Locals preform well at Leadman 2017
Photos by Molly Geiger. Young racer Caleb Linton (right) is followed closely by Francine Hoch (left) who went on to claim victory as the fastest female in this year’s Leadman. Linton, from Rathdrum, went on to claim a second place finish.
The organized chaos of the ski to bike transition area of the 2017 Leadman.
A mother’s work is never done. Stacy Goranson looks on as her son and fellow competitor, gets his helmet ready before the bike leg of Leadman.
Winner of the kids solo category, Ada Christensen of Couer d Alene takes a deep breath as she begins the bike leg of the 2017 Leadman.
KELLOGG — The 13th annual Leadman Triathlon began with a bang atop Kellogg’s Silver Mountain.
Despite our rainy spring, the 163 participants could not have asked for better conditions and were met with bluebird skies and excellent late-season snow for the first leg of the ski/board-mountain bike-run adventure event that draws both experienced and beginner athletes alike.
Although the Leadman competition is well known for drawing a wide range of competitive athletes, the top male finisher once again was Billy Morse Jr. of Spokane with a time of 49:45, nearly two minutes faster than his winning time last year.
The fastest overall female was Kellogg’s own Francine Hoch, who was hot on Morse’s heels with a finishing time of 55:37.
Every finisher of Leadman has an amazing story behind them, but a post-race chat with Francine Hoch gave a lot of insight as to the mental and physical preparation that goes into what it takes to stand on the podium at the end of the day.
Like many women, Hoch, 41, has a husband, a full-time job and three children (a 7-year-old daughter and twin 5-year-old boys). What sets her apart is her discipline and dedication to living a healthy lifestyle. Hoch said she not only wants to be a good example for her children, showing them you can be an older athlete who remains competitive with the 18 year olds, but that being healthy is a lifestyle worth living.
Hoch summed this up with a quote she once read, “If you can make time to lie around on the couch and eat unhealthy food, you had better make the time for visiting the doctor a lot!”
She carries her mantra with her as she heads out most mornings at 5 a.m. to get a run in, or a brisk morning bike ride.
Hoch says she is naturally a morning person and likes to exercise early so it is done and out of the way; but also has come to enjoy the silence, as well as the time to plan her busy schedule.
Not only does Hoch balance the needs of her family, but she has also worked in the healthcare industry for more than 16 years.
In her current position she oversees eight states and travels frequently for her job, but admits the one item she never leaves home without is her running shoes.
She laughed and said, “Yeah, they are part of my lifestyle.”
Hoch added that although sports have always been a driving force in her life, she did not take up long distance running until the mid-1990s. Since then, she has squeezed training time into her life and competed in numerous decathlons and triathlons, but said events like the Leadman have breathed new life into racing for her.
Hoch loves Leadman because the event is run so well by so many volunteers, and always has a great turnout of fun competitors.
She also enjoys the course because it starts out with an easy ski/board section, then transitions to the mostly downhill mountain bike course, and finally the run proves to be a real challenge on the hill.
“I like that it goes from easy to hard — it gets you in the end!” Hoch said with a grin.
Whether you are a spectator or competitor in Leadman, it certainly offers something for everyone. Over the last 12 years, the race has raised more than $110,000 and all of the net proceeds have gone toward community projects sponsored by the Rotary Club of Kellogg.
Other Silver Valley residents with competitive times include: Kelton Enich who had a finishing time of 1:16:22; Lance Boylan, 1:23:45; and team Silver Mountain Moonstompers, which finished in 1:05:19.