Never Too Old: Margaret Bomberg

For the last 30 of her 72 years, Margaret Bomberg—who has five children and six grandchildren—has been a lawyer. For the past nine years, the local family-law attorney has also been a triathlete (she didn’t take up the sport of running until she was in her 50s). Bomberg belongs to the Chico Women’s Triathlon Club (www.womenstriclub.com); she was one of a group of 12 club members who made up part of the U. S. team at the 2009 ITU Triathlon World Championships in September. Bomberg came home from that event—held this year on the Gold Coast of Australia—with a medal for placing first out of six in the 70-74 age group in a sprint-distance triathlon (750-meter swim, 20k bike ride and a 5k run). She will compete at the 2010 ITU Triathlon World Championships next September in Budapest, Hungary.

What made you become a triathlete?

I didn’t do a triathlon until I was 63. And then I only did because I thought it would be fun to do and I thought I’d lose weight. I wasn’t going to do any competitions, but then I thought, “Why not?”
How many triathlons have you competed in?

Something around 50. … I’ve also done a half-ironman [1.9k swim, 90k bike ride, 21.1k run]—Barb’s Race in Sonoma County.
What do you do for exercise on a regular basis?

I swim three times a week. I don’t bike outside in the winter. I do a spinning class, not a stationary bike—I don’t do anything unless I’m encouraged by a group. And I run with different groups, including the Fleet Feet running group.

What’s the craziest thing that’s ever happened during a race?

When we have supporters who come to a race—some supporters came to Australia with us—you’re sort of distracted and you recognize those voices and wave to them. I sort of have to remember not to turn and wave to them, to just tend to business.

In 2007 when we were [at the ITU Triathlon World Championships] in Hamburg [Germany], they were taking pictures of the teams from different countries. The Australian team came up behind us and put a kangaroo behind us in the picture. This year, we held the American flag behind them in their picture. We thought that was turnabout [smiles].

So, why do you do triathlons?

I do it because it’s so much fun.

Some people think it’s grueling.

Oh no, it’s not.


Click here to read the complete article.

Marauding marine mammal chews up triathlete

Forget about bears and cougars — animal attacks just keep getting odd-er.

A 49-year-old triathlete in this mountain town about 275 km west of Calgary was training in an area lake for an upcoming Ironman competition when he had the surprise of his life — an angry otter viciously attacking his leg about a dozen times.

“I was scared,” said Sanford Schmid of the unusual Aug. 22 incident in Lake Lillian, about 5 km from Invermere.

“At the time I didn’t know what it was hitting me and the fact I was out there in the water, helpless, while it was attacking me – it was freaky!”

Decked out in black wetsuits, goggles and black swim caps, Schmid and wife Mary-Janne had just begun swimming a 1,500-metre lap when the furry attack from the depths happened.

Schmid was facedown in the water about 250 metres from shore, when he felt something hit his foot.

“It was like a thud,” he said.

“It just felt like someone was pulling on my foot, like something was going to grab me.”

Thinking he had accidentally kicked a floating log, Sanford continued swimming. Then to his surprise, he felt another thud and turned over on his back to see what was hitting him.

“I saw something come towards me in the water and I started kicking hard,” he said. “I didn’t want whatever it was to bite me. I thought ‘the more I can move around, the less chance of it grabbing me.’”

Panicked, Schmid headed for a small wooden dock 25 metres away. He began to kick harder, but the otter continued its attacks...

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Hope

In January, I wrote an article that appeared in Triathlete Magazine about my friend Robert Lindenau. I got to know Robert when he volunteered to help with my non-profit organization Project Active, distributing soccer balls and athletic shoes to kids in Iraq. We remained friends for years, until he was killed by a rocket-propelled grenade last October. Below you'll find the original article, an amazing certificate I received, (double click on the article to enlarge it) and a touching and beautiful message from Robert's wife, Tonya. Her letter brought tears back to my eyes. The love and inspiring words that have come from this terrible situation reminds us that we must do everything we can to spread hope around the world. Hope for peace, hope for compassion and hope for the children.

Double click article or photos below for clear image.

You Know You're A Triathlete When - from the Facebook Group!

When asked, "How old you are you?" you answer, "20-24."

When asked how long your training was today you answer, "Three to four hours."

Your training is more limited by your available time than how far you can run.

Your first thought when you wake up is how high your resting heart rate is.

You go for a run event though there's a thunderstorm outside, and then you take satisfaction in being wet and dirty.

You think it's natural to do your "business" behind a tree in the woods.

You take part in the corporate challenge to improve your base speed.

You go for a 5 km cool down run after a 5 km race just so that you can call it a training session.

You consider work regeneration time between training sessions.

That something hard between your legs is usually a pull buoy.

You always have a water bottle in hand when driving your car.

You've forgotten how to drink out of cups.

You spend your 2 weeks annual vacation at a training camp.

You know inside out how much protein each energy bar has.

You seriously consider applying for citizenship in Tonga, Jemen or Tschad so that you can participate in the Olympic games.

When people praise you for being able to run 15 miles you feel insulted.

In the summer your legs are smoother than your girlfriend's.

In the winter your legs are still smoother than your girlfriend’s

You need a picture for a job application and you only have race pictures.

You use running T-shirts to clean your bike.

That charming "cologne" you wear to work is chlorine.

You take more showers in a locker room than at home.

6:30 am is sleeping in.

The dog runs and hides when you get the leash.

You think there are only two seasons during the year, racing and off.

You shave way too many body parts for a guy.

You can't change the oil in your car but you can completely rebuild your bike in 45 minutes.

You spend more money on training and racing clothes then work clothes.

You spend 7 days going to 8 stores in 4 towns before buying a pair of running shoes but you take 1 afternoon to go to 1 car dealership and walk out with a new car 4 hours later.

When you see some lady watering her flowers and ask her if you can borrow the hose for a minute so you can fill up your water bottles.

You clean your bike more often than your car.

You've been stung be a wasp or bee in your mouth but carried on running or cycling because "your split times won’t go down by themselves."

Your car smells like a locker room.

You have everything needed in your car to be swimming, biking or running with 5 minutes notice.

When asked to mow the lawn in 90 degree heat, you say that its too hot to do that (and you mean it) and then an hour later you go on a century ride because its so nice out.

You tell your co-workers that you are going to "do a long brick" on Saturday and just expect that they know what you are talking about.

When a co-worker asks if you are racing this weekend, you say "Yeah, but I'm just running a 10k, so that is not REALLY a race".

You consider you bike saddle your "couch."

You consider Clif Bars as one of the four food groups.

