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October 1/2007
Hey Gang! I am home from camping in the snow and counting down days to Kona! Less than 2 weeks to race day and I’m looking forward to finishing the race and getting onto the holiday
So, what’s been happening in the world of Team Tri Life! So much, and I’m afraid I’ve been tardy on getting the news out. (I’m going to update the website updated soon. Who knew training and home renos would take so much time.)
So, a few congratulations need to be made…
This weekend a number of Team Tri Life athletes hit the start line at the Harvest Half Marathon in Calgary.
- Karen had an outstanding debut half marathon just a minute off her dream pace and another top 10 finish in her age group. She’s consistently done that this year, including running races and triathlons. Way to go!
- Susan Edmunds with a break thru race and half mary PR at the ripe age of 50+!! Way to go Sue! You’ve worked really hard and deserve this one!
- Trish who decided last minute not to do a marathon and instead wanted to run a fast half mary. Once again, at the ripe age of 50, she pr’d and was thrilled! (Most importantly she committed to the task of not walking when things got tough. This was a huge mental hurdle for Trish, and I was very proud of her!)
- Joanne finished her half marathon too, but not in the time we expected. We’ve analyzed the reasons for the finish time, and have come up with several causes to her high heart rate and slower than usual pace. I’m proud of her for sticking it out, and she’s decided she’s not content to be the back of the pack anymore. She even found some “grrrrr….” in this race to pass a few women in the last 2k. Good job Joanne!
- Caroline raced on Sunday too, and her goal was to have fun. She started the race with Trish which I love because it’s the team supporting the team, and achieved her goal of an enjoyable race and a smile at the finish line!
- Jenn also ran the race, not having the day she expected. Some tummy issues and possibly the 4 days back country hiking might have been a factor. It’s left her hungry for a strong finish at the Last Chance Half in November.
Gillian… an athlete most of you don’t know, just raced a half mary in St. John, where she PR’d her 5k, pr’d her 10k, and pr’d her half… narrowly missing that coveted sub 2 hour time! (11 seconds was how close it was.) Way to go Gillian! (Don’t forget about Caroline who raced at the Singapore 70.3 race in September too.)
Looking forward we have several runners heading to the start line this upcoming weekend. Nola and Roy are running the marathon and Richelle is running the half in Kelowna, and Kerry, Daniela and Brenda are running the full in Victoria. If you get a chance on Sunday to throw some positive Tri Life running vibes their way on Sunday morning I know they’d appreciate it!
Finally, I don’t think I’ve sent out a bigger than life congratulations to our Team Tri Life Ironman Canada finishers. Every one of them was successful, and every one of them has an amazing story to tell. Cynthia, Leslie, David, Hope, Rena, Janice, Susi, Michelle R., and Terry…. you got the job done. Some of you did it in the time you expected, some hit their “best case scenario” goal, and some were slower than they thought they’d be, but all of you hit the finish line… which I truly believe should be the number one goal of a first Ironman.
- Cynthia and her joy at passing those she believed were faster than her in the last 10k! She was so afraid she couldn’t do it, and she was amazing all day!
- Leslie… never faltering on her race plan. Holding pace and staying true to her needs on race day. She has been thru a lot in the last year with her husband Rob being ill. She was at his side whenever he needed her, and she still found a way to get the training in. He gave back that support 10 fold on Ironman day.
- David… steady Eddy… he was conservative and finished running a 4:30 km… yes… a 4:30 km. He felt amazing and didn’t have a low point all day. Look out for the next one though; he’s had his “safe” day… next time he’ll push that little bit harder!
- Hope… she found free speed where she never thought she’d get it… on the downhills! I made her go and practice descending in the week before the race. She got to the point where she could get down Richter without touching her brakes. She stayed positive all day, and got to the finish line. Unfortunately Ella was sleeping, but she’ll make the next finish… I’m sure of it!
- Janice… she battled thru stomach problems on the bike and start of the run to finish strong. My favorite story about Janice happened when she was running to the finish line; she was about 1k from her first IM finish… and my husband, Ken, was running with her. Janice didn’t say anything about the race except for “I should have listened more carefully about nutrition… I threw up… etc etc.” Ken told her to “be quiet” and “enjoy the last few minutes of your first Ironman”. She DID IT!!!! A classic Janice story!
- Rena… an amazing athlete who was so strong all day. Rena could not swim… I don’t mean could swim a little but not well, I mean could not swim. She could run… fast I might add… but swimming, well that was another story. She survived the swim, battled the wind on the bike, and ran a heck of a marathon to finish very close to her “dream” time. Way to go Rena!
- Michelle R… she had a rough year with family, and she struggled with nutrition in training so badly at times, I would have understood if she pulled the plug and called Ironman a day. The best thing is, she kept going, and made it to the finish as a newly engaged Ironman finisher, who is heading to the alter in just over a month. It was a tough day out there Michelle, but you stuck it out and got it done. No-one can take that away from you.
- Susi… Susi has gut issues that she’s been working thru for several years. In a half Ironman race, she made a choice to push thru the pain and set a PR, even though she was extremely uncomfortable. At Ironman Canada, she made the decision to back way off and not let the pain take control of her. She managed herself so she could get to the finish line… NO MATTER WHAT! It may not have been the finish she was expecting, but the fact she got to share most of her marathon with “Tigger” aka “Terry” gave her journey on Aug. 26th a more of a purpose than she realized it would have when the gun went off to start the swim that morning.
- Terry… this is Terry who is a cancer survivor, and against all odds completed an Ironman on about 3 months of training. The best thing is, she did it with a smile, and with Susi. The way the 2 of them describe it, when one got tired and down, the other would talk and lift spirits. This role changed frequently thru the marathon, and they reached the finish holding hands, arms in the air, making their Team Tri Life mates, their families, and the triathlon community very proud.
I know I have only touched on the stories, and the journeys, and the sacrifices of our athletes on the way to their first Ironman finish. I’ve done my best to touch on the highlights… the things that stand out to me about their training year, and their race day journey.
Thank you also to the Team Tri Life supporters on Ironman Day. Caroline, JoZ, and Kerry volunteered at the finish, and many others cheered us on throughout the day. Quite a few got in line to sign up on Monday morning for IMC 2008, and a few are on the 2 year plan for a 2009 IMC race.
For those of you continuing on with Team Tri Life, I’m excited about the next season and sharing many more stories and journeys around these crazy sports of triathlon and running that we love so much. For those of you who have moved on, I wish you the best of luck.
Also, welcome to our new Team Tri Life athletes, Pamela, Maureen, Christine, John, and Richelle. We also have Sarah and Kent (Hope’s husband) joining us in a month or so.
I hope you had a great weekend Team Tri Life! Thanks for reading!
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