Mary's Triathlon start

Ken and Mary at Pineman Half Iron Man

In wetsuits at Maysville

Ken made me do it. Ken, my coworker and FP (private joke) and I did the Lexington Urban Challenge last spring and we had fun and got to know each other running 7 miles around downtown Lexington trying to decipher clues. He was training with TNT for the Memphis in May triathlon. So he let me tag along in the TNT training. I had purchased a used bike (GIANT) the year before and had attempted the Lame Duck tri in Georgetown the summer before. I had duck taped the cages so I could plant my feet ON TOP of the pedals. I took a few swim lessons at the Y, because I could not swim. I was lucky that a tri guy named Phillip, who has done Alcatraz and was around training for the Lame Duck helped me with my gears. I have been a runner my whole life, (running from something) so the bike and swim were my worries. I did the swim with a lot of sidestoke! But then my tire blew and I was a DNF for the Lame Duck. Got the t-shirt though!
Later on I bought some clips and shoes for my bike even though I never even attempted to try to clip in! Ken was doing a spin class at the local bike shop (Dodd’s) with the TNT team and invited me. It was a good beginning for me to set my bike on a trainer and get used to clipping in.
Then Ken got me out on the bike and watched me fall. Fall, fall, fall. I would unclip and then fall on the other side! I would not want to get back on and Ken gently but firmly would say “Get back on and try again.” .I did. I completed my first triathlon April ’05 in Versailles at the Heart and Sole Tri. In May of ’05 we ran at the Shakertown 5K on Derby Day, ate brunch in Shakertown and then we went on a 20 plus mile bike ride. Seemed to me like it was 60 plus miles! I fell in Burgin, KY in the middle of town (at their only light) Ken said “Mary – get your wits about you and get back on” and I did. On down the road I encountered my first dog on the bike and I felt so defeated from falling that I just looked at the dog and said “Bite me” and he turned and left me alone. We had so much fun that we are doing our 2nd Annual Shakertown run/brunch/bike on Sat. May 6th, 2006. Then Ken made me do the Maysville Triathlon and we jumped off a barge in the Ohio River for the ½ mile swim! First time in my wetsuit! Then he says “let’s do a Half Iron Man” and guess what – we did! Sept of 2005 we did the Pineman Half Iron Man in Ohio. But a couple of weeks before the actual tri, we went up and rode the 56 mile course in 99 degree weather – and there was no shade! Best part was jumping into the resort's swimming pool in our bike clothes. Now training for my second Half Iron Man because Leigh likes Moose!!