I started running in 2003 for fun and finished my first half marathon in 2005, followed by several more individual and relay races. But after a minor knee injury, I was restricted to working out on the bike and swimming in the pool. In the back of my mind, I missed training for a race, a so called deadline. Flash forward to 2012 and I caught the Kona world championships on TV and though to myself, these guys are not human, they are super human! I wondered if this so call triathlon came in smaller distances and sure enough I started training for my first tri, be it an indoor one, on 3.3.13. I followed it by the Eads bridge duathlon and the Kirkwood sprint tri. For 2014, I wanted to do more sprints as well as a couple of olympic distances and my A race was the Chicago ITU oly. Triathlons enable me to be outdoors, keep cross trained and motivated. It has been an avenue for a beginner like me to meet a whole variety of people and skill sets and to learn and share anything and everything about this fabulous sport. The athletes in this sport are welcoming, and always pay it forward on race day by encouraging beginners like me to get the most out of that race.
1. What is your favorite place in or around St. Louis to train? — Newtown, MO. Love the open water swim and the bike riding there.
2. What is your favorite thing about triathlon? — the friendship and bond between members of our club. It is amazing to see an athlete in our club tri kit and hear the crowds erupt in cheers.
3. Tip for new (and veteran) triathletes? — find others who love what you do and it will be a rewarding road ahead.
