November 2, 2009
Karen R.


Austin and the Longhorn Ironman 70.3 triathlon. Our A race, chosen many months ago and with many shorter races and rehearsals in between. Race organizers welcomed us, supported us, answered countless e-mails on topics special to us, wrote about TeamWILD in the athlete’s guide and most of all put on a great event. As the inaugural event for the team, Austin holds a special spot in this team member’s heart.


WILD Women do and they don’t regret it--from the song Wild Women Do and one which has played over, over, and over again in my head this year. We did this. Yes, Karen L., we did this. She kept repeating this to me at the end of the race between bites of fajitas and again later that night, each time with a huge smile on her face.

Endurance and energy—needed to complete the 70.3 miles. Our training plan and carbs provided what we’d need to complete this event. So did Energizer bunny aka Coach Yoli, everywhere on the course cheering us on.

Supporters—family, friends, Tony, Keith, Ken, Doug, Nicole, Celeste, Yoli, Marcey, and Dr. Matt were all there to cheer us on, build bikes, drive us and our bikes everywhere, fund our efforts and be there when we needed you the most. We love you all, not just our diabetes educator!

Outreach—on the bike, on the run, and sometimes in the swim corral, we were recognized as WILD team members and cheered for. WILD -- the word is out. To women reading this, lurking in cyberspace, wondering can I do what they did? Should I join this fabulous team? Absolutely, and yes, you should.

Mari—This team exists and we are on this team because of her infectious energy. This would not have come together without her. Her vision, commitment, passion, and dedication inspire me to work harder this next year to promote and compete for WILD.

Empowering—Walking somewhere between the 2nd and 3rd lap of the run, I was behind two women and heard one comment, “What a humbling experience today has been.” Humbling, I thought, was not the word I would use to describe the day. At that particular moment I felt so empowered by seeing all my teammates on the course and by remembering all the training and everything else we had accomplished to get to this wonderful day and race.

AWESOME--Countless times I’ve heard this word. We are an AWESOME team of women. Go TeamWILD.

November 1, 2009
Kathy Z.

Dear Friends and Family,

Team WILD ROCKED the Longhorn 70.3 Ironman! As for me, personally, I finished the race in 6 hours and 31 minutes, which is a personal best (easy to say as this was my first triathlon at this distance). For the past year, I’ve had my mind set on racing the Longhorn 70.3 Ironman. I fell asleep playing out the swim, bike, run and transitions in my mind nearly every night. I spent countless hours of training calculating how fast I was going and how fast I would be able to finish the race. All that anticipation and the big weekend did not disappoint!



It is impossible to really explain in words what it is like being a part of Team WILD. We truly were a team and we truly were inspiring life with diabetes along the way. This was not only a race to most of us, but as my teammate, Ramona, pointed out, Team WILD made having diabetes fun. We commiserated over lows and highs (blood sugars) throughout training and especially race day morning. We spend the last year preparing and learning how our individual bodies respond to endurance events along with the guidance of expert coaching from head coach Yoli Casas, swim coach Celeste St. Pierre, and bike coach Nicole Freedman, as well as diabetes management care from diabetes educator, Marcey Robinson and endocrinologist, Matt Corcoran. In the days leading up to the race, we spent time with our staff reviewing our race day strategy and how we would handle various scenarios.

Not only were we busy preparing ourselves as athletes; we were also busy promoting our cause. We held a Team WILD “launch” at the Longhorn Expo, took professional team pictures and spent time in front of the camera of our hired videographer to capture the essence of the team for both recruiting and fundraising purposes.

Race day started with the alarm sounding at 4:30 AM and didn’t end until after 10 PM, following a celebratory dinner and WILD awards ceremony. My particular swim wave started at 8:20 AM; myself along with four other teammates were in the “pearl purple” 30-34 age swim wave. The swim took me 45 minutes to complete. I felt strong, prepared and well coached for the swim. Following the wetsuit stripping (I just like a chance to say ‘wetsuit stripping’), I proceeded to the bike transition.

Overall, I felt good on the bike and completed the loop in just over three hours. Again, I felt well coached, especially with the training in how to climb hills for maximum efficiency. My blood sugar was aggressively climbing throughout the first half of the bike, likely from all the adrenaline of the race. I didn’t end up fueling as much as I should have and ended up bonking around mile 52. For me, bonking does not mean stopping, but just feeling very icky. Now I know to just give insulin and keep fueling despite my blood sugar, but live and learn.

My blood sugar did finally start coming down at the end of the bike route, and I knew it would be difficult to keep it high enough on the run. I decreased my insulin pump basal rate from 70% to 65 % at the transition to the run and basically drank Gatorade at almost every water station. Overall, I ingested about 300 grams of carbs during the race. My very favorite 15 grams of carbs came in the form of an ice-pop given out on the first loop of the run (Berta and my brother, Andy, know how important ice-pops are to me). The run took me 2 ½ hours (a bit longer that I hoped) and it was a three-loop course. The first loop felt the worst, probably due to my low energy at the end of the bike. During loops two and three I was able to keep jogging and focus on the finish…as evidenced by the vast majority of my race pictures where I was looking down and not smiling.

Here are some of the highlights of the entire event for me:

*Experiencing the calming energy of my two favorite doctors: a phone call to my brother, Andy, and standing next to Dr. Matt prior to the start

*Seeing Berta and cousin, Laura, sprinting along the swim-bike transition to capture pictures

*Hearing Yoli’s cow bell and booming voice above all the crowd

*Seeing Linda (Berta’s mom) cheering along side of bike coach, Nicole, just after getting on the bike

*Hearing Nicole yell, “FOCUS!” from the driver’s seat of an SUV along the bike course while videographer, Keith, taped from the passenger side. I believe she also yelled other encouraging things, but FOCUS really stuck out to me.

*Yelling, “Go WILD!” at my teammate along the coarse, at least when I had the energy to do so

*Running through the Team WILD tailgating area three times and hearing our rock star WILD fans

*Seeing my favorite shirt of nutritionist, Marcey – “I LOVE CARBS!” and “Love your diabetes educator” on the back while hearing her say, “EAT and DRINK!”

