Writing Contest
Winner to be announced soon.....
Why I Tri?
As we grow older, many of us try to be like our parents. Well my father was a triathlete. Through his determination and achievements, I have had the thrill of crossing the finish line at the Hawaii Ironman twice (he completed it 3 times). Within a year of his final race in Hawaii he was diagnosed with ALL (Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia). A few years later he had passed away from the disease. At the time, I was participating in Ironkids and numerous running races, but after his passing, took a hiatus from these activities. 17 years later, after looking at pictures and home videos, I decided to get back into the sport and dedicate all I do to his memory, including a successful fundraiser to help find a cure to the disease that took him much too soon. While I know it's a longshot, I have hopes and dreams of being able to compete in Hawaii and experience the same joy (and suffering) that my father did 20+ years ago.
Brant Kraner
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My "Why"
Like many people, I was born not a runner, nor biker nor swimmer. I was
born a "go-getter". Find a challenge and tackle it. I did some running
more than a decade ago-for fitness and to see how far or long I could
go. At that time, five or six miles was a doozie, but I would set my
sights on a challenge and not give up.
When I deployed to Iraq in 2007, I was trying to phase out a long-term
relationship I left behind in St. Louis. I passed the little free time
I had by working out-treadmill, elliptical, bike and some outdoor
running. I progressed to two or three hours any given workout. In the
meantime, I was losing weight, but, more importantly, I was finding
myself. I absolutely loved seeing how far or how hard I could push
myself, and I knew I wasn't alone. A pal from my unit was deployed to
another location in Iraq at the same time. We stayed in touch via
e-mail, sharing deployed stories and checking up on the latest in the
running pursuits. He'd recently completed a marathon and knew I'd be up
for a challenge, so we agreed to do a half marathon (Inaugural Joker's
Wild) here in St. Louis that coming July.
July 2007--Mission Accomplished [insert the ‘yada, yada, yada' part of
the story here. We all know how this goes. Half Marathon-check!;
Marathon-check!] Before "What's next?" could form itself on my tongue,
my pal had told me stories about an indoor triathlon he'd once
completed. I took the bait, began swimming laps, and wound up
participating in all the local indoor triathlons in 2008.
I was also ready for a new relationship-this time with someone who
shared my enthusiasm for challenges. With summer in full swing, the
next challenge was, of course, a real (outdoor) triathlon, so it's not
too far-fetched to think I'd take a strategic approach to finding a
boy, is it? Think Match.com but for sporty singles. Yep-I did it! I
can't remember what the on-line ad said, but in summary a STLGurl who
loved to run met a bikin' boy from Illinois (with an amazing profile
photo.) We were both newcomers to triathlon. He'd done a few local
sprints and I'd only ventured as far as the Y and the J. We were both
ready to do more-preferably with a training partner who complemented
them. It couldn't have worked out better since we were able to help in
areas where the other was weak.
Within two weeks of actually meeting we were on a crazy road trip, and
I was cheering him on at Mid-August meltdown. I'd never been to a
triathlon before and really wanted to see ‘transition'. I mean, a real
transition with a bike and helmet and everything. Swim in, Bike out,
Bike In, Run out--It didn't look as complicated as I made it out to be
in my head.
A month later, I had traded my hybrid for a road bike and we were
trekking to Fishers, Ind. for my first tri... our first triathlon
together. Realizing that the transition wasn't rocket science and that
the bike ride wasn't nearly as scary as I thought, I was smitten with
triathlon and with the boy from Illinois (who DNF'd the hard way-in the
ER!)
Despite his separated shoulder and bruised ego, we headed into 2009
with gusto and a packed schedule. Early season indoor tris, a few
sprints and plenty of training time paid off with a first marathon for
him, a 70.3 finish for both of us and a list of forgettable, but
amazing, athletic feats. The biggest reward, however, was a deeper
commitment and truer friendship than either of us had ever known.
Of course, growing as a couple and combining households meant a lot
more than sharing storage space or having someone to carpool with. Matt
has a daughter, Sophie. Sophie is a swimmer. I know this poetically
rounds out our tri relay team, but it's really true.
Committing to and sharing a life with Matt and Sophie has been the
ultimate challenge. In the two and a half years since our adventure
began, we have become a family-a family who trains and competes
together and has a rack of finisher medals and trophies to prove it. We
are also a family who supports and loves each other even when hard
times head our way.
This contest looks for an explanation of my "Why" in this wonderful
world of triathlon. I started because I realized I was finding myself.
I simply loved the mental clarity and the satisfaction of tackling new
challenges. I continue because the me I found is a very happy
triathlete. The me I found is also a very happy person facing
challenges I didn't expect--as a lover, partner, mom and mentor. It
really is wonderful, isn't it?!
Bridgette
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