You are sick to your stomach at 2:00 in the morning and check the back of the Pepto Bismol bottle for caloric content and grams of carbohydrates, fat and protein.

You have plenty of water bottles, safety pins, and t-shirts.

You like going swimming the day after a race with the permanent penned number still visible on your legs and arms because it feels like a medal.

You have trouble keeping lunch under 2000 calories.

You usually wake up at 4:00 in the morning but do not get to work until way after 9:00.

you have a £4000 bike strapped on top of your £2000 car.

you have no trouble pushing a day's caloric intake to over 8000 calories.

You're always wet! Either sweat, pool water, sea water, shower water, bath water or its pouring down rain outside!

Instead of Marie Claire, People and Cosmo, you have piles of Runner's World in your bathroom.

Your car has at least one Power Bar wrapper and two sets of work out clothes!

Your kids' idea of playing is a bike and run race followed by power bars, water bottles and an awards ceremony.

You leave your apartment or house in the morning with your swim bag on one arm, bike on one shoulder, a change of clothes in another bag, and your running stuff in another bag in case you can get away at lunch for a workout.

You wave at other cyclists, because all triathletes are friendly and if they are not, they are probably purist cyclists trying to get into triathlons and they do not know that triathletes are friendly.

You have not one, not two, but three permanent chain ring scars on your right calf.

You are walking along a street and you signal left.

You can't decide what tee shirt to wear to your next race.

You have far more pairs of shoes in your closet than your non-tri wife does in hers.

The one "suit" you own has "Orca" written on the chest.

You wear your heart rate monitor during sex... and you keep within the right HR zone.

You hear T2 and don't think of the film.

When "foreplay" is 15 minutes on a turbo trainer.

Your living room has the "swim pile" and the "bike pile" and the "run pile" and the "weight room pile" and you pick and choose kind of like you're at a cafeteria on your way out the door.

Your kitchen cupboards are organized into "protein," "carbs" and "etc."

You bring bottled water to a party so that you're properly hydrated for the next morning's long run. Everyone else at the party also brought their own bottled water because you don't have a social life outside of triathlon. Oh yeah, and they all showed up by 7pm and left by 10pm.

Your company announces mandatory unpaid shutdown days - every other Friday through the summer - in order to cut costs and stay in business, and your response is "Great - now I can do two long workouts on the weekends and still have an easy day."

Your 8 year old comes home with the school record for the mile and says that he took it out in a nice pace he could hold.....everyone else died.

You fill your kids' water bottles with Cytomax instead of blue Gatorade.

You can ask your mom, your sister and all your girlfriends for shaving advice...no wait, they ask you for advice!

You say that you went to a race last weekend, somebody responds "Running or biking?" and you are again forced to explain....

You wear your bathing suit under your work clothes to make a fast transition from work to swim on your lunch hour.

You show up at the neighborhood pool on your bike in a Speedo and embarrass your teenage daughters.

Your idea of fast food is a power bar and SIS Go.

Somebody hands you a cup of water and you have to restrain yourself from pouring it on your head.

You catch yourself about to blow a snot rocket while walking around the office.

You forget that talking about daily LSD [Long Slow Distance] and speed weirds some people out.

You have no FRIGGIN idea what to do with yourself on your off day.

You feel like you took the day off because all you did was swim 3000 meters then go for a short run.

At any given moment you know exactly where your heart rate monitor and your swim googles are, but cannot remember where you left you car keys. (Turns out 90% of the time they are in your bike bag.)

Ice baths!

When non-racer friends tell you they ran/rode you automatically calculate their pace to see if you're still in better shape.

Cars pass you on the road when you're driving and you either drop back to get out of draft zone or speed up to attack!

You have no trouble converting mph into kmph.

You've stopped buying high heels because your feet are too swollen from long runs to fit in them anyways.

While your less athletically-inclined girlfriends are gorging themselves on plates of lettuce, you're occupying yourself with a plate of pasta and chicken (white meat, of course.)

Having a period has become less of a nuisance since menstrual cramps don't feel that bad when you're hunched over a bike.

You've stopped wearing dangly earrings because they just get in the way when you're ripping off your clothes to squeeze "just one more" workout into your already cramped schedule.

Your girlfriends are insanely jealous of your tan legs. Until they realize that the tan stops at your bike shorts.

You've given up trying to go on training runs/rides with your boyfriends because they don't take it too well when you kick their butts.

Your best girl friend gets a new bike and tells you that it's a really pretty shade of blue. You get a new bike and can tell her the chain ring ratios.

When checking out guys on the street/at the mall your friends notice eyes, hair, build. You notice if they have shaved legs, if they have runners/bikers legs, and if they're wearing a race t-shirt.

Don't forget to add your own "You Know You're A Triathlete When" in the comments section below!

With great thanks to the Facebook group, "You Know You're a Triathlete When" where I found this list - join by clicking here.

Geneticist Deon Venter Finds "Triathlon Gene"

Five years ago, Deon Venter was an expert in diseases, not sports. As chief pathologist for the Melbourne-based company Genetic Technologies, he focused on genetic links to breast cancer and epilepsy. But something happened to change all that.

In 2003 a group of researchers analyzed a single gene among 429 Australian athletes and found that sprinters and other power performers were far likelier to have a version of the gene that produced high levels of a protein used to help muscles generate force at high speed. Elite athletes in endurance events like long-distance running were more likely to have a version that left them deficient in the protein.

Venter, 51 and a triathlete, took the gene test immediately. "Questions I'd mulled over for years were answered, quite literally, in about a minute," he says...

Click here for the complete article.

60 Seconds With Britain's Fittest Woman

60 seconds caught up with Britain's double-Ironman Triathlon World Champion Chrissie Wellington, and wasn't surprised to find out she's not got much time for darts players.

You won your first Ironman Triathlon World Championship in Hawaii(a gruelling 2.4-mile swim followed by a 112-mile cycle ride before running a marathon to the finish line) in 2007, less than a year after turning pro. How much of a surprise was that?

I didn't even envisage doing an Ironman, I didn't even really know what it was as a discipline, or understand the significance of Hawaii. I turned pro with the idea of becoming an Olympic triathlete (demanding a paltry 0.93-mile swim, 24.85-mile bike ride and 6.21-mile run).
Which part of the course do you find the most difficult?

The opening swim is always a bit frantic. It's like a Friday-night pub brawl. There are fists and legs and body parts flying around - it would probably be quite enjoyable if it wasn't at 6.45 in the morning.

To read the complete article click here.

Triathlete Pushes Exercise for Cancer Patients

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- There weren't many days during Sarah Breier's eight-month treatment 5 1/2 years ago for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma when she did not exercise.