*Learning that Celeste (who also competed in the event) got third in her age group and qualified for Nationals

*Watching teammates cross the finish line…or even tap dance, in the case of Jennifer Smith

*Seeing pure joy on the face of team founder, Mari Ruddy, as she watched her dream come true before our very eyes…a team of 20 women, most of whom have diabetes, cross the 70.3 finish line

Mari and team, now we have indeed done something! WILD fans and friends, you were instrumental in helping us. Thanks a thousand times over for your support. The WILD adventure has just begun…

As always, Peace, Love and Insulin,
Kathy Ziegert

October 28, 2009
Jennifer S.

I DID IT!!! I can’t even explain how it felt to cross the finish line with 70.3 miles under my belt (feet, arms, etc.)!! But, I can personally explain what it took to get to this fantastic finish line. A combination of People, Places and Things!

People: Like most people, when I am invited to do something or encouraged to try something I usually grab the opportunity. Such is the case with my decision to join this fantastic group of women. I met Mari, our team founder at DTC last September ’08 and by the end of the week was convinced I could swim/bike and run 70.3 miles with the support of a team. Not only were my teammates priceless in my journey and on the course on Sunday, but also the expertise of our medical and coaching staff went above and beyond. I can’t imagine how many miles Yoli put on her feet on Sunday as she cheered for each of us on each lap of the run, or Matt who was out there making sure we had checked our BG and were OK. Behind the scenes are the often-unmentioned type 3’s - supportive family and friends who make our journey in life with Diabetes manageable. We had the best…THE BEST.. supporters on Sunday. No one else’s compared!

Places: Every journey starts somewhere….mine happened to start in Snowmass, CO at Diabetes Training Camp. Rather than continuing to “go it alone” in my diabetes management during exercise, I decided to take the recommendation of one of my clients and attend the camp. I learned so much about diabetes and exercise during this camp, and felt more confident in training for endurance events after returning home.
After meeting Mari at camp and making the decision to join Team WILD, I then attended camp in San Antonio, TX last April. Training was specific for our 70.3 Ironman and included swimming in Decker Lake, biking part of the course (I don’t remember the road having so many gaping cracks) and running part of the course. All essential elements as I look back on this journey.
I also think of my favorite running routes, and bike trails I took while logging the miles to get me to the start line. Thank goodness for the George Washington Parkway trail, the W &OD trail, Capital Crescent Trail and yes, those virtual trails when the weather outside didn’t permit activity and I had to resort to my local gym!
And finally the couch in my house, where I took all the Sunday night team organization calls, was another essential place. Here, via teleconference, we as a team planned not only training strategy and BG/insulin/food strategy, but also how to build our team into an organization that could empower more women in the coming years to join and make a healthful change in their diabetes management.

Things: Along with healthy management come a lot of “things”. BG monitors, test strips, syringes, insulin or pills for blood glucose control, measuring cups, carb counting resources, pumps and supplies, continuous glucose monitors, glucose tablets and on and on! Throw in the swim goggles, bike helmet and shoes, running shoes, heart rate monitors, cadence monitors, hydration and fuel needs of endurance athletes and we should need a small U-Haul truck to follow us on every outdoor adventure we take. But, we figured out how to include and use all of these things while training for and finally competing in this endurance event. Without these things and the technology behind them I wouldn’t have finished the race.

There is absolutely no I in TEAM and there is a reason this is true. All of these people, all the places and all the things used to get me here, were a compilation of a TEAM effort. I couldn’t have done this alone, and frankly, I don’t think I would have finished without the commitment of every team member. We learned so much together and hopefully we can continue to inspire women everywhere to live healthfully with Diabetes.

October 28, 2009
Susan Y.

All events leading up to race day at Longhorn 70.3 were an education for me. As a type 3 supporter, I was a fly on the wall, listening to all the gals talk about their strategies, plan A, then plan B, pre-race plans, checking in with Matt, Celeste, Nicle, Yoli, Marcey about their nutrition, bike/swim strategies, insulin levels, monitors, lancets, sensors, etc. I was feeling a little out of the loop there.

I knew what my race strategy would be - don't go out too fast, pace yourself on the run, drink water at every station, cheer everyone on, don't get cramps. I think out of all of those, I only did two of them - drink water at every station and cheer everyone on. I was so antsy waiting 7 hours (arriving at 5:45AM) before my run leg to start, that I went out too fast on the first loop, then every mile and loop thereafter was progressively slower. Well, duh, isn't that what always happens to me? Note to self - talk to Yoli about pacing strategy...again. Dang, after 15 years of triathlons, you'd think I would get it straight by now.

I was really happy when Sarah Worah needed someone to hold her sensor while she was doing the swim. She was worried about how she was going to get it after the swim. Me, me, me! Let me do something important...which it was for her and I was happy to do so. While waiting in the swim to bike relay exchange pen with Karyn Brown, Sarah's sensor was vibrating so that was making me nervous. Karyn explained what it was doing and that it was nothing to worry about, so I relaxed. Sarah soon came running up the ramp from the swim, I handed her the sensor and off she went on the bike. Yaay, I did my job.

It was fun seeing all the orange/blue Team Wild uniforms along the run course. We would see each other, give thumbs up, high fives, smiles and words of encouragement. This happens all the time at Team CWW events, but there is something more special with Team Wild - it's almost like they have a little secret - diabetes - that they share with each other and no one else. I felt honored to be part of that secret.

It was a great time for me and I'm not going to complain about how my quads were sore the day after and even a little today. It was a humbling experience this past weekend. Being humbled is good, puts you back in your place, but in a good way.

Team Wild, thanks for sharing your experience, pain, friendship and reality with me these past few days. Looking foward to the next event and congratulations to a great accomplishment!

October 27, 2009
Karen L.

Triathlon is an individual sport. I can swim, bike, and run with others, but on race day my performance is all me. There’s tremendous comfort in the fact that others are out there working their butts off, too, but theoretically we are each in our own little pain bubble dealing with our own personal demons.

In the same way, diabetes is an individual disease. Most of the time I’m the only one in a particular group dealing with diabetes, and even if I weren’t, it’s up to me to take care of all of it solo. While people are sympathetic, most don’t get it (and to be fair, I don’t ‘get’ many of their challenges, either), and it makes for an isolating experience.

