• Have you ever had a coach that knows you like the back of their hand?
• Have you ever had a friend get up at 4am to drive over an hour to the airport to surprise you and wish you luck on an event?
• Have you ever had your sister ask you to pee in a cup to make sure you are not dehydrated?
• Have you ever had to watch your sisters get a 2 min paddle board lesson 10 min before they have to site you on a 7.2 mile swim.
• Have you ever had to be escorted across 4 lanes of a major highway in the pitch dark to get off an exit on your bike?

My journey stated 5 months before EPICMAN took place when I asked my sister Heather, Jonesing 4 Fitness, to coach me for what was sure to be the most difficult event to date. Not an easy task with a client like me who will not train more than 2.5 hours on a work day (and that includes drive time) as I get to work at 7:30am. Heather took on the challenge and it was amazing to watch both of us grow over the 5 months as an athlete, coach and sisters.

My family and friends mean a lot to me. They keep me grounded and remind me what is important in life.  My friend Heather Davenport, a little ball of energy and smiles, showed up at the airport to surprise me and wish me luck on my event. Really!? She got up at 4am and drove over an hour to the airport and was not even sure she would find me. I almost cry but I was too happy to see her! And my special friend Marie (midget sister ) sent me a gift package in HI of all my favorite goodies which included M&Ms!

Being on the beautiful island of O’ahu with my sisters was really special. We enjoyed our time together and had fun preparing for the adventure we were about to take. Everywhere we went people would comment about our smiles and energy. We bring it out in each other.

The crew car was all packed and we all got a good night sleep and were ready to go! The 7.2 mile swim was really fun! I actually enjoyed it and I completely loved watching my sisters on a paddleboard next to me ensuring I was staying on track. They did great with only a 2 min lesson before the event!

The bike was 336 miles of fun, nerves, smiles and camaraderie! The one loop around the island (104 miles) took quite a bit of time with the amount of traffic, stop signs, stop lights, major roads you had to travel on coupled with the wind and some nice climbs. But it is the EPICMAN CHALLENGE so getting blown into a guard rail when climbing up a steep hill is just part of the journey. Carrie and Heather were right there to ensure I took all the right turns and kept me well hydrated and kept me well fed with peanut butter and nutella sandwiches! Then we hit the 1.4 mile out and backs for 230 miles or so. That was fantastic as the crew could get a little sleep (not much!) and it was a safe lit road and the other athletes were so friendly as we went around in circles. Riding through the night was actually neat and every time I circled around the parking lot all the support crew and volunteers were cheering and keeping you alert and smiling.

The run!! My favorite part! Since I took it very easy on the swim and bike I had a lot of energy and excitement going into the run. My legs were not worn at all so it was time to see what saving it all for the run could do. Heather coached me for this. This was the part where Carrie and Heather would take turns going mile for mile with me by my side. We pushed out 21 or so miles at a nice clip and we all took an hour nap and we were back at it. Of the 78.6 miles I walked about 3/4th of a mile which was a hill or two early on in the run and the last lap prior to heading into the finish. I was starting to feel the sleep deprivation and just needed to get some coke and food in me to get me back on track.

The last 7.5 miles is where the “light at the end of the tunnel” adrenaline kicked in. Some caffeine and nutrition and I was good to go. Heather, who had almost 40 miles on her legs already took the lead and just told me to stay on her feet and think about all the woman and young girls I was inspiring. That was exactly what I needed! Heather paced me at sub-9 mile splits for 7.5 miles and that includes a climb up Diamond Head. Heather was in her element and put on her coaches hat and pushed me past what I thought my limits were. I owed it to my sisters to give it all I had! As we approached the last 2 miles Carrie and a new friend Marlene (who lives in the island and FOUND Carrie at a gas station through tracking us on Facebook and jumped in the crew car and directed her to the finish) were running at us and we all ran around the park to the finish line. Holding my sisters hands we crossed the finish knowing that we once again formed an EPIC bond to complete a journey of a lifetime.

This journey would have never happened if it where not for some very special people.

