Meet the Team: Lake Placid 2013 – Part 3

Ironman® Lake Placid. It’s mention is enough to make mere mortals quiver in their boots. But for TeamEN, it’s just another run in the park. And swim. And bike. The 2013 Lake Placid is this weekend, and TeamEN is representing huge this year, with nearly 80 members racing one of the premier Ironmans in the world. Now, even though we’ve had record high temps, race day looks to have cloudy skies and some rain in the forecast, with temps only in the 70sF. Not a bad way to spend race day. No matter what the weather, let’s meet the TeamEN members racing Lake Placid this year.

P.S. – There are so many TeamEN members racing this year, we had to split this post into three parts, so please head over to Part 1 and Part 2 to meet the rest of the team!

P.P.S. – Are you going to Ironman® Lake Placid? Then make sure you attend the 10th Annual 4 Keys of Ironman® Execution Lake Placid Talk. It’s free! 

Jason Baldomir

I am from Plattsburgh, NY – a mere hop, skip, and a jump from the Lake Placid race venue. I am a husband to my beautiful wife Chrystal, and father to two amazing boys, Samuel and Jonathan, ages 1 and 5. I started down the triathlon road 6 yrs ago, at the age of 34 after a heart attack put me in the ICU and I decided it was time for some “changes”. It was whilst lying motionless in ICU that I decided I would not only get out of that bed, but complete an Ironman® one day. 6yrs and 60 lbs later, that day is finally here. I have been a diligent student of the sport over the past six years completing many races at various distances and most recently 4 HIMs in the past 24 months. It has been a long road filled with patience and discipline and I plan to carry-over those mantras to my race day execution. My run has been suspect due to some lower leg issues that have bothered me off and on for the better part of the season, but I will finish! Race day goals are simple… Let the race come to me, smile, and finish before the midnight cutoff. Then, for me, there will be final closure to what had become a speed bump in the road of life 6 yrs ago. It has been a real pleasure training with the EN coaches and athletes and I’m psyched to be in your corner cheering you all along on race day from the trenches!

Woody Freese

– Born & raised in upstate NY
– Currently live in Boston – about 400 meters from Fenway Park – the greatest ball park in the world!
– College Administrator at Boston University
– Amazing partner, Sue
– Wonderful Daughter (Keegan) who lives in NY with her mom
– 30th year of doing triathlons
– One of 5-6 athletes who has participated in every Ironman® Lake Placid
– Overall, this will be my 29th Ironman
– Goal? Finish with dignity!
Looking forward to seeing/meeting everyone at the dinner and cheering for all on the course!
– Race hard, but race smart – and in the end, leave it all on the course!

Evan Odim

Evan Odim is a self described fitness junkie.
Whether it’s basketball, soccer, boxing, or triathlons, he simply has to be involved in athletic competition.
Evan was fortunate enough to race along with his friends for Team ReserveAid at Louisville 2011, which he completed in 12:30:44.
Various other races have filled the schedule since then (Patiot Half, American Zofingen, and Rev3 Quassy to name a few) with Lake Placid on the plate for 2013.
His goals are simple: Raise awareness for ReserveAid and finish the race with a smile on his face. Cheering him along is his beautiful wife, Sarah, and his three children, Jamie, Joslyn, and EJ.

“Without struggle, there can be no progress.”

Bridget Pichette

Hi Team – my name is Bridget Pichette. I’m 44 years old and live in Hooksett, NH. I am a working mom with 2 fantastic kids, Kearsten, age 15, and Nathan, age 13. I started doing small triathlons 5 years ago when I decided that I needed to get in shape before being 40+ as well as needed an outlet for my work stress. I signed up for a sprint tri in January, by May decided that I needed to start training and August, I completed the Timberman sprint. I was instantly smitten with the sport. Every year I have added challenges. This year is one of my bucket list items: 1st full Ironman® in Lake Placid. The best thing is that my husband and biggest supporter, Don, will be doing the race with me, it’s also his first. He’s not an EN member, but has always been my training partner, bike mechanic and sometimes, motivational coach (everyone needs a kick once in awhile). It’s been a lot of fun training together for our big day. We are excited to be competing at Lake Placid and are looking forward to meeting the EN team.

