Rebekah Wigton
Rebekah is my older sister, and my longest standing training buddy. I always say that the competitiveness in our family stems from a race my dad put on when we were pretty young. He had us all run a lap around the block and timed us, and then he ran a lap and timed himself. He has kept that paper all these years to prove that at one time he could beat us all. I (and my other siblings) started running by entering a local 5K in Jamestown called the Jack 'O' Lantern jog. One year he told us that whichever one of us had the fastest time, would get a happy meal from McDonalds. I ended up getting the nuggets and lion king toy that year. Bekah and I raced cross country in middle school and our coaches did something similar, they told me if I beat Bekah then they would get me whatever I wanted when we stopped for dinner on the way home. Food must be a pretty huge motivator for me, because that McFlurry tasted extra awesome that night. Now I should mention that my sister is a very talented athlete, and definitely beat me more times than I beat her growing up. She is super tough, she lost a shoe at the beginning of a very cold cross country race one year and still finished second, our coach couldn't even catch her to give her shoe back! I've always said that she has so much natural talent, and she has taught me to tough it out even when it gets hard. When we were in middle school and high school, she used to read all sorts of running books and I still attribute my running form to her running beside, correcting my arm position and telling me to speed up at the top of hills. We went on to run cross country and track in high school and she continued to be a great role model, bringing the whole team together and making practices and meets really fun. She is a really strong upbeat person, and she was able to motivate and excite the team so effortlessly. Once she graduated, she came to a few of my track meets and would run back and forth across the infield to cheer for me on both straightaways. Pretty sure the parents spectating were wondering what this nutcase was doing running back and forth. Once we were in college, she got into Rugby, which is a perfect sport for her, given how tough she is. She would come back from matches with two black eyes and just kind of shrug it off. She did her first tri with me in RI and my favorite memory from that race was when we went to get coffee after. I asked if we should wash our numbers off first and she exclaimed that we shouldn't because they were our badges of honor. She still runs a bit (she injured her knee in Rugby and has to be careful with running) and has done a few tris. She can pick it back up pretty quickly. She follows my racing and is always excited to hear how it went. She lives in London now but we make a point to run together when we are both home in RI. I visited her when she was living in Spain for a year and we made it a point to run along the beach together. We have had many memorable runs together but this one was especially enjoyable. We were running in this beautiful Spanish city along the ocean. A few Italian guys saw us and got down on all fours on the sidewalk yelling "salta, salta!" We hurdled them and they all cheered, we saw them several other times on that run and you would have thought we were running in the finals for the olympics the way they cheered for us. Running was always our way to connect, and find time, amidst the craziness that is our family to chat. We could be in a brutal argument and then we go for a run together and come back completely fine. We have both used running to get past trying moments in our lives and some of our best conversations have been out on the road. It's always one of my favorite parts of going home.
Super swimmers at an early age
Bekah came out for my first half Ironman
at one of my track meets my senior year
heading out for a bike ride together on a family trip
cheering me on through another 70.3
A wintery run in RI on Christmas Day
out for dinner with our parents
Bekah's first triathlon
Adam Towler
When I first met Adam he was singing Irish folk songs on the beach at our high school meet and greet freshmen year. I immediately thought, woah this guy is weird, and we didn't really hang out much freshmen year. He was also on the cross country team, so by sophmore year we had started to chat at practices and meets. He was this goofy, quirky guy from Wyoming that had all these crazy stories, and we shared a mutual love of pie. We started hanging out more and became very close friends. He was a very honest, loyal and caring person. I always felt like he was so much wiser than me. He had a very old soul but was still just very fun and upbeat. I always called him Towler, as did most of the school, I actually blanked one day when he asked me what his first name was. We often ran together outside of practices, talked on the bus about our races (and pie) and ate countless dinners together. Our dinners were pretty funny because I ate really fast (if you don't eat fast in our family's house, you don't eat), and he ate extremely slow. This usually meant that he had to guard his plate from me picking off his french fries once I was done. He got me into Irish music, and one of my favorite songs to this day is "Jonny Jump Up," we listened to it before every race. We both struggled with injuries, so we would ice together after practice, or walk down to the bay to wade in the cold New England water. We stayed in touch when we both went to college and he was always trying to get me to come to Wyoming to get some good altitude training. The last time I talked to Adam was a week or so before he passed away. I was telling him about how I was starting to train for my first marathon. He was so excited about it and was really encouraging. After he passed away, the training for that marathon really helped me to deal with the loss. I ran the marathon for him, and continue to run for him. I often think about him, and another good friend that passed away (Ali) during my training and racing and they inspire me to do my best. His sister and dad also run in his memory and we have grown closer sharing training and racing experiences.
