Editor’s Note
Left to right: photographer Justin Lee, stylist
Jeanne Sartor, me, Natalie, art director
Lisa Williams, editorial director TJ Murphy.
WALKING
A TIGHTROPE
Four months after I gave birth to my son, I
stood on the sandy shore of Lake Winnipesaukee
in New Hampshire, soaking in the pre-dawn calm
in the moments before the start of the Timber-man half-iron distance race. Standing beside me
was a fellow competitor, a girl I had just met that
morning in the transition area. When she had
asked me earlier if I had people supporting me on
the race course, I told her my husband, mom and
newborn (outfitted in a “My Mom is a Triathlete”
shirt) would be out there. She couldn’t believe I’d
managed to get to the start of a half-Ironman only
four months after childbirth. Truth was, getting
back into triathlon wasn’t a goal to help me shed
the baby weight or a test of my sleep-deprived
personal mettle (childbirth puts those doubts to
rest). Triathlon was a grounding force in a new
world revolving around a different orbit. It was
something just for me, a return to the gratifying,
challenging pursuit I’d long considered such an
integral part of my lifestyle, my identity.
My son, Ethan, is 2 now, and I’m still trying
to master the art of balancing motherhood with
a full work life, family and social commitments,
and a passion for triathlon (what I like to call
“tridolatry”). And I know I’m not alone. This
month’s cover model, NBC “Today Show” cohost
and national correspondent Natalie Morales,
discovered triathlon through a work assignment and has been hooked since. She represents
many triathletes today who juggle triathlon with
parenting, demanding jobs and countless other
obligations. Yet, instead of triathlon becoming
“one more thing” to add to the ballooning list of
obligations, it actually can improve other aspects
of our lives. Natalie says her training makes her a
better mom by allowing her time to do something
healthy for herself, and solitary training sessions
fuel her best brainstorming for a big interview or
story. But perhaps more importantly, it promotes
a sense of empowerment and vitality that spills
over into every corner of her life. Check out my
Q&A with Natalie, “Today’s Triathlete,” on page
36 for her tried-and-true tips for incorporating
triathlon into an impossibly busy lifestyle (and
don’t miss her workout-crushing iPod playlist).
It’s my hope and intention that our Lifestyle Issue functions as a useful road map as
you navigate the tricky balance between work,
training and life in general. Contributor Holly
Bennett and the editors have done extensive
research—some objective, some subjective—to
bring you the country’s “Top Tri Towns” (page
44). Forget the usual suspects Boulder and San
Diego; while no one can discount these training
havens, we dug deeper to uncover some cities
that are as unexpected as they are appealing to
the tri-inclined. Can’t pick up and move to one
of our picks? Senior tech editor Aaron Hersh’s
feature story, “No Excuses Guide to Training” (page
64), will help you enjoy training for triathlon in
any city or situation. And if your triathlon habit
garners you strange or incredulous looks from
cubicle neighbors at work (so what if they don’t
wear compression socks under their pants),
definitely check out “Making It Work” on page
56. Senior editor Courtney Baird rounds up
workplaces where “work” isn’t a four-letter word.
Many of the companies featured in the story
were selected with the help of our readers, who
nominated their own employers.
Talk all you want, though. I’m still convinced I have the best job out there.
Julia Beeson Polloreno
Editor-in-Chief
No. 318 | October 2010
Editorial Director
TJ Murphy, tjmurphy@competitorgroup.com
Editor-in-Chief
Julia Beeson Polloreno, jpolloreno@competitorgroup.com
Managing Editor
Somyr McLean Perry, sperry@competitorgroup.com
Assistant Managing Editor
Lauren Ventura, lventura@competitorgroup.com
Senior Editor
Matt Fitzgerald, mfitzgerald@competitorgroup.com
Senior Editor
Courtney Baird, cbaird@competitorgroup.com
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Aaron Hersh, ahersh@competitorgroup.com
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Bethany Leach Mavis, bmavis@competitorgroup.com
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Marilyn Iturri
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Nils Nilsen, nnilsen@competitorgroup.com
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