Thanksgiving Rambles

I've collected a lot of thoughts recently. You've been warned, here is my hodge podge of brain lately:

Today starts the beginning of the Holiday season. And whether you like it or not, Mr. Gobbles is ready to be eaten and in 1 short month, Santa will be finding his way down your chimney. There are so many ways to approach the Holiday Season. Some dread the financial aspect of the holidays. Others do not enjoy fighting holiday crowds. I've met a few that actually do not enjoy all of the food associated with the holidays.. Odd, I can't imagine this. Others simply can not handle the consistency of overly cheerful holiday commercials that seem to be on repeat during the next 30 days. Me? I practically turn into Buddy the Elf. I will waste more gas in the winter just so that I can drive around town and look at the Christmas lights. I spend all of my spare moments thinking of the perfect gift for everyone on my list. I will cook and bake for days (another small passion of mine) if it means that I get to be around the ones I love during my favorite time of year. 

This past weekend I had the pleasure of being able to close out the 2015 racing season with a 10k Turkey Trot in Lincolnwood with some of my dear friends. We got up on Sunday morning and braved the 15 degree temps and trotted with the best of 'em. I made my way across the finish line with a 1 minute PR, taking 4th in my age group. Afterwards, we splurged on some amazing brunch at Over Easy Cafe. Highly recommended if you're in the brunch market. A weekend of good laughs, great company, and my final race of the season! 

Post Turkey Trot 

Pre Brunch 

Definitely a win in my book

On Tuesday this week I was out for a run. As I'm moving along, I saw a women sitting at an intersection, halfway hanging out of her car waving her arms at me. With each step I begin to recognize the crazy lady as my high school track coach. I immediately jump mid-stride and start flailing my arms. I dashed to her car and hugged her. We smiled and promised to catch up soon. Our embrace was short but beyond meaningful. We can dive into details later, just know that she is one of the biggest running influences in my life. And for that I am forever grateful. Our short rendezvous during the week of Thanksgiving reminds me of just how lucky I am to have the great influences in my life that I do. 

This morning I woke up and made my way to the nearest Turkey Trot in town. A friend of mine asked if I would run with his 10 year old son since it's only his 2nd race. Of course I agreed. This specific Trot is one of my favorites because it is: 1. On Thanksgiving morning, 2. Only requires that you bring a donation to the local food pantry as your entry fee, 3. No swag, JUST RUN. We get so wrapped up in the gear and "stuff" that these events offer that we forget to just run. And that's why I love this race, all you do is RUN. 

Anthony did AWESOME! 

Anthony's race included a wipe out on the messy trails so I was happy that he mustered up a smile for me at the end :)

Thanksgiving this year isn't exactly the norm. Today, I'm headed out to feast with my other half and his family. A dinner with his immediate family usually consists of about 35 people. He's 1 of 10 kids and we often end up eating at the kids table. No complaints here. They think I'm the coolest of the big kids :)

Rob and I around Thanksgiving last year

Josiee must make an appearance in all photos :)

While I'm out feasting, my Omaha cheering section will be driving out to the Chicagoland area. It's not often that we get to spend time together, so these rare moments are cherished. They'll arrive mid-afternoon and hang out with my parents and tomorrow Rob and I will join the crew for our own feast of all things turkey and dressing. Gram will be here with us for dinner, but solo this year. This will be our first Thanksgiving without Gramps and it definitely won't be the same. 

Gram and Josiee are ready for YumYumz

These crazy kids are Chicago-bound as we speak!

Moms and pops - only moments ago, awaiting the Omaha crew!

Some of you might be thinking.. WHERE IS MARK!? Don't worry, he's not lost. Or he might be, we don't know for sure. Mark is enjoying Mr. Gobbles in San Francisco this year with one of his baseball friends, Will. Will has lived with our family in past summers while he played baseball in the Chicagoland area. He is an amazing young man and fits into our family like a glove. I love that I can call him a brother. And on Saturday, Mark will stand next to Will's side while he marries the woman of his dreams. So, we let the Munro/Beach family borrow Mark for one of our favorite holidays so that he can create some amazing memories with lifelong friends. 

