The Bold and the Beautiful actress offers some tips as she prepares for her first half-distance race. As Brooke Logan on CBS’s The Bold and the Beautiful, Kelly Lang knows how to set the stage for success—she was nominated last year for a Daytime Entertainment Emmy in the "Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series" category for playing the show’s heroine, a role she's been playing since 1987.
Lang hopes to shine in a new role: becoming a first-time IRONMAN 70.3 finisher in Oceanside this weekend. The race will be a step up from her previous racing endeavors (among them, the 2013 Malibu Triathlon, where she took first place in her age group and third place in the celebrity division—ahead of fitness guru Jillian Michaels), but Lang likes a challenge. And athletics run in her blood—she’s the daughter of 1952 Olympian Keith Wegeman, and her childhood was full of gymnastics, ice-skating, diving and equestrian competitions.
Lang's combined background in sports and acting gives her a great foundation for success at IRONMAN. She’s comfortable imagining and envisioning the world she needs to be in, a key skill when it comes to pushing limits. Here are a few of her tips on how she plans to A-list her race.
Stay motivated
As triathletes, we run the risk of burning out after years of slogging through the same swim, bike and run workouts. Lang is faced with a similar challenge as she approaches three decades of playing the same soap opera character. Taking a cue from her acting background, she feels confident she can stay motivated in multisport. "I’m very competitive, and I’m always challenging myself," she says. Setting her mind on doing a full IRONMAN event, and one day qualifying for the IRONMAN World Championship, gives her the motivation to train through a busy schedule. "Sometimes I’ll film for 12 hours a day, but I find myself putting in more and more mileage, pushing myself harder, faster and longer," she says.
Do it: Figure out what it takes to keep the spark alive in your training. Dream big, and then walk it back to the smaller goals that will get you there. For Lang, this included participating in a training camp to help prepare for Oceanside.
Play the part
There’s a saying in business, "dress for the role you want, not the role you have," that applies to triathlon. Lang likes to maintain a certain image in order to stay connected to her character. Luckily, her training does double duty in that department: it keeps her trim for the show and fit for racing (she’s also doing IRONMAN 70.3 Italy in June). "People say my legs have never looked better," she says. Embrace the lifestyle of a triathlete to help you connect you to your goals more meaningfully.
Do it: Wear the padded bike shorts to spin class. Be the guy that gets up from his desk to run in compression socks during lunch. Pull that fresh-out-of the-pool hair back in a ponytail and head to the office. Lang believes getting out of your comfort zone is key to finding success. "This sport pushes you to constantly be better and never give up. It makes you pay attention to your health and find better ways to stay sharp and in shape."
Rehearse your lines
Visualization is key to a successful race, and a skill that Lang uses daily as an actress. "You have to figure out what you want to achieve with each specific scene. What is the character’s objective? What is the tone? You make definite choices," she says. "I find myself going through a similar process for each discipline of triathlon."
Do it: Spend time imagining the emotion and intention that will unfold through each swim stroke in the water, every shift on the bike and every stride on the run. Recite your mantras and motivational phrases. On race day, execute your pre-planned vision—put on the show you’ve practiced time and again. Adds Lang, "To be a successful triathlete is to know and understand your body and what goes into training and nutrition so you are able to compete in the sport you love."
Lisa Dolbear is a three-time IRONMAN and USAT Level 1 coach. Visit her blog at trimojo.com.