Last December, Kenny was 127.85% of what he is today. That does not mean that he has gone down hill. He made a few changes in his exsistance, netting him 36.5 pounds of body weight loss. He is probably 150% sharper and happier than he was. Over the divorce, off the booze, (well at least cut back considerably!) and back on the hog and trails again.
Souza started back training, with a nudge from me, without a goal or focus. He was adiment that he was done with any competiveness and plans on running to stay healthy. Just as Axel Rose once said, “I used to do a little, but a little wouldn’t do it, so the little got more and more…I just keep trying to get a little better, said a little better than before…” he kept raising the bar. October, he was jogging 4 mi at a knee aching pace. After a while, I told him that 8:30mi is harder on my body than 6min pace. Call me when you get to 7:30!
Fortunatley, he took his first job with a fantastic company, Clif Bar. Working for Clif Bar is like working for Santa in Santa’s workshop! In place of Santa, it is Gary Erickson. There are countless employee benifits that this company provides, it is silly. The one I want to talk about is “the sabatical” After 7 years with the company, Clif gives the employee 3 months off, PAID. In addition to this, they allow you to take off an additional 3 months, unpaid! Needless to say, this came at an opportune time. Initially, I got Kenny out the door. After a month into his time away from Clif, I have had to put a tow rope onto the back of his bike. 168lbs down to 133… 3 pounds heavier than the good old days. Several 400-500 mi bike weeks along with just as many 40-50mi run weeks, the kid is back!!
How amped up is he? Not really. No pressure. He was planning on doing this event on his old QR with sub par equiptment. Thanks to DeSoto, Kuota, Fila, Slowman (he provided a light weight set of Reynolds) and others, Kenny is racing like a pro again! Although he used to get paid good dough from sponsors, he was happy as pigs in shit to get cutting edge products for free/loaner.
He will start his 8 Powerman Zofingen in about 8 hours. He won it 15 years ago. He raced this event every year until 1997, when he went to work for Clif Bar. Back then, I think the winner got $40k. Today the winner gets $10k. After aging and living a bit, Kenny is doing it for freedon and because “he can!” He does not have a wife, girl friend, or cat that gets pissed that he is training all day. The irony of the this story, is that his ex-wife, who hates triathletes and the sport, is getting re-married on the day he goes to battle in Zofingen! I guess both Kenny and the former Mrs. Souza will be celebrating tomorrow.
Kenny will be checking his email in the am before he heads off to the race. If are a Souza fan, send him an email wishing him well in his day of battle at Zofingen. I bet 100 Clif Bars that 100 emails from the slowtwitchers wishing him luck will put a smile on his face before he heads to the starting line.
email Kenny at: kennysouza@sprintpcs.com
Vote For SOUZA!