Behrouz
Bahmani
March 18, 2005
As
a hobby writer, I am always amazed at how stories seem to land
in my lap. As did this one. I heard about the person you will
get to know next, from the farthest of connections, a phone call
about a technical issue of no great importance.
The
funny thing is how when you talk to a fellow Iranian on the phone,
even if the conversation starts out focused on something, it
very quickly drifts into matters that seemingly are un-related
or even unimportant, but to us, they are of the most importance.
Call it gossip or chatting, or whatever, it is an essence of
our Iranian-ness.
Mehrnoush "Noushi" Barmaki
as you will see, is a treasure. A disciplined, and dedicated
person, challenged by both circumstance and herself, to overcome
normal and abnormal obstacles. A definition of a winner. A spokesperson
for women (and men) over 40 facing the realities of shall we
politely call, gravity!
Mehrnoush,
was born and raised in Tehran. She first came to San Francisco,
CA (USA) in 1976 and her original goal was to go to college and
like most Iranians of that time, return to Iran. Growing up in
Iran, Noushi was slightly overweight compared to other girls,
and as was traditional, was rarely encouraged to do any serious
sports. When she began working out, her family thought it would
just be a phase. To this day her family is still unsure what
a tri-athlete is and don't know exactly what she does. Her mom
(she lost her dad in 1986) thinks that she merely has an obsession
with working out and that she is too old, however, Mom always
prays for her to come in first place! I recently spoke with Noushi.
I think you will finder her inspiring.
BB:
How old are you and what was the first reason you thought to
become a tri-athlete given your age?
NB:
I am 47 years (young!) and I don't think there is a limit to
what our minds can do and how powerfully it takes over our bodies.
To me, age is just a number that society calls us by.
BB:
Okay, so tell me what is your daily training regimen like?
NB:
My day normally starts with 3500 yards of swimming at around
5:30 a.m. I Bike for 90 minutes and then run for one hour after
work around 5:30 p.m. However, my weekend schedule is a bit more
intense. For example I start Saturdays with a 45 min. swim, an
80 mile bike ride and a one hour run. Then on Sundays I bike
for 90 minutes and a 2 to 3 hour run and a focused weight lifting
program. This workout regimen is only applies when I am in preparation
phase for an Ironman competition. Otherwise, it would be two
workouts a day which could be a combination of bike and running,
or swimming and running. Also,
I try to be consistent with lifting weights at least 3 times
a week and during the off-season at least 5 times a week.
BB:
Are you serious? How can you maintain such a rigorous regimen?
NB:
Well, I go to bed around 9:00 p.m. so that's the reason my body
can functions for these workouts. Sleep is really important for
me and it's a great recovery source.
BB:
What kind of diet do you have? How many calories a day, and give
me an idea of a typical menu.
NB:
I don't have any specific diet per se. I don't deprive myself
of anything. But I try to eat lean meat such as chicken, fish
(salmon, halibut) and occasionally red meat (I can't resist chelo-kabab!).
The only thing that I don't eat is pork. Also, I don't drink
alcohol during my Ironman season which is mostly 9 -10 months
out of the year. As far as calories, it depends on my workout
that particular day. My weekend calorie intake is around 3,000
and during the week is around 2,000, but again if I feel hungry,
I eat. A typical menu for my day is as follows:
- Breakfast:
one banana before my swim at 5:30 a.m.
- 1
cup of oatmeal with 1 cup of espresso (no sugar, with non-fat
milk) at 7:00 a.m.
- Snack
10:00 a.m.: one fruit plus 1 oz of mixed trial nuts
- Lunch
12:00 p.m.: 1 cup rice, 3 oz of chicken or fish, lots of vegetables
(broccoli, green beans, spinach, etc.) with a peach or nectarine
for dessert
- Snack
at 3:00 p.m.: 1 oz of mix trail nuts with a fruit (sometimes
a cup of popcorn if I am very hungry)
- Snack:
banana or apple before my workout at 5:00 p.m.
- Dinner:
Mixed salad with 2-3 oz of chicken and vegetables at 6:30-7:00
p.m.
BB:
What do you do professionally?
NB:
I work as an Executive Assistant for a Vice President. I also
work as a Triathlon Head Coach for the YMCA in San Francisco
part-time throughout the year.
BB:
Tell me what a typical race is like? What does it involve how
is it judged and what are the rules?
