Why I Tri

This summer marks my 4th summer of competing in triathlons. I have successfully finished 12 triathlons over the past 3 years and it is my goal to do 20 by my 10 year Highschool reunion in 2010. I keep getting emails asking me to write out my story and send it in to Danskin to tell everyone "why I tri". Why do I wake up early every morning to train? Because Triathlons have changed my life. 3 years ago I was working at Overlake cancer center, not really active at all and was asked by some of my co-workers to do a triathlon....I was thinking yeah right!! My old youth Pastors Jeffery and Joanne Portmann had done triathlons and I had thought a couple times, well that would be cool to maybe do someday--not really having any intention to do so. I had recently gotten on the scale and weighed myself and was at 298 pounds. I knew I had to do something because there was no WAY I could ever be 300 pounds. Throughout my life, I had always been a "bigger girl", but I never let that get in my way of doing things like being on Varsity dance team in highschool, or anything for that matter. But I was at the point where my body was suffering and I knew I had to make changes now if I wanted to live a healthy and fun long life. And working at a Cancer Center I literally watched people die from a disease that they had no choice in getting. I knew I had a choice to loose weight. So I signed up for the Danskin Triathlon.

I had never had a swim lesson in my life. The first time I swam in the pool I couldn't even swim the 1/2 mile (what I needed to do for the triathlon) in the hour long lap swim time at the pool. But that didn't stop me. My parents bought me a bike and I started to bike (I could only go 2 miles on my bike at first) and swim like crazy. I HATED running (and still don't really care for it, but I'm learing to like it) so I honestly ran maybe 2-3 times before my first triathlon. On August 24, 2005 I did my first triathlon (Danskin - See picture to the left). I thought I was going to die....I almost passed out twice on the bike because I had my bike in the hardest gear the whole time because I was so exhausted and forgot to downshift...not good. I had to get off my bike and walk it up the hills more times than I can even remember. I pretty much walked the whole run portion of the triathlon (except of course when there was a camera man, or when I crossed the finish line) As I came to the hill on the run (If you've done Danskin you know which hill I'm talking about) I looked up to the top of the hill and saw one of my patients with her bald head, sitting under an umbrella cheering me on. At that point I realized I was not only doing this race for me, but for her too. She had done Danskin in the past, but was unable to that year because she was diagnosed with cancer. I finished 2 hours and 35 minutes later and came in dead last in my age category. But I finished. It was probably the most amazing and most emotional feeling ever as I crossed the finish line. I received my medal that is inscribed, " the woman who starts the race is not the same woman who finishes the race". I truly was a different woman. I was hooked

I wanted to do another race, so my friend Nicole and I signed up to do a triathlon in Elma, WA....the first weekend in October. It was FREEZING!! But I finished again....dead last. In 2006 I did 4 more triathlons and cut a full 30 minutes off my time in the Danskin Tri from the previous year. I also did the Seafair Triathlon in 2006 which is definately my 2nd favorite triathlon. Last year I did 6 triathlons!! This was WAY too many. I had a triathlon almost every 2 weeks last summer and my body didn't have enough time to bounce back each time. By the end of the season I was beat. Each triathlon I shaved time off and was learning new tricks that would help cut time off. Last season my mentalitly definately changed from the first 2 years of just wanting to finish - to cutting time off and improving my techniques. I finally made it up all the hills in the Danskin without getting off my bike last year. I finished in 1 hour 52 minutes (43 minutes faster than the first time I did Danskin 2 years earlier) And I wasn't last!!! I came in 120th out of 183 in my age category. As I was riding up the last hill on my way back to Lake Washington Blvd. that I once had to walk my bike up, I had tears streaming down my face as I was recalling how far God had brought me in 2 years.
Last summer I finally trained in the running portion which helped, and this season I am forcing myself to run more even though I really, really don't like it. I know that it is the weakest part of my triathlon, so by training more in the running part I will cut more time off. It's my goal this year to be able to run 3 miles without stopping...we'll see about that. This season has also been different because I have a new job, which means a new training schedule which has been both good and bad. I am doing more "brick" workouts (back to back biking/running or running/swimming) I can't say enough how much triathlons have changed my life. I have lost about 70 pounds and still have about 70 more to go. My confidence has definately grown since doing triathlons and I know that Triathlons will be a part of my life for the rest of my life. I prayed that God would give me the desire to want to work out and Triathlons have been a perfect fit for me. Looking back over the past 3 years and seeing how far I have come blows my mind. I am so thankful to my parents and family for all their support and encouragement. I couldn't have done it without them.

July 4, 2008 is Triathlon #13....here we go again!!!