WELCOME to the Mad Manatees! We are all mentors AND "mentorees," which sounds like manatees--hence our name.

IMPORTANT: All experience levels and goals are welcome. We have brand-new triathletes, multiple-Ironman finishers, folks at the highest levels of endurance sport, and everyone in between. Our training philosophies, gear, and methods are similarly varied. What we share is a commitment to health--physical, social, mental, spiritual, nutritional, et-al--and to each other. Every edition of the Manatees (12th season now?) is a very active group. We ask that you frequently check in, be accountable (even just to admit you're procrastinating or overwhelmed), be supportive, and be passionate about wanting health through sport. Keeping up your training log here on BT and having it open to other group members is mandatory. (If you don't know how to do that, we will help you get set up). We know how BT works and how to guide you through its wealth of resources.

AS ALWAYS, ALL FORMER MANATEES ARE WELCOME AT ANY TIME.

I'm TriAya / Yanti (officially the bureaucrat/logistics person). We all offer support/encouragement and whatever relevant informed advice and experience we have. All of us will post a bio.

IF YOU WANT TO JOIN, PLEASE REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE AND THEN PUT UP A BIO AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. Feel free to use a loose format (as mine is in the second post) or whatever you want from the format below.

We believe the journey is the reward, and look forward to having you as a fellow traveler. 

NAME: Your username / first name  

STORY: Who you are, why you want to triathlon, any athletic background/none

FAMILY STATUS: Family situation (single/partnered/family)  

CURRENT TRAINING: If/how you have been training so far

THIS YEAR'S RACES: If any

2013 RACES: If unsure, what kind you're looking at or your training goals

YANTI (TriAya)

Growing up in Indonesia, I swam with the national and high school teams. In the U.S, I coached/competed/won in martial arts at the world level, but after an injury became sedentary and eventually morbidly obese. Fast forward … a student suckered me into doing a charity marathon—then I learned how to ride a bike and picked swimming back up! After 15 years in the States, I've been back in Indonesia for 4 years, mostly on the paradise island of Bali. Triathlon and endurance sports here have exploded in these years and it's been tremendous to be part of that, as a competitor, coach, and organizer.

Family status: I'm 36, strange and single (surely the two aren't related?), have a black Lab smarter than I am and trains the other dog and cats to outsmart me, too. We call it the Funny Farm here. My father passed away recently so I'm spending most of my time with my mom in Jakarta (capital, 1.5hr plane flight from Bali) now, helping her out (she has Alzheimer's) and trying to hold our family business together.

Current training: Build phase of Ironman training (10-15 hrs/wk). 

2012 Races:
March - Ironman Melbourne
June - Bali International Triathlon
July - Bali 5K Ocean Swim
December - Ironman Western Australia

2013 Races:
March - Ironman New Zealand (DONE, well, DNF but it was a spectacular Aquabike ...)
April - Bali Mini Marathon 10K (DONE)
June - Bali Marathon (half), Bali International Triathlon (sprint)
July - Bali 10K Ocean Swim
August - Ironman Japan

Experience, Encouragement, Empathy, and Extreme Fun are what I offer you! I've done dozens of endurance races all over the world. I was a researcher, writer/editor, and headquarters trainer for a global fitness and sports company for several years, so I'm pretty keyed into sports physiology and endurance coaching. I have the dubious distinction of being BT's top poster, but I also read all the forum threads, BT news, articles, programs, lots of blogs, and other endurance forums, books, news, and research.

If I had a dog as cool as Emma, I would marry her too .

I want in this POD!! 

Judi, triathlete of 7 years...training for my first marathon this year and I want to be surrounded with running gurus.

More of a bio later....

Good thing Janyne is looking out for me and gave me the site for the new group!

Hi, my name is TJ and I am addicted to triathlon, *hi TJ* (rrrunner), and I'm a proud Manatee for 4(?) sessions now.

