A Catholic Business Journal Exclusive. (To see this interview with photos, click here) Have you ever wondered what is it like to be a professional long-distance, endurance athlete? How does Faith impact that career? You are about to find out. Liz Lyles is a 35-year-old professional triathlete. She and her husband, Chip, have two children, Luke (5) and Emma (3). In short, Liz has two major passions in life: family and Ironman competition. And that makes their lives anything but ordinary.
After turning pro in July of 2012, Liz quickly garnered international attention. She won Ironman Wisconsin, won Ironman Boise 70.3, and most recently finished in 5th place at the Ironman Frankfurt European Championships, securing her spot at the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii this October.
Catholic Business Journal (CBJ) recently interviewed this Catholic mother of two about her life, her career and her faith.
Here’s what Liz had to say:
CBJ: We’re always interested in how people got started in their careers. What inspired you to become a triathlete?
Liz Lyles: Right after we were married, my husband, Chip, and I lived in San Diego. I’ve always loved running and had run a few half marathons and finished pretty well. During my spinning class a local race director in the class suggested I enter one of his triathlons. I didn’t own a wetsuit, so I raced in Chip’s, which was way too big! My only bike was a mountain bike, no clips, so I used that for the race. Surprisingly, I won my age group and was hooked. I compared my results to local professionals Michellie Jones and Paula Newby-Fraser, two legends in the sport and incredibly inspirational ladies. Looking at their accomplishments was a real driver for me. I entered a few more triathlons that year. I had some pretty good results, and learned a lot. The following spring I decided to enter what is now Ironman 70.3 Oceanside. I won my age group in that race to qualify for my first trip to the Hawaii Ironman.
CBJ: You had a lot of success as an age grouper, and in 2006 or 2007 you could have chosen to race professionally. You decided to start a family instead. Tell us about that decision.
Liz Lyles: I’ve learned some very important lessons as a mom. Discipline, responsibility, and commitment have taken on a whole new meaning. I’m not sure I had had the right focus to compete professionally before I experienced motherhood. I’m more focused now than I have ever been. I had a few triathlon-related accomplishments I needed to cross off the bucket list before having kids, and I was able to do both: Win the Donner Lake Triathlon after getting 2nd place three years in a row, and finishing Hawaii again.
Everyone has their own reasons for having or not having kids, and at what point in their life they want to. I respect that. I’m happy with mine and Chip’s decisions, we have no regrets. I’m also happy that my kids will be able to be a part of my career as a triathlete. The lessons and successes I’ve shared with them are important to me.
Competing at this level there are no easy races, and the competition is always incredibly fast. I’ve had some third and fourth place finishes and the first thing Luke and Emma say after the race is “Why didn’t you win?” Before I start throwing out names like Heather Jackson or Leanda Cave, I tell my children that I’ll work harder and do better next time. Those words become part of my work ethic. There are no excuses with the kids, so they are good motivators too.
CBJ: So, in 2012 you were still an amateur. In June you turned professional. Then you won your first Iron distance race as a professional just two months later. What was it like?
Liz Lyles: I’m asked this a lot. Things really took off and starting happening fast. Winning Ironman Wisconsin was the biggest athletic accomplishment of my life at that point. Not only was winning an Ironman race a big deal for me, but winning it in Wisconsin, on that course, with all those terrific spectators was incredible. Everything, including the farmlands, the finish line at the state capitol, the beautiful downtown, and the amazing crowd were all that American sports should be. I tell people that Madison is an incredible triathlon, Ironman, and sports town. Part of the run course goes through the University of Wisconsin football field. I find myself rooting for the Badgers now! I know I’ll return to Madison at some point. I love Madison, Wisconsin.
CBJ: How do you and Chip deal with the time commitment and sacrifice it requires to compete at the pro level in such a demanding sport?
Liz Lyles: This is another question I get asked a lot, because the training routine to be prepared for a nine plus hour race in three different disciplines is time consuming and intense, to say the least. But Chip and I believe one of the most valuable parts of our marriage is the support we provide for each of us to achieve our personal goals and dreams so we can both find fulfillment. We find fulfillment from what we do as individuals, what we do as a couple, and what we can help each other achieve. Our strong partnership and our Catholic faith form the foundation of our relationship.