Jason Lester is the man with the vision and a dear friend that offered me the chance to take part in this event. When he first contacted me I told him I could never even train for a race of that magnitude with a full-time job. He believed in me and knew me well enough to know I would bring my family with me and make this another epic adventure for us to share. Thanks you for believing in me, Jason. And thanks for the 534 text messages you sent to my sisters along the way to make sure I was still alive :)

Rebecca and Jen were the two amazing woman who provided my sisters and I the support that reminded us why we do events like this. They took us in as family and encouraged  us from start to finish. What can I say, you were our angels that looked over us and you became part of our family over the 3 days and we love you!

Rebecca, Me, Jason and Jen!

Stefan, owner of TriFREAKS,  joined up with Jason to put on the EPICMAN Challenge and he was out there on the bike course with me for many out and backs. Just having that companionship out there at 2am really kept me focused and smiling. AND he wore a skirt to the award ceramony…classic! Yes, even I had a skirt on to hide my 110% Play Harder. Juggler Knickers which were my savior!

For a little look into what it is like to be a crew take a look at what Carrie and Heather had to say…

What was the experience like for your crew of sisters?

But it was obvious what the answer was after I started to think of the moments that were most memorable. Being at the start line of Ironman Louisville with my twin sister by my side. Running the Barcelona Marathon with my younger sister. Running the Green Lakes 50K trail run with Carrie and of course having my sisters and dad by my side for 3 days for Ultraman Canada.

It is to me, in a sense, a symbolism of how much a family loves and supports you. So I choose events that I can do with my sisters or ones that we can all have a similar goal in mind and all work towards that goal. A few weeks back in the GLER 50K I just paced behind my sister for 29 miles and all I could think about is how she was going to get me through EPICMAN. Without her I am sure I would have walked more of the 2000 feet of elevation gain than I actually did. But the last 2 miles to see her glide effortlessly over the puddles and mud to get to the finish line was the highlight. Her smile was awesome! I finished behind her so I saw her smile in the finishing pictures J

This has also been an exciting year as my younger sister followed her dreams and started her own coaching company. She is top-notch in every way. I spoke to her about her path into triathlon one day to expand her coaching to not only runners but also triathletes. Selfishly in 5 years I will be retiring from Corporate America and will be looking to get my certifications and begin coaching and I would love to be part of Jonesing 4 Fitness. After some discussions she is going to get her triathlon certification and is using me as a guinea pig as I train for EPICMAN and she is kicking my butt!!! But the bond there has been surreal and I admire my sister more than I already do, and that is a LOT!

Click here to check out her website!

The other part I love about our sport is how my sisters inspire their children. My twin sister has run many races with my amazing niece and Heather brings her kids to yoga and teaches them the importance of sports in their lives. My sister just finished the Mountain Marathon in CO on Labor Day and Rylee and Kavan crossed the line with her. They are very proud of Mom. I was too J

And I have to say my Ry is a mini-me. She loves the trails, sports the braids, looks crazy cute in her run skirt and her sneaks are a striking resemblance to the Hoka OneOne’s. I see a future in this girl, I really do.

EPICMAN is sure to test the PERSEVERANCE, FLEXIBILITY and MENTAL FORTITUDE of even the most experienced and accomplished of elite athletes. Who’s in?

Course Maps

EPICMAN_Swim_Course - Ala Moana Beach Park – out & back (1.2 mi) x 6 = 7.2 mi

EPICMAN_Bike_Course - Start/End at Ala Moana Beach Park, 112 miles x 3

EPICMAN_Run_Course - EPICMAN run course x 3 (same as Honolulu Marathon run course)

First, please be really safe (i.e. drive slowly) when you enter Fort Clinch as there are a lot of animals that want to live to see another day. I saw 5 deer just driving into the park! Note: click on the pics to enlarge and click the back button to go back to the post.

