My name is Angela, and I live in North Vancouver BC. I am happily married to Greg, and we enjoy pushing ourselves with endurance sports such as marathon running, long distance triathlons and of course, living in North Van.
I have been running for 17 years. It started off innocently with taking a Learn to Run clinic at the Running Room. Once that clinic started, I was afraid to stop, so I moved onto the next level, and took the 10km clinic, with the goal of running the Sun Run. Once again, I found that I was scared to stop, and decided to take my running to the next goal, a half marathon. Around the same time, the Running Room store manager asked me if I would be interested in teaching a Learn to Run clinic. It sounded like fun, and a great way to share my enthusiasm for running with others.
Following my first half marathon in Fall 2001, I upped the ante, and decided to go for the Big Kahuna, the marathon. I took my enthusiasm, and trained hard for the marathon. Approximately six weeks into training, I injured myself with an IT band injury, which threatened my goal of running the 2002 Vancouver Marathon. I persevered through heaps of stretching, massage therapy, and re-evaluating how I was training. I ended up completing the marathon, in 5:10:39, but it was the most amazing experience. It was then, that I realized that I was truly capable of anything I set my mind to.
Following that experience, I was asked again if I would teach the marathon clinic, along with the Learn to Run. So, for 6 1/2 years, I taught the marathon clinic at Running Room. I think with the combination of 3 years of LTR as well as the marathon clinic, I had the fortune of teaching approximately 2000 people how to run. How can you not feel privileged by something like that?
In 2005, I decided up the stakes some more, and sign up for IronMan Canada. Admittedly, I had never seen the IronMan in Penticton, let alone race triathlons. So I gave my friend my details and cheque, and she signed me up for the 2006 IronMan Canada. And then I met Greg, in October 2005. I immediately signed up for swimming lessons, bought my first road bike around Christmas, and then started training at the end of January. Gratefully, Greg took on the challenge of being my "Iron Sherpa" and was fully supportive that first year of my triathlons, and our first year together.
I had so much fun that first year of triathlons. It was a whole new experience in exercises, people, and inner strength. The first IronMan was absolutely awesome. I had never witnessed a race where there was people everywhere, cheering and support from everyone in the community. It was simply unbelievable.
Since then, I continued to run marathons as well as IronMan triathlons. I have successfully completed five IronMans in five years (four IMC's and one IM Couer d'Alene in 2008). I qualified for Boston in February 2010 at the Birch Bay marathon, and am registered for Boston 2011. In November 2010, I successfully completed my 20th marathon (including the IM marathons) at the Seattle marathon.
It's been an awesome decade, and I am thrilled that I have Greg by my side through all of this.