NB:
Hmm!!! There is no typical race. There are several distances
in triathlon: Sprint (.75k swim, 22k bike, 5k run), Olympic (1.5k
swim, 40k bike, 10k run), 1/2 Ironman (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile
bike, 13.1 mile run) , Ironman (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike,
26.2 mile run). I personally do a few of the Sprint, Olympic
and 3 of the half Ironmans and one full Ironman a year. There
is a cut-off time for each portion of the sport. If you don't
make the cut-off time, you are disqualified. So it is not just
about finishing, it is about finishing fast enough. The only
winners cross the finish line first. Normally there are around
2,500 to 3,000 participants. Also, there is category for age
group as well, but they just win a trophy, not the money.
BB:
What is your weakest event and why?
NB:
My weakest event is swimming since I learned to swim as an adult
and I am very slow.
 BB:
What is your goal, what do you want to accomplish in this sport?
When will you stop competing?
NB:
My goal is to qualify for a Hawaii Ironman and meeting their
cut-off times. I would like to be a role model for any Iranian
woman and to show everyone that there is no limit to your age
or gender and as we Iranians say, ́Khastan Tavanestan astî (trans:
To want, is to be able). As far as when will I stop, I think
maybe when I am an 80 year old grandmother would be a good age
to settle down! I just started so I am not planning to quit any
time soon!
BB:
What do you think you can you tell other women your age, who
think they may be too old to have an active lifestyle?
NB:
Don't let anyone stop you from doing what you love and enjoy
doing. There is no limit to age. Age is just a number. You are
as young as your heart wants to be.
BB:
I know you have a son. What does he think of you doing this?
NB:
Oh, my son is my pride and joy! My son's name is Bardia. Although
growing up with that name wasn't easy here, but I told him that
you will be so handsome and successful that everyone will know
your name! He loves his name now. He is very proud of me and
calls me ́iron momî or "triple threat" which is the
same name as the US Airforce's three jets. He calls me that because
he says that I am triple threat, once in water, once on the bike
and the last one on the run. I wish I was that fast but it is
a GREAT compliment.
BB:
Does he participate in any sports himself?
NB:
He decided to pursue American football. He also played baseball,
wrestling, ice hockey (won a championship!), windsurfs and is
a good downhill skier. He became a high school ALL STAR and they
won their championship 3 years in a row in high school in football.
He is currently working as a Medical Lab Technician serving in
the US Airforce and is coaching football and wrestling for middle
school and high school kids. He is currently married to a beautiful
girl, his high-school sweetheart. Her name is Falon. And they
currently live in Maryland, close to Washington D.C.
BB:
What about your husband?
NB:
He is deceased and I have raised my son since he was 4 years
old on my own.
BB:
So, what motivates you? What is it that when you don't want to
do something, makes you get up and do it anyway?
 BB:
Having a healthy child, being happy, and that I am able to have
the freedom to freely run on the street, rain or shine and enjoy
the weather and knowing that I am healthy. I try to be positive
at all times because our minds can be your worst enemies or our
best friends. A lot of positive talks to myself in my head to
reinforce a positive vibe. I try to think about, if I stay healthy
I can see my grand kids and who knows maybe their kids as well!
Life gives us lots of challenging situations. We are lucky to
live healthy and improve our health under any circumstances and
improve our independence. Our culture is traditionally very dependant
and mostly as you get older, it's expected you will rely on your
kids and family. I don't want to rely on anyone and that's what
keeps me going.
BB:
What is your favorite Iranian food and where do you go to get
it?
NB:
I LOVE chelo kabab (koobideh please!) and my favorite place to
eat in the Bay Area is Shalizar.
|
BB:
Having a healthy child, being happy, and that I am able to have
the freedom to freely run on the street, rain or shine and enjoy
the weather and knowing that I am healthy. I try to be positive
at all times because our minds can be your worst enemies or our
best friends. A lot of positive talks to myself in my head to
reinforce a positive vibe. I try to think about, if I stay healthy
I can see my grand kids and who knows maybe their kids as well!
Life gives us lots of challenging situations. We are lucky to
live healthy and improve our health under any circumstances and
improve our independence. Our culture is traditionally very dependant
and mostly as you get older, it's expected you will rely on your
kids and family. I don't want to rely on anyone and that's what
keeps me going.
