Member Spotlight on Becky Kiesel

By Lou Slaces, running reporter.

      I had just finished enjoying the blessed spray from the fire truck midway through that summer scorcher they call the Lauffenfest 5k this year when a diminutive lady went speeding past me leaving me in the dust.  Of course I recognized her as Becky Kiesel.  Now being passed in Haubstadt by a Kiesel is not all that unusual.  There are so darn many of those Kiesels there that you can hardly walk a block without one of them going by you. But I have to admit that my feelings were hurt a little by how quickly she went past me and out of sight.  At least my feelings weren't quite as hurt when I talked with her afterwards about the fact that she started running in high school in the 100-220-440 and 80 yard hurdles, so obviously she has some speed.  At least she claimed to have speed but when I asked a number of old Haubstadt High guys whether Becky was a fast women, they all said no.  So maybe she has just gotten to be a faster runner as she has matured.

      Becky said she stopped running after high school for a while when she had kids, but that after they were a little older she got back into running and has been at it ever since.  Her kids, Chet,(age 26) and Dixxie (age 27) are in the Evansville and Bloomington areas respectively.  By the way, Dixxie must have grown up fairly tough since she ended up a lady rugby player at Indiana University, but I am having a hard time attributing those rugby traits to Becky's genes.   Her husband rides motorcycles, tho apparently not all that well, as he has been in the hospital with a motorcycle induced broken kneecap for the better part of this summer. Becky works at Bristol-Myers, but Old Lou has never found out exactly what she does over there.

      Becky is the workhorse of our club, being on the board, taking care of membership, helping with the summer track meets and always being there to set up, take down and do whatever is necessary.  If there is a list of people the club can't get along with out, she is way up on that list.

      I asked her what the secret was to her long tenure as a runner and she said the key was not worrying about time.  Starting and finishing is what is important to her, and if on a run she needs to take a break she does so.  And if her training wears her down a bit, she'll take a short break there, too. She keeps on going because she likes the good feeling of fitness.  She has continued on running through a couple of bouts of real tough times, including the fact that she wears pink at the Susan Kommen race each year.  The girl has got a whole lot of "hang tough" in her.  You will see her at her favorite race, the Evansville Mini-Marathon this fall. I asked her for a tip as to how to run faster on those occasions she wants to do well.  She said she is able to say to herself "my kids are in trouble and need help" and that mental thought causes her to run faster.  Old Lou tried that tactic in a recent run, but thinking that Becky's kids might be in trouble didn't make me run one bit faster.  So I guess  I'm going to have to check that with her again on how I might fine tune that thought.

      So the next time you see a giant red Cadillac driven by a small girl go by, wave to Becky.  She's probably on her way to a club function somewhere, and you should try to tag along, if you can keep up!  See you on the roads, soon.

Lou