Meet Jackie

I am finding that writing my own introduction is much more difficult than I realized.  Where do I start?  I believe the first things a person reveals about herself are what she considers most important, and I’m not sure what that is for me.  Maybe I should start with the fact that I have an undergraduate degree in English and a graduate degree in counseling, so I spend a lot of time analyzing things.  Maybe I should tell you I am a stay-at-home mom who has been married for 20 years & we have 2 children; our daughter is in high school and our son is in 2^nd grade.  Maybe it’s most important, in terms of this blog, that I’ve completed a handful of sprint triathlons, a duathlon, a half marathon, a couple of 10Ks, and lots of 5Ks.  Maybe that’s about all of the background info you need for me….

Coming in for the second run of the Dog Days Duathlon.  Biking's my favorite.

I joined this group when it first got started & have enjoyed so many training sessions and racing events with our group.  I have lots of stories, but there are a couple that really demonstrate my philosophy for training/ racing.  Last year, I completed my first half marathon & it was truly something I never thought I would do.  There were just enough ladies in Bouncing Buns who had completed half marathons or were confident that they could do it, that I decided to try it, too.  I found a great (free) training program online, printed it out, and followed it closely.  Before race day, I posted on a fitness page on Facebook that the Finish line would be my reward for completing all of my training runs and strength workouts.  Another lady on the page commented that I had it wrong:  The Start line is the reward.  The Finish line is the cherry on top.  That really clicked with me.  My goal for every race is to cross the finish line with a smile on my face & know that I took time to really enjoy the course.  The scenery, the other participants, and the volunteers are all things that I want to remember.  So far, that has always been true.  Blah, blah, blah, I always try my best, yada, yada, yada.  Consequently, I’m not fast.

Enjoying the course... within reason.  Mud is not my favorite.

Last summer, I saw a friend at the start of a local 5K.  She is a person who truly loves running.  She loves to get out on the road, enjoys the sounds of nature, and uses running as “down time.”  I find that remarkable, because I am not that type of runner.  I jump on the treadmill when conditions aren’t ideal, I prefer loud, fast-paced music in my ears, and I use running to cancel out my love of food.  She told me that she thought I was a competitive person, probably from the many, many, many pictures I post of myself at races around town on Facebook or Instagram (If I’m going to run, all of my friends are going to know about it).  I am a little bit competitive.  I am a lot stubborn.  I use races as a way to get myself to work out.  An event that is just slightly out of my reach is the best.  I like to work a *little* harder, but not too hard.  Failure is not an option.

Finishing the Olathe Medical Center Women's Triathlon.  Downhill finishes are my favorite.

I am just beginning my training for Ironman Kansas 70.3.  If I make it out of the lake under my own power (swimming is my weakness), I am hopeful that I will cross the finish line while the timer is still there & if I don’t have a smile on my face at that moment, it won’t be far away. I will finish this post with one last story.  At a triathlon last fall, I was nearing the end of the 500 yard (meter?) swim and was flipped over on my back.  I could hear a woman’s voice off to my left, so I used her to keep me on course.  The rope was to my right & with her voice on my left, I knew I must be okay.  I called out to her and we chit-chatted for a little way.  Turns out she was encouraging a friend she was racing with who had fallen behind.  So, if I can carry on a conversation during an open water swim, you know that (1) I do enjoy the course and (2) I am not a very good swimmer.  Maybe that is what I should have started this post with….