Sunday’s Longhorn 70.3 race was an amazing day for me in so many ways. The race was a huge personal challenge that I’ve been working on for months. But it was NOT a solo journey. First and foremost there was the big concept of team, and it was powerful and moving. Yes, we had to accomplish each physical feat in the race on our own, but in the same way that a wetsuit helps in the swim, we were buoyed by our amazing coaches and medical staff out there on the course. I kept seeing energizer bunny head coach Yoli on the run course, and surely she must’ve run a comparable distance to us so that she could spot each of us many times. Nicole was yelling from an SUV as she drove our videographer out to get good shots of us grinning through the pain. Celeste set an amazing and focused example as I spotted her coming in to complete her third loop of the run as I was heading out on my first. Marcey seemed to be head cheerleader from the tailgating tent in her pink “I (heart) carbs” t-shirt, yelling out nutrition and hydration tips as we turned to complete each loop. And Matt risked extreme sun exposure to see us twice on each loop, checking to see how our blood sugars were doing and how we were feeling.

Also, our support people. We had partners, parents, siblings, and friends of teammates out there rooting for all of us. Some of our loved ones sacrificed meals to get out on the course and take as many picture of the team as they could. We had Texas connections who helped out our team with race logistics and no doubt suffered cheering-related injuries such as bruised clapping hands and lost voices. Thank you, supporters.

Then there were the other racers. We’d been written up in the Athlete’s Guide that we picked up in our race packets a couple days before the race, so many people had read about us. Because we also had a booth at the race expo, people had seen the news about our team, or perhaps they’d been there when we had our team launch on Saturday. In any case, many, many times out on the course I was cheered on by other racers. “Go WILD!”, or “keep it up, Team WILD!”, I’d hear as I was pedaling hard into a brisk headwind or considering slowing to a walk on my trudging run. Yes, this was an individual event, but so many people were interested in seeing my individual effort become a success, and I loved loved loved that they were willing to take a small bit of the energy that they desperately needed for themselves in this race and spend it on my team. Thank you, racers.

And my teammates. Except for our swim coach Celeste, this was a first 70.3 for each of us, and we entered the race with a certain amount of trepidation. Everyone was so supportive and encouraging to each other, and helped out when there were malfunctioning meters and forgotten snacks to hide in the wetsuit just before the race started. We commiserated on each other’s highs and lows (blood sugars, that is), and when three of us ended up in the medical tent (temporarily!) after the race we had teammates there for support. Because of the way the run course was laid out, I saw most of my teammates at least a couple of times on the run, and it was wonderful to share high fives and status updates. Who couldn’t be spurred on by the infectious smile of JennyS, Ramona’s absolute bald glee, or Lyndsay’s focused determination? Diabetes may be a very individual disease, and triathlon may be an individual sport, but we, as a group, did this. We did it!

So how did the race go? Wonderfully. I was manhandled more than usual in the swim, didn’t like the condition of the roads at some points in the bike, and could’ve done without the 4 visits to the porta-potties (kept well hydrated!). On the other hand, I was grateful we could wear wetsuits, there were a ton of volunteers that made sure every turn was a success on the twisty bike route, and the cold wet towels to wrap around our necks on the run were a lifesaver. There were icky weeds in the lake, icky headwind on the ride, spectacularly slow transition times, and by the end of the race my whole body smelled like feet. And a great swim time for me, really nice weather that could’ve been much much worse, and of course a PR (personal record), as this was my first race at this distance. Not to mention all the fantastic support and encouragement detailed above. I had fun! 7:24:38 worth of fun!

Was it a success? Abso-freaking-lutely. Thank you, Mari, and rock on, Team WILD.

October 23, 2009
Sarah W.

I have just arrived in Austin and the big day is only 3 days away!!! At this point I don’t even know how to describe how I am feeling because there are so many emotions going on at once. I am excited, anxious, nervous, giddy, inpatient, sad, happy, and any other adjective you can think of!

But no matter what happens on Sunday the important thing is what we are doing to reach out to other women with diabetes, the impact we are making, and how far we have come as a team in just a little over a year!

I was talking to my mom on the phone right before I got on the plane this afternoon, and was a little upset. I was bummed that after a year of so much hard work, training, and build-up to all my family and friends that I wasn’t going to complete the entire race (I hurt my hip about a month ago and cannot run). I felt like I wasn’t going to accomplish the goal I had been working towards and that is always disappointing. But then my mom reminded me of the bigger picture. It really isn’t about the actual race, but more about everything we did to get here and the impact we will have on the diabetic community. We are setting an example for women of all ages with diabetes that they can do anything and diabetes does not have to stop them in any way! The year of training has also had more benefit than completing the run in the actual race will ever have. I have learned more about my body, my diabetes, my health and my mental well being than I ever have before. I have overcome so many health obstacles and am the healthiest I have been in years. And that means so much more than the race itself.

So no matter what happens on Sunday, for all of us, it’s the fact that we are all here in Austin to do what has never been done before- 20 women with diabetes coming together and racing in an event together! All while managing diabetes and all the other crap that life throws at you!

I know I will look back on this weekend and be amazed at what we have accomplished as a team, not dwell on the fact that I couldn’t do the run!

October 20, 2009
Mari

This is a letter I wrote to Lance Armstrong a month ago. I sent it to him about eight different ways. I don’t know if he ever got it. I haven’t heard from him. Since it tells the story of the past 5 or 6 years, I have decided to make it an open letter to everyone. Even if Lance doesn’t make it to the race and he doesn’t run that last ½ mile with me, and he doesn’t meet the team, I’ll know that he and all my other heroes helped me and Team WILD get to where we are now. And for that I am grateful.

And, today, October 20th is my 5 year anniversary of being diagnosed with breast cancer. What a journey it has been!


OPEN LETTER TO LANCE ARMSTRONG
September 21, 2009

Dear Lance,
The way you live life, the way you ride the bike, the way you speak about surviving, and the way you push yourself to excellence, these are powerful inspiration. In fact, the way you have inspired me is so potent and so intense, it moved me to action. I want you to know how you have influenced me and what action I have taken because of you. This is a long letter because it’s a long story of how you, without knowing, have been in my life the past 6 years.

At the end of this story, I have three things to ask of you. They are: ONE: if you would be willing to meet my team, TWO: if you have any ideas for how we might better promote ourselves and THREE: the request near and dear to my heart, if you might come run the last half mile of a 70.3 triathlon in Austin with me. Here’s the story.

THE WRISTBAND
It all started in June 2004, when one of my cycling buddies gave me one of the first yellow LiveStrong wristbands. My friend knew I was a huge fan of yours. I wore that bracelet on the Bicycle Tour of Colorado (BTC), a 400 mile ride over 6 days. This was a major accomplishment for me, since the day the ride started, June 26, 2004, was the 23rd anniversary of my diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes at age 16. I rode every mile thinking that if you could ride in the Tour de France as a cancer survivor, I could figure out my diabetes to ride across the mountains of beautiful Colorado. (I know you spend lots of time in Colorado and know what I’m talking about!) The BTC was a successful ride and I was officially hooked on cycling.

