Going Long with Monica
Posted: Aug 29 2015
The Latest @ Coeur » Women's running
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Boston Marathon Pre-Race Thoughts
Posted: Apr 19 2015
Happy Boston Marathon Eve. We're sending good wishes and positive vibes to everyone who will line up tomorrow for the Boston Marathon. We asked Sonja, who is one of our sponsored athletes, to share her thoughts on the race and she was kind enough to take time out of her busy pre-race schedule to do just that. For those of you who don't know Sonja, she is not only an incredible athlete, but she is also an incredible person. Thoughtful, kind, and incredibly introspective. Here's what she shared with us.
On the eve of the 119th running of the Boston marathon I’m sitting down to write some words about my experience thus far for Coeur Sports. Thank you Coeur for allowing me this opportunity and broad audience.
Boston is iconic when it comes to the marathon. For 119 years this town has become the site of an annual runner pilgrimage, a place proud runners flock to in order to test their limits on this iconic ground. I’ve always considered myself a runner, and while I save that distance typically for the final leg of an Ironman triathlon, I’ve watched enthusiastically as friends and elite runners have finished this race year after year, setting records and personal bests. Two years ago, while sitting on my computer, watching the live feed coverage and tracking my friends, my jaw was on the floor as tragedy struck this city.
From that moment forward, this route, from Hopkinton, to the finish line of Boylston Street, became a place for us marathoners to come and heal. These 26.2 miles mean different things to each and every runner, with their myriad paths that it took to arrive at the start line, but one thing is the same, this route is for recovery, for transformation, for accomplishment, and for growth. As was mentioned last night at the USAT Hall of Fame dinner, Boston has healed itself through sport. As I watch the athletes converge on the city, many of them wearing the blue/yellow scarves that were handed out at Old South Church last year, some 7,000 hand crocheted from all over the world, I feel that the city needs us marathoners to lace through and sew back up its heart.
What does it feel like to run 26 miles of road lined with people? I don’t know! I’ve run one open marathon in my life and it was 36 degrees and rained the whole time, spectators were at a minimum. It tends to be quite lonely out there on the lava fields in Kona as well. But Boston is different, and the 100% chance of rain won’t keep them away. The city has this vibe of gritty, hearty support. For example, while doing my two training runs here I have been honked at more times than the last 2 years of runs in Denver. One honk, was to let me know, honkkkkkkkk, if I crossed the road I would end up in the windshield, another toot-toot was as they stopped to let me know I should cross immediately. Other honks were just to let me know they were there, or to urge me back on the side walk. With New England confidence, they give off the vibe that support through hard things is a communal requirement. You live in hard weather, you attend hard colleges, you do tough work. This is not a town of slackers. However, you support each other through the tough. It’s the support that makes the individual stronger, lifts them up to greatness.
I’m here to run in part for my own personal curiosity, to feel what it feels like for mile 1 to not actually be mile 115, like usual. I’m here to test my limits and to push my body as fast as I can with the fitness I have built. I’m taking advice from several of the USAT triathlon hall of fame inductees last night. Tim DeBoom opened his speech with “it was all worth it”, Carlos Moleda urged the room to “keep moving forward” despite obstacles, and Susan Williams, after as we said our goodbyes reminded me to “do my best.” I will keep all that wisdom on the forefront of my mind, but deeper than that, I am here to heal. To heal from the violent acts that were launched at my community of marathoners, and to act as one of the thousands of threads that are helping to sew back up the heart of this town.
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Hello World. We'd like to introduce you to Coeur. A provider of Women's Cycling, Running, and Triathlon Suits
Posted: Aug 19 2013
Women's Triathlon Clothing, Cycling, Running and Lifestyle Apparel
WELCOME TO COEUR
Well, hello there Gentle Reader
Welcome to the Very First Coeur Sports Blog Post.
I’m pretty damn excited that you are here. Because we at Coeur have big, fun plans and we want you to come along on this ride with us.
We’ll be having our official launching of the line on September 18th at Interbike but thought we’d give you a bit of an introduction first.
Let me tell you a little about me and how Coeur came to be....
My name is Kebby Holden, Founder of Coeur Sports. Coeur is French for heart and is the root of the word Courage. And Coeur D'Alene was my first Ironman, so it has a special place in my heart. Anyhoo...I’m an East Coast girl that’s an LA transplant by way of San Diego. I’m big on family, friends, dogs, wine, music, the outdoors, books, sports and design.
