Let’s Talk Kristin has set goals and worked extremely hard along with her husband William to accomplish many milestones in running, biking, and triathlons. In just four years, she has competed in 207 events including running races, bike races, and triathlons. For the events she has data on, she has placed in her age group 41 times, won her age group 61 times, and been the overall female winner 11 times. Together, she and William comprise Team Schmitz. Team Schmitz was born in February of 2008 after Kristin and William completed their first race together. It was the Lexington Race Against Hunger and that race remains their favorite local race to compete in because they can ride their bikes to the starting line at Saxe Gotha Presbyterian Church and it’s for a great cause. They finished their first race hand in hand and couldn’t wait to compete in their next race. Kristin did not grow up running or participating in any sports until 7th grade. She was on the swim team from 7th grade through her senior year in high school in Newark, New York. Doing dry land weights and running for conditioning was the part of practice she enjoyed the least back then. That has changed dramatically since her move to South Carolina in May of 2003. After graduating from Buffalo State College with a Bachelor of Science in Social Work, Kristin knew she was heading south for graduate school to escape the brutal winters in upstate New York. Kristin applied at 3 universities and fell in love with the University of South Carolina and the Midlands while visiting with her mom. She graduated from Buffalo State in mid-May of 2003 and moved in to an apartment and ready to start graduate school at USC by Memorial Day weekend of that same year. Kristin credits her move to South Carolina as being instrumental to her health and where she is now in life.
She also gives great credit to friends along the way after her move to Columbia that encouraged her to become proactive about her health and fitness goals. Four years of undergrad had added unwanted pounds to Kristin’s tall frame. A friend in graduate school invited Kristin to attend Weight Watchers where she learned about calorie intake and became more cognitive of the food she was eating. While Kristin’s height allows her to pull off a higher weight, she knew she was not as healthy as she could be and not fit by a long shot. That was all about to change because of friendships, accountability, and encouragement from others. The following year in 2004, Kristin began working out at Strom Thurmond Wellness Center with another friend who is a triathlete and marathoner. This is when Kristin found what she really enjoyed doing in the gym and the added weight from college began to fall off. After trying group exercise classes as well, Kristin became certified to teach and did so at Health Directions from 2006-2011. She enjoyed the energy and commitment from group participation and realized teaching would be a great way to give back and influence others as instructors had done for her. Kristin and William’s love affair with running began after Kristin received an email from BlueCross BlueShield about their employee running club. She had started working for BCBS in December of 2007 and received the email in January of 2008. The Lexington Race Against Hunger followed in February and Team Schmitz has not slowed down since. That first race together and the decision to join the BCBS Running Club has completely changed their lives. When their wedding day came along on July 17, 2008, Kristin included in her own written vows to William…“couples who run together, have fun together!”
Kristin’s relationship with running was not love at first sight. She well remembers the first time she ran 2.5 miles without stopping at Riverfront Park to get ready for her first 5K. She kept telling her friend
Having participated in a handful of the same races with Team Schmitz, I can attest to the fact that they inspire daily. They are always at the finish line cheering everyone on. While they are accomplished runners, they remain extremely humble and willing to help others. They are always available to chat and answer training questions and an added bonus is that William is a meteorologist with the South East Regional Climate Center at UNCChapel Hill. He always has the scoop on the weather for local events.
They are always at the finish line cheering everyone on. that she could not do it. She quickly learned that to run further she had to slow her pace. Once she learned how to run correctly and pace herself to run further distances, she fell in love with running and the benefits that come with it. One of the benefits of running is the sense of empowerment Kristin feels when she puts her shoes on to run. She says it is the best part of running and she prays to never lose the desire and ability to run. “I love the energy I feel from running. I love seeing parts of new cities and our hometown that I get to see by running. It is a different perspective seeing sights from a run and I also see things differently in my life while thinking about them while I run. I often remind myself that there is no problem I cannot solve while running, however, sometimes I might have to run longer to solve it.” In 2011 and in 2012, Kristin and William applied for and were accepted into the Brooks ID program. This program stands for Inspire Daily through running. It is made up of a group of runners all over the country who love to inspire and help people in the community. The group is made up of all different ages, speeds and experiences, but all have the same passion to inspire people daily through running to accomplish the goals they have set.
Both Kristin and William volunteer for local organizations because it is important to them to give back to their community. In addition to the annual JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes, they volunteer for Girls on the Run, the Body Shop of Lexington Kid’s Triathlon, the Columbia Marathon, and the Harbison 50K Trail Run. They feel that all of these events are great ways to expose others to walking, running, biking, and swimming in the Midlands. They want to encourage others of all ages to set obtainable goals and experience the empowerment that comes with reaching the goals. Kristin wants others to know that it is possible to qualify and compete in the Boston Marathon and to mentally prepare for events like Escape from Alcatraz . She considers herself blessed to have been able to complete both in 2012. Both are events she will never forget and she is quick to acknowledge the support and influence of mentor Jeff Brandenburg, the Strictly Running training groups she has been a part of and her buddies in the BCBS Running Club. To read more about Team Schmitz and to be inspired by their dedication to setting yearly goals for themselves, subscribe to their blog – http://teamschmitz.blogspot.com. www.lexingtonwomanonline.com
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