Believe in Yourself!

Tomorrow is the day....race day! It was a decision 5 years ago this month when I signed up for my first full distance Ironman that started this journey....one that I had no idea would lead here!

I have been blessed with the most supportive husband-ever, & love & support of family & friends! I have the best coaches @jlhansen929 & @annebethrollins & an awesome team qt2systems.com.

Starting this sport at 51 has not been easy, but I have been cheered on by my adult children & this past summer my 2 grandsons cheered at my qualify race for Kona!

There are always people  in your life who believe more in you than you do yourself. Joe's mom was one of them & the reason I signed up for a full distance race. She believed in me with her words "Do it because you can." 

I have learned to believe in myself! And on race morning I will hear  her words as I do every race day..."Do it for me because I can't anymore".  She'll be the only one that has a front row seat to the race from heaven!

This one's for you 

 

Start Fresh at Sunrise...

Sunrise thoughts from my run yesterday....each day allows us to begin again. We rely on the sun & it is always there for us. Regardless of what it faces each morning, it moves ahead. Sometimes it rises easy, other times it fights behind the clouds. Yet no matter what has transpired, the sun rises for us and moves on to a new day! Every sunrise gives us another chance at a new beginning.
Be like the sun...awaken & embrace the day. You have the ability to rise like the sun...another sunrise, another new beginning. Embrace each day with positivity, moving forward holding brightness in your heart.

 

Embrace Today

Over the past year, I have started so many posts in my head, but just like the year that has been, they

just kept changing and then eventually put off.   But regardless of what life throws at us, we should not

put anything off, for you never know what the next day will bring! This past year has taught us that more

than ever!   And with that I have been reminded to make the most of any situation and make sure to

have the right perspective.  When running on the trails either at home or in the Adirondacks, I am

reminded how different situations can seem insurmountable, when in actuality they are not what they

appear.  Life presents you with many obstacles that on first glance may not be manageable.  

Yet sometimes, with attention to detail and a different perspective, the reality is that the obstacle is

manageable.  You need to take a breath, look closely from all angles and find a way to tackle it! 

Last year at this time, there seemed to be many obstacles in the way...for everyone!  Racing was not

anything that I thought would happen, a family wedding appeared to be impossible, remote teaching

options were confusing, and worries that my parents in their 90’s would be ok….yet I decided to look

forward and think positive regardless of the roller coaster we were all on.  With each obstacle, I needed

to take a step back, breathe, and evaluate the whole situation so I could adjust in order to keep moving

forward.  

This strategy has been key to making it through this past year and will be one that I continue to use

because it has proven to work!  I made it through teaching remote and in-person students in our

synchronous learning structure, I continued to re-set and meet training goals, our daughter’s  wedding

is around the corner, and our son and daughter-in-law were blessed with son who we can share our time

with.  Life has awesome moments hidden in the daily chaos...focus on those!

Tomorrow I will take on Ironman Lake Placid, and I will again do it for “Granny” Joe’s mom.  She always

inspired me to be my best and to do what you loved.  She lived each day to the fullest and did not put

anything off for another day!  So tomorrow I know she will be cheering me on and right by my side to get me

to the finish line.  I am here with family and friends as well as many friends tracking my race remotely. I thank

you all for supporting my craziness! I look forward to the challenge and the wonderful experiences and people

I will encounter along the way.  Thanks mom for always inspiring me to reach my goals!

 Life is looking normal again, but I am reminded that at any moment it can change, so embrace today,

and live in the moment.

I am blessed with wonderful family, friends and support in my life and am ever so thankful for all of those

near and dear to me, especially my husband who gets me through it all!

 

A New Day

Yesterday was supposed to be race day - Ironman Lake Placid.  Yesterday was hard...looking at the time during the day and thinking of where I should have been on the course...remembering my journey...remembering the energy starting each leg of the race...the ultimate feeling of accomplishment of 140.6 miles, all self-propelled!  I still fill with emotion when "Nancy McMahon, you are an Ironman" plays in my head...wishing I could have done it again for Mom!

