06/01/2026
EVERYTHING is a learning lesson.
Yesterday was a TOUGH race for me. It was my 7th Solo and I was READY! I have only PR’d race over race and I had goals. The goal is ALWAYS to finish (finishing is winning), but I wanted to be in the 1:30:00s.
I had A LOT of emotions at the start of the day, I meditated deeply and was focused. I felt an ease pre-race that I hadn’t before. Well, ALL of that fell away pretty quickly.
It was HOT on the course and in the tent there was no air. Everything felt like a struggle. On the sled pull my hubs, the judge and my friend said I did 8 laps (instead of 6)disheartening…counting is hard. I got to the row it was taking everything I had. Normally I’m waving and cheering, but yesterday I had to use all energy to race.
Every step felt like a fight. And I was SO HOT. More than I had ever seen before on the corse people were walking, stopping and crying, it was a little surreal. Since my first race when I put the kettlebells down a bunch in the farmers carry I have run through that event. Yesterday I didn’t know if I could make it. “You’re a New Yorker, you don’t put your groceries down” my coach says. I had her in my mind the whole way and as I was turning into my 2nd farmers loop all of a sudden she appeared flying by in her 1k screaming, “Go Dyan!” My heart soared and I kept on going KBs in hand 200m all the way through! It’s THESE are the MOMENTS that kept me going.
Honestly, I was just happy to keep moving. I was farcing my mantras, “I am strong, I can do this, one step at a time”, but WOOF, that was tough.
Only 2 months after Miami’s race and I trained hard in-between. 1:40:24 in Miami…1:45:04 yesterday. Not the outcome I wanted, BUT I’m ZERO disappointed. I worked hard and did it.
I’m SO grateful for my prep team who have taught me how to race this race. Each one is SO different and this one was a BIG learning lesson. We can’t always be faster than the last time, but we can always go in prepared, grateful, strong, connected and honestly this is the biggest lesson of all for me from yesterday is to dig deep and keep on moving forward.
