exercises focused on lateral hip stability and rotational core strength, helps us attain and maintain proper running form, which in turn allows us to run longer and faster, and reduces the likelihood of injury.

At times, the climb is steep, and it hurts. I work to gain elevation only to then lose it as I round the bend. These consistent setbacks mirror those I have endured throughout my 30+ years of being involved in triathlon, which begs the question--why bother? Why bother doing all that work, mentally willing myself through moments of fatigue and suffering only to lose all momentum moments later?

Some motivational words from Coach Molly Zahr, as we look to 2021.

“The day you stop racing is the day you win the race.” – Bob Marley

If you are about to race to race your first Ironman or maybe just need some reminders on race day tips, Jackie Miller has you covered!

A few months back, I found myself under the surface of the ocean holding my breath at 80 feet, lying on some sand, just looking up at a rock cliff beside me. Utter silence, fish all around me. All I could think of was a song by The Talking Heads: “How did I get here? Letting the days go by, let the water hold me down Letting the days go by, water flowing underground Into the blue again, after the monkey’s gone Once in a lifetime, water flowing underground.”

We can still achieve a lot of our primary motivations for endurance sport, even without racing! But how do we do this? By choosing our own adventure! Coach Doug explains further in our blog post!