My First Triathlon by Vicktoria White

Team In Training's Georgia Chapter is thrilled to be taking a team to the HITS Triathlon Series in Naples, FL this coming January! After all, the race came highly recommended by our amazing IronTeam that used the Olympic distance race in Naples as a trial race while training for an Ironman. IronTeam did this race, you say? That sounds intimidating. Well, hear what one of the tri newbies on the team had to say about their experience training for Naples:

One of the hardest and scariest things to do in life is to do something you've never done before.  On the flip side, it can also prove to be the most rewarding.  As an example, who in their right mind would sign up for an Ironman, or ANY triathlon for that matter, who didn't know how to swim? Or even run?! Well, I DID!  And as it turns out, it was one of the best decisions of my life and one that I am very proud to say that I did with Team In Training.

Team In Training has changed my life in many wonderful ways as well as the lives of so many others through the millions of dollars we have been able to raise for cancer research.  It is because of my experience with the TNT cycle program that I gained the confidence to sign up for triathlons not knowing how to swim.  I knew that the coaches would be amazing and they would teach me the skills I needed to succeed.

Race morning of my first triathlon!

My very first triathlon was the HITS Triathlon Series Olympic distance.  I was really nervous going into it because I had never done it before, but the TNT coaches and mentors were there with us every step of the way.  They swam, biked and ran with us, making sure each participant made it to the finish. What an AMAZING feeling to cross the finish line at my first triathlon!

My team and I after finishing the HITS Naples Olympic distance tri.

I couldn't be more excited to go back to compete in the this HITS race in Naples again with TNT and to now be mentoring! As a newbie triathlete I know it's doable, and based on my more experienced teammates from last year that loved the race I know it's a good one for seasoned triathletes as well.

Wait, you still haven't sign up yet?  Here are some facts/highlights that will maybe change your mind and, hopefully, convince you to join us!

• I honestly COULD NOT swim.  In fact, when I did finally make it to the end of the 25 yard pool (after stopping to hold onto the side), I thought I was going to have a heart attack. The coaches never skipped a beat though! They were always positive, encouraging, and reassuring me that I could do it.
• I had only been swimming for 4.5 months before my first triathlon in Naples.
• I had a GREAT swim in Naples! Now, I wasn't speedy Gonzales, but I did good!
• Who doesn't want to go to beautiful Naples in January when it is so cold here in Atlanta?!
• Not only do you get to challenge yourself but you get to raise money for an organization that is saving lives.  That should be reason enough.  

I hope you'll join us! You can do that here. GO TEAM!

Team Purple Spotlight: TNT staff, Amanda Yancey, trains for a cure!

Amanda Yancey is a warrior for LLS both on and off the clock. Not only is she a Team In Training Campaign Manager, but she has now signed up to complete her second TNT event as a participant – talk about practicing what she preaches! Amanda is currently training for the ELEVEN Lake Oconee Olympic distance triathlon taking place in May, her first ever triathlon. We recently caught up with Amanda amidst all of her swimming, biking, and running to learn more about her commitment to LLS.

What is your athletic background? Have you ever done one of these events before?

I completed my first ever endurance event as a TNT participant last June by doing the Mayor’s Marathon in Anchorage, AK. It was quite a challenge but extremely rewarding.

Have you ever fundraised before? Are you nervous?

I first got involved with LLS when I joined Light The Night in 2009 to honor my best friend, Megan, an AML survivor. Since then I have raised over $8,000 for LLS and have a personal goal to hit $10,000 this season by completing the ELEVEN Lake Oconee Triathlon.

What motivated you to sign up?

The mission. Ultimately, the LLS mission to cure all blood cancers and to improve the quality of life for our patients and their families continues to be my number one motivation. I have witnessed how destructive blood cancer is and I want to do my part in the fight for a CURE. A friend from college and Lymphoma survivor, Jason, also motivated me to sign up this season. This training challenge is nothing compared to the chemo, radiation and treatment side effects that he has endured along the way.