Brian Jastrebsky
I met Brian at running group (Running Etc.) in January of 2010. I didn't know his name for a couple of months but he always wore an orange shirt so I called him "orange shirt guy." He was very outgoing, but we didn't chat very much until the summer. After runs the group went to get beer and pizza down the street. We had many mutual friends and groups of us went to the beach. We often played with a football in the surf and he distinctly remembers me nailing him in the head with it several times (I swear it wasn't on purpose). He asked me to dinner a couple times but I kept putting it off. We were becoming really good friends and I just wasn't sure. I had been in a serious cycling/car accident in 2008 and was nervous about riding on some of the roads. He started doing my long rides with me so that I wouldn't be so nervous. When you ride with someone for 4-5 hours, you get to know them really well. In the fall, I had class and couldn't make it to running group, so he would skip the group run to run with me after class so I wouldn't have to run alone at night in Norfolk. It was after one of these runs that we had our first kiss... It was super awkward, but to his credit he didn't give up and about a month later, right after I finished my first Ironman, he asked me to be his girlfriend, and then his wife at the same Ironman the following year. We still do some of our easier workouts together. We keep it light and fun for the most part, sometimes we chat and laugh, and other times we can run/ride in silence and still enjoy the time together. If we swim together, it usually ends in either a doggy paddle race or a few rounds down the slide at the pool.
Adam after a cross country race
at the semi-formal dance, in his Wyoming cowboy attire
putting us on the senior wall as XC captains
at New Englands for cross country
Sarah and I at the Rock N Roll half marathon
my first marathon for Adam
my first Ironman for Adam
I met Brian at running group (Running Etc.) in January of 2010. I didn't know his name for a couple of months but he always wore an orange shirt so I called him "orange shirt guy." He was very outgoing, but we didn't chat very much until the summer. After runs the group went to get beer and pizza down the street. We had many mutual friends and groups of us went to the beach. We often played with a football in the surf and he distinctly remembers me nailing him in the head with it several times (I swear it wasn't on purpose). He asked me to dinner a couple times but I kept putting it off. We were becoming really good friends and I just wasn't sure. I had been in a serious cycling/car accident in 2008 and was nervous about riding on some of the roads. He started doing my long rides with me so that I wouldn't be so nervous. When you ride with someone for 4-5 hours, you get to know them really well. In the fall, I had class and couldn't make it to running group, so he would skip the group run to run with me after class so I wouldn't have to run alone at night in Norfolk. It was after one of these runs that we had our first kiss... It was super awkward, but to his credit he didn't give up and about a month later, right after I finished my first Ironman, he asked me to be his girlfriend, and then his wife at the same Ironman the following year. We still do some of our easier workouts together. We keep it light and fun for the most part, sometimes we chat and laugh, and other times we can run/ride in silence and still enjoy the time together. If we swim together, it usually ends in either a doggy paddle race or a few rounds down the slide at the pool.
before we were dating, Brian paced me in the Rock n Roll half marathon
asked me to be his girlfriend after my first IM
proposal after IM Florida 2011
racing in Kona for our honeymoon
Meghan Gebke
Meghan has shown me that training doesn't have to be super serious, it can be really fun! I first met Meghan when she was nine months pregnant. She and her husband Clint came out to do an open water swim with Brian and I (we had met Clint at running group). I still give Brian a hard time that a nine month pregnant lady beat him on that swim. I remember thinking she was either crazy or awesome for then going on a short run after the swim. I've had so many runs with Meghan where I've almost had to stop because I'm laughing so hard. I remember one run in particular in the park, it was downpouring like crazy and the trails were flooded. We had long since stopped trying to go around the puddles. It was towards the end of our run so we had gotten a little quieter, but every couple minutes one of us would start giggling at how ridiculous the whole thing was. We've also had runs that we call "therapy runs." If one of us was having a tough time with something we would go out for a run, chat about it, and I always felt better afterwards. There was usually some good natured smack talk with Meghan or her husband Clint leading up to IM Florida 2011 (we were all racing together). I think I remember telling Clint I was going to send him on a scavenger hunt in transition for his running shoes. He was always trying to offer me extra helpings of Meghan's awesome chocolate chip cookies in an attempt to fatten me up. They even traveled to RI with me to do a half IM up there, and then a big group of us all did IM Florida together. Their daughter Lexie was the first kid I got to see grow up from infant to now almost 3 year old. Now Meghan and Clint are getting ready for their second kid and I am going to need to get down to Texas to meet him/her.