Today is a new day...a new year.  The day to re-set the clock...364 days until Ironman Lake Placid 2021.  Who knows how this whole year will unfold...what challenges will arise....what triumphs will be overcome?  So many unknowns that I strive to not take my energy down the wrong path.

Focus on patience, what can be controlled and what I hold dear in my life (family, love, graciousness, peace).  Finding the little joys in everyday.  I am blessed with so much and so many people important to me.

As I begin this training cycle I am filled with gratitude...from those I love so dearly, to those who support me on life's journey, to the beauty of the roads, paths and waterways I train on.




Here's to a new journey!  My focus is to find joy in the little things and live in the moment! 

Reflections

We began our journey to Lake Placid yesterday.  We spent this night in our cabin in Old Forge and woke to see the fog lift off the waterfront. 

 As we traveled north, I reflected on what I had done to reach my goal.  Whenever I had a chance, I trained in the Adirondacks whenever we were there...crisp runs with the leaves crunching under my feet, winter snowshoe and trail runs, hours on the indoor trainer watching the snow fall, open water swims in the Old Forge channel accompanied by my kayak lifeguard Joe (and once my my sister-in-law Teresa) who kept me away from boats or swimming into docks!

And the best of all, long rides on quiet S. Shore Rd and North on Route 28 to as far as Indian Lake.  I enjoy training solo.   I enjoy the solace of watching nature, experiencing the smell of the balsam and cedar trees, the sound of a babbling brook and reflections on lakes.  I love the quiet of a trail run.  Throughout my training, I would think about mom and that would keep me going.  Whenever I would struggle, she would be there encouraging me and cheering me on.  Her favorite color was yellow.  Sometimes I would see signs; a giant clump of daisies in a field with not other flowers, or one yellow flower.  The best was a huge flock of yellow butterflies that just appeared on a trail and when I got close they gently rose in the air.  This also made me think of my friend Dave, who was sent to heaven with a lovely flock of butterflies.
As we drove north on Route 28, I thought about those rides.  I always share stories of my rides with my Joe; of how I saw baby fawns, turkeys cross the road, battled construction zones and even had a line of traffic behind me when I was chugging up a hill that only had half a lane paved!

What I felt was a great sense of accomplishment, and that no matter what the day holds, I gave it my all to get ready!
I am blessed with the awesome support of my husband.  I could not have done this without him!  He is my rock and my best half!  And my wonderful, loving children who always encourage and support their crazy mamma!.  They even surprised me with a plant garden waiting for me when I checked in at the hotel!

   And to my extended family with your love, excitement, hugs and words of encouragement!
Thanks to all of you who have supported me along this journey!

Do It For Me

A week from today, I will be in Lake Placid competing in my first full Ironman distance triathlon!  I have met some incredible people along the way and have enjoyed their stories and personal reasons behind their journey.  So I decided to share the reason for my journey.

Although I have been a triathlete for 4 years-enjoying the training and competition of multi-sport, the last year has added an internal depth to my commitment - for Joe’s mom.  She was a very active 76 year old who enjoyed Jazzercise, yoga, and volunteering in a city school’s reading program.  She was always on the go.  Mom was always interested in how my training was going, where my latest ride had taken me, or how I did in a race.   When people would make comments asking things like “Why do you do this” or “you’re crazy” Mom would firmly tell them “Because she can!”

When her cancer progressed and she could no longer participate in these activities, she told me to “keep going.”  “You do this for me because I can’t anymore.”
Last October while Mom was in hospice care, I would do my training rides to visit her, or do a training run on the Genesee River trail nearby.  I would arrive in my bike gear and she was always excited to hear about whatever route I traveled and how my training was going.  And, in quiet times when we were alone, she would remind me to keep going for her.
On the evening of October 28, 2018, I received another of many emails about registration for Ironman Lake Placid and a reminder that their free deferral program ended at midnight.  So, just before midnight I registered.  At 1:30 AM we got the call that Mom had passed away.
Mom has been with me through my training for the past 9 months-every bike, every swim, bike, run, strength, stretching session.  I carry her words and her incredible strength with me always.

So, my very first full Ironman is for you, Mom!    I love you!