RACE READY NUTRITION PROGRAM 2020

Want to dial in your nutrition, energy and weight before your next big race?  Not sure what or how much you should eat each day when you are training for a marathon or half marathon?  Love to cook and eat healthy but just can’t find the time to figure it out on a busy schedule? Join Without Limits Race Ready Online Nutrition Program.

Click here to sign up

Each month you will receive:

4 weeks of healthy meal plans to meet your increased nutrition needs for training for your goal race.

Easy to follow & delicious “clean eating” recipes

A weekly grocery list for everything you will need to prepare all your meals and snacks

Nutrition information for everything on the plan

Race Ready Carb Loading Plan for last 3 days before your goal race.

A private Facebook group with other athletes who join the Race Ready Online Nutrition Group

Online Group Coaching from Without Limits Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Diana Davis

A Without Limits Race Ready Recipe Book – as a  free bonus gift for signing up by 12/20/19!

 

Pricing:

Early Bird Special:  12 weeks for $ 225 if you sign up and pay by 12/20/19 (PLUS BONUS RECIPES)

12 weeks for $250 if you sign up between 12/21/19 and 12/31/19

Monthly Custom Meal Planning Program – $100 per month

Click here to sign up

According to one of Diana’s clients, “Having someone tell me what to eat has been brilliant! I use the provided grocery list to check my pantry and cruise through the grocery store in record time. I batch cook or prepare some of the breakfast and snack items ahead of time to avoid pitfalls.  I am so satisfied with nutritious and delicious food, that I have no desire for empty calories. I have healthy dessert options- hello, date turtles and inside out almond-joys!?!?- when I want to indulge. My weight has corrected itself in a safe and gradual way without impeding my performance. Diana’s kind and gentle demeanor, expertise and firsthand knowledge of athletic performance have helped me embrace the challenge of cleaning up my act in the most enjoyable and tasty way.” – Heather B.

JULY 2019 NEWSLETTER

JULY 2019 NEWSLETTER

 

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Without Limits


JULY NEWS

Blog| Training | Nutrition | Events | Apparel | About Us

FROM THE BLOG

 

EYE HEALTH AND RUNNING – WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
Think about all the time, money and effort we as runners invest in protecting our bodies, muscles and joints from the physical demands of our favorite sport.

But how much time and effort do we spend protecting our most precious sense while we run? Is it just enough to throw on some sunglasses? Anything else to know?…….

FOR THE ENDURANCE ATHLETE…SURROUND YOURSELF WITH GREAT PEOPLE FOR GREAT PERFORMANCE
There is a perception of isolation and loneliness with endurance sports. Competing in marathon, triathlon, and ultra running seems a wholly individual endeavor to an outsider. There is only one way to reach the finish line. Keep moving. Perhaps the segment in the Movie Forest Gump is responsible for perpetuating the theme of the endurance athlete as a loner……..

HOW SWIMMING AND RUNNING COMPLIMENT EACH OTHER?
Coupling of swimming and running can be one of the most effective cross-training exercises for athletes. Both routines are cardiovascular exercises that improve endurance, recovery and core strength. For runners, swimming actually takes pressure off overworked joints……

AMPUTEE CHARLIE LEWIS ON THE FREEDOM RUNNING GIVES HIM
For Charlie Lewis, running is about far more than keeping fit or clearing his head. It’s about the freedom to explore the world around him and challenging his body to achieve ever greater feats. Lewis knows better than most the benefits of running; he had to endure ten years without it after a snowboarding accident when he was a teenager……

HOW TO MAKE RUNNING EASIER THROUGH ECONOMY 
The growth in mass participation running is fertile ground for running scientists because recreational runners want to do as well as they can, even if they might not be standing on the podium at the end of their race like athletes. Many will not have a coach, but most will want to learn and appreciate how best to prepare and compete, and how to get the very best they can from their bodies.  This is where science can help

 

COACHING AND TRAINING
(RUN + TRIATHLON)

WILMINGTON | CHARLESTON | GREENVILLE| COLUMBIA

TONS OF FUN THIS WEEK AT THE WITHOUT LIMITS YOUTH CROSS COUNTRY CAMP!  AMAZING GROUP OF PEOPLE.