Mark and the beautiful bride!

**Not to be confused as 'his' bride. Mark doesn't have a bride**

Will's "I'm about to marry Lisa and I'm uber excited!" face!

There are so many things I'm grateful for this holiday season. I could bore you with a long list. But it all comes down to the basics. 

1. My health is present and allows me to chase my deepest passion.
2. I wake up every day and am able to go to a job that allows me to live a life I'm very proud of.
3. The relationships I have formed and worked to sustain with my closest family and friends have shaped me into the person I am today.

These are the things I find myself most grateful for. I hope you can all sit down and truly count your blessings today. Me? I'm starting my diet today.

Gobble Gobble.

Journey to Ironman Maryland 2015

After I found the finish line in Madison, I was ready to go back to normal life. I didn't touch my bike until maybe Thanksgiving. I swam maybe once a week (maybe). And I ran whenever I wanted. For however long I wanted. I made no workout plans. I just woke up and did what I wanted. The relaxed fall turned into holiday celebrations with family and friends. Before Christmas hit, I was aching for a schedule. I had had enough fun. I wanted structure again.

That's when I decided to call up my long lost coach and ask him if we could get me into shape in 8 weeks time for a marathon in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Those 8 weeks came and went. I trained in snow, sleet, and wind. And then I raced in heat, humidity, and SUN. And I loved every second of it. 

So let's fast forward to this years main event, Ironman Maryland. October 3rd, 2015. Training for Ironman Maryland started on June 1st. It had been a long Chicago winter and I was ready to challenge my body again. June was all about getting my body used to training again. The winter months had landed me in and out of hospital waiting rooms visiting a few different loved ones and my muscles were rusty. I had also recently started a new job. I'm a creature of habit so the change was welcomed but stressful. My plate was full and I was ready for my routine to fall into place.

July arrived and on the 7th day, my grandfather passed away. My half Ironman of the season was scheduled for the 11th. It was doubtful I'd be able to race. Ironically enough, funeral arrangements had to be set back a few days because there were people that needed to fly in. I was going to race Muncie 70.3 with Gramps under my wing the entire way. Unfortunately it wasn't the race I was hoping for with 2 flat tires within the first mile of the bike, adding 22 minutes of stagnant time to my overall bike split. My mental game was gone. I struggled through the run. I felt like I had never worked out a day in my life. I trudged across the finish line and was greeted by my brother, coach, and friends. Everyone had an amazing day, except me. I was happy for everyone, but at the end of the day, their race was their own and my race was terrible that day. The rest of July I spent focusing on how I was going to redeem myself at Steelhead in exactly one month. I had a fire lit under me and I was ready to prove I was better than my Muncie performance. 

Muncie was also Mark's first 70.3!

All of us midgets standing with Mark.

And guess what? On the 9th day of August, I blew that race out of the water. I managed a sub 3 hour bike split (2:57) and a 2:01 half marathon. I crossed the finish line with a 42 minute PR. My hard work was paying off. Ironman Steelhead instantly turned into my favorite 70.3. During the rest of August my mileage grew and so did my appetite. I would sit at work and consistently eat for the entire 8 hours I was at my desk. My boss and co-workers never left for lunch without offering to bring me a meal back.

Excited to see Rob and Ryan on the Steelhead course!

Jacqui and I after Steelhead!

Junior High teammates --> Current :)

At the end of August, I flew out to Baltimore to spend some time with my best high school friend and test out the bike course in Cambridge. Cambridge is about an hour and a half from Baltimore. So on the last Friday in August, Kait went to work and I stole her car and departed Baltimore at 5:00 am so that I could tackle the Ironman bike course. It's the flattest I've ever seen. But those winds were no joke. I managed to get 100 miles in on a rented road bike in 5 hours and 30 minutes. Things were looking good for race day.