I was a huge tomboy growing up but I was always into fashion as well, making for a bit of a nutty juxtaposition for my mother. She was always peeved because I’d go run around with the neighborhood kids discovering things in the woods behind our house, but I had to do it in my shiny Mary Jane party shoes and frilly dresses. Poor Mom. The laundry! But that is still me to this day.
My father was also a huge influence in my life. From my earliest memory, I remember waiting at the top of the stairs for my Dad to wake up so we could go run together or go hit tennis balls. He always did this with me before he went to his high-pressure job. Of course I didn’t know that at the time but I was probably preventing him from getting a real workout in, and he still played with me nonetheless. Sports and his coaching were something we bonded over my whole life. I LOVED that he was so active and that I got to play sports with him.
As I mentioned, I grew up playing all sort of sports but mostly tennis...which also engendered a love of cute little outfits while sweating balls and serving bombs. I competed in college but I’d heard about this thing called triathlon my senior year and since then had always wanted to do one. But I was too chicken to try without someone to do one with me. I found that person in a cute guy at work that I’m now lucky enough to call my husband, Reg. He got me involved in the sport and took me to a level beyond what I ever thought possible. Of course, he still kicks my butt in tennis.
That Cute Guy Who Got Me into Triathlons
Reg and I have two dogs because, as I mentioned, I LOVE dogs. I love their inherent goodness, their bent towards joy & their love of running and all things active. Oh, and they love cookies. Kona is a 13 year old rescued husky named after the Hawaii Ironman (duh!) & Beaumont (Beau) is a year-old Bernese Mountain Dog. He is a total meat-head. I take them with me wherever and whenever I can. They shed....A LOT! You’ll get to know them through Coeur.
The Meat Head
Reg and I lost our amazing, best-dog-ever-I-swear-to-God, Rocky, to cancer recently. Rocky was a rescued Bernese Mountain Dog mix and was my sweet, sweet baby. He was brave until the end, he never complained, even when he couldn’t walk anymore, and he gave kisses up until the very end. You just can’t fake that. This, in addition to Reg working for 6 years for Petco headquarters and being on the board of the Petco Foundation, is why Coeur will be donating money to be an “angel donor.” This means creating a fund of money that will be there for folks who can’t afford the expensive veterinary treatments their dog needs.
With Coeur, my mission is to make the best looking, best fitting, most functional and most comfortable clothing in the marketplace for female endurance athletes. This all started with me as an athlete first. I don’t have a fashion design background. I’ve been a reporter and a management consultant. But I knew I needed clothes that didn’t ride up, chafe or pinch. I’ve been in this sport for a decade now and have tried on a tri short or two. I was co-founder of another successful women’s tri line but am now branching out to other sports.
For those of you hitting up trails runs at dawn and to those of you racing your bike against the sun, to get home before dark. I want you to have pockets in all the right places, in the right sizes for you to be able to stash anything and everything you need for your workout or race. I want you to not have to worry about your tank riding up and exposing your stomach. I want you to have matching, cute kits that make you stand up that much straighter and stronger because you know you look your best...even while sweating up a storm. Anything I can do to make your training and racing easier, more stress-free and fun....I want to do it.
Before: Bike so clunky I can't even lift it After: Getting the hang of things!
This sport has taught me (ask me about my first Ironman’s nutrition strategy sometime) and given me so very much - amazing friends, experiences, travel, self-discovery, physical strength - that it is important that we at Coeur pay triathlon back a little bit. That is why we’ve decided to give 1% of our sales to The Challenged Athletes Foundation. I volunteered at this incredible organization and if you ever want to know about dealing with limits and moving through, over and around hardship, check this organization out. Talk about inspiring! Its just a little way we can say thank you and help others who want to live active lifestyles.
Last little tidbits about me:
Favorite Movies: The World According to Garp, Fight Club, Bridesmaids, Hudsucker Proxy, When Harry Met Sally
Favorite Music: Florence & The Machine, The National, The Pixies, Santigold, old school REM (I'm a Georgia girl!)
Favorite Flower: Camellia
Favorite Food: Almost anything involving sugar
Race Highlights: AG wins at IM Louisville & Oceanside 70.3; 8th AG in Kona; 7th OA IM Louisville
Ok now. That’s MORE than enough about me. Yawn! We will also be bringing you some amazing gals that will share their stories with you here. Now, tell me a little about YOU. I am so inspired by the folks I meet along the way. Always feel free to drop me a line at kebby@coeursports.com. I’d love to hear from you.
See you out on the road,
Kebby
