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My long-awaited IRONMAN 70.3 Traverse City race recap is here! (Thank you for your patience—and for asking me to share all the details of this incredible race experience. I am SO happy to share this experience with you all. And if I haven’t told y’all a bunch already, thank you a million times over for sharing this journey with me. Your many words of encouragement throughout my training, leading up to race day, ON race day, and in the days after were so appreciated. Seriously, I felt the love and I am so grateful for it.
As you guys know, this summer was one for the books. And so, after months of hard training and a June, July and August filled with lots o’ life events— first-ever MRG trail race! Emma, my 19-year-old daughter, heading off to college! First Olympic distance triathlon!—I finally toed the start line of this summer’s inaugural IRONMAN 70.3 in my hometown, my beloved Traverse City.
This event, which brought more than 2,400 athletes and their families and friends to the Cherry Capital of the world, took place on Aug. 25. For many athletes, myself included, this endurance event was the first time they’d tackled the 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, and 13.1-mile run. A smattering of pro athletes also signed on for this sold-out event.
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On this latest episode of the Michigan Runner Girl podcast, I am joined by two friends—Cassy Stone and Karen Norton—to talk about this epic day. Cassy, who was on the last episode talking with me about my nerves during race week and leading up to race day, was there at the race start on West Grand Traverse Bay. She also cheered me and other friends on at various points near transition and on the bike and run courses.
A cyclist and marathoner, as well as a member of the team that helped bring the race to northern Michigan, Cassy shares her race-day observations and how the event proved even more inspiring than she could have ever imagined, particularly for spectators like herself. Karen, meanwhile, offers an entirely unique perspective as someone who is new to watching endurance events. Karen and I met in 2017 through work—we’re both writers and worked for Munson Healthcare together until Karen’s retirement last summer—and she offers her thoughts as an enthusiastic supporter and spectator. Karen and her husband Mike cheered me on when I absolutely needed it the most: during the run and at the finish.
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to take on an IRONMAN event, to train for months, to juggle swimming, biking and running workouts with work and life … this episode will answer all of your questions. It also just may inspire you to try something completely new and different and outside your comfort zone. I really hope that it does.
If you enjoy what you’re hearing on the Michigan Runner Girl show, we’d be so grateful if you’d take a few moments to write a review on iTunes. This will help more runners and Michigan lovers like yourself find the podcasts. Thank you!! Also, the quickest way to get the podcasts is to subscribe to the show via iTunes or via Stitcher or your favorite podcast app.
A special thanks to Mike Moran, Mike Youker and Jonny Tornga of Quarter After Productions in Traverse City, Mich. for producing the show.
