An Introduction and First Tri

Welcome to the Meet Me at the Kona blog.  My name is Kelly Landrieu and I am 4 weeks into my training for the NOLA 70.3 (which will also be my first triathlon) with the Kona Fitness.  This blog came about through discussions with Coaches Jen and Rick about how interesting it would be to have someone’s first 70.3 training recorded for posterity.  So here I am.

Let me state this clearly:  I am NOT an elite athlete or anything near it.  Sure, I’ve always been slightly athletic over the years.  In grammar school I played indoor ball and danced.  In high school I ran cross country (but definitely not in any way I’d consider fast).  In my mid-twenties, I joined the local roller derby league, but was sidelined after my first season due to a very expensive and painful complete ACL tear and subsequent ACL reconstruction.  I continued on for the next few years skating a bit and training new derby girls to skate.  About two years after the surgery I decided to run a half-marathon.  I’m not really sure why, other than I was bored with sitting on the sidelines and needed a project.  Shortly thereafter I ran another one and volunteered for the NOLA IM 70.3 last year.  While standing near the finish line with my good friend (and now coach) Jen, I was overwhelmed with a sense of happiness and pride on behalf of all the race participants.  I’d been hanging around the club that became Kona for a little while and recognized many of the finishers.  Watching everyone smiling as they embarked upon the final mile of their race, sealed it: I wanted in.

So here I am, 9 months later and almost one month into my training.  I have to say, I don’t think I’d be too successful training on my own for this.  Kudos to those who can, but I need guidance so I don’t overdo it, or (more likely) underdo it.   The first emotion-filled month has led me from elation at my first speed work, to panic, doubt and fear in the pool.  This isn’t easy, but it is incredibly satisfying.  Coaches Jen and Rick have been nothing short of incredible, always generous with their time, advice and encouragement.  Every week the Kona 70.3 training participants receive an email from the coaches outlining what our week will look like.  So far, we have on average between 12 and 17 hours of training laid out, with both led and self-led sessions mapped out for us over the course of the week.  I find it incredibly helpful to have this to help plan my week, because lets face it – adding between 12 and 17 hours to your week for training if you have not done it before can be completely overwhelming.

A little background on me:  At 30 years old, I’m a perpetual student and native New Orleanian.  I love food.  My life often revolves around the next meal and I am lucky enough to work indirectly with food at marketumbrella.org, where my official title is “Market Community Coordinator” and I manage the three Crescent City Farmers Markets and do outreach surrounding our programs.  In my non-work and non-training time, I am working my way towards a Masters in Urban and Regional Planning at UNO.

I’m excited about this undertaking, and the opportunity to share my experiences.  It was my intention to start this blog when I started my training, but time ran out.  I’ll try to write a little something every day and cover everything I come across as a newbie triathlete: from gear updates, to speed training – from aches and pains, to triumphs and failures.  If there is something you want to hear about specifically, such as the different training programs offered at Kona Fitness or even if the breakfast at Kona Cafe is any good (It is!!), ask in the comments.

I think this is going to be a grand time!