Ad Astra Per Aspera-Through Hardship To The Stars

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Ad Astra Per Aspera-Through Hardship To The Stars

Ad Astra Per Aspera, the Latin phrase meaning “through hardship to the stars,” has been my motto for the past couple of years, as I have faced much adversity in my endeavor of competing as a professional in the sport of triathlon. Of course I anticipated challenges, but certainly not the challenges I have faced. And while the stars were not the stars that I had dreamed of, as I had dreamed of athletic achievements and being a fixture on the podium at professional races,  those stars have turned out to be even better than I could have imagined.

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Skylands Triathlon-Racing Local Is Awesome!

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Skylands Triathlon-Racing Local Is Awesome!

A few weeks ago, I ended my triathlon season at a local race, the Skylands Triathlon. I went back and forth over doing another big race this year, but after struggling to recover from back-to-back weekends at Timberman and Rev3 Maine and a few sleepless nights as I was preparing to apply for residency, I decided to cap off the year at a smaller race to boost my confidence and end the 2016 triathlon season on a positive note. Once I made this decision, a weight was lifted, and I was finally enjoying training again without the pressure of a big race on the calendar. I was excited to be doing a local race in my home state!

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Timberman 70.3-Perhaps There is Pride in Just Finishing

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Timberman 70.3-Perhaps There is Pride in Just Finishing

I really wish I could be writing something positive, upbeat, and exciting about Timberman, but unfortunately the day did turn out to be what I was hoping for. Perhaps my expectations set me up for failure, maybe I did too much hoping and not enough physical and mental preparation. Honestly my anxiety levels in the weeks leading up to the race were through the roof, and I really did not think that I would do well based on my training, which had been a great struggle. Each workout was a battle, draining me physically, mentally, and emotionally. My motivation tanked, but I still got my butt out of bed to go to the pool in the predawn hours, and I dragged myself out the door for rides and runs. I tested my mental fortitude and did long rides in the pouring rain, and long runs in 100 degree heat.

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French Creek Triathlon-Back in Action

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French Creek Triathlon-Back in Action

Just a week short of the six-month mark, I raced. Two months ago, I wasn’t sure I’d be racing at all this year, or at least not until much later in the season. Though I had been optimistic over the winter, my confidence dwindled when I stopped making progress, and I wondered if I would ever be the same again, and be able to train and compete at a high level. I contemplated retirement; I looked into going back to school, and even pondered the idea of getting a spot in a residency program this year (a.k.a. starting in a few weeks’ time). Each of these grand ideas stuck around for about a week, because as much as things sucked, and at times made me want to give up, the alternative options just did not seem worth it, so ultimately I chose to stay the course. I just needed to keep on keeping on and hope that eventually something would click, and it would (almost) be like nothing ever happened.

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Challenge Florida-Debut Professional Race

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Challenge Florida-Debut Professional Race

This was a race that was more than a year in the making, my debut professional race at Challenge Florida. I knew since Eagleman in 2014 that I would be turning professional the following season, making Kona my last race as an Age Grouper. A year ago I would not have predicted that this year would unfold as it did; I was expecting to pick up training in December and start racing in the spring. Well things did not quite go as I expected, but everything happens for a reason. After all of the turmoil of this past year, it really is a miracle I made it to the starting line of this race.

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Quakerman Olympic Plus-Making Progress

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Quakerman Olympic Plus-Making Progress

Another race in the books for 2015! This local (I love local races!) was a last minute addition to the schedule, as I wanted to get another race under my belt to test my fitness and make some improvements from the Lake George Triathlon before I make the final push to the last race of the season (it is going to be a surprise). In the past, I feel like I have made a big jump in performance between my first and second races of the season, and this race was no exception. The swim was short and very, very choppy so it is difficult to compare times, but I my bike and run showed improvements from the race just three weeks ago; just another sign of things to come.

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Lake George Triathlon-Back on Top

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Lake George Triathlon-Back on Top

When I began to re-plan my season at the end of July, the Lake George Triathlon Festival was the first race on the Modified Schedule tab of my excel spreadsheet of 2015 races. The timing was right, just over 10 weeks after I started my progression back to biking and running; the location was also ideal, located just 30 minutes from the lake house where I go for my summer train-cations. The added bonus would be that my grandparents would be able to be spectators-their first ever triathlon experience-and I thought it would be really neat for them to see what my races, they so often hear of, are all about first hand.

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Ironman World Championships-Shoot for the Moon, Podium at Kona

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Ironman World Championships-Shoot for the Moon, Podium at Kona

After a decent night of sleep, I awoke 15 minutes before my alarm was set to go off race morning. I sat at the table with the lights dimmed and ate what would be my last meal of real food for the day. It was still pitch black outside, not even a hint of dawn, as I listened to the waves crashing against the lava wall through the darkness. I picked at my bowl of oatmeal and Nutella; my appetite dissipated as my nervousness swelled up deep inside me. I powered through and finished eating before my parents arrived to pick me up.

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2014 Ironman 70.3 World Championships-Racing for Myself

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2014 Ironman 70.3 World Championships-Racing for Myself

I was right on target, feeling great, and having the race of my life. Adrenaline was pumping through my body and I was excited to get off of the bike in T2 and throw down an awesome run. Then, with less than seven miles to go on the bike, I shifted down going up a short steep roller and felt my chain jump and kept pedaling, only to watch it fall off between my crank and my frame. I jump of off my bike and ran to the side of the road and tried to put my chain back on, but I could not get it out. The chain was stuck and I could not pull it out.

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