If you are looking for consistency, an individual plan in a group atmosphere, several practice options each week, and coaches who care about you more than you will ever know, PUSH THE GET STARTED BUTTON!
     

“I heard about WOL Charleston through the running community here. I had been using training programs on my own but I had reached the point where I needed something more to be competitive. I starting training with Coach Chris and I have seen great gains in my running! He keeps workouts challenging and also tailors it to your specific training goal. I PRed the marathon by 5 1/2 minutes after training with Coach Chris and WOL Charleston! I highly recommend this group whether you have a fitness goal or you are looking to PR some races!” ~Bronwen

“These coaches are AMAZING and will not only improve your running ability, but will improve your self confidence, self worth, and the way you see yourself and others. I promise you won’t be the same person you were when you joined – you’ll be a much better version of yourself. Remember: If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you. But most importantly, always remember to #EmbraceTheChallenge and that you are #WithoutLimits!” ~Tayler

 

WHAT IS NEW WITH OUR RUNNERS DAILY VITAMIN

We are headed to the Chicago Marathon and IRONMAN 70.3 NC this October. We will then be at the Parkway Subaru Battleship Half Marathon Expo November 2nd, and the NHRMC Wilmington Marathon Madness Expo and the Boston Marathon Expo next spring!

1500 bottles have been sold so far with many re-orders and happy customers.  You have nothing to lose when you try Runners Essentials, even a 2% gain is a lot of time off of a race and nothing beats a healthy body! ORDER TODAY

“I’ve been running for 8 years and I have never felt stronger and more confident with my running. Runners Essentials is exactly what my body needed. I have more energy during the day, my training runs are smooth, virtually no recovery time and I recently had 3 huge PRs in races since starting the vitamins. Coupled with my training plan, this is now my daily vitamin for training and life. I have big goals this year and I’m feeling very confident and excited to see what the future holds. Thank you so much!”



Without Limits’ goal is ALWAYS to make an event iconic and memorable. This starts with the race production and race swag. These two essentials make the event a favorite of the participant. In the end we want the client to be thrilled but more importantly we want the end users to love our products and events.

PRICE INCREASE AUGUST 1st


PRICE INCREASE SEPTEMBER 1st – 50% full


EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION OPENS AUGUST 1st

PRICE INCREASE JULY 20th

Looking for Events that use Without Limits Apparel? Consider these for your July-August

 

WITHOUT LIMITS SWAG

                          

WITHOUT LIMITS

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INFO@WITHOUTLIMITS.COM

About the Coaching Division

Without Limits has 15 coaches that embody the coaching division. The coaches mission is to help athletes embrace their challenge of becoming better endurance athletes from youth to adult. Many leaders in the world relate life to running a marathon. What better way to teach people to break their self imposed limits than through running, triathlon, and other endurance sports.

About the Apparel Division

In 2011, the apparel came to fruition when Tom Clifford, Without Limits founder, and Jon Carne, Port City Apparel owner, capitalized on a meeting in September of 2011 to conceptualize a brand that embodied the right balance of inspiration, quality, dedication, determination and performance. “To build a successful brand in the active lifestyle genre is a challenge that will take a Without Limits mindset and effort. We are excited to be partnering with Tom and his team to build a global apparel brand that will inspire future generations to live a life Without Limits.” – Jon Carne, Co-Owner Without Limits Apparel

About the Events Division

In 2009, we started the NHRMC Wrightsville Beach Marathon. In it’s first year, 1600 people signed up and it became a signature event in the Southeast with nearly 4000 runners annually. Without Limits’ goal is to put on fun, participant first, events where people can come together and enjoy friends, family and race their best. This starts with the race production and race swag. These two essentials make the event a favorite of the participant. In the end we want the client to be thrilled but more importantly we want the end users to love our products and events. This will grow awareness for the event, increase sponsor visibility and ensure increased participation, all which make the event a success year after year.

