So, with my references to Ironman, 140, mileage, IronWill, and accomplishing the impossible, let me talk about where and how this all started. It is a point in my life that I truly believe led me on an unstoppable journey of becoming exactly who I wanted to be…though it is still a work in progress.

Ironman triathlon was never on my radar. Really. In fact, I went to watch a friend, and fellow teammate, compete in the crazy race back in 2006, and as I laid by the beach in Coeur d’Alene, drinking beer and getting sunburnt, I thought “wow, is he really still out on the race course?” By early afternoon, I felt exhausted by the summer day, and realized he hadn’t yet stopped moving….it was insane! As the sun began to sink and the evening set in, I bought myself a giant pulled pork sandwich and watched these “crazy” athletes turn towards the finish line.  Sure, I was inspired. More than that.  I was deeply touched by their dedication, and ability, and determination to do something few of their peers had done. I also thought, “what on earth makes them so hellbent on finishing a race that is 140.6 miles in 17 hours? Who’s idea was this?!?”

I didn’t think much more about it until the following summer, when I was rowing in Philadephia trying to achieve a piece of my own athletic dreams. My fellow teammates called and asked me if I would do Ironman with them.  My only reference to the triathlon was that blurry summer day in Coeur d’Alene (I think I must’ve forgot how difficult the event actually looked), and since I was in a competitive, motivated state already, I thought, what the hell- I have a year to train, I’ll figure it out. I still cannot exactly determine what it was that led me to make that decision. And for some reason, after I agreed I went forward with the plan, taking out some extra money for student loans which I used to pay the entrance fee, and entered into uncharted territory.

My first year of training came with a lot of surprises. I was not expecting to have to buy a new bike (yes, I was ACTUALLY thinking that I would have no problem biking 112 miles on my mountain bike that I got when I was in junior high), or buy any of the other fifty-some pieces of equipment that I ended up purchasing throughout the year.  I also had to tackle learning to swim laps (still, to this day, I avoid flip turns), and up to that point, my longest run had been 10 miles, which was brutal at best. Ignorance, needless to say, guided my mediocre training plan.  On race day a year later, I found myself up against the challenge of completing my first triathlon (that’s right, I didn’t even do a sprint!), my first marathon, my longest swim to date, and my longest bike ride- EVER! I realized I didn’t fit the “ironman” model of all the athletes surrounding me that day- they thought I was a joke! And I have to admit, I did too. But with my friends by my side, and let me just say now- I could NOT have done it without them- I tackled this “crazy race they call Ironman” and kickstarted the lifestyle that I now live today. I found that I had something inside of myself that I was not aware of.  Some screaming desire to prove to myself that I never want to set my own limits. That it IS possible to achieve the “impossible” sometimes. You just have to figure out where to start.