At the end of the day, Kait beat me back to her house with just enough time to have a beer waiting on the kitchen table. The rest of our weekend included good food, bikinis, beers, laughs, and some killer workouts that she decided to join me in. I helped her tackle her first ever open water swim and in return she introduced me to a Baltimore classic cocktail called the Orange Crush. Fair trade off ;) I left Baltimore that weekend with a good head on my shoulders. I was more than ready for this race. But I still had 2 very serious training weekends left and I knew they were going to be a challenge in themselves. 

Because obviously Kait had nothing better to do...

We got our R&R in that weekend too.

The weekend after Baltimore was Labor Day weekend. Coach Speedy G took full advantage of the 3 day weekend to load my training schedule to the max. Friday night was my last outdoor pool swim of the summer. Saturday morning I logged 85 miles on the bike at 18 mph and then hit the road for a 3 mile run and averaged an 8 minute pace. I couldn't believe how well my legs were feeling after these workouts. Sunday I pedaled next to my brother and played water girl while he ran his long run for that week. Immediately following his run, I had my own 4 mile shake out run. Later that afternoon, I headed downtown with Rob and swam 2 miles in Lake Michigan. Lake Michigan is known to be a little choppy, especially later in the day. And I needed to simulate race day conditions as much as possible. So I purposely waited until 3:30 pm to hit the water. Monday called for an 18 mile run so I signed myself up for the Oakbrook Half Marathon. I ran a 2.5 mile warm up, raced the HOT, HUMID, HILLY race, and then had a 2.5 mile cool down. Afterwards, I laid in the grass with Jacqui (Coach's wife) and let my body be still. Two nasty training weekends down, 1 to go. 

Ending the weekend with OakBrook Half Marathon.

The following weekend was Ironman Wisconsin and I had lots of friends competing. Jacqui and I packed the car on Friday after work and headed north. Our plan was simple. On Saturday while all of our friends were relaxing and roaming Ironman Village, the 2 of us were going to be riding the IMWI bike loop. THREE TIMES. For a grand total of 120 miles. Of God awful hills. If I could handle 120 miles of Wisconsin roller coaster hills, I could handle Maryland's flat landscape. And I made it. I woke up the next morning with a terrible head cold. My voice was raspy and I sounded terrible. But I had promised all my friends I'd be there screaming and cheering. And I was. We set up camp on the 2nd of the three hardest hills on the bike course. I ran up the hill with every one of our friends competing and screamed obscenities to them (with love, of course). After they all passed the first time, I grabbed my running shoes and hit the road. It might have been race day for them, but it was a training day for me. I had 14 miles to log. I ran down Big Timber road for about 3.5 miles with the bikers. And then I'd turn around and get to the hill where Jacqui and brother bear Mark were hanging out. And then I did it all over again. And when our friends rode by for the 2nd time, I screamed at them while I was running. (Once again, all with love.) I made it through the final tough weekend of training. 

Post 120 mile ride on IMWI course, pre race day cheering.

Re-Fueling required!

But I had a price to pay. The next morning I woke up with the worst head cold I'd had in a long time along accompanied with full blown laryngitis. My body needed a rest. I was 3 weeks out from race day and I needed to make sure I was healthy and ready to go. I completely took off the next 2 days and didn't work out at all. Getting healthy was the main priority. 

Alas, I made it to race week healthy and ready to race. My plan was to head out of town on Tuesday night with my other half and navigator for the trip, Rob. The weather for race day was looking far less than stellar. There was a tropical storm brewing in the Bahamas and it was expected to effect the East Coast with heavy rains on Friday and Saturday. Rob and I woke up Wednesday morning somewhere in Ohio and found out that the tropical storm had officially turned into a hurricane. Hurricane Joaquin wasn't going to make this easy on me. 

IMMD BOUND!