Kelly Davis

Hello! I am originally from Michigan, but now live in Carbondale, IL (about five hours south of Chicago). My first triathlon season was in California 2005 where I practically had a panic attack in every ocean swim, so I’m happy to be swimming 2.4 miles in a lake where there aren’t any sharks! My race day goals are pretty simple since my training didn’t go exactly as I’d hoped (that darn LIFE kept getting in the way): enjoy the swim and stay relaxed, go silly easy the whole first loop on the bike, walk every aid station and hills as needed on the run, and finally – finish this race wanting to do another Ironman! Good luck to my fellow Lake Placiders – let’s have a fantastic day!

Stephanie Stevens

This will be IM start number five for me and IM finish number four! I’m from Littleton, CO, and have had an up and down training season with a knee injury and some complications from surgery. But, I think I am ready to go and really excited to go to New York. I have two teenagers and this will be the first time racing an IM without them at the sidelines, so I will need a little crowd support if you see me. My biggest goal is to be able to stay hydrated and with my nutrition under control. Oh….and I want to live in the moment of the day. Excited to meet everyone!

Kar-Ming Lo

Home: Cleveland, Ohio
Years in sport: 16
Background: I was always active growing up but never participated in organized sports. I first trained for triathlon during my intern year if residency. Why? Because a girl dared me to 😉 She didn’t last but the sport did. I am devoted to the healthy lifestyle and enjoy training as much as racing. Given my profession as a Critical Care doctor, I don’t get to do either as much so EN has been a blessing.
Race day goals: Sub 11. There I said it. Now I have to deliver.

Teri Cashmore

I am 45 years old, from Tooele, Utah. I am married with three young kids and lucky to be a stay at home mom. They keep me busy and feeling young. This will be IM #9 and the first one in Lake Placid. I am excited, anxious and a little nervous for this race. Despite a minor set back 10 days before LP (a bike accident) I will be ready to tow the line. I have big goals for this race and will need to make sure I follow my plan and execute it, if I want to be successful. I am excited to have so many ENer’s racing and look forward to meeting everyone.

Kirsten Suprenant

Hi Everyone! I’m Kirsten from Orford, NH which is located just north of Dartmouth College and along the Connecticut River. I have been participating in triathlons since 2005 and you will generally find me at the back of the pack having a great time. This is my first attempt at IM distance and I am nervous and excited as I’ve wanted to give IM a shot for a long time. In addition to participating in triathlons, my husband Tim and I are parents to two great boys, Cameron, who is 15, and Sam, who is 12. I am truly thankful for their unconditional support of my crazy and expensive tri “hobby”.

My Goals for Lake Placid are as follows:
1. Remain calm.
2. Make the bike cutoffs as I am still slow on the bike.
3. Keep running even though I know I’ll be alone and in the dark out on the run course when most folks have already finished.
4. Finish the race and hear Mike Reilly call my name.

David Lusignan

Dave Lusignan, Woodstock, CT

This will be the 4th time I’ve toed the line at IMLP. In 2008, I finished my first IM in 14:13:44 and then asked myself “If I really train for this, I wonder if I could make it to Kona?”. Late June of following year, was when I decided to seriously commit to running by following a disciplined running program that resulted in a 2:57 fall marathon. After spending another season on that, my time dropped to 2:51 and I decided that I was ready to invest in a TT bike and begin pursuing Kona. In 2011, I did a couple 70.3® races and managed to finish both under 5 hours. Decided to benchmark my fitness at Lake Placid in 2012 and finished it in 10:25:49. I had learned of EN just a month prior to that race, but the 4 keys talk and the preparation going into Lake Placid had a significant impact on how I approached nutrition and execution; it was an amazing day for me, especially passing more than 500 cyclists on the 2nd lap because I knew how to ride correctly. With a year of EN workouts in the books, my fitness has never been better and the race rehearsal data is the proof. I’m going into this race with full confidence from the work that was done, the training program, and the execution plan. By the grace of God, I’ll be avoiding the things none of us have full control of (e.g. injury, medical, mechnical) to reach my goal of qualifying for Kona.

