Andrea Villasi of Kansas City
How did you get into multisport?
I have no athletic background what so ever. I didn’t play any sports in high school or college. I didn’t start running for fun/fitness until I was 22 and even then, it was sporadic at best. In 2000, I went on vacation to Pensacola, FL with my family. The family participated in a sprint triathlon as a team(s) – I did the run portion. My younger brother did the entire race as an individual. I thought he was crazy but I was also really impressed! At the time, just finishing a sprint triathlon seemed like (to me) the most challenging athletic feat a person could possibly do! It wasn’t until five years later that I attempted to complete an entire sprint tri on my own. It was so much fun! I trained all summer with a women’s Tri 101 clinic and met a lot of new people and made new friends. After that, I was hooked!
Tell us about your last few races!
Most recently, I placed 2nd AG at TriZou. This was a special “win” for me. While I have known all along that I was capable of achieving this, in the past I would often get in my own way of success. I would unconsciously sabotage my performance by not following a nutrition or pacing plan. This year I have a new perspective and a new confidence. Other recent races include a couple of 5Ks in which I set PRs and a cycling road race with a top 10 finish.
What do you think are 3 important factors for achieving your goals?
Consistency – I try really hard to complete all of my workouts each week. Sure, there are times that life gets in the way or I just can’t fit one more thing in, but that is the exception. I make my workouts a priority because my athletic goals mean so much to me.
Recovery and Nutrition – I get 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night. Part of this is because I am getting older and boring, but mostly I am just tired and love to sleep! This year, I cut back on alcohol consumption and improved my overall nutrition. I love to cook and try new foods/recipes and eat dinner at home at least six times a week. I am very aware of what I am putting in my body.
Trust and Patience – I trust that my coach is assigning workouts that will help me achieve my goals as fast – and as safely – as possible. My progress has been slow, but it has been consistent and I seem to continue to PR at almost every race, year after year. It’s a process. With no athletic background, I understand that I need to build a solid base of fitness and that will take time.
What do you enjoy most about working with a coach?
Working with a coach takes all the guess work out of training. Before working with a coach, I used training programs from books or magazines and I would always wonder, “Am I doing enough/not enough? Am I going out too hard/too easy?” Having someone who knows you, knows what you can/can’t handle and knows how to push you, is such a huge asset - in any sport.
Having a coach that I really respect and look up to is a huge motivator. I do the work for me and to reach my goals, but having a coach that I report to on a daily basis makes me accountable and keeps me honest.
This is the fourth year that I have been working with Elizabeth and I think we have built a great working relationship. I tell her everything and she gives honest feedback. A couple of years ago, she suggested that I stop doing long-course and focus on short-course. Without discussion and without question, I knew that she was right. But that faith comes from building a long-term relationship with a coach and trusting that they know the best path to your success. Since I made the switch to short-course, I have consistently made improvements in all three sports.
Andrea kicked off her 2011 season by achieving every goal she has set thus far. I look forward to watching her continue to grow in the sport and achieve many more successes. Congratulations, Andrea!