Let’s get to it! I love that the course reverses direction after each 10 mile loop as trails always look different when running it in reverse so it will keep you alert. The trail has some really fun undulating hills and what is GREAT is you will find that it is mostly shaded thanks to some beautiful oaks! This will be a savior when the temperature starts to hit in the high 80′s. It truly is a single track trail so you have to be alert as other runners will be coming at you and I also ran into 5 or 6 mountain bikers. With the quick turns on the trails this could be dangerous if you don’t stay focused. The course itself is not hard but I did eat dirt once due to a root that was covered by some leaves and landed on a root when taking a turn and twisted my ankle so keep those eyes down as to make it out unscaved!

There is a bit of soft sand but not much at all! From what I ran (note: I did not run the beach, boardwalk and a fishing pier part) the soft sand was sparse and when you do hit it many times you could jump to the right/left to run on a harder surface. Where you are not able to you will only have maybe 2-5 steps until you are out of it. My hips don’t do well in soft sand so this was a plus! There IS some nice rollers but NOTHING hard! Maybe 10-20 feet of elevation gain on each one but some parts you hit many in a row. They are easy to pop-up when you are fresh earlier in your mileage.

There was one part I was excited to run and it ended early. Why? A small black snake slithered across my feet and I ran back the way I came like a screaming baby. I should have known when I saw these signs AND the real thing (click on photo to enlarge)!! Oh, when I ran out of the trail a lady that saw me go in said, “You are done already?”  I told her I saw a snake (embarrassing!) and she said she just saw a diamond back rattler on the trail rolled up in the sun and she had to keep tossing things at it so she could keep going. Yea, I am a wimp!

All in all you will love this course and the company as the 35 participants will be passing each other throughout the day (and night for many). I will see you in 2 weeks!

I have placed my two favorite Green Smoothie recipes that are easy to make and taste amazing. I do replace the water with 100% coconut water. I have a Vitamix (best $$ I have ever spent) so it mixes up quickly and to perfection. For those that don’t have a blender with a strong motor I placed a Kale recipe below that I eat (again, way too much) that my friend Libby sent me. It ROCKS!

Going Green Smoothie

 Kale and Pear Smoothie

Drink to better bones, help for your heart and an improved immune system—you get it all in this delicious Vitamix green smoothie!

Kale may not be the first thing you think of when it comes to making a great smoothie—but it is definitely one of the best! Dark leafy green kale is packed with calcium in a form that the body finds easier to digest than milk—and that’s a real bonus for your bones. Pair these nutritious but bitter leaves with pear, green grapes, and orange and a banana, and you get a surprisingly sweet smoothie that is absolutely loaded with nutrition.

Green grapes may help improve circulation and prevent blood clots—and the seeds contain protective flavinol compounds that fight free radicals and repair connective tissues. Oranges protect against colds, flu, heart disease and strokes with a big vitamin C immune boost. Bananas are a smoothie staple, but they are packed with cholesterol calming potassium. Yield: 4 cups (960 ml)
Speed: Variable to High
Time: 1 1/2 minutes

• 1 cup green grapes
• 1 (130 g) orange, peeled
• 1/2 Bartlett pear
• 1 (120 g) banana, fresh or frozen
• 1 cup kale
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 cups ice cubes

Directions
Place all ingredients into container and secure the lid. Select VARIABLE speed #10, then to HIGH for 1 ½ minutes. Turn machine off. Serve immediately.   

Kale Waldorf Salad

This variation on the classic Waldorf salad uses kale instead of lettuce and adds apple and walnuts to the dressing for a creamy consistency without using the typical mayonnaise base. Serves 6 Ingredients 4 cups packed finely chopped raw kale, preferably dinosaur kale

• 1 large red apple, such as Fuji or Honeycrisp
• 1 cup thinly sliced celery
• 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped, divided
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons raisins, divided
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons water, more if needed
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt

As I started my second lap of the 50K trail run under the canopy of trees through the single track running trail at Withlacoochee State Forest in central Florida there was complete silence. At this point my ankles were quite sore with every step due to the significant amount of soft sand you ran on and/or tried to jump side to side to avoid. With still a bit of fatigue in my legs from the 100K 3 weeks before I realized it was time to disassociate myself with what I was feeling physically and move internal to my thoughts.

