Gayle Minard
OCCUPATION: Trauma surgeon and medical educator, soon to be retired
AGE GROUP: 65-69
SPORTS: Triathlon, riding motorcycles on the track, wake surfing,
downhill skiing, kayaking…
YEARS IN MULTISPORT: 25+
YEARS BEING A TERRAPIN: A long damn time…
WHY YOU LOVE BEING A TERRAPIN: The camaraderie!
BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Completed 11 Ironman's, raced in world long course
triathlon championship 3 times in Australia, Spain & France
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: Above, plus I have run 2 marathons
(without a swim & a bike in front of them), Memphis St. Jude at which I qualified for and then ran Boston.
UPCOMING GOALS: I ended up taking a break for about seven years. I started back training with the plan to race in 2020. Oh well, Covid. I’m now recovering from a hamstring injury (wake surfing) and hope to race by the end of this season.
FUN FACTS: Not suitable for public view!
BIGGEST INSPIRATION: Michelle Bingham who has come back from lots of musculoskeletal issues with coaching, PT, and a lot of patience to be able to race long distances including 100 miles.
BIGGEST CHALLENGE: Neuromas in both feet (which start hurting after about an hour on the bike or running), now hamstring injury
MOST MEMORABLE RACE: Ironman Wisconsin 2003 podium spot-5th in age group
FAVORITE RIDING ROUTE: Currently, over the Harahan bridge to ride around Dacus lake on my mountain bike
FAVORITE RUNNING ROUTE: Touring runs almost anywhere. My most challenging runs are on the hilly gravel roads in Waterloo, AL
WHAT YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT MULTISPORT: My team mates and training
FAVORITE RACE: Ironman Wisconsin
FAVORITE GEAR: Cervelo p3c with electronic shifters
COACH: Michelle Bingham, Be Fit and Train
RESOURCES OR TOOLS YOU CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT: Well fitted running shoes, and a COACH! Training yourself, especially at my age, is not self evident, and requires a different approach than when younger.
FAV FUEL: Real food, but just drink water on rides /runs and eat Cliff bars or CarBoom
FAVORITE BEER: Wine
FAVORITE POST-ENDURANCE DAY INDULGENCE: French fries!
MANTRA: Don’t play the “what if” game
