Can you please share your journey?

I have been active most of my life starting with high school athletics, playing college basketball and then playing on volleyball, softball and basketball league teams when I graduated from college.  I continued to jog and ride my bike to keep strong and maintain my wellness as well as help with weight management.    Once my kids were teenagers and keeping busy with their own activities, I started to exercise more, daily.  I was invited to join a boot camp class at our local fitness center and was a little concerned that I was the oldest participant in a group of 20-30 young adults.  After my first boot camp class I realized that “I am 45 years old and I can still do this stuff!”  Once I improved my fitness level, I signed up for my first Triathlon, it was a sprint in my hometown of New Hampton, Iowa.  And, since the race was using the outdoor swimming pool they decided to change the order of events from  – swim/bike/run  to  run/bike/swim.   It was a small local race, but I had been bitten by the ‘bug’.

Meanwhile, my brother Jim, who is a year older, played racquetball with a couple guys and they had started running longer races and even started talking about this Ironman Race.  I was still busy with my kids and their events to commit time to train for anything other than a sprint race.  But in 2013, I was 48 years old and I watched my 49 year old brother cross the Ironman –Wisconsin finish line.  I sat at my computer and cried and committed on the spot.  I was going to become an Ironman!

So the training began.  I bought a nicer bike, started watching videos on swimming technique and continued to work out.  I realized that as I got older my muscle mass would disappear if I did not keep training.  I completed my first 70.3 in 2014.  In September 2015, at 50 years old I heard the words “Karen, you are an Ironman!”  I finished the race in about 15 hours, at about 10:00 pm with the music blaring and the spot light on you and all the wonderful Madison, WI supporters cheering me on.

My brother is my #1 fan and we race together as often as our schedules allows.  We usually get together in December each year and plan our race schedule for the upcoming season.  To date, Jim has completed IM-Wisconsin in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2018 and IM-Mt Tremblant in 2019.  We keep each other motivated and reminder each other that we are ‘able’ to do this, stop complaining and whining and put in the work, we will feel better and stronger.

Our plans in 2020 consisted of a May sprint, late May Olympic race, a June 70.3 and in August a full 140.6 in Mt Treblant, Canada and in September a 140.6 at IM-WI in Madison.  Unfortunately, the sprint and Olympic have been postponed to the Fall, Canada has been cancelled and we are still in limbo with the 70.3 and the Madison 140.6.

What do you enjoy most about the sport? 

I love the competition that I have to try and continually improve against my own race times.  I think about racing more than just about anything else.  I guarantee the months before my first IM race, I thought of nothing else besides training, nutrition, scheduling conflicts with training, reading books about the mental aspect of competing, etc.  It consumed all my energy.  Now, over 5 years later, it still is front and center on my schedule and my day to day living includes how to stay healthy and injury free.

What challenges have you encountered?

I would say the cost was the biggest issue.  But, I don’t drink alcohol, go on shopping sprees, don’t smoke.  So, I really focused my extra cash on racing equipment and fees.  I live a rural area where I do most of my training by myself.  I can ride on rural county roads for miles and miles and not encounter a lot of traffic.  But, I still have to be cautious about vehicular traffic.  I run on our high school track and lift weights at my fitness center.  I have all the tools at my fingertips to stay fit, and for that, I am very grateful.

What benefits have you noticed? 

I guess the best ways to answer this is: What would my health status be if I did NOT do this?  I would certainly be overweight, possibly heart disease, not sure what else.  I did have 2 bouts with breast cancer in 2012 and 2013 and recovered from them.  Working out during my treatments and surgeries helped keep me sane!

What are your long term goals?

I want to continue to be strong and healthy.  I want to be able to run around with grandchildren someday.  I may possibly want to try and get to Kona for the World Championships via the Legacy Plan.  I only have 3 races done, but I have the rest of my life to keep working hard and surprising myself what this body can do.  So, who knows, maybe I will purchase an airline ticket to Hawaii and pack my tri-gear.  Above all, just want to stay healthy and try to stay out of hospitals.

Congratulations on your achievements Karen and thank you for inspiring us!