We hit the road and continued our trip to Maryland. At about 2 pm that day, I received a phone call from a friend who was already at the race site. The race director had officially canceled the race for October 3rd due to potential serious weather related to Hurricane Joaquin. They were planning on holding the race 2 weeks later on October 17th if the effects of Joaquin allowed Ironman to come back to Cambridge. 

My heart broke. Instantly tears fell down my cheeks. Of course Ironman had made the right call. There was no way they could hold the event with expected 50 mph winds and continuous hurricane rains for 3 days.  But that didn't mean I wasn't upset. I had spent so much time and effort this time around. I was in the best shape of my life. And then Joaquin had to show up. I had my cry fest. Rob and I drank some beers with Kait in Baltimore that Wednesday night while we cursed about all things related to Joaquin (Joaquin Phoenix, etc). 

Drinking away Ironman sorrows.

We woke up the next day and drove back to Illinois. On Friday I put my big girl pants back on and went to work. The first thing I did when I get to work was ask my boss IF this race gets rescheduled, would he allow me to take even more time off so that I can go back to Cambridge and race? He agreed, but it wasn't a quick yes. If this race actually went on, I was going to be the luckiest girl in the world.

72 hours later it was official, Ironman Maryland would take place on October 17th, 2015. As most people on social media were calling it, IMMD 2.0 But I needed to get everything in line. My lodging. I immediately called the lady whom I was staying with via AirBnB for my original trip to Cambridge and asked her if her home was still available for the alternate weekend. Luckily, it was available and my reservation was simply moved from one weekend to the next. My plan: continue the taper. Keep your head on straight. 

And hold out on any luxuries I had given up during training season.

I had not had a latte of any kind since May and I was more than ready for a latte on October 4th. Unfortunately, now it would have to wait until October 18th.

I also needed a travel companion. I needed a plan B in case Rob couldn't get the time off. Shortly after the official announcement that IMMD 2.0 was a go, Rob received confirmation that he was able to travel again as well. Plan B was unnecessary! Things were looking up! 

However, in between Maryland 1.0 and Maryland 2.0, life hit pretty hard and Rob and I had to say our final goodbyes to his mother. No boy should ever have to live without his mom. And my heart broke for him. I was ready to hang my hat on the 2015 racing season and call it a wash. I was simply not meant to race Ironman Maryland.  And then Rob called. The funeral services would allow me enough time to travel to Maryland and still race. He even insisted he come with. I couldn't believe it. Not only was I going to be able to compete, I was going to have my other half with me. And a special guardian angel. I needed to regroup and prepare myself mentally. 

This time, we drove straight through the night and arrived in Cambridge on Thursday morning. We were among the first people at race check-in as they opened at noon. Thursday consisted of race check-in, browsing Ironman village and the local pier, stopping by the Normatec tent and getting a free 20 minute session in my favorite boots, and an early dinner. We were both beyond exhausted from the past few days and were in bed by 8pm. 

The view from the Choptank Lighthouse.

I mean, the weather WAS better this time around...

Our first night in Maryland.

Friday morning arrived and I made it the Choptank River for a nice pre-race swim. The water was a bit chilly. But if chilly water was all I had to deal with, we were doing good. I followed it up with a short bike ride around town. Everything was in fine working order and I was ready to pack my gear bags and check-in my bike! I packed more layers than usual in my gear bags. The weather forecast was looking a bit on the chilly side, not even reaching 60 degrees for the high. I was in for a chilly swim, a cold bike ride, and a brisk run.

Matilda's photo shoot

No I did not name my bike

Transition the morning before the race

After all my gear was checked in, Rob and I ventured back to the Ironman village and I convinced him to try the Normatec boots with me. He was hesitant but finally agreed. Once it was all said and done, he agreed. Those boots rock. 

*If you wish, please contact me with donations so that I can one day purchase my own pair of Normatec recovery boots.

Obvi we need them...

The 2 of us ventured around the area and Rob staked out his viewing points for the swim. He's pretty much a super spectator so I never argue when he insists on finding his viewing points. 

