How It All Began

My Inspiration:

From early days, the only way to calm Tavis was motion so I carried him around in a snuggly at home.  We also walked laps around Whitby in the double stroller with his twin Ethan.  He loved to be outside and constantly moving.  Tav and I continued our walking for a couple years.  We invested in a running stroller and he became my partner and coach.  

I had heard of the Running Room and my husband suggested that since I was enjoying the running so much that maybe I should take one of the running courses offered.  I opted to do the Learn to Run on line because I thought I would be the oldest fatest person at the Running Room.   When I ran with Tavis, he was my heart rate monitor.  I usually ran talking or singing to him so when I got so out of breathe that was no longer possible, I knew it was time to slow down.  Tavis is non verbal but when he was in that running stroller, he never stopped communicating.  He giggled and talked to himself and yelled at me - I like to think he was yelling encouragement to me, especially on hills, and not actually laughing at my efforts.  The best runs were Saturday mornings when we got up and ran to the Marina in Whitby.  We would stop and sit on a bench and I describe to Tavis the lake, the boats at the Marina, birds, anything that I saw. 

When I ran without my son, I was surprised at my speed and distance but I was equally aware of how lonely I was without him.  I missed the squeals when we bounced up over a curb, I missed watching his little shoes kicking in the stroller, I missed telling him about my day, but most of all I missed the smile on his face when we got home and I bent down to pick him up out of the running stroller and would say “good run Tav”.  If it came down to a choice between being alone and running farther and faster or taking it slower with my son, Tavis won hands down every time.  I am no longer able to run with Tavis.  We have been unable to find a running stroller to accommodate his length and let’s face it - he is getting bigger and I am getting older. There are running strollers designed for special needs children but the cost is exorbitant.

I eventually did attend the Running Room in person.  One night they had a speaker come to talk about triathlons - a certain Paul Johnston.  At the conclusion of his talk, he said that he knew that at least one person in our group would do an Ironman - I swear he was looking right at me.  I went home and told Glen about it.  I had always been fascinated by triathlons and especially the amazing store of Rick and Dick Hoyt.  So I signed up for Paul's beginner triathlon classes at the Whitby Rec Centre.  The first night I went over and asked Paul's right hand, Christine Charest-Monty who was also the mother of twins, a year younger than mine, how she found the time to train for a triathlon.  She told me, if you want to do one, you will find the time.

The training was for three months.  I had a mountain bike and no idea how to swim.  The only thing I could do was run but I persevered.

Our try-a-tri was Guelph Lake.  The day of the race it was about 35 degrees in the shade and the try-a-tri started at 2:00 p.m.  I stood on the shore with Paul as he pointed out the bouys and decided I was not going to do the race.  I still think that Paul was just helping me into the water with that friendly shove but I may be wrong.  I used every stroke imagineable in the water and made up some new ones.  Lost my water bottle on the bike since I had no idea how to ride and drink at the same time.  The run was gruesome.  When I crossed the finish line - Paul has video - I was completely purple and had a white ring around my mouth from dehydration.  I cross the finish line and broke into tears when my husband hugged me and I told him I was never doing a triathlon again.  Glen said it might not be a good time to point out that I had already signed up for Paul's Summer Challenge and registered for the sprint in Cobourg.

I did not fare much better at the sprint in Cobourg.  I used a wet suit for the first time.  It was pouring rain, the water was choppy and if I could have wrestled that stupid thing off, I would have and left it at the bottom of the lake.  The kayaker came over to see if I was having an asthma attack.  I wanted to quit so badly but I always do my triathlons with my sons initials painted on my toenails so I ket thinking about my toenails and my Tavis and I kept swimming.  When I got out of the water, I was once again purple and crying.  Paul was an official that day and he came over to me when I was in transition and asked me what was wrong.  He told me to calm down and take it easy on my bike - my new Cannondale which I had got the week before and still had not learned to clip out of.  I jumped on my bike and away I went.  I fell off my bike on one of the hills and walked it but got back on.  In any event, I finished the race.

After my first season doing triathlons it was surprising I ever went back but by then Paul had his hooks in me and I had met my good friends Sue Typert and John Raccovali.  We have since done all our triathlons together including Ironman Lake Placid in 2009. 

I will be on my own for Ironman Texas 2012.  Sue will be there to cheer me on along with my amazing husband Glen who makes it possible for me to do triathlons at all.

I often wonder what would have happened if I have not been at that class at the Running Room and never met Paul.  I would be richer, probably fatter but I would not have met the amazing people that I now I call my friends and witnessed so many incredible stories.