Last year I had signed up for this race but was just beginning my 11 month battle with hip/groin pain that led to my entry being moved to this year. I started thinking about all the hard work and support I received to get myself back to where I could do a back to back 100k/50K and feel no pain. At one point I teared up as this run made me feel whole again. I thought about my friend Libby who started me on my road to recovery. I owe her so much and I can safely say she is insanely knowledgeable and should be nominated as Physical Therapist of the year!

I also thought about how OmVelO (free-standing indoor cycling/yoga/TRX studio two blocks from my home) and all the amazing people there got me to the next level. I spent 5 hours a week doing TRX and yoga to strengthen and stabilize my core and build flexibility and mobility. It was hard work and I still have ways to go, but I AM BACK! A friend sent me this quote (thanks Jenn!) that hit it on the head. It is the journey that gets you to the start line that makes me whole.

Those who truly have the spirit of champions are never wholly happy with an easy win. Half the satisfaction stems from knowing that it was the time and the effort you invested that led to your high achievement. – Nicole Haislett

I am also blessed to have so many amazing family and friends in my life that are as crazy as me and participate in these events or love to spectate. One of my TOP athletic goals this year was to enjoy more events with my family and friends and this was a huge success! I thought a lot about my friends that were out there enjoying the day with me but the one person I was so humbled to be out there with was Kevin Davenport (the hubby of my “tiny” friend Heather). Early last year Kevin was diagnosed with cancer in both kidneys. They immediately removed one whole kidney and half of the other and the doctor said he would never be able to do athletics again. Kevin thought differently and last November he completed Ironman Florida, he has done mountain bike races and completed the Croom Fools Run 50K with a huge smile. BUT had to show up the girls and do an extra 1.5 miles (he must be my twin as he got lost!). Congrats to all my friends that made it to the start line ~ Shanna, Heather, Kevin, Bill, Justin, Susan, John, Jen, Stacey ~ you were in my thoughts throughout the race and I am lucky to be part of your lives.

John, Susan, Shanna, Me, Heather

So proud of Kevin! inspirational!

In true Kellie fashion I stopped at all the aid stations and chatted and had some fun. The volunteers were GREAT! Of course I chatted so much I forgot to refill my camelbak and I ran out of water the last 3 miles and was in dire need of hydration and M&Ms. As I trotted to the finish line I had my eyes set on the aid station with the cold water and stash of my favorite treat and headed straight for it. That was until all the people were yelling at me to cross the finish line that I did not even see. Hence me cracking up in the finishing photo

It was an incredibly scenic course with some nice heat, soft sand and 905ft of elevation gain. A must do for those looking for a nice low-key event that made you feel like you were one of the family.

#5 below is my favorite because my sister and I would get up at the “butt crack” of dawn at the age of 13 to clean a restaurant which included scraping shrimp guts and grease off the floor. Carrie and I saved up $9,000 by the time we were seniors in highschool (and that was over 20 years ago!). To all those parents out there that prepare their children for the real world and ensure they volunteer at a young age to show them the value of humanity I thank you. To my parents and sisters I look at you every day as my heroes and inspiration. Hope you enjoy the read.

Bill Gates recently gave a speech at a High School about eleven (11) things they did not and will not learn in school.
 
He talks about how feel-good, politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in the real world.
 Rule 1 : Life is not fair – get used to it!

Rule 2 : The world doesn’t care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3 : You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won’t be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

Rule 4 : If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss

Rule 5 : Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: They called it opportunity.

Rule 6 : If you mess up, it’s not your parents’ fault, so don’t whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Rule 7 : Before you were born, your parents weren’t as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were: So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent’s generation, try delousing the closet in your own room..

Rule 8 : Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they’ll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. *This doesn’t bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule 9 : Life is not divided into semesters. You don’t get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. *Do that on your own time.

Rule 10 : Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11 : Be nice to nerds. Chances are you’ll end up working for one..