Breier would haul herself out of bed in the morning, trudge outdoors and run three miles. Evenings she headed off to the pool for two kilometers of lap swimming. For this world-class triathlete, it wasn't always pleasant, but she credits this regimen with helping to save her life.

"It's made me stronger. Getting through cancer was harder than any triathlon I've ever done," she said. "You just realize how fragile you are, and you realize how capable you are of fighting something. It toughens you up mentally and physically."

Click here to read the complete article.

Lou Rabinowitz's "Big Fish" Story

Lou Rabinowitz describes his first experience with Triathlon on the Triathlete Magazine LinkedIN group posts. Here is his account of that first scary and exciting experience.

"My first tri was in the early 80s. The swim was an open-water event. Coincidentally, there was a bass fishing tournament on the lake the morning of the triathlon, and the tri promoters recruited the fishermen to act as "first responders" in the event a swimmer got into trouble.

The tri started in typical fashion with lots of churning water. As a first-timer I was overwhelmed and took in a lot of water. I was able to swim about 100 yards to a marker buoy. I grabbed the buoy and held on, wondering if I'd be able to continue. Suddenly I became aware of bass fishermen converging to the buoy--the navy to the rescue! Then and there I determined that I couldn't live down the embarrassment (headline in the next day newspaper: "Triathlete Rescued by Bass Fishermen"), and was able to complete the race." - Lou Rabinowitz

Kind Words From a Fellow Ironman

It's wonderful to hear feedback about Starting Lines, especially when the feedback is this kind and inspiring! Thanks a lot, Erika, and keep training smart. I'm on a bunch of social networks and would love to connect with triathletes around the world, to add me just click here to check out what social networks I'm using and send me a friend request.
-Mitch

---------------
"Dear Mitch,

You don't know me as more than a "Facebook friend" but I just picked up the January 2009 issue of Triathlete Magazine. Each month I look forward to reading your Starting Lines contribution. You write very eloquently, especially when it is regarding a topic close to so many peoples' hearts, the Ironman. I too have experienced the IM from all angles (participant, spectator, and volunteer) and it is an experience like no other! Your description of your "rooftop Ironman" made me smile - you definitely have an out-of-the-box way of thinking! Love it! Keep up the great work!

All the best,
Erika F.

P.S. Kudos on being able to race and film simultaneously! Had I tried that, it would have most likely had a finale in the ER!"

Check Out This Great Triathlon Blog

My friend Jenifer, an amazing triathlete, has started a blog that chronicles her athletic adventures. Read and get inspired!

"Jenifer you are an Ironman!" Never Gets Old

Hello my name is Jenifer, and I'm an Ironman. Here is my story.

I got down to Panama City Beach (PCB) 4 days before the event and met up w/ my training partner Roger. That day we did a 15min swim, 1hr bike and 30min run to help loosen up our legs from traveling and just to keep us in the flow of things. On Thursday I went to packet pick up and got everything smoothly. Had to weigh in and was 9lbs under my ideal race weight, but I blame that on over-training and being around my mom (stress). I love you mom! My parents finally got into town that afternoon and we checked into our condo which had an awesome view of the beach and ocean. On Friday we did a 15min swim, 20min bike and 15min run to keep fresh. And then went and ate pancakes that a local church was serving everybody. Thank you to all the volunteers, you were awesome. Friday night we had dinner at Mark's condo w/ every body's family: Mark, Curt, Roger and myself and all of our family that came to watch us race.

RACE DAY

4:30am alarm goes off and I call Roger to make sure he was up. Take a shower and get all my gear together that I needed to take to the race w/ me that morning especially the special needs bags. I was so nervous I had to force myself to eat breakfast because I knew it was going to be a really long day. I was more so scared I was going to throw it up I walk down to the race site and drop off my special needs bags. The go to my bike and put my water bottles on it, get body marked, then go put on sun screen. I waited for the line to go down before having air put in my tires. Put on the wetsuit and head down to the beach. I can't find anybody from Tupelo Multisport (TMS) so I go out in the water to loosen up my arms a little and make sure my swim cap and goggles are on right. I walk around the coral and finally see Roger so we talk a bit and see my parents and take some pre race pictures. We get smart and go to the left side/ inside of the swim cause it looks like most people are out to the right side of the swim.

SWIM

7am the gun goes off and we start walking towards the water. I am overwhelmed by it so I tell Roger good luck and I'm waiting a bit before I go. So now I'm in the water w/ 2200 of my closest friends starting to do a 2.4mile swim. It was the most chaotic thing I have ever done before. About 5min into the swim I start to freak out, so I roll over on my back to regain my composure, and all I see behind me is a couple hundred more people coming at me. So I decide to just keep going. I talk myself into relaxing and finding open water. Once you got to the first turn around buoy everybody stopped swimming cause it bottle necked up to get around it, but it was like the force just pushed you around the buoy and then once around you started back swimming again. Make it to the 2nd turn around and all is well, start swimming in and I'm feeling good and strong and looking to the right you could see this beautiful sunrise coming up, which was great until lap 2 because then it was in my eyes! Then WHAM. I got slammed by a foot or elbow to my mouth. I knew at that moment it was a blow and a hard one, and the blood was rushing into my mouth. I come out of the water spitting blood and still dazed as I the hear the crowd just cheering everybody on. I grab a cup of water to rinse out my mouth and start walking back into the water to do it all over again. The second lap was a lot smoother for me but still had to fight off some people. My mouth still bleeding as I'm wondering should stop? No! I kept going...

To continue reading, see Jen's complete blog here.

Australian Triathlete Killed in Shark Attack

Yesterday, a small group of friends and family mourned the death of triathlete Brian Guest in small ceremony at Port Kennedy, Australia. At 7:00 AM, two days after Christmas, Guest was in the water with his son when what was presumed to be a great white shark attacked and killed him. Witnesses reported seeing a fin and blood in the water. Guest's body has not yet been found.

Minutes before the service began, a shark was spotted just feet away from the sight of the tragedy. A sea rescue boat searched the area and swimmers left the water. Water Police in the area reported another shark sighting close to Port Kennedy beach yesterday morning. According to the Department of Fisheries, sharks have been sighted in the area because they are currently feeding on schools of spawning snapper.

After the memorial service, Guest's three children, Danie, 24, Amy, 21 and Tom, 18 dove into the water and swam to the diving flag where their father was last seen. Amy described Guest as "a man of the sea," saying, "We are just glad he went on the ocean. It was his passion."