How long have you been with LLS?

2 years this month!

What is your favorite aspect of being a TNT participant?

Being on staff with Team In Training, I have the opportunity to work with amazing volunteers and blood cancer survivors that continuously dedicate their time and energy to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. I love having the opportunity to be a fellow teammate and to train by their side towards the same great cause.

What are your goals for the season?

To cross the finish line in this Olympic triathlon and to surpass my fundraising goal for the Society!

Way to go Amanda !

Ironman 70.3 Augusta: Deke & Brittany Share Their TNT Experience

Deke Copenhaver is the mayor of Augusta and is set to do his first Team In Training event at the 2010 Ironman 70.3 Augusta. Deke draws his inspiration for TNT from two local boys in Augusta who are both dealing with leukemia.


Brittany Banker, a TNT alumnus since running her first event in 2008, is a cancer survivor and single mom. Now also an assistant coach with the TEAM, Brittany shares her recent Ironman Louisville finish experience.

I'm on the IronTeam! by Katie Aguilar

Katie and her parents after the Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon

This past Monday I called my parents all excited with terrific news….I had joined the TNT IronTeam to train and participate in Ironman Arizona in November, 2011. Not sure if that is the news most parents expect to hear from their daughter, but mine sounded like they were expecting it…and very supportive. They were not, however, as excited as me. I could hear it in their voices: they had a few questions like why?

The why for me is simple…because I know I am ready for the challenge. How do I know? Because my Team In Training family has been there to help me realize what I can do. I joined TEAM with no connection to blood cancers. Throughout training I realized I was amongst an amazing group of people. I was hooked, but hadn’t put everything together yet.

While training for my second marathon with TEAM I learned of a friend, Matt Uday, fighting testicular cancer. I followed his blog; captivated at his optimism, love for life, and firm belief he would beat cancer. As I trained, I thought these things …and I started connecting the dots between my life, Matt Uday, and the amazing people I consider my Team In Training family. I realized that when I train, I feel very much alive and that I am living the example set by the many survivors and fallen heroes.

As I connected the dots, my coaches quietly proved to me that I was capable of running faster, longer and achieving more than I thought possible. I started to believe that I could achieve goals I set for myself. I started to realize these goals add an extra zest and thrill for life. I may not reach all goals I set, but working for them is fantastic!

While training for Ironman 70.3 Augusta with TEAM (my first triathlon) I have been surrounded by many teammates and coaches who are like me…at least they look like me…a “normal” person. On my team there are a few that have done something I have not: Ironman. I started to realize that I too can do Ironman. I was amazed and surprised at this revelation…but it feels right. I am ready.

This is the year of Georgia Chapter’s inaugural IronTeam. I am ready for the challenge…and excited beyond belief. I get to be a part of IronTeam and train for an Ironman! I can think of no better way to train for Ironman then by helping give hope to those who have made my life richer, while training amongst those who have encouraged me to reach higher: my TNT family.

I know that my fabulous TNT coaches Mary and Mike will give me the tools and guidance so that I can succeed at Ironman. I know that my teammates and I will support each other and celebrate many personal and team victories along the way. I know that my teammates and I will continue to give hope to the heroes battling blood cancers. I know that this will be an experience of a life time…and I can’t wait.

Katie Aguilar first joined TNT in May of 2008 to train for the Chicago Marathon. After running three marathons with the TEAM, she is currently training for her first triathlon, the ESi Ironman 70.3 Augusta. Katie will begin training for the 2011 Ironman Arizona with TNT in January of 2011. (Blog post originally posted to www.ironteamgeorgia.blogspot.com.)

Rose's Quest to Reach $80K Before Her 80th Birthday by Lori Rasmussen

Can you raise $80,000 for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society by the time you turn 80? You think so? What if you were 79? Could you do it then?

If you were Rose Rolfsen, you’d find a way!