I struggle with this race report as it is hard to put in words what I experienced running the Tarawera 100K. I was not sure what to expect nor was I sure how my body would react to 62 miles of running with 10,000 feet of climbing on ever-changing terrain. What I went through in that 13 hours was well beyond my imagination and far surpassed what I dreamed it would be like. As this was a long day and I can’t do justice in describing the stunning scenery, the amazing athletes, volunteers and spectators, the pain or the loneliness I experienced I thought I would provide some highlights:

• The first 2.5 miles boasted around 700 feet of climbing which meant 25-30 min of walking and the entire time having the quads, hams and calves burning. The run went from physical to mental right from the start.
• The comradary or the runners was inspiring. Many times I would run miles behind someone and just embraced the company even if it was just listening to our feet making their way through the trails. I had a great conversation with a young lady, Mary, who is in law school and was doing her first trail run and ran 18.5K as part of a relay team. One day she is going to do the 100K no doubt. I met a man, Tony, who asked me my name and as we leapfrogged each other he would scream, “Go Kellie!”  There was a wonderful lady, Kate, that was running the 100K and her cheer crew “100K8″ would cheer me on often yelling, “GO USA” or “GO KELLIE!”  A lady I ran with for quite a while that was doing the relay was also part of the “100K8″ cheer squad and at the end came running to find me as they knew I got lost (more on that later) then bolted to the finish to hug me when I finished. A lady snapped a picture of me crossing the finish and came over to me and said she saw I did not have anyone with me so she took a picture then handed me her business card so she could forward it to me. How could you not love ultra trail running. The people are amazing.  
• There is no way to explain the beauty around ever corner you turned but much of the first 60K you had to keep your eyes down so you did not wind up on the ground. I remember several times looking up and thinking I was running through a framed picture or a post card and wished my Dad was there to capture the moments with his amazing eye for photography. Below are some pictures I found on flikr of the course I put in a slide show (if you hover over you can advance the photos manually).

• The 60K finish was at Tarawera Falls. I remember running and hearing this amazing sound of rushing water and at this point I had hit 6,600 feet of climbing and my legs were in need of some inspiration. I turn a corner and look to the right and I swear my smile was from ear to ear! The picture does not even come close to showing how tall the waterfall is but it was majestic!

• The Aid Stations were the BOMB! I run slow enough in these runs that I can eat anything so I tried a little of everything! My favorite were sticky buns! I know you are all shocked I did not say M&Ms but I did not really see anything that looked like them! I also loved the array of lollies (their version of our gummy candy). The one thing I can tell you is the jelly beans in NZ are not like in the US. I spent 10 min running while picking them out of my teeth

• The last 40K (25 miles or so) was all on fire roads (dirt and pebbles) and I was alone 24.8 of these miles. This is a lot of time to think, reflect, remember those important in your life, talk to yourself in a way you never imagined and find out how mentally and physically strong or weak you are. This is why I love ultra trail running. This is why I do it. I thought about my Grammy who passed 20 years ago from cancer. I thought about my Grandpa Jones who went to every one of our soccer games and track meets in school. I imagined my sisters were pacing me the last 30K and talking to me to get me though some of the tough areas like walking up a steep hill of soft sand for 15-20 min at mile 50. I thought about my little friend Katelyn who is 10 and does triathlons and running races and calls me her hero. I could not let her down. When I had to go to the bathroom I would laugh hearing my Dad telling me at Ultraman that I would have a much better time if I did not pee so much
• The sun started to go down and I had 1K left. I made the mistake of taking a wrong turn as the sun was setting and by the time I realized I was heading the wrong way it was dark. I made my way back and with limited visibility I made another wrong turn and saw a few volunteers walking a dog who pointed me towards the trail again. That last 1K took me 22 min
• I crossed the small little finish line with a huge smile in the dark and felt oddly wonderful. Paul the race director popped on the microphone and asked me if Florida was the same as NZ and if it was harder or easier. All I could say was, “It is not even remotely the same and my quads are shredded!”  He just replied, “That’s what I like to hear!”  It was the hardest thing I have ever done physically or mentally. But one of the most rewarding.

