Belews Lake Sprint Triathlon Race Report

Congrats to MFer Tara Martine for winning 1st AG at Belews Lake Sprint Triathlon!  Click here to read her race report about the event!

MFer Profile: Alli Shofe

The Cheetah

Cheetah is a runner turned ultra runner who is "testing out the waters" of the triathlon world. She recently transitioned into the vegan world with the help of Sarge after being a vegetarian for two years to aide in becoming a better athlete. Queen Bee was her inspiration to face her fears and jump into doing the B2B half iron distance. The whole MF team has been motivating and supportive introducing her to this crazy world! Who knows what's next?!

Goals:
Finish B2B half iron distance without drowning ;)
Qualify for Boston by running a 3:30 marathon at Kiawah.
Run a 50 miler one day.

Day Job:
Dental Hygenius (or Hygienist to everyday peeps) "I make smiles sparkle!"

Alma Maters:Hoggard High School
Cape Fear Community College

Sports History:Tennis player since 1990
Adult age group runner since 2004
Ultra runner since 2014
Ultra MoM (honorary mom) since 2014

Rank S/B/R in order of favorite to least favorite:1. Run - I've been running the longest of the three, and I've always said it's my therapy. I do not run with music because that's my time to sort things out in my head....and pray. :)
2. Bike - I'm learning that this is great recovery for running...and it's humbling. So I keep plugging along to one day be able to keep up with the fast kids! ;)
3. Swim - I've grown up at the beach and around the water, but I grew up with two family members that were deathly afraid of the open water, so I'm overcoming the ingrained fear and conquering it. This is my biggest challenge.

Favorite Race:
I have so many! At so many levels!
My fave races have been Run for the Red Marathon in the Poconos because it's been my hardest and fastest 26.2 yet!
But I love the ultras I've done, Gator Trail 50k was amazing in every way!! And the GCI ultra relay was so much fun because I shared it with 5 incredible ladies, Ultra Moms on a Mission.

Bucket-List Race:
Boston
But you can talk me into running anywhere!

Favorite Post-Race Food:
Mellow Mushroom mega veggie vegan pizza

Hobbies:
Baking, beach, reading, anything creative!

Favorite Music: (I changed it from movies, because I love music better)
Dave Matthews Band, Lumineers, Imagine Dragons, Mumford and Sons, 30 Seconds to Mars

Celebrity Crush:
Jared Leto

Words To Live By:
Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain. 

MFer Profile: Keira Hetem

Queen Bee

The Queen is a club swimmer turned triathlete/marathoner. She pushed her way onto the team by jumping on the bike and showing us how it is done! Let’s not forget her favorite and best event…..The RUN! She trains with fellow teammate Cheetah for marathons so she will be coming for you after that swim and bike, if you’re not already staring at her backside before then! Queen grew up in NJ and still has the attitude to prove it. Her time in Charleston and Wilmington has sweetened her up somewhat, but she will tell you her opinion and you don’t even have to ask. Queen dates a rock star in the Wilmington community and can be seen at late night blue grass events around town. She sneaks a beer or two, not to upset Sarge, who makes sure Queen “sticks to the plan” and keeps lean and mean. The Queen not only dominates the roads, she paddleboards and knows the waterways of Wilmington on an intimate level. You can find her SUP’ing Bradley Creek on her time off.

Goals:
Complete first Ironman
Complete a 50k
Qualify for Boston again
Complete an ultra relay

Day Job:
Occupational Therapist

Alma Maters:
High School: Red Bank Catholic, Red Bank, NJ
College: The College of New Jersey
*BS in Health and Exercise Science
*Zeta Tau Alpha Sorority
Grad School: Medical University of South Carolina
*Master’s in Occupational Therapy

Sports History:
-Club swimming
-High school swimming, XC and track
-Adult age group triathlete since 2010

Rank S/B/R in order of favorite to least favorite:
1. Run – Running is my way to escape. If I’ve had a bad day or just need some time to be by myself, I go for a run. It also comes the most naturally of the three.
2 Bike – I have to work the hardest on the bike, but it’s also where I’ve made the most improvements.
3. Swim – Even though I’ve been swimming for almost 20 years, I’d choose to run or bike over swimming any day.

