Well, here I go again talking about how I really should’ve written this a lot sooner than I did. Somehow I’m back in Arizona with my first week of junior year under my belt (WOWZAA).

Here’s what has gone down since last time:

Ironman Muncie 70.3: 

I could probably say this was one of the greatest days…I pinky promise I really did have SO much fun out on this course. Mentally, going into this race I think I was expecting it to be a lot harder than it actually was. From the second the gun went off to start the race to the last 100m of the run that was uphill, I was having a blast. I think part of it for me was that especially when I’m home in Chicago, a lot of my training is done by myself instead of in groups, so when I was out on the course with 1500 athletes everything and everyone was so full of energy. My thoughts for the day went something like this: SWIM– The para’s went off in the first wave, with the men age group 50-55. So all 4’9 of me was attempting to swim around these bigger ( & MUCH TALLER MEN). I definitely made a newbie mistake and thought I should start at the front of the wave, so you could imagine the first 200m or so I was just being swum over. After that I got into my rhythm and had a smooth swim. I tried my hardest to play tough and keep in my own little space during the swim. BIKE: I think three words could sum up the bike IT WAS FAST.  Yes, flat and fast it was and when I looked down one point at my Garmin, I could not believe the splits that I was reading and how good I was feeling at this point. I don’t think I stopped smiling the whole bike. RUN: I think I was coming off a huge adrenaline rush from the bike I had that I don’t even remember the first 4 miles of the run. By the time I reached mile 6, I did think to myself “this is definitely a little hiller than I was picturing.” I think that thought quickly was pushed to the back burner when I had to try my best to navigate through the crowded run course. The last 200m was probably the hardest part of the entire run course, it was on a pretty decent climb and I just couldn’t find an extra gear in my arms. Before I could even start to comprehend the climb, it was over and I was heading down the finish shoot as one very happy girl…with a finishing time of 6:03 & feeling great!

It was a huge confidence booster coming off Muncie 70.3 feeling so good about the entire race as I headed into the next few months before Ironman Louisville. It was also really nice knowing my training, nutrition, and hydration plans worked to a “T” for this race. I think the biggest thing I wheeled away from this race was that when you trust your training, your body, and your coach – it will be a great day!! GO COACH MARK GO!

Post Muncie:

July was filled with a lot of fun miles but also with just a lot of fun. I was able to explore a little more of Wisconsin via bike and take advantage of the hills Wisconsin has to offer (sorry IL).

The Callahan Clan headed back to country thunder which is always a blast, especially because GAM GAM CAL joined her grandchildren on the last night to hang out with Luke Bryan. I also was able to take a little 5 day hiatus to Cayman Islands for a mentor training trip with Stay Focused. I think when I was in Cayman it was the first time in a long time I didn’t take any bikes or racing chairs to the airport and I was just able to have a fun trip! I truly believe it fell at a perfect time because when I landed back in the states, I was even more excited about what was in store for the next few months.

Whats next?

So here I am back in Arizona. My Dad came out with me to help me get settled. Being 7 weeks out from Ironman Louisville, its going to be a busy couple of weeks but I’ve never been more excited. Even though it’s HOT, I don’t think there is anything better than where I train in Arizona. Last Saturday (while my dad was moving me in- you rock Dad) – I had my first ride back in Arizona on my bike. A 6hr ride was in the books and while I was riding I forgot how nice it is to see SO many other riders out there too. As I ended the ride with a smile on my face (and a pretty trendy sunglass tan line on my face) I realized how perfect it is going to be to be capping off my Ironman training in Arizona!

I will however be making a stop in Chicago in mid September. Why? BECAUSE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ARE COMING TO CHICAGO! Yep, 9/18 @ 7:00am, the top paratriathletes from around the world will be racing through the streets of Chicago at World Championships! I’m so lucky to be wearing the stars & stripes in my hometown and have the chance to race with some speedy athletes.

So for the next few weeks, here’s too the many many miles and many hours of homework that will be in my future.

“If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you.”

Until next time,

MK

South Caroline, Mexico, Arizona, London, and now Chicago. The last six weeks have gone by in a blink of an eye probably because I haven’t seemed to be in one place for longer than a few days. Now I’m back in Chicago for a few weeks and I’m so so happy about that. It’s been awhile since I’ve been able to update but I’ll do my best to make it quick 🙂

First, Schools out for Summer!! Somehow I’m already heading into my junior year——so scary! The last few weeks of school were probably my most hectic yet! My season started to pick up just as the school year was ending so with traveling and studying for finals- I’m just happy to have made it to the sophomore year finish line!

