Teann is a 29 year old nurse who has been racing and training for 7 years and even though she is relatively young in the sport, she has an impressive triathlon resumé. From 2008 to 2011, Teann could only get better. What seemed like humble beginnings at Coronation triathlon in 2008 - 2009, Teann was a student of the sport and continued to hone her craft. She had great improvements from 1:48 in 2008 (1 km pool swim, 28 km ride and 8 km run) to shaving six minutes off this the following year. Qualifying for the National Age Group team in 2010 was the high point of the season as Teann came back from the disappointment of not qualifying the previous year.
I hope you enjoy getting to know her as much as I did (My comments are in italics):
TDN: What brought you to the sport of triathlon?
Teann: In high school, I swam and ran. It was probably because you didn't have to "make" the team. You could do it because you liked it. Swimming was there because I have always loved swimming.. . I hardly got any training at that time but I always wanted to learn to do butterfly because it looks cool. I wonder what it feels like to do that. In university, I got involved with the tri club. It was a small group and it was just forming. At the time, I was also riding horses and that was my main sport. I decided to do a triathlon in 2004 so I read a book and did Millennium Place triathlon (The book was Triathlon Training Bible - if you need to know). I rented a road bike that was meant for a man (seriously?!?!). It was huge!
That was summer 2004 and on November 28th of that year, my horse had to be put down as he broke his leg. Not even a month later, I bought my first road bike. I needed something. . . .My true love was gone, I had an interest in triathlon and I needed something to consume my time. In learning how to "make a horse dance", I learned to appreciate the technical parts of learning a sport.
TDN: Which, of the three disciplines, would you say is your strength?
Teann: Probably the strongest in running and swimming.
TDN: What is your routine when you are training?
Teann: I like to train in the morning. I like to get it done early and then at night I can relax or go for a little run. I swim 3 times, ride 2 times and run 4 times per week. I don't do weights and I am changing that for this season because it is so important. I tend to do the complementary activities in the off-season like Pilates. Flexibility and strength are so important and I have learned that over time. One other thing that I have learned is nutrition! I have to eat throughout the day instead of having no energy for the second workout of the day.
TDN: What do you think about before you race?
Teann: For the past couple races, before I get in the water, I am always thinking about calm breathing because I know once the race starts that the adrenaline will be going so I just keep thinking "get in a rhythm, get in a rhythm, get in a rhythm. If I let my nerves get to me, then I am panicking. For the past few races, I would think to myself "I can do this" (powerful!).
TDN: And during the race?
Teann: Sometimes I am thinking about stupid things like "Don't miss the buoy!". It is different for each sport: For biking, I have fears so I think: "Don't flat!". For the run, "Get in the zone . . listen to your breathing"
TDN: Why did you decide to go to World Championships?
Teann: Ever since I was young, I wanted to go to the Olympics and in horseback riding, it is very difficult so on my "Bucket List" that desire turned into competing internationally. I wanted to do something that I had to qualify for; something that I earned.
TDN: What was your experience being a National Team member for the 2011 team in Beijing?
Teann: I liked the idea of being part of a team and the team atmosphere. . . It was very cool to race on the Olympic course in Beijing. The way that had the race set-up was great because we went past the grandstand 4 times on the run so every time, there was a huge cheer and you would get all energized which you don't get in a normal race. Opening ceremonies were something out of the Olympics as the Chinese organizers went all out. We felt respected as canadians by all the athletes. You meet really great people. . . there was one gal I met from Vancouver who I trained with the week prior and hopefully, we will see each other again if she comes to Edmonton.
TDN: What was the high point of the Worlds' experience? What was the low point?
Teann: Honestly, the high point was crossing the finish line; it felt so good. . .I did it and it felt like a long journey. I think I put a lot of stress on myself leading up to the race because I didn't qualify the first year. The low point was when I looked at the results! (TriDivas - always hard on ourselves)
TDN: What advice would you give to a 'sister' trying to qualify for the team?
TDN: How do you celebrate your successes?
Teann: Usually, I look forward to a massive meal! Going out with my husband and friends.
TDN: What was your biggest obstacle leading up to Worlds? How did you overcome it?
Teann: Consistency in training. It was hard because you would think that if I missed a workout, you won't have the fitness for race day. You are trying to decide should I push through this or should I take it easy on this day. Because I have suffered from some injuries, it is knowing how far to go and when is it too much.
I don't know if I have ever overcome this. I feel like this is an ongoing challenge. The hard part of doing three sports is that you feel like you are never doing enough.
Well Readers, this was my first attempt at an interview and I really hope that Teann's honesty shone through. She epitomizes the adage that "anything is possible". While I trained beside Teann, I had no doubt that she would be successful due to her commitment to consistency and attention to detail.
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