About the Without Limits Runners Daily Vitamin

In 2018, Board certified physician Scott Tunis, Registered dietitian Diana Davis, and Without Limits owner Tom Clifford developed a nutritional supplement specifically for endurance athletes and runners. Without Limits is proud to put our name on a formula that we knew will help runners fulfill what they lose from endurance sports and receive nutrients they need for optimal performance. More about our runners vitamin can be found at www.runnersdailyvitamin.com

 

25 Years of Running | Global Running Day | Why I still run

25 Years of Running | Global Running Day | Why I still run

After 25 years, I thought this is a good time to list the reasons why I still run, and how I started and hope that anyone reading this will find some inspiration to continue on and never stop.

I can vividly remember my very first run June of ‘94.  My dad took me to the store and told me he would by me a pair of Nike Air Orange and White running shoes for my 11th birthday, if I would run 3x per week.  That day, I ran 1.5 miles around my neighborhood.  At the time, it felt like I ran forever, because everything is bigger to an 11 year old kid.  I don’t remember how I felt during the run, but I do remember feeling a sense of accomplishment when I finished.

Running has helped map a blueprint for my life, obviously I was a little naive when I wanted to get a gold medal in the olympics, but…..at least I had a dream!  The day I ran 1.5 miles literally changed my life forever.  Sure I could have said never again, but I promised my dad I would run 3x per week.  So I did.  One day my sister came home from her “speed workout.”  I asked how I could do speed work and what it was.  So the West Catholic Team invited me to one of their speed workouts at UNION High School when I was in 7th grade.  I loved it because I was running with the big kids, getting my butt kicked but I didn’t care, I was the youngest one doing the work.

My sister was the standout runner in High School.  She made me wake up a 5:30am in the Michigan winters to run 2-3 mile morning runs when it was freezing out and snowy icy streets.  I cried some mornings because I didn’t want to go, and dad wouldn’t let her run unless she was with me, so I basically had to.  It ended up being one of those turning points because when she left for college, I did continue to run in the morning 3x per week when I got into High School.

Running is a life changing habit, which is why I listed my top 10 memories for why I still run and I hope it reminds and inspires others to start running or continue to run.

#1.  My Dad and Mom:  My dad had a heart attack when he was in his late 40s.  I was around 10 years old.  To the day, he pushed us to work hard, and cease opportunities.  Also not make the same mistakes he made when he was young.  He ended up coaching me when I was a senior in HS, which was my best season.  My mom made Goulash before all of my big races.  She knew I was superstitious about everything so she never forgot.

#2. My Sister: Katie Clifford Jazwinski was a standout runner at West Catholic and University of Michigan.  She and her Husband pushed me to not be a wimp, to run long and not lose the pack running in a race.  I gave up in races so many times before I learned to race.  Katie always reminded me though letters, and messages on the white board to never quit.

   

#3.  Lenny Skryski.  Coach Skryski was a legend at West Catholic.  He put his heart and soul into WC XC.  He was a crazy guy, but in the age before the internet, he would make these collages for me to inspire me and the WC team to be the best we could be.  Recently I found a ton and literally teared up because I didn’t appreciate them as I should have at the time, but now they mean so much more.  Quotes from Coach Skryski: “You are the lighting” “Only fools say it can’t be done” “Long Green Line”

#4 Grandpa Ben Prawdzik.  My Grandpa rarely missed a sporting event for any of us.  He was at every basketball, football, Cross Country and track meet.  He was our biggest fan.  He would always be there win or lose, but when we won, he had a contagious smile on his face and gave us a huge hug and had no words, just laughing and crying.