That wristband was with me on October 20, 2004, just a few months after the ride across Colorado, when I found out that I had breast cancer. Again, like my life with diabetes, I knew survival was an option. You and others before me had survived with courage. I too could access the strength to face the edge of death. I rode my bike all during chemo. Since it was winter and my balance was compromised, my bike was mounted in my living room, facing a poster of you and the Blue Train riding the Team Time Trial at the Tour de France. Your expression of utter determination in the face of such intensity and voluntary suffering (as the Tour most certainly is!) reminded me I too could find the depth and stamina to endure this moment at the doorway of death. I imagined that I was part of the Blue Train, part of your team. After chemo, I rode my bike to radiation, as Spring had arrived. The daily 8 mile round trip was some of the hardest riding I’ve ever done, but it was worth it to feel the wind, the sun and the spinning pedals healing me.

FIRST TRIATHLON – Celebration of cancer survival
A week after radiation ended, I participated in my first triathlon. It was a Danskin Sprint. I fell in love with the sport. I decided that this was how I wanted to live: in my body and with others choosing life. I started doing more and more events, including Livestrong events, and I began to experience the healing power of recognition of participants who had survived cancer. The celebration: a special shirt or jersey, a Survivor finisher water bottle, yellow roses at the finish line, all the incredible cheering, healed some of the deep pain and suffering of having gone through the cancer treatment, and in my case, survival, process.

WHAT ABOUT DIABETES?
I then did my 10th Tour de Cure ride. Tour de Cure’s are bicycle rides all over the United States put on by the American Diabetes Association to raise money and awareness to stop diabetes. At that 10th ride, I noticed that I had no idea who on the ride had diabetes. And there was no recognition or cheering. Diabetes was something people hid. My father, who was diagnosed with Type 1 when I was one year old, never really told anyone. I did not want to follow that lead. Instead, following the lead of groups like Team Type 1, I realized it was time for me to contribute to changing that silence.

Diabetes is a challenging health condition that must be managed every moment of every day. It is an epidemic and it is killing people at high rates. One of the key management components for diabetes is to exercise, as exercise is one of the best ways to prevent heart disease and other devastating diabetes complications.

FOLLOWING YOUR LEAD! Go Lance!
Taking your lead of recognizing participants with cancer, I approached the Tour de Cure of Colorado and joined their organizing committee and I brought them the Red Rider Recognition program. My training partner Sandria came up with the name and I came up with the recognition elements and philosophy. The foundation of the program is that riders wear cycling jerseys that declare across the back, “I ride with diabetes!” and as others see them on the course, they yell, “Go Red Rider!” in celebration of the dedication and courage it takes to be someone with diabetes who gets out there and exercises and takes charge of their health.

RED RIDERS take the nation by storm
The Red Rider Recognition Program first rolled out at the 2007 Tour de Cure Colorado. In 2008, about 12 Tour de Cure’s did the program. In 2009, over 58 Tour’s did it and 2010 it will be implemented at all 78 Tour’s. In addition, the Step Out for Diabetes Walks are rolling out the Red Strider Recognition Program. As you know, an idea sometimes touches a cord in people and it takes off. The time was right for this idea.

Through the process of launching the Red Riders, I realized I have a special passion for reaching women who are searching for ways to get active but who have diabetes and are hesitant about how to figure it out. I didn’t really start exercising until I was 35, and that was because I was scared of low blood sugar as my father had almost died many times when I was a child from uncontrolled low blood sugar.

CONTROL OF HEALTH – Exercise
Once I did start exercising, I gained tremendous control of my health. I felt better than ever and it’s what helped me survive the challenge of Stage IIa breast cancer. I want all women with diabetes and their close supporters to have a team of peers with whom to share the exercise and wellness journey. I also want them to have access to top of the line coaches and medical staff to show the way about how to get active safely. I want women to have what I desperately needed and wanted when I first started exercising.

Team WILD is born
Thus in November 2008, Team WILD: Women Inspiring Life with Diabetes, was born. Our first team is a 70.3 Triathlon Team. We have 20 women on the team, 15 of whom have Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. With our coaches and staff, we will all come to your town, Austin, Texas, to compete in the Longhorn 70.3 Triathlon on October 25, 2009.

A few things about the 70.3 Team WILD Triathlon Team: We range in age from 25 to 55. We live in 10 different states and Canada. We have 3 coaches, an endocrinologist and a sports nutritionist on staff, and we are officially a project of the non-profit Diabetes Exercise and Sports Association. We had a training camp in April 2009 in San Antonio and we meet twice a month on the phone to discuss training, nutrition, diabetes management and to support one another. Our head coach posts our training schedule on-line and we all track our training for our coaches to review.

Mini PARTNERSHIP??
Lance, I am writing this letter to you now because I’m wondering if you would like to meet us when we come to Austin? I really hope you might like to, since in a fairly direct way, you are why we exist. Simply put, in case it’s not clear from what I’ve written so far, you are one of my heroes. And I am really proud of this first Team WILD team of women – this is the first 70.3 triathlon for ALL OF US! We have worked really hard to get ready to race and we exist to inspire, educate and motivate women to take charge of their health. It would mean the world to me if we could meet you and you could meet us.

What do you think?!

And, going out on a total limb, I just have to tell you, I have a wish that you might come and run the last ½ mile of the 70.3 with me. It would be the absolute coolest thing to cross that finish line with you. I imagine it on every training run I do, it keeps me going. I am fairly certain you can keep up with me!

My mom, who took care of me during my cancer treatments, and I are going to walk the Livestrong 5K on October 24, 2009 in Austin. Beyond launching Team WILD, for me personally, the Livestrong event and the Longhorn 70.3 are to celebrate my 5 year anniversary of being diagnosed with cancer, 28.5 years of living successfully with diabetes, and 44 years of life living every moment as joyfully as possible!

Launch of Team WILD
We are planning a media event for Saturday, October 24 at 2 PM at the Travis County Fair Grounds which is the site of the Longhorn 70.3 Race Expo. This will be the official launch of Team WILD. We are working closely with the race organizers and the Austin chapter of the American Diabetes Association to make this media event a big success. Any ideas you have for how to make this event awesome, would be much appreciated.