I was the kid in school who wasn't good at ANY sports. I was always the last one chosen for a team (except when I dated a football player in HS). I got married and had two wonderful kids (I'll get to that later) and kept the baby weight for about 15 years. I am a 5'7" woman and I was about 185# at my heaviest. I got in to law enforcement and lost some of that weight, but was still heavy. About 5 years ago I decided to make some changes and started counting calories and running. That combination got me down to where I was happy and healthy.

In December of 2010 my dear sweet SIL asked me to do the 2011 Denver Tri for the Cure with her. At first I gave her a staunch "NO", but then decided to do it to keep her active and motivated. Well we did that race and I became a tri addict and she still only does that one tri each year.

I have been happily married to my DH for over 25 years and we have two wonderful sons, 24 and 22 (the 22 year old did a 70.3 last summer). DH, DS1 and I live in a suburb of Albuquerque where I can train (mostly) year round.

Current training - cruising to some Sprints and Olys after doing a 70.3 in March.

I am excited to be a part of this group and will give and take advice whenever I can. I have no formal training in sports sciences but I am happy to share from my (long) life experience, good and bad. 

Jen, your Wonder Woman makes me smile every time

Magic words.

I want in again as the representative uno-athlete.

NAME: Jogo/Joanne  

STORY: I tried to like tri's.  I have tri-ed in the past.  I am now, happily, just a runner.  

FAMILY STATUS: Married and recent empty nester of human children but have a funny farm of furry kids to keep me entertained.  (3 cats, 2 dogs)

CURRENT TRAINING: Just finished my couch to Big Sur 21 miler training program.  Literally sitting on the couch and going out and walk:running 21 miles.   After an awful family time starting in Jan 2012 and finally settling in March 2013, I had gained 20 lbs and lots of stress/weight related problems.  I am finally back to my love of running and am starting a 24 week marathon training plan on May 12 for Marine Corps Marathon.  

THIS YEAR'S RACES: Big Sur 21 Miler-April 28; Marine Corps Marathon October 27.  A couple of half marathons probably in there but only as training runs, not races. 

BODY COMPOSITION: Need to chisel off poundage for running.  I have noticed those 20 lbs when I run.  It hurts.  I am playing with a plant based diet (mostly) right now but mainly just clean, mindful eating and morning green smoothies to start my day right.  

Marine Corps Marathon will be a game changer for me.  It will be the first marathon I actually train for, really train, not just start out and then back off when I feel like I am ready.   I want to see what this old body can do and where I am truly at so I have a starting point.  I have a very long term goal of Boston someday.   I just met one of the Boston race directors at Big Sur and he made me believe in myself.  I believe!!!  (maybe when I am 90 but I will get there!) 

I'd like to join up here...surprised it's not closed already. 

NAME:  Mike/jmhpsu93

STORY:  44-year-old lifelong runner.  I have 4 HMs under my belt, plus a load of 10Ks and 5Ks over the years.  Only really began to focus on training in 2006 when I registered almost 230 on the scale.  Stuck with running first, then decided to do a tri in 2010.  I was (am still...) a mediocre wimmer, but I was able to put down over 19mph on a hybrid and ran a PR 5K in my one and only triathlon.  Started training hard Jan 2011 for a series of Olys summer 2011 before the injury bug (knee, then back) hit.  Finally started training again in June of last year.

FAMILY:  My triathlon-inspiring wife (she's done 3) and 10-year-old daughter (triathlete at age 8 and now a competitive swimmer - already faster than me in the water ).  Life is always chaotic but that's how we like it. 

CURRENT TRAINING:  Using a custom BT plan, roughly training around 10 hours/week right now.  I mix in strength training and Bikram Yoga, too.  Logs are up-to-date since beginning of 2011. 

PLANNED RACES:  Basically as long and as fast as my body allows me.  Currently signed up for two sprints in June, and a sprint and Oly in September.

Looking forward to "meeting" all of you!

I would love to be a manatee again, if you would have me. 

