We promoted the daylights out of that forthcoming event featuring “The Gordon Vernick Trio.” I even committed to paying him a little more than other artists because he’d earned that with a career of evidence I could research online… it was a global notoriety, but with such an authentic flavor that I felt that energy; its that feeling I get when I know I’m making history. With every seat occupied, I introduced Gordon and his group. You could’ve closed your eyes from that point on, and you’d swear Miles Davis had been re-incarnated. Watch more of my interview with the phenomenal Gordon Vernick…
ROCKDALE’S MARATHON RUNNER
If you don’t already know your potential, then you should meet Kristi Lovelace. Not only does she juggle her job, friendships and marriage, but somewhere in there she trains weekly to compete in 8 triathlons throughout the year. She started running at age 39 and has since entered into over 82 races, 30-40 of them triathlons, clocking more than 1,818 miles/swimming, biking & running. After her most recent race in China, we sat down with Kristi Lovelace to learn more about her passion.
Watch the interview (click the link below) to learn how she juggles her passion and her life’s work. What motivates her? What are her greatest challenges? Meet another great individual from the Rockdale County area; an inspiring story to begin our year and to kick off our premier issue of The Rockdale Connector. It isn’t often that a person walks into a weight loss clinic and walks out with a brand new passion, but that’s exactly what happened to Kristi Lovelace.
MORE ABOUT OUR NEIGHBOR, KRISTI
A native of Pike County, Georgia, Kristi visited a Weight Watchers center in 2009 hoping to get help losing the 50 pounds she wanted to shed. In the midst of accomplishing that goal, she discovered something about herself—a love for the triathlon. “First they teach you about nutrition,” she said. “Then they tell you to do something you enjoyed as a child to help you get fit.” For Kristi, those childhood activities were biking and swimming. “I realized that if I combined those two things with just a little bit of running, I could do a triathlon.” That may sound like a huge feat, especially coming for someone who skipped an entire year of PE back in grade school, but at age 39, Kristi tackled it and fell in love. In August of 2009, she completed her first triathlon in Gainesville, Georgia. “The first race was just to see if I could do it.
I did better than I thought I would.” Five years later, Kristi says she’s lost count of how many actual triathlons she’s competed in, but according to her recording athlinks.com, she’s completed at least 82 races to date. About 40 of those races are triathlons, with an impressive 1818 total race miles, in the categories of swimming, running and biking. When asked about the biggest challenge of preparing for a competition and the keys to success, the seasoned lawyer and athlete replied, “Prayer and my faith are a crucial part. 
It requires patience and tenacity. Being consistent is key. It can get lonely and boring. You have to find time to train every day.” How exactly does one train daily for such a grueling competition? For a long course race, Kristi normally trains daily, with one day of rest a week. That training generally includes twenty miles of running, 100 miles of biking and a 2.4 mile swim