Bio for Murray Frank

Click here for Murray's Secure Donation Page to the Canadian Cancer Society!

Fourth Time at Ironman Canada!

Why do I do it? 

It’s for the chicken soup.

I need to back-up a bit to explain.  On a hot summer day some 15 years ago,  I had my first chance meeting with the Ironman.  With a cigarette dangling from my lips, I raised my head from the trunk of my car to load another flat of beer and caught the focused gaze of a cyclist just before he disappeared around the corner and, to the cheers of a surprising gathering of devoted spectators, threw himself at the very monster of a hill we had driven down that Friday before.  I confirmed with my buddies that it was that strange, too-far bike race they had around here, and they corrected me that it also included swimming and running.  In this heat?  They’re nuts.  I checked my smokes and, noting that I was fully stocked, retreated in a haze of long forgotten British Rock to our campground.  I remember looking back over my shoulder one more time before driving away.

4 years ago, as I continued with the daunting task of un-doing the doings of my youth, I was challenged by my wife Karen to a beginners-only sprint triathlon.  This seemed logical as I had quit smoking, lost some weight and was starting to feel some of those long-lost pangs of desire for activity.

“What could this hurt?” I thought.  “I’ll just try it this once.  It’s recreational stuff, not like the really hard stuff the tri-junkies are on.  I can quit anytime”.  I swapped out my knobby tires for road slicks and my first race was done.

A few marathons, a few more triathlons and Karen & I felt like we were taking charge of our lives through fitness.  And then Karen came out of the Doctors office and quietly told me that she had Cancer.  Just like that, in those 3 words our lives were changed forever.

She battled with fierce determination and I realized that there was nothing that I could do but hold her hand.  I can re-build a car, or a high-rise, or a computer – but I could do nothing to heal her.  It is the most helpless feeling I have ever had and I swore that I needed to fight this disease not only for the victims, but also for those closest to them.  Karen fought through her treatments and straight back into training with a goal of not letting Cancer take away her dream of the Ironman.  So, along with Karen, our recovery continued with the training for Ironman Canada 2004 where she raced as a member of the cops for Cancer team.  Every time Cancer strikes, it results in people quietly suffering along with those stricken and the only way to fix that truth is to improve prevention, improve the treatments and reduce the victims it claims.  Research and clinical trials supported by the Canadian Cancer Society do this and it was obvious that we needed to fight this war with them.

When I reached the start line on Okanagan Lake, I realized completely the magnitude of the moment.  Every soul was there with the strongest personal conviction: it is impossible to even get the start line of such an event without uncommon resolve.  And I was fully aware of my reasons.

The day was extraordinary.  I remained focused throughout the 3.8 km swim and the 180 km bike.  I managed my body’s rejections of what I was asking of it and I refused my mind’s protests of the pain and exhaustion.  I did not allow myself to quit at any time during the run.

It was at the last aid station before the finish line when it happened.  I could hear the crowds roaring at the finish line and I remembered some advice from somewhere to try the chicken soup.  And I did.

It was not like anything I had had before, it felt like my body was drawing it in like a thirsty sponge.  It was sweet and salty and all of the things I craved at that moment.  For that instant of time, it was all that I wanted and all that I needed.  I knew that I had trained and raced with all that I had.  I knew that we had raised money and through that, had fought Cancer with all that we had.  I knew at that moment that nothing could take away any of those things or the finish of my race.  I knew that I could take this one small moment just for myself to purely and selfishly enjoy a cup of chicken soup.

Since finishing that 1st Ironman in 2004, I have gone on to complete 3 more and am looking forward to 2008 at Ironman Canada as a proud member of the Ironcops Team!

Just a quick note to those who Googled their way here after watching the NBC Ironman coverage.  Yes that was my wobbling mass and below is the finishers medal from Ironman Hawaii this past October, along with my 3 IMC medals.  If you want to talk, drop me an email at murrayf@telus.net (I don't know why people have been dropping me notes but I am always happy to talk triathlon!)