Guest taught his children to respect the shark population, and was an adamant that the creatures should be left alone. Like Guest, triathletes must realize that we share the water with an animal that can sometimes prove to be dangerous and unpredictable. For tips from National Geographic on avoiding a shark attack, click here. Most shark attacks happen at dawn and dusk, including the attack in Solana Beach last year. Be sure to read the rest of the tips on avoiding an attack.

A Triathlete at the TED Conference 2009...

For three years, I've been submitting and re-submitting an application to attend TED's annual conference. A few days ago, I found out that my application has finally been approved, and in February, it will be an honor to hear the brightest minds in the world share their ideas.

For those of you who aren't familiar with the organization, TED stands for Techonology, Entertainment, Design. It brings together the world's most fascinating thinkers and doers and challenges them to give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes or less. TED talks have covered everything from evolution to the internet to the science of happiness. Past speakers have included Jane Goodall, Al Gore, and Brian Greene.

I've been a follower and advocate of TED for many years now, and I couldn't be more excited for the opportunity to hear live what the Einsteins of our generation have to say about the world and its future. But you don't have to apply for and travel to the conferences to hear what they have to say. TED.com posts many past lectures for free. The website holds thousands of smart ideas--free for you to listen to and learn from.

I have found that the wealth of information on TED.com is especially applicable to us as triathletes. We have all faced the question, "Why do you do this to yourself and to your body?" It's a tough one, tougher than it seems at first glance, because it forces us to think hard about what makes us tick. But I think that part of our motivation to run, bike, and swim lies in our desire to change the world, beginning with changing ourselves. Because we push to accomplish something that's almost beyond the ability of the human body, triathlon allows us to experience life from a higher plane.

And the speakers of TED strive for the same thing, in an even bigger way. They exist in a realm of experience that is a little bit beyond that of the normal being. They think not about next week or next year, but about a future that is many generations away. From them will come the world of tomorrow.

Take advantage of the brilliance that TED has to offer and check out their free talks online. Start by clicking play on the video below, in which Cambridge researcher Aubrey de Grey challenges the most basic assumption underlying the human condition -- that aging is inevitable.

Bid on Cool Race Gear to Help Kids in Africa

Top Swiss Triathlon Pro Ronnie Schildknecht does not only fight the athletic battle. At this year's Ironman Switzerland, Ronnie and four other athletes will race as Team StreetKids to benefit Kenyan orphans who are forced to live on the streets. Team StreetKids offers orphans in Africa a better future through education and job training. Team StreetKids depends on donations from supporters around the world. Honorary members of the team are regularly checking the sites in Africa in person to assure that all proceeds benefit the right causes.

Trinited.com is a free networking platform for triathletes and multi sports athletes from all over the world. Their goal is to spread the spirit of multi sports while raising awareness for the environment and humanity.Right now, Team StreetKids is hoping to raise money at an upcoming charity auction. Faris Al-Sultan, Norman Stadler, Chrissie Wellington, Mirinda Carfrae, Craig Alexander as well as the entire Team Dresdner Kleinwort are all involved and excited for the project.

All athletes have donated personal jerseys and race clothing for this great cause – including Craig Alexander's hand signed, winning race shoe from Kona. The auction will start at the end of January, using a specially-created ebay account to give fans and athletes from all over the world the opportunity to bid on their favorite items and help Team StreetKids.

Trinited.com will donate 100% of the proceeds to Team StreetKids at the end of the auction.

James Styler To Raise Money For Heart Disease With 100,000 lbs And 357 km

New Zealand triathlete James Styler has put together a unique way to raise money to beat congenital heart disease. Over three demanding days, he will lift 100,000 lbs of weights, cycle 280 km, and run 77 km, finishing it all off with the SBS Christchurch Marathon.

James Styler will lift, cycle, and run with a purpose: to raise money for the "Heart Kids" charity. Congenital heart disease affects one in every 100 children born in New Zealand. The mission of "Heart Kids" is to provide the best support and care for these children and their families. Money donated to Heart Kids will provide families with essential services and care, and give them support and resources during surgery and hospital stays.

You can find all of the details and make donations here.

Good luck, James!

The World Just Lost Another Hero And Triathlete - And I Lost a Good Friend, Captain Robert Lindenau

One of my good friends Robert Lindenau, lost his life the day before yesterday from a rocket propelled grenade. Robert was 39, His wife Tonya is 37, Kids Rachael 12, Gabriel 10, Sarah 8, Hannah 6. Robert contacted me years ago, after reading my editorial in Triathlete about my non-profit effort, Project Active, and said he wanted to help. Over the last few years, we have worked together with Robert to bring athletic equipment to several places that have seen war – bringing the children who have lost so much, the hope and joy that comes from sports.

We honored Robert a few years ago at the Competitor Endurance Sports Awards for his work helping distribute Soccer Balls and athletic shoes to children in areas of war. On several of Robert’s missions, he helped Project Active distribute sports equipment. He loved life, and was always looking for a way to bring peace and kindness to the children on every mission he was on. He loved the children, and they loved him.

Robert you were and always will be a true Hero to us. We will all miss you my friend.
-Mitch

Here is a quote from Robert following one of our distributions a few years ago. (please note it is from an unedited e-mail)

“there are thousands of us risking our lives over here every day. it seems to me that creative minds ought to be able to find solutions to getting the mission accomplished, and mitch has done that. look up operation give online. look up spirit of America online in conjunction with the marines. and then look up project active. these are the people that are going to help us ensure Iraq doesn't tumble like a house of cards. these are the people who will keep American service members alive, simply by helping us provide for Iraq what the world humanitarian community can't or won't provide yeah, it's always fun when you drive through a village and the kids chase after you, screaming, laughing and clapping. oh, and there's this: the universal symbol for "give me a soccer ball!" is arms extended, palms facing in, as if holding an imaginary ball. kids do it, grown ups do it. when the boxes of equipment arrived, my co-workers made fun of me. jeez! what the heck is all that!? you need your own warehouse? it was hard to contain my excitement while waiting for the right opportunity to go out and hand this stuff out. the tactical mission comes first in priority, so i had to wait a little while until the right security force was available. the guys really enjoyed being able to do this. it's one of the friendlier things we've been able to do, and it's really gratifying to share smiles, handshakes, waves, and to a lesser degree, the cheek kissing. (laughs) i mean kissing the cheeks of adults! i don't mind smooching the cute little kids...just not that wild about beards on the adults! (laughs) well, what i'd say to folks back home is this: we have to get this right-Iraq needs our help, and whatever your feelings about what brought us here in the first place, we are here now. the news back home is not balanced at all, and doesn't show the number of good, hard-working people here that deserve a shot at something better. my own children asked me why i had to come to Iraq, and that's what i told them: to give the Iraqis a chance at something better. also to get rid of the bad guys, but in my heart, i feel it's really about providing people what they need. mitch and project active have given me the opportunity to do that in a very positive way. i'm very grateful, as are the soldiers i work with. obviously, the children are grateful as well, and we now have some wonderful new friends the kids are awesome. they went absolutely wild when they saw the soccer balls! for a long time afterward, they came up to get their picture taken, to hold our hands, to tell us jokes in broken english. some just wanted to stand close. there's a hand gesture for friend, which is holding out the index and middle finger together. showing a kid that he or she is your friend produces a really cool result. they just beam. they giggle. they lean in for a hug. then they make the sign back as if to say "yeah, that's right! we're friends!" it means the world to them. i'm really proud of all that is represented by this-all the effort that's gone into getting sports equipment to the kids. thanks to all the people who've pitched in! i've discussed the sport of triathlon with some of the Iraqis i've spoken with. they are remarkably open to seeing sports from around the world, and showed an interest in triathlon. it would definitely be seasonally driven, though! my gosh it's hot in the summer! i've tried to get out and run, and if i don't get it knocked out before the sun crests the horizon, it's going to suck. bad. I'm from the northwest, so this heat is not my preferred environment at all” -Captain Robert Lindenau

