It is with great pride that I present the 2007 women's issue. In preparation for this special edition, I researched the history of women in sports and interviewed four local female athletes. The history and stories I am about to share with you are not only inspirational, but liberating, too.

My findings have inspired me to continue my athletic pursuit, even if I never set a world record, win an event or receive a purse for my time and abilities. My continued effort in the field of sports, however, will continue to support athletic freedom for women of all ages.

In about the past 80 years, women's sports have seen a great transformation. Going back further, the history of women in sports is intriguing, to say the least. The more research I did, the more interested I became in the evolution of women's sports.

I found history dating back to 776 B.C., when the ancient Olympic games were in Greece and excluded women from participating. In 1896, when Baron Pierre de Coubertin revived the modern Olympic games, women still were excluded. Coubertin, like many others, believed that physical competition would morph a women's body into a masculine structure, as well as ruin their health or render them incapable of bearing children.

I am happy to say that the women of this time took it upon themselves to begin holding their own Olympics games, which were sponsored by the Federation Sportive Feminine Internationale (FSFI), the governing body for women in track and field around the world. After petitioning time and time again, women finally were granted the opportunity to make their debut at the 1928 Summer Olympic games in Amsterdam.

In 1966, Will Cloney, race director for the Boston Marathon, responded to a letter of request from Roberta Gibb, who was seeking an application for the 69^th Boston Marathon. In Cloney's response letter, he stated that "women were not physiologically capable of running 26 miles and, furthermore, under the rules that governed international sports, they were not allowed to run." Cloney's letter did not discourage Gibb from entering the race "unofficially" but motivated her to take a stand and shatter the notion that women had physical limitations.

Thanks to women like Gibb, the notion of physical limitations has been shattered as women across the United States and the world participate in all types of athletic events. To learn more about Gibb and her liberation into the sport of marathon, go to www.runningpast.com/gibb_story.htm. For more information and a detailed timeline of women in sports, go to www.northnet.org/stlawrenceaauw/timeline.htm.

I hope you find the facts and stories of these brave women to be as motivational and inspirational as I did. Let their ambition, desire and perseverance take hold of your dreams and help you achieve your athletic goals.

Women of the past are not the only athletes to fuel my desire to continue my athletic goals. Women such as Tanya Cady, Julie Lewis-Sroka, Dr. Trephina Galloway and Michele Mead are four local women who have pursued their dreams. Their stories begin on page XX. As you read about their beginnings and their passion for their sports, keep in mind that they, like you and I, began their endeavors out of curiosity, intrigue and a desire to stay physically fit.

On Sept. 21, the Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) will promote the second annual National Run @ Work Day. The goal is to raise national awareness about the importance of daily exercise. The RRCA (www.RRCA.org) encourages individuals to incorporate at least 35 minutes of daily exercise, which has been shown to markedly improve one's overall physical condition.

For more than 20 years the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov) has been tracking obesity trends. A report indicates that the rate of overweight adults in the United States has increased by 18 percent. Healthcare costs are on the rise, and it is estimated that medical-related expenses have reached an all-time high: 75.8 billion per year.

In 1992, the Towpath Marathon was established to introduce the newly developed Towpath Trails and to promote the establishment of the Ohio & Erie Canalway. Since its inception, the Towpath Marathon has become one of Northeast Ohio's premier marathons attracting an average of 1,200 participants from more than 27 states.

This scenic event encompasses not only the beauty of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, but also historic and cultural resources. The Towpath Marathon is one of few marathons that take place within a national park.

Support the Ohio Canal Corridor, the organization behind the race, and Vertical Runner by participating in the 16^th annual Towpath Marathon, which includes a half marathon, 5.24-miler/relay and 5K trail run. For more information, visit www.towpathmarathon.net/about.htm or contact Vertical Runner at 330-656-1176 or www.verticalrunner.com. To learn more about the Ohio Canal Corridor, visit www.ohiocanal.org.

Residence: Berea

Occupation: commercial insurance agent

Sports: running, duathlon and triathlon

Number of years competing: 15 years running, one year in duathlon, six months in triathlon

Michelle Mead always has been competitive. After years of individual and team competitions

as an all-round gymnast, Mead retired or, as she puts it, "refocused."

First, she joined a local ballet company and participated in the arts for eight years. Then came the bet. Mead's husband didn't believe ballet was a sport that could keep someone in shape, so he bet her she couldn't run two miles.

"I took the challenge," Mead says. "I jumped right in." Uncertain of how far two miles was, Mead entered the Solon Great Race and finished the two-mile run in 16 minutes and a second, which put her in fourth place and left her with the desire to be more competitive.

At age 30, Mead began training for longer distance runs. During her first training season, a running partner suggested a trip to Chicago for shopping, site seeing, great food and a marathon. "Sounds like fun. How long is a marathon?" Mead asked. Eight months later, she found herself at the starting line of the Chicago Marathon and finished in four hours and five minutes. "Wow! What a feeling," Mead recalls. She immediately joined a local running group and set her sights on the Boston Marathon.

In 2005, Mead had a setback. Her father passed away, and other ill family members kept her from running. By 2006, she once again refocused and set her sights on multisport events.