Sincerely,

Mari Ruddy
Team WILD Founder & Athlete
Type 1 Diabetes since 1981
Breast Cancer Survivor since 2004

October 20, 2009
Karyn B.

So, this past August I went to a women’s bicycle maintenance clinic at a local bike. They gave us a couple of glasses of wine and then proceeded to show us how to change a tire…. Something that I had NEVER done! All of the sudden, it turned into a contest – I won! I did the fastest tire change (even after that wine)! I felt very confident and cool…. Until……


Yup! Not just a tube flat but a tire BLOW OUT at mile 55 of a 62 mile ride! I got to practice my skills (I put a folded dollar bill between the new tube and the busted tire!) on the trail/road. I made it back with no problems other than going REALLY slowly…
This weekend I did one training ride although with tapering it hardly felt like anything at all. I got about 1.5 miles from my house and saw a guy walking his bicycle down the sidewalk in his bike shorts and bike shoes (no helmet). Of course, I stopped to help! I asked if I could help and he said that it was just a flat… I offered my spare tube and we (as in, I) got to work! He had a tube in his tire that was folded over a few times because it was WAY TOO large for his rim. Hmmm…. He looked very uncomfortable while I got to work and changed that tire and got him back on the road. He said ‘Thanks, how do I repay you?’…. I thought of all kinds of clever responses….
‘Learn how to change a tire and get yourself some tools!’
‘Don’t worry about it, Team WILD is here for ya!’
‘Just tell people the diabetic girl that’s about to do a ½ Ironman helped you out’



Instead……
‘Help the next person that you see that needs help. In a car, on a motorcycle, bicycle, walking, needing change, etc. Just help them.’
I continued on my route and he started walking his bike down the sidewalk again…. I rode out a few miles and turned around to head back home (same route) and saw him about 3 miles from where I had left him with a giant smile on his face (and riding the bike this time)! And I was off to the bike store for another tube and more CO2….
That flat clinic in Texas? I’ll be there…. Never hurts to practice!

October 20, 2009
Ramona

When I signed up for this almost one year ago, I figured by the time race week rolled around, I would be in the best shape of my life. Well, I’m not, and I’m struggling with that. I wish I felt lighter, faster, more agile and more confident. Instead, I’m worried that I won’t finish in 8 hours, or at all for that matter.

I’m trying to remind myself of a couple of important things, though, to temper my glum thoughts. First, from the beginning Team WILD appealed to me for its inclusiveness and mission to inspire. Sometimes the greatest inspiration comes from the person to whom one can most easily relate. For those women who best relate to lean, muscular, tour-de-forces – women who manage to workout 5-6 days per week no matter what – there are some amazing women on the team to choose from! But for women who need someone else – someone who ends up missing more workouts than she’d like to admit and feels as insecure as they do running in spandex – there is me. If by crossing even the STARTING line I can inspire one woman like me to push herself to the limits of her endurance, whatever those may be, then I will be happy.

Second, the magical thing about training with Team WILD has, in fact, very little to do with how I will perform on Sunday. The magic, for me, is in the experience with exercise and diabetes I have shared with my teammates, not only this year, but in the many years before we even met: when we were diagnosed as children, when took dance classes or went to summer camp, when we got our first pumps, and when we figured out what to do with them during our first triathlons. Sharing those experiences, helping each other develop strategies for new experiences, and building confidence and clarity along the way have been the most important outcomes of this experience for me. And those will remain, regardless of when or how I cross the finish line.

October 18, 2009
Karen L.

It’s getting close to race time (one week!). This weekend I am once again amusing my neighbors by practicing transitions in my cul-de-sac. This involves such exciting tasks as shimmying out of my wetsuit in one tiny patch of front grass, hopping on my bike and riding the 1 mile around the circle drive in the neighborhood, and returning to the other tiny patch of front grass (to simulate the two different transition areas we’ll have in Austin!) to leave my bike and change shoes before I head out on a less-than-a-quarter-mile run to the park and back. Multiple times.

Last weekend wasn’t the best for training here in Boulder, as we had some snow. While this might bode well for the upcoming ski season, I didn’t really relish taking the road bike out on slippery roads when the temperature was below 30. I had the opportunity to join friends on a road trip to Moab, UT, where the forecast was 70 and sunny, so I took it. Saturday I did a run along the road to Dead Horse Point:


Sadly, my blood sugar tanked not far into my run, so I was battling that for the rest of the workout. Nice distracting scenery, though.

Today I did a brick (bike, then run) with a friend from my local training group who’s also doing a half-Ironman next weekend (one week!). We practiced changing tires at the end of the brick. I was having some serious difficulty putting the final part of my tire in the bead until she lent me her Crank Brothers Speed Lever: it’s like magic! I went out and bought one this afternoon. You can find a review of this fine lever and some pictures of it in use at http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/001005.php


Note: tire lever picture and Dead Horse Point picture are not on the same scale!

Since the race is so close (one week!) we’ve all begun to taper in our training program. Interesting things happen in taper time, I’ve found. New aches and pains appear where there were none before, and then disappear just as randomly. I feel alternately energized and sluggish, and wonder if I’ve done enough training. But I have; essentially, whatever we’ve already done will have to be enough!

Did I mention: one week!

We’re just about there, Team WILD!!

October 18, 2009
Kathleen

I didn’t get to swim and run with my local group today (boo hoo!) so I went out on my own for a 6 mile run. Well, not completely alone. If you read my last blog you know, Cat Stevens is always with me. I can usually count on him to keep me going but today I was feeling blah, maybe a little lonely and definitely anxious to get to Texas. My mind starts wandering and I loose focus. I start thinking about blood sugars and blisters. Once I head down that path, not much can bring me back.

10 minutes into my run I see women….running….everywhere. 20,000 women are running the San Francisco Women’s Nike Marathon today. At first I think this is going to be bad for me. There won’t be room for me to run my regular route in Golden Gate Park. Like I said, my focus was zilch and I was looking for an excuse not to run.

Then, in a sea of women I notice one gal with a familiar body language. She is walking fast and her left hand is squeezing a finger on her right. Her shoulders, back and face are all working this “finger”. She is checking her blood sugar and she’s got one of those tough fingers that won’t cooperate and give her enough blood for a quick blood sugar check. I laugh, I’ve so been there. Then I see another woman with a sign that indicates these women I’m watching will finish the marathon in 6-7 hours and this was the halfway mark.

