The Start of Ironman Training

How is it already December?! It’s been an amazing year (despite all of the internet saying that 2016 was the worst) filled with racing, quality time with those I love, and pursuing a career. Looking back, I think about how I raced 4 triathlons this year, and managed to podium at 3 of them, enjoying every day of training along the way. As an athlete, it was a season of massive growth and I enjoyed getting a taste of what I was capable of. I think of how living back at home wasn’t so bad, especially when I got to swim in the morning with my dad, hang out with my sis Mia, and spend every evening with my mom. I’m now moved into my own apartment, but I manage to go home quite often to see the family. Working for almost a year now with Mighty Oak Medical has been a huge blessing and experience. Working for a startup has its own challenges, but it has a ton of rewards as well! But the time has come to start looking forward to a new year, with even more accomplishments and growth. Here’s a quick update:  

Last month, I joined the Outreach Team at Epic Experience, and I hope that this broadens my horizons for impact when it comes to raising money and awareness for my favorite charity. It’s been so much fun to become more involved and meet new cancer survivors along the way.

Mom and I at the Epic Ugly Sweater Party :)

For those who don’t know, I’m signed up to race Ironman Boulder 2017. This will be my first full distance Ironman, which, for anyone curious, entails a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run. I’m not sure yet, but I’m assuming this race will take me anywhere between 12 and 15ish hours. It’s both exciting and scary to think about, but honestly, if I weren’t both excited and scared (terrified actually), I would probably be signed up for the wrong race. It’s serious business, with a lot of potential for pain/suffering.

With the race about 6 months away, I’ve opted to hire my former collegiate coach, Tess Mattern of MP Multisport to help me get across the finish line in one piece. I know she will be immensely helpful from not only a training perspective, but from an emotional perspective as well. She’s been a great friend the past couple of years and I trust her wholeheartedly to keep my interests and life balance in mind. My biggest flaw in training is never trusting that I’ve done enough. I’m always out running, biking, and swimming with such intensity that my body doesn’t get a break until it’s screaming at me with fatigue. That’s definitely not the way to train for a race this long. I’m so excited to have her insight and guidance, because together, the sky’s the limit!

My friend/coach Tess and I prior to Age Group Nationals this summer

So excited to be a part of a group of such talented athletes at MP Multisport! 

At the start of December, I made my way up to Fort Collins to get a couple of things hammered out with my fitness and tri gear. I took my first FTP (Functional Threshold Power) test which is an evaluation that marks your overall fitness and serves as a baseline for the rest of your training zones and efforts. It consists of biking for 20 minutes AS HARD AS YOU CAN, resting for 5 minutes, and then 20 minutes AS HARD AS YOU CAN one more time. It was not fun. I could feel my heart about to burst out of my chest, but hopefully as I get fitter the numbers will improve.

Me, smiling surprisingly, after killing myself on the FTP test

I then drove my bike to Rocky Mountain Multisport, where Patrick took a look at my bike fit, replaced my tires, cleats, and shoes, and made sure my trusty steed was ready for the 6 month grind ahead. I can already feel a huge difference in the comfort level of my bike, and the new gear is going to keep me fast and safe on the roads. A big thank you to Patrick for helping me out!

My "Pain Cave", extra festive for December! 

Entering December, I’m mentally preparing myself for a long, exhausting journey. A lot of 4:30 am wakeup calls and late night workouts. A lot of “I don’t feel like it. I’m tired”. But I couldn’t be more ready. Time is not a luxury we all have, and I’m acutely aware of that. More than anything, I’m doing this for my mom to see me finish, and so that I can look myself in the mirror and honestly say that I did what I dreamed of and didn’t push it to the side because I was “too young”, “too busy”, or “waiting for the right moment”. Here’s the thing, the right moment doesn’t really ever come. You just do it, and if you want it badly enough, you’ll make it happen. That moment when I cross the finish line will make all of the missed events, sleepless nights, and ENDLESS HUNGER worth it.

As usual, I will be racing for awareness and funds for Epic Experience, and I can’t be more thankful for all the support I’ve had already for the past couple of years. I think the goal is to get me into an Epic Tri Suit so that this time everyone on the course knows what I’m racing for! I can’t wait to see how this journey changes me and makes me stronger. The link to donate to Epic is in the upper right, thanks for reading!!