Favorite Race:
Quintiles Half Marathon 2014 and Poconos Run for the Red

Bucket-List Race:
Boston Marathon, Ragnar Ultra Relay, Ironman

Favorite Post-Race Food:
Smoothie, mushroom swiss burger

Hobbies:
Beach, rock climbing, paddleboarding, reading

Favorite Movies:
Shawshank Redemption, Finding Nemo, Gone in 60 Seconds

Celebrity Crush:
Ryan Reynolds, Jude Law

Instagram: khetem

MFer Profile: Lee Eatmon

The Shark

The Shark is a team sports player turned college drinker turned triathlete.  It would probably be accurate to say that he spends more time in the channel than on land.  Two of his main roles on the team are to keep the other sharks away and take us out on his boat so we can party!  He makes sure that we remember to have fun, laugh, and don’t take any of this too seriously (leaves those duties to Queen Bee and Sarge). He believes in all the nicknames that this group has adopted as the truth and will back any of it up with specific examples and stories if you have time to listen. Shark is married to a once and done triathlete named Heather and has 1 guppy shark named Kylie.  They like to ride the waterways hunting for treasures and shop like it is going out of style. He would you to know that AuqaBike is the NEXT BIG THING!

Goals:
Complete first Ironman.
Race a triathlon with my daughter.

Day Job:
I buy homes, businesses, and anything else I can get my hands on to make $$$$.....Just to turn around and sell em!

Alma Maters:
High School:  James B. Hunt, Wilson, NC
College:  1 year at UNCW, 3 years at East Carolina University
          -BS in Exercise and Sport Science, Teaching certified K-12
          -Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity

Sports History:
-Youth club football, basketball, baseball, golf….
-High school football, basketball, baseball, golf – Hunt Warriors
-College Intramural MVP – Basketball, Flag Football
-Adult age group triathlete since 2009

Rank S/B/R in order of favorite to least favorite:
1.  Swim – The Shark…need I say more?
2   Bike –A very close second. Biking takes the most time and effort, but the rewards are so good. Not much better feeling than making road kills racing on the bike!
2.  Run – A distant third. I don’t like it, never have, and probably never will. Are we made to pound the ground repeatedly until our knees ache and lungs collapse? I am not a small skinny guy, so I tend to suffer here. Yea, it sucks. 

Favorite Race:
Setup Events YMCA & B2B in Wrightsville Beach: These 2 races represented the most fun I can remember in my time racing. The atmosphere in WB and the people seem to really enjoy the racers and support is the best around.   

Bucket-List Race: 
Ironman Kona, Sweden & Cozumel

Favorite Post-Race Food:
Anything that has been off limits or I have deprived myself from. Burger, fries, pizza…..you get the idea….BEER!

Hobbies:
Beach, Boat, Golf

Favorite Movies:
Farris Beuler’s Day Off, Wedding Crashers, Shawshank Redemption.

Celebrity Crush:
Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Biel, Stacy Keibler, Alex Morgan, Malia Jones ……I could go on for days

Words To Live By:
We do not quit playing because we grow old, we grow old because we quit playing. 

Twitter:  @leatmon1


Instagram:  leatmon1

MFer Profile: Jackie Pierce

Bio coming soon!

MFer Profile: Ashley Pierce

Malibu

Malibu is the proud mama of 3 girls, wife of fellow MFer & Ironman The Hammer, and is a small business owner.  She loves any challenge that changes and improves her body towards optimal health.  She's obsessed with strength training and lifting weights.  She never shies away from leg day which is why she's such a powerhouse on 2 wheels.  We think the only thing she may enjoy more than weight training & biking is possibly talking ;)  Malibu is a newly converted vegan, thanks to Sarge:)  Although she may not have a sweet tooth or a salty tooth, she does have a coconut rum tooth that kicks in on occasion (and there's nothing Cheetah can do to fix that!)  Malibu is always trying to push the distance in swimming, biking, and running.  A good rule of thumb if you can't find her ... check the gym!

Goals:
Bike a 2:30 in the relay at the B2B half

Race 3 triathlons Summer of 2014

Day Job:
Owner of The Painted Cottage Coastal Furniture & Accessories Retail Store located in Hampstead, NC

Alma Maters:
High School: New Hanover High School Wilmington, NC
College: East Carolina University Greenville, NC
*BFA Arts Education

Sports History:
-High School Volleyball Team
-First Triathlon 2006

Rank S/B/R in order of favorite to least favorite:
1. Bike - Discovered my love of biking in college…Love, love, love cranking it out as fast as I can for as many miles as I can. Get my best ideas on the bike too!
2. Swim - If you can ever get to that place in your swim where you are relaxed and breathing right, then sometimes I feel like I could swim forever.
3. Run - Least favorite part of a triathlon only because I have bad knees and can’t improve on my run. I’m mostly just trying not to dislocate them!UGH…Hoping one day to have a miracle cure that can make me a fast runner!

Favorite Race:
Favorite race is Wilmington YMCA tri sprint. Seems like every person in Wilmington does that race. So fun seeing tons of familiar faces.

Favorite Post-Race Food:
Hands down K38…anything at all from there! Ice cream would be nice too!

Hobbies:
Born a beach girl, painting landscapes, and shopping flea markets for furniture finds for my store

Favorite Movies:
Love action, comedy, and sci-fi movies, but no real favorites…. but I can watch movies all day if you let me!