#5. City Meet, State Final, and 4 x 800. When I was a senior in High School, I had never won a City conference XC Meet.  My senior year, I learned how to race.  The kid from GR Christian was in the lead by over 1 minute at the 2 mile marker, and I ran him down and won conference.  That same season, I took 4th at the state XC meet running a PR of 15:48.  In track, I can’t forget the 4 x 800 race where I anchored and had to catch the kid from Grand Rapids Christian.  I ran 1:55 to overtake him on the home stretch and our team won, I can vividly remember that day, my dad was more proud of me than I ever saw him.

#6.  EASTERN MICHIGAN:  Going to Eastern was the best college decisions I ever made.  I met some of my best friends and really learned how to be a competitive runner.  Joel David was an All American and I remember him coming to my final race as a high schooler and told me they wanted me to come to EMU.  I was so excited.  Eastern separated the men from the boys.  We worked our asses off.  I am still fearful of some of those workouts we did.  15 x 1000.  30 x 400.  (4 x 400, 2 x 800, 1 x 1600, 2 x 800, 4 x 400).  My time at EMU still is fresh in my memory like I was just there.  I loved my friends, I loved running every day, although I hated some of the things we did, it made us stronger.  Let’s be honest, for the most part, running kept me out of trouble and kept me focused so I would graduate with good grades.  I was far from perfect, but being on the team and running always set me straight and humbled me.

#7.  GREAT LAKES RELAY.  The GLR was a running event that starting near the thumb of Michigan and ended at the pinky.  Lake Huron to Lake Michigan.  It was 3 days, 10 guys, 3 nights of camping.  We ran hard every day, and we were not calm at night, put it that way.  The memories of that trip will never leave and I will never forget those times with my friends who shared the same love for the sport that I did.  YPSI LOST BOYZ

#8.  WITHOUT LIMITS.  In July 2007, WOL was born.  I moved to North Carolina, even though I loved Michigan.  Wilmington became a new home, and after college I took some time off running.  I never planned to stay South, but one thing led to another and I started running again.  Soon, my running transpired into a business coaching runners and then triathletes thereafter.  Everything that preceded WOL helped me to really enjoy helping others and helped me grow as a person and business owner.  I absolutely loved seeing people succeed and get faster, and it has kept me running myself because I am inspired by all of the folks I coach.

 

#9.  COMMUNITY:  Running is a community.  People race together, train together, suffer together, and hold each other accountable.  There is certainly a competitive environment in a community but competition is good.  It pushes us all to be better.  If there was no race, admit it, running wouldn’t be as fun.  I still run today because of my community and my memories.  SE North Carolina running is pretty awesome, and we constantly have people striving to be better.  I want it to keep growing, and I want to see more people running.

#10.  MY HEALTH, MENTAL, PHYSICAL, and MUSIC:  As I get older, I want to still be out there competing and training.  It gets me high.  I feel better on days I run than days I don’t.  I love trying new things that I learn in the coaching world, doing them myself and then putting them into action with my runners.  I love the feeling of going out for a run, just me, my music and my feet.  Nothing else.  I make a great playlist and float through the run singing along to the music with my breath.  Many songs remind me of my Michigan days, good times with my family, friends, and days competing when I was younger and what the future holds.  That nostalgic feeling makes me run faster and gives me the runners high, it is a feeling that is hard to put into words.  My playlist might consist of music from Bob Seger, Tom Petty, The Eagles, Metallica, to College dance music even Polka (reminding me of my Grandma and Grandpa and extended family parties).  Prayer while running can do amazing things.  You have to thank the good Lord to be able to run in that moment,  for a life full of memories and for new memories to be made.  “Won’t back down”  “Roll me Away”  “forever young”

I realize that running, has shaped my life. Every day I get to run, I get to continue the journey of where I started when I was 11 years old.  Days that I am slower are okay, because I am not going to be fast forever. I can still be out there trying, feel good and be an example for my 2 girls Grace and Lily and stay healthy to be a good husband to my biggest supporter Annette.

