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WESTPORT, Conn. Laurie Brannigan jumped into her first triathlon in 1989. Three adorable boys, one supportive husband and countless fitness hours later, the Westport woman is at the top of her game despite a training schedule that could best be described as limited.
Brannigan, 43, was the top Fairfield County woman in the Kids In Crisis Triathlon in Stamford in June and the Mossman Sprint Triathlon at Norwalk's Calf Pasture Beach in July. She is bypassing an attempt to go for a county hat trick Sunday at the Greenwich Cup. Instead, she is swimming on Saturday in the St. Vincent's Swim Across the Sound.
Triathlons, however, are where Brannigan has distinguished herself this summer. She finished second to Laura Cummings of Bay Shore, N.Y., at the Mossman triathlon and was third overall in Stamford. She competed in her first triathlon at the Greenwich Cup.
"I think my years of experience help me compete,'' said Brannigan, who swam for the Darien Piranhas and Colgate University before transitioning to triathlons. "It helps make up for my lack of training."
Branningan's training, or lack thereof, makes her results this summer even more stunning. Her boysTerry, 9, Eamon, 7, Seamus, 3keep her hopping. Her husband, Terry, helps with the boys but also travels frequently for work. She shoots for two bike rides, two runs and two swims every week. "I never get that,'' Laurie said. "I think I've done that once this summer. That's not a lot compared to what other people do."
She's a member of the Targetraining team, but creates her own schedule. "I've never had a coach,'' Brannigan said. "They'd be so horrified at my schedule that they'd dump me."
Brannigan's experience includes triathlons, marathons and bike racing. She has run the New York City and Boston Marathons, and competed in the Kona Ironman Triathlon World Championships in 1995 and '96. She has competed in triathlons throughout the United States, and qualified for the Half Ironman World Championships as recently as 2006. Even after three children and more than two decades of racing, Brannigan still has the passion for triathlons.
"After having a couple of kids, I wondered if I'd ever get back to where I was,'' Brannigan said. "It takes two years after having a baby to get in any semblance of shape. I'm happy I can do it. It's like an old friend I can always go back to. I hope I can still do it when I'm in my 70s."
Brannigan will miss the Greenwich race this weekend to swim with a team from the Westport YMCA. It includes Sheila Stolarski, Kim Russo, Laina Grillo, Fran Gray and Andy Davis. They are swimming on the "No Surrender" team, which honors the late Maura Marden. Marden, who died last year after a long bout with cancer, participated in the Swim Across the Sound last August while battling the disease. Readers can support Brannigan by making a donation online.
"I enjoy it in a completely different way,'' Brannigan said. "It's not a race. However, different teams know each other, so there's some competition. That's not the focus of the event. It's just helping out a good cause."
There may be another triathlon in Brannigan's schedule this summer. With weekend family time, it's even hard for her to predict what her next race will be. "It's tough to say to my husband I'll be back in three hours, good luck with the kids,'' Brannigan said. "At this point, I'm happy to keep my foot in the door whenever I can."
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