Leading up to my professional Ironman debut, I felt relaxed, ready, and free. I was eager to get on the starting line and put my best effort forward.

I devised a race plan based on process oriented goals. I threw time and placement goals out the window. Sure it would be nice to finish in the top six & in the money, sure it would be nice to PR, but I knew that those goals were not in my control. The only thing I could control was the process. So, without time goals, I devised my plan for each discipline. The plan was simple. No more then 6 or 7 words per discipline.  The simplicity of the plan enabled me to have a narrow focus during the race. The less I think, the better I perform. When I am in a robotic state, I am able to reach my ideal performance state.

I knew that obstacles would come, so I devised a plan when I would meet adversity face to face. When adversity struck, my mind had been there before and I knew how to adapt. Adversity struck before I even landed in Lake Placid. Instead of arriving at 1:30 pm, I arrived at 1:30am due to many flight issues. Instead of being negative with the situation, I decided to make the best out of the moment. I got a lot of work done in the airport and bonded with my twin sister.

Sure enough, I met an obstacle the moment I walked into transition. My back tire had a leak. Thankfully the crew from Inside Out Sports solved the problem and taped on a new tire.

After a few hugs from Mike, Cassie, Meghan & Ken, I was ready to go & the gun was about to fire.

I found my friend Lesley at the starting line and we were ready to swim together. It would have been better to draft off of one another, but we loved the security of swimming side by side each other during the 2.4 mile swim. After the first lap, I glimpsed at the clock and it read 32 minutes. When I dove back into the water, I thought that I had swum 42 minutes, and they had adjusted the time for the amateurs. So, I disappointingly checked my watch to a stunning surprise. It was 32 minutes. My brand new Blue Seventy Helix worked amazingly. I have had the privilege to wear some good wetsuits in the past, but this was by far the greatest wetsuit I have ever worn. I swam 8 minutes faster then I did in Hawaii & 11 minutes faster then my first Ironman.

The bike was beyond challenging but I loved it. I loved the climbs, I loved the headwind, I loved the scary descent. My PowerBar gels, PowerBar Ironman Perform & Nathan tabs worked flawlessly.  I also felt pretty consistent throughout the 112 miles and passed a couple females the last 12 miles. My favorite part of the bike was seeing the Timex crew & teammates, Meghan, Melissa, and Ken along the way.

The run…well, let’s just say I need to learn how to run a marathon. I was so happy to be off the bike I took off like I was running a 5k. My legs felt like they were on the verge of cramping beginning at mile 2. Once I passed two pros around the 5k mark, I saw my sister at the aid station. She told me I was in fifth place. What?? I could not believe I had worked my way up to fifth place. So, I began to settle. I no longer raced. I ran. Scared. Instead of going after the next girl in front of me, I feared falling apart and not being able to finish. I ran consistently and timidly so I could hold onto my place.  With more Ironman racing experience, I will be able to cross over the barrier from running to racing. I will learn how to race without fear &  limits.

There is so much to learn with the Ironman. It is a battle of mind, body, and soul. Looking back on the day, I stand in disbelief that I was able to not only make it through an Ironman, but stand on the podium during my professional Ironman debut.

Just a few years ago, I recall being in the Cayman Islands with my family over Christmas break. We were planning on going scuba diving, so we all had to pass a swim test. Ten laps in a ten yard pool with masks. You know what? I failed. I could not successfully swim the ten laps.

I went from failing a tiny swim test to becoming a professional triathlete. If you work hard, dig deep, dream big, anything is possible. Where there is heart, where there is courage, where there is belief in things bigger then ourselves dreams can come true.

Thank you to my sponsors, family, and supporters for helping me believe that anything is possible.

A special thanks to the Timex crew: Tristan, for putting up with my 5:00am text race morning; Keith for great cheers; Cassie for the pre-race hugs, & all the Timex racers who had big smiles on race day…..Thank you to Dave for letting me hold the microphone;) and for this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jFU3U_dpDk&feature=youtu.be….Thank you to QR for the sweetest bike around….Thank you to Challenge Tires & Shimano for the great wheels & tires….Thank you to Mer for the power…Thank you to Blue Seventy for the best wetsuit in the world and for goggles that did not leak or fog….Thank you to Champion System for the super comfy gear…Thank you to Tri Slide for keeping me chafe-free….Thank you to Brooks for the run shorts and TrySports for the Pure Connects & laces…Thank you to Rudy Project for simply the best aero helmet,  and the great eyewear….Thank you to PowerBar for the 15++ gels and the gallons of Ironman Perform consumed….Thank you to Nathan’s for the electrolyte tablets and transition bag….Thank you to Cliff for seeing the big picture….Thank you to all my friends for the calls/texts/messages. You helped me make it through.

Whether it is fear of success, fear of the unknown, fear of the future, or fear of failure, fear infiltrates society. Fear of failure strikes a cord with countless athletes desperately striving to reach their goals. Perfectionism often breeds excellence, but it can also foster fear. Often times, athletes set specific goals and when they fall short, they feel like a failure. Fear of failure can even hinder people from getting to the starting line.

