Archive - Unlikely: A Rookie's Ironman Triathlon Diary

#16. The Longest Day: My unlikely middle-age quest reaches an unexpectedly happy conclusion

Yes, it is possible to enjoy an Ironman triathlon. How weird is that?

Dec 1, 2023 •

Andromeda Romano-Lax

November 2023

#15. Astronaut mindset, the last big ride, and a million other Ironman to-dos

When you're still learning about nutrition, the best way to inflate a tire, and seemingly everything else three weeks before the biggest challenge of…

Nov 1, 2023 •

Andromeda Romano-Lax

September 2023

#14. Countdown to Ironman Arizona plus...

Explaining to visitors, and places to ride with less or no traffic, including Yakima's "Your Canyon For a Day" ride

Sep 15, 2023 •

Andromeda Romano-Lax

July 2023

#13. Starting Over: Building Base and The Long-Term Vision I Needed

Three to six months to the best bike ride of your life. The secret: build slowly and consistently.

Jul 12, 2023 •

Andromeda Romano-Lax

April 2023

#12. The Winter of my Discontent: Training, COVID, and Bouncing Back

(More than you may want to know about how I’ve spent the last many months, but here we go!)

Apr 16, 2023 •

Andromeda Romano-Lax

February 2023

#11. The final running leg of the 70.3, plus the fitness secret that took me decades to learn

I'll spoil the secret here. Walking. The secret is walking.

Feb 25, 2023 •

Andromeda Romano-Lax

January 2023

#10. Mantras, lessons and luck: the bike leg of the 70.3 Victoria Ironman

To read about the full Victoria 70.3 in order, start with #1 (about the race start), then read #9 (about the swim).

Jan 9, 2023 •

Andromeda Romano-Lax

December 2022

#9. Buoy by buoy: The Victoria 70.3 Half-Ironman Swim

Surviving the part most first-timers dread

Dec 15, 2022 •

Andromeda Romano-Lax

November 2022

#8. Can't run? Not a reason to quit.

Injuries during training are common. One benefit of triathlon is you can always dial back one sport while gaining momentum in the other two.

Nov 22, 2022 •

Andromeda Romano-Lax

October 2022

#7. Necessary failures: lessons from the worst marathon of my life

Even after your seventh outhouse visit, with an icebag on your head, it's possible to remember that bad experiences make the best teachers

Oct 20, 2022 •

Andromeda Romano-Lax

September 2022

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