AFLAC Iron Girl
Triathlon: 1,200 Women Swim, Bike and Run Strong By
Pamela A. Keene
The
sun had barely topped the trees along the shoreline of Lake Lanier
and already women were stretching, jogging in place, swimming and
getting pumped for the three-leg Iron Girl competition.
Grandmothers, cancer survivors, young moms,
professional athletes and just plain average women were among the
1,200 competitors in the second annual AFLAC Iron Girl Triathlon on
Sunday, June 28. Some were there to win; others to better their
previous triathlon times; and still others were just happy to be
part of the event.
This
is my first triathlon and Im really so excited, said Sue Schrager,
48, who lives and works in Duluth. Ive lost about 20 pounds and
Ive been training, so Im ready. Schrager made many new friends
before the race as she enthusiastically warmed up and stretched in
preparation for the grueling event. With one-third a mile to swim,
18 miles to cycle and three miles to run, it would be a long morning
for many of the competitors as the sun became hotter and the
challenges of the event took their toll.
It
was a great course, said one of the early finishers, Kristan
Jacobs, 31, of Atlanta. The 8th grade teacher has done about eight
of these events over the past several years and she completed the
race on Sunday with a finish time of 1:40. The biking was hilly but
fun (they biked from Lake Lanier Islands Resort to Buford Dam and
back), and the run was mostly uphill on the first half so that made
it mostly downhill on the way back, so that was great too. I think I
finished in the top 10 in my age group (30-34).
Fans
lined the start area on the sandy beach at Lake Lanier Islands to
watch the women start the swim leg of the event. For a time, all you
could see was women running toward the water, then swim-capped heads
with goggled eyes making their way parallel to the beach toward
their bicycles. It was a steep walk/run up the hill to the
transition area, where 1,200 bicycles, riding shoes, helmets and dry
T-shirts awaited the swimmers.
After
the 18-mile ride, they were back to the transition area to swap
their cycling shoes for running shoes, their helmets for visors or
ball-caps, and put on a racing number for the final three-mile run.
Many were smiling and waving as the crowds of friends, parents,
sisters, brothers, spouses, children, grandparents and co-workers
cheered them on. You can do it; you go, girl; keep it strong
and steady; and similar encouragements were frequent and loud.
Parents, siblings and cousins flew in from all over the country to
see their daughters compete.
My
legs feel like Jell-O after the bike ride, one runner shared with a
friend along the course as they began their run side by side. Others
looked fresh and ready to go as they strapped on their personalized
racing numbers. Still others were determined to finish, even it if
meant walking those three miles up and down the hills of the resort.
This was the second year the event has been held at
the Islands. The AFLAC Iron Girl Triathlon raises money for cancer
research.
Full information about finish times and participants
is available at
www.aflacirongirl.com.
The
sun had barely topped the trees along the shoreline of Lake Lanier
and already women were stretching, jogging in place, swimming and
getting pumped for the three-leg Iron Girl competition.
This
is my first triathlon and Im really so excited, said Sue Schrager,
48, who lives and works in Duluth. Ive lost about 20 pounds and
Ive been training, so Im ready. Schrager made many new friends
before the race as she enthusiastically warmed up and stretched in
preparation for the grueling event. With one-third a mile to swim,
18 miles to cycle and three miles to run, it would be a long morning
for many of the competitors as the sun became hotter and the
challenges of the event took their toll.
It
was a great course, said one of the early finishers, Kristan
Jacobs, 31, of Atlanta. The 8th grade teacher has done about eight
of these events over the past several years and she completed the
race on Sunday with a finish time of 1:40. The biking was hilly but
fun (they biked from Lake Lanier Islands Resort to Buford Dam and
back), and the run was mostly uphill on the first half so that made
it mostly downhill on the way back, so that was great too. I think I
finished in the top 10 in my age group (30-34).
Fans
lined the start area on the sandy beach at Lake Lanier Islands to
watch the women start the swim leg of the event. For a time, all you
could see was women running toward the water, then swim-capped heads
with goggled eyes making their way parallel to the beach toward
their bicycles. It was a steep walk/run up the hill to the
transition area, where 1,200 bicycles, riding shoes, helmets and dry
T-shirts awaited the swimmers.
After
the 18-mile ride, they were back to the transition area to swap
their cycling shoes for running shoes, their helmets for visors or
ball-caps, and put on a racing number for the final three-mile run.
Many were smiling and waving as the crowds of friends, parents,
sisters, brothers, spouses, children, grandparents and co-workers
cheered them on. You can do it; you go, girl; keep it strong
and steady; and similar encouragements were frequent and loud.
Parents, siblings and cousins flew in from all over the country to
see their daughters compete.
My
legs feel like Jell-O after the bike ride, one runner shared with a
friend along the course as they began their run side by side. Others
looked fresh and ready to go as they strapped on their personalized
racing numbers. Still others were determined to finish, even it if
meant walking those three miles up and down the hills of the resort.