In addition to being a member of EN, I also run for the Team Hoyt Boston Marathon Team. I’ve run as a qualified runner the past four years and as a Team Hoyt runner the past two years. Rick and Dick Hoyt are a great source of inspiration and their YES YOU CAN motto resonates with me. As an offshoot of Team Hoyt, I have joined myTeam Triumph – Massachusetts; this group pairs able bodied athletes with the disabled community to particpate in road races and triathlons just like Rick and Dick. Participating in these events is extremely rewarding for me because I get to share the experience of the race with someone else in a very personal way. There are many myTeam Triumph chapters across the country (even a few international) for folks that might want share their running with someone.

I hope all of the Lake Placid crew from EN have a great day and reach their goals!

Best,
-Dave

Josie Hyams

I live in the DC area currently and have been here for about 10 years, but am originally from South Carolina. I’ve been doing the sport for about 3.5 years now and this is my first (and maybe last) Ironman. I’ve done four 70.3’s and have really enjoyed that distance but have really wanted to conquer the Ironman® this year.

My race goal truly is to finish. I don’t have to many other goals beyond that. Finish strong and feel good!

Turby Wright

I’m Turby Wright from Little Silver, NJ. I’ve been doing triathlons for about 9 years, including one Ironman® (IMFL) in 2011. Previously a runner for many years, I’ve decided that the variety of sport in triathlon is much better for my body as I get older! The EN community and coaches have provided great support as well as continued improvement for my wife and I over the past few years. My goals at Lake Placid are to manage the bike course well and finish the marathon with dignity. I am looking forward to seeing all of the ENers in Lake Placid!

Kori Martini

Hi everyone! My name is Kori, and I will be making the trek from Southeast Michigan to take on the challenge of Lake Placid yet again this year! I’ve been participating in triathlons for about 5 years, with Lake Placid being my fourth Ironman-distance event.

I’m lucky enough to have a super supportive hubby, Eric, who helps me squeeze in training around the lives of our 2-year old twins and 3-year old toddler. We both work full time so that is no easy feat!

I’ve been battling a running injury for about six weeks, so I am cautiously optimistic about my race day plans. My goal is to finish as high in my age group as I can.

I’m excited to see all of the EN athletes out on the course!

Nicole Delaney

I’m from Ottawa, where I live with my fabulous hubby and our 2 furkids. This is Ironman® 3 for me, because if Robert Downey Jr. can do it, why can’t I. Lake Placid was my first time at the big show, and I’m looking forward to being back where this crazy business started for me to see what I can do with some experience behind me! See you guys on Main Street!

Dave Couture

Hi team, I am married with 2 beautiful kids who we adopted from Kazakhstan when they were infants. They are now 13, time flies I have been competing in triathlons since 1988 from the urging of my high school English teacher and I have been hooked ever since. This will be my 9th IM and 6th time at Lake Placid. I am hoping to best last years race. I ended up in a ambulance and DNF. I don’t like to give out a goal time, but lets just say if I have a great race and execute then I am going to crush it.

Rob Price

Hi. I am Rob Price and live in Fairfax, Virginia. I am married and have two daughters (9 and 13). IM Lake Placid will be my 2nd IM. (I did IM Coeur d’Alene in 2011.) I have been with EN since 2009.

I began competing in triathlons in 1991 but after four years and a move to Northern California, I took a 14 year hiatus but came back in 2008 (how things changed!) and have been training ever since.

During this time, I have learned that completing an IM is so much more than just about my finish time but instead about how I manage the numerous hours of training around LIFE and how I handle the unexpected challenges that will no doubt present themselves on race day. I look forward to the challenge!

Meet the rest of TeamEN racing at Ironman® Lake Placid!

Part 1 | Part 2

Are you going to Ironman® Lake Placid? Then make sure you attend the 10th Annual 4 Keys of Ironman® Execution Lake Placid Talk. It’s free!