Racers' Corner - Lori Kennedy, Triathlete

Lori Kennedy is a born and raised Fernie girl. She came back to Fernie after having left for a few years post High School. She was working full time at the mine until she met her husband, had two children and became a full time stay at home mom.

Now her two boys are five and eight years old. Having been a runner in High School, Lori thought it would be a great way to get back into shape after having the boys. “Once I started – walking more than running – I didn’t think I had a competitive bone in my body,” she says with a smile. The first goal was to complete a 10km run, and getting up the courage was huge. From there it was half marathons, then marathons. “And I thought since I’ve ran marathons, I might as well do a triathlon!” First up was the sprint in Elkford, with the natural progression to the Olympic in Wasa. “Joining the Masters was a big step. It’s amazing how when you push yourself you can do things you never imagined possible. It’s empowering.”

It was all about the little steps for Lori, taking her to big accomplishments. Having support was integral to the process. From friend and training partner Nicole Bush - “It’s huge to have moral support – someone else going through the same crap I’m going through!” – to an amazingly patient and encouraging family. Now, these small goals and huge achievements have turned into something she never could have imagined.

“I have never dug that deep before or taken the time to look inside. Running gives you so much time alone to think. Taking this one thing for myself, something that’s just about me that I’ll have for the rest of my life. It’s made me more patient, a better mom and a better wife. And it has opened up circles of friends and environments that would have never been a part of my life. So many great friends that have helped and inspired me along the way.”

Bloomsday is an event where this especially resonates for Lori. “Seeing all these women you have young kids and knowing it’s the first time they are doing something for themselves. It’s huge – to say you’ve done something more than wipe butts that day.”

Thank you for sharing your story and inspiring us all Lori! Good luck this autumn.

What is it about competing that you love? I actually have a love/hate relationship with competing. On hard training days or on days when it is hard to get motivated I wonder why I do this. Why can’t I just run for fun? Who starts doing triathlons at 40? But I love the excitement of competing – the buzzing of energy and nerves at start lines. It’s so exciting to be a part of it all. It also motivates and inspires me to see people in their 50’s and 60’s at competitions, and it keeps me committed to workouts when I have an event on the calendar. Otherwise I find every reason not to do it.

Take us through a typical training day. I re-arrange workout schedules to fit in with our family’s busy life. This past year was easier as both our boys were in school full time so I tried to get my workouts done during the days. After getting them ready for school, making and packing lunches, getting them on the bus, I’d head for a run, bike or swim depending on the day and pool schedule. I try to make as many Friday am swims with FEAT swim coach Heather Kerr as possible but also swim with the Masters group in the evenings. Weekends are for long rides or runs when I hook up with friend and training partner Nicole Bush and head to the South Country or Lower Elk Valley Road/Elkford area.

During the winter I skate ski and use a bike trainer indoors. I started practicing yoga this year and try to do a bit every day.

What events are you taking part in this summer? I just competed in my first 1/2 ironman distance triathlon – Ironman 70.3 in Calgary. This was the event I focused on this season. I will run the Canmore 1/2 marathon in September and the Fernie half marathon in October.

What are your main goals when competing? I always joke when someone asks me my goals, “to finish in an upright position and not crying”, but it’s really not far from the truth! I always hope to feel good, stay positive and focused and try to really enjoy the event and not go to the “dark place” in my mind. If I have competed in the event before I hope to PR.

How do you think Fernie’s recreational side has changed since you started biking here?
Growing up, when people asked where I was from, I always had to explain where Fernie was. Now everyone knows about Fernie because of its recreational activities and opportunities. It seems everyone is into something here and there is just so much more available.

I was a Snow Valley ski racer growing up and when we started attending FIS events, our whole team fit into one van, including our coach. Now FAST has hundreds of members.
People come from all over the world to snowboard here, yet I remember when my brothers started boarding they had to travel out of town as they weren’t allowed on our hill.

My brother also had one of the first mountain bikes in town and I remember thinking it was so weird looking. Now everyone has one and Fernie is home to world class mountain biking events. And of course the pools has been a wonderful addition to this community, opening up a lot of opportunities for everyone. As a child I could only swim two months out of the year in the outdoor pool at Rotary Park. Now kids can join swim club and swim year round.

Recreation has become a huge part of people’s lives in Fernie.

Racing Mantra: Stay focused… keep breathing… keep moving.