Meet Jane Norrgard, AG 45-49 or,
Should You Wear Deodorant for a Triathlon?
Interviewed by J. Finch, 8/15/03

What kind of wacky name is Norrgard?
    (laughs) It's Swedish. I'm half Norwegian, half Swedish.
Does that give you any advantage in triathlon?
    No. ...a Viking spirit, I guess.
What brought you to the South?
    I'm from Minneapolis originally. I moved to San Francisco and worked as a veterinarian (I still have my license). In San Francisco, I took guitar lessons and married my teacher. I really wanted free lessons. Then he took a job teaching at the College of Charleston.
Would you ever do a tri in cold climes?
    I did Alcatraz.
What made you decide to do Alcatraz?
    It was an excuse to visit friends in San Francisco.
Would you do it again?
    It's on my long list of things never to do again. You can't see for the waves, you can't see any buoys, can't see buildings. It's choppy, foggy and cold. You definitely know you're alive, but you wonder if you're going to stay that way.
Was it fun?
    It's probably the most fun race I've ever done. You should probably do it once to put it on your race list.
What was it like jumping off the Hornblower?
    It was kind of a shock. You think you're going to be swimming with this group, then you immediately can't see anything.
Did you think about sharks, or prisoners?
    No, I was thinking about air. I had to breathe on every stroke. I did a lot of breaststroke.
Which was worse: the Kiawah swim 2 years ago, or Alcatraz?
    Alcatraz, because at Kiawah, you could see the shore and you knew you could get out if you needed to. And the water was warm. Alcatraz was choppier.
What is the first tri you ever did? Why did you want to do one?
    When we moved here from San Francisco, I was driving around one day and I saw the runners come around that last bend at the James Island sprint. They had all different body types. I thought that could be my new sport. I had a swim background and a mountain bike. I went to the Extra Mile and Patt fitted me in shoes and told me how to get started. They really helped.
What's your favorite tri moment?
    Finishing my first one. It was the James Island sprint and it was great just to finish.
What's the funniest thing you've seen at a tri or in training?
    At Alcatraz, we were getting in the trolly car to go to the dock and board the boat. Thousands of cyclists rode by. Someone asked who are they? Someone else said they were riders on an AIDs benefit ride, riding from San Francisco to Los Angeles. Another person said, "Boy, those guys are crazy." Pretty funny from a group of triathletes about to swim across the Bay!
Do you have a favorite song?
    I say, "Keep the pace, win the race." When it really gets tough, like going out to train, I think of "Climb Every Mountain."
What are your hobbies in the offseason, or do you have an offseason?
    I just joined the board of the Berkeley County SPCA. I'd like to help them grow. Other than that, I work lots of hours and work out. There's always a race to do around here, like the Kiawah marathon and half marathon in December, so I keep training. And then in January, it's time to start training again for tris.
Will you continue to do tris? What would make you stop?
    Only injury. I plan to be winning the Over 80 age group. Maybe I can qualify for Hawaii in the Over 80 group.