Musselman
A few pictures from the weekend, full report below.......
Here is me and Brian Rhodes! BFF! (HA HA HA!)
Do you think Brian Rhodes realizes that Erika and I are trying to get this picture with him? We were too afraid to bother him pre race........... maybe a tad obvious?
From the press conference.....
Me laughing hysterically at Brian Rhodes' joke about Smart Water makeing us smart. :-)
Heidi, myself and Erika pre ITU race!
The Musselman Triathlon Festival Weekend (as I have aptly renamed it) has come and gone, and the town of Geneva has returned itself to the quiet town on Seneca Lake. The memories from the weekend are enough to fill our hearts and memories for another year…. and as I reflect on the weekend please know how honored I am to have grown with this race for the past four years. We are so stinkin lucky!
Friday night began with my first ever press conference. As I walked in I realized I was being "sized up" by the ladies… Sarah Groff and Jenna Shoemaker…. and rightly so. There was money on the line and I felt excited to be looked at…. at all! Brian Rhodes and Victor Plata joined us and again, I got the "Who are you?" look. After I introduced myself and they realized I was a nobody, friendly natures poured from these four amazing people.
I was there because I was the first winner of the Musselman 1/2 Ironman. And had it not been for the amazing Kim Loffler in 2006…… today I would still retain the course record at a 4:48! Darn her :-)
Each of us was asked a question and then I got to ask some questions. I asked Brian Rhodes a question about bad luck and how he moves forward from it…. only because I can identify with that sort of thing. He was kind and gracious in his answer. Sarah Groff hails from Cooperstown NY (just a few hours from here) and calls herself a "summer chaser." Jenna Shoemaker is still finding her home, and Victor Plata described how he manages to study law and train at the same time. It was delightful to share conversation and a table with these four great people. Thank you to Jeff Henderson for the opportunity!
Saturday morning brought us the Mini Mussel….. a 500 yard swim / 15 mile bike and 3 mile run that began at the late hour of 10am. The Train-This Team wore matching uniforms for the first time, and it was awesome.
I had a descent swim, but a rocky (literally) exit. I swam slower than my husband by 10 seconds! ARGH! Right away I noticed the stellar swimming field, I especially noticed many 18, 19 and 20 year old girls….. I knew they would not be so strong on the bike and run…. but I thought these girls will be really good in a few years… I need to watch out for them!....... and I came out of the water in a good position. I knew I would be at least a minute behind Train-This Coach Erika Foster…. but I also knew she has become amazingly strong on the bike. At the same time, being her coach….. I knew she had a tough workout week. We were using this race to build her to Military Nationals. Just Tuesday I put her through a grueling track session and Thursday brought cruise intervals on the bike. So I knew she'd be tired. While I wanted to catch her, I wanted to pull a good time out of her as well.
I ended up catching her and she cued me to a girl ahead…. with her name on her butt. As I caught up to her I recognized her ITU style suit, and thought her name was familiar. Her build told me she had one kick but swim / run combination….. so I knew I had to put some time on the bike. I also knew the bike course record was 42 minutes. My goal for this race was to beat that record. And I did.
Onto the run I felt great. I did not feel fast but I felt comfortable and good. With Ironman one week away I felt good about that…. but it would have been nice to have some sprint distance legs.
Lauren passed me before the first mile, and I knew I would not be able to counter…. so I held my pace. I began to see the Train-This tri tops and it brought tears to my eyes. I crossed the line in second…. Julie Rosa from Marietta NY was third (A double Mussel participant) and Coach Erika came in fourth by just a few seconds. Curt nabbed 4th overall himself, over a field almost 1/2 his age.
Later that afternoon we watched the ITU pro race. Our friend Heidi Grimm was racing and the Grimm family was there to support. Sarah Groff won the women's field, on her home turf. The town was fascinated by the multi-looped course and the fanfare was outstanding.
Sunday brought the big race, the 1/2 Ironman. It was the first year I did not race the 1/2 since the beginning of Mussel and it did feel strange. But Train-This dressed up in grass skirts and wigs, and the Ironman Team worked the transition area. We were armed with our bullhorns, cowbells and a giant white hand! They even gave me a walkie talkie.
