This past year, I turned 50! I completed 50 things before 50 that I had never done before, and it was an exciting experience. After I celebrated my birthday, I knew I wanted to do something else unique that I had never done. So, I decided to train for and compete in an Ironman 70.3. Over the last few years, I have taken on one marathon a year, and I plan to do that until I can’t move my body anymore. But this year, I chose something new. An opportunity presented itself to apply and train with a team, TEAM Waco 26, through the Greater Waco Sports Commission. This opportunity gave me a chance to make four new friends and accountability partners on this crazy yet amazing journey. Five strangers with different backgrounds, realities, and experiences, all working toward one goal…complete an IRONMAN 70.3 in six months.
As I took on swimming, biking, and running, I learned so much about myself and what it means to be a triathlete. As I learned, my teammates were sharing their own learning and growth as well. Some of us had never swam, biked, or run before. Others, including myself, had some experience biking and running. However, none of us had ever completed over 70 miles all together in one race.
The Swim
The swim was the part of the race that made me nervous but also challenged me the most. I was excited about it because I had already swam the Brazos in another race three weeks before. Shout out to Beast of the Brazos! My goal was to beat my time since I had already experienced swimming 1.2 miles in open water. Unfortunately, the swim was canceled due to the weather, debris, and bacteria left behind by the rain that weekend. Was I disappointed? Yes! But I reminded myself that I knew I could complete it because I had done it before. So…that left 69.1 more miles for race day!
The Bike
With the swim canceled, we had rolling starts on the bike by bib number. There were over 2,500 of us, and I was number 704. I had to literally get my mind right and remember to work the plan I had trained with to conquer 56 miles on the bike. Before starting the ride, we literally waited in line for hundreds of people to go before me and Team Waco 26. My little mind was turning and rethinking so many things. (There is literally a picture of me looking like a deer in the headlights as I waited. LOL!) I had to work hard to stay focused on my training and not get distracted or intimidated by all the people around me. (Seriously, professional athletes, their bikes, and their bodies…that’s a whole different blog!) As I headed out, I heard cheers and encouragement from family, friends, and strangers. It was exhilarating! The energy was high, even with the overcast weather and the continued threat of rain.
The first 25 miles were pretty smooth, as expected. I was grateful because I saw people with flat tires and issues with their bikes throughout the race. On the positive side, I saw some of our school police officers along the route. Yes, I did holler and speak and they cheered! Around mile 25 came THE HILL! I knew it was coming, and my goal was to literally put one pedal in front of the other. I made it up, slowly but surely. They even had the audacity to put a photographer at the top of the hill! Not my finest moment, but I finished it. LOL! The rest of the ride was filled with cheers at aid stations from local churches, a principal and her family, and so many volunteers cheering us on toward the transition line. I felt fast (for me), accomplished, and grateful for my coaching. It was the fastest I had ever ridden since I started cycling. Wow! Next, I just had to run a half marathon!
The Run
Getting off the bike and heading into transition, I was still on cloud nine. Running into transition with clip-in shoes was somewhat comical. (I dropped my bike…again, not very graceful!) I promise I was a little delusional from all the energy, but I was thankful for the help in our transition area as we made our way back to our spots to lace up and run. (To my angel, thank you!) Eating and changing shoes is a thing now! I think I had one of my faster transitions compared to my sprint triathlon this past summer. I got out of the gate and started running FAST. Like 11-minute miles. Y’all, that is NOT my pace! Again, the energy and excitement were REAL. The highlight of this part of the race was that my daughters found me, ran alongside me, encouraged me, and literally spoke life into me. I could have cried, but I didn’t because I wasn’t even through mile one yet! They set me on the right trajectory, though.
As I progressed through the run, random people encouraged me, and I was able to encourage others. It was a surreal experience. I was blessed to see our students, staff members, and community members cheering me on throughout the course. When I wanted to stop, I kept pushing…not just for me, but for them. As I ran, I thought about others who couldn’t be out there and those who were tracking my progress and cheering me on. I just continued to push and push because I knew this entire moment was bigger than me. The last three miles were the hardest. Mentally and physically, I started to struggle and slowed down. I didn’t stop, but I struggled to maintain the pace I had planned. However, I still felt good, could breathe well, and even managed to have conversations here and there. As the finish line came into view, it hit me that I was almost there. I was almost an Ironman. ALMOST. Hitting the red carpet was a feeling I will cherish and never forget. I literally smiled and cried at the same time. All the hours before and after work, all the doubting, and all the wondering whether I was good enough or strong enough came rushing to mind. When he called my name, that was it. It really hit me! Again, SURREAL!
The Experience
This experience taught me so much about myself. Going into the race, I thought I had confidence in myself, but I learned that maybe I didn’t have as much confidence as I thought I did. I didn’t know I could work out an average of two to three hours a day and still feel strong, show up in spaces at work and in life, and continue to thrive. There were moments when I literally thought I would break because I was tired, overwhelmed, uncertain, and worried about whether I would even be able to finish. However, each week, I got stronger. I learned more about myself, and I was able to push past limits I had placed on myself. That’s one thing about training with someone else: they can see potential in you that you don’t always see or believe in yourself. I think I’m the same way. I see so much potential in other people, yet sometimes I fail to recognize all the potential within me, both personally and professionally. This experience has left me in AWE of my mind and body. Am I where I want to be physically? No. But can the body I have do extraordinary things? ABSOLUTELY! Hear me when I say, “Don’t doubt yourself!” I learned that only 0.01% of the global community has ever participated in an Ironman 70.3, and now I get to say I’m one of them!
I use this space to talk about self-care and physical care, but I also want to connect this journey to the work we do in education. Please hear my heart. There is NOTHING we cannot do. Yes, we need each other. We need coaches, mentors, sponsors, and accountability partners, both personally and professionally. And yes, we have to step outside our comfort zones and put in the work. In the end, we can achieve results we have never achieved before. And our students and staff who watch us will see what’s possible and believe that they, too, can do hard things. As we finish this semester, think about how you can challenge yourself physically while continuing to put in the work professionally. For me, this is just a new beginning. I have a couple more races loading as I continue to take care of my body and mind while doing this work.
What will YOU do to take care of YOU?
Let’s continue to #InspireExcellence