Tri 2 Inspire - The Making of Bionic Bri

“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.”   T.S. Eliot On Monday, August 19 th , I signed up for my first Ironman – Ironman Mont Tremblant!   As I waited for registration to open at noon, I thought I was going to either pass out or lose my mind.   My heart was beating crazy fast and my breathing was sporadic.   When registration opened there were already 100 people ahead of me.   There must be some Flash Gordon typists out there because I started the registration process right at noon.   When it was my turn to register, I was a nervous wreck!   I’m a pretty good typist, but I couldn’t type to save my life.   I finally got it together and completed my registration.   When I saw my confirmation I let out a whoop and started to cry.   I know, that is sad, but this race is so much more than just a race to me. Ever since I completed IM 70.3 Augusta I knew I wanted to do an Ironman.   I di...

“Each of us must confront our own fears, must come face to face with them.   How we handle our fears will determine where we go with the rest of our lives.   To experience adventure or to be limited by the fear of it.”   Judy Blume On Sunday, May 5 th , I will be returning to Lake Monticello (Charlottesville) to participate in the Monticelloman Olympic triathlon.   The first time I attempted to compete in this race, things did not go well.   I DNF’d.   I didn’t make it past the 1500 meter open water swim portion of the race.   I lost valuable time from panicking in the water and did not make the 50 minute time cut-off.   I was pulled out of the water and brought to shore.   I was embarrassed, angry and inconsolable.   Over the next couple of days after the race, I considered quitting triathlon.   I honestly thought I was not good enough to be a triathlete.   I didn’t want to face my husband, coaches, especially my swim...

“I know God will not give me anything that I can’t handle, I just wish He didn’t trust me so much.”   Mother Teresa My training plays a daily role in my life (I consider rest a part of my training too).  It allows me to prepare for my races and meet the goals that I set for myself.  Most importantly, my training helps me to cope with life’s challenges.  On New Year’s Eve I was faced with one of the greatest challenges of my life; my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.  I am an only child.  My mother and I are very close.  She raised me on her own and instilled a strong sense of faith, family, and determination in me.  She and I talk almost every day, sometimes several times a day.  She is my best friend and advisor, and I can always count on her to have my back.  At the age of 71 my mom received her master’s degree in divinity.  She is vibrant and loves to bake.  I could not ask for a better mom. So why at the ...

I know, I know, I know....my race report is waaaaaaaaaay overdue.  But in all honesty I have been processing the experience.  It still seems surreal to me.  So I am sorry this post is so late, but thanks for reading and being on this ride with me. He gives strength to the weary and power to the weak. Isaiah 40:29 Sunday morning I woke up at 4:30 am, but didn't get up until 5.  I had butterflies in my stomach, but I was not nervous.  I was just ready to test myself and my training.  My hubby and I were out the door by 5:30 and headed to McDonald's.  My pre-race breakfast of choice was a banana and a Sausage Egg McMuffin with Cheese.  With my belly full I was ready to go to the transition area and finish setting up.  The transition area looked very different from the day before.  On Saturday I had to bring my bike to transition.  This was the first time I had to do this, but I liked it because it gave ...

Words kill, words give life: they’re either poison or fruit – you choose. Proverbs 18:21 (The Message) Throughout this journey I have battled the negative chatter that periodically pops into my head and occasionally comes out of my mouth.   During one of my workouts it dawned on me that my negative thoughts, especially when they were verbalized, were hindering my training.   I hate to admit this, but at times I would not push myself as hard as I could because I believed I was inadequate and I didn’t want to feel uncomfortable.   I figured since I was slow, why push myself out of my comfort zone?   It’s not as if I would place overall or even in my age group at Augusta – it’s just about finishing before the cutoff. I was cheating myself.   I was not allowing myself to reach my full training potential or learn how to adequately deal with my mind feeling uncomfortable with my body being pushed to its limits.      But to ensure that the “bes...

It is freedom that Christ has set us free.   Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.   Galatians 5:1 For the longest time I was a slave to my hair.   Before I became actively involved in endurance sports, I would avoid almost any type of activity that would cause me to sweat heavily.   I did not want to “sweat out” my relaxer.   Like so many women, I invested a lot of money and time in keeping my hair beautiful.   I went to the hair salon every two weeks and only used salon quality products.   At its longest my hair was halfway down my back.   I loved my long hair and the attention that it brought me.   Many times I was asked if my hair was a weave, and if so, where did I purchase it.   My hair was part of my identity. As stated in an earlier blog I began running so I could control my blood pressure without using medication.   I fell in love with running, but I did not love what it...

Here are some random thoughts that have crossed my mind as I continue my journey to Ironman 70.3 Augusta. Just as it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a village to develop a triathlete.   There is so much to learn about triathlons, and I am very fortunate that I have such a great village of people who are so willing to help and encourage me along the way.   It is important to enjoy this journey since no two journeys are the same.   I am having such great experiences and I am learning a lot about myself as a person and as an athlete.   Augusta will be here in due time.   When it comes to training, I have to be flexible.   Life happens and at times it will conflict with my training schedule.   I have learned to prioritize and modify my workouts when needed. Recovery is a key part of training that so many athletes choose not to do.   I diligently try to be in the bed between 8:30 pm and 9:00 pm so I can get at least 8 hours of sleep....