Shannon Driscoll

tucson, arizona

What is your favorite product available at TriSports.com?  Do I have to just pick one? Spinnervals and training videos.

How did you get your start in Triathlons? A co-worker talked me into competing, almost on a dare.  After nearly drowning, get a flat on the last lap and granny running the entire run, I was hooked.

What is your favorite workout? Tempo Run!  I love logging my season progress using the tempo run as my improvement gage.

“When I’m not training/racing, I enjoy…”  Rock Climbing, scrapbooking, and role playing with my 3 year old.  I am usually the baby and she is the mommy, unfortunately for me she thinks I am a very naughty three year old and I have to spend a lot of time in time-out.

If you could train for a week with one other triathlete who would it be and why?  Terri Albertazzi because she is so fun and bubbly, a week with her and I would not only be a better triathlete but a happier person.  

If you could have one superhero power what would it be? Elasta-girl powers, it would be so cool to be able to stretch yourself into a rubber ball and bounce all over the place, it sure would be running.  Plus no injuries since you are elastic nothing ever gets sore, overused, torn, strained or twisted.  How cool would that be!

Describe your biggest race disaster.  My biggest race disaster was my first race.  I had taught myself to swim and had never swam under any stress, with other people or in any competitive environment, so when my first triathlon came up, a pool swim, I thought no problem I have been practicing in a pool everyday, this should be easy.  Problem was when the whistle sounded and I took off my heart was pounding, my lane partner was splashing water in my face and everyone was swimming much faster than me.  I began to panic.  When you panic you aren’t swimming, you are going down like the Titanic.  I couldn’t figure out how to tell my arms and legs to swim and I began splashing, bobbing up and down and gasping for air.  Some how or other I made it to the other end of the pool where I held on to the edge for dear life.  I remember someone asking me if I was ok.  “Of course I was alright”, I thought to myself. I must have really looked foolish; I pulled myself together and finished the swim in record time (as long as the calendar is the measuring rod).  Next, I hopped on my mountain bike, with nubby tires and began pedaling away, “hmm, those road bikes are really fast.”  Flop, flop, flop.  “No way!”  On a mountain bike with nubby tires I got a flat tire and I didn’t have a spare kit and I still had another 4 mile lap to go.  “Oh well,” I was coming up on the transition zone and decided to pull over and see if I could trade bikes with someone.  Long story short I decided to finish the race without the final bike lap and just complete the run, after all the real goal was to finish the race (or most of it).  The run was not very glamorous either, I had never even heard of a brick workout let alone practiced running after I had biked.  I had to granny run the entire time, which is a hunched over run, with baby steps and an agonizing grimace, which comes equipped with side stitches and calf cramps.  “Oh, there it is.  This finish line! Finally!”  It is hard to believe looking back but that is what it took and I was hooked on triathlons.  I have since hired a swim coach, bought a rode bike and practice brick workouts every week.  Things are going much better now.

Recent Results:The City of Chandler Tri, 2nd OA; Las Palomas Rocky Point Triathlon, 3rd OA; Tucson Sprint Triathlon, 1st AG; Tempe Int’l Triathlon, 3rd AG; Sahuarita Tri 2^nd AG 10^th overall; Duces Wild 2^nd AG 12 overall; Mountain Man 2^nd AG 4^th overall.