Dinner that evening consisted of my usual bison burger with a beer. I've learned over the years that a carb heavy meal makes me feel sluggish and slow. Over time, I transitioned my pre-race meal to consist of more protein. That's something I learned from Jacqui, the fastest girl in school. We now share the same pre-race meal ;) 

Dinner of Champions!

Race morning arrived and I was ready to roll! I made my way to transition and set up my nutrition on my bike. After everything was set I met up with a friend of mine from Tennessee who was also racing, Jake. Jake had a different agenda. He was standing in a wedding on Sunday morning in Knoxville, Tennessee and had to be ready for pictures by 8 am. Which meant he had to finish the race and depart Cambridge no later than 11 pm to make it in time for the wedding. Meanwhile, I wanted to finish this race and prove to myself that no matter what life threw at me, I could handle it. Together, we were ready to make this happen.

6:30am - Official announcement: "Due to 30mph winds on the Choptank River, the swim will be shortened to 1.2 miles instead of the usual 2.4 miles." At this point, I'm happy to even be here. Just tell me when I can start and let's get this show on the road, kapeesh? 

6:45am - Official announcement: "The swim will now be a 2 loop 3000 meter swim. We are trying our best to make this swim as close to 2.4 miles as possible! We will also now have an official start time of 7:30am." (3000 meters = 1.9 miles) Laughable at this point. At least the sunrise was pretty.

Sunrise over the swim start on the Choptank River

7:30am - The gun goes off and the athletes start to enter the water. Within 60 seconds of the official start my toes hit the water and my race had begun! 

THE SWIM: 

By the time we had entered the water the winds on the river had died down quite a bit. The water was still quite choppy, but it wasn't anything I hadn't swam in before. I was very relaxed for the swim. The rolling start helped. I never had to fight for swim space and was able to focus the second I hit the water. I was also very conscious to not take in any large amount of water. This is something I'm famous for doing at least once during every race. The Choptank River is brackish, so it contains some salt water and fresh water. The last thing I wanted was to take in to much and make myself sick. I'm also pretty good about knowing the swim course and try to swim the shortest distance possible because no one really WANTS to be in the water that long. But this time around, the swim course had been changed on me twice within the last hour and I had no idea where the buoys were. I went into the swim blind and prayed that the guy in front of me wasn't a crooked swimmer. 56 minutes and 12 seconds later, I was the 15th person in my age group out of the water. WHAT!? I had no idea at the time. I was just ready for a good ride!

Somehow Rob managed to climb onto a buoy to take this picture...

Yes he really is THAT close to me.

Wetsuit halfway off before I'm even out of the water! #skillz

THE BIKE: 

I decided to go minimal on the bike and not wear all the layers I packed in my gear bag. It was starting to warm up more than I expected and the lady in the transition change tent told me to leave my extra layer in the bag. Settled. I love it when other people make my decisions for me. The first 10 miles the bike course weaves through town before starting the 45 mile loop through Dorchester County that you do twice. The winds were not bad at all heading out. I was expecting worse. I had a hard time getting comfortable in the beginning. But by the time I started the first loop, I was warmed up and ready to rock. The beginning of the loop started with a nice tail wind for about 12-15 miles. I was riding comfortably at 22-23 mph without even trying (LOVE TAIL WINDS!) Then the cross winds started. And on the second half of the loop, the head winds hit. As we approached special needs at mile 58 it was a relief to know that my beloved tail wind was coming back. Only this time, it didn't last as long. And then, there was no cross wind. Only headwind. And stronger than the first loop. That was the longest 30 miles of my life. At one point I looked down at my speed and saw 12mph. And I was struggling to keep it there. But I told myself if that I was going to make this day something to talk about, I had to find a way to make it through this bike. There was a group of older men, anywhere from 45-60 years old that I played cat & mouse with for most of the bike. They really started to piss me off on the second loop when they would pass me AS A GROUP. AKA - cheating. Every time this group of strong, tough, old guys decided to pass me as a group, I let their egos grow and gain on me a little bit. But the second I started to feel the wind die down, I took off. And wouldn't let myself slow down until those guys were behind me. The third time this happened, I heard one of them say, "Well, I'll be damned, she's doin' it again!" That's right. And I'm doing it solo. No one else to break my wind. I later heard that the winds reached 35 miles an hour on the bike course. And I believe it. 5 hours and 59 minutes later, I was back in transition (averaging 18.7mph). Due to the lack of volunteers because the event had to be rescheduled, athletes were instructed to rack their own bikes. As I approached my bike rack I noticed it was almost EMPTY. Where were all the bikes? Still on the course. I didn't know it yet, but I was currently 7th in my age group. 

