Runners face down. challenges hand in hand

Transcription

1 Dave and Jodi Seevers have competed in 17 races together in five years of marriage. Here, they are at Ironman Canada Runners face down challenges hand in hand Sometimes Cupid dons running shoes, chases down two unsuspecting souls and brings athletes together for the race of a lifetime falling in love. Couples who compete in triathlons often find that the common interest tests and reaffirms their relationship, making it stronger than ever. Jodi and Dave Seevers of Gretna have been married a little over five years. They have competed in 17 races together See Competitions: Page 2

2 triathlons, The couple first knew of each other through mutual friend but hadn t met in person. One Competitions: Couples fitness choices in sync Ironmans, marathons, fun runs, you name it. Add another dozen or so in which one was racing and the other cheered from the crowd. a night as Dave was watching the news, a woman being interviewed about an adventure race said something he will never forget. It was Jodi, his future wife. I was describing the race and the adventure of it and how the uncertainty of the day made it worthwhile, she said. A mesmerized Dave recognized her from pictures and thought, Exactly. That started their adventure, he said. The passion for competing and pushing themselves to the next level was the initial attraction. The Seeverses first date wasn t your typical dinner and a movie. Instead, they ran seven miles around Lake Zorinsky. Jodi, eyeing Dave s Jeep that was outfitted with pool noodles to hold a kayak, was smitten. They married six months after that first run. In 2011, the couple competed in Ironman Canada. Dave was on his way to setting a personal record when Jodi started having stomach trouble, making it difficult for her to complete the marathon a triathlon s home stretch. I had a decision to make. Do I keep going and get my fast time or help my wife? Dave said. There was no decision. Ijust knew being by Jodi s side was more special than a fast time. They crossed the finish line holding hands. Unlike the Seeverses, a love of good food brought Omahans Cade and Molly Pearson together. They met at Oklahoma State University in 2002, and dates consisted of going out to eat all the time. We did our thing and ate and didn t worry about it. We woke up one day and things were out of control, Molly said. During the first nine years of their marriage, both Molly and Cade tried to diet, but they were never in sync. We would go back and be fat and lazy together, Cade said. But in 2010, after completing a couple of shorter-distance triathlons and running races, the Pearsons got in the groove. Together they lost 100 pounds, thanks to long hours of training. Couples with similar, time-consuming interests should proceed with caution, said Brier Jirka, a sex therapist at Methodist Physician s Clinic Women s Center. Training for hours, resting and traveling to compete leaves little time for intimacy and each spouse s individual needs. Healthiest couples are the ones who first take care of themselves, then take care of the relationship. You need two healthy people to have a relationship, she said. Now, 100 pounds lighter, the Pearsons are healthier than ever and say spending that much time together isn t too taxing, even after 11 years. We could be together 24/7, said Cade. The first time we took a road trip, we drove six hours and never turned on the radio. We have known each other this long and it s as interesting as the first day. But every great love story comes with trials and tribulations. The Pearsons planned to compete in Ironman Arizona last year. They both started the race, but only Molly finished Cade had to drop out due to the flu. His body had enough. I gave him a hug and a kiss and said, I will finish for both of us, and that s what I did, said Molly. A weak, tired and unselfish Cade followed her along the run route for hours making sure he was there for his wife when she crossed the finish line. (Dave and Cade) were prioritizing their relationships. Being there for their wives was just as important as finishing the race, relationship expert Jirka said. Can any relationship work if you don t support your spouse? The Seeverses and Pearsons know that love can be trying, but they wouldn t want to try with anyone else. A passion for triathlons brought one couple together and gave the other something to work toward. Both are stronger for having competed alongside their loves. Jodi Seevers compares racing to marriage sometimes one partner pulls ahead or falls behind, and sometimes one depends on the other during tough times. Cade Pearson couldn t agree more. We just have gone through so many trials and efforts and had long days together, and it doesn t matter if I didn t finish (the race), he said. It brings us together, especially with something so difficult to do, physically and mentally. Michelle Bandur is TV Media Program Chair at Iowa Western Community College. She is an endurance athlete and an Ironman. To send her a story idea, bandurance140.6@gmail.com.

