In the world of serious athletic competitions, one triathlon is supreme: the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii. Vasso Kelly of Rowayton will join some of the most talented and tenacious athletes at the 2013 event on October 12, and her participation will benefit one of the area’s most beloved nonprofits, the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation founded by Kathy Giusti of New Canaan. Vasso, a pediatric nurse who has six Ironmans to her credit, is one of three athletes who will compete in the 140.6-mile race for MMRF, and she’ll raise funds for the organization in the process. MMRF supports research for a cure to this hematologic cancer. At press time, we talked with Vasso, a mother of four, to learn how she’s been preparing for the big competition.
Start Time: Vasso began training in January, although at the time she thought she was preping for an Ironman in December, not the world championship in October. “I’ve been doing base work since early in the year. I was in Florida for the winter, biking and running. In late spring, I found out I was doing Hawaii so I started ramping everything up and getting a lot more focused. Currently, I’m training twenty to twenty-five hours per week.”
Endurance: “When you’re training for an endurance event, you try to engage in each of the sports two to four times a week, and you increase your distance as you go along,” says Vasso. “Because my training window is a little shorter, it’s been pretty intense. I’m on my bike four to five times a week, swim twice a week and run three times a week, all while increasing distance in each sport. I did a ten-mile run Saturday, and I’m going to try to do thirteen miles next Saturday.”
Strength Training: “I coupled strength training with boxing during the winter. But right now, I’m just focusing on the other sports.”
Nutrition: “I love Greek yogurt,” says Vasso, who uses it for smoothies and adds as much fruit and protein as possible. “I also have plenty of fish, but now that my training is getting more intense, I’m eating more pasta and bread. I can feel my metabolism increasing.”
Mental Prep: “If I think about the 140 miles ahead of me, I get overwhelmed,” she says. “I try to get through just one lap at a time.”
Sleep: “Sleep and I have a terrible relationship,” says Vasso, who averages six hours per night. “It’s something I’m accustomed to, but I’m trying to improve my bedtime habits.”
Burnout: Vasso tries to avoid it. “I take days off from training because rest is important. And I make sure to do other things I enjoy, like spending time with my husband and children.”
Motivation: Cancer touches each and every one of us in a very intimate way. I’m lucky to be able to go out there and do something that I love. Remembering that makes the process of training so much easier.”