For example, as a youth, my twin sister excelled in tennis, soccer, gymnastics, basketball, and softball. After finishing her college tennis days, she began to take up long distance running. She demonstrates perfectionism at its core. She has set a personal record in every single marathon she has run. This included her last marathon, where she ran a 3:03 after throwing up at least nine times. However, she often strays away from racing because of the fear of falling short of her perception of success.
This past weekend she raced her first race in almost a year. I was so proud of her for just getting to the starting line. By stepping onto the starting line, she overcame her fear of failure (of not setting a PR.) She succeeded simply by crossing the finish line. (I also have to mention the fact that she ran her way into 2nd place, with some nice prize money to boost!!)

Baron Pierre de Coubertain stated in the Olympic creed, “The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.” Competition compels you to excel by just getting to the starting line. It is not about the time. It is not about the medal. It is not about the prize money. By trying your best, competing from within, laying it all on the line, you have met success. The world may not see your result as a “success” but if you gave it everything you have, then that is all you can ask of yourself.

My athletic journey will be filled with countless ups and downs, highs and lows, victories and defeats. One of my friends shared with me the following quote that will take me through the wavering battlefields:

Failure is not a disgrace if you have sincerely done your best. We live in a competitive world that measures success by winners and losers, and insists that every victory creates a loss of equal dimension. If one person wins, it seems logical that someone else must lose. In reality, the only competition that matters is the one in which you compete with yourself. When your standard of performance …is based upon being the best you can be — for yourself — you will never lose. You will only improve. Make it a practice to objectively review your performance from time to time. When you fall short, assess the situation and ask yourself: “Is there anything I would or could have done to change the outcome?” If the answer is “no,” if you are satisfied that you’ve done your best, don’t waste time reliving the past. Simply learn what you can from the experience, and then get into action again. If you consistently do your best, your temporary failures will take care of themselves.

Learn from each competition. Redefine success as giving it your all; redefine failure as giving less then your best.

Go forth in your journey to be the best version of YOU. As you strip away society’s view of failure one layer at a time, you will redefine success.

I arrived to the lovely town of Klagenfurt, Austria, and could not help but stand in awe of the pristine lake surrounded by the amazing Alps.  I was so thankful to be able to compete in my third Ironman in one of the most gorgeous courses in the world.

Race week went relatively smoothly.  On race morning, my twin sister, who knows me more then I know myself, exclaimed that she had never seen me so quietly calm, confident, and ready to race. Her words provided me with even more peace of mind as I put my Orca wetsuit on, ready to tackle the day ahead.

The race start could not have been more perfect.  I lined up between Ken and my Timex teammate, Luis (who did three Ironman in three weekends.)  His heart rate was so low at the race start, and he kept cracking jokes moments before jumping into the bright blue lake.  The first 1500 meters was complete chaos. This large man dunked my head under water for four extremely long seconds. I struggled catching my breath upon coming back to the surface.  When I finally regained focus to continue, about 30 strokes later, the same man dunked me under water – this time even longer.  I thought about finding a kayak and quitting right then and there. I quickly erased that thought, caught my breath, and ventured forth, way out of this intimidating man’s way. 

The next kilometer was still rather crowded with lots of slaps and punches. My cap almost flipped off a few times before I reached the canal. Once in the canal, my cap flew of completely, and I decided to let it go this time.  Thinking that I would lose some time with my hair slowing me down, I intentionally sped up.  I only had half a mile left and I was feeling strong. When I climbed out of the water I was not expecting to see a 1:06, a 9 minute pr.

We had a long run to transition and I of course decided to take the longest way around transition with 2500 bikes!  As soon as I was on my bike, I started my Timex Tap and off I went for an amazing ride through the most beautiful bike course.  Thousands and thousands of spectators lined the course cheering “hop, hop, suppa, suppa.” The atmosphere put the Ironman World Championships to shame. The first loop went very smoothly as I crossed the halfway point at 2:32. 

During the start of the second lap, I remained calm despite being way ahead of my predicted pace.  Randomly, the day before the Ironman, I decided to use my Tap Screen Sleek watch instead of my Global Trainer.  Since I felt like I was not pushing too hard and still in control, I did not decrease my effort.  However, I could feel the second loop’s climbs so much more.  What kept me going was that I had to go to the bathroom!  I did not want to stop because I just passed two pros and two amateur females around that time. I was very methodical with my fueling and actually glad I had to go to the bathroom because it meant I was not super dehydrated.  I reached t2 at 5:07, a 16 minute PR.

Once I made it through transition, I did some math calculations and knew I had to run a 3:56 marathon to PR, and a 3:40 to go sub 10 hours.  I never dreamed I would run such even splits of a 1:32 and 1:34, totaling a 3:07 marathon.  The entire marathon I stayed super focused and enjoyed the support and scenery, while consistently fueling.  I kept my cadence high and thought about my technique. I felt my former teammate, Sally Meyerhoff’s presence with me throughout the run. Her voice sounded so real; I was blown away.  I hope to never forget her relentless passion and the sound of her encouraging voice whispering into my ears.

When I was nearing the finish line, I heard my twin screaming and jumping up and down. I was astonished when I saw 9:29 as I ran into the stadium.  I sprinted across the line in a time that I never dreamed I would ever be able to achieve.  I finished as the 12th female and won my age group by 20 minutes.  My goal was to PR, and I exceeded my expectations:).