How it all began
I didn’t realize how I would get pulled right into the sport of triathlon until the second race in when I led the sprint overall to only get a race demoralizing bike flat from a nail… here I am with eleven 70.3 distance races, one 140.6 (Ironman), six marathons, many Olympic / Standard and sprint distance races completed later!
Triathlon isn’t just about competing in a race - but rather it is a journey that changes your life for the better. It was a journey that started for me in 2017 with my first Sprint distance triathlon, not knowing much of anything about swim, bike, run, transitions, nutrition, or anything in and all around. It was one of the hardest things I had done competitive wise in a long time since competitive swimming in high school and college.
I also was a sucker into peer pressure for keeping in touch with other triathletes with a large contingent going to Ironman Cozumel. I was on major business travel in 2018, where donuts, coffee, pastries, pizza, mac & cheese, and all the other comfort foods that you could think of dominated my diet as the stress levels were there. It was stomach inflammation and a trip to the ER that changed everything for good - and the marks of a new beginning in a journey to making myself a better person. If I was going to do this Ironman, I needed to build up to it…I hadn’t run a marathon, let alone do a 70.3 race, Olympic distance race, half marathon running, heck not even a 10K prior. It began with running a 5K around a park (forced by the realization that I got into the Chicago Marathon by lottery…so I really had to start somewhere), at the end of that run I wasn’t even sure if I was going to be alive with HR spiking well above the 180s. Slowly but surely, consistently running every day then combined with consistent swimming, the mileage built up and running 5Ks weren’t so bad anymore. Before I knew it, I signed up and completed my first half marathon. Then check the Olympic distance race. Then check the 70.3 race - when completing that race, I knew I had the mental willpower and ability to complete an Ironman. Before I knew it, I was with my friends and fellow triathletes racing Ironman Cozumel and completing that race which forever will dub me as an “Ironman”.
A lot of racing later, in 2022, I set out to do one of my most ambitious race schedules yet, but even more ambitious was starting my coaching career. Coaching several athletes in the first year brought different perspective and opened my eyes to what is possible. My elite amateur level racing has probably peaked, but a new triathlon journey is about to begin!
And here I am with USAT Level 1 Coaching Certification with a Paratriathlon discipline and short course focus…never did I know I would learn so much and be humbled about it all in what seems like yesterday?
So what are your goals? What do you want to become? What questions do you have? Concerns? Worries? Aspirations? Feel free to reach out to me in my various platforms in main stream and social media!