Endurance Shield: We kind of love that your blog from 4/1/14 was a race poem! How did you come up with the idea, and really -- how long did it take to write?
Katie Hursey: A lot of my family and friends know I like writing what are now referred to as "Katie Poems"...silly little poems that rhyme. Typically I write them in card form, but I have a lot of fun writing them. I was struggling writing a blog after the New Plymouth race so in order to make it a bit more fun for both my readers and myself in writing it I decided to go for the "Katie Poem". It took about 15 minutes to write, which is a lot less time than my blogs usually take me!
ES: What's the best thing about training in Scottsdale?
KH: The best thing about training in Scottsdale is the environment. The weather has been awesome, there are plentiful trails to run on and the riding is quite nice too. It's just so easy here, with all the resources as well as ideal surroundings and weather.
ES: Tell us a little about your experience with melanoma in situ.
KH: One of my first triathlons, the South Carroll Tri to Win Sprint Triathlon was put on by the Joanna M. Nicolay Melanoma Foundation. Post races they always have free body screenings, and one year I went to one and they told me to get a mole looked at. I ended up going to my normal physician where the doctor told me he could just take it off and send it away to have it looked at. I agreed and then the doctor asked if I would be willing to let his assistant/student take off another mole just for practice. I don't know why I agreed, but I did and I was lucky, because the extra one I had removed by the student came back as melanoma in situ. When I found out I was back at school at Syracuse University and I was quite scared. I found a dermatologist in the area and they went in removing more and making sure the edges were clear. I feel really lucky to have caught it so early and know now to be way more aware about skin protection as well as routine visits to the dermatologist. I'm pretty young (24 years old) to be having skin issues, but am much smarter now protecting myself daily with Endurance Shield and will continue to look after my skin and make better choices about exposing myself.
ES: You "transitioned" to triathlon after being a college runner. What was the most challenging thing in your first season racing as a pro triathlete?
KH: The most challenging part about my first season as a pro triathlete was the draft legal bike skills. Until last year I had never drafted on a bike and though I felt strong I struggled in races to have good positions. I was expending a lot more energy trying to catch up after getting yo-yo-ed off the back at each turn. However, what was exciting was that throughout the season I gained a lot more experience, but even now it is something I still need to work on!
Contest entry instructions:
Answer the following Katie Hursey trivia question on Twitter for a chance to win an Endurance Shield gift pack!
What was Katie's finishing place at 2014 New Plymouth, NZ World Cup?
Tweet your answer by tagging @kmhursey @enduranceshield