I said no.
I was invited to the World Championships in Nice, France in 2024. Way back in February, I got a text from Erin as I put the leash on Sunny and prepped to take her out for a walk: Did you get the email?!!! I checked my email. There it was: an official invite to come to IRONMAN FRANCE as a Legacy Athlete. There was a moment of amazement. A thrill. A high that last three laps of walking the dog after I got the email. In those three laps, I imagined beating my time from 2016 when I conquered the same course at IRONMAN FRANCE. I imagined swimming in the Mediterranean, climbing in the Maritime Alps and running along the Avenue D’Anglais hearing “bon courage” over and over. My heart filled with love and gratitude at the chance of being able to race at the level I did in 2023.
After three laps of walking Sunny around the block, the reality set in. It was fun to toss around the idea in my mind, but I knew the outcome. I would not go.
The women’s race in France is this Sunday and although I do have a little bit of FOMO, I also know that my decision to say no was right. The list I made back in February holds true today.
I had just raced the race of a lifetime. I had the experience of a lifetime and I didn’t need to have it again. I was - I am - still processing it all and although I’m flattered to be asked to the dance, I’m also very happy to stay home.
My one word for this year is HOLOMUA. It is the Hawaiian word for MOVE FORWARD. I had been working toward my legacy slot for so many years and even though I could consider this a double reward for all my years chasing IRONMAN races, I could also let it go. I had already accomplished my finish line and I knew that I could, with confidence, move on.
Everyone who has ever been in the Ironman Legacy Program was invited to be a part of this year’s race. That meant that three of the most influential triathletes that I have known in Wilmington were also invited. Had Erin or Sami or Misty accepted the invitation, I might have gone. If I was going to experience that training, lead-up and race with them - then yes. Count me in. In the end, we all turned down the invitation.
Everyone who has ever been in the Ironman Legacy Program was invited to be a part of this year’s race. Did that diminish its meaning for me? The answer is: kinda. It was not an insult, but I knew it had to be a way for them to fill a race.
The best reason to say no was that we had already planned a trip to France in May. And it was NOT a race-cation. It was a real vacation: a sightseeing trip to Normandy and Paris. It was also a trip of a lifetime. Neal and I were able to experience a part of American history in a way that we’d never imagined. And, we were able to share it with his brother, Rod and our sister-in-law, Karmin.
I am excited to watch the race on Sunday and I can’t wait to track some of my Legacy friends who did say YES! to this opportunity. I will have that fear-of-missing-out - especially when I see the views from the bike course that rival any view I’ve seen in my life. But, I will also experience the joy of making the right decision.
The Woman with Mandolin is typical of Matisse’s work in Nice at this period, and of the gentle light he mentions. I found this at L'Orangerie on my first trip to Paris in 2016.
Our trip this May was spectacular.
This was my first glimpse of Nice in 2016. Gulp!