So if you wonder why there is a Global running day, you may realize that running is a great part of life and it teaches a lot of lessons.  Thanks for reading a summary of 25 years of running memories, happy Global Running Day.

 

 

 

 

JULY 2019 NEWSLETTER

March 2019 Newsletter

 

 

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WITHOUT LIMITS IN THE COMMUNITY

A big part of Without Limits is our partnerships with local organizations that directly effect our community. From Without Limits Athletes pushing/pulling/biking Ainsley’s Angles for their first Triathlon, to raising awareness and funds for local schools, city events, and children and adults living with disabilities, we genuinely cherish our relationships.

– YMCA: Donor
– YCC: Sponsor
– NCTS: Sponsor
– Pink Ladies: Sponsor
– Youth and Adult Scholarships
– Wilmington Hammerheads: Partner
– St. Marks Catholic School: Partner
– Charleston Women’s Self Defense Seminar: Sponsor
– Prisma Half Marathon Pacers
– Youth Cross Country Camp Scholarships
– NHRMC Wrightsville Beach Marathon
– Community Boys and Girls Club

RUNNERS DAILY VITAMIN

The premier daily nutrition support formula to maintain health, optimize performance and promote recovery in runners and endurance athletes.

Runners Essentials Daily Vitamin is comprised of the Without Limits Proprietary “Endurance Blend”. This is a powerful combination of natural micro-nutrients specifically targeted to promote daily health, optimize physical performance, and aid recovery of runners and endurance athletes.

SIMPLE FACTS
– 91% athletes reported IMPROVED energy, athletic performance, and physical recovery.
– 86% athletes reported FASTER recovery from the previous workout.
– 78% athletes reported feeling BETTER AND STRONGER during training runs.
– 63% athletes reported a PR or a time better than their average during a timed event.
– 63% noticed IMPROVEMENT in a mild chronic injury.

WITHOUT LIMITS COACHING


YOUTH | ADULT | RUNNING | SWIMMING | CYCLING | TRIATHLON | NUTRITION

The power of a coach and a training group can help you surpass and break through limits you once thought were impossible.  That is our vision as a company and as coaches.
JOIN US AND GET STARTED TODAY!

 

PREMIER EVENTS

 – COPPERHEAD 20K and 20K BEER RELAY – August 24
– SWIM THE LOOP
– August 24
– YMCA WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH TRIATHLON
– September 21
– BATTLESHIP, NC HALF  MARATHON
– November 3
– SHAKORI 40
– November 9
– SOUTHERN TOUR ULTRA – January 18
 – NHRMC MARATHON MADNESS – March 21st, 2020


 

APPAREL DIVISION

Upcoming Without Limits Swag Events

– AZALEA SPRINT TRIATHLON – March 24
– LAKE JAMES TRIATHLON – April 6
– RIVER LIGHTS TRIATHLON – April 14
 – REEDY RIVER RUN – April 20
– WHITE LAKE TRIATHLON WEEKEND – April 27
 – CAROLINA CUP Paddle Race – April 24-28
 – BLUECLAY BREAKOUT – May 25
 – 3 LITTLE PIGS TRIATHLON – June 17


 

NEW WITHOUT LIMITS APPAREL

Back by popular demand, the Men’s & Women’s Long Sleeve Hooded Tee in Black and Tahiti are now in stock! SHOP!

 

WITHOUT LIMITS

WWW.IAMWITHOUTLIMITS.COM

INFO@WITHOUTLIMITS.COM

About the Coaching Division

Without Limits has 15 coaches that embody the coaching division. The coaches mission is to help athletes embrace their challenge of becoming better endurance athletes from youth to adult. Many leaders in the world relate life to running a marathon. What better way to teach people to break their self imposed limits than through running, triathlon, and other endurance sports.