WOW! I realize that if I were doing a marathon, these would be the women I would be running with. I wanted to shout out to the woman checking her blood sugar, “Women with Diabetes Rock!!!!” but I already lost sight of her. I wanted to jump the barricade and join these women on their journey to the finish line but I assumed that would be against some rule and maybe I’d get arrested. That would be bad AND embarrassing. I can see the headline now “Woman with Diabetes chasing down another Woman with Diabetes in Golden Gate Park”.

Instead, I am engulfed by the energy of these woman and the volunteers and spectators cheering them on. I see many support people jumping up and down waving inspirational signs as their “woman” passes them. I see runners with big smiles as volunteers yell out “Let’s go Ladies, Great Job, You Can Do It”. I turn Cat Stevens off (a first!) and continuing running along side these women (from the other side of the barricade).

I imagine that the cheers are for me. I feel my feet moving just a lit bit faster as I listen to “Celebration” by Kool and the Gang blasting through speakers larger than my kitchen. I imagine I’m in Texas and I’ve already finished the swim and the bike and this is the third loop of the run. I feel good. Really good, strong. I look at my watch and I realize that it’s been almost an hour and I’ve done 5 miles. That went fast.

I turn out of the park and away from the marathon route to finish my last mile, alone and in silence (no Cat Stevens). I take several deep deep breaths and think that next week at this exact time I WILL be in Texas doing IT!!!

WOW!

Thanks to all the Nike Women Marathon runners I saw today especially the gal checking her blood sugar! You are a WILD woman and inspired me!!!!!!!!

Personal Trainer, Jamie Atlas posted an article AND video about Team WILD on his awesome Fitness Insights web page. check it out! Big thanks to Jamie for helping get the WILD message out there. Great interview Karyn!!

October 15, 2009
Jennifer A.

During our team call on Sunday, Yoli mentioned how tapering is important as it’s not necessarily what we do now to prepare us for the race next weekend, it’s about the journey we’ve taken to get there. The journey… I thought about that statement and wondered what the journey has entailed. So, I looked through my work-out log… had time to kill since we are tapering. Although we signed up for this journey about a year ago, I didn’t start logging my work-outs until February. The earlier work-outs seem simple compared to what we have done in the past few weeks with our rehearsal, the sprint and Olympic distance triathlons, and ½ marathons.

Below are the approximate miles and hours of work I tallied up since February:


When I signed up, I made the statement, “I know I can do the run, I think I can do the bike, I don’t know about the swim.” Looking at the hours spent on my training, I spent the most hours on the 2 sports I now do the best, biking and swimming. Yes, I said it… swimming. I know I did much more swimming that I should or was in Yoli’s plan. But, I actually found swimming relaxing and a good stress reliever. Who would have thought that I would like swimming so much? I have also come to realize why I now struggle with running. I’ve spent fewer hours on that sport than I should have, whether due to injury or pure dislike. But, I feel I am prepared and up for the race. So today, I say, “I will bike fast, will swim hard, and will finish the run!”

Good luck to all my teammates! Go Team WILD! I can’t wait to see you in Austin!

October 13, 2009
Kathleen

By the time race day arrives it will be more than 15 months since I made the commitment to do a Half Iron Man Triathlon. People ask “How do you handle life with a challenging condition like type 1 diabetes?” My response, “It takes a village” and I am fortunate to have supportive friends, family and coworkers in my life.


As an athlete (that’s right, I said it!!) with type 1 diabetes, “Kathleen’s Village” has expanded greatly to include many more loving, caring, supportive, dedicated friends, neighbors, coworkers, family, coaches and even strangers.

To my Steady Freddies Antoinette, Liv and Martha: Thank you for letting me come to your homes empty handed and plop on your couch while you cook me dinner and serve me wine. Thank you for understanding every time I canceled plans b/c I was too tired from training. Thank you for recognizing how hard this has been for me and telling me that I am an inspiration!

To Dave (Martha’s husband): Thanks for being my biggest cheerleader and lending me your truck so I could do the Santa Cruz Olympic Tri.

To Kari, my longest friend in SF: Thank you calling me back after I called you in complete tears my first night at track. Thank you for telling me that I WILL “get” the “athletic” lingo and not feel like a complete idiot each and every week. Thank you for taking my calls each and every week thereafter to hear all about my new fancy words and that I’ve run a half mile further or ran 10 seconds faster.

To Nicole & Tony: Thank you for opening your home to me the night before my very first sprint triathlon and for driving me over at the crack of dawn. Thank you for being a riding partner, teaching me road etiquette and how to clip in and out of the clipless pedals without falling over, breaking a leg or getting hit by a car. Thank you for your support during a very challenging time for you.

To Colette, my coworker and now dear friend: Thank you for helping ME develop numerous diabetes strategies over the last 15 months. Thank you for letting ME talk about ME so much. Thank you for running with ME at MY pace so I could feel successful. Thank you for being a giving, accepting, supportive and non judgmental person.

To my amazing boss and coworkers Steve, Veronica, Jeanne, Kathy, Mary, and Nicole: Thank you for your genuine interest in my athletic endeavors. Ok, what I really mean to say is: Thank you stopping what you were doing at your desk to listen to me talk about my latest athletic achievement and my various diabetes challenges and successes. Thank you for making me feel that life really does revolve around me.

To Becca, my diabetes “Lil’ Sister”: Thank you for joining me on this journey that started in March 2008 at the Diabetes Training Camp . You have been and continue to be there with me every stroke, every mile, every step of the way, especially when I cross the finish line on 10/25!

To Vicky Morse, my new friend from the Golden Gate Triathlon Club (www.ggtc.org ): Thank you for your encouraging words my first night at track, “Every journey starts with the first step”.

To Sergio Ruiz, my strength trainer (www.sfbodymatrix.com): Thank you for your commitment to help me achieve my goals even though I was cursing you under my breath during every squat, lunge, jump rope, push up and dozens of other exercises that I will never remember the names for.

To Neil Fraser (no relation), my local triathlon coach (www.trimorefitness.com): Thank you for knowing when to push me hard and when to tell others to leave me be while I’m dealing with diabetes stuff. Thanks for always “checking in” and having my back. Thank you for acknowledging my challenges b/c only then could I overcome them. Thank you for believing in me b/c only then could I start believing in myself.

