focused + finding the quiet.

Here we are… race eve of my fourth 140.6! How did that happen?! It feels like yesterday that I signed up for this race – to chase the light and some really big dreams. And, suddenly, with a little IRONMAN Coeur d’Alene detour, it’s here, and I couldn’t be more excited…!

Following CdA in June, I gave myself the week after to soak in the smidge of disappointment. As much as I wanted to KQ there, I don’t know… deep down I kinda knew it wouldn’t happen. Record heat aside, I gave it my all, but it just didn’t feel right. 

But, this go-round… it feels different… 

As workouts reappeared in TrainingPeaks in early July, I put CdA behind and took what the race taught me – tenacity, grit… because it took nearly all I had to not turn in my chip in T2 – and refocused forward. And, in the refocus, I found the quiet.

There’s something magical about quiet… about turning down the volume so you can really hear. Amid the footfalls of 1,100+ miles of running this year, the thousands of yards in the pool and thousands of miles on two wheels – I even stopped listening to music and podcasts during my commute – something clicked. It reminded me of why I do this… 

Chase the light, whatever and wherever it may be for you. Chase it. -Tyler Knott Gregson

Triathlon is the light for me… it lights me up and brings me so much joy and fulfillment. (Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of other things that bring as much and more joy to my life as triathlon… Nick, my family, my niece, to name only a few.) It’s taught me life lessons about the power of hard work, focus and perseverance and to never to give up on a dream just because of the time it takes to get there. Because believing in dreams (and in yourself)… that’s where the magic happens. 

So, here we GO. I’m focused. I’m ready to give it my all (and then some). I’m ready to chase the light and really big dreams(!). 

I’m bib 388. Track me Sunday via ironman.com, the IronTrac app or on twitter + instagram at @erinklegstad (my sister will be tweeting and instagrammin’). 

And, don’t forget to track Nick! He’s chasing really big dreams, too, and is bib 431!