Desiree Ficker, Austin’s most decorated professional triathlete, said on Friday that she is giving up the triathlon to concentrate on her running career.

Ficker, who turns 35 today, began competing in the triathlon in 1999 after graduating from the University of Alabama where she ran track and cross-country. In her first year as a triathlete, she qualified for the Hawaii Ironman World Champs and finished second in her age group.

Although DesFick would go on to win numerous triathlons around the world, her greatest success came in the 2006 Hawaii Ironman where she shocked the tri world by placing second to Michellie Jones. But Ficker never attained those heights again at Kona.

Always a strong runner, Ficker qualified for the 2008 US Olympic Marathon Trials by running 2:40:28 at the ’07 Austin Marathon in only her second open marathon, just three weeks after PR’ed in the 3M Half in 1:14:07. But in Boston at the Olympic Trials, she finished a disappointing 79th in 2:48:11.

Ficker’s greatest open marathon came in 2009 at New York City where she ran 2:39:30 and was the second American woman in the race.

That race and a growing disenchantment with the hard training for the triathlon (and the toll it has taken on her) has led to this decision to quit the triathlon.

“My first love has always been running,” said Ficker who in 2001 was named the top rookie triathlete of the year. “I began running at a very young age and I really want to see how fast I can get if I gave it my full attention. And I simply couldn’t do that if I was still training for the triathlon.”

Ficker, who did not have a qualifying time for the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials in Houston, gave it one final shot last weekend at the California International Marathon in Sacramento. But she had been bothered with a calf strain going into the race and that injury worsened, forcing her to drop out.

Without the Olympic Trials on the horizon, Ficker said if she recovers quickly enough from the calf injury, she’ll run the Houston Marathon on January 15th.

“I’m excited by this,” said Ficker. “I know I can become a better runner. We’ll see just have to see how much better.”