To Fran Vogel, my parents oldest and dearest friend: Thank you for taking me to San Anselmo to that very specific athletic store so I could purchase the new “no blister” sneakers. I will be wearing them on race day and thinking of you!

To my sister Patti: Thank you for coming to Texas!! I knew I could count on you! I so wish Mommy and Daddy were here!!

I wish I could personally thank everyone b/c there are so many others that have made a difference and inspired me and supported me over the last year. Each person had a role in my success and I would not be where I am today without those mentioned above and countless others, including my fellow WILD Women and our amazing athletic coaches and medical team.

Lastly, I’d like to thank Cat Stevens, the singer, for his Greatest Hits Album. When I say I listened to it on every run, I mean EVERY run, the same album, each and every time I ran, I ran with you!

My favorite song which I find so very appropriate for this time in my life:
“WILD World”

Now when people ask me “How do you live your best Diabetes Life?”

I say: “It takes a WILD World”

Go Team WILD!!!!!!!

October 10, 2009
Mari

Recently I was riding with my Type 3 training pal and fellow team mate, Sandria. It was a ride where she just listened to me and every once in a while she’d ask a probing or clarifying question. After quite some time, she’s a really good listener, which means as you know, I can be a pretty good talker, she said, “I think I have it, our tag line is: Women Who Get It.” It hit me like lightening! YES!! Team WILD is women who get it!

To “get it” what does that mean? When someone gets something, to me it means, understanding, deep understanding. It means empathy, heart connection, deep feeling of relating and a shared sense of purpose in life. We on Team WILD are women who are connected and who get it on at least three important levels.

The first level on which we get it is that expert coaching is where it’s at. We are women who are embracing an athletic lifestyle, and athletes, whether expert or novice, have coaches. And not just any coaches. Nope, we deserve and have amazing, dedicated, passionate, smart coaches. We have some of the best in the world coaching us. And why not?! May as well learn from the best!

The second level on which we get it is that expert diabetes education is crucial to athletic and wellness success. We are a team of women who have diabetes, and diabetes is a complex condition. One that is highly individual, ever fluxuating, and requires a mind-set of scientific experimentation. Whether new to the condition or if one has lived many, many years with diabetes, those who are most successful over time adopt a positive mental frame of continuous curiosity and flexibility. To assist in this mind-set, we have on our team, experts in exercise, women and diabetes. These experts work with us in a group setting using case study and lecture and they are available for intensive one-on-one support. Our experts help each woman better utilize her at-home diabetes medical support team.

The third and very important level on which we are women who get it, is that we get how important it is for us to be on a supportive and fun team of like-minded women with a goal! Each of our teams is a closed group of women that start together and finish together. This way, the team gets to know one another and support each other along the way. Each team keeps a team blog and each woman agrees to find a way to tell her story and the story of the team in a public way, as our mission with WILD is to start a revolutionary wave of women with diabetes who embrace exercise as a key component to overall health and wellness!



We get it that we will create this wave of well, fit and healthy women, one woman at a time, and one WILD team at a time!

This email came today from our Head Coach, Yoli Casas Just in time, as a few of us are freaking out today!


Next week we start sharpening! YOU ARE READY!! REALLY!

As we get close to the race, we will get nervous. Even feel a bit tired. Wonder if you have done the work. TO THINK ALL OF THIS IS NORMAL!

THE ANSWERS :
It is ok to be nervous: go over your race strategy, do your visualizations.
Feeling tired is normal at THIS stage in your training! you are finally slowing down, you have trained hard and your body needs some good rest and healing from the GREAt workouts! that is why we are going into the sharpening phase now.

REST, REST, REST and sleep more than usual if you have the chance. Drink plenty of water. Maybe some vitamin C here and there.

Are you ready?? YES YOU ARE! ....You have done the work. Go over your notes from the beginning, see where you were last October and see where you are now.

YOU ARE ALL AWESOME !!!

Looking forward to seeing you soon, in Austin.

-Yoli

October 8, 2009
Lyndsay

I am ALWAYS hungry! A year ago I even voiced my excitement on this blog of knowing I would need to be eating more to fuel my body! In the thick of training, I have really noticed my appetite increasing, and not always at the most convenient times! …..

Lately, this has made treating night-time hypoglycemia extra challenging. Not over-treating lows was something that in previous years I had struggled with. To overcome this, I have made sure to have pre-packaged (15-20g carb) items like fruit snacks bedside. I trained myself to stay away from the kitchen when treating lows. Lately, that has gone out the window. When waking up to a night-time low, I can not ignore my ravenous hunger. So I end up eating far beyond 15g of carb, and bolus for extra carbs consumed. Most of the time, it works out!

Last weekend Jennifer Ahn, Jenna Cohrs, and I traveled to Wisconsin for the long rehearsal. We stayed at my in-laws and filled the counter top with our food for our training getaway. Treating the rehearsal like the actual race, I gave myself Levemir the night before and set a temp basal of 10% on my pump. I went to bed with a blood sugar of 145, to wake up at 2am to my sensor alerting me I was low. As I stood up and made my way to the kitchen (I really felt low!), I started with a banana. Then came a cupcake (AMAZINGLY GOOD-thanks Jennifer!)…but it didn’t stop there…then a pretzel dipped in peanut butter… I was in such a zombie-like mode, that I forgot to bolus for the extra 60g+ carb I consumed!
Yikes, needless to say, I did not wake up with an optimal pre-race blood sugar! Lesson learned! I will be eating a snack before going to bed, and will NOT be keeping cupcakes and extra snacks in my hotel room!

The blog for today are random responses given by our WILD women when they found out what swim wave they would be in. Sorry ladies...I had to post...it was just too funny...AND exciting!

"Woo Hoo! Pearl Purple 8:20AM....anyone with me? I know Ramona is!!" Jenny

"Bless you, bless you. I am NOT in the last wave! Really DON’T have to worry about the swim cutoff! People, I am VERY RELIEVED about this! Lorrie, I think Karen R. and Celeste are in your wave." Karen L.