About the Apparel Division

In 2011, the apparel came to fruition when Tom Clifford, Without Limits founder, and Jon Carne, Port City Apparel owner, capitalized on a meeting in September of 2011 to conceptualize a brand that embodied the right balance of inspiration, quality, dedication, determination and performance. “To build a successful brand in the active lifestyle genre is a challenge that will take a Without Limits mindset and effort. We are excited to be partnering with Tom and his team to build a global apparel brand that will inspire future generations to live a life Without Limits.” – Jon Carne, Co-Owner Without Limits Apparel

About the Events Division

In 2009, we started the NHRMC Wrightsville Beach Marathon. In it’s first year, 1600 people signed up and it became a signature event in the Southeast with nearly 4000 runners annually. Without Limits’ goal is to put on fun, participant first, events where people can come together and enjoy friends, family and race their best. This starts with the race production and race swag. These two essentials make the event a favorite of the participant. In the end we want the client to be thrilled but more importantly we want the end users to love our products and events. This will grow awareness for the event, increase sponsor visibility and ensure increased participation, all which make the event a success year after year.

About the Without Limits Runners Daily Vitamin

In 2018, Board certified physician Scott Tunis, Registered dietitian Diana Davis, and Without Limits owner Tom Clifford developed a nutritional supplement specifically for endurance athletes and runners. Without Limits is proud to put our name on a formula that we knew will help runners fulfill what they lose from endurance sports and receive nutrients they need for optimal performance. More about our runners vitamin can be found at www.runnersdailyvitamin.com

 

25 Years of Running | Global Running Day | Why I still run

Time Crunched Triathletes | 5 Ways to Train for a 70.3 in 10 hours or less

Triathlons can be a daunting hobby to take on.  3 Sports (swim, bike, run) and while they are a lot of fun to race, majority of folks have a real difficult time trying to train for all 3 sports in a 7 day week without suffering the consequences of lost family time, work, and the rest that needs to go along with the training.  The half IRONMAN and IRONMAN seem to be the most popular bucket list items people want to do, and then when you get hooked, you just want to do them faster, longer or travel to new destinations; but do you need to be putting in 16-20 hours of training per week?

I was a collegiate runner from 2001 to 2006.  When I graduated from Eastern Michigan, I got into Triathlon as the next exciting part of my athletic career.   From 2008 to 2012 I trained and raced hard and got to a crossroads of getting my pro card or turn back to running and focus on family and my business.   I decided at that point, this is too much, I am going to focus on running again, get married and focus on growing my business.  My wife and I have two beautiful girls and our business has turned into something sustainable.

A few years later IRONMAN bought out the Beach2Battleship Triathlon, a race I worked on for several years.   I got the urge to get back into triathlon to train for our hometown race again.  I had 10 hours a week max to train with everything we had going on.  Long story short, I won the first 70.3 here in Wilmington with a 4:09 but got DQed because I missed a swim buoy.  So I came back in 2017 to get revenge and won with a 4:02.  All on 9 to 10 hours a week.  My witness is my good buddy, coach and training partner Aaron Kolk, who LOVES going long and far, and his philosophy was always MORE IS BETTER, until now (You can read his statement at the end).

You don’t have to put in ridiculous training hours to improve and reach your goals. You need to be consistent, work hard, and find balance.  Without balance, something will to give and other parts of your life suffer and if other parts of your life are suffering, then you can kiss triathlon good bye.  A side note: if you have more time, GREAT, then by all means use it, but if you don’t then you can follow these tips.  You can also reach out to us for help and we would love to help you on the 10 hour per week journey!

