By 
I didn’t plan on doing a triathlon this year. I looked up one day and Erica Binger from V3 had invited me to a meeting to plan one. Next thing I knew, I was designing the course for the 5K run portion of the Push Triathlon at V3.
Mind you, I was just coming off an injury and still healing. Earlier this year I couldn’t walk, and it took an extensive surgery just to get back on my feet. I wasn’t even sure I could run a timed 5K comfortably.
From course designer to competitor
While helping build the run course, I also got to coach, motivate and train with the young athletes in the Do More Than Tri youth triathlon. Watching them push through their training made the decision for me. I signed up for the Push Triathlon. My first triathlon ever.
I trained hardest in the pool, then on my running, and I got to train alongside some of the triathletes as their run coach. The bike? I did very little bike training. That part shows up later.
Race day
The swim: 12 pool lengths, about a third of a mile, in under 17 minutes. That’s a personal record by two minutes.
The bike: horrible. Within the first 10 minutes I crashed, and I crashed hard. I’m pretty sure I had a concussion. But I got back on and finished the ride.
The run: after the crash, I ran my fastest 5K of the year, under 27 minutes. A PR on the course I helped design.
Why it mattered
This year started with me not being able to walk. It ended with me crossing the finish line of a triathlon. Setting that goal and actually accomplishing it is something I’ll carry with me for a long time.
Thank you to Erica Binger and the V3 team, the Do More Than Tri athletes who inspired me, and everyone who cheered along the course.
My running work lives at We Run. Follow along on Instagram at @werunMinnesota.
Race photos by Travis Lee.
