Coach Kelsey

 Coach Kelsey fell in love with running as a young adult. As a teenager, she was never considered an athlete - opting for musical theater and choir over more athletic endeavors. PE was basically a living nightmare - dodging balls and dreading the mile run was never her idea of a good time. She only started exercising to keep her friend company as he ran and cross-trained for the school's tennis team, though she didn't own a piece of fitness clothing at the time. Instead, she went to the YMCA wearing denim Bermuda shorts and a pair of Converse trainers. As you can imagine, that ensemble didn't last long. When Coach Kelsey got to college, she used running as a way to take control. Her body was naturally slender in high school, but as she grew older she began to gain weight - growing hips and seeing fat in places she wasn't used to was very scary. All of this change made her uncomfortable and self-conscious, so she started using running as a way to force her body to look how she wanted. During this time, she enjoyed running because of how it made her look, not how it made her feel.It wasn't until after college that she actually fell in love with running. She was going through a post-graduation identity crisis, and on a whim, decided to run a half marathon. Training for that race over the next few months transformed her - long hours spent pounding the pavement pulled her out of the identity crisis and allowed her to explore her own thoughts, and beliefs, and focus on who she wanted to become. Finishing that first half marathon was symbolic - it showed her how strong she was, and gave her the confidence to bring that strength to other areas of her life. Since that first half marathon, she has run many more half marathons, 5ks, 10ks, and a couple of marathons.Since starting her journey as a runner, Coach Kelsey has also become a wife and mother. She loves helping others fall in love with running, just as she has. By day she is a product manager at a healthcare company. By night she coaches runners and facilitates MBA courses at SIUE. She's an RRCA-certified running coach and believes rest and cross-training are just as important as the time spent running. Coach Kelsey is excited to partner with you on your running journey, and can't wait to support you as you accomplish your running goals.