Pirate Girl’s Triathlon Adventures
We got around to the stupid things that long distance runners do; like run accross the desert on utility trails without water at noon on the 4th of July, or running through a national forest without a map, or phone, or gun. No matter the age, running distance is running distance. Behind the Hacienda there is a trail that leads down to a bicycle trail that runs along the deserted track of the gravel train used to build Hoover Dam. The trail takes off across the waste on a nicely paved bike trail; not one intended for runners. As we started to run, I noticed that I was running on non-responsive lumps of frozen flesh that used to be feet. Early December we had a business trip to Kauai, and on one of the days had enough time for a trail run. A few sections of the trail at the beginning were dry, so we decided to run those. My trail running shoes had been wet before. We start up the path, ready to run the 4 miles to the waterfall, observe it’s beauty, and run back. Sure, it’s beautiful, but the real thrill is getting there, alive, while following one of the best trail runners that you know.
Find your Fire Within
It’s been nearly 3 weeks since I raced my 8th Ironman up in the beautiful village of Mont Tremblant Quebec. A few years ago, after racing in Kona, I thought I was likely done with Ironman racing. Some time passed, I crept into a new age group, the boys asked why I wasn’t racing as much and told me they missed our fun trips, and I decided to go for it again. Mont Tremblant is one of my favorite race courses on the circuit. Sweat rates, caloric needs, and race weight are all very important. We got a summer’s worth of rain in 12 hours I think! Also, d.espite the ‘scare’ of a no- swim situation at the pre-race meeting – we were a 100% Go on Race day. I’ve learned lots of things over the years in my racing & one key thing for IM racing is if you feel good, eat! Take advantage of it and get some calories in. I wanted to check out where I stood within the race, and at the same time, not show my face. If you think you can head into a 140.6 mile race and not have some pain, you signed up for the wrong race. Back in 2011- I had what I had been calling, ‘the race of my life.
Are we too old to pursue dreams? The Iron Nun says NO!
Sister Madonna started competing in Ironman at the ripe age of 55, an age when many are considering retirement options and dreaming of playing multiple rounds of golf during the work week. I’ll never forget her comment at the prerace dinner at the 2012 Ironman World Championships when asked why she was still racing. As kids, we all had dreams and everyone encouraged us to pursue them. We should pursue our dreams even if we will never hit them. If there’s one thing I love about Ironman it’s that everyone has a story and you meet some of the most inspirational people in the world. At the age of 30, he became the first triple amputee to complete an Ironman and beat many full bodied athletes. He is a competitor at heart and you can see in his smile that he is pursuing his dreams daily. They’re out there every day beating the pavement, making their dreams come true. I can personally attest that my life has never been the same since I completed my first Ironman. I am more successful at work now than ever and feel the secrets of success have slowly been revealed the more I pursue my dreams.
Run, Walk, Crawl: How a Writer Trains for a Triathlon
Join us as we discover what draws authors to their various hobbies, how they fit into their daily lives, and how and they inform the author’s literary identity! On January 1st, 2011, when I was 41 years old, I had never run more than a few miles, didn’t own a road bike, and couldn’t swim a length front crawl. I’d played occasional squash and badminton, a bit of running, 4 or 5 miles on my mountain bike every few weeks. There followed five months of running and hill walking. The training went well, and the race itself was an education. Two months later I did an amazing mountain marathon in the Lake District, paced it well, and the race went a whole lot better. So I started learning how to swim properly, bought my first road bike, and entered my first triathlon. More races followed, and as with the running, my ambitions were always several steps ahead of my capabilities. Even before I’d race my first half-ironman, I’d signed up for the monstrous full distance. I’m never going to trouble a podium, my running’s slow, my swim style is not perfect, and my cycling is distinctly average.
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