Tri-Maine Series - Training & Preparation

Erin Brennan: "No Junk Miles"

Erin Brennan leads the Tri-Maine race series women's competition. Interestingly, the former runner turned triathlete also leads the Maine Time Trial Series women's bicycle race.

“I tried to be a runner, but I was not very good,” says the humble Brennan, who recently completed the Urban Epic 10K in a speedy 43:20, only 15 seconds slower than her nemesis and Urban Epic winner, Katie Payson. “I got injured running so I started riding the bike. A couple of friends convinced me to try triathlon, but I really sucked, so I started working harder.”

Hard work, a supportive family and a focused training program are the keys to Brennan’s remarkable success as a triathlete and a cyclist. Brennan trains and races only eight hours each week. “People told me I could do a lot better than I was doing. So, I began to do more focused workouts. I established goals for myself and developed a plan. I did more speed work. Every workout now has a goal. I don’t have much time, so I do a lot of hard efforts. There are no junk miles.”

Erin’s real breakthrough came in 2000 when preparing for her first Ironman. Her goal at the time was simply to finish the race. Her coach told her that if she focused, she could break 11 hours. “Steve helped me take my training to the next level and to believe in myself,” says Brennan referring to Cumberland-based coach Steve Fluet. “I learned that every workout has a purpose. There is no time to waste.”

Brennan continues to perfect her workouts and tests her skills almost weekly in bicycle time trial events and triathlons. “You don't have to over train. In fact, it’s pretty much impossible with a family relationship,” say Brennan who at 42 is married with two children and holds down a full-time job. “You have to know what training is really important and what races are really important.”

The feisty Tri-Maine race leader offers four tips for aspiring triathletes: “(1) Marry a supportive spouse. Successful racing is all about family support. If I did not have it, I could not win. (2) Eat well by taking in proper nutrition. The old adage ‘garbage in, garbage out’ applies here. (3) Make the workouts count. And (4) know when to be selfish - be disciplined and stick to your training regimen.”

As OA spoke to Brennan, she had her sights set squarely on the Camden Maine Sports Triathlon. In Camden Brennan would once again compete against Katie Payson, a former World Champion triathlete. At the Urban Epic, the race was won in the swim, where Katie put just over five minutes into Erin, who came roaring back on the bike gaining back almost four minutes on her rival. “The swim in Camden is very short (.5 miles). If I can stay with her in the water, there is a chance I can win on the bike. To catch Katie is one thing, to pass her is quite another.”

Race results from the Camden Maine Sports Triathlon show that Brennan almost achieved her objective. She finished the race second among women at 2:16:55, losing just 56 seconds to her rival, Katie Payson. Erin will get another chance at Katie in the upcoming Lobsterman Triathlon, but not before she defends her lead in the Maine Time Trial Series in Camden again next weekend!

Angela Bancroft, Wild Bear Winner

Tri-Maine Athlete Profile: Angela Bancroft

Angela Bancroft was an unlikely winner of the women’s overall at the Wild Bear Sprint Triathlon.

Late last summer, while training for the Lobsterman Triathlon, she fell off her bike while crossing a wet, pot-holed train tracks. She slammed to the ground landing on her shoulder and banging her head. “As soon as I fell, I knew something was really wrong,” recalls Angela. “I pulled myself off the ground and rode home, unable to move my arm. As soon as I got home, I passed out.”

Initially, medical attention focused on the minor concussion she sustained in the fall. The x-ray on her shoulder did not show a break, and she quickly regained some rotation and strength. The problem was that she could not swim. After physical therapy failed to restore function, Angela had an MRI. She was referred to a local surgeon who was pessimistic that Angela – a lifelong swimmer and runner – would be able to resume her pursuit as a triathlete.

“That’s when I started to do some research. I did some digging and found OA,” Angela says, referring to Orthopaedic Associates of Portland, a specialty orthopaedic practice with a focus on sports related injuries. “OA took my desire to get back to competition seriously. They got me in quickly, and gave me a super-thorough evaluation. They respected my goals and aspirations. Dr. Endrizzi was honest with me about what I needed to do, and he was optimistic that I would be able to race again.”

During surgery in early January, OA surgeon Dr. Donald Endrizzi, who specializes in shoulder related injuries, discovered that Angela had a rotator cuff tear that was very difficult to see even using advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Surgery was scheduled, and Angela began the long road to rehabilitation and recovery.

“The first six weeks were really hard,” says Angela. “My arm was in a sling. I was not allowed to move it at all. I could not drive. I could not run. Mentally and physically, it was tortuous – there were times when I thought I would never race again.”

Angela took her rehabilitation process seriously. Slowly but surely, she regained her strength. In March she was able to start running again. While her aerobic capacity was greatly diminished from lack of training, her fitness came back quickly. She began to ride the bike again in April, and she returned to the pool in late May.

Responding well to rehabilitation and training, Angela set her sites on the Timberman 70.2 half-iron man on August 19. She did not plan to compete in the Wild Bear in late June, but some of her friends were doing it. She felt good in training, and most importantly, there was an open spot.

“Winning was not an objective for the Wild Bear,” relates Angela. “I was there with a few of my friends to have fun and get back into competition. The swim felt great, and my arm did not hurt at all. I came out of the water first in my wave, thrilled that there was no pain. I transitioned quickly and headed off on the bike. I immediately lost my water bottle, but I kept on going. No other women passed me on the bike leg of the race. I was really excited, and I began to think I might be able to win the race. The run felt good, and I passed a few more women. I had an absolute blast doing the race.”

At the close of the race, just before leaving with her family for Connecticut, Angela checked one last time to see if the results had come out. Angela won the Wild Bear women’s overall with a time of 1:18:20.

“I was overwhelmingly surprised and excited by the win. I could not wait to tell OA and my physical therapists about how much I appreciated what they had done for me.”

Watch out for Angela Bancroft. While she may have been an unlikely winner of Wild Bear, she now is a likely favorite for Timberman and Lobsterman later this summer.