CLAIRE DEPKE
Claire Depke is a 35-year-old Cape Elizabeth resident, a mother of three, and, a budding triathlete. After winning a “Triathlete for a Year” package, she is taking her first foray into the world of multisport training and racing. She’s figuring out how to fit in six workouts a week, motivate enough to get in the pool before sunrise, and manage a bike with multiple gears. She’s also becoming the fittest she’s ever been in her life, feeling more energetic and confident, and getting excited to see how well she does in five upcoming Maine races.

5/21/08

Claire’s Tip of the Week:
Even if you think it won’t rain for the race, cover all your stuff in the transition area!
(At The PolarBear she learned the hard way.)

A few months into her training, Claire has finally discovered the secret to pre-early morning swim sleep, felt the frustrating affects of a holiday on a workout regimen, added a new event (Peaks to Portland) and accomplished her first goal – besting her time in the PolarBear race.

“The PolarBear was a mixed bag,” Claire says. “Last year I had no expectations because it was my first one, so it was psychologically easy. This year, I was expecting more of myself.” She was successful in beating her time from last year and saw definite improvements in the bike. (She’d really like to the thank the nice young volunteer who held her up while she unclipped off the bike. “My feet were numb and I couldn’t get out!”)

A cramp in the swim hindered her from a PR in the pool, however and an Achilles tendon injury she’s been working through for a few weeks presented a challenge on the run. She hadn’t been able to do her run workouts for a number of days, so Claire was thrilled to be able to just run at all and finish the race. The injury – as so many of us know – has been trying. “I’ve definitely learned there is only so much you can do physically,” Claire says. “The psychological battle is so much harder.”

Claire is ready for her Achilles to heal so she can get back to her former routine. She’s also hoping to step out of her post-holiday slump and get back to feeling good about training. “Holiday was the kiss of death. It was such a novelty to be in shape – compared to my slouch life before – and with every step back, I’d become frustrated thinking of how hard I worked to get there.” Tim has been giving her great pep talks and helping her focus on the small battles and realistic expectations. “He’s getting me to think of everything as piece-meal, one part of the whole.”

Next up is mentally focusing on how she’s going to do the Olympic distance race. It’s still a big hurdle in Claire’s mind, but it’s still early and she’s got three months to get revved up. “I’m looking at it like it’s a good thing to have hit a burnout early in the season. It’s all part of the process.”

So is irony – “The tough part about 5:30 a.m. swims isn’t getting up, it’s sleeping before hand. And just when I’ve finally figured out how to sleep like a rock, I have my last Masters Class.”

Check back next week to see how Claire’s Olympic distance prep is going.

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Growing up in Kent, England, Claire participated in sports in high school but not much else athletically until she moved to the States. Then, and only then (because so many of us Americans have a fondness for pounding pavement), she started to run. In 2004, she ran her first race, the Beacon to Beach 10k. Last year she joined her friend Laura and raced in the PolarBear – her first tri. The experience was a great one. She found the racers and support staff to be supportive and kind, not inaccessible or “strutting their stuff” like she’d feared. Seeing Glenn Close race in a bright yellow mask she thought, “If she can do it, I can do it too.” After finishing the race, Claire was inspired by her active women friends who managed to have kids and a career and still find time to be great athletes. She started to think about whether or not she could do a longer distance race.

Then in November, Claire got an opportunity to try. Her husband placed the highest bid on a “Triathlete for a Year” package at a fundraiser for Rippleffect and gave it to his wife. Claire received a brand new bike, gear, a personalized coach (all from Peak Performance), and entries into the Tri-Maine races of her choice - bringing a new athletic goal to add to her busy life.

Claire met with Tim Brewer, owner of Peak Performance, in January to customize her training plan. Her goal was to beat her previous results for the PolarBear and finish with a respectable time. Tim put her on a goal-oriented workout schedule that included half an hour to an hour workouts 5-6 days each week, including three swim sessions on the Cape Elizabeth Masters team. By breaking down her workouts into manageable time slots and setting small goals for herself ("mailbox to mailbox" runs), Claire took to her training. She has days when she feels as though she’s never run before and moments when workouts are tough, but each week gets better and better. She keeps a healthy mindset when she just can’t follow the training plan too; “it’s okay to miss a few days,” she says. “I’m not a professional. I’m just happy about what I can do.”

Claire’s biggest challenge is completing a race at the Olympic distance, so she set her sites on the Urban Epic and the Lobsterman. She’ll start with the PolarBear sprint, end with the CELT sprint, and revisit the Beacon to Beach along the way. No matter her outcomes, Claire is already enthusiastic about her progress. “This is something I’m doing for me – not for anyone else, she says, “and it’s giving me great confidence.”

Check back in with Claire often to cheer her on and read about her adventures.