
In honor of #MedalMonday, I decided to share with you the race I plan to receive a medal for in October: my first ever Ironman 70.3!!! I figured the half was a good start before I attempt a full. For travel convenience, I also picked the Ironman 70.3 Tempe.
So for those of you who don’t know, a triathlon consists of the three different disciplines in the following order: swim, bike and run. Triathlons always seemed like they would be both challenging and fun. Last July, I competed in my first triathlon in New York and loved it. While the NYC Triathlon is only an Olympic distance, it still gave me the opportunity to get a feeling for the 70.3. To help me mentally prepare for my hopeful half Ironman, I signed up for these events last year:
First Marathon, D.C. Rock n Roll Marathon
First Half Marathon, Women’s Shape Half-Marathon
First Olympic Distance Triathlon, Panasonic NYC Triathlon
First Century Bike Tour, El Tour de Tucson–108mi
Now to the details…
To receive my medal, I need to complete the following under a total of 8.5hr:
- 1.2-mile swim
- 56-mile bike
- 13.1-mile run
I’m confident I will complete the race much earlier than 8.5hr but I still plan on getting a swim coach to assist with my form. Swimming is easily my weakest but fortunately since it’s first I have time in the bike and run to catch up.
My first 70.3 won’t be a race I do just to do; it will be one I finish with a time I’m proud of. I learned from the mistakes of my first marathon and realized how terrible it feels to not be able to do my best. My first 70.3, and my other races this year, will only be my best.