We have set up a donation link for his family at www.projectactive.org (on the top right on the page click "Help Robert Lindenau's family" - then select the amount that you would like to contribute).

Or, Flowers, financial support contributions, and cards can be sent to:

Lindenau Family Support
106 Daniels Court
Fort Bragg, North Carolina 28307

Rising Star

All triathletes understand the captivating grip our sport has on our hearts, although some of us may have forgotten what it was like when this sport first took hold in our lives. For Breanna Gawrys, her love affair has just begun. It doesn’t take long for to realize that this young, multi-talented woman is a model of the triathlete's spirit.

Breanna is not just content with training for her first half-Ironman (September) or her first full Ironman (November); she is also a full time college student in Duke University’s Pre-Medical program, and a cadet in Air Force ROTC Program. In fact, her fellow cadets were the ones who encouraged her to break into the world of triathlon.

"A lot of my friends in Air Force ROTC are into triathlons, so I started doing some sprint races with them," she said. "They signed up for the Ironman and I didn't want them to do it without me, so I signed up, too.”

While Breanna is at school, she volunteers at a psychiatric hospital and a children’s hospital. After she graduates in May, she will be commissioned as a second lieutenant, and plans on persuing a career in behavioral science.

“Being a pre-med student at Duke and heavily involved in AFROTC places a lot of demands on me, but I have found marathons and triathlons to be an excellent balance for a busy, hectic life. I enjoy the sport immensely and have found a social venue in it as well. “At age twenty, she has already run five Marathons, and she has even been re-invited to the Boston Marathon. Breanna has also completed five half marathons and four sprint triathlons. Once she completes the Panama City Ironman, she plans to fill her schedule with more triathlons.

Becoming a triathlete is nothing short of a life changing-experience, and for most people, once you start there is simply no turning back. For Breanna, the sport is “addicting as well as personally satisfying ." Keep an eye out for Breanna.~

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Brian Carroll's Race Report from Switzerland...

Brian Carroll sent me a great race report...

From: Carroll, Brian
Sent: Thursday, July 17, 2008 11:27 AM
To: MITCH THROWER
Subject: FW: Swiss Ironman Race Report: HUP HUP HUP

Hi Mitch, hope you enjoy some summer reading from my latest Ironman Adventure!!! Hope your summer is going well.
Brian

Swiss Air flight LX 053 touched down peacefully on wednesday morning, July 9th, in the hub of central Europe--otherwise known as Zurich. Surrounding me in seats 22B, 23AB and 24AB were my very own Brendan's Buddies NICU Race Team made up of Brendan himself, his two brothers Tom and Keith, my wife June (Brendan's Mom) and my 18 year old niece--also head cheerleader--Marie. A bit fuzzy eyed, we were soon greeted with a tribute to the Swiss princess of childhood stories, Heidi herself. As the airport train shuttle whisked by hundreds of still pictures of Heidi, a really cool nickelodeon-style movie was produced. It showed Heidi in the mountains, then Heidi as a teenager, then Heidi all grown up. I don't recall that part of the story, but we all remarked on how filled out Heidi became!
Getting the triathlon bike and all our gear through customs was very efficient because, after all, we were in Switzerland. One rent-a-van later from Hertz and we were on our way to my friend Rolf's house for some pre-race training and visiting through the Swiss countryside. Rolf trains for Ironman with me. Since Rolf grew up in Zurich, we chose the Swiss Ironman because it gave us a chance for our two families to meet each other. Plus, doing an international Ironman would be a real hoot! Rolf's family was kind enough to host us at the family boat house along the pristine shores of Lake Constance. It was in a wonderful swiss-style area that touched the borders of Germany and Austria, which were both visible from the front deck. Just picture the gingerbread-style homes along with snow-capped Alps on the horizon, reflected in the blue/green waters of the lake, and you get the picture. Add a bottle of white wine, some cheese and of course, chocolate and this is what I call jet lag adjustment. The kids just called it fun to swim.
The three days before an Ironman can contain some real stress. Checklists run through your mind. Calorie counting becomes habit forming. Equipment checking becomes obsessive. Practice swims can get all your dry gear wet. And so forth. 

The Boat House provided an oasis from the mental clutter. No television. No phones. We were busy, though, because the food needed to be bought for each meal with a short stroll to the neighborhood grocery market. The kids needed to be supervised in the water. Dishes needed to be set and cleared by hand. We were back in a time of my childhood...before everything became so technical. Maybe that's why people seem so much happier in Europe. I wondered if my kids missed their guitar hero as I watched them being pulled on a rubber tube behind Rolf's motor boat.
Heaven can wait. I've got an Ironman to do. Off to Zurich for the race registration, bike check-in--and the focus begins. The blue sky over the Alps was quickly being replaced with storm clouds and lightning on the day before the race, thus adding to the drama. How wet will it be? At least the rain kept many people out of the Ironman logo shop. I had my pickin's over the latest Ironman shirts and gear. Pretty cool stuff to wear at a local race back home. As the weather soured more, I went a little crazy at the vendor booths trying to find the ultimate bike shirt that could keep me dry and comfortable should the weather even worsen on race day. I bought some kind of high tech bike shirt with detachable sleeves which promised me a cure. $200 later...we'll just see.