In 2003, Rose Rolfsen of Baton Rouge traveled to Florida to watch her youngest daughter, Beth Rolfsen, compete in the St. Anthony’s Triathlon. Beth is a member of the Georgia Chapter of Team In Training and this was her first triathlon. She was learning the ropes of triathlons and was raising money to help fight blood cancer.

In the triathlon world, your age is written on your legs in large black numbers. As Rose watched the race, she was intrigued to see people of all sizes, shapes and ages! "I can do this," she said to herself.

A few years later, to celebrate her 75th birthday, she joined Beth on a triathlon relay team. Beth trained for the swimming and cycling portions and Rose trained for the running/walking portion. They have been doing this event together ever since!

Since her first triathlon, Rose has raised over $50,000 for LLS by canvassing her neighborhood on foot and tapping local business leaders in Baton Rouge. She trains for the event by walking 2 to 3 miles each week day and 5 to 6 miles on the weekend. Once each week, she walks 1 ½ miles to a gym, works out with weights, and then walks home again!

This year, she hatched a bold plan: 80 by 80! In honor of turning 80 this year, she plans to raise an additional $30,000 to make a grand total of $80,000.

Rose is mother of 7 and grandmother of 20! She is active in her community and keeps a schedule that is not for the faint of heart. Since cooking is something she enjoys, she uses that talent each month to feed the 20 residents at Boys Hope/Girls Hope and the 40 residents at the Bishop Ott shelter in Baton Rouge. Once a week, she also helps to serve lunch to 300-400 people at the St. Vincent de Paul Dining Hall. And if that isn’t enough, on Tuesday nights her college-aged grandchildren come to her home with their friends to enjoy a home cooked meal!

When you talk to Rose about her goal, she sounds motivated and confident. According to Beth, once she makes up her mind to do something, she does it! Fortunately for LLS, Rose has made up her mind about this challenge!

Beth Rolfsen is a long time Georgia Chapter TNT alumnus and is also one of our triathlon team coaches. She is currently riding with the cycling team and heading to Lake Tahoe to ride the America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride on June 6th.

Rose Rolfsen has completed five St. Anthony relay triathlons with Beth. She will once again compete with her daughter in the 2011 St. Anthony's triathlon. Help Rose reach her goal of $80,000 by making a donation here.

I Did It! by Angie Prophet

I started my journey with TNT in 2008. I signed up for the San Francisco Nike Women's Marathon weighing in at 340 pounds. I was an athlete in high school and college but I had given up on trying to be healthy when I lost my brother to ALL in 2002. My brother, Bryan, had been a Special Olympian. He competed in swimming, bowling, basketball and track. I could not understand how someone who was an athlete could get so sick. I finally got to a point where I understood that blood cancers can affect anyone at anytime. So I decided that I could do a lot more to honor the memory of my brother and help defeat the disease that had taken him from us.

Initially, I was embarrassed that I had gained so much weight so I didn't go to many group training sessions. I was always competitive and I found out that I couldn't do it anymore. I was afraid that people wouldn't believe in me. I discovered on race weekend that it doesn't matter what you look like and how long it takes you to cross the finish line, people still believed in me. I crossed the finish line and I lost a lot of weight too. I was sad that I hadn't been more involved and I vowed to continue working with TNT.

Last fall, I decided that I was going to try to complete a different event with TNT. I signed up for the Tugaloo triathlon. Then my clumsy ass managed to fall down some stairs and get a bone bruise on my left knee. No race for me.

Finally, this spring my leg was healed and I had lost over 100 pounds. So I decided to sign up for the St. Anthony's triathlon. I'm so glad I did. The whole experience was amazing. Again, I feel like I didn't take full of advantage of all the training sessions, but my life had gotten crazy busy with graduating from law school, applying to take the bar, teaching an after school program, etc.
I learned how to swim, change a tire and put on a wetsuit (things that I never knew would be so difficult). I was still really slow, but definitely faster than I was 100 pounds ago. I made it to race weekend and felt like I was truly ready to race. I made it through a shortened swim, the bike and finally run. I got a nasty sunburn, but I finished the race. It was bittersweet crossing the finish line. I knew that this was a great accomplishment, but yet the one person I wanted to share it with the most was not there.

