Kristel Coronado began running triathlons two years ago on a whim, and now finds herself the female champion of the 2007 Michigan Multi-Sport Sprint Series.
Her rise to the top shouldn’t be particularly surprising, since her motto (as posted on her website http://home.comcast.net/~kcnado/race) reads: ‘If you can’t win, make the fellow ahead of you break the record.?
The 2000 Lake Orion High School graduate, who is pursuing a Master’s in Engineering and works as an engineer for General Motors, spent her free time this spring and summer touring the state and racing triathlons.
‘I race triathlons pretty much every weekend,? she said. ‘I’ve found a hobby that I love.?
Coronado calls herself ‘an avid amateur racer? and also runs marathons and adventure races.
In addition to competing in the occasional duathlon, she is currently training for an eight-hour adventure race, which will be held in Pinckney on Dec. 1.
Though Coronado will be in charge of navigating her two-member team, that race should be nothing given what she accomplished earlier this year.
In late May, Coronado completed a four-day expedition race in the Upper Peninsula, in which she spent about 100 hours racing and slept just three hours the entire time.
That race combined things like canoeing, mountain biking, and navigating through caves, among other things.
‘It was the hardest thing I’ve done,? she said. ‘I slept for 18 solid hours when I was finished, and I couldn’t run for a week because my feet were pretty blistered.?
Still, Coronado was back competing in a triathlon just two weeks later, though she said she is only now feeling fully recovered from that experience.
In the triathlon series, Coronado said the distances for each element (swim, bike and run) increase throughout the season. The last race, in late September, included a 1,000-meter swim, 18-mile bike and five-and-a-half mile run.
‘My bike and my run help me out a lot,? Coronado said of her strengths. ‘My 2008 goal is to improve my swim.?
That’s not the only thing she’s setting her sights on.
‘I do want the title again,? Coronado said, explaining that the runner-up in the series consistently finished ahead of her, but didn’t race enough to qualify for the overall title.
Coronado hopes she’ll be up to the challenge next year, adding that she wants to ‘put up a fair fight.?
‘We get along,? she said. It’s not like a rivalry, it’s just something to work towards.?
In all, Coronado said she couldn’t think of a better way to spend her weekends than visiting all that Michigan has to offer and camping in the great outdoors, with a race mixed in, too.
‘I’ve made some very good friends,? she said.
To follow all of Coronado’s racing adventures, visit her website, which includes a special race blog.