Celebrity Crush:
Anyone that knows me, knows that Channing Tatum is my one and only..

Twitter: 

@ashleyppierce_p

Website:
www.thepaintedcottage.net

MFer Profile: Mike Worley

Magic Mike

Mike Worley, AKA “Magic Mike” is a man of many talents, the funny guy amongst the MF’ers, not to mention the only one that is wide open and full of energy at 5:00 am. With careers in the entertainment industry as well as bail bonding, funny captivating stories are always a breath away. Magic Mike’s humble beginning in triathlon started a few years ago when running just wasn’t enough to keep his ADD at bay nor remove the endless supply of energy he had. Oh wow, look at that bird! (See what I mean?) Back to the story. Magic Mike heard of a triathlon taking place in Kure Beach and decided he wanted to give it a shot. With no formal training, triathlon club or road bike, MM signed up. With little understanding of triathlon, the words “double sprint” didn’t make him think twice regarding his decision. However, on the 2nd leg of the swim, yes, 2nd leg MM was cursing the day that he ever decided to sign up for such a crazy event and put himself in such a helpless situation. Upon completing the event and swearing that he would never do it again, MM found a volunteer and asked when the next event was. You could say that he got the bug, as he completed 3 more triathlons that year! Fast forward a couple of years, MM was not satisfied with the sprint distance and came up with the bright idea of doing the iron distance. The lore of long distance was forever on his mind and the idea of completing it was something that he couldn’t shake. He began his journey toward this elusive iron distance in February of this year by getting his degree in IT (intense training) and building toward his goal with each race. While all of this serious training is taking place, MM is always one to find a way to make it more tolerable and at the very least more funny. He loves the lifestyle and the sport and is a big encourager to those who are just getting their feet wet and starting out. His motto is “We never leave anyone behind, group training is just that, group training”. On the personal side, MM is known as “Daddy”. He is a single Dad to two beautiful daughters with whom he enjoys spending time with. He believes that any goal is attainable if you set your mind to it and do the work. It’s amazing what you are capable of doing despite the limits you or society has placed on you.

Day Job:
Deejay/Emcee/Owner of Edge Entertainment and Bail Bondsman with All American Bail Bonding. 

Rank of S/B/R in order of favorite to least favorite:
1.  Run - of the three disciplines, this comes the most natural. We have been running all of our lives since childhood. Not to mention the least expensive. A t-shirt, shorts and running shoes are all that’s required to feel the freedom that running brings!
2.  Bike - this is the 2nd most natural discipline. There’s just something about getting on your bike and being able to ride for hours and enjoy the freedom of the outdoors. Oh and the occasional horn honking and the driver letting you know you are #1!
3.  Swim - until fins, floaties or underwater James Bond like devices are allowed, this will be my least favorite. I am in no way a fish, and upon entering the water I realize I am at the bottom of the food chain. So it’s hard to get pumped up about trying not to drown all while swimming for your life!

Favorite Race:
I would say any race that I finish before the cut off time is my favorite. There are so many races in such awesome places that it’s hard to pick just one favorite. I will say though that any race Rev3 puts on is first class and one sure to make you feel like the Rockstar you are no matter when you finish! 

Bucket List Race:
I guess the generic and expected answer would be Kona? While that would be incredible, realistically a bucket list race for me would be any race where everything came together on race day. 

Favorite Post-Race Food:
Pre-Sarge, it was an ice cold Mt. Dew and Reese Cups.
Post-Sarge, it’s the sticky brown rice bowl with pressed tofu, edamame, carrots, broccoli, black beans and sprouts from EPIC.

Hobbies:
Beach, reading, music, concerts and knitting. (JK about the knitting, just making sure you were paying attention).

Favorite Movies:
Super Troopers, Good Morning Vietnam, American Gangster, Unforgiven

Celebrity Crush:
Jennifer Anniston…. She’s a bad ass AND available! If you are her relative, friend or agent let her know MM is interested. Our celebrity name would be “Mikanniston”. Nice ring to it huh? 

Words To Live By:It's a waste of time to put fertilizer on a bad seed.

Twitter: @urontheedge

MFer Profile: Kurt Martine

Wolverine

Wolverine is an ex-military police officer who now spends his days putting out fires.  Literally.  He loves his new job as a rookie firefighter for the Wilmington Fire Department, where he pulls hose & catches plugs.  He's also a swimmer who has sworn that he’ll never swim again at least 100 times in his life.  It's an on-again off-again type of relationship.  Known to howl at the full moon, he might actually be a werewolf, we’re really not sure.  The only one who probably knows the real answer to that is his wife and fellow MFer, The Sarge. 

Goals:
Get leaner.  
Get stronger.  
Go faster.