I think my favorite part of the whole experience was running the last mile and hearing the cheers and seeing everyone who had stayed around to watch my slow ass come back in. I have to take the bar exam this summer and I wish I could have all of you come and cheer me through that too. I will be back soon for another triathlon with Team In Training.

Angie Prophet just completed the 2010 St. Anthony's Triathlon with Team In Training. Thanks Angie for sharing your experience and we are so proud of you!

I'm A Triathlete by Natalie Conte

A funny thing happened not long ago. I was ready to head out for lunch with three friends from the office and it was my turn to drive. As we walked to my car I started to justify why someone else would have to drive this time and I’d take the next turn. There wasn’t much to explain really.

I'm a Triathlete.

My friends and family understand now. My vehicle no longer has room for people. It's an outlandishly large gear bag. That day I happened to have my bike and all it's related gear tucked safely inside along with towels, swim gear, a random pair of running shoes, tissues, jacket, rain gear, Powerade, headbands and 3 extra layers of clothes in preparation for whatever weather condition may arise.
I imagine most triathletes have had a similar experience. Whether you consider yourself a triathlete or a triathlete-in-training, you likely can't go a day without your triathlon way of life sneaking into the rest of your lifestyle.

A typical morning in my home goes something like this: It’s early. The sun hasn’t come up yet. I stumble out of bed and immediately brush my teeth. Clothes are setting on the edge of the bathtub waiting for their workout. Change quickly. Pull hair back. Put on watch. Nevermind. I haven’t taken it off in at least 3 days. I never intend to wear it to bed but inevitably it remains. A quick roll-on of the deodorant and I’m off. It doesn’t take me too long to realize that wasn’t deodorant. It was Body Glide. But a little extra Body Glide never hurt anyone. Why?

I’m a Triathlete.

And thank goodness for triathlon friends. Only amongst friends can we speak so eloquently; “How was your brick? Did you bonk? Did you hear I DNF’d? She must have needed more Gu. It was a rough wave. Doing more Fartlek’s may have helped. Maybe he put the Yanks in wrong. She checked the crank right before she hit the wall. T1 was good till he ran into the Clydesdale. Her tube cracked. I told him to use the cooking spray. Let’s eat.”

This is a very selective community. Not just anyone can participate. Some people wouldn’t even dream of it. But anyone can tri.

I’m a Triathlete. And proud.

Natalie Conte has been a TNT alumni since joining the Disney Marathon team in 2003. She has since been a triathlon participant and mentor and is currently coaching the triathlon team for the 2010 St. Anthony's Triathlon.

Man of Iron

An Atlantan turns a cancer diagnosis into a prescription for hope.

When Atlantan Mike Stashak discovered he had mid-stage Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 2007, he had a choice—succumb to despair or cling to his sense of humor. He resolved to do the latter. “When you think about being pickled and microwaved during treatment, sometimes you just have to laugh at yourself,” the 37-year-old marketing consultant and entrepreneur says.

And so he kept a smile on his face throughout chemotherapy and radiation, despite the fact he had to give up his beloved sport of running during the grueling treatment process. Still, he never lost his passion for endurance sports, and in 2009—seven months after he finished chemotherapy—he got a sign it was time he got back in the saddle. “Two friends called me within five minutes of one another saying, ‘Let’s do the Augusta Half Ironman,’” Stashak says.

Though he’d barely resumed his running regimen, Stashak agreed, signing up to train for the race with Team in Training and raise funds for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Georgia Chapter. He says the entire training and racing experience was a hugely cathartic one. “I was training for a dream of mine, raising money for something I feel very strongly about and meeting tons of great people, all with their own set of stories and inspiration,” he says. “It was a great summer.”

