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Rachel
Let’s start at the beginning. Those of you who know me know that my best triathlon sport is also the most useless one- the swim. Combine that with my cycling weakness, and you can probably reason that I am one of the most passed people in any given triathlon. Despite this, I actually don’t mind the triathlon, so much so that I convinced my husband that we had to do a half IM on our first wedding anniversary. After that “success” (well, we finished, and also we’re still married), it was actually Chen’s brilliant idea to get me a book about the Ironman thinking I might just casually do it myself rather than try to peer pressure at least 7 other people into doing it with me. So that’s how we got here!
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Sandi
I love running and I love biking, swimming, however, not so much. I have had a bike for as long as I can remember. Although I can honestly say I was not very good at it. I used to ride with my father and there were several occasions when I was a little too ambitious and had to bail on the hill climbs. It wasn’t until college/grad school when I developed my passion for biking and learned how much I loved hill climbing!
As for running, I wasn’t very good at that either. I ran track in high school, but my main focus was soccer. Again, it wasn’t until grad school that I found out that I really loved to run! I jumped into racing head first and went from a 5k distance straight to a marathon and haven’t looked back since!
I should also mention that my husband and I were running buddies before we started dating. We had more running dates than actual dates. During those days we trained together and competed against each other. He still laughs about how he couldn’t beat me in a race for the first year we dated. Although he is significantly faster than me now, occasionally we will run together for our recovery or fun runs.
Admittedly, I know how to swim. I took lessons as a child but I was held back do to my lack of progress. Gradually, I think I am getting better and faster, but I know this will never be my strong suit. I just hope to get out of the water before the cutoff time WITH functioning hands.
Last thing you should know about me, I am known as one of the "crazy" ones. What do I mean by this? On any given day, if you have a crazy long bike ride or fast run in mind and want a buddy to train with, I’m your gal (provided I don’t have to work and I am injury free).
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Katie
After retiring from synchronized figure skating at the “old” age of 19, I started running as a way to stay active in college. I signed up for my first half marathon on a whim and had no idea what I was doing. I made all the classic rookie mistakes… went out too fast, ate no energy foods, bonked, crawled to the finish and promptly drank an iced coffee. Many years and many half marathons (and 2 marathons) later, I love running but I’m still known to make a rookie mistake every once in a while (half-thon #9 I forgot my shoes and bought new ones the day before… whoops). As for those other two sports… I like cycling, especially casual rides that end at wineries. Swimming… well… I like swimming in the pool, I am a little scared of open water swimming and I am terrified of open water swimming in the ocean. In my first and only triathalon so far, the swim was a bit of a panic filled disaster.
Out of this crazy bunch I get the honorable distinction of being the slowest… by a lot. My biggest fear for the Ironman is not the race itself, but that the rest of the gang will be asleep or on a flight home by the time I stumble across the finish line. Here goes nothing…
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Chen
Chen is not my first name, but everyone calls me by my last name, so Chen it is. I'm probably the most resistant to this whole triathlon idea, mainly because I don't swim or bike. Minor details. I've been a runner for as long as I can remember, with the marathon being my favorite distance (25 completed and counting!). My posts will likely consist of me making fun of myself while I attempt to learn two new sports, with a smattering of other posts covering running, food, and booze (my three main passions in life) thrown in there for good measure. Come along with me while I try not to drown and/or bike straight into traffic!
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Travers
Because Travers waited too long to make a profile, I (Rachel) am doing it for him. (I had to do this for our wedding website, as well.) The photo- when we're on vacation, we run together so I don't get lost. I can assure you, he is REALLY excited to train for an Ironman with his wife!
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Will (Retired)
I'm Will and I've decided to postpone my involvment in ultra endurance sports.
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Matt
I completed my first triathlon in 2008, but then let Chen convince me marathons and running were the way to go and have been running regularly since then. Always one to cave into peer pressure for extreme athletic events, I restarted triathlon training and joined Rachel and Travers in a half ironman last year. Unlike most of the people on this blog in the gorgeous California weather, my training does slow way down in the winter due to the snow -- but only because my beautiful wife (Katie) and I head up to the mountains for our first athletic love - to ski the powder! Combine that with work and life, and I’m not quite sure how I’m going to fit this ironman training in. Luckily, we’ve got the world’s best alarm clock and running buddy – a 45 lb Korean Poongsan (a relative of the huskies) who loves to pounce the bed and go on long trail runs bright and early in the morning.
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Brandon
This is good running form.
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