Moments That Matter

Why I Signed Up for an Ironman 70.3

It started with a TikTok. No plan. No background in triathlon. Just a random video that showed up on my feed. A father-son duo… Team Agar. I don’t even remember why I stopped scrolling, but I did. And I watched the whole thing. And somewhere in that video, a thought hit me that wouldn’t go away: If he can do it… why can’t I? Where I Was at the Time At that point in my life, I was a long-haul truck driver. Long days. Long nights. Sitting more than moving. I was well over 350 pounds, and if I’m being honest, endurance sports weren’t even on my radar. An Ironman felt like something reserved for a completely different type of person. People who had been athletes their whole lives. People who had it figured out. Not me. The Thought That Didn’t Go Away But that one thought stuck. It wasn’t loud or dramatic. It didn’t come with a perfect plan. It was just simple and persistent: He can do it… so can I. And once that thought was there, I couldn’t ignore it. Starting Before I Felt Ready I didn’t jump straight into triathlons. I didn’t even know where to start. I just started moving. Walking turned into consistency.Consistency turned into trying new things.Eventually that led me into the pool, onto a bike, and out onto runs that didn’t look pretty and didn’t feel easy. But I kept showing up. And that’s when things started to change. From “Someday” to Right Now At first, doing an Ironman felt like a someday goal. Something far off. Something unrealistic. But then something shifted. I stopped thinking about whether I could do it and started asking: Why not now? So I signed up for an Ironman 70.3 Chattanooga. Not because I was ready. But because I was ready to become someone who could be. Proof That It’s Already Working Since making that decision, I’ve already stepped onto the start line. I’ve completed sprint triathlons. I’ve figured things out the hard way. I’ve learned what race day actually feels like. And I’ve proven to myself that this isn’t just an idea anymore. It’s real. This is happening. What This Journey Is Really About This isn’t just about finishing 70.3 miles. It’s about changing my life. It’s about discipline over comfort.Consistency over motivation.Progress over perfection. It’s about becoming someone who shows up even when it’s hard. Because it will get hard. If You’re Waiting for the Right Time There isn’t one. You won’t feel ready. You won’t have it all figured out. And that’s okay. Because neither did I. All it takes is one moment. One thought you don’t ignore. For me, it was a TikTok. Forward Is Still a Speed I’m still in the middle of this. Still learning. Still building. Still showing up. But I started. And that changed everything. Follow the Journey If you want to follow along with the training, races, and everything in between: 👉 https://www.strava.com/athletes/truckertotri

Why I Signed Up for an Ironman 70.3 Read Post »

Three Times Through: The Race I’ll Never Forget

Most races, you cross the finish line and it’s over. This one? I’ll carry this one with me forever. A Different Kind of Race This wasn’t your typical sprint triathlon. This was a Triple Super Sprint at the Tomahawk Sprint and Super Sprint Triathlons. Which means instead of one race… You do it three times. Back to back. No reset. No starting fresh. And then you do it again. And then again. Three full rounds. Round One — Figuring It Out The first round felt controlled. I knew I could swim. I knew I could get through it. But there’s always that question in the back of your head: How is this going to feel the second time? Round Two — Now It’s a Race By the second round, things started to settle in. Not physically… mentally. Because now you realize: You’re not even halfway done. Your body starts to feel it. Transitions feel slower. Legs start to get heavy. But you keep moving. Round Three — This Is Where It Counts This is where it got real. Fatigue is there. Legs are cooked. Everything feels harder than it should. And this is where the race becomes less about fitness… And more about mindset. You’re not chasing a time anymore. You’re just choosing not to stop. The Finish I Didn’t Plan Coming into that final stretch, I saw him. My nephew. Waiting near the finish. And without really thinking about it… I picked him up. That moment changed everything. Because suddenly, it wasn’t about the race anymore. It wasn’t about times. Or pace. Or how tired I was. It was about something bigger. Crossing that finish line carrying him… that’s something I’ll never forget. What This Race Meant This race pushed me. Physically, yeah. But more than that, it showed me something. That I can keep going when things get uncomfortable.That I can handle more than I think.That this journey isn’t just about me anymore. More Than Just Training At the end of the day, this isn’t just about triathlon. It’s about the moments along the way. The people who are there. The memories you don’t expect to make. Forward Is Still a Speed Three rounds. One finish line. And a moment I’ll carry with me forever. This is why I started. And this is why I’m not stopping. Follow the Journey 👉 https://www.strava.com/athletes/truckertotri

Three Times Through: The Race I’ll Never Forget Read Post »

My First Triathlon: K-Town on the River

I didn’t know what I was doing. I just knew I was showing up. That was my mindset going into K-Town on the River Triathlon, my first ever triathlon. No expectations. No real idea how it would go. Just a decision to get to the start line. Because not that long ago, this wasn’t even something I thought was possible. Race Morning Race morning hit different. There’s something about lining up for your first race where everything feels new. I remember looking around thinking: Everyone here has done this before… I’m just trying to figure it out. People had routines. Transitions dialed. Gear perfectly set up. I had a basic plan and hoped for the best. But I was there. And that mattered. The Swim (1,459 yd – Downstream) Time: 23:33Pace: 1:37 /100 yd This was the part I felt the most confident in. Growing up competitively swimming definitely helped, but open water is a different game. It’s crowded, chaotic, and there’s no wall to grab when you need a second. The downstream current helped, but it was still a lot to take in. People everywhere, trying to find space, trying to settle into a rhythm. Once I did though, it felt strong. That was the first moment where I thought: Okay… I can actually do this. The Bike (15.17 miles) Time: 1:16:52Avg Speed: 11.8 mphElevation Gain: 1,175 ftAvg Power: 164 W This is where things got real. The course had more elevation than I expected, and I learned quickly that pacing matters. It’s easy to go out too hard, especially when adrenaline is still high from the swim. I didn’t ride it perfectly, but I stayed steady. No major mistakes. No blowups. Just kept pushing forward and figuring it out as I went. The Run (5K) Time: 48:13Pace: 15:31 /mi This is where triathlon really shows you what it is. Your legs don’t feel like your legs. Everything feels off. And this becomes a mental game fast. You’re not just running—you’re convincing yourself to keep going. Step by step. No shortcuts. The Finish Crossing that finish line hit different. Because it wasn’t just about completing a race. It was proof. Proof that I could do this.Proof that I belonged out there.Proof that this journey is real. And then I saw the results. 3rd place in the Clydesdale division (220+ lbs). I didn’t show up expecting that. I just wanted to finish. But that moment? That flipped a switch. What This Race Meant K-Town wasn’t just my first triathlon. It was the moment everything became real. Before this, Ironman 70.3 felt like a big goal. After this, it felt possible. It showed me that I don’t need to have everything figured out. I just need to keep showing up and keep moving forward. What I Learned This Is Just the Beginning That race was step one. Now the focus is bigger. Now the goal is Ironman 70.3 Chattanooga. And I’m not starting from zero anymore. Forward Is Still a Speed I didn’t have it all figured out. Still don’t. But I showed up. And now I’ve got momentum. Full Race Data If you want to dive into the full stats and breakdown: 👉 https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/16664034079 Follow the Journey 👉 https://www.strava.com/athletes/truckertotri

My First Triathlon: K-Town on the River Read Post »

Scroll to Top