Athlete of the Month: May 2015
Nikki Kuehl
Nickname: Nikki Kool
Member Since: November 2011
Her name fits her persona! Kuehl is most definitely a "cool" individual that Windy City is proud to call one of our own. Nikki has been able to channel her passion for running into an outlet that has not only allowed her to travel the world, but also as a means to change it through her dedication to fundraising and charity. She has found an amazing and inspiring way to express herself through her running and is someone who is an example of our mission at Windy City, to “Be the person you are meant to be."
“Life is for participating, not for spectating.” ― Kathrine Switzer, first woman to run the Boston Marathon
Nikki: After my recent trip to Japan for the Tokyo Marathon, it finally occurred to me; If I really put my mind to it and really train, I can qualify for Boston. Not tomorrow and maybe not in a year, but I have now taken that on as my goal that I hope to achieve in 3 years. I have a long way to go, but I am counting on Windy City to help me get there. My training prior to Windy City was pretty standard. I focused solely on running, and threw in a couple days a week of boot camp. Since I started at Windy City, I have started focusing more on strength, and have definitely noticed a change in my body and my performance. Now I am ready to take it to the next level!
Recent Adventures
I run about 1,000 miles, 3 marathons, and countless other shorter races every year. It has been a decade since I started running and most of the travels and adventures I have had since then is BECAUSE I run. I started running because my metabolism slowed down (as it does when you get older), but I continue to run because of how much more I get out of life.
I have run through the hills of Napa Valley, through the foggy night in the Blue Ridge Mountains, along Turnagain Arm in Anchorage, Alaska, over sandy dunes in Indiana, on cliff-lined coasts of Ireland, among the graves in Rosehill Cemetery at night, along the shores of Lake Zurich in Switzerland, and through spectator-lined streets in New York City and Tokyo. I even ran the original route of the first marathon in Greece and have a better understanding of why the guy died at the end. I have run races in half of the states, five countries and on three continents. And I have raised tens of thousands of dollars for The Arthritis Foundation, an organization very near and dear to my heart.
I have done all of this because ten years ago I put on a cheap pair of gym shoes from Walmart instead of getting out my car keys. Putting on those sneakers for their true purpose for the first time…THAT is what I am most proud of. After 32 years of never doing anything remotely athletic, I changed my entire life and now at 42 years old I am in the best shape of my life and having the best time of my life.
Future Adventures
The benefits of my new found strength and endurance is that I’ve started experiencing other adventures. I did a couple of week-long backpacking trips in Yosemite and Olympic National Park, and I did some canyoneering in Zion. I also completed a triathlon that substituted canoeing for the swimming.
My next adventure will be a 150-mile bike ride through Wisconsin this summer to raise money and awareness for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society. And of course I will sprinkle in a couple marathons and half marathons between now and then. I will be doing the Denver marathon (yes, at altitude) next month. In July, I will be doing a trail half marathon involving climbing cliffs and running on beaches on Grand Island in the UP, and next year my big trip will be Le Marathon de Chateau du Medoc through the Bordeaux Region of France.
People ask me what my bucket list of races is, but I don’t really have one. When something strikes my fancy I just go for it. The only real bucket list item I have is to carry the Olympic Torch. Who knows? Dream big, right? I don’t know where this will take me or what I will do next, but what I do know is that I am embracing life!
Personal Goals
At the gym / Athletics: I go to the gym to supplement my running. Cross-training and core strength are so important to distance runners. My goal is to not just stay injury free, but to improve my running performance.
Professionally: I’m an Asset Manager for a Commercial Real Estate Investment Trust. Until recently, my goal was to climb the corporate ladder, but I could not envision where I would end up when I got to the top or even where the top would be for me. I finally realized that I really enjoy what I am doing right now, and I have no desire to proceed up the ladder much further. Instead, I just want to use my experience to improve my portfolio, my company, the environment in my workplace and be a mentor. We spend so much of our time in our careers and in our offices that we really need to enjoy it. I make an effort to improve processes and communication, as well as take the time to laugh with my colleagues and plan teambuilding and engaging events during and after work hours so that the time we have to spend together can be more than just tolerable, but really gratifying.
Personal: I just want to live a positive life and experience every moment to its fullest extent. I do my best to not worry what other people think or say about me, and just live my life in a way that makes me happy. I usually find that what makes me happy is making others happy. Not pleasing others, but going out of my way to be kind and generous. Sometimes that means letting a friend live in my guest room until they get back on their feet and sometimes it just means stopping my run long enough to move a stick from the running path.
Words to live by:
What other people think of you is none of your business.