Race Day. Trying to comment on sleep the night before an Ironman is pointless. You just don't sleep. So you get up at 4:30 am to muddle about and eat some pancakes and eggs. Kisses to the crew as they sleep and off to the race at 5:00 am. One second after leaving the comfortable hotel, it hits you. I mean the rain. It not only hits you, but it hits and hits and hits you. Downpour is an understatement. Hail was the only thing missing from this picture. I grab a cab to the race with my three bags of triathlon gear. The day begins. This is tough. But Ironmen eat tough for breakfast. I'm good to go. No need for sunscreen. I meet Rolf at the bike park trying to ignore the moans of 2000 athletes who collectively mingle in mud and slop. Ever the optimist, Rolf greets me with "Hi Brian. Do you think they'll let us wear our wetsuits for the bike ride?". We quickly decided putting on our wetsuits is the best strategy to cope for the two hours before the race. An Ironman must be always thinking. Use your equipment for absolute advantage whenever possible. Good thing is Europeans aren't caught up with nudity so much. Switching from wet clothes to a wetsuit goes unnoticed. Soon, everyone seems to come up with a similar idea and a wetsuit army is born.

Swim 2.4 miles.
Standing on the cold shores of Lake Zurich, I look out over the water and hear rumbles of thunder. Sometimes for safety, the swim in an Ironman can be cancelled if lightning is around. Part of me wonders if this is a good thing. Its that little voice in your head that says, "Hey, what the heck are you doing out here 3,500 miles from home, standing in the pouring rain, staring at choppy waters in the middle of a thunder storm?" No time to wonder anymore because the cannon fires and the swim race has begins. I somehow forget it was raining. Arm stroke up, arm stroke down, head to the side, head down. Hundreds of laps in the pool before the race, and it's the same motion. The only problem is that I can't see anything without my glasses in the middle of Lake Zurich. I have no idea where to go. I look around, laugh at my situation and bear down to follow the closest yellow swim cap next to me. As long as there is someone to my right, I have to be going the right way. No 10 foot tall buoys here. Only little pumpkin sized markers every 100 meters. Good grief, now I have to convert meters into miles. Welcome to Europe.

Bodies banging each other in water depths of 200 feet really wakes you up. I am more alive in that moment than I have ever been before. No looking down, it was dark. No looking behind because hundreds of yellow caps were coming after me. No looking ahead because I couldn't see where I was going anyway. The only place to look was to my right. Keep someone there. At all times. Ooops, I looked up, and for a brief moment, there was no one there. I pause, look around, and sure enough, I have been blown off coarse. Regroup. Refocus. Stay calm. Coach Steve says draft behind a swimmer for less energy expenditure. So I try it and get kicked in the head. Then it hits me...as I turn the right for a breath, I see a swimmer doing the breaststroke. Ah ha. Doing that motion keeps his head above water so he can see where he is going. I keep him to my right for a full mile before somehow we lose each other in the chaos. I fumble around a bit then presto, another breaststroke swimmer. My day is saved. I don't even bother looking at my watch. I just stroke one arm at a time. Keeping aim on my yellow-headed target the best I can. Out of the water and a friendly crew of Swiss race volunteers grab my arm for exiting assistance. They are very attentive to detail here in Switzerland.
Race time: 1:37:09.

Bike 112 Miles.
No changing tents here in Europe, so I'm once again surrounded by lots of buff. The rain I never seemed to notice during the swim was inescapable as I whisk my bike off to the start of the bike route. Warnings from the locals as I exited: "Remember your tire is only 1/2 inch thick."  I race off with a dozen or so riders. The names on their race numbers were storybook: Jon, Hans, Franz, Igor, etc. I remembered as a kid that bikes had fenders over the back wheel. If the kid in front of you splashed through a puddle, no back spray. I'm no kid anymore, and these race bikes don't have fenders, front baskets or any other amenity that made bike riding so much fun in the rain as a youth. I was happy to have my glasses back on, but now I was getting sprayed by the rider in front. If there ever was a poster boy for lasik surgery, I was the guy that morning. I wished I had Elton John's wiper glasses.
Mercifully, the first 18 or so miles were flat along the shores of Lake Zurich. Not much of a view, since the dark clouds looked like they were attached to the ground. The first water station was filled with joyful volunteers who did not seem to mind the weather. Along the race route, people lined the sidewalks yelling, "Hup, Hup, Hup". I had no idea what they were yelling until I finally figured it out six hours later--"Go, Go, Go!."  My Swiss German isn't very good, but the genuine enthusiasm of the locals was contagious. My name was on my race number so when possible, fans would yell, "Hup, Hup Brian". I passed along rural farm lands where men tending their crops would stop for a moment and yell, "Hup, Hup". Small children would be in their windows and doorways yelling, "Hup, Hup". Not a single person stood motionless or quiet along the roadside. Each mile was sprinkled with shouts of "Hup, Hup". The only exception was the very professional police crew who patrolled the intersections at each corner. No "Hup, Hup" from them. Just serious work keeping us safe. Welcome to the efficient and friendly Swiss countryside!
I wondered about the elevation. I had studied the route by map and knew that sooner or later my luck would change from flat to something a bit more sinister, like a Swiss Alp. Yes, I was not in Kansas so where was my first Alp? I was eager to meet the so-called first hill, the "Beast". At the 50 kilometer mark (back to metric now), the Beast said hello. Out of no where, the road starting looking up. Not north, but up. Vertical up. Straight up. The Mount Washington Auto Road kind of up. The "Beast wants to eat you up" kind of up. It was raining. I was wearing my new $200 special material bike shirt. I was ready to say hello. I only looked ahead of me 10 feet at a time. Never up. I kept peddling. Peddling. Peddling. Some people were yelling "hup" but I didn't really notice. It just kept going up. Previously on the flats, my speedometer was reading 18 mph. I looked and saw only 6 mph while on the "Beast". Grind. Grind. Grind. "I've got to earn this Alp," I kept saying to myself. 10 minutes went by. Then 15. Then 20. Six miles later, I reached the summit. The rain-soaked crowd at the top was going crazy yelling "Hup, Hup". The road was painted something in German, but I think it said that I conquered the Beast.
What goes up does go down. And down it went. Blazing. Smokin. Rubber burning downhill. Only problem was the road was covered with water and my rubber bike brakes were wetter than a fisherman's boots. I recalled the warnings when I exited the bike park two hours earlier. What made the downhills more interesting where the occasional rotaries I encountered in the little villages. Ugh. I'm a husband and father of three kids so some common sense prevailed. Keep it slow, and live another day. The speed did help dry the rain from my cool technical bike shirt I bought the day before. That day, the shirt was worth $2,000.
A dozen or so riders and I were having fun trading places racing down the hill. It was not just an Ironman endurance contest, but a race as well. USA pride on the line. Nothing like good, heart-pounding adrenaline under competitive situations. If the feeling could be pushed even higher, what would happen? I soon found out as I encountered yet another Alp, the so called Heartbreak Hill. What makes this so special is its location. It comes at mile 54 of the first 56 mile loop. And it's vertical. Staircase vertical. Even more pitch than the Beast. But mercifully shorter. About 1 mile in length. Going up, I could hear thunder. Not rain cloud thunder but some kind of sustained low groan that only built up in volume the closer I approached Heartbreak Hill. I couldn't see ahead of me because the twisted road was built up the Alp in a switchback manner that allowed only a 100 yard view at a time.
As I drew closer, my eyes popped wiped open. Over 2,000 screaming people lined both sides of the road, Tour de France style. It was something I had only seen on TV, but I was now living. Thousand yelled, "Hup, Hup, Hup Brian" as they announced my name across a loud speaker. People were moving me along by running up to the back of my bike and taking turns pushing me to the next person. I barely turned my pedals as one after another, someone pushed my bike over the steep summit. I was emotionally affected. I felt genuine affection for the Swiss people all rallying to help some unknown athlete, me, accomplish a seemingly impossible task. If there was ever an Ironman moment I could treasure, this was surely it. I was so overwhelmed by the moment that I don't even remember the ride down the other side. 
Lucky me. I get to do the entire 56 miles once more.
Race time: 7:23:22.

