Our Triathlon History

The journey began in 2009 when I decided it was time to try the sport of triathlon.  Recently graduated from college and figuring out life after school, I was hungry for an activity that would be fun yet challenging, and that would offer a lifetime of growth.  I started small with the Chicago sprint triathlon and had a ball of a time (and god-awful form)!  The next year I stepped it up to the Olympic distance under the guidance of Team in Training.  Again it proved to be an unforgettable experience.  I was in love and never looked back.

In 2011 following a wildly ambitious season I had the notion that Ironman could become a 2013 reality, spurred by the passion of my fellow Team in Training teammates.  Shortly thereafter I suffered an MCL tear and a host of injuries for the next two years, relinquishing the seemingly-impossible dream of completing an Ironman.

The 2014 season brought a lot of ups and downs but, most importantly, it revealed several important lessons.

• Lesson 1: as the saying goes - you are stronger than you think.  The human body is capable of great things; it simply becomes a matter of pushing yourself past your comfort zone - in my case, through the fear of and aversion to ghosts of injuries past.
  
• Lesson 2: every drop in the bucket counts.  All too often I shame myself for not completing the full, ambitious plan I've laid out when, in reality, doing some (often, most) of the plan is still a step toward the end goal.
  
• Lesson 3: if not now, when?  Even though my run mileage was laughable, I still believed I had accomplished a lot.  The stars weren't fully aligned, but fear of this monumental goal no longer existed and I didn't want to lay this year's training to waste; instead I wanted to build on it and see how much further I could take it next year.
• Lesson 4: no, people will not just think you're crazy.  They will be inspired.  They will be in awe.  They will support your dedication to the sport and to yourself.  They will join you on this journey as your personal cheerleaders.

Loaded with these revelations, I joined my boyfriend to volunteer at the 2014 Ironman Madison race so that we could secure two spots in the 2015 participant list.  I decided I was no longer afraid; I was ready to embrace becoming an Ironman with my life partner.

Intention

The intent of this blog is to help us (me) organize our thoughts, fears, and experiences.  It is meant to be a place where friends and family can come to monitor our progress any time they desire.  It is NOT intended to serve as a coaching or training forum for others; however, if visitors find something useful and the organization of the site helps others  save time and effort, then I am happy to have helped a fellow athlete or athletic supporter (homage to Grease).

It will be a living work from a woman with a full-time job and full-time hobby (this is a pet project), so please expect errors, improvements, omissions, and everything in between.  My number one coping mechanism is to siphon the pinball of thoughts from my brain onto "paper", and sometimes it just won't be pretty, but I'll sure feel better!

So please be kind but do share your thoughts and encouragement below!