Lisa Bently - Fever and stomach problems... from Cervelo site

Triathlon Forum
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Found this update at the Cervelo media center, sounds like it could be a long (or short) day for Lisa. It must be so frustrating to run into this so close to race day.

http://cervelo.com/mediacentre2.aspx

An update from Lisa Bentley
14.10 10.32

Hello from Kona – 36 hours before race day.

My training and preparation has been excellent. Over the past 12 weeks of training, I have swam at my best, thanks to Brian Kelly, my swim coach, I have biked at my best and I have executed career best runs. And thanks to my Kona training buddy, Nigel Gray, I have maximized my training sessions and gotten every ounce out of the fantastic coaching which Lance Watson has provided me since 1999.

It is because I have been supported so wonderfully by everyone that I am wanted to share this note. This is not an excuse note or a “woe is me” note. I just wanted to share.

I have been battling abdominal discomfort for the past 10 days. It started last Tuesday. It improved gradually and I felt pretty good by last Sunday. But then on Monday, I became uncomfortable again. All told, I spent two days in bed in quite a bit of pain. But it would always improve enough for me to battle on and rule out anything sinister.

This past Tuesday, the pain got pretty severe and I started to seek out a doctor on Wednesday. The trouble is that with all of my positive thinking, I had convinced myself that I was going to be fine. After all, I was improving and I only felt really uncomforatble at the end of the day particularly after eating.

Thanks to Dr. Hiller, my friend from my Labman sodium studies, I was able to see Dr. Park today, Thursday. I either have chronic appendicitis or sigmoid diverticulitis (inflammation of the colon). Both are treated with antibiotics. I was going to get a CAT scan to confirm the diagnosis, but the end result was going to be the same regardless – antibiotics to treat the infection and lower my fever. Oh yes, I’ve had a fever for a few days but never knew it. Can you say “high pain tolerance” or perhaps “stupidity” or it is a weird form of “positive thinking”? I’d like to think that it is positive thinking.

I decided to delay the CAT scan until Sunday. Dr. Park does not think that I can harm myself in anyway by racing. But that said, I will be respectful of my body and I will listen to it on race day. My health and wellbeing are most important (and marrying David Cracknell next Wednesday). In the meantime, I will take my antibiotics to get rid of the infection. I know that racing on antibiotics is certainly not the way to optimal performance, but I plan to replace whatever the antibiotics take away with a lot of heart and passion.

As always, I will race with heart. Cheer loud. I will do my best. Regardless what happens on race day, there will be no “what ifs” from me. I will be very fortunate to start the race and like everyone else, I will be a champion to finish the race. There is a reason for everything. I accept my path and am grateful for this journey.

Thank you for your support,

Lisa

2

For all the talk so many of the other athletes get, Lisa just keeps on winning under very adverse conditions. She flys under the radar, stays positive no matter what, expects no quarter and always competes with a smile, passing the glory to everyone but herself. I think it would be really cool to sit down for a coffee with her and pick her brain. She strikes me as some one who would be good company.

I don’t have too many athlete “Heros” but she is definitely one.

J

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I was really hoping to see Lisa break through for a win this year. It will be tough given this news.

4

The amazing thing about Lisa is that she is so into everyone elses race and not her own in the sense that she always asks you about your race and takes the focus away from hers.

If you have a chance to sit down with her for a coffee, please do so. I’ve been fortunate to have met and “raced” Lisa (I use the word loosely) at several races in Ontario since back in 1990, when she was an age grouper. She’s always been very friendly and has replied back to every email I have ever sent to her wishing her good luck at her various races.

This year she sends me an email before Boston wishing me good luck, and then after the race which she attended for Saucony sponsor purposes, she spent her time scouring the finish area with 20,000 athletes searching for athletes she knew to ask them about their races.

In those 20,000 people she was able to find me lying down on the ground recovering from a very painful personal worst 3:19 (and if you are going to do a personal worst, Boston is the place to do it). In any event, I was feeling sorry for myself and she was able to immediately put a very positive spin on my race that made me feel excellent for the ensuing 8 hour trip home to Ottawa. Made my day.

Clearly a class act. This sport needs more people like that.

Dev

5

That is what is cool about this sport. I had a similar experience with Dave Scott at a half marathon in Moab. My GF and I were sitting in a local establishment near the door when he walked in. He noticed us from the pre race dinner and came over and asked how our race was. I thought it was cool that he came over to my table. Very cool. The funny thing was I don’t think anyone else in the place had a clue :wink:

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Clearly a class act…She is that.

I also love that she is unabashedly Canadian. I hate to sound jingoistic, but it’s neat that she flies the flag at any and every opportunity.

J

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It would be like Tom Brady swinging by the local park to ask us how our touch football game was going !

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oh, i’m so sad to hear she’s not 100%. she is the absolute best.

i am in complete agreement dev…she gives back 10x more than she receives. she came across me having a good cry in the middle of a horrible training day on the bike and stopped her ride to chat, calm me down and reassure me that it’ll all be good and sent me on my way. now whenever i start a meltdown, i recall her positive words and work through it.

i know that if her day doesn’t go as planned, she’ll be supporting everyone else out there.

i hope she has a great wedding too! i’ve met dave a time or two and he’s super nice as well.

k

9

This seems to happen to handful of elite athletes every year in Kona. Is it coincidence? Bad luck? Overtraining? Change of season? Traveling in an airplane?

10

Wow, lots of great personal stories from people. Too bad she’s feeling so bad. I don’t see how one could step up and perform after the week she has had, but I know who I’m rooting for in the women’s race…

11

It would be impossible to perform at that level being on antibiotics. Even for someone like Lisa. But she is positive and you can never underestimate her mental strength and her ability to make “friends with pain”.

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In those 20,000 people she was able to find me lying down on the ground recovering from a very painful personal worst 3:19 (and if you are going to do a personal worst, Boston is the place to do it). In any event, I was feeling sorry for myself and she was able to immediately put a very positive spin on my race that made me feel excellent for the ensuing 8 hour trip home to Ottawa. Made my day.

Clearly a class act. This sport needs more people like that. "

Dev-

Thats an awesome and classy thing she did !!!

Really hope she feels better tomorrow.