I headed to Mexico at the beginning of May for the CAMTRI Championships. A lot of us had no idea what to expect regarding the venue. We arrived and it was probably logistically the most conveinent venue an ITU race has been at. The course was literally just steps outside of our hotel. The bike course resembled an F1 race track and the swim was practically in a chlorinated lazy river (without the current of course). So after previewing the course, I was super excited about the race! The race itself was pretty uneventful; had a normal swim, had one of my best bike splits, and had a great run. This was a race I knew I was capable of having after the training we did in the off season.  I came across the finish line 2nd, behind another USA athlete. After coming across the finish line I was notified I was selected to be drug tested. This was my first time going through drug testing so I was definitely the “newbie” in the room with everyone else who was being tested. By the time I finally was able to give them a sample, it was 3 hours after the race. Yes, I was hangry, tired, and ready for a shower by the time I was done but its so great knowing we are keeping the sport clean.

A week after finishing school, my dad and I headed to London for a race! This was a course I was super excited about racing on, especially since this was the World Championship I missed back in 2012. I had only heard great things about this WTS race so the excitement leading up to this race was just what I needed…especially coming off of a long 2 weeks of finals. It was pretty neat setting up transition knowing this was where the 2012 Olympic Triathlon course was. The weather in London is always questionable but we woke up on race morning with the sun shining! The gun went off and the race began. My swim was definitely not one of the best swims I have had and I came into T1 about 1:15 behind first place. I didn’t want to panic and just went out on the bike trusting myself. I started to slowly make up time an by the 2nd lap (out of 5) I was able to pass the first place girl. I tried to push my pace a little more on the bike and take advantage of the flat course. I headed in T2 in a good position, ran the run I knew I had in me and came across the finish line to earn the top spot on the podium. Mission complete! I was able to not only get first place in London but I also earned my elite card. As always I’m so lucky to have my Dad travel with me and be my handler! I know he is usually more nervous than me on race days and I couldn’t even imagine the suspense as he waits for all of us to come into transition. I sometimes think he has one of the harder jobs, especially the races that end up coming down to transition times! Go Dad Go! We stayed in London for a few days after the race and were also able to catch the USA elite able-bodied women sweep the podium. USA Triathlon had a great weekend in London and I headed back to the USA being extra proud to be an American!

This season is different than last in the sense that the ultimate goal of Rio is no loner there due to the women’s wheelchair classification not being a medal event. However, I knew I wanted to keep racing ITU races because of the competition that is still there. It’s great racing against these other athletes and being pushed on the courses.

Ironman is a switch of focus but it’s a goal I’m feeling ready to tackle. It’s a goal that has already been pushing me and gets me excited to wake up and see what I can conquer in that day. Now I’m back in Chicago until I head to Muncie for my first 70.3. It’s nice to be back on home turf and be back in a routine.

“Be stubborn about your goals, but flexible about your methods.”

Until next time,

MK

WOW, again time got the best of me and  it’s already March 13. I just sat down on the plan and I’m officially on Spring Break! The last couple of weeks have definitely reminded me we are in fact approaching the official race season. Let me rewind real quick.

1. The Disney Marathon was…MAGICAL. I don’t think I’ve seen a race atmosphere anything like this. These people were clearly here to have fun and I think that was pretty cool. They all had a CRAZY love for disney and they obviously had some sort of love for running. Even though at one point they had us running on the sand of a baseball course, it was still a good day. Even though it wasn’t exactly the time I was looking for- I crossed the finish line with a smile. Why?  I felt stronger and more confident here than I did before Chicago. I’m so glad I raced it because we were able to focus on my run which I already can tell is benefiting me on my runs off the bike. The distance training was also awesome to have, especially leading into the next few months getting ready for my 70.3 and then Ironman Louisville in October.
2. Immediately following the Disney Marathon I headed to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs for a swim focused Paratriathlon Camp. I was at this same camp last year so it was nice being back to see where we improved and to see the areas that still need work specifically in the swim. It’s always nice being at the OTC because you have one thing to focus on…training. We had 6 athletes at the camp and 3 coaches so the ratio was literally PERFECT. We all were able to work one on one with the coaches at some points and we were able to push each other both in the pool && in yoga 🙂
   

   Following MK & Dad taking a tumble in Mission Bay. World’s Best Dad!

   3.Tritonman Triathlon in San Diego is a race I went to last year in San Diego and headed back to again this year. It’s a race that the TriCats all go to as well so it’s always a blast. If you were to ask me my top 3 favorite places to ride my bike… Fiesta Island in San Diego would be one of them. Just like last year, my Dad came out for this race to help me in transition. It’s always nice having him around BUT I think he gets the award for the weekend. Long Story Short; there was a bunch of mud right int the water by swim exit, not realizing it- my dad went down to pick me up to exit the water, his foot got stuck in the mud, so not only did I fall back in the water but he also went down with me- REASON #2542 he is the worlds greatest Dad. It’s nice to race in February to get back in racing gear after an offseason but its always nice to seeing everything you work on during the offseason come together at a race.