#1 PLAN YOUR WEEK

  •  What hours per day can you workout
  • How long does it take to get to the pool, or open water
  • What time of day can you workout and is it sustainable
  • Will you have energy to spend with your kids, family and job all at the same time with these hours
  • What is the best day to take off

#2 ARE YOU MENTALLY PREPARED

  • The mental aspect of 10 hours a week is key.  There is not going to be a day where you stroll out for a bike ride.  Everything has quality.  You will always be working on a skill or a workout to improve your endurance.  This is not a plan for the lazy athlete. It’s a plan to get down to business and do the work.

#3 ARE YOU GOING INTO THE CYCLE PREPARED

  • I think an important area here is that 10 hour training weeks for a 70.3 does involve needing a bit of a background.  You need to spend several weeks building skill and knowledge so that when you do your planned workouts you aren’t spending 30 minutes asking how to do the workouts.  Make sure you and your coach discuss training lingo and learn the sport.

#4 RACE SPRINTS

  • Sprint Tri’s and Formula 1 Tris are awesome for training.  They involve quick set up, fast races, and get in and get out logistics.  No expos just race hard, practice transitions and have fun.  Do a good amount of these, you can’t ever mimic a race atmosphere in training, it is very difficult.  These sprints, if placed in the right spots in your training, can accelerate fitness and will guide you to success.

#5 Yearly Training Plan (YTP)

  • Have a yearly training plan laid out.  You can get so much done while you are training when you have laid out your year.  Just like a job or a vacation when you know times are going to be busy, you can do the same thing with your YTP.  You will now know when your training is going to be busier and you might have the 10 hour weeks in a row and the longer weekend workouts.  This will not only give you piece of mind of what is coming up, but you will be able to be motivated and prepare correctly.

READ COACH AARON’S BLOG BELOW

IF TIME IS YOUR LIMITER, THIS IS A GOOD READ FOR YOU

If only I had enough time to put in the proper volume I could reach my potential. If only my body would allow those grueling 6×1 mile sessions, or 2 hour long runs I would be able to run well off the bike. If only I could put in more time in the pool I would be able to swim faster. Time, it all comes down to time. Why can’t I train more? Why can’t I work harder? These are the questions, the thoughts that dance around in my mind day after day, week after week, month after month. After trying to push the volume training for the Wrightsville Beach marathon and ending up injured I knew I needed a change. I knew I needed guidance, help to make sure I did what I needed to do. I called Tom Clifford, my friend, boss, and now coach and told him I needed help if I wanted to reach my goals in triathlon. He agreed to coach me. This was April 2018.

Over the course of the next 6 months in my mind I wanted to put in 15 hours a week, but the more I tried to force the training, more than what Tom planned I might add, the more I realized it just wasn’t possible. Trying to be a husband and dad first, then a coach and lastly an athlete… I am what one calls ‘A Time Starved Athlete’. 15 hours just wasn’t doable. Okay fine, I’ll just do everything Tom plans. Nail the workouts, put in the 10-12 hours a week planned. But then something happened, it happens to a lot of people, I believe it’s a little thing called life. We bought a house, got pregnant, and my wife (Amy) started working more to name a few things. This left me with a burning desire to become the best triathlete I could possibly be, but with just not enough time. At least 3-4 calls to Tom asking how am I going to do this, how can I fit in more and him assuring me I can only do what I can do. Everything is going to work out. Think about what your priorities are. Think about who you want to be, not what you want to do. That helped framed my mindset. When it is all said and done, I want to be the best dad and husband more than I want to be the best triathlete. Not that I always made the correct choice, but it was something I was aware of, something I could focus on. Fast forward to now. I just came off a PB in the half iron distance in Augusta 4:12:29, winning my age group and 4th amateur overall. Looking back at my hours trained the past 6 weeks were 12:04, 7:55, 6:51, 6:16, 6:19, and 8:42. This is under an 8 hour average for the 6 weeks leading up to my peak race. How was I able to do so well? I nailed the hard sessions and recovered in-between. Looking at my training I put priority on the hard session, making sure to get them in sometimes waking up before 4am so that I could be done in time. Sometimes I had to cut the volume short, sometimes I had to move days of the workouts, but I got them in. Volume has importance, but the hard sessions take priority. A saying I really like from Matt Dixon, the coach of Purple Patch is “go into your race fit and fresh”. Before I’ve trained well, I’ve worked hard, I’ve got really fit, but I always arrived too fit and fatigued. This does not allow your best performance. One of my goals in life is to help people not make the mistakes that I’ve made, so if you can take anything from this little blurb about my past 6 months please take this: think about your priorities, then think about what you want to do and make sure you allot the proper amount of time to what matters most. You can still accomplish multiple goals without sacrificing what really matters.

