(Photo courtesy of ND Media staff)
For those of you who have been following along throughout the year, you have a good idea of what the year looked like. For those of you that haven’t been, there were both successes and failures.
In the success column — 8 Triathlons (including 4 Podiums and being part of the first-ever all Adaptive Tri), 4 OCRs (including a Holy Grail), 5 different Athletic camps (including scoring my 2nd TD at Notre Dame), and being recognized by the Tough Mudder community for my accomplishments during the season.
In the failure column — having to scratch a total of 6 OCRs (2 due to safety, 4 due to school / injury) and failing to complete the season without injury. And for those of you who might be worried, the injury at WTM was minor and I’m able to run. I was just worried I might injure it further in Florida so soon after WTM.
While there were speed bumps, hiccups, and struggles, the successes far outweighed the failures. I am truly grateful to everyone who supported me through both the successes and failures, along with all of those who provided me with so many opportunities. THANK YOU to all of you!
As I look forward to 2025, I am mindful that 10 years ago, none of this was planned. Ten years ago, Terri and I were focused on which Triathlon was going to be the “one and done”. I knew nothing about Dare2Tri or any of the other organizations that I’m part of at this point.
But because I said yes to those opportunities, I’ve been able to do so much. Yes, some of it has been scary at times; yes, I’ve second-guessed myself a couple of times (AKA WTF am I doing?). There have also been a couple of times that have come close to breaking me. See the 2019 Pleasant Prairie and 2022 Leon’s blogs for more details. But the support of so many has helped me to work through those challenges.
As I prepare for another 46-week season that will include a long list of Triathlon, running, OCR, and other events, I’ll leave you all with this piece of advice. Even if it scares you, say yes to the opportunity. Even if it isn’t perfect, trying and failing (safely) is 5000 times better than just saying no and sitting on the couch.
To that point, my first OCR of the year will be in the snow. It also includes an obstacle that will definitely be a mind game. But I’m up for the opportunity. If you want to join me, the Abominable Snow Race (ASR) is on January 25th in Lake Geneva, WI!