Day Job:
Firefighter - Wilmington Fire Department

Alma Maters:
High School:  Potomac Falls High School - Potomac Falls, VA
College:  Edinboro - Edinboro, PA
*BA - Sports Administration
Grad School:  North Carolina A&T University - Greensboro, NC
*MS - School Counseling

Sports History:
-Youth club swimming (The Commanders)
-High school football, cross county, & swim teams (PFHS Panthers)
-Summer swim team (Countryside Waves)
-Edinboro varsity swim team (The Fighting Scots)
-Edinboro club ultimate frisbee team (The Fighting Scots)
-Intermittent adult age group runner since 2005
-Intermittent adult age group triathlete since 2008

Rank S/B/R in order of favorite to least favorite:
1.  Run - When I can run well, running is my favorite.  The perfect place to run is through the woods!
2.  Bike - When the motor's in shape you can go fast & long.  But, it's not my favorite because it's not as minimalistic as running.
3.  Swim - Love/hate relationship.  I was forced to swim at a young age and I wanted to quit a LONG time ago, but I haven't been able to yet.  

Favorite Race:
The Malibu Xterra 14 Miler - The challenging uphills in this race reward you with spectacular views!  Not to mention you can take flight down hill. 

Bucket-List Race: 
I got 2:  Kona & Boston and I will only do these through qualification.  For me, this might be god-damn near impossible, but the reward of being able to train and qualify for these would be priceless.  

Favorite Post-Race Food:
A big-ass burrito.  Vegan, of course. 

Hobbies:
Movies, reading, beer-guzzling, watching sports, surfing, beach

Favorite Movies:
Guardians of the Galaxy, The Big Year, X-Men, Tropic Thunder, Lord of the Rings, Forest Gump, Hell Boy

Celebrity Crush:
Rihanna.  No explanation needed.

Words To Live By:
Tough times don't last.  Tough people do.

Twitter:  @KurtMartine

MFer Profile: Tara Martine

The Sarge

Sarge is a soccer player turned marathoner turned triathlete turned marathoner turned triathlete.  We let her on the team because we wanted our very own sports dietitian.  She makes sure that we CTFU (carb the f*ck up) and stay adequately hydrated during workouts & races.  She believes that she has convinced all of us to adopt a whole foods plant based diet and will try to convince you too if you give her 5 minutes.  Sarge is married to fellow MFer Wolverine.  They like to chill out at the beach and find adventures to go on together.  She’d like you to remember that abs are made in the kitchen ;)

Goals:
Run a sub 3 hour marathon.
Qualify and race at Kona.

Day Job:
Extraordinary Team Member Help Executive at TrySports Wilmington

Alma Maters:
High School:  Potomac Falls High School - Potomac Falls, VA
College:  The College of Williams & Mary - Williamsburg, VA
*BS Mathematics
Grad School:  The University of North Carolina at Greensboro - Greensboro NC
*MS Nutrition
*Registered Dietitian
*Licensed Dietitian/Nutritionist

Sports History:
-Youth club soccer (The Legend)
-High school soccer & swim teams (PFHS Panthers)
-Summer swim team (Countryside Waves)
-W&M women’s soccer team (The Tribe)
-W&M club cycling team (The Tribe)
-Olympique Lyonnais semi-pro women’s soccer team
-Adult age group runner since 2006
-Adult age group triathlete since 2008

Rank S/B/R in order of favorite to least favorite:
1.  Run - Growing up as a soccer player I’ve been running my entire life and this sport comes the most easily to me.  Plus it’s my time to zone out and listen to the inner workings of my brain.
2.  Bike - I love going on long weekend rides, but I find it difficult to churn out a lot of power during races. 
3.  Swim - I’m not a fan of holding my breathing during exercise and it takes freakin’ forever to improve at this sport!  I mean, does anyone actually like the swim?

Favorite Race:
Rev3 Williamsburg:  The College of William & Mary, Colonial Williamsburg, Busch Gardens, Water Country, The Williamsburg Winery, Sno-To-Go, The Peanut Shop, The Cheese Shop, Aromas, & the best triathlon race company ever make this a race you want to add to your schedule!

Bucket-List Race: 
I used to live in France so I would LOVE to go back and do Ironman Nice one day!

Favorite Post-Race Food:
Chipotle veggie burrito w/ black beans, brown rice, fajitas, corn salsa, pico de gallo, medium salsa, lettuce, & guacamole.  Soooo good!!!!

Hobbies:
Beach, nutrition, food, cooking, blogging, pop music

Favorite Movies:
Tropic Thunder, Zoolander, Dumb & Dumber, Lord of the Rings

Celebrity Crush:
Bruno Mars … he’s so dreamy …  

Words To Live By:
An apple a day is not enough.

Twitter:  @tara_martine

Blog:  www.taramartine.blogspot.com