This means we give a lot to each other. Some would call these sacrifices, and it often feels like that’s what they are. At the end of the day, it’s what commitment is all about. What we’re willing to give to each other. Right now the support Chip is giving my efforts to succeed in this arena is heroic. Of course, he says the same thing about me. But the point is, we’re in it together. Later, after this chapter in our life passes, we’ll be equally as committed to something else together. The pursuit for new adventures and accomplishment never ends.
CBJ: What do you hope Luke and Emma remember about their mom being a professional athlete?
Liz Lyles: I’ve been blessed with the gifts to be a triathlete. It would be a shame not to work hard, and utilize these gifts. Everyone has their own “thing” that makes them happy, and their own talent that they are good at. For me, my thing is swimming biking and running, so I push myself always to honor these gifts and achieve everything I can from them. If I have a message in this interview, it would be to get, or stay focused, have a goal, and put everything you have into maximizing your God-given talents. I hope to pass along this same advice to Luke and Emma, so they can be their best with the gifts they’ve been given.
Another thing I’d like Luke and Emma to remember is that Chip has helped me succeed, both as a mom and a triathlete. So I hope they learn about love, respect and the power of good relationships from the example Chip and I set so they can find the same kind of relationships when they grow up.
CBJ: Where from here? What are your current professional goals?
Liz Lyles: My two immediate goals are to win Ironman Lake Tahoe on September 22, and to make a good showing at the World Ironman Championship in Kona three weeks later. It would be a dream come true to win the very first Ironman Lake Tahoe here at home where I live and train. And there is no triathlon experience like Kona. It is a pretty big honor to have qualified in my first year as a professional—to be among the top 37 out of about 300 professional women in the world. I want to show respect for that and live up to that honor.
CBJ: You are kind of the “Lake Tahoe Triath-a-Mom”? What will it be like to race in your own backyard? Will you have an advantage?
Liz Lyles: There is no such thing as an easy Ironman. They are all tough. This course is downright brutal. Living here year round, I do have the advantage of being acclimated to the elevation, and climbing on my bike in the mountains. The lowest point of the 140 mile course is 6000’, and I think it goes up into the mid-7000s. The field I’ll be racing against is no joke though. Some of the very fastest ladies from all corners of the world will be out there going for it.
It’s pretty rare to have a branded IRONMAN event in your hometown, and there couldn’t be a better host than Squaw Valley to host the event. There is definitely some pressure racing at home, but I’m up for it. I’ve been training hard on the course, and I’m ready for game day.
CBJ: How does your Catholic Faith play into your career as a professional triathlete?
Liz Lyles: I pray before every event I compete in. I never pray to win, because everyone could pray to win, and that’s not something that is fair to ask for. I pray for a safe race, for myself, and my competitors… that no one gets hurt. I also pray for an honest race, and I pray that nothing out of my control happens, like a mechanical issue on the bike or something like that. I pray to be able to perform at my best, and achieve everything that I have put into preparing for a race. So far in the early stages of my career, things are going incredibly well and I’m thankful for that every day.
If I can ask for one favor from anyone who reads this interview, I’d like to ask everyone to say a prayer for Camilla Pederson. She is an incredible triathlete, she won Ironman Frankfurt in July. Just over a week ago she was involved in a really bad biking accident, and has been in a coma since. Incidents like this really keep things in perspective. Please say a prayer for Camilla.
Find out more about Liz by visiting her website: www.lizlyles.com
Live coverage of Ironman Lake Tahoe and the Hawaii Ironman World Championships will be broadcast at www.ironman.com on September 22 (Tahoe), and October 12 (Hawaii). NBC will broadcast the Hawaii Ironman later this year.
The Catholic Business Journal will follow Liz’s professional career with highlights and photos from Ironman Lake Tahoe, the Kona World Ironman Championship and other future events. Stay posted!
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(TO SEE THIS ARTICLE WITH PHOTOS, CLICK HERE)
Reno Gazette article, click here