It was important to me that our Ironman Team and whoever else could, did what they could to support our 1/2 Ironman Team. The Ironman Team is the team that stands in the spotlight, so the 1/2 gang…. this was their day.
The weather was cooler yet windier than previous years. The swim was strangely rough, adding about 4 minutes onto the time for many. The wind on the bike made me nervous for our first timers….. but they all did amazing.
One of our 1/2 Ironman Team members did not finish and I could identify with the heartbreak all too well. The not so funny thing was….. she was fit for this race. She had worked so hard and was READY. She's a type I Diabetic and uses an insulin pump to regulate her sugar. Not only was our nutrition plan solid, but her training was spot on.
In 2004 I won the inaugural Musselman 1/2 Ironman in 4:48. I DNF'd the race as the defending champ in 2005. I know the pain of a DNF. No matter who you are or where you are in the field….. it hurts. It hurts bad. People tell you the niceties….. and you don't want to hear it. You did not finish and it glares at you.
Our athlete was ready. Her husband even stayed with her the entire time. An Ironman finisher himself, he skipped his wave and tied pink streamers to his feet so she could follow him in the swim. The swim was where she would not be able to take nutrition, so he made sure she was there with him. He stayed with her on the bike which brought wind that was too strong. She did not make the bike course cutoff and literally had to be pulled from the course. Through her tears she smiled, and her spirit was down, but in no way broken.
She's an experienced athlete and to say that today was just not her day would be an insult. I cried later that day because I know that disappointment. My advice for a DNF….. cry. Be upset. Allow yourself to grieve. But do not allow it to stop you.
We have set the goal for the Esprit 1/2 Ironman in Sept. It is a closed and looped course, which gives us greater control over her blood sugar and nutrition and pacing. If you know anything about diabetes you know all too well how difficult and unpredictable blood sugar can be. Add a 1/2 Ironman into it and then you've got some challenges.
Our girl was ready and she was fit. And for whatever reason it was not her day (I hate that saying). But we are not stopping there. We are not stopping with that. We will move forward and we will conquer. There is a reason beyond ourselves for something like this. It's not always revealed but I tell you, when she finishes that race in Sept…. we will then understand why. And the victory will be sweeter.
So the Musselman weekend has come and gone. I am so proud of our team (see the homepage for the names of our gang…) and I am so proud of our transition crew. I felt so blessed this weekend. We laughed, we cheered and we even cried.
But that's what this is all about, isn't it? We don't always hit an ace. Sometimes we double fault. That's true off the field as well. In sport it is easier to get back up and go again. In life it isn't always that simple. In many ways sport becomes a metaphor for life. Then in turn life becomes a metaphor for sport.
If you are like me you falter for 2 seasons before finding your stride again. Almost like starting over.
It is these faltering moments that you really and truly appreciate why you do this to begin with. Yes it's nice to be the champion. I love to be the champion. I love to see my name in print in Triathlete Magazine. I love being cheered for by complete strangers. In the few instances I have been asked for an autograph….. it has been my honor. It has made my cry.
That's all the bonus stuff though. The glory is wonderful….. but what is really wonderful are all the moments in between. A common bond with people. Long rides with nothing but wind and snot rockets. Laughing over the silliest of things, uncontrollably.
The runs at 5am in the dark in the winter with people who understand your craving for improvement. Looking at someone and knowing it is time to drop the hammer without a word.
Running down the road in a race, and seeing your husband in your company's uniform, matching yours….. the smile you both wear at and for one another. Knowing you met on these roads, in this sweat, and through the same passion for fitness and competition. Being able to make it work and raise a family. Being able to keep it fun at home and on the field. Running towards each other in a brief moment of glory and feeling just the same as you did on your wedding day. Seeing him hold out his hand waiting for the traditional high five and then slapping hands as you pass one another. Realizing just how lucky you are to have found love in the middle of all of this. And feeling your pace quicken because your husband is always a stroke of good luck.
Which then launches you into the middle of the Ironman. Visualizing the run when you see him standing on the sideline. The skip my heartbeat will take as we make eye contact. The rush of happiness I will feel when I see his smile. The bounce in my step I will feel as we high five. The tremendous pride I will feel as I choose to wear the race number with my last name on it, because there is nothing more special than someone saying to me….. "Are you Curt Eggers' wife?"
