(USA) From garbage run to Hawaii Ironman Lauren Fithian can't sit still.

October 10, 2000

http://www.pioneerplanet.com/seven-days/2/outdoors/docs/027078.htm

Bruce Brothers

Staff Writer

RECREATION

From garbage run to Hawaii Ironman

Lauren Fithian can't sit still.

" I am utterly hyperactive, " she wrote in a note last week. " I cannot sit

through a movie, even a really exciting one. "

Fithian, a mother of five who lives in Minneapolis, started running four

years ago as an outlet for her energy.

She had played club soccer at the University of Minnesota years ago, but

had dropped physical activity for more than 15 years to work and raise a

family. She became a vegetarian, then a vegan. But something was missing.

One cold, winter day, Fithian felt moved to run the garbage from the house

to the curb.

" We have a long driveway, " she said with a laugh. " It felt really good, so

I tried it again. "

Before long, she had running shoes and had left the driveway behind. But

she kept getting injured, she said, forcing her to cross-train in a

swimming pool and on a bicycle.

A light went on in her head.

" I thought, click: " here is a sport for this.' "

Fithian, 42, who quit practicing law 10 years ago to focus on being a mom,

eventually became a fitness instructor for the Minneapolis YWCA's. As she

got into shape, she ran some local events, then ran a trail marathon on

Catalina Island in California in February, finishing the 26.2 miles in

about 3 hours, 42 minutes. From there, she tried an Olympic-distance

triathlon (1.5-kilometer swim, 40K bike, 10K run) in Australia.

She felt she was ready for an Ironman-distance event in May in California.

Despite her casual attitude toward the competition (``I didn't go there to

go fast or anything, " she said), she qualified for the biggie, the World

Ironman Triathlon next weekend in Kona, Hawaii.

" I spent a lot of time in the two transitions, " she said. ``I was sitting

there, having them put sunscreen on me. "

She estimated she wasted nearly 20 minutes during the changeovers between

the 2.4-mile, swim, the 112-mile bike ride and the 26.2-mile run.

Nevertheless, she finished in 12:10 to win her age group.

And she learned there was a spot reserved in the Hawaii Ironman for the

first-place 40-44 finisher, but there was no time to think it over.

" Somebody told me I had to go (sign up) the next morning or I'd lose my slot. "

She needed to bring insurance information, the race fee and a photo. She

had no picture, she said, ``so I cut up my expired driver's license. "

Since then, Fithian has prepared with single-minded determination.

" I average 28 to 35 hours a week, " she said. " But I count all my fitness

classes. "

She teaches aerobics weight workouts, spinning on bicycles and water

aerobics, and when a class is over, she said, ``I've had a really good

workout. "

Her goal at Hawaii is to shave at least 40 minutes off her time in California.

" I'm definitely ready, " she said. ``I did the one in May on not really any

training. Now, I've actually put in some training time. "

She and her husband, Kyle Mansfield, plan to leave their kids at home and

make a vacation out of their trip to Kona.

" I'm going to have fun, definitely, " Fithian said.

Fithian is one of 1,584 in the field and one of 11 Minnesotans entered.

Although she has a well-defined goal, she says it really doesn't matter how

well she does ``because I have motivated so many people, younger and older,

to get into triathlon and running. . . .

They see that I went from nothing to Hawaii in two seasons, and know they

can do it, too. "

October 10, 2000

Is this lady vegan?

Deborah