Encouraged by a friend, Mead purchased a bike and hired Rick Kattouf, a national champion duathlete, to coach her. She entered her first duathlon, the Willoughby Hills Lions Sprint Duathlon, and was the winning female. Then came the Columbus International Duathlon, where she again placed first among women.

Since then, Mead has continued to set PRs (personal records) and finish first overall among women or in the top of her age group. In July, she earned a slot at the Short-Course Duathlon Nationals in Mason, where she placed fourth in her age group and earned an invitation to the 2008 Short-Course World Championships in Rimini, Italy.

In October, Mead will travel to Richmond, Va., to compete in the McDonald's ITU Long-Course World Championships Duathlon for Team USA (9.3-mile run/48-mile bike/4.6-mile run). No doubt, she will finish in the top of her age group.

To stay at the top of her game, Mead trains six days a week and 14 to 15 hours per week, plugging workouts in first thing in the morning, at lunch and after work.

Mead credits her impressive race record to her coach. "Under Rick's program, I've learned to arrive at the race feeling rested and ready to go. Rick has been a positive influence in every aspect of my racing career."

Mead is sponsored by Team Good River and Mizuno and is a member of the Cleveland Triathlon Club and Team Snakebite Racing, where she mentors up-and-coming multisport and running athletes.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Residence: Cleveland Heights

Occupation: dermatologic surgeon

Sport: triathlon

Number of Years Competing: two

Dr. Trephina Galloway's fractured finger was a sign that it was time to retire from her favorite sport: rugby. With that decision made, Galloway needed a new challenge; something that would keep her fit, yet capture her attention. She decided triathlon would be her new sport.

Having been a swimmer in high school and owning a mountain bike, she thought this would be the perfect transition for her. Galloway prepared a training schedule and, in 2005, signed up for her first multisport event, the Cleveland Triathlon.

"I arrived at the race and was pretty confident, that was until I saw all the people with their tri bikes. As I unloaded my heavy, old mountain bike, I began to feel very inadequate. I felt like everyone was looking at my bike and wondering if I had any idea what I was getting myself into. For that matter, I was beginning to wonder if I had any idea what I had gotten myself into."

As Galloway prepared for the swim, she saw people putting on wetsuits. "I was really feeling unprepared, but at the same time wondering why on earth would anyone wear a wetsuit for a half-mile swim?"

Regardless, Galloway seeded herself at the front of the pack. She admits open-water swimming was much harder than she anticipated. "I am pretty sure I would have done much better if I hadn't kept going off track."

Sighting is one of the toughest aspects of open-water swimming. Feeling confident after her swim, Galloway made her way to the transition area, where there still were quite a few bikes. Believing she still had a fighting chance, she quickly made her way onto the bike course.

The first part of the ride was smooth, but Galloway became discouraged as the people she had passed in the water began passing her on the bike. She vowed she wouldn't do another triathlon until she had a tri bike.

The run for Galloway was tough. During medical school, she had only run a few "fun" runs. "My goal was to try and run the entire way, even if that run was a very slow jog. I just didn't want to walk."

Upon finishing the race, she knew she was hooked. "I couldn't wait to go buy a new bike and get serious about triathlon."

Galloway considers herself to be a determined person. "When I decide to accomplish something, there is basically nothing that can stop me. I set my mind to it and do whatever is necessary to achieve my goal."

In January, Galloway began training for her first long-distance triathlon, the Florida Ironman. On Nov. 3, she will travel to Panama City, Fla., to complete her first 140.6-mile event. An Ironman triathlon consists of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run.

When Galloway is not working, she's training six days a week, 12 to 18 hours per week. She divides her training between home equipment, the pool and, on weekends, the metroparks.

To implement all the necessary training, one must make sacrifices. While everyone else is enjoying the weekend while relaxing, Galloway is riding five to six hours, then running for an hour. She says that her coach, Angela Forster, is an invaluable tool.

"She keeps me on track, and she is always available to hear my concerns and questions. I could not do this without her."

After Forster sets the schedule, Galloway implements it by getting up "really" early. For her, finishing the largest volume of her training first thing in the morning is key. She admits she is a structured person.

"I like to have schedules and lists, so having a coach who gives me a schedule week by week works very well for me. If I know I am going to have a busy day, etc., then I let her know in advance and she makes the schedule accordingly." Galloway rarely misses a workout, however, she admits, "it happens on occasion."

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Residence: North Royalton

Occupation: attorney for IMG Worldwide

Sport: mountain bike

Number of years competing: two

Expert mountain biker Julie Lewis-Sroka is no stranger to adversity. As a young cyclist living in New York City, she was hit by a car. In 2005, she was diagnosed with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, an auto-immune disease that attacks and destroys the thyroid. A year later, after undergoing surgery, she developed a staph infection.

The setbacks she encountered were not enough to deflate her passion for competition. After all, Lewis-Sroka is a two-time World Champion Duathlete. Because she was too weak to return to the road, she changed gears and headed to the dirt trails to begin her road to recovery.