Stashak raised a total of $5,800, and he’s now signed on to do the St. Anthony’s Olympic-Distance Triathlon this spring. His long-term goal? Stay in excellent shape and eventually raise $100,000 for cancer research. “I think I will be involved with Team in Training for a long time,” he says.

This article appears in the February issue of Competitor Southeast Magazine and is part of the Georgia Multisports Productions 2010 Race Program. Article is published here by permission of Competitor Group LLC.

Team In Training Georgia Chapter is currently recruiting for the Tri Latta Triathlon in Charlotte, NC on June 13, 2010 and the Chattanooga Waterfront Triathlon on july 11, 2010. Call the TNT Staff for more information, (404) 720-7842.

TRI Something New by Joanna Berentsen

Hey TNT Alums!

We’re heading into another AWESOME summer season, and I wanted to throw an idea out to you: TRI something new. That’s right. No spell check necessary. TRI something new!!!

So, you’ve done 1-20 events with Team In Training, but they’ve been all marathons. Or a marathon and a cycle event. Or a marathon and a hike. Or a marathon and an adventure race. But what about a TRI??? Have you ever thought about it?

Yes, Jo, I’ve thought about it, but there are tons of obstacles!

Oh yeah, like what?

Well, I’d have to buy a bike!

While it’s true that a bike is a necessary piece of equipment to complete a tri, you don’t need to have one at the beginning of the season. In fact, we recommend that you don’t go out and buy something! Come to training, meet your team, meet your coaches…and then get introduced to the crazy tri community: a community of folks who have entry level bikes that they are interested in selling, so that they can upgrade to the next greatest thing. You’ll end up with a great bike that can fit any budget.

Okay, so I can get a solid used bike…but I just don’t know if I can get folks to donate again.

As Colonel Potter from the hit TV series M.A.S.H. used to say, “Horsepucky. “ While I recognize that I just severely dated myself, I am willing to take the hit to my ego to make the point. You CAN get people to donate again. Each year I have fundraised for Team In Training has been better than the last. Your donors will see a sense of commitment and consistency from you. And if you’re TRI-ing something new, they’ll be intrigued about your new journey. They want to help you reach your newest and greatest goals.

In addition, while the media likes to tell us about these ‘tough economic times,’ Americans are saving more money now that when the market was booming. And they still want to make a difference in the lives of others. They have it to give. All you have to do is ask…and let them join your journey to find a cure for cancer and have an impact on the lives of others.

Right. I get it. Fundraise early and often, send out letters and emails. Hold events. It’s all doable. But…then there’s the swim…

Ah, the swim. Let’s talk about the swim. Many of you know that I just learned to swim last year. That’s right. As you may know, I almost drown twice (that’s right…once wasn’t enough for me) as a kid. I have been terrified of water my entire life. So last year, to honor my 35th birthday, I promised myself that I wouldn’t be held back by my fears. I joined the tri team…and I learned how to swim. Now, we’ll use the word ‘swim’ loosely in this context, but the point is, I successfully completed three tris last year (and got 4th place in my final tri of the season)…and I made it through the swim due to the excellent coaching provided by Team In Training.

So what’s left? Oh yeah…you need to make the decision to sign up for the Summer season. You’ll have an awesome coaching staff (Lee Amlicke, Sarah Hackler and myself…but don’t worry…Sarah’s teaching you to swim), an amazing team, a fantastic event, a miraculous honored hero (no joke), and you’ll have given yourself and your support community the opportunity to contribute to the fight against cancer. Together, we can all make a difference…just by TRI-ing something new.

Team In Training Georgia Chapter is now recruiting for the Tri Latta in North Carolina on June 13th and the Chattanooga Waterfront Triathlon in Tennessee on July 11th. Contact the TNT staff for details, (404) 720-7842.

Team In Training 2009