It’s no secret that I am a proud owner of a LOT of Betty Designs gear and part of the Betty Designs team. Most of my gear has been purchased out of pocket since this is a brand that I just feel great in. I have had such gratitude for being part of the Betty Designs team this past year and I hope to once again represent the brand next year. I have loved spreading the message that badass is beautiful; the gear empowers me, and makes me feel confident and beautiful at the same time. I want to keep sending this message to other women – you CAN have it all! So now for a recap of my “year of Betty”.
My year started in November 2013 with off-season and a trip to Patagonia. I didn’t do any swim, bike or run for two weeks, but I still had a lot of opportunities to bring some Betty for hiking and traveling. I loved exploring on my two feet and seeing some of the most amazing landscapes on the planet.
As much as I enjoyed the traveling and the offseason, winter rolled through and I was very busy building some strength and honing in on my swim/bike/run skills. I had Ironman Texas on the horizon and my plan was not just to race, but to race strongly. I did a ton of cold-weather training, and my fave piece this winter was my Betty Team Vest. I had never had a cycling vest before and it was amazing. The winters here in Houston are mild compared to most places, so it was the perfect cover for most chilly situations, but never too hot.
In February my big highlight was traveling to Florida for TriMarni camp where I met some awesome friends and fellow Betty Kelsey Abbott. I was so grateful to meet these strong, passionate (and FAST) women. And if there is anyone that deserves a mention when talking about being a #badass endurance athlete that is beautiful inside and out it’s my coach Marni – check out her website if you haven’t.
Speaking of strong women, I also can’t help but think of the amazing Diana Nyad. Both an outstanding athlete and speaker; she was a true inspiration and ever so gracious. So grateful for the opportunity to hear her speak earlier this year.
Spring continued and I got into my focused ironman training. Many mornings were spent in the pool, and many evenings were spent doing bike-run bricks on the local George-Bush park trail across from my office.
As ironman got closer one of my best training memories included my solo century ride – done at the same time that David was doing a down-winder on his kiteboard. I felt pretty empowered knowing that I could kick butt for 100-miles and finish it up with a 45-minute run! Yes, I love being self sufficient.
I was also very proud of my weekday 3-hour ride and numerous weekend bricks done on the IMTX bike course. I kept my Betty bottles filled with Infinit and made full use of my Betty tri kit plus matching Oakley sunglasses in lava pink.
Then it was time. As much as I loved training, before I knew it, it was taper and then time to race. My husband, in-laws and friends surprised me with T-shirts and posters in Betty-style. They knew I would be psyched to see the bright pink (and I could easily pick them out of the crowd).
Though I was pretty anxious and hardly slept the night before, I carried out my plan and executed just as I had trained. I LOVED the swim, had fun on the bike, and broke through the mental difficulty of the run. I really enjoyed all the camaraderie and chatting that the Betty team kit brought. I had so many strangers commented on how they loved the design and wanted to know “what’s a Betty?”
I also truly appreciated the support on the race course. Fellow Bettys Leanne Redwine, Kristina Jensen, and Andree Micelli were racing, and Jen Rulon was cheering (easily visible with her signature Betty trucker hat).
The online support from my Betty sistas was amazing too – I was just beaming inside to have them and many others cheering me on.
What I a special day, and what pride I had wearing the Betty Team kit, and feeling that I looked #badass and beautiful despite the many hours of sweat, lake water, sunscreen and who knows what else. I wore the kit the entire race and did not have to change.
After ironman I took some time for recovery this summer and really enjoyed meeting other Houstonian Betty girls Leanne & Hilary for lunch and using my gear for doing some unstructured training such as mountain biking and long swims.
This year I tried to be smart about my races and choose quantity over quality, as opposed to past years where I signed up for every race on the planet for FOMO (fear of missing out). I wanted to be focused on the fewer races that I did enter. My last tri of the season would be Towne Lake (full recap here). This one would be special since David and a number of our friends would be racing with me.
I also knew this would be a hard race because it was going to be HOT. Why do I sign up for triathlons in Texas on Labor Day year after year?!
Despite the heat, I raced smart – holding back on the bike just enough to chase down my competition on the run and win a spot on the podium for 2nd place in my age group. I was glowing and could not think of a better way to end a stellar season.
I also got to see Leanne at Town Lake and even more recently at this weekend’s 10 for Texas Ten Miler (recap to come soon). This woman is my tri idol! Believe it or not, she is a mother of THREE adorable girls, a successful business woman, and is a super fit and fast ironwoman and runner. Truly inspiration. This is one of the things I have loved about the Betty group; there are women of all ages, from all over the world that are all kicking butt at what they are passionate about, whether it is triathlon, running, paddleboarding, cyclocross or something equally amazing. So many strong women, and I am inspired to do more every time I see them post.
I’ve been so very thankful to be part of this amazing team and I hope to continue to represent and show the world that you can feel beautiful, love your body and succeed in your fitness goals, whatever they are. There is nothing more beautiful than being confident and loving yourself.
Most of my gear has been purchased online at bettydesigns.com – feel free to email me if you have any questions on sizing or want to find out more.
The Fit Formula 