In 2005, at age 41 and the same year she was diagnosed with the disease, Lewis-Sroka competed in her first mountain bike race at West Branch State Park in Ravenna. "I was certain I could ride the course and finish, but I was afraid of the technical sections of the course, such as the roots, logs, rocks, steep descents and narrow bridges."

Riding the course with superb strategy, Lewis-Sroka won the event. "This race fueled my love for this sport and gave me confidence."

As an attorney Lewis-Sroka maintains a hectic schedule, so finding time to train is not always an easy task. How does she do it? "You have to think of exercise as important to your health as finding the time to eat breakfast, brush your teeth and sleep. I work from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in downtown Cleveland, a 30- to 50-minute commute, depending on traffic. I get up early, 4:30 a.m., and hit the gym before work. The Downtown YMCA is open at 5:30 a.m., so that works out great for me."

Weekend training includes commuting to one of the many state parks to practice her technical skills. From time to time, she admits, "I do miss training sessions. In the end, my priority has to be my job. There are times when I have to work late, on the weekend, etc. I work hard, and I play hard. I've got the scars to prove it.

"If I miss a training session, I try to view it as am unplanned rest day. Rest days are important too."
Lewis-Sroka is preparing for the Iceman Cometh, a 27-mile, point-to-point mountain bike race Nov. 10 in Traverse City, Mich. Her sponsors include Bear Naked, Cannondale MTB Team and Bike Authority in Broadview Heights.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

By Rebecca Bode

• Your busy schedule
   
• Your fear of failure
   
• Your fear of looking bad
   
• Your fear of injury
   
• Performance anxiety
   
• Sabotaging thoughts and beliefs
   
• Attitude
   
• Lack of motivation
   
• Awareness

The collective wisdom of sport psychologists knows that getting started or staying with it can have many detractors, but the application of psychological skills to the athletic endeavor can make it happen, remove the obstacles and the mental and emotional barriers, and help you see yourself at the starting line and see yourself crossing the finish line.

Who can help? How do I overcome my list of detractors? A sport psychologist can offer many tools to address this mind-body process.

A busy schedule: Find out if you swear by a schedule or swear at one. Do you need to train with others or treat your training schedule as an unbreakable appointment on your calendar? Do you need to commit everyday to the first 10 minutes and then find you are able to keep going?

Fear of failure: What's your athletic track record - a history of failure, ineptitude or lack of staying power? A sport psychologist can help you combat these negative barriers with mental skills, exercises and practices. Using visualization, guided imagery and relaxation techniques, you can unlock extraordinary potential and performance in your sport that also can be applied to everyday life.

Sabotaging thoughts and beliefs: What's your cultural view of athletics? Is it "women don't do sports," "women don't sweat" or "sports are for dumb jocks"? If the mind believes "I can't," you will sabotage your goals. Develop tools and skills to renounce beliefs, restrictions and obstacles.

Sabotaging thoughts and negative beliefs can be turned around. Positive self-talk and personalized positive statements with a precise prescription, in the form of affirmations, can work through huge stumbling blocks with applications far beyond sport.

A wrong attitude or a lack of motivation: Do you hate the "e" word? Has "exercise" been removed from your vocabulary? For those exercise-haters, find your "exercise personality." Find the best activity for you, because not everyone should be on a bike, in the pool or in the gym.

Motivation can be a key area that needs unlocked. Digging for what's driving your effort, a technique to unleash your "motivational bull's eye," can discover what will work for you. Your plan begins to emerge with goals, sometimes small goals, that also include reinforcers. Yes, sometimes ice cream after a long workout is involved.

A lot of support is required, too. Do you know how to ask for support? Has the question: "Honey, can you do the dishes so I can go out for my walk now?" ever been played out? Sport psychologists also know that a big motivating factor to getting started or staying with an athletic endeavor can be setting an example for your children.

Performance anxiety: hands and legs shaking, stomach jittery, thoughts bombarding you. Training for "how to relax under pressure" is a stalwart of a sport psychologist's repertoire. Breathing techniques can remove the troublesome thoughts and the tension in the body so the mind is able to concentrate and confidence is not compromised.

Coping with pressure is a skill that can be developed so the athlete can learn how to transition, control words, create mental images, relax, focus and concentrate. When the source of nervousness is external, you can redirect attention from the environment and go to a calm, relaxed imaginary place with mental training skills.

Awareness: An athlete practicing with awareness performs optimally by being totally engaged in the moment and by focusing on the present. An athlete who stays attentive to his or her form, stride or breath and on the joy of the movement can go deeper into the present moment and further down into the motivation.

A long-distance runner who attends to his discomforts and to extraneous distractions such as how many miles to go does not maximize his or her efforts. The aware athlete aligns the physical game with the development of the internal psychological strengths and develops the highly valued skill of devoting full attention to the present moment.

An aware athlete recognizes those moments when mind and body are in total synchronicity, sometimes known as "being in the flow" when on the bike, on the links or in the game. This experience is accessible through mental and physical exercise practices.

The aware athlete is relaxed, focused and open to higher achievement. Although unable to control the competitors, the teammates or the weather, the aware athlete controls his or her performance.

Now, on your mark, get set, be an aware athlete.