Dallas Little Elm was one hell of a day. Having the swim canceled 15-30 minutes before the start because of strong winds was a tough way to begin, especially since that's usually my strongest discipline, but Coach Jim had been preparing us for exactly that all along: you can't control conditions, weather, a flat, or whatever race day throws at you, but you can control your effort and your attitude... I leaned on that all day.
Once the early tailwinds turned into brutal crosswinds and headwinds, it became less about time goals and more about grit. I just had to finish. This was my first IM-distance race. I was doing it in honor of my dad and raising money for the IRONMAN Foundation, and by the time I got to the run, I was completely cooked. But seeing Coach Jim, my fellow PlayTri trainees on the course, family, and friends; everyone sharing words of encouragement and cheering me on lap after lap, meant everything.
The support started long before race day, too; from Coach Morgan helping dial in my fit, to Fernando and the team at the shop getting my bike race ready, to all the race-week sessions and advice from the PlayTri crew. It really takes a village to get to a start line like that, and I'm incredibly grateful PlayTri was such a big part of mine... I cant wait to do it again!
Joan
Dallas, TX