When we hear about Fitbit users who’ve reached their goals, we love to share the news! Nicole S. took on two huge goals: IRONMAN Kona and fundraising for the Melanoma Research Foundation. She conquered both! Here is Nicole’s success story, in her own words.
Hi, I’m Nicole S. A wife, mother and IRONMAN. I spent months training for the IRONMAN World Championships at Kona this past October, my very first Ironman event. I raced in honor of my late father and was the official IRONMAN athlete of the Melanoma Research Foundation, taking on some seriously huge fundraising commitments to combat this seriously deadly cancer.
I’ve now resurfaced, recovered from the most excruciating physical challenge I’ve ever put myself through, thanked everyone and their mom (thanks mom!) for their support emotionally and financially, and have just now sat down to scroll through my Fitbit archives for a literal walk down memory lane.
It was remarkable for me to review my data, day by day, and suddenly remember particular training days, “recovery” days where I still logged a ton of steps chasing my children around, hard days, easier days, injuries, the whole journey right there on my computer screen.
Some highlights…
Saturday, September 6th, 2014 – Nashvegas 70.3 My first Half IRONMAN!
So excited to finish the Nashvegas 70.3! But it wasn’t without its pitfalls. 5 miles into the bike portion, my bike chain dropped and I moved off the road into a ditch to fix it, losing my footing on the incline, resulting in the chain ring stabbing me in the leg. I didn’t even realize I had a massive gash since my timing chip strap was covering the wound. On a normal day I might’ve fainted, but like so many of you who have suffered injuries on the course have often experienced, my primary fear was that the officials wouldn’t let me finish the race! Thankfully, we were able to pour some peroxide on it (fun!), tape it up, and I ran a half-marathon on a gash that needed 5 stitches post-race. But I finished!
Sunday, September 7th, 2014 – Recovery day
I did find it unusual that I managed to log all these steps on what was supposed to be a recovery day. I’m thinking the “3 very active minutes” were most likely me chasing my four year-old around the house.
Saturday, October 11th, 2014 – IRONMAN World Championship, Kona, HI
The big day! Gun goes off, I swam 2.4 miles, biked 112 and ran a marathon. All the steps that I’d accumulated up to this point clearly paid off. My training plan worked perfectly; I felt strong. Right from the start, people took notice of the “#GetNaked” motto I proudly advertised on my rear end – the campaign slogan for the Melanoma Research Foundation. It was a great conversation starter along the course and yet another opportunity for me to encourage anyone who would listen to go to the doctor, disrobe, and be checked for suspicious moles and spots.
At one point I realized that even if I stopped running and walked the rest of the way that I would still finish the race and be an IRONMAN. That was one of the best feelings on earth. About three miles from the finish line, I could hear Mike Reilly and the crowds. I’m fairly certain that I had my hands raised in the air the entire 3 miles and told ANYONE and everyone in earshot that I really WAS going to be an ironman. I was on cloud 9.
At the end of my journey, I pulled out my calculator. Ladies and Gentleman, I now know exactly how many steps/jogs/strides/stumbles/leaps it took from the beginning of my training on June 10th until race day on October 11th to cross the finish line of the IRONMAN World Championships, 2014.
The Grand Total: 2,292,552 steps
But some of the most memorable steps I logged on this day were sticking around until midnight to watch the final racers do their best to cross that finish line. There’s nothing in the world like seeing the face of someone running down the home stretch of the famous Ali’i drive; people with double prosthesis, the Mayor of Kona, director of the Boston Marathon, so many people with so many incredible stories. It was completely overwhelming, actually.
To anyone who thinks they don’t have what it takes to do something like this, just remember: all you need to do is take that first step. Put one foot in front of the other. Keep it up. Before you know it, you’ll arrive.
To support Nicole and the journey to beat melanoma, you can #getnaked yourself. Buy a t-shirt and post of picture of yourself wearing it! The sale of these shirts will benefit the Melanoma Research Foundation.
Want to celebrate your health and fitness victory with others? Share your success story for a chance to appear on the Fitbit blog!
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or condition. Always check with your doctor before changing your diet, altering your sleep habits, taking supplements, or starting a new fitness routine.
Thanks for sharing information about your steps earned during an Ironman. Both of my daughters have Ironman experience, one a full Ironman, and the other a 1/2 Ironman. Congratulations to you, you are an Ironman!!