Brenda Carawan
We met Brenda through her husband Russ. Russ is a cyclist and had ridden with Brian. He asked Brian if he would pace Brenda in a half marathon. We both met Brenda that morning and headed out to the race. Her and Brian did very well, and finished in the time she had wanted. She is an ultra marathoner, so running a faster half marathon was a little outside her comfort zone. My favorite recounted moment from them was when they were approaching the one hill on the course, a bridge over the inlet. Brenda exclaimed "ugh the brdige!" and Brian replied "you just did a 135 mile race [Badwater] with 5,000 feet of climbing and you're worried about a bridge?!" and Brenda said "actually it was 14,000 feet of climbing." After that race, Brenda and I started doing some long runs together. We both have coaches so there was always the understanding that our workouts might not be the same, but we would do what we could together. We often went to Starbucks to get coffee and chat about running and life. She moved to Texas last year, but we still catch up often on the phone and she makes a point to check in with me before and after races to see how I'm feeling and how it went. We struggle with some similar things so we are always exchanging notes and giving each other some new insight. She puts me in check when I need (in the nicest way possible of course). I remember recently she very nicely, told me I shouldn't be worrying about a certain thing. She later apologized for speaking up, but I said "no! don't be sorry, that's what I needed to hear." Brian and I have paced her for a couple ultramarathons (a 100 miler and a 100K) and it was really cool to see her in her element. One thing she said after one of these races has really stuck with me. She wanted us to all cross the finish line with her (her husband and crew, Brian and I). I asked her why she wanted us to do that, it was sort of her moment and I didn't want to intrude on that. She said, this training/racing that we do takes a village. She pays so much tribute to everyone that has encouraged her, trained with her, crewed for her etc. and I hope that I pay that same type of tribute to those that have helped me along the way. She helps me to remain positive. I remember a race last year that I was was just devastated after. She got coffee with me and told me "that race is going to be the best thing that ever happened to you, because it showed you what you were doing wrong." That helped me to learn from the "bad" races and enjoy the "good" races.
Lexie's first birthday, thought this shirt would be appropriate for her
IM 70.3 Providence (Clint, Meghan, me, Lawrence)
the whole group that did IM Florida, and where we finished among all the finishers
Meghan as one of my bridesmaids
Brenda Carawan
We met Brenda through her husband Russ. Russ is a cyclist and had ridden with Brian. He asked Brian if he would pace Brenda in a half marathon. We both met Brenda that morning and headed out to the race. Her and Brian did very well, and finished in the time she had wanted. She is an ultra marathoner, so running a faster half marathon was a little outside her comfort zone. My favorite recounted moment from them was when they were approaching the one hill on the course, a bridge over the inlet. Brenda exclaimed "ugh the brdige!" and Brian replied "you just did a 135 mile race [Badwater] with 5,000 feet of climbing and you're worried about a bridge?!" and Brenda said "actually it was 14,000 feet of climbing." After that race, Brenda and I started doing some long runs together. We both have coaches so there was always the understanding that our workouts might not be the same, but we would do what we could together. We often went to Starbucks to get coffee and chat about running and life. She moved to Texas last year, but we still catch up often on the phone and she makes a point to check in with me before and after races to see how I'm feeling and how it went. We struggle with some similar things so we are always exchanging notes and giving each other some new insight. She puts me in check when I need (in the nicest way possible of course). I remember recently she very nicely, told me I shouldn't be worrying about a certain thing. She later apologized for speaking up, but I said "no! don't be sorry, that's what I needed to hear." Brian and I have paced her for a couple ultramarathons (a 100 miler and a 100K) and it was really cool to see her in her element. One thing she said after one of these races has really stuck with me. She wanted us to all cross the finish line with her (her husband and crew, Brian and I). I asked her why she wanted us to do that, it was sort of her moment and I didn't want to intrude on that. She said, this training/racing that we do takes a village. She pays so much tribute to everyone that has encouraged her, trained with her, crewed for her etc. and I hope that I pay that same type of tribute to those that have helped me along the way. She helps me to remain positive. I remember a race last year that I was was just devastated after. She got coffee with me and told me "that race is going to be the best thing that ever happened to you, because it showed you what you were doing wrong." That helped me to learn from the "bad" races and enjoy the "good" races.
pacing Brenda for the Graveyard 100 miler
finish of the Graveyard 100 miler (1st overall)
finish of the Graveyard 100K (1st overall)
Michelle
And last but certainly not least (did these in order of when I met them), my biking buddy Michelle. Michelle is a very talented triathlete that is getting back from an injury that put her out for over a year. Since she wasn't able to run at all for a year, we started biking together (met through mutual friends). She has been so great to ride with. I'm not always the easiest person to bike with, because I tend to just want to go my speed. So sometimes we ride next to each other, other times we ride single file. Sometimes if I have intervals during a long ride, she'll ride a little behind and shout words of encouragement and its like I have my own cheerleader on long rides, pretty awesome. Riding with someone for a few hours at a time, you get to talk about a lot of stuff. We talk about anything from training/racing to our pups. She is super positive and really believes in Brian and I, and she also understands the challenges of being a competitive athlete. It has been really cool to see her coming back so strong from such a tough injury. She even recently won her first triathlon back. With her already being a super strong swimmer and runner, now that she has put so much time into the bike, she's going to crush it. I've really enjoyed getting to know her better, and am looking forward to many more awesome bike rides and hopefully some great runs and swims as well (if I can keep up!).
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