Are you Epic?

The third annual Zone Urban Epic Triathlon and Festival will take place in downtown Portland on Saturday, July 18. MaineToday.com and Switch are sending Stephanie Navrat to starting line as part of the Are You Epic? contest.

Stephanie takes on the Urban Epic

[Sunday, July 12] Today I had a great 30 minute open water swim in Lake Champlain - and a nice tempo run on the bike trail here a few hours after the swim. I've been in Vermont for the weekend and the change of scenery has been refreshing! In my tri training I've found I really enjoy open water swimming. ÊI am looking forward to swimming in my new Orca wetsuit this week in the cold, Maine ocean. I plan to get two swims in my wetsuit before the Zone Urban Epic. I feel good about the swim and confident about the run. The bike will be the biggest challenge for me - but I'll do my best! I'm strong on the hills - so I hear that will be a good thing for the end of this bike leg. I don't have a goal time as this is my first triathlon, but I'm pretty competitive so I'll just race against the people around me.

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[Wednesday, July 01] Portlander Stephanie Navrat has competed in road races, on the golf course, on softball teams and in the pool. But none of those singular sports made her epic.

Then she saw the MaineToday "Are You Epic?" contest, which is being run with the folks at Tri-Maine who put on the Urban Epic, and she knew what her next challenge would be. She put together the winning entry, including the words "This summer, I am ready to face my personal challenge - the triathlon. Never satisfied. This is epic. This is me," and has spent more than a month training for the July 18 event.

"I hope it's a nice and sunny the day of, but training through the rain and humidity has me prepared in the event it is not a nice day," says Navrat, 23.

The first-time triathlete has met with Rob Smith at Peak Performance Multisport and received a general training plan with triathlon-specific workouts. A former runner at St. Lawrence University and swimmer in high school, Narvat now swims twice a week (in a pool), runs five times a week and bikes whenever she can.

As the Are You Epic winner, Navrat received an Urban Epic T-shirt and visor, coaching and training from Peak Performance, classes a The Landing Center, a hat and T-shirt from Smuttynose Brewing, a dry brushing arm and leg treatment from Head Games and a private appointment with Dr. Barry Sears, creator of Zone Labs Inc., to discuss optimal health and training nutrition needs.

Navrat will be wearing a special jersey so watch for her during the race that combines a half-mile ocean swim with a 13 mile bike leg and a 3.7-mile run, all in Portland. Check out www.tri-maine.com for more info on the event and the post-race festival.

"I'm so excited for my triathlon," Navrat says. She's even signed up for the Tri for a Cure, which will be held in August.

Athletes to Watch

Inspirational Stories

- Mike Doyle, at just 19-years-old, is racing to promote health and fitness and overcome a year of cancer attacking his family Ð both his mother and his beloved grandfather.
- Erik Winchester almost lost his left arm to a tragic motorcycle accident. He is racing to inspire his children and others, proving that even when doctors told him it was time to give up, he pressed on and succeeded.
- Lauren Laws is racing in her second triathlon with Type I diabetes (and just seven months after giving birth to her fourth child). She believes there is something amazing in completing a triathlon Ð that you donÕt have to be an Olympian to experience Ð and is coming up from Massachusetts to show her kids what staying healthy means to her.

Racing Together

- Zack and Fowler Storms live in separate countries Ð Canada and the U.S. Ð but stay connected through athletic endeavors. Two years ago they biked across the country together and now they will be meeting up again to compete in their first triathlon.
- Mia Marietta decided to race in her first-ever triathlon on a dare from March Truedsson. SheÕs never even swum in the ocean. But like March, a kayaker and adventure writer, sheÕs up for anything and the two Portland friends are going for it together.

Out-of-Towners

- Brent Snow grew up in Falmouth, Maine and is always looking for a reason to return. Living in Syracuse, NY now, heÕs excited that the Urban Epic offers him the chance for a triathlon-centered homecoming.
-Jim Catchmark comes to Portland to visit in-laws every year from Wyomissing, PA and decided it was time to add a race this year. He says: ÒIt wonÕt be the first vacation with in-laws IÕve thought about jumping in the bay!Ó
- Mark Carbone will be coming in from Charlotte, North Carolina to visit his sister in Portland and race. An avid triathlete, Mark loves to race in spectator-friendly events and feels as though Maine offers the best.

Other racers to watch include the five members of the Southeast Storm triathlon team, coming down to race together from New Brunswick, Canada; the youngest adult racer in the competition Ð eighteen-year-old Asia Smith; and kids racer Madolyn Connelly who has a goal to raise $1,000 for Big Brothers Big Sisters in conjunction with her race.

Live results can be viewed on race day at www.urban-epic.com.

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