by Nicole F.

Ten years of marathon and triathlon training led me here. Three years ago, on this same Wisconsin course, I toed the line for my first full Ironman. I had trained harder than I ever had for anything in my life, and I still didn’t know if I could do it. This year, I came back to the same course with three more years of consistent, intentional, structured training behind me. This time was different, because I showed up not just to finish but to race, with a confidence I didn’t have three years ago and the result showed it: a PR in every single discipline and a 2+ hour overall PR. I’m still soaking it in.

The Friends Make the Training Worthwhile

Here’s the thing I keep coming back to: the miles shared are more memorable, and we go further together than I’d ever get alone. Every long ride, every swim, every hot & humid run is better with this group, and that showed up on race day too. It was a huge morale boost every time I saw Eleanor, Brian, Tom, Shawn and Joe out there on the course! (Sorry I missed you, Daria, Kent, Dave and Joel!) Knowing that we were all in it together and watching my friends have an incredible race after training so hard was very inspiring!

Swim: It Doesn’t Have to Be Perfect to Be an Exceptional Day

The swim may have looked great on paper, but was far from a smooth start to the race. I got (gently) kicked in the face, fought through goggle and swim cap issues, and loop two was crowded.

Even so, it was an incredible, fun swim. Mindset is everything. I leaned into having fun, finally remembered to “moo” at the first turn buoy (a tradition I forgot in my first IMWI!), and reframed the slower moments as a chance to conserve energy rather than a setback.

Bike: One Mile at a Time

The bike course is so fun and also a long time to be alone with your thoughts. My mantra carried me through: one mile at a time. Instead of thinking ahead to what was coming, I kept checking in on how I felt right then.

I set two power targets, one for flats and one for hills, and focused on staying smooth and conservative, riding efficiently over the apex of each climb. The hills flew by, and climbing the steep hill to see Experience Triathlon spectators cheering was a massive boost, the kind of push that carried me through the whole ride.

Run: The Hardest Part & the Time to Dig Deep

My left hamstring nearly cramped the moment I dismounted the bike and I was bracing for a painful run. I felt a bit anxious about the suffering that was yet to come, but I came back to the same mantra, one mile at a time. I focused only on what I could control: keeping my pace manageable, fueling relentlessly with gels, Coke, water, and electrolytes, and staying cool by pouring water over myself and grabbing ice at nearly every aid station instead of letting the sun get the better of me.

Somewhere out there, I also let go of measuring myself against times I’d run before and instead focused on meeting myself at my current fitness. This marathon ended up within 14 minutes of my overall marathon PR, and doing that off a swim and a bike isn’t something I necessarily believed I could do going in. I ran with the optimism that if I met myself where I was at that day, it could be an exceptional day. Instead of watching my watch, I kept asking myself if the effort was sustainable. When I crossed the finish line and turned around to see my official time, I was genuinely shocked.

On top of everything else, this race finish also allowed me to qualify for the Ironman World Championship in Kona. I still can’t quite believe it. Of everything that happened on Sunday, this is the part I feel most grateful and lucky for, and I don’t take the opportunity for granted.

If there’s one thing I want you to take from this, it’s to celebrate every step of the journey, because you never know where it will go from here. So many of us underestimate what consistent effort over time can actually get us. Step one is simply believing in yourself.

Thank you to everyone who trained alongside me, showed up on course, and made this whole thing possible. This was a group effort, and I’m endlessly grateful. 🧡