"It Takes a Village"

There's always something.

After ending my collegiate running career with back-to-back-to-back stress fractures and a temporary allergy to running (yes, this is actually a thing - Google "exercise-induced anaphylaxis"), I thought my string of bad luck was over. I was finally healthy, training and racing on my own terms, in a way that I knew would keep my body happy and injury-free. Then (only a week after deciding to pick up triathlon in August 2016) I fell off my bike and fractured my wrist. Okay, now my string of bad luck must finally be over. Right? Wrong. So very wrong.

• Busts knee open on a rock while trail running, requiring several stitches and forcing time off from swimming (ouch)
• Mysterious hip injury spontaneously appears a few days prior to Age Group Nationals and evades diagnosis, forcing time off from running (whyyyy)
• Excruciatingly painful ear infection strikes a week before the NCAA Championships (okay, you've got to be kidding me)
• Etc. (You get the idea.)

A wise person once told me that life is just a series of dealing with small crises. Or maybe not-so-small crises. But this could not be more true.

Sometimes life feels like it's crashing down on you. "When it rains, it pours," as they say. This has been one of those semesters for me. In addition to the list above, I have found myself in quite the sticky academic situation this fall. It is always tough to juggle academics and athletics, but this delicate balance becomes even harder to strike as a Ph.D student who is simultaneously taking classes, serving as a teaching assistant, and trying to produce research results. This is a huge undertaking in any case, let alone when you are expected to go above and beyond as a teaching assistant and essentially run a graduate-level class. My time has been exploited, and I have been unbearably stressed at times. Many days, I lose perspective and question why I am even getting a Ph.D. This problem is compounded by my newfound triathlon ambitions, which weren't on the table when I decided to pursue a doctorate. In triathlon, I have found a new passion and a unique opportunity that I want to make the most of. But it is hard to do this when I am so bogged down by academic commitments. As a perfectionist and an overachiever, I want to do everything - and do everything to the best of my ability - but in this situation, something has to give. As a result, I have some very difficult decisions ahead of me.

But for now, let's take a look at the positives. My knee was repaired and I was able to resume training without losing too much fitness. A few weeks later, I was able to compete at Age Group Nationals despite my hip injury, winning my first national championship. (In fact, this hip injury will end up making me a stronger runner: turns out it was tendinitis caused by a weak glute medius, which is an issue that I will continue to address and strengthen through PT. When all is said and done, I should actually have a more efficient stride with less pelvic drop!) This fall, despite the stress of my academic situation, I was able to compete in - and win - two collegiate conference races. And although I still haven't fully recovered from my ear infection, I came out with a 7th place finish at NCAAs in my first-ever draft legal race.

Looking back on my fall triathlon season, I cannot believe the results I achieved while under so much stress. There were so many tears, so many nights with inadequate sleep, so many workouts I wanted to skip because I was so drained and all I could think about was how much work I needed to do. There were times I did not even want to race because I was sure my body would reach a breaking point and blow up. But every time, my body pulled through and did what it had been trained to do. That I cannot believe, and for that I am so thankful.

Above you see a list of individual results, but I know that none of this would have been possible without the support of my friends, family, teammates, and coaches. Friends and family for being a listening ear and fervently supporting me in all of my endeavors, both academic and athletic. Teammates for being there to help me get out the door and push me through hard workouts (and also for lending me aero helmets, race wheels, and carbon TT bikes so I could finally up my equipment game and stop looking like a noob on the bike course - thanks Scott, Mike, and John!). Coaches for supporting me and believing in me, and for being flexible when life gets in the way - especially Coach Dan Feeney for understanding the demands I am under as a Ph.D student-triathlete, and for helping me progress in leaps and bounds as a cyclist. I would not be where I am today as an athlete or a person without all of these wonderful people. It really does take a village, and I am so incredibly thankful to have these people in my life.

For now, as NCAAs marks the end of the triathlon season, I am looking forward to a much-needed mental and physical break. I never expected to achieve this much in my first year as a triathlete, but I know there is much more to come. And hopefully I'll have better luck next time around. (But let's be real - probably not. There's always something.)