My heart is racing. A bead of sweat drips from my brow. Years of training have led to this point. Finally, the moment has come. I take a deep breath. With a click of the mouse that sounds like a cannon blast to my ears, I’ve signed up for my first IRONMAN.
My name is Brittany Vermeer, and I’m an age group athlete, just like you. I’ve done dozens of sprint- and Olympic-distance triathlons and three IRONMAN 70.3 races. But there’s one milestone I haven’t reached: I haven’t done an IRONMAN.
Everyone comes to this sport from different athletic backgrounds. Sadly, none of mine included the swim, bike, or run variety, so the last four years competing in triathlon have been quite the learning curve! Luckily, I have exceptional coaches, a supportive triathlete-husband, and a local tri club who have all helped me immensely on this multisport journey.
I will embark on the next chapter in my triathlon career on November 4th of this year when I take on IRONMAN Florida.
Am I freaking out? Not yet. But check back in around October, and I’ll let you know…
Over the next six months, I’ll be sharing an honest and transparent account of everything that goes into training for an IRONMAN. Do I have all the answers? Of course not. But I’ll talk to a wide range of experts: respected coaches, pro athletes, and even fellow age groupers to find out everything I need to know for this grand adventure and then write about it here for anyone interested in taking on an IRONMAN for themselves.
