This note went out to many friends and family, but I wanted to share it here as well…
Here’s My Story …
I’m doing an Ironman this year and it’s going to be in Lake Placid, NY and it’s on July 28. The distances are a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and a 26.2 mile run. If you’re one of my friends who live in New York, it’s quite likely that I’ve turned down a dinner (or two) because of a late swim or an early run the next morning. And I can only hope that one day you will forgive me for this. But maybe you can relate.
Have you ever wanted something so bad it gave you chills any time you thought about it? Have you ever set a goal or made a promise to yourself that you would accomplish something? An item on your bucket list if you will. Ironman is one of those things to me. In 2010, after a summer of getting my first taste of triathlons, I was a spectator at my first Ironman in Louisville, KY. I remember just watching Ironman was exhausting, I couldn’t possibly imagine how the participants felt. But something about that day and the way people just kept going forward moved me and I made a promise to myself that I would complete Ironman Lake Placid before turning 30 (at the time I was 26 so 30 felt like it was eons away). Well, in case you didn’t know, I’m turning 30 this year and to CELEBRATE I will be doing Ironman Lake Placid.
If you’d prefer to watch a video, click here and you can skip the rest of my story. Otherwise, read on!
Triathlons have taught me a lot about what I’m physically and mentally capable of. I’ve come a long way from the days in middle school where I absolutely dreaded running the mile, to the point where I would fake sick. Not only that but I’ve met some pretty great people along the way and formed friendships that began when we were literally at our worst and sweatiest.
I draw strength to get through workouts and races from the people in my life who have shown me how to accomplish their impossible – these people are YOU – whether it’s having the guts to submit a work of art to a prestigious museum, taking several years to live and work in a foreign country, running Boston Marathon, fighting a terminal illness, or watching and supporting a loved one as they fight an illness – all of these things are meaningful and seemingly impossible but we get through them some how, we dig down deep.
After going through one of those typical “really bad break-ups” last winter, I gave up on triathlons for a while. It was in April 2012 that my friend Sarah asked if I wanted to do NYC Triathlon again with a non-profit called Children’s Tumor Foundation. They raised money for research for Neurofibromatosis, also known as NF – a genetic disease in children that causes the growth of tumors for which there is no cure. I was reminded that there were people out there fighting a tough fight, and these were not not just any people but they were children. If these kids and their parents could deal with all the complications associated with NF, I could certainly pick myself up and get through a triathlon.
So I did just that and to make a really long story a little less long, I knew then that I would be racing Ironman Lake Placid in 2013 with CTF. All of the pieces came together and here I am on the road to my first Ironman. This is one of my IMPOSSIBLES that I can only get through with your support. Just being able to talk to you about my fears, my excitement, my anticipations makes me feel that much closer to getting there. And so for that I thank you. (And for bearing with me when I bow out of social plans so that I can stick to my training schedule.)
And I of course have a huge thank you to my hero, Clara, who you can learn more about on my page and in my video but she’s 4 years old and fights NF like a true champ. Clara also rides her bike, wants to be a teacher, a mermaid, and an eye doctor when she grows up and I can only hope to one day be as strong as she is.
My Road to Ironman Video
My CTF Endurance fundraising page
With many thanks and much love,
Maggie
maggie converse 