““The Devil Whispered In My Ear: ‘YOU’RE TOO BROKEN TO RACE.’ On Race Day I Whispered Back: ‘WATCH ME.’””
From injury to IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship qualifier — a comeback story of grit, faith, and resilience at IRONMAN 70.3 North Carolina.
A month ago, I wasn’t sure I could even run the 13.1 miles. I was praying just to finish — training with walk-run intervals, hoping to average 15:00pace without pain.
This season wasn’t smooth. I was supposed to race IRONMAN 70.3 Gulf Coast in May, but my back had other plans. A herniated disc and old L5 pars fracture flared up, forcing me to stop running for weeks. Just as my back started to cooperate again, the posterior tibialis pain hit. Over the summer, I couldn’t run for more than two months — not until I came back from Japan in September.
It was a test of balance, patience, and grit. From September 2–19, I was in Japan for a multi-sport tour. For 18 days, I traded structured training for adventure: hiking sacred trails, walking 5–10 miles a day through Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka, biking, kayaking, and soaking in onsens under the stars. It wasn’t swim-bike-run, but it was movement, resilience, and joy.
I refused to quit. I trained through setbacks — one careful step at a time.
When I got home, I started from zero: cautious 3- and 4-mile runs, praying my foot would hold. Then slowly… it did. By late September, I built my long run to 9 miles pain-free at 9:35/mi, with tempo intervals around 9:00/mi. A month earlier, I was walk-jogging at 15:00s. That comeback alone felt like victory.
Even with everything stacked against me, I never stopped believing I could show up ready. The swim fitness stayed sharp, the bike stayed strong, and the run finally began to return in late September. I didn’t have much time before North Carolina, but I built smart — one week, one step, one prayer at a time.
I also focused on recovery more than ever: Normatec after every run, PT sessions with Neubie, Winback, and PEMF therapy. It became my fourth discipline.
Meanwhile, back home, April was recovering from her bike crash and broken collarbone — fighting her own battle just to get here. By the time I returned from Japan, we had one month left before race day. This race was never about perfect prep. It was about showing up anyway.
For me, pain is nothing new. My herniated disc and pars fracture never truly let me forget they’re there. Every step feels borrowed, every mile earned. This race was never about perfect prep — it was about refusing to quit.
This race also meant a lot…
…because I wasn’t showing up alone.
My athlete, Stephanie Ortiz, was taking on her first-ever Ironman 70.3 — a milestone that reminded me exactly why I love this sport.
Coaching her through the nerves, excitement, and all the “firsts” brought me back to my own beginnings.
We shared pre-race jitters, laughs, and even a warm-up swim on Thursday that turned into pure fun — three women chasing the same finish line for very different reasons, but with the same fire.
Race Morning 🕕
Race day greeted us with crisp 48°F air and 68°F water — wetsuit legal. The morning chill bit a little as we waited on the dock, watching the sunrise stretch across Wrightsville Beach.
I’ve raced here many times, so I knew exactly what was coming — the 3:00 a.m. wake-up, the string of buses shuttling athletes first to T2, then to the swim start, and the chaos of managing gear between two separate transitions.
It’s a logistical marathon before the race even begins.
But honestly, I don’t mind it.
I love that the bike ends near the finish and that all the swim gear magically reappears later.
It always feels like the day flows forward — just like this journey.
〰️
Swim
〰️
1.2 mile - 2 Km
〰️
33:14
〰️
32nd out of 81 AG
〰️ Swim 〰️ 1.2 mile - 2 Km 〰️ 33:14 〰️ 32nd out of 81 AG
The Swim 🏊♀️
Wrightsville Beach delivered as always.
With the tide pushing and sunrise painting the sky, the channel reminded me why I love this race.
Despite weeks out of the pool in Japan, the rhythm came back.
Calm, prayerful, and steady.
〰️
Bike
〰️
56 miles - 90.13 Km
〰️
2:34:15
〰️
1st out of 81 AG
〰️ Bike 〰️ 56 miles - 90.13 Km 〰️ 2:34:15 〰️ 1st out of 81 AG
The Bike 🚴♀️
The bike was my sanctuary.
After long days of hiking in Japan and weeks away from my trainer, it felt incredible to fly again on the smooth North Carolina highways.
My goal: stay aero, fuel consistently, hold 85% FTP — no more, no less — and roll into T2 ready to run.
The headwinds…
….tested me early, but I trusted my numbers, I trusted my nutrition plan, I stayed composed, and I rode strong.
My hands and feet were frozen for the whole ride.
I peed about 10 times.
The bike has always been my weapon.
Smooth, windy, powerful, and steady all the way through.
〰️
Run
〰️
13.1 miles - 21 Km
〰️
2:01:56
〰️
15th out of 81 AG
〰️ Run 〰️ 13.1 miles - 21 Km 〰️ 2:01:56 〰️ 15th out of 81 AG
The Run 🏃♀️
The wild card.
Posterior tibialis pain limited my training, but my heart never stopped racing ahead. With recent pain-free runs, I dared to chase a sub-2-hour half marathon.
On paper, that meant ~9:05 pace off the bike — but the real goal was to manage pain, stay composed, and never stop moving forward.
For the first 9 miles, I walk-ran 30–40 seconds each mile, pacing around 9:00/mi.
Then the back pain hit hard after mile 9, and I had to walk more often.
Still, I was surprised — even proud — to see sub-9:00.
The walk breaks slowed me down, but I knew I was racing the best I could with what I had.
It wasn’t perfect, but it was honest — and it was enough.
70.3 miles- 113.13 Km
〰️
5:18:41
〰️
5th out of 81 AG
〰️
70.3 miles- 113.13 Km 〰️ 5:18:41 〰️ 5th out of 81 AG 〰️
Overall 🏁
North Carolina 2025 wasn’t about chasing a PR.
It was about proving that pain — old and new — doesn’t define me.
It shapes me.
April and I…..
… came to Wilmington battered but unbroken — she finished 6th in her AG with a broken collarbone, and my athlete Stephanie Ortiz became an Ironman 70.3 finisher for the very first time.
Watching Stephanie cross that line, strong and smiling, reminded me why I love this sport — it’s not just about speed, it’s about heart, courage, and the willingness to start.
And somehow,
,,,,through all the setbacks….
I finished 5th in my Age Group and qualified for the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship 2026 in Nice, France. 🇫🇷✨
Looking Ahead 🔮
After the World Championship in Marbella 70.3, I’ll finally face the lingering pain head-on with PRP therapy — my last resort to fully heal.
My hope?
To train freely again — without fear, without limits — and to see what’s truly possible when the body finally matches the fire of the mind.
Because … at the end… It is about FUN!
Takeaway 💫
The finish line doesn’t ask if you were pain-free.
It asks if you were brave enough to keep going.
“Watch me.”