I'm going so fast, can't ya tell?

All smiles :)

Maybe Rob dressed like a course marshall on purpose so he could easily navigate the course? Maybe he didn't...

THE RUN:

I couldn't believe how good my legs felt when I got off the bike. I knew I had a couple of decent miles in them before I would crash. So I wanted to make sure they were quality miles. The run is a loop that is done 2.5 times. The first 4 miles of the course takes you along the water and turns you around in large cul-de-sac. From there you had back towards transition. I was sure that by the time I saw Rob at mile 8 I was would have hit my wall and would be hurting. It's an Ironman, it's inevitable. Mile 8 came and went and my body was still holding strong. I was holding an 8:45 pace. Rob was there to tell me that I was currently 7th in my age group and I nearly stopped in my tracks. I couldn't believe it. Then I realized that's counter-productive, keep moving. 

Mile 8 of the run

From there you run through the main street in town, pass the finish line, head towards downtown Cambridge and turn around, then head back to the transition area. That counted as 1 loop. When I saw Rob the 2nd time at mile 11 I still felt great! He told me that Kait was on her way and that I was very beautiful. (I keep him around for good reason.) By the time I hit the cul-de-sac for the 2nd time, my hands started to go numb from the cold wind. The winds that were on the bike course didn't just disappear for the run. They were alive and well and bone chilling. I grabbed by gloves from my back pocket and expected my downfall shortly thereafter. But then I saw Rob again at mile 19. And I was still holding strong. Surely my downfall was coming soon. I'd never ran an open marathon and felt this good, let alone an Ironman. He told me at mile 19 that he wouldn't see me again until the finish line. I said my goodbyes and knew that that I was going to finish these last 7 miles strong. I hadn't come 133 miles to fall apart now. 

AND I NEVER DID. 

Mile 19 - I promise I felt better than I look!

At mile 24.5 I saw Jake's family and knew that Jake had just finished. The Cubs were currently in the playoffs and the day before I had joked that I wanted to be finished before the start of the game. And it was actually going to happen. His dad yelled, "You have plenty of time before the Cubs game starts! You're doing great!"

I passed up the last 3 aide stations because I didn't want to waste any time. I wanted to see the finish line. I ran down High Street and approached the finish shoot. No one in front of me. No one behind me. I had the shoot to myself and I couldn't believe it. The clock read 6:54 - the time of day. I had no idea what my finish time was. I just knew that I had DESTROYED my previous IM time. 

Coming down the finish shoot!

I love this picture that Kait snapped on her phone.

Rob behind the lense as I cross the finish line!

My catchers insisted on touching me and making sure I was ok. I was more than ok.  I ran away from my catchers when I spotted Rob and Kait on the fence. I kissed Rob, hugged Kait, and stood on the fence beaming. Rob gave me my phone and said, "Please call your mother, you have to tell her about this." So I did. And of course she cried. It wasn't until she asked me what my time was that I realized I still had no idea! My watch read 4:12, my marathon time. I pressed one button to find my overall time and this is what it said: 

11 hours
22 minutes
28 seconds

WHAT!? Just a casual 3 hour and 15 minute PR. 

::Cue the girliest scream you've ever heard::

I made it back to Rob and Kait and couldn't stop smiling. I was on cloud 9. Did this really just happen? Did I really just finish 6th in my age group? How was it that ONLY 44 women had finished ahead of me? 

