Introducing our August AOM, Kenny Moore! Kenny has been a part of ORR since his first go at IMTX in 2014. Currently coached by Sarah Hankla, Kenny has made huge strides in just a few years and has some lofty goals on tap to keep him going. Let's hear a little bit more about him....

Tell us about yourself.

I was born in Tucson, AZ, but grew up just north of Austin in Round Rock, TX. I then went to Texas A&M University (c/o ’11, whoop!) where I made life-long friends, pushed my sleep requirements to new lows, and earned a B.S. in Chemical Engineering. I then moved to Houston along with probably more than half of my graduating class to where the Oil and Gas jobs were in hopes of being able to land on my feet instead of my face, fortunately achieving the former by starting work at a major engineering firm. I then made more life-long friends within the community I settled into and through the church I joined in NW Houston.

When not swim/bike/running, I’m probably spending time with my very supportive girlfriend, sitting in the wonderful Houston traffic, attempting to play guitar, obsessing over a hopefully non-mediocre Fightin’ Texas Aggie football season, catching them all (as of late), or napping. Napping may be my favorite pastime. When I write, I struggle keeping things short and sweet due to an overzealous need to insert sarcastic quips and to put on display my inner Morgan Freeman, so please accept my upfront apologies.

What is your athletic background?

Well, I didn’t grow up participating in any official school or club-sponsored sports (aside from Town and Country soccer when I was like 7 or 8, and then playing center/nose-guard in middle school for a year). I started running on my own when I was a junior in high school since I was tired of being the out of shape kid growing up. I trained without any real direction, struggling to log anything over 2 miles, and eventually ran my first 10K in Austin (which is amazingly still a PR). I found out at the end of the race that it was the first installment of a 7-race series called the Austin Distance Challenge which ended with the Austin Marathon. I decided to go for it and do what I thought was ridiculous, finding that runner’s high along the way.

I picked up cycling when I started working after college, joining my company’s BP MS150 team (having done it twice so far), going from riding casually around the A&M campus to being able to ride in pace lines, pick up some basic maneuvering skills, and ride for 3+ hours regularly.

Swimming came later…

When did you start triathlon and what got you into it?

Two very dear and close friends of mine, Kevin and Melanie (now married), had been trying to plant the triathlon seed when I was getting more and more involved with cycling. I had since done the Austin Marathon again (5 years since the first one), and the three of us along with other friends had started an annual tradition of running the Davy Crockett Bear Chase Half Marathon in small-town Groveton, TX (shameless plug if you haven’t done it). I had always dodged the triathlon subject when it was brought up, or just simply gave the excuse that I hadn’t done actual swimming since I was 5, at which point I was only learning how to swim.

Then one hot May day in 2013, they casually invited me up to the Woodlands to go spectate at an Ironman race since Kevin knew someone from college that was participating (Coach Sarah!). I had nothing better to do that day and agreed to tag along. Once we started walking along the course, something clicked and I was immediately fascinated with what I was witnessing. Not only was the race an ABSURD distance, but non-Greek gods were competing (and rocking it) as well. We made our way to the finish line which was buzzing with an electric atmosphere amid the cries of “YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!!” from whom I’d later find out was the famous Mike Reilly. It was then and there that I knew I wanted to see myself on the other side of the barricades, accomplishing the impossible…and so did Kevin and Melanie. Two weeks later, we went to the Kona Grill in the Galleria in celebration of signing up for the 2014 Ironman Texas.

What’s your favorite: swim, bike, or run? Least favorite?

Running will always hold a special spot since it was my gateway to the triathlon world and general endorphin-crazed lifestyle. Cycling is a close second given the ability to traverse tens or hundreds of miles at a (reasonable) time, but running is what I always consider to be my strong-suit (at least when it’s not surface-of-the-sun hot). It doesn’t hurt that the run is the last discipline before crossing the finish line. By default, the swim would be my least favorite, but kind of in an unfair way given it’s my newest discipline to learn. By the same token, it’s my fastest-developing discipline, but still quite a ways away from the bike and run levels. I’m also not a huge fan of the wall-to-wall-to-wall-to-wall, etc., but I’m learning to combat the monotony. At least until I forget what lap I’m on.

From a race standpoint, I perceive the overall event as progressing from start to finish in terms of what I’m most comfortable and strongest with. This is usually reflected in my split times and relative leg positions, so my mental appreciation for each leg has so far translated into the physical performance of each.

What was your first triathlon and what do you remember most?

My first triathlon was the Towne Lake Olympic triathlon on Labor Day of 2013. Soon after signing up for IMTX14, Kevin, Melanie and I figured it would be a good idea to start training and get some race experience under our belt (at least for Kevin and I; Melanie was already a seasoned triathlete). The race itself left unpleasant memories of swimming into the lake banks every few minutes (I had built up the swim endurance, but clearly not the technique), a ridiculously hot and cramp-ridden run, and ultimately a disappointing finish time. Nevertheless, I could officially say I completed a triathlon (or, voluntarily paid to swim) and was well on my way to completing a race 4x as long with 8x the price tag. I had very tangible aspects of the triathlon I could improve on (and then would once I joined OutRival the following January).

What is your favorite race and why?

