This Girls Got Goals

For this week's #wcw #whywetri style, I would like to introduce you to my first "Trifriend": Laura Laura and I in 2014 If you are part of a the triathlon community, you know what a trifriend is.  These are the people that you only know because of triathlon, but you feel like you have know them your whole life.  Laura and I were both sponsored by the same company in 2014 and I have been so thankful for that ever since.  We have done roughly a million races together.  We laugh because even when we are both at a race unplanned, we always seem to find each other. Laura is so encouraging, motivating, and caring.  She personifies one of my favorite things about triathlon - the warm, caring, and encouraging environment.  I am so pleased to share her triathlon story, in her words: 1. When was your first tri (or when will it be), and what made you sign up? Big Fish, June 2012 a good friend had encouraged myself and another good friend to sign up. It took one sprint tr

I am traveling this week, with my #wcw for this week.  There are few people in this world that motivate me consistently they way that my best friend does.  So, for my #wcw #whywetri style this week, I would like to introduce you to my best friend, Denise: It is hard for me to put into words what it is about Denise that is so motivating, but I will try. Neither of us were runners when we met.  Neither of us were runners for the first 15 years of our friendship.  Even before we were runners/athletes, she motivated me to be the best me I could be.  Denise has worked hard for everything she has and has had significant hurdles along the way.  She lost both of her parents, in a very close family, way too young.  It would have been so easy to give in to the sad and just go through the motions of life.  Denise knew her parents want more for her.  She made a promise to her Dad that she would keep fighting cancer even after he couldn't anymore.  So she has... she has continued that fi

On the Saturday before race day, I hung out by the course map and sold raffle tickets for a "Coveted Transition Spot" for my fundraising.  I got to talk to lots of athletes about the course and about Women for Tri :-)  It was a gorgeous afternoon and helped me get excited for the race on Sunday I stayed at an Ameriway Inn and Suites in Bad Axe, MI.  They were so nice from the second I checked in to the early morning breakfast they set up for the triathletes that were staying there.  To make it even better, there was a big boy right in the parking lot for my pancake dinner ;-)  I will be staying there again for future Caseville Races!! I got to transition way too early, as usual, and got myself set up.  The water was a little choppier than I had hoped, but not terrible.  It was nice to have extra time to visit with teammates and start to get "race ready."  I was not in my normal "racing" mindset though.  This race was originally planned  as a redemp

For this week's #wcw I would like to introduce you to my teammate and friend Kelly Riegel-Green. Kelly is a fighter!  Kelly will be an Ironman!  Kelly's journey to Ironman is a lot different from many of ours.  Kelly has Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension and Occipital Neuralgia, and recently had a full hysterectomy to remove a tumor that did have cancer.  Kelly is a paratriathlete that has to overcome so much to even make it to the start line of each race!  During the race, she counts on teammates to guide her through each of the events because sometimes her neurological diseases cause partial blindness during the race.   I am so honored to share her story, in her words: 1. When was your first tri (or when will it be), and what made you sign up? I did my first tri as a relay in aug of 2013.  My first solo on was Aug/Sept 2015.  My first tri as a paratriathlete was July 2015 - caseville (99 days after my 8th brain surgery).   At first it just seemed like i