Reflections: Mariann Torres and Lori Hoover

Mariann at last year's race... 

Mariann Torres

So when I first signed up for the race my main goal was to beat last year's time of 2:11:08 because I did awful on the bike. In January I was in a car accident which left me with some herniated discs in my lower back and lots of pain when I did anything.  Given this turn of events, my goal shifted to just making it through the race. With the help of my chiropractor I was able to manage the pain and train slowly. After driving the course on Saturday I told myself that I did not want to have to dismount to get up the hills and that was the goal I was going to focus on during the race.

Well race day has come and gone and I am happy to say that all 3 goals were achieved!  I made it over the hills without dismounting, I fought through the back pain, never stopping, and made it to the end, and I managed to improve my time by 24 minutes, finishing in 1:47:43!

Lori in blue with Cindy Dickinson and a friend...

Lori  Hoover

First, from the bottom of my heart, I want to thank Dawn Young for giving me the opportunity to get to know the trIBE.  She, after all, is the person last year that pushed me to fulfill a dream I've had for 20 years, to train and complete a triathlon.  If it wasn't for her, I would probably still be saying twenty years from now, "I wish I had.”  I also hope to get to know all the members of the triBE better and spend much more time with this group of amazing women.

Secondly, I knew this was not going to be a better race for me than my previous race, even though I secretly was wishing it would be.  I had not trained as much as I should, and I knew the hills would make me slower.  But I went into it with three goals. 

1.  To not panic when I first entered the water and swim my freestyle strokes the way I know I can.

2.  To not get off my bike. 

3.  To somehow enjoy the run.

 I met all three of those goals.  I actually was smiling inside through most of the race.  For that morning all the stress I've been feeling for the last two years left my body.  I was happy and not thinking about life's challenges.

Lastly, when I got my total time, yes I was disappointed.  It was 10 minutes slower than my previous race and my running, even though never good, was worse than any 3 miles I've run in the last year.  But after thinking about that for a minute or two, here were my thoughts.  I wouldn't change a thing because that day brought me much happiness.  BUT next year, I'm going to train hard and push myself to be the best I can be!

Go triBE!