What in the devil is going on?

If you think it’s cool to get chased by some dude dressed up as a devil as you desperately work your way up once of the world’s steepest climbs (before you go on to climb even higher), then the Westernport Wall and the SavageMan Triathlon is for you! I want to thank Kyle Yost, Josh Beck, Tina Norton, and Doug Brede for contributing content to the magazine about one of the word’s most toughest triathlons. Who would of thought the race would turn into an epic event that brings an international audience to a little town in Maryland, USA? And, I want to thank Dan Hicok for allowing me to post some of his photos from SavageMan 2009 in the magazine.

I really like this issue of ERM. Why? Because the content was primarily provided by other contributors.  Sure, I wrote a lot and the issue was edited professionally by our staff, but this issue about SavageMan and some other top triathletes is about athletes, written by athletes and other specialists.

This issue is dedicated to the triathlete. I owe a world of thanks to Peggy Lovejoy, a triathlete who has taught us about life before, during, and “after” cancer.  Lovejoy’s story is both inspirational and emotional, and I thank her for sharing her story and her photos.  Another special athlete, Sean VanGerena, taught me a lot about being an ambulatory quadriplegic. After his heart-wrenching car accident over a year ago, Sean is truly a comeback kid—having gone from a potential world of paralysis, to one of epic successes in triathlons up to the Iron distance.

Other contributors like David Haas, Brett Daniels, Christopher J. Draper, RD, LDN, CSCS, and Joanna K. Chodorowska, BA, NC provided great content on life with cancer, overall nutrition for triathletes, and the top ten tips for swimmers.  All of this great content was contributed by these experts and we are blessed to have such sage advice from experts in the field.

Read and enjoy!

Your friendly editor,

Alix Shutello

editor@runnersillustrated.com