Run 26.2 Miles.
Pulling into the bike park for the bike to run transition, I was happily greeted by the smiling faces of my proud family. It was a bit more lonely on the second bike loop because the crowds had thinned a bit. So seeing my family as I finished the bike ride was a joy. I stopped, posed for pictures and tried to assure everyone all was well. My dashboard of vital signs were checking out with positive indicators. The day was such a visual treat as the rain began to let up enough for some postcard views. No worries about race time, so I let about 10 minutes slip away as I chatted with the family. They were so relieved I was perky. It was a good idea to reassure them by spending some chit-chat time. It's a long day for them as well. Waiting is stressful. As they checked my progress before I arrived, they encountered a second Brian Carroll on the race course. Yeah. As if one of me wasn't enough, now there are two. My wife June was asked which Brian Carroll she wanted a race update on. (I passed along a chip mat every 10 or so miles on the bike route that send a progress signal to the info booth.) I guess the other Brian Carroll lives in London so I was easy to distinguish. Hope he did well. Us BCs have to stick together.
My wife got a kick out of me changing from my bike pants to my run pants, in a...well, "open" manner. I gave her a kiss and a prediction I'd be done a little after 9:00 pm. I was going to keep a steady effort and not blow my heart rate up too much on the marathon. Funny that I actually looked forward to running a marathon. Off I went with a wave, and the next adventure segment began.
Shuffling my feet along, I worked my way to each water station. My speed felt comfortable. I soaked in the noisy crowd all yelling "Hup, Hup" who gathered as the rain let up. I'd say about 25,000 people lined the 6.4 mile race course. I had to run it as four loops. A bit mentally tough, but mercifully flat. The run went along the Lake marina with beautiful Old World-style ferry boats that helped passengers migrate from one side of Lake Zurich to the other. I received a colored wrist band for each loop I completed. Yellow for loop 1, red for loop 2, blue for loop 3 and green for loop 4. The torture was starting a marathon and sharing the road with runners wearing their red and blue wristbands. They only had 10 or so miles left while I had the whole 26.2. Never mind, just stay relaxed and one loop at a time will pass.
And so it did. I looked around for Rolf. Where might he be? Then around a corner, there he was, as if on cue. Darn, he had one more wrist band than I did. Looks like he's got me by one lap. "See you at the finish buddy", I said. We both smiled the best we could.
All was going well until mile 12. For some reason I started getting a bit dizzy. A quick self diagnostic pointed to some dehydration. I guess I couldn't drink enough rain! Maybe I was hoping it would pass through my skin. Too bad it doesn't work that way. Just in time, I passed a volunteer handing out warm chicken soup. I forgot how good warm soup is on a rainy cold day. I savored each sip and took a short walk break. When finished, I realized I screwed up by not taking two soups. The solution lay in running to the next, then to the next and then to next aid station. I couldn't get enough soup...though each subsequent serving was not as hot as my first. My spirit was growing, and I was back. It just took 6 more miles to get me there.
The crowd continued to roar and shout "Hup Brian" as I passed. The Ironman gets you mentally beaten down, and this course is no different. After each run loop, I was forced to take a U-turn right in front of the finish line. As I turned, the runner next to me ran toward victory and the end of his day. I, in turn, went off to face another 6.4 mile loop. With each loop, I faced fewer and fewer runners along side of me. Thoughts came to me of my early 5:00 am runs around the river in Mystic, CT when alone and tired, I would make 6.2 mile loops before the sun went up. It's just me and another loop. I ignored the other runners alongside me.
I wanted to see my kids and wife. Time for the day to get over with. I looked at my stopwatch and tried to see if I had a chance to finish under my personal best Ironman time of 14:24:07. The only problem there was the mathematics it takes to figure that answer out. Remember, all the signs are in kilometers. Ugh. I was at the 33.5k sign and wondered how far I needed to go. Let me think...was that 6.2 miles for each 10k? Do I divide the 33.5 by 6.2 then multiply by 10 or do I divide by 10 then multiply by 6.2? Then, how many miles divided left by how much time on my watch that read 8:15 pm? Darn. I was tired. Way too much work. It's easier to exhale, get the bad air out of the lungs and just go for it. Pass as many people as I can. Run them down. Get out of my way. Pick off each one. Hup. Hup. Hup. And, hup I did. Some fire burned and fueled whatever was left in my legs to hup as quickly as I could.
I figured I had 5 or so miles remaining. Looking at my watch as I read another kilometer sign looked promising for a best time record. But then I remembered the extra .4k of distance I forgot to calculate. Darn again. I thought I was going to make the best time only to be wrong in my distance. Never mind. Hup. Hup. Hup. The rain continued to fall.
No U-turn this time at the finish. Straight down the yellow-carpeted finish chute. I ran as hard as I could. With only 10 meters to go, my niece Marie threw me an American flag for the finish line photo. I saw huge smiles from my wife and kids. Then flash! The finish line camera went off. The American flag was help high above my head. A volunteer put a medal around my next. I looked at my watch: 14:22:12. A new personal Ironman record for me.
Race time: 5:03:46.