You couldn't have paid me a million dollars to frown at this point.

Together, we made it!

Kait and I at the finish line.

Celebrations started immediately afterwards! 

It ONLY took me 20 minutes to walk 3 blocks for this beer.. Ouch!

My IMMD 2015 crew celebrating at RAR Brewery.

My takeaway from this 2015 season: Curve balls happen. And this season was no exception to the rule. As cliche as it sounds, sometimes you gotta just role with the punches. I had quite the training season. I gained a few guardian angels along the way. I had worked my ass off. And I had the race of a lifetime. I showed life who's boss. I won. 

If possible, my support system seemed to grow. Of course my family were my biggest supporters. My friends never questioned my insanity. Coach Speedy G still insists that he had nothing to do with my success and that he "only created the workouts." But he's wrong. I might have put in the time, but without his guidance I'd still be trying to figure out how to put on a wet suit. And of course, my other half, Rob - never left my side during it all. 

2015 was by far my most challenging season yet. And I prevailed. With that, I give myself a "Well done."

Clueless to Ironman

Sometimes I still can't believe the amount of change that has happened these last few years. I was JUST a runner for so many years. I was the person who rarely went any more than 1 day a week without running. So of course there was no time for any other sports.

PSYCH

The day I became a triathlete at The Big Foot Beach Triathlon, I had some mixed emotions. I was thrilled to complete an event that some people aren't able to. However, during the race I had a few wake up calls. I had made it through the swim without a panic attack, but I knew I was very slow. I panted like a dog up every hill on the bike. My legs were heavy from the bike and as a result I had one of my worst runs to date. I was running on a grass trail that aggravated an old injury. I had finished, but it wasn't pretty. But of course, I wanted more.

Let's just make a long story short and say that I was ready for a challenge. I told my boyfriend I was thinking about it. I asked the fastest girl in school if I was capable. I told my family I was going to sign up. It was settled. September 7^th, 2014 – that was the day I was going to become an Ironman at Ironman Wisconsin. I had just over a year to go from a clueless triathlete to Ironman. Upgrades needed to be made and research needed to be done. And I couldn't be more excited.

I had a great group of friends who helped educate me the best they could. They guided me in the pool. They told me what was necessary to buy and what wasn't. They were my triathlon lifeline. But how was I going to train for this? Who would tell me how many miles a week I should be riding and running. How often should I be in open water versus the pool? I needed some serious help, and I knew exactly who to call.

Remember the fastest girl in school? Well, she happened to marry the fastest boy. Together, they're somewhat of locals celebrities. Since college, I had seen Jacqui periodically but we stayed in touch. I had only met her husband a few times but decided to take my chances and see if he would be willing to help me. I literally had nothing to lose. We rendezvoused for a double date one night so I could pick Ryan's brain and he agreed to help me find my way across the Ironman finish line come September.

So here was my checklist:

1. Experienced triathlete friends to guide my clueless self.
2. Upgrades including bike shoes, wetsuit, and proper triathlon clothing.
3. A coach with the best resume.  He's pretty awesome (and speedy) - read about his success!
4. All the support a girl could ask for.

Things were looking up. Let's fast forward to the season, shall we?

Lake in the Hills Triathlon. With my crew, the Strugglebus. 2^nd in my age group.

First triathlon of the season: check!

Strugglebus

Shane, Todd, Me, Pat, and Russ

Crystal Lake Olympic Triathlon. 2^nd in my age group.

Only picture from the day with my biggest triathlon mentor - Todd.

Racine Half Ironman. I was halfway there.

Coming out of the water

Because no one ever says, "Let's take a picture while we're in our wetsuits."

Russ, Shane, Me, and Todd

Wauconda Olympic Triathlon. 1^st in my age group.

And Mark's FIRST triathlon!