3 ROMANCE GETS A WORKOUT

4 Newlyweds meet at the gym, and now they own it together - BY KATY HEALEY! WORLD HERALD STAFF WRITER Zach and Heidi Harsin used to run together, step for step, when they were dating.! He would slow down for me then, Heidi smirked. When he was trying to win me over. in Januaryhe only plays nice for the first mile or two.! Now that Zach has the girlthey married! The newlyweds have built their livelihoodspersonal and professionalaround fitness. They own Body Innovations gym in Lincoln, and, although they re focused on work during business hours, it was their time together at the gym that kickstarted their romantic relationship. This is how we fell in love, Zach said. They met in March, almost two years ago. Heidi, 31, was a guest panelist at the Nebraska Wesleyan University Business Summit. She talked about opening, owning and running Body Innovations, and Zach approached her about an internship. They worked together that summer, co-owner at keeping the relationship purely professional. In the fall, though, they started seeing each other romantically, too. For several months, they kept their relationship to themselves. It wasn t difficult to draw the line, Heidi said about working with her thenboyfriend. Zach, 23, became a Body Innovations in January last year. When the couple are at the gym, teaching classes or personal training, they focus on their clients, not each other. See Gym: Page 2 Gym: Pair s passion for fitness fills work, personal life Some gym members were shocked when they heard about the engagement last September they didn t even know Heidi and Zach were dating. Even now, it s nearly impossible to tell the two are married when they re at work. On a Wednesday evening, while Zach trained a client, Heidi taught a boot camp class. When he changed a song playing over the speakers, presumably to one he liked better, she laughed and he smiled before they turned back to work the only hint of romance, easily missed. Close friend Gabrielle Happold was in on the secret from the start, though. They are electric together, said Happold, who exercises at Body Innovations. They re so easy-going and comfortable together. It s been a year and a half, but it feels like they ve been together eons. They just go together. The two teach group exercise classes, work with personal training clients and organize a half-marathon running group. They put on two running races the Harvest Moon Hustle and the Jingle Jog each year, too. The passion we share, it really is a lifestyle, Zach said. Even Heidi s wedding ring reflects their energetic ways. There is no holy cow, look at that rock solitaire on her left hand. It s a thick band of several smaller diamonds, more suitable for someone so active.

5 They re both competitive. The couple s first race together was the Beer and Bagel Run in Ashland, Neb. They ll both run the half-marathon in Atkinson, Neb., Heidi s hometown, this spring and a half Ironman in Wisconsin this summer. They often train at the same time, but not always together. It s easier to keep the same pace on a bike and in the pool than on the running trail. Zach s faster, remember. He makes me want to push that much harder, Heidi said, not against him, but against others in her age group. For the Harsins, exercise is what relationship expert Brier Jirka calls a core value. Having similar interests is extremely important, specifically when it comes to fitness, said Jirka, who works at Methodist Hospital in Omaha. Running a marathon or competing in an Ironman is a committed sport, much different than playing intramural softball on the weekends, she explained. You have to have a partner who understands and is respectful of that. There s even less stress on the relationship when both partners prioritize exercise, Jirka said. Sue Harsin, Zach s mom, said her son has always been physically active. No moss will grow under that boy s toes, she said. He just keeps moving. So she knew he would choose someone who was as passionate about health and fitness as he was. She knew that someone was Heidi when the couple visited Blair, Neb., Zach s hometown, for Christmas.... You could tell looking at them they bring life into a room together. They really do, his mom said. Zach proposed over Labor Day weekend after they boated on the Niobrara River, picnicked and watched the sunset. They took engagement photos a few weeks after he popped the question. In one, the two are holding race bibs that read toeing the line... with their wedding date printed in place of a bib number Zach s idea. Their friends were thrilled. I absolutely loved that. It was perfect for them. That guy doesn t miss a beat, Happold said. A few weeks before their wedding, Zach surprised Heidi with new business cards with her new last name and a road ID bracelet, which displays important information in case a runner gets into trouble on the trail. He listed himself as the emergency contact and inscribed a message on the bracelet: To my life-long training partner. Contact the writer: , katy.healey@owh.com twitter.com/katyhealey5