Finish 140.6 Miles.
Lots of people have hobbies. I collect finish line photos. I cover a special notebook at home with them. Photos from many races and from many venues. "Stay composed for my finish pictures", I told myself. I gave my wife June a huge hug, and the camera snapped. Great shot. I hugged Brendan next and flash, another great shot. One by one each of my family members posed at the finish line. The Europeans around me thought it all a bit odd that I was not moving myself along in an efficient manner. I was clogging the queue. And what's with this flag around his shoulders? The camera continued to click and my scrapbook is better for it. Rolf joined in the photo fun at the finish. What a great wingman. The day is done. Now to get out of the rain!

Post-Race Note.
While in Switzerland, we all celebrated Brendan's 9th birthday on July 10. A quick trip across Lake Constance from Rolf's boat house and we had birthday ice-cream in Germany. Very memorable to spend Brendan's birthday in two countries. Amazing how this 1.5 pound newborn had grown into such a handsome and special young boy. We are reminded we are all Brendan's Buddies as we help raise money for the UMASS Memorial NICU. Thanks to June, Brendan, Tommy, Keith and Marie for being such a great band of cheerleaders on such a wet miserable day. It isn't easy being part of the Iron Crew for Brendan's Buddies. Special thanks to my friends Rolf and Joan who hosted our visit with such patience and encouragement before, during and after the race. You all made it a special day.
Stay tuned for more races and more fundraising. We've got a NICU to help.

Brian
Brendan's Dad
www.brendansbuddies.com

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Beyond All Daily Limits – A First Time Ironman Finish for Ms. Sam Stanley-Paul

I received this story online from Ms. Sam Stanley-Paul - it's worth a read!


"This is the story of an Ironman dream that began many years ago. My husband Michael and I watched on television in 1995 as the legendary Paula Newby-Fraser “Hit the wall” 400 metres from the finish. I don’t remember breathing from the moment she went down ‘till she miraculously sat up, then stood and walked barefoot and triumphant to the finish; “I’ve got all day,” she said. That’s when I knew we’d do an Ironman. I say “we”, because the sport of triathlon is something that has been a part of our lifestyle for many years.

Meanwhile, patience was the watchword as we both changed careers, added a precious daughter to our lives, and “kept our oar in” triathlon, and marathon running as our 40th birthdays came and went, and ten years ticked by. One of our favourite triathlons is in Bala, Canada in late July. Limited to 300 participants, the course is beautiful, the folks friendly, and the feel, definitely grass roots –this is triathlon - pure and simple…One year at the tiny “race expo”, Michael and I put on Tri suits for the first time –after 10 years of racing we figured it was time; and the gear was on sale…

It was later that afternoon that we decided… In some shared moment of aspiration, the next day we registered for Ironman USA Lake Placid, exactly one year away…The race filled within hours, and we were in… For a while, the magnitude of what we’d undertaken happily eluded us! But in January, our Ironman journey began. Preparing and training for this event appeared to be a full time job. But we each had one of those already, and an engaging three year old child too!

So how to do the Ironman, and remain employed, married, and motivated, while training mostly individually and minimizing the time away from our daughter? These tasks alone seemed worthy of the Ironman label! We didn’t share our training methods with too many people – Even one of the Pros we later met at Lake Placid said they’d never be a triathlete if they had to train the way we did…But we wanted our Ironman dream badly… There were the bike rides that started at four-thirty in the morning. Michael got the Saturday slot and I took Sunday. The goal here was to get the long rides in before the roads got busy and without eating up the whole day, and without babysitting expenses…

We alternated our running as distances increased too. Our three year old would lovingly embrace me: “Hi Mama, you’re sweaty!” She was a willing companion in the Baby Jogger stroller for the shorter runs. Michael would run home from work, I would run on my Lunch hour. …We juggled constantly, and with ongoing discussion and scheduling, we each logged hundreds of hours and kilometers. We laughed out loud when people asked if we’d check out the course in the months before the race. The luxury of time and money to train on, and “preview” the challenges wasn’t ours; Race Day was it. Sometimes it would have been easy to accept the “limits” others perceived, and say that it couldn’t be done within our daily lives.

But dreaming big is about finding your own way…If you tell yourself you can’t, you can’t…We let the “can” of getting to The Start drive us. Finally, race day arrived as we stood on the shores of beautiful Mirror Lake, Lake Placid, at 6:45am. The swim is my strength, and I loved it!

Out of the water and on to the bike course. The miles rolled by with a lot of hard work and a spectacular backdrop of mountains, trees, rivers and lakes. Some of it reminded me of Bala and I felt at home. The volunteers who supported and fulfilled our every need on the course were seemingly tireless…It was a huge day for us; an even longer one for many of them. Ironman Champion Peter Reid once commented that Ironman racing is so difficult, a huge part of winning comes down to who’s the smartest.

At any level of competition, I believe this is true. To stay in the moment and continuously ask yourself, “What do I need right now?” and then to have the discipline to do it is key. Part of the great intensity of this event is that you never stop thinking. And as any veteran Ironman will tell you, fuelling your body intelligently and adequately is the unsung fourth event of the day.

Even in training, I was mesmerized by the number of calories that needed to go into my body in the form of Sports drinks, energy bars and gels …Once each hour, I declared “a holiday” from the role of “Nutrition Vigilante” and eased up on the input…And one does need to be vigilant! The reality check was to witness participants go down, bonk, hit the wall–Their day was over, their race was done. My heart went out to them…

Finish before midnight, cross the line, become an Ironman…Let it be within you. I didn’t dwell too much on the sheer enormity of the day’s final task as the scenery rolled by on the bike. I have run enough marathons to respect the distance as a stand alone event, never mind as part of the Ironman package. It remained the great unknown in this context. And I didn’t want to walk the thing, even though the official athlete’s guide condoned, “running, walking or crawling” as acceptable means of locomotion.

I bargained with my body, and my determined lope brought me both comfort and remarkable support from volunteers and spectators…Michael and I high-five’d as he headed toward the Finish, and I continued the run out of town. “We’ve got all day,” he said, and I knew we’d both be called “Ironman” before midnight… I ran on in the twilight, with the cooler air and a hush of sorts. At one point, as I was coming back into town, two spectators on bicycles cheered me and rode on ahead to alert a group of spectators with a megaphone at the top of the next hill. “We have a runner!!” a voice yelled excitedly over the megaphone. And then, they were cheering like I was the frontrunner! Honestly, I felt like an Olympian with winged feet. I dug deep to crest the last hill of the race. The Finish was not far away!"

-Ms. Sam Stanley-Paul 

   Ironman Finisher

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