As race day got closer my nerves were becoming more on edge by the day. Of course I had gained a world of confidence in the past year, but I was still SO new to this sport and there was a lot I didn't know. Was my body strong enough? What if something mechanical happens to me on the bike? Am I knowledgeable enough to know how to handle it? What if I just couldn't finish this race? Simply put - I was second guessing everything. 

Race week arrived. My parents, brother, and boyfriend would all be there to cheer me on. My cheerleaders from Omaha made the trip to support me. A lot of my friends came. My coach and his wife were also going to be there for the event. I had a crowd of supporters which made my nerves even worse. 

Me and the family in front of the capital building and the Ironman finish line.

The day before the race I spent checking in my gear, roaming around the Ironman Village, and relaxing with my friends and family. Nothing more could prepare me for race day, so all I could do was try to keep calm. 

Race morning arrived and I couldn't have asked for better weather. Mid 50's in the morning with a gorgeous sunrise over Lake Monona. Before I knew it, the gun had went off and my day had begun.

Just me and 2500 of my friends starting Ironman Wisconsin

I'm pretty sure I blinked and the swim was over. I had survived what the veterans call the Ironman Madison swim start as a "washing machine."

Looking for my Strugglebus friends who were volunteering as wetsuit peelers!

Even though Russ insisted on saying "I was a stripper!"

The day was still young but I was about to come head on with my biggest fear of the day: the bike course that was created by the devil himself. The bike was my worst of the 3 disciplines. I was not confident and still felt like I had so much room for improvement. And of course, this bike course was nothing to shake a stick at. Hills that resemble mountains on a bike. Sharp winding S curves on a steep downhill that give you white knuckles. But guess what? I MADE IT.

...even though my helmet was crooked the entire time. Oops.

As I got off the bike my legs felt great! Really they felt like jello so of course I knew the run was going to be a challenge. My goal: one foot in front of the other. Just find the finish line. 

120+ miles into my day

And once again, I'll save you all the details. But... I FOUND THE FINISH LINE

"Megan Hode, from Crystal Lake, Illinois - YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!"

The best picture. Photo Credit: my #1 fan, ROB!

14 hours 37 minutes and 2 seconds later, I was an Ironman. Only 14 months after my first triathlon.

Wanna know something even cooler? My boys, the Strugglebus, my triathlon lifeline. They were there to catch me at the finish line. We started this together. And we ended it together. 

"Megan, what do you want? Do you need anything?" - Russ

"Some chocolate milk." -Me

"Uhh, there's no chocolate milk." - Russ

"FIND ME SOME DAMNIT!" - Me

The Omaha crew! Aunt Bev and Uncle JB

The best friends..

...From all over the country

The fastest girl in school! And her husband!

Jacqui and Ryan

Couldn't have found that finish line without these two.

The family was pretty excited..

...Dad squeezed me so hard that I squealed...

...and mom cried.

My other half. My #1 fan. The best spectator there ever was. 

My support system was more than I could ask for. The entire experience was something I'll never forget. The entire process took over a year. I had trained my body in a way I never thought possible. I had eaten enough in the last 4 months to feed a family of 3 for about 6 months. I found muscles I didn't know I had. I did the best I could to make sure training didn't interfere with life so I saw 4am more often than not in order to log all the miles necessary. Followed by periods of sleep that lasted 10+ hours at a time. I learned the joys that come with sitting on the saddle for 6+ hours at a time. I learned that peeing in your wetsuit is the most normal thing you do during a race. The hardest lesson for me to learn: coming off the bike, I was not the same runner. That was something that takes some time. Some more strength and experience. 

I told myself that when I finished I was going to spend the rest of the night eating and drinking until the sun came up because I deserved it. 

...I gave it a good effort. 

Here's what actually happened: I had 2 swigs of champagne and maybe 2 pieces of pizza. And then my stomach retaliated. 

I laid in bed that night wide awake most of the night. Some call it the runners high. Some consider it overdose of caffeine from all the gels consumed throughout the day. But me? I was to busy planning out my 2015 race schedule to sleep.