Pam Keenan Completes all of the Abbott World Marathon Majors

Pam Keenan is one of only six people from North Carolina to complete the Abbott World Marathon Majors

Running stories, like the courses on which they play out, are rarely linear. Uphills, downhills, big curves.

Wilmington resident Pam Keenan has followed the road like anyone else, but she keeps finding the tangents at just the right moments.

“I’m desperate to go back to (the Boston Marathon),” the 63-year-old recently said. “I have quite a story.”

Its latest chapter closed Sept. 24 at the finish line of the Berlin Marathon, where Keenan found herself in elite company twice over. Her finish of 4 hours, 35 minutes, 40 seconds qualified her for the 2019 Boston Marathon. It also completed a whirlwind quest of the Abbott World Marathon Majors — a group of six major races around the glob

The woman who started running to join her daughter’s bucket list is now a member of one of the most exclusive running clubs on the planet.

“I thought to myself, ‘OK, that’s pretty ambitious, and good luck getting into all those races,’” Keenan’s daughter, Christine, said. “It’s really tough to get into London. I thought about it more from the challenge of logistics, because when she sets her mind to it, she has a laser focus. She figures out a way to make it happen.”

Only 2,414 people are on the World Marathon Majors’ list as a finisher in all six events. Of that group, Keenan is just the sixth from North Carolina.

The adventure started in Boston, a race she watched and volunteered at as a child. She qualified for the 2015 race and finished it alongside her sister despite a bout with food poisoning. She also qualified for New York that year. And with two of the six down, well, why not keep going?

London and Chicago were done in 2016. That left the two farthest races — Tokyo and Berlin — and their inherent challenges for 2017: Food differences, language barriers, long flights halfway across the world.

Thank goodness for American hotels in faraway lands, and a trusted husband, Tom, who always was in the right place at the right time with water, bananas and a familiar face. But even he couldn’t solve everything, including a food surprise in Japan: A bread roll, filled with black bean paste.

“I had to spit that out. It was awful,” Pam said with a laugh. “I was running and see it, ‘Oh, it looks like a roll. I’m really hungry.’ Uh, no.”

Despite the solitary results of running, Keenan’s found all her success thanks to a massive support network of runners, coaches, friends and family.

“That group is the reason this has happened, the coaching, the camaraderie, the support. There’s a huge power in a group,” she said. “And age doesn’t matter. I could be the mom of half those people…but that’s what I love about this. That’s why I’ve been able to do well.”

And the woman who crossed the finish line in Boston, New York, London, Chicago, Tokyo and Berlin is the same one who had an escape plan all set for her first coaching session.

“I was so afraid to go to Without Limits the first time,” Pam said. “My husband drove me to the track for the first time, 5:45 in the morning, and he sat in the car. … I didn’t think I was fast enough, I thought I was too old, all of the things. But they want you to have a good experience, and I have.”

“I remember that day,” her coach, Sami Winter, said. “She told me that at the end of practice, and I said, ‘I’m not that scary, am I? Well, you’re coming back, right?’ … It’s something new, and she’s 60, and a track practice. How many 60-year-olds would do that? I think she fell in love with it and found a good support team.

“She really has inspired a lot of people in this group. I don’t think she realizes how many of us are inspired. There’s some of us thinking, we can do this too.”