My Favorite Things about IRONMAN Florida

Published by Bethany on November 7, 2013November 7, 2013

It’s actually tough for me to write about Florida. Although I thought going into Florida that I didn’t care much about the outcome, it turns out I did care very much and was consequently pretty bummed after the race.

I will get to my race report and what happened on the day eventually, but first I wanted to focus on the positive aspects of the weekend.

1. So many ATC athletes out in full force, both spectating and racing. I will post a picture of the tent people in costumes if I can get one. It was truly priceless. The picture on the bottom is of most of the ATC athletes who raced IM Florida training in Alabama a few weeks ago.

2. The Ironman tri club program. It really is cool! We had a sit down at the race with the head of the program to discuss ideas, what worked and what didn’t. Very excited to see where this program goes!

3. Having my folks come along- Spectating an Ironman is a tiring and thankless job! Very thankful to my folks who posted up at different spots all over the course. Every time my dad has come to an IRONMAN, he runs or walks out to more remote parts of the course to offer up encouragement. Love it!

4. Going into the race healthier than ever thanks to a little help from my friends- I have been getting a combination of Chiropractic care and massage lately and the result is that my shoulder (and whatever else ails me) is feeling better than ever!

5. My Bike looking and performing amazingly well… thanks to constant upkeep and maintenance at Podium. I was having emergency DI2 issues the day before race day and thanks to Paul and Matt I had plenty of extra working and charged batteries to choose from! Also, Ted let me borrow his awesome disc for this race.
6. An extra day’s stay post- Ironman. John was smart and booked our stay through Monday. Here is a picture of the sunset after awakening from a long nap 🙂

7. The fact that so many athletes, especially John, had amazing days. Most of our friends had amazing days. John had a great day and scored a huge PB from last IM FL.

8. Getting news that my first two articles were published in Triathlete Magazine. Very excited about more upcoming opportunities to write. I love writing!

Forget the Fads: Running Trends to Ignore. Triathlete Magazine, December 2013

9. Bonding experiences on the course. If only I had a photo. Rich (my athlete and friend) had hurt his foot at mile 21 and was forced to a sudden walk. Todd, another friend had stopped to walk with him for moral support (and a quick rest) The three of us strolling and chatting at mile 22 was a bonding experience despite the fact that it was a combination of fatigue and injury that brought us together

10. Also cool is the fact that I have a cool new blog and website to share it all on. Check it out and let me know what you think!