Goals can change on Race Day: People and Planet always matter most

I love to travel - the world is a beautiful place with diversity in people and the planet that should be celebrated. 

Last Fall, I took a solo trip out West to visit National Parks. It was peaceful. A time for reflection. There were majestic views. I learned how people and the planet have grown together over time. I decided that over the next year, I would bring my family to experience the beauty with me. When I received my invitation to the Ironman World Championship and learned that it was in St George, Utah (a course they tag as 200 million years in the making), I viewed it as a sign. 

5 People. 4000 Miles. 3 Bikes. 2 Missions. 1 Dog. Over the course of a week and a half, we visited places like the Grand Canyon, Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon, the Petrified Forest and many more State and National Parks and Forests. It was an absolute blessing to share the experience with my family. 

Leading up to Ironman World Championship: 

Originally, women were to have their own day to race. Several weeks before the race, organizers consolidated the men and women into one day. Men would start first by age group and women would follow. Many women were disappointed (and some irate) with this decision. Temperatures were predicted over 100 degrees, meaning we would race in the hottest of conditions. My take - stop being a bunch of snowflakes and deal with it. The conditions are part of racing. 

Don’t get me wrong, I was nervous about a lot of factors, but conditions are part of the challenge. I would control the factors to the best of my ability:

1. Extreme heat conditions. Proper nutrition on the days leading up to and on race day was necessary. 

2. Wetsuit not allowed due to high water temperatures. I learned of a “swim skin” which would help a little with speed; I purchased one and practiced with it. 

3. Snow Canyon. A five-mile climb with over 1000 feet of elevation gain starting at mile 45. I strive to train in conditions tougher than the race. Where we live, there were no options to simulate that climb. My Coach gave me a lot of interval training at watts higher than my threshold to prepare me for this. 

4. Mechanical issues on the bike. Javier Delgado, a teammate, graciously agreed to check my bike on race morning. 

A few days before the race, the weather forecast changed dramatically: 85 degrees and pop up thunderstorms. I chatted with Coach Jay a couple days before the race, and I asked him what time I should try to hit. He told me that it was not going to be a day nor course to get a Personal Best time and that I needed to shift my mindset. The goals:

1. A top 100 finish in my age division

2. Race within myself

3. Embrace the scenery

4. Have fun

September 18, Race Day! 

When my alarm went off at 3:30 am, I was remarkably relaxed and ready to have fun. The swim was in a reservoir and toward the very end, I noticed the water getting some chop (yes, in a reservoir). I moved through transition and jumped on my bike. After a couple minutes, heavy wind and rain began. I kept telling myself - “pop up thunderstorms. This will pass.” Ultimately, I endured 45 of the 56 miles with 20-25 mph of wind with up to 35 mph of gusts, hail, tumbleweed and fought much of the way to stay upright on my bike versus racing and embracing the scenery. Oddly, the sun shined brightly as I made my way up Snow Canyon - and I LOVED the journey to the top. As soon as I hit the top - wind, rain and hail - all over again! A gentleman about 5 miles into the run said “welcome to a day of crazy, epic ‘stuff’ in the desert.” Well said, random dude, well said. 

I prayed that they would call the race - it never happened. As I was on the bike, my goal became “do NOT quit.” I reminded myself of a quote Sir Richard Branson read from his mom before taking off to space: “The brave may not live forever, but the cautious never live.” 

When I saw women off to the side of the road, I asked if they were ok. They said they were just “waiting it out.” When women (and a lot of them!) passed me, I said “great job!” When I saw my family at Mile 20 - I wore the biggest fake smile and shouted “I love you!!” Then broke into tears when I passed them. I didn’t want them to worry. Women supported me and I supported women on the run. 

I can’t help but recall many of the women who passed me, who made comments about what we were “dealing with”, and the men and pros “having it easy.” I said, “we are here, we are tough and we’ve got this!” Upon completion of the race, I heard pros ran in the hail. Many men were heading up Snow Canyon with winds, rain, hail and lightning. The reality is - we each have our own journey and we never really know what another encounters until we take the time to listen.

As I look at my goals for race day, they dramatically changed or were nowhere near achieved.

1. Top 100 - I finished 215 out of 225 in my age division! I told a friend and colleague, Silvia, and we laughed hysterically. I still laugh at it.  

2. I raced within myself. Some women were comfortable flying downhill in the rain and wind at 28 mph. I was not - I stayed upright and rode my brakes. 

3. I embraced the scenery when I had the chance but did even more reflection upon Mother Nature and how powerful she is and questioned how much we contribute to such erratic conditions. 

4. As for having fun, “fun” is not the word I would use. But what it turned to was something even more lasting - a tremendous sense of pride for finishing the race. 

In my last article, I stated that the Panama City Race went “as planned.” This race was the complete opposite but special in so many more ways. I struggled to find harmony on this day but the lasting impact of the trip in total and a reminder that people and planet are most important and must work together over time is remarkable. We have a responsibility to support each other and understand other perspectives and journeys. We have a responsibility to protect the planet, understand how she came to be, how she has evolved and our role in her future. It takes all of us - people and the planet. While goals may change on Race Day, diversity in people and planet remain the constant, and both continue to evolve. 

Usually when returning from vacation, it’s tough to get back into the swing of things. This time, it wasn’t as I was returning to one of my favorite weeks of the year in Northwest Arkansas: LPGA week. This would be a “high vibe” week - one that I still carry with me and a great week to be reminded of Dreams. 

Upcoming Series #3. Dreams