3. 19 athletes from 11 different states who make up the Dare2tri Elite Team, each with a story of their own. Despite each of our stories we all have one thing in common- the love for the sport of triathlon, the determination to be the best we can be, and the drive to push one another to succeed in the sport. Since we are all from across the country and each of our race schedules vary, we don’t get many opportunities to all be in the same place at once. Last week, Dare2tri hosted their first ever Elite camp out in St. Charles. We had the opportunity to go through VO2 testing (which I was pumped about) as well as go through various swim, bike, and run workouts as a group. One of the greatest things about the sport is being able to learn from each other. There is no pamphlet that is given to you when you start the sport and since each of our bodies are so different, sometimes the best learning resource is each other. Whether it’s with equipment, body position, or something as simple as how to lift your handcycle into your car (which I finally mastered…4 years later)- it was so great to be able to pick each others minds. One moment, I paused (very quickly) during the weekend was when all of us were in the computrainer room. We were finishing up a workout on the bikes and we finished with each of us taking pulls on the bike. As we rotated around the room, all of us above threshold, we were still able to find that energy to push each other to the end. In races we are competing against each other but outside of the race’s we feed off each others energy & motivate each other everyday. I’ve said this before, but I’m so lucky to be surrounded by people who inspire me everyday. As I headed home from the camp, I had a smile on my face knowing that this is going to be one heck of a season for the Dare2tri Elite Team. To Keri, Melissa, Dan, Stacee, and everyone else at Dare2tri– Thanks for giving us not only the confidence to compete in triathlon but also thank you for giving us a team that we can learn so much more than just triathlon from. #oneinspiresmany
   

   Dare2tri Elite Team Camp

5. Whats next? Well… after camp I had to come back to Arizona for a 72 hours to take one last midterm (yes, don’t worry- school is still a thing). I’ve reached the point that the Southwest people at gate A4 in Tucson know my schedule for the rest of the year and we are best buds now.  I’m on my way back in Chicago for a whole 10 days for break- seeing my favorite people, riding my bike at my favorite place, running along the one and only lakefront path, and getting ready for a busy two months ahead. A First Stop: Paratriathlon will be included at Collegiate Nationals for the FIRST TIME EVER. I’m super excited about this and I’m so thankful USAT was able to work with me to make this happen. The TriCats will head to South Carolina at the end of April to BEAR DOWN at Nationals.

Did I mention I get to celebrate my favorite holiday in the best city? Happy St. Patricks Day!

 Hold the vision, trust the process

MK

Another year in the books, wow! I think I say this every year but it’s amazing how fast 365 days go by. As I sit here and look back at the last year, I’m in awe of the things that have happened, the places I have gone, and most importantly— the people that I have been able to share all these memories with.

Over the last year I have been able to learn more about myself than I ever expected. I was able to learn to differentiate between the things in my life that are important to me and the things in life that make me who I am.  2014 was a year where goals were accomplished and where some dreams were forced to be put on the back burner. But this is when you learn to savor the good and put the bad behind and keep on moving forward. Because that’s what life s all about, right?

One of the biggest things I’ve learned this year is that as hard as it to accept it, everything happens for a reason. I know at least in my head I have this idea of how I think everything is going to play out in life. What I don’t take into consideration a lot of the time is that there are some things we just can’t control. However, it’s when those things happen when we realize who we really are as a person. There were things that happened in 2014 that I didn’t have planned and that would change the next few years. Yes, at the time I wished the end result was different  but then I realized maybe everything would be okay. Why?  Because there are so many more things out there. It’s when you stop and look around that you then realize things don’t go as planned everyday to at least one person in the world. They survived, and so will I. I can already say that I have some pretty great opportunities coming up and met some pretty great people since this all happened. So maybe in the grand scheme of things, life was supposed to happen this way. Maybe there is something I cant see at the moment but will realize it in the next few weeks, months or years. Maybe this was a way of telling me to slow down and enjoy the moment cause you’ll only get this moment once.

I am & always will be a people person. I feed off other people’s energy and ideas. It’s the people in my life who make me want to be a better person, athlete, daughter, and friend. It’s the people in my life who inspire me to set new goals, to keep on pushing forward, and to enjoy each and every moment. It’s the people who catch me when I fall and the people who manage to know exactly what to say. It’s because of all of these people, 2014 was one of the best.