Because he knows. He knows and he understands why. He understands why. And that in itself is the greatest gift of all.
Thanks for stopping by.
:-) Mary Eggers
Friday night began with my first ever press conference. As I walked in I realized I was being "sized up" by the ladies… Sarah Groff and Jenna Shoemaker…. and rightly so. There was money on the line and I felt excited to be looked at…. at all! Brian Rhodes and Victor Plata joined us and again, I got the "Who are you?" look. After I introduced myself and they realized I was a nobody, friendly natures poured from these four amazing people.
I was there because I was the first winner of the Musselman 1/2 Ironman. And had it not been for the amazing Kim Loffler in 2006…… today I would still retain the course record at a 4:48! Darn her :-)
Each of us was asked a question and then I got to ask some questions. I asked Brian Rhodes a question about bad luck and how he moves forward from it…. only because I can identify with that sort of thing. He was kind and gracious in his answer. Sarah Groff hails from Cooperstown NY (just a few hours from here) and calls herself a "summer chaser." Jenna Shoemaker is still finding her home, and Victor Plata described how he manages to study law and train at the same time. It was delightful to share conversation and a table with these four great people. Thank you to Jeff Henderson for the opportunity!
Saturday morning brought us the Mini Mussel….. a 500 yard swim / 15 mile bike and 3 mile run that began at the late hour of 10am. The Train-This Team wore matching uniforms for the first time, and it was awesome.
I had a descent swim, but a rocky (literally) exit. I swam slower than my husband by 10 seconds! ARGH! Right away I noticed the stellar swimming field, I especially noticed many 18, 19 and 20 year old girls….. I knew they would not be so strong on the bike and run…. but I thought these girls will be really good in a few years… I need to watch out for them!....... and I came out of the water in a good position. I knew I would be at least a minute behind Train-This Coach Erika Foster…. but I also knew she has become amazingly strong on the bike. At the same time, being her coach….. I knew she had a tough workout week. We were using this race to build her to Military Nationals. Just Tuesday I put her through a grueling track session and Thursday brought cruise intervals on the bike. So I knew she'd be tired. While I wanted to catch her, I wanted to pull a good time out of her as well.
I ended up catching her and she cued me to a girl ahead…. with her name on her butt. As I caught up to her I recognized her ITU style suit, and thought her name was familiar. Her build told me she had one kick but swim / run combination….. so I knew I had to put some time on the bike. I also knew the bike course record was 42 minutes. My goal for this race was to beat that record. And I did.
Onto the run I felt great. I did not feel fast but I felt comfortable and good. With Ironman one week away I felt good about that…. but it would have been nice to have some sprint distance legs.
Lauren passed me before the first mile, and I knew I would not be able to counter…. so I held my pace. I began to see the Train-This tri tops and it brought tears to my eyes. I crossed the line in second…. Julie Rosa from Marietta NY was third (A double Mussel participant) and Coach Erika came in fourth by just a few seconds. Curt nabbed 4th overall himself, over a field almost 1/2 his age.
Later that afternoon we watched the ITU pro race. Our friend Heidi Grimm was racing and the Grimm family was there to support. Sarah Groff won the women's field, on her home turf. The town was fascinated by the multi-looped course and the fanfare was outstanding.
Sunday brought the big race, the 1/2 Ironman. It was the first year I did not race the 1/2 since the beginning of Mussel and it did feel strange. But Train-This dressed up in grass skirts and wigs, and the Ironman Team worked the transition area. We were armed with our bullhorns, cowbells and a giant white hand! They even gave me a walkie talkie.
It was important to me that our Ironman Team and whoever else could, did what they could to support our 1/2 Ironman Team. The Ironman Team is the team that stands in the spotlight, so the 1/2 gang…. this was their day.
The weather was cooler yet windier than previous years. The swim was strangely rough, adding about 4 minutes onto the time for many. The wind on the bike made me nervous for our first timers….. but they all did amazing.
