I've had the pleasure of knowing Atlanta's own Pro Triathlete, Haley Chura since 2009, which was early her triathlon career. Last Wednesday, I sat down with her to ask her a few questions. Here is a recap of my interview.
How
did you get started in triathlon?
I
always knew I would be a triathlete. I
grew up with active parents. In fact,
they did triathlons back in the 80s with the Bud Light series. I figured that is what you do when you grew
up was triathlons.
I
grew up swimming. That was my
focus. After college, I thought I was
done.
In
2008, my boss challenged me to do a Half Iron distance triathlon. I did not train at all for the bike and run. I trained for the swim. I went down to Macon. It was a billion degrees. I finished the race.
I had the best time! I loved the atmosphere. I loved the community.
My
friend, Betty Janelle from Dynamo Masters, was training for the Hawaii 70.3 in
2009. She told me to pick a Half around
the same time. She said we should find a
coach and really train right. We knew
Matthew Rose from Dynamo Masters and decided to hire him. Matthew had just started Dynamo Multisport. Betty was his 2nd
client and I was his 3rd.
What
does triathlon mean to you?
It’s
evolved over the years. At first it was
something fun to do. Now, it is my
lifestyle and my career. I never thought
it would turn out that way. I’ve met
some really, really good people. It’s
changed my life in so many ways, for the better. I’ve learned to take risks and dream big. It is an important part of my life now.
Where
is your favorite place to train?
For
indoor workouts, I love training at Dynamo for swimming and cycling. For outdoor workouts, I love going to the
Gaps. That is my all time favorite place
to train outdoors. For outdoor running,
I like Kennesaw Mountain, Chattahoochee River Trails, Columns Drive for intervals
and Piedmont Park.
What
is your favorite workout?
Hill
Repeats at the Gaps, specifically at Neels Gap
Workout:
Start
at Turners Corner
4
x (Ride up to the top of Neels, down the same side of Neels, then run off the
bike for 12.5 minutes out and 12.5 minutes back)
This
workout takes approximately six hours.
Try it!
What
are your mental toughness strategies?
For
me, I have to work hard to keep my thoughts positive. Matthew has helped me work with mantras. Some
of my favorite mantras are, “Find a Way”, “Believe” and “Be Kind” (from her
friend Kathryn Honderd).
Another
thing I keep in mind is something fellow pro triathlete Hillary Biscay told me:
“Even when you think you are not doing well, many times you are doing better
than you think. You won’t know until you
finish. Just stick with it.”
I
always try to think of happy things. For
example, if my parents are at the race, that makes me happy.
Also,
having supportive people around who are positive helps a lot.
What
was your most memorable race?
My
most memorable race was definitely my first time in Hawaii for the Ironman in
2009. I was 24 years old. I had a great swim and a pretty good
bike. I had major issues on the
run. I ended up walking on the Queen K. It was so lonely out there. Even though I thought I might be dying, I
knew I was going to finish. Matthew
walked with me for a little bit and it was so nice. My parents found me at the finish. Having them there was so nice too.
I
knew I was going to do another Ironman.
It gave me strength and a hunger to do it again.
What
was it like leaving your job to fulfill your career as a pro triathlete?
It
was the scariest thing I’ve ever done in my life. I had a great job in Public Accounting. It was comfortable. It was safe.
It is what society says it is what I should be doing.
Leaving
my job was premeditated. I planned by
taking money out of my paycheck to save for four years.
I
knew I wasn’t being fair to myself by working and trying to be a triathlete. I knew I wouldn’t be as good of a pro
triathlete if I was still working.
It
was a lot harder than I expected.
Do
you ever miss a workout?
Yeah,
sometimes I do, but it is usually something that is out of my control. I structure my day so I do my key workouts in
the morning.
I
don’t ever miss a workout just because I don’t feel like doing it. I want to know that when I line up for a
race, I gave my training everything I possibly could.
I
also trust my coach, Matthew. I know if
he puts something on my schedule, he feels it’s important.
What
are you doing differently now that you are a pro?
I
sleep a lot more. I cook more. I take more time to prepare healthy
food. I put more effort and time in to
this.
I
haven’t increased my workouts that much, but I’m more focused. I used not worry too much about missing my
times or numbers because I could blame it on some client or something like
that. Now, it is totally my fault if I
don’t make my numbers.
What
advice would you give another triathlete who wants to take it to the next level?
Make
sure you have a really good support system around you. Have one person you can
talk to because things get hard. This is
a 100% performance based career. If I
don’t race well, I don’t get paid.
What
do you want to share about your experience working with your coach,
Matthew
Rose?
I
am so thankful for Matthew. When we
started working together, I didn’t know what I was doing. He saw so much more in me than I did. After that first Half Iron race in Macon, he
told me I was going to Hawaii and I would go pro. I don’t think other coaches would have looked
at me and seen what he did.
I
grew up in the sport with him coaching me.
He’s been a huge part of helping me realize that I could take risks and
have something different than what society says.
Coaches
and teachers can do so much good. I
don’t think those people (coaches and teachers) realize it.
How
do you choose your races?
I
decide on my “A” goal race, then work backwards. Going pro has been different. #1 I have more flexibility. #2 There is a
points system.
I
also have to think about the finances of doing a race. I have to think about if it is a fairly
inexpensive race to go to. And, will I
make money.
I
knew I wanted to go to Hawaii this year, but I knew it was going to be a
struggle. I
ended up getting in to Hawaii, but at the last minute. The top 35 female pros with the most points get
in. I was the 36th female pro. One of the 35 females got injured and it
rolled down to me.
What
is your next race and what are your goals?
Hawaii
is my next race. Since I didn’t think I
was going to get in, I’m using this as an opportunity for me to collect data on
what it is like to race with the pros. I
want to be proud of my race. I also want
to influence the race, especially on the swim.
Do
you have any plans to move to a more desirable training location (ex. Colorado
Springs, San Diego, Clermont, etc.)?
To
be honest, I thought about it a lot because my family isn’t here. I don’t have any plans to move. Atlanta is a great tri community.
There
are great places to train here. There is
different terrain. You have the
Gaps. You have great pools. You have great places to run.
There
is great airport access which is important since I travel a lot now.
There
is a lot of value in the Dynamo team. I
have really good training partners. I
have support of the community, like with all3sports.
Atlanta
has been good for me. I want to stay in
Atlanta as long as I possibly can.
I really appreciated the time Haley spent with me. When you see her around town or at a race, definitely say "hi" and introduce yourself. You might even have a question or two to ask her. Don't hesitate! She is totally cool and approachable!
You can keep up with Haley by checking out her blog (http://www.haleychura.com/) and following her on Twitter @HaleyChura
.
