Gail Leveque, W45-49

dallas, texas

What is your favorite product available at TriSports.com?  Gatorade Endurance Formula, CarboPro, CarbBOOM and my goggles, Tyr Femme Metallized.

How did you get your start in Triathlons? My kid’s swim team had “bring your MOM to practice day and I couldn’t make it across the pool. I was shamed into learning how to swim and that was what had kept me from doing a triathlon despite wanting to do one since I saw Julie Moss do her thing.

What is your favorite workout? Does rest day count? Seriously, a negative split bike or run. Endurance, not speed, is my thing, and it is a lot easier for me to go harder in the second half than it is to sprint or do high intensity intervals.

“When I’m not training/racing, I enjoy…” Reading, baking, watching stupid home remodeling shows and hanging out at races watching other people race.

If you could have one superhero power what would it be?  Isn’t swimming a super power? That’s the one I want!

Describe your biggest race disaster. World’s Toughest Half ’05. My bike, a beloved Kestrel KM40 w/race wheels on, got stolen 7 hours before I was supposed to catch a flight to Sacramento. I managed to procure a low-end……really low end…….loaner (complete w/STI shifting which I had NEVER used) 2 hours before flight. I got myself on the plane, despite much crying and whining to coach who said “find a bike and go to that race”, and when I got to CA, discovered that some critical piece of the lowest end Campy group that was on the bike, had been damaged irreparably. More weeping to coach ensued, but verdict was the same, so a friend and I spent the day before the race searching bike shops all over before finding someone in a hole-in-the-wall shop who had the same stuff on her old beater. She loaned me the part! They got the bike working and that was that. Never even rode it before the start of the race. The American River was above flood stage so the swim was cancelled and replaced with a two mile run. That was ok, but the borrowed bike was a little less than ideal. My “position” was so bad that I actually slowed down when I dropped onto the clip-ons into “aero” position on the downhills. I did learn how to manage the STI stuff pretty quick, but that Auburn course is pretty tough even when you know how to ride the bike you are on. The only thing that kept me going up the hills was the thought of heaving that bike over the cliff on the side of the road. Needless to say, after riding in bad position for over 3 hours, my legs were not really in the mood for the toughest run course I have ever seen. I felt slightly better when I saw Nicole DeBoom walking. Despite the comedy of errors, I hung in, finished, won my AG and found out that I was tougher than I ever imagined.

Do you have a non-negotiable pre-race ritual?  Buddha goes to every race.

What culinary indulgence do you allow yourself after a big race (that you don’t normally partake of)? Cheeseburger & onion rings.

What is the worst job you’ve ever had? Refrigerator magnet maker

What adjective describes you best? The other day my 20-year-old son said I was “fierce”, I prefer intense.

Finally, do you have any advice for athletes new to multi-sport competition? Same as always…….this sport rewards patience, consistency and determination. No matter where you start, you can accomplish great things with hard work and dedication

Recent Results: Memphis in May, 1st AG

Gorilla Multisport