One of our 1/2 Ironman Team members did not finish and I could identify with the heartbreak all too well. The not so funny thing was….. she was fit for this race. She had worked so hard and was READY. She's a type I Diabetic and uses an insulin pump to regulate her sugar. Not only was our nutrition plan solid, but her training was spot on.
In 2004 I won the inaugural Musselman 1/2 Ironman in 4:48. I DNF'd the race as the defending champ in 2005. I know the pain of a DNF. No matter who you are or where you are in the field….. it hurts. It hurts bad. People tell you the niceties….. and you don't want to hear it. You did not finish and it glares at you.
Our athlete was ready. Her husband even stayed with her the entire time. An Ironman finisher himself, he skipped his wave and tied pink streamers to his feet so she could follow him in the swim. The swim was where she would not be able to take nutrition, so he made sure she was there with him. He stayed with her on the bike which brought wind that was too strong. She did not make the bike course cutoff and literally had to be pulled from the course. Through her tears she smiled, and her spirit was down, but in no way broken.
She's an experienced athlete and to say that today was just not her day would be an insult. I cried later that day because I know that disappointment. My advice for a DNF….. cry. Be upset. Allow yourself to grieve. But do not allow it to stop you.
We have set the goal for the Esprit 1/2 Ironman in Sept. It is a closed and looped course, which gives us greater control over her blood sugar and nutrition and pacing. If you know anything about diabetes you know all too well how difficult and unpredictable blood sugar can be. Add a 1/2 Ironman into it and then you've got some challenges.
Our girl was ready and she was fit. And for whatever reason it was not her day (I hate that saying). But we are not stopping there. We are not stopping with that. We will move forward and we will conquer. There is a reason beyond ourselves for something like this. It's not always revealed but I tell you, when she finishes that race in Sept…. we will then understand why. And the victory will be sweeter.
So the Musselman weekend has come and gone. I am so proud of our team (see the homepage for the names of our gang…) and I am so proud of our transition crew. I felt so blessed this weekend. We laughed, we cheered and we even cried.
But that's what this is all about, isn't it? We don't always hit an ace. Sometimes we double fault. That's true off the field as well. In sport it is easier to get back up and go again. In life it isn't always that simple. In many ways sport becomes a metaphor for life. Then in turn life becomes a metaphor for sport.
If you are like me you falter for 2 seasons before finding your stride again. Almost like starting over.
It is these faltering moments that you really and truly appreciate why you do this to begin with. Yes it's nice to be the champion. I love to be the champion. I love to see my name in print in Triathlete Magazine. I love being cheered for by complete strangers. In the few instances I have been asked for an autograph….. it has been my honor. It has made my cry.
That's all the bonus stuff though. The glory is wonderful….. but what is really wonderful are all the moments in between. A common bond with people. Long rides with nothing but wind and snot rockets. Laughing over the silliest of things, uncontrollably.
The runs at 5am in the dark in the winter with people who understand your craving for improvement. Looking at someone and knowing it is time to drop the hammer without a word.
Running down the road in a race, and seeing your husband in your company's uniform, matching yours….. the smile you both wear at and for one another. Knowing you met on these roads, in this sweat, and through the same passion for fitness and competition. Being able to make it work and raise a family. Being able to keep it fun at home and on the field. Running towards each other in a brief moment of glory and feeling just the same as you did on your wedding day. Seeing him hold out his hand waiting for the traditional high five and then slapping hands as you pass one another. Realizing just how lucky you are to have found love in the middle of all of this. And feeling your pace quicken because your husband is always a stroke of good luck.
Which then launches you into the middle of the Ironman. Visualizing the run when you see him standing on the sideline. The skip my heartbeat will take as we make eye contact. The rush of happiness I will feel when I see his smile. The bounce in my step I will feel as we high five. The tremendous pride I will feel as I choose to wear the race number with my last name on it, because there is nothing more special than someone saying to me….. "Are you Curt Eggers' wife?"
Because he knows. He knows and he understands why. He understands why. And that in itself is the greatest gift of all.
Thanks for stopping by.
:-) Mary Eggers
1 comment:
I have done the same "take a picture with someone" while attempting to be discrete about it at the US Open and the tennis pros. Too funny.
Beautifully written, Mary!
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