Ironman 70.3 Louisville

Dear Blog Diary,

Weirdest triathlon yet.

Coming off injury and roughly three weeks to build anything, this was the first 70.3 since my first ever that I was unsure if I could finish. Spent most the race wondering if my hamstring would pop out of no where.

All things considered, it was my best performance. It was my first triathlon completed unbroken. Definitely room for improvement on nutrition and hydration but still really good.

Yet it was my second worst time ever. Pretty slow. Weird.

During the race, you get a lot of time to yourself. You listen to your body, breathe, endure.

One practice I do acts both as motivation and also meditation:

I dedicate miles to people.

It’s motivation in that, when you dedicate the next mile to mom…you don’t quit on mom.

It’s meditation in that, for that mile I think about the memories, what they mean to me, things they taught me, etc.

What starts simply as a way to pass time becomes a practice in deep gratitude.

There’s always such amazing energy at triathlons but it’s just you on the course. At least in the sense that there’s no coach or team.

In a weird way you feel very connected thinking how I don’t get here without my camp.

So there I was coming down the stretch. It’s surreal to be done.

I tell you, I’m not embarrassed nor proud but when I crossed the line, this nice old lady with white hair put the medal on me and I just started weeping. Sobbing.

Without thinking I said to her, “I’ve just been through a lot this year.”

She hugged me even though I was sweaty and disgusting. It was a really nice moment. Don’t know what came over me. It was a release.

I think there is something to accomplishing things you aren’t sure you can do. People don’t do that enough. We play it safe, fear, who knows.

And sometimes we forget who we are.

"You don't become confident by shouting affirmations in the mirror, but by having a stack of undeniable proof that you are who you say you are. Outwork your self doubt.“ - Alex Hormosi

Funny, I was on mile 12. Who was I going to dedicate the last mile to? Never even crossed my mind until the last one…

I chose me.

Best,

E

#ARTiculate