NAME: birth name: Melanie, username: melbo55

STORY: I live in south central PA, am married and have two awesome dogs, Coco and Dobie, who make me smile and laugh daily.  I got into triathlon at the encouragement of a friend at work and after the first one was hooked.  It is a fun challenge to try to improve myself and to do events in fun or interesting places.  I was always into something or another active as a kid, a total tomboy who loved climbing trees, building forts, riding bike and playing baseball/softball and swimming, but not competitively, just for fun.  I played on a rec league softball team for the majority of my youth.  Was a swim team manager in HS and completely lost out on a chance to be on the swim team because I was too intimidated.  Dumb move, still regret that one.  These days I play ice hockey (goalie), practice Tae Kwon Do (got my black belt last year), kayak, do tri-related stuff and love being active and outdoors no matter the activity.  2013 is beginning my fourth season of triathlon. 

CURRENT TRAINING: I've been doing more running than swimming or biking over the winter because I was training for my first half marathon which I just completed.  Now that's out of the way, bring on more pool and bike time!  Oh yeah, and keep running because I have a few running races scattered amongst the tris and also another HM coming up in August.  Also, I try to get to TKD 2x week because I like working out the non-tri muscles, although admittedly it makes it tougher to fit all the tri stuff in.

THIS YEAR'S RACES: Did some running races so far, first tri of the season is two (oh crap, two?!) weeks away.

2013 RACES:
Mrs. Smith's Challenge (5 mile trail run)
Got the Nerve Triathlon (sprint)
Run For The Ages (trail run)
Catfish Sprint Triathlon (tentatively, didn't register yet)
Riesling Run (5K, didn't register yet, not open)
Biggest Loser RunWalk (half marathon)
Diamondman Challenge Sprint Tri
Rev3 Half Full Olympic Distance Tri

 BODY COMPOSITION: It is a constant battle to keep my weight lower.  I'd prefer to lose 15-20 pounds, and will be working toward this goal.  I'm a tall girl, 5'10",  currently Athena-sized, and am hoping to get near the Athena weight limit (165) and even below.

Madcap Mad Hat MadMathemagician reporting in.

I am the MadMathemagician. My given name is Michael.

I ran track in high school and was a sprinter.   I swam on a club team also.     I swam D1 in college. Majored in Math and Physics.   Toted a rifle in far away places for a while.     Finished a terminal degree and completed another BA, in English Literature and creative writing, just to balance the science and math side.   

I'm 54  55 and single; never married and don't have children.  Looked after my mother until she passed away in 2004.  Currently looking after my dad until such time as above.      This a sore point betwixt my brothers and me.     One is an electrical engineer who works for NASA, currently working on the Ariane team.  The other is a nuclear engineer who most recently has been spending time in Japan and Spain helping them rebuild or improve their nuclear program.  Lately he has testified before the NSF to allay their fears.    I teach math at a local community college.  Heretic, I am.

Current training is done  on the Zen plan.   Last year's races didn't go too well due to effects of 5FU.   I'm slowly recovering from the side effects.   Right now all I have on the schedule is an Olympic in May and a half IM in October.        I may add more but it's a day to day thing.

I'm 5'9" and currently weight 185 175. This is with a 31  30 inch waist.   I have the classic swimmer's build.  I have sub 10% body fat.     Was a strawberry blond but I got older.  *There's still a hint or two left*   I exercise because the only fountain of youth we have is a combination of things;  exercise, eating healthy and getting the proper amount of sleep.  I have been otherwise gifted with the longevity gene.  The days are short but the years are long (cheeky literary reference).   Or, it may just be how I keep up with my current girlfriend, who is 27.    Don't fret, dear readers, she has a ph.d in Chemistry.   I don't think either of us is taking advantage of the other.  We'll see how long this relationship lasts.

 Foot loose and fancy free at the moment.    Inherited a drop-dead-gorgeous-brilliant-artistic niece.    Glad I can hold my own with her.   Just barely.   She definitely keeps me on my toes.  

B-12 injections rock!   Lower intestines are functioning nominally again.

Mike Manatee has a definite ring to it. Welcome!