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Naperville triathlon encourages women to 'test their limits'

The journey to health can have nearly unlimited phases, but for women competing in one Naperville endurance event on Sunday, it has only three: Swim. Bike. Run.

The Gildan Esprit de She Triathlon offers women the chance to set the goal of becoming a triathlete and train to achieve it, gaining healthy habits along the way, said Lindsey Sachs, founder and brand director of the Esprit de She race series.

"Esprit de She is unique in offering women that opportunity to test their limits and reach their goals and then do so in a very enthusiastic, supportive environment," Sachs said. "We're not so much just about participating in this one race, but how do you implement that into a year-round lifestyle of healthy living."

The Naperville race, one of three triathlons in the nationwide Esprit de She series, begins with a half-mile swim at 7 a.m. at Centennial Beach, 500 W. Jackson Ave. It continues with a 13.3-mile bike ride and a 3.1-mile run before many of the 2,000 participants are expected to be finished by 10:30 a.m.

As a sprint-distance event, the race attracts both experienced triathletes looking to better their personal records and newcomers, such as 28-year-old Naperville resident Becky Sampson, who define success as completing all aspects of the course.

Sampson signed up for the race for the same reason many women do - because her workout routine of training for running races such as a half-marathon needed a jolt of something new.

"I've done the half and just kind of was bored and needed a new goal, a new thing to set my sights on," Sampson said.

She got a bike for her birthday in February, so she decided to dive into a triathlon - swimming and all.

Training for a race like a triathlon can give participants a reason to improve their eating and nutrition, form good stretching habits, recover from nagging injuries or get consistent sleep, Sachs said.

"That goal is what fuels them," she said. "The byproduct is a commitment to health."

Even the post-race party encourages a commitment to health by featuring tapas, fresh produce, local artisans, creative projects and a beauty bar with massages, hair braiding, blowouts and manicures, Sachs said. Women can pose for finisher's pictures in a photo booth with their medals, which feature a removable charm that says "happy," for this year's race theme, "Happy in Numbers."

For Sampson, being active is part of a new definition of beauty that's helping her remain in recovery from her previous struggles with anorexia.

"I struggled with an eating disorder in the past and I kind of have turned to racing and athletics as an outlet to build a positive self-image and get out of that cycle," Sampson said. "The reason I'm racing is to promote that."

As she competes in the race, she'll be celebrating two years of overcoming the eating disorder. She hasn't followed a specific nutrition plan while training for her first triathlon with swims in the morning and runs or cycling sessions after work. But she said she's focused on "clean eating," choosing healthy foods and eating more than usual with all the workouts she's completing.

"I'm really just trying to promote keeping healthy as a positive self-image," she said.

Sampson also is joining in a charitable aspect of the race by gathering donations to Girls on the Run Chicago, which offers after-school programs for girls that promote self-respect and healthy living through running. The charity will receive $1,500 from Gildan, the race's title sponsor, along with additional donations from racers like Sampson.

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Transitioning from biking to running is part of the challenge in the Gildan Esprit de She Naperville Triathlon, which begins at 7 a.m. Sunday at Centennial Beach. Daily Herald file photo June 2011
Triathlon participants Sunday in the Gildan Esprit de She race in Naperville will swim first, then transition to biking, then running. Daily Herald file photo June 2009
Becky Sampson of Naperville will be competing in her first triathlon Sunday in Naperville during the Gildan Esprit de She race starting and ending at Centennial Beach. Courtesy of Becky Sampson

If you go

What: Gildan Esprit de She Naperville Triathlon

When: 7 a.m. to noon Sunday, June 14

Where: Swim: Centennial Beach, 500 W. Jackson Ave; Bike along Jackson Avenue, Aurora Avenue, West Street, Rickert Drive, Hillside Road, Webster Street and Chicago Avenue; Run along the Riverwalk, Jefferson Avenue, River Road and Aurora Avenue

Who: Roughly 2,000 women

Info: <a href="http://www.espritdeshe.com/">espritdeshe.com</a>

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