About Me

I'm just a regular human who has decided to take on another Big Hairy Audacious Goal. 

But first, a little bit about me. I grew up (basically) in a community swimming pool in a small Iowa farming community. If I wasn't swimming, life-guarding or teaching swim lessons, I was water-skiing or "seeing how far I could swim" at a nearby lake. I loved being in the water, and to this day, outdoor lap-swimming is my favorite form of exercise. 

After college, I worked in college admissions and then corporate Human Resources. After ten years in the corporate world, I left, completed grad school at UPenn, and launched The HumanSide, LLC, a coaching and consulting organization dedicated to supporting humans and organizations in their quests to become better stronger leaders.

During the grad school days in Philadelphia, I skipped class one night, walked to a running store on South Street and learned about an organization called Team in Training. As part of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Team in Training trains athletes to compete in endurance events in exchange for athletes raising money for research. 

I left the running store after making a $100 donation, and snagging a fancy "in training" t-shirt.

I had just registered for an olympic-distance triathlon. 

And that was the beginning of a journey that even I couldn't have believed could be mine. 

You see, I smoked. As a (practically) life-long 1-2 pack/day smoker, I could still swim and ride a bike, but running was impossible. (You can read more about the immediate next steps of the journey at this blog post.) Long story short, I used NicodermCQ patches and a great triathlon training program, and 100 days after quitting smoking, I crossed the finish line of my first triathlon.

In the couple years after that, I did more races and then I stopped. 

I'm now in the 50+ age category, at least 20 pounds heavier than my race weight, and a nutritional mess. 

However, today I made the final final final decision that I'm not going to wait any longer. Years ago I made a decision to take an Ironman Journey and this is my last first step.   

So we'll see.  We'll see how it goes. 

This blog will capture my year, including the highs and the lows, the celebrations and setbacks, and will always (I promise) be 100% authentically me.  

As a visitor here, you are part IM: My Journey. 

Many of you have personally inspired me, and each of you has virtually inspired me. Inspiration shows up in funny ways, doesn't it?  It might come from another athlete, a BFF, a young child or a 92-year old triathlete. I will document past inspiration, and future inspiration. Please know that  every comment, every thought, every share that you give is one more step for my inspiration journey. Thank you!!   

And thank you for being part of this growing support network. 

#FeelTheFearEmbraceTheChallengeLoveTheJourney

#IMMT2021