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Showing posts from October 13, 2013

Kona RR: 2.4 mile swim

I found from a very young age that I was born to be a swimmer. Chlorine and a bathing suit were my two best friends, alongside goggles and a cap to match. I loved to swim…and the cute boys in speedo’s were an added bonus.  In high school and college, I specialized in 200 butterfly, 200 IM and 100 breakstroke but never really enjoyed “distance” swimming. Who would have thought that in 2006, I would be standing at my first Ironman start line in Panama City Beach, about to swim 2.4 miles in the ocean and commence on the longest day of my life. A day that made me excited because it was finally here and I could put months of training to the test, but also a day that made me nervous for the unknown is a scary thing.  The Ironman race day was overwhelming before it even started because I was asking a lot from my 24 year old body to prepare for the event and to arrive to the starting line healthy and injury free and after we succeed in that task, I then had to ask my body to

Kona finisher RR: Pre race swim

Why do you sign up for races? In my opinion, there are many reasons for why an age group athlete would voluntarily spend money to sweat, stress the heart, experience muscle pains and mentally prepare for an event all to cross a finish line. -Because your friends, family or co-workers talked you into it. -Because you feel pressure from others to follow the crowd. -Because it seems like the next logical step to discover new limits with your body and mind. -Because you are already exercising, you may as well train for a race. -Because you want the t-shirt and the medal. Whatever the reason may be, I believe that there is one precise reason why athletes and fitness enthusiasts decide to register for a race. For the finish line. (Source:  Gloria ) It’s kinda funny to think about racing for a finish line. A banner or inflatable sign signifies the start.  (Source:  IM Texas) This spot may also be the finish but the race director has to change the words

2013 GoPro Ironman World Championship FINISHER

“Athletics brings out a side of you that is wonderful. It brings out so many good attributes like competing, intensity and playing at the highest level.”  — Julie Foudy, Olympic gold medalist and former Women’s Sports Foundation president                              “Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same in this notion: The potential for greatness lives within each of us.” -Wilma Rudolph, Winner of 3 Gold Medals at 1960 Rome Olympic Games “The medals don’t mean anything and the glory doesn’t last. It’s all about your happiness. The rewards are going to come, but my happiness is just loving the sport and having fun performing.” “Being your best is not so much about overcoming the barriers other people place in front of you as it is about overcoming the barriers we place in front of ourselves. It has nothing to do with how many times you win or lose. It has no relation to where you finish in a race or