This is a tough one. A lot of races I’ve done have their own intangibles that make them unique and the best in some regard. That said, Ironman Lake Tahoe in 2015 was probably my favorite thus far. That race challenged me and pushed me out of my comfort zone in more ways than I could have imagined (largely due to my great coach!). Not only did the tales I’d heard of the infamous 2013 race drive me to achieve a fitness level I never had, but it was also the first major destination race I’d done. Going through all of the logistics and planning for it combined with the brutally hot training sessions leading up to it re-shaped me both physically and mentally. By the time I had arrived in Lake Tahoe, I was able to reap the rewards of all of the hard work and planning by racing in what I’d consider to be one of the most beautiful race venues to exist (sadly, the race has been discontinued). It featured a 60°F swim (with a 48°F air temp, so the water actually felt welcoming), a ~6,500 ft. climb on the bike (with two main mountain climbs…and no polka dot jersey), and a run through the woods and along a snow-fed river that ended at the foot of the Squaw Valley ski area and resort (home of the 1960 Winter Olympics). I still finished only 25 min slower than my time for the previous year’s IMTX – something I was pleasantly surprised with considering my watch died midway through the run. IMLT was an experience like no other and one that will always continue to shape me.

What was your worst race and why?

My worst race was probably the aforementioned Towne Lake Olympic tri in 2013. That swim still has me shaking my head. Being my first triathlon, I experienced all of the rookie mistakes which led to the disparity between my expectations and the reality of my chip times. Since that race though, I’ve been fortunate to have a great coach who is able to enhance my strengths, build up my weaknesses, and allow me to almost continually hit PR’s with every race I do. I don’t expect to always get PR’s, but it’s a huge testament to Coach Sarah that I’ve been able to for this long.

What’s on your race schedule for 2016?

2016 is a bit of a scaled down race schedule for me compared to the ambition I had the prior year. I did the Houston Marathon earlier in January, and the Texacolypse this past May (IMTX16), but so far only have Towne Lake (for my third time – I like it as a punishing benchmark) and maybe Oilman later in the fall on the radar. It’d be nice to squeeze in a sprint distance in the mix too, but gotta check to see it doesn’t conflict with Aggie football.

What are this year‘s goals?

This year’s main goal was accomplished already: beating my IMTX time from 2014 (at least from a pace standpoint). I had a loose 3-yr/IM idea to bookend a “more” challenging race (IMLT) with IMTX just to see where I’d be after 2 or 3 years of extended training (for the record, I’ve learned every race – especially any IM – is challenging; each have their own distinct hurdles to overcome). From a race results standpoint, I’m pleased with my faster race times and am excited to attack the other challenges I’ll face in the future.

From a non-race-specific perspective, I’d like to continue to pursue getting into better shape (i.e. stop consuming like I’m training for an IM), landing on the podium, and managing a better work/life/training balance. These are all continual pursuits not limited to this year, but can definitely have tangible benchmarked results come December.

What keeps you motivated to train, day in and day out?

There are multiple ways to answer this, so I’ll try to keep it brief(er). At the surface, since starting the routine a few years ago, it’s simply become a habit to train on a daily basis (except for that recovery day!). Even if I don’t have a specific “A” race on the plate, I’ll still do maintenance mode training because I know I eventually will. It may not be grueling like IM training can get 12+ weeks in, but the consistency allows for my body to be ready to pick up heavier training quicker and with a greater resistance to injury. When I’m in that post-race recovery mode, I tend to get antsy after a few days since I start to get bored and (ironically) uncomfortable with a break from the routine – very much a bittersweet and awkward time.

From a goals perspective, I have a couple lofty goals to keep me on a track for forward movement: Kona and the Boston Marathon. Both are realistically a long ways away, but having those goals helps me set up the trainer, lace up, and/or pack a swim bag when I don’t necessarily feel like it. I fill the gap with more attainable goals, but all as stepping stones to those highly coveted races.

What has triathlon taught you?

This is really a continuation of the previous point, but from an even deeper perspective, I train (and race) because I’m graced with the ability to do so. Having not grown up being the athletic type, I’ve now learned (and continue to learn) that I’m not stuck in what I’ve known, but that I can choose to better myself by pursuing something greater than myself. I try not to take that for granted, though sometimes that’s inevitable. For me, triathlon is a reflection of my Christian life. There are plenty of direct scriptural references that can be associated with racing (“..and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” – Heb. 12:1, for one), though I like to think it’s more than that. I’ve come to know that each stride and PR I make is not a reflection of my own ability, but instead a showcase of He who gave me that ability. I’ve come to know that each failure is an opportunity to refocus my disappointment into a stronger reliance on His provision and strength. I’ve grown a stronger appreciation for operating on a grand-scale timeline rather than the rushed, quick-fix or weekend-warrior timeline I would naturally tend to prefer. Most importantly, I’ve come to appreciate the reward in the journey as much as the end prize itself, relishing the growth, establishing new relationships with those on a similar journey, and loving that which transforms me and makes me an ambassador for something larger than myself. It changes my perspective and reaction(s) entirely when things go wrong in a race, or if a training session doesn’t even come close to what I was planning/hoping for. I guess for me, it’s actually not much more than that verse at all. Triathlon is all about endurance, and so is living an eternal life. And for that, I’m grateful to have been introduced to this crazy sport.

Congrats Kenny, we are so proud to have you as part of the ORR family!!