I felt at home in NZ. It is a place I can see myself living. It is Heaven on Earth. I felt the aroha (compassion, tenderness, sustaining love) of the people. E noho rā for now. I will be back on the South Island January 2013 for Challenge Wanaka.

I RARELY will post a product review as I am very particular and I have to LOVE the product for me to “brag” about it! Besides lululemon which I wear 24×7 I found my equal love in the recovery world, 110%! This product integrates ice and compression to allow for faster recovery with its unique pocket architecture. I have spent a nice amount of $ trying to find a compression garment that actually works and I hate ice baths with a passion (but TOTALLY understand the importance)!  

You can SEE the frost on the calf from the ice packs!

As I was training for Ultraman Canada I wound up on crutches due to massive inflammation of the hip and from the sheer amount of training hours my hamstrings and lower back were really feeling fatigued making training difficult. I spent a pretty penny on compression tights that did not have any compression and I was making a mess trying to ice as I refused to get in an ice bath. A few weeks prior to the race a new company surfaced and I was lucky enough to be able to quickly get a pair of Double-Life Shin/Calf Sleeves and LOVED them. I could feel the compression and put the ice packs in immediately after a run and recovery was simple and effective!   

I immediately purchased the Juggler Knickers which assisted with the recovery of my lower back and hamstrings as well as my knees and quads as there are pockets for the ice packs in each area. Again, solid compression and quicker recovery. 

But how would the compression work as it relates to fatiguing during the race? I literally ran one 21 miler, 15 miler and a few 13 milers over 4 months leading up to day 3 of my race that consisted of a 52.4 run with 2,500 feet of elevation gain which was after 260 miles of biking the previous two days. I pulled off an 8 hr 40 min run which was the 3rd fastest female run time in the history of Ultraman Canada and I did not fatigue until the last 10 miles or so! I wore the knickers on the long plane ride home  and continued during my recover and began training for my next race (100 mile trail run) 3-4 days earlier than expected. SOLID PRODUCT!   

Sporting the 110% shin/calf sleeves on day 3 of Ultraman

For a better understanding of the benefits of 110% check out the SCIENCE behind the technology.   The 110% mantra is 110% accurate in my mind: Simple, mobile, effective, and dedicated to awesome.

Click on image to see Jason's message

 I remember so clearly how my unique friendship began with someone who has helped me grow emotionally, feel the joy of giving, paying it forward and using my gifts to inspire. I ran into gentlemen at Ironman Louisville and as we chatted for a bit on the run he told me he was using the Ironman to train for a Ultraman. I had no idea what this was but pretended I did and when I got home I immediately put it into a search engine and thought WOW!  

As I did some research I was struck by this one man who did Ultraman and inspired me through his positive energy and optimism. I reached out via email to explain to him how his story had inspired me to take the leap into the ultra endurance world and put Ultraman on my shortlist. He replied and the friendship began.  

One year and 8 months ago Jason Lester and I first spoke as he was willing to talk to me about his experiences of his Ultraman journey. We would talk about his goal of the Never Stop Foundation, the sacrifices he has and continues to make to see it come to fruition and his mission to inspire globally through his story. But with the sacrifices comes many dark moments and I returned the friendship by being the person he could talk to, the person that would just listen. Our friendship grew into a vision and it all came down to the simplest of points, to inspire each other to continue to reach for our goals no matter how difficult the sacrifices.  

I remember talking to Jason and he was in the process of naming an event that he was putting on and he said, “The one thing the name has to have in it is the word EPIC!” He goes on to say it will be 5 iron distance races over 5 consecutive days on 5 Hawaiian Islands. I simply said, “5” and from that EPIC5 was born. Teamwork! We have spent countless hours just hearing each other out, getting through those dark moments, helping each other to take those leaps forward and continue to inspire.  

Jason completed EPIC5 and I completed Ultraman Canada – the POWER of an inspirational friendship. Jason is about to embark on a whirlwind tour for the release of his book RUNNING ON FAITH. I could not be more proud of his perseverance to inspire globally and never giving up! 

You can pre-order RUNNING ON FAITH on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.