Why I Completed 8 Triathlons in 8 Weeks | Pelotonia 2020
I did 8 triathlons in 8 weeks…😳 Why? you might ask.. Because of My Pelotonia!
Some Background
Pelotonia is a fundraiser event held every summer in Columbus, Ohio.
It’s a weekend bike ride where the riders raise money to fund innovative cancer research at the James (read more about the IMPACT here).
The best part of the fundraiser (besides the whole community coming together) is that 100% of every dollar raised goes directly to funding the research.
& given that my mom, and other close family members, have passed away from various forms of cancer, this fundraiser instantly became something that I was interested in doing myself.
You can read more about my why HERE
Pelotonia 2015
So in the summer of 2015, my sister rode in her first Pelotonia ride (she did the full 180 mile bike ride!), and I was so, so, so proud of her!
I drove down to see her cross the finish line & WOW!
The energy & the crowd, it was electric.
I even cried when I saw her cross the finish line.
I could not have been more proud of her <3
Right then & there I decided that I was going to ride the next year.
Pelotonia 2016
So in 2016, I rode the 180 miles with my best friend, Ashley, beside me.
It was the most challenging, emotional, and wonderful experience I’ve ever been a part of.
I cried when we crossed the finish line.
Since then, I’ve wanted to be a part of Pelotonia, and I signed up to be a virtual rider.
But then, watching the ride take place during the 2019 ride, I was so sad not to be physically there.
I was a virtual rider, but I had just moved to Florida, and just felt so far away from the excitement & wonder that is pelotonia.
That’s when I decided I was going all in for 2020.
I knew I was going to ride the next year, and not just the 180 miles, but the new 200 mile distance.
Pelotonia 2020
But then Covid hit, and Pelotonia made the decision to cancel their 2020 ride.
But, they didn’t leave us hanging.
No, instead they rolled out My Pelotonia.
It’s a virtual fundraiser where you, the participant, got to decide what the “ride” was going to be.
It could be anything - running/cycling/swimming a certain number of miles, it could be donating a certain amount of time to a local charity, literally, the possibilities were endless.
So I decided I was going to do an Olympic distance triathlon (that’s a 0.93 mile swim, followed by a 24.8 mile bike ride, followed by a 6.2 mile run).
I chose this event because I wanted to still cover a 200 mile bike distance, I’ve never done a triathlon before, but have always wanted to, & I hate swimming/have a fear of deep pools/open water, so what better way to challenge myself than to face that fear😳
To hit my 200 mile biking distance, I had to complete 8 triathlons.
And I wanted the 8th one to end of what would have been Ride Weekend, so I worked backwards.
And so, starting on June 20, I would do my first triathlon!
See, the thing about Pelotonia is that it pushes you outside of your comfort zone.
It challenges you, all while you are focused on raising money for cancer research.
Even the hardest, most challenging part of the ride, can’t even compare to what a cancer diagnosis/treatment feels to a cancer patient.
I want to push myself, because, to me, it’s the least I can do.
Cancer has been such a powerful force in my life.
Causing pain in my loved one, taking lives too soon.
I know the pain I feel when I am physically and mentally exhausted is nothing to their pains, so I push myself, hoping to take some of their pain away.
Challenging myself physically by doing the triathlons was how I thought I could replicate the physical challenge of Ride Weekend.
And so, from June 20 to August 8, I completed one Olympic distance Triathlon every week.
It was extremely challenging, especially when I did a Tri outdoors, in the dead of Florida’s summer🙃.
But, I have been able to raise almost $1,000, and that’s one of the best things about the whole experience - knowing that you have been able to make a difference, make an impact!
I was also able to face my fears of swimming in open waters & deep pools, and I got better at swimming, so it was a great experience overall!
I continue to swim now, a few times a month, and I continue to fundraise, as I’m just under $300 shy of my fundraising goal!
So, although Ride Weekend & #Pelotoina2020 looked different this year, it was still just as magical of an event as always.
Across the country, tens of thousands of people participated in their own way, over $7 MILLION dollars have been raised (nearly a quarter of a BILLION dollars have been raised to date!!!), and we are one step closer to a cancer free world!
And for that, I am forever grateful!
So thank you, Pelotonia, for allowing me to be a part of this wonderful community, even across the country.
Thank you for allowing 100% of all funds go toward cancer research, and THANK YOU for making a difference in everyone’s lives!
<3
Veronica
PS - If you’d like to donate to my pelotonia, please click HERE