"Haha! I echo Karen's email!!! Wooohooo!!!" Lyndsay

"Okay, this is really exciting. it just got REAL on a whole other level! And the uniforms are coming in this week...wow!" Mari

"You know what I think is funny is that I’m in the oldest women’s wave. I never considered myself old. I really still don’t, but it just cracks me up." Lorrie

"I'm in the Pearl Purple 8:20 Athena group. Thank god it isn't the last group. What was that book, something about 'if I was young again I would wear more purple." Christina

"The fact that I am sandwiched between men a little older and men a little younger is not completely lost on me:)
Wave 5 Fluo Pink 7:45.
Agreed about not being the last wave. This gives me more time for the rest of the race and means that I won't be scooped up on the course in the white pick up truck and driven to the finish line. Even if I'm crawling, I want to finish!!!! Yay!" Kathleen

"Yup, I m in 3! Perfect!" Celeste

"I'm going to draft off of Celeste during the swim. First, I'm going to lasso her with a rope---Texas style and have her pull me along." Lorrie-in response to being with Celeste, our swim coach, in wave 3.

"How crazy is this, I"m already counting back 3 hours and thinking about my pre race meal and I haven't even left San Francisco yet!
For those in Wave 5, let's meet in the Hampton Inn lobby at 4:45am for instant oatmeal!" Kathleen

"Okay, on this one I laughed OUT LOUD!!! The visual is awesome!!!!!! I will think of it while I'm swimming, 2 waves back!!!" Mari-in response to Lorrie's lasso comment

"I am already packed!" Celeste

October 5, 2009
Kathy

A new vegetable has my heart – the kohlrabi, yes, the kohlrabi. In one of my previous blogs, I was singing the praises of corn, but since then, I’ve been re-introduced to kohlrabi. What a glorious food! And what, pretell, is it about the kohlrabi that I hold so dear to my heart? My answer to that is, what isn’t to love? That woody yet sweet, easy to peal, crispy, apple-like spear of goodness is nearly a “free food” for those of use who count carbs.

This isn’t my first time falling in love with the kohlrabi, I remember it from a very distant past, like a gorgeous piece of art that is way out of your price range, but shows up years later in a budget gallery in smaller size print. Please note, I still very much like my corn. But if you have been following any of the Michael Pollen food industry stuff, you will know corn is basically in everything! Kohlrabi is corn-free (as far as I know) a full fledged vegetable, unlike proponent who call corn a “starchy vegetable.”

What does this have to do with the triathlon? Nothing, but it does serve as a very nice distraction for my mind from this monumentous event in 21 DAYS! During the last miles of the triathlon, I’ll try to think about the kohlrabi. If you happen to see me, shouting HEY KOHLRABI is sure to make me smile, as well as make others wonder, “What the heck?” Despite my performance at the race, please don’t throw any kohlrabi at me, but toss them gently my way.

October 4, 2009
Susan Y.

Hi everyone, being new to the team, as a Type 3 Supporter, I'm happy to be able to participate on one of the relay teams. I"m looking forward to Austin in a few weeks, meeting new people, learning what additional preparation is required for those with diabetes. It's bad enough you have to pack your tri gear, bike, wetsuit, shoes, helmet, etc. as part of the normal ritual.

I attended my first TeamWILD conference call last week. The nutritionist and endocrinologist were so supportive and encouraging. Then people started talking about basal-this and bolus-that - what the heck were they talking about? Obviously, it was related to their diabetes so I figured everyone else knew except me. I didn't want to waste precious conference call time so I listened. The next evening, I called Mari to get educated. She explained it in non-technical terms, like she was speaking to one of her students - it was great - and we discussed insulin levels and how exercise affects it. I forget easily so I'm sure I'll need a refresher.

I'm looking forward to meeting everyone soon. It will be a fun time and a learning experience for all of us.

Our fearless leader Mari Ruddy, and fellow teammate Christina Roy were interviewed for Diabetes Forecast online magazine. (Click the logo above for the link)

September 29, 2009
Mari

Like so many of the team, I did the long rehearsal this past Saturday. We did it in conjunction with the CWW tri club women training for the Arizona Ironman. This meant that Yoli and a few other coaches were there for support for the day. I had a race plan and executed it with flexibility and precision, which seems contradictory, but if you are a person with diabetes and an athlete, you know exactly what I’m talking about.

I realized while I was out there swimming 1.33 miles (it was a meter pool), biking 56 miles and running 10 miles, that I absolutely love this sport. Granted I knew that before I embarked for the day, but doing it, feeling it, suffering, and loving it all at once merged into this beautiful realization about why I love it.

It’s because of the continual learning that happens. It’s why I can hardly wait until next season to do it all again, there are so many lessons I’ve learned this season that I am excited to put into place next season. Here are a few of the things I realized and learned this past Saturday that are key for me to remember on race day. And like Ramona said in her blog, what we learn is highly personal. These are my learnings!

Do not take any supplements or vitamins race day (or the day before) I knew this from previous race days, but I forgot. As a result, my stomach hurt in part because of this. Small but important detail. This sport is ALL about the details!





Put body glide on all my seams under my arms and inside my socks. Chafing and blisters are a new thing for me and body glide really works. Thanks Coach Bree for having some available mid-way through the run! I plan to have a stick of the stuff at both our transitions.





I really love having the sensor on the day before and during the race.
With the help of the continuous glucose monitor (the sensor) I did a great job the day before the rehearsal of keeping my blood sugar above 80 mg/dl the full 24 hours before the event. As Marcey, our Sports Dietician, reminded us, it’s important for glycogen stores in the liver to be topped off and fully available on race day, which means any low blood sugars in the 24 hours before the event make a serious dent in those stores. The sensor is a great tool we have available to us.


I am not very social right before, during or immediately after the race. I really like and need to get into my own story, into my own head and body space. My interactions with team mates are best limited to very superficial and upbeat comments and words of encouragement. I tend to smile a lot, but no details. I don’t want to share what’s happening with my blood sugars or discuss my plan of action. And as important, I don’t want to hear the details of what your blood sugar is doing or how your plan is going, that’s your story and I get distracted by those details. And before and during the race the name of the game is FOCUS. Once I’m done and have gotten some food, then I love exchanging our stories.


Carrying two water bottles on the hot run is perfect. I have one water bottle in my fuel belt and one bottle with electrolytes that I carry in the back of my sports bra (thanks Coach Celeste for this hot tip!) With all this extra water available, I can spray myself down and stay cool. This was a key to staying focused during the heat on Saturday.




The coaches and fans on the route really make a difference! I love the cheering and the support and the blast of energy and encouragement that comes as they yell and smile and jump up and down. I can feel it pull me to the finish line! And crossing that finish line is what it’s all about. As Sally Edwards says, “the woman who starts the race is not the same woman who finishes.” I’m excited to see what women we’ll all be at the finish of the Longhorn.