Amy Hardberger - April 2009
The T3 Coaches have chosen Amy Hardberger as T3 Athlete of the Month in April. Amy has really stepped it up this season by increasing her training intensity, staying focused on meeting her hours, consistently participating in all the team practices and showing continued enthusiasm for the team! With a hectic work schedule that includes odd hours, we have been impressed to see Amy working hard to plan out her training hours and goals before each week begins. It has been inspiring to watch her prepare for Vineman (her first Half Ironman) with this solid plan of attack.
Hear more about Amy's training journey below! |
|
Just CapTex Please
"I joined T3 in January 2008 after taking the swim clinic the year before. As Chrissie regularly reminds me with a smirk, I ONLY joined for 3 months to train for Cap Tex. I realize that an olympic length doesn't seem like much for many triathletes, but it seemed HUGE to me. At that meeting she said, "after this you may want to consider a half ironman." I laughed in her face and insisted that just CapTex would suffice. Keep in mind, my first T3 run workout was the first time in my life I ran three miles without stopping. Thirteen miles after swimming and biking seemed insane -- still does actually. After the race (which was a disaster), I just kept showing up. I don't know why, but I did. I guess I felt like something wasn't finished and I had more to gain from this. A year later I am signed up for Vineman 70.3. For someone with commitment issues, that isn't bad."
|
Testing my Limits
 "Training has been a transformational journey for me far beyond the obvious physical fitness aspect. It was an overwhelming amount of information to absorb in the beginning as I tried to learn about three new sports, equipment, nutrition and my own limits. When I first started, I feel like I fought it mentally. Every workout was a something I had to "get through." Over time something changed. I started to think about workouts in terms of what I could get out of them instead of what they were taking out of me. Sometimes I work on form, sometimes it is just nice to escape life or a bad day at the office and sometimes I want to push myself to see what happens. I finally started embracing training as a mental and emotional evolution that was having impacts far beyond my physical abilities. I learned that you can beat yourself far faster than others can beat you, so I am trying to stay mentally positive and be a little easier on myself. I focus on running my own race and not someone else's. Trying to obtain balance in my life is still a bit of an effort, but I'm working on it. One thing I have learned is that nothing happens over night in this sport; just keep going and it will happen." |
The Power of Teammates
 "Finally, as an only child I am used to doing things by myself. I am not good at relying on others or asking for help, but I have learned that teammates are extremely important. They can answer your questions, calm your fears or just give you that extra incentive to show up. Letting people help me through this process may be the best part -- there is no way I would still be doing this today without them. There is also something amazing about experiencing other people's success. Watching friends cross an Ironman finishline was an emotional experience that I wouldn't trade." |
It's Worth It
"A new T3er recently asked me after a hard hill workout -- Does this ever get easier? After thinking about it, I realized that it doesn't get easier. But it is definitely worth it." |