I have learned to love writing but I have also learned to love how other athletes put life, goals, and dreams into perspective through other athletes blogs. Although  other athletes may be competing in a different sport, we all seem to have similar beliefs, struggles, and breakthroughs. I came across this blog yesterday and have probably read it 5 times since. It was written by Lauren Fleshman who is a pro runner  (click here to view the whole thing) but this was my favorite part: Time fixes nothing. Time is a facilitator but you still have to do the fixing; Dig into the difficult conversations; Look hard at yourself in the mirror and ask if you’re doing everything you can do to get healthy. If you aren’t currently living the life you want, there is no other way to get there. Time won’t make it happen. So you can either adjust the goal, or give yourself a swift kick in the ass. Those are your only two options unless you enjoy the feeling of eternal tug of war.

So thats it, 2015 is up to you. It’s in your hands now. 2015 will only come once so don’t sit around waiting for your dreams and goals to come true. Take chances, because you never know what will be waiting just around the corner.

2015, put on your dancing shoes because its going to be one busy year! It’s going to be another year full of lots of goals, traveling, and fun but I’m ready for whatever is in store. It kicks off next week with the Disney Marathon followed by a Training Camp at the Olympic Training Center…yes & then it’s back to school for another semester in Arizona!

“Magic is when you live your life the way you didn’t picture it and leave nothing behind.”

MK

From Japan to Canada and all the places in between- Here are a few of my favorite 2014 memories.

As triathletes, we all have bucket list races. Some are races we want to do simply just because they are fun and some we want to do to see how much we can challenge ourselves. For me, 2015 is going to be a year to start checking off some of those “bucket list” races.

It began kind of early with the Chicago Marathon. The Chicago Marathon has been a race I’ve been down to watch multiple times as well as had many many friends run it. The timing just never worked out with the other races I was doing. This year was different, my triathlon season ended a month prior to it and we would be anxiously awaiting the IPC decision regarding Rio so what did I do? Sign up to race! It was probably one of my favorite races, the energy throughout the course was unbelievable. Although it was a pretty windy day,  I ended up running much faster than I was expecting. For how little time we had to devote to marathon training, the training was executed perfectly (GOOD JOB MARK). I crossed the finish line with a  giant smile…. and went right to looking for another marathon. So I’ll be heading to Orlando January 8 to run with Mickey and Minnie at the Disney Marathon. This is the first race my Dad wont be at with me, but my mom and Grandma will be heading down there with me… GIRL POWER! Dont worry Dad, everything will be under control. 🙂

But I’m even more excited to say that …. I’m going to be an Ironman! The biggest race on the 2015 calendar. Yep, I spent the last two years watching these athletes swimming 2.4 miles, biking 112 miles and running 26.2 miles. Something about watching them push their bodies and minds through that long day and watching their emotions fly out as they crossed the finish line made me want to do that race eventually….I told myself I had to put it on the back burner until we knew how Rio would pan out for my classification. When the news came out about our classification being cut you can bet your bottom dollar where my mind headed next….

I’m a goal setter, I need something to be working towards. Yes, Ironman is the ultimate triathlon and some people may question why I want to do it at such a young age? Well the best answer I can give is that I love challenges, I love swimming, I love biking and I love running. I’m lucky to be surrounded my many people who have tackled Ironman already so I was able to question all of them about their experiences (if you know me, you know I love questions). After talking to all of them, I knew this is what I wanted to do. SO with that being said…After watching and volunteering at the race this year, the following day I waited in line from 5:15-8am to secure my spot on the start line. I will admit, when I finally reached the registration tent, I felt like I was signing my life away but at least I’m really excited about it!! So here’s to lots & lots of miles these next 11 months!

What does the rest of 2015 look like as far as racing goes? After kicking off the New Year at the Disney Marathon, I’ll be flying back to Colorado Springs to the Olympic Training Center for a training camp. I’ll be doing a few races with the TriCats leading up to collegiate nationals (yes, I’m allowed to race at nationals this year). I’ll be racing in 1-2 70.3 (half ironmans) leading up to the big one. Although we are no longer in the running for Rio, I do still want to keep my foot in the door and stay involved in ITU racing.

1. Because the short distance stuff is always fun
2. I spent last summer racing with some pretty great people and I couldn’t imagine not racing with them at all this summer.

Although my focus is long distance this year, I will try to get on the start list for 1-2 ITU races. ITU World Championships are in Chicago this year, how cool is that?? The goal is to try to accumulate enough points to get me on that start line in Chicago come September.

Being home for break has again made me realize how much I love my friends and family. I know for a fact I wouldn’t be the Mary Kate I am today without them. My friends keep me balanced and my family keeps me going. I’ve had so much fun with them this week and I know I’m so proud of all of them. I get to be surrounded by these people and I don’t think there is much more you need. Yes, the finish lines, the traveling, the training are all fun but when it comes down to it…none of this would be possible without them.

You will never influence the world by trying to be like it

MK