Last week I shared my experience of what it was like being the support crew for my brother, Scott Green, and sister-in-law, Jessica Mossman, as they competed in their first Ironman triathlon. Pure joy is the only way to describe it. You can read about it HERE if you missed my last post. This week I’m sharing Scott’s and Jess’ perspectives to round out their 2023 Ironman Arizona experience, letting you see what this event feels like through newbie eyes. You can take a peek at the Q & A below:

● WHAT DID PARTICIPATING IN IRONMAN ARIZONA MEAN TO YOU ON A PERSONAL LEVEL?

JESS: I was never really interested in long distance triathlon until Scott brought it up as something he wanted to accomplish for his 60th Birthday. I signed him up as a surprise Christmas present and I signed myself up as well so we could share the experience of training together. I knew if I didn’t train with him I would barely see him, LOL! I just wanted to share this really fun process with him, and along the way I found some things in this sport that I really love, and accomplished some things that I am really proud of. It ended up being a truly enriching experience for me.

As far as endurance sports go, every race is special to me. I use training for endurance sports as a way to nurture my physical and mental health. I use long training sessions as a way to get to know myself and force thought processes that can be easy to ignore when life gives you distractions like work, social media, tv etc. Every race I participate in is celebrating the work I put into myself as a physical and spiritual being. Training and racing has also been a phenomenal way to stay connected to myself through 6 years of sobriety and bouts of seasonal depression.

SCOTT: Having just turned 60 in this past year, it seems it can be a tricky gamble sometimes between pushing to a “next big challenge” (knowing you have parts wearing out) and selecting less risky races. I can say, with the encouragement I got from my family and coach, it was incredibly satisfying to go through a really great training block with a volume of training I never imagined. Additionally, to come out relatively injury free and then to be able to execute a race plan with no huge problems, is truly a wonderful feeling.

● CAN YOU SHARE SOME HIGHLIGHTS FROM YOUR RECENT RACE EXPERIENCE?

JESS: I think there were so many highlights during the race that it’s kind of hard to narrow it down to just one. One solo highlight would be coming out of the swim and realizing I just did THAT REALLY HARD THING on my own! One highlight with Scott would of course be crossing the finish line together.

SCOTT: Race specific highlights include the super nice weather and calm waters in Tempe Town Lake on race morning. A beautiful sunrise helped to calm the nerves.

● CAN YOU PROVIDE DETAILS ABOUT THE RACE, SUCH AS SIGHTS, SOUNDS, SMELLS, OR ANYTHING ELSE THAT CAPTURES THE ESSENCE OF YOUR EXPERIENCE?

JESS: I don’t do a lot of “road races” and I can’t believe how amazing the support feels at an Ironman. I’m used to the quiet of an ultra marathon where you can be alone on the trail for hours. I felt uplifted the entire race. I am definitely planning on volunteering at my local Ironman race in Salem next year. I want to give back that feeling to others! Arizona was special. The swim, even though I was nervous, was a really comforting body of water to be in. You can see both sides of the lake as you swim and I liked being able to spot the bridges I needed to swim under. The bike was beautiful, windy and challenging. The Arizona scenery helped the miles fly by. I really enjoyed the run as the sun set. Everything was lit up and there was this particular building across the river that was all lit up in blue lights and it made the night feel like a party!

SCOTT: Strangely enough I only have a couple thoughts on this. One, after training for 15-20 hours a week, often with music playing, the quiet on the ride was noticeable, only replaced with that distinct awesome sound of a sleek “super bike” whizzing by. Very cool. The other vivid memory I have is hearing the finish line cheers while running on the other side of Tempe Town Lake. It was a really nice cool evening, the lights were reflecting, and the sounds of the finish line were incredible. Finally, I think seeing the bright lights of each aid station kept me moving when I needed it.

● WHAT WERE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES YOU ENCOUNTERED DURING THE RACE, AND HOW DID YOU OVERCOME THEM?

JESS: My biggest challenge was at the practice swim the day before the race. I had made sure to have plenty of open water swimming experience leading up to the race and was quite comfortable in different open water swimming situations, so it came as quite a shock when I had a panic attack as I was about to get in the water for the practice swim. There was a really lovely volunteer who saw the fear on my face as everyone was jumping off the dock, and he was kind enough to pull me aside and have me sit on the dock, dangle my feet in the water and then calmly talked to me. He told me to breathe deeply and focus on the first buoy in front of me, and to not worry because he would be watching me. I remember he said, “When you get to that first buoy, turn around and wave. You’ll see I’ll be watching you the whole time.” He just really calmed my nerves and helped me feel like I wasn’t alone. Having that happen definitely prepared me for how it was going to feel on race morning.

SCOTT: Leading up to race day, I had been struggling with the open water swim on a number of issues. This included overthinking race day: Will the water too cold? Or too warm for a wetsuit? Will the swim be canceled because the water isn’t clean enough? There was no end to the questions and stories circling in my head. It turned out, it was a perfect morning and the swim ended up being one of my favorite parts of this event. Very satisfying to say the least.

● WERE THERE ANY SURPRISES OR UNEXPECTED MOMENTS THAT STOOD OUT TO YOU DURING THE EVENT?

JESS: Since this was my first Ironman race I don’t think there was anything unexpected because I didn’t really know what to expect. The only real unexpected moment was my own reaction to the OWS practice.

SCOTT: I was surprised (when I shouldn’t have been) at how strong that wind can get on the Beeline. 20+ mph gusts are no joke.

● HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE IMPACT OF THE VOLUNTEERS AT THIS EVENT?

JESS: The volunteers at this event were some of the BEST volunteers I have encountered in an endurance event. Not just one aid station, but all of them, from the support kayaks in the water (shout out to the guy who talked my nerves down while I clung to his kayak within the first 100 yards of the swim) to the teenagers with pom poms dancing around on the bike section to the fully stocked aid stations on the run where high fives were handed out until the late hours of the night! I felt supported and encouraged all day!

SCOTT: There are not enough ways to thank the volunteers at this event. Incredibly well-trained, helpful, very supportive and genuinely excited to be out there for the athletes. The back of the pack got treated like royalty.

● CAN YOU RECALL ANY QUIRKY OR UNIQUE MOMENTS YOU WITNESSED DURING THE RACE?

JESS: I think Becky’s swim sign, “You Can F@&cking Swim” was probably the best thing I saw ALL DAY! Plus I heard other people pointing it out and talking about it. That was a hit!

SCOTT: This is a tough one. Every person you see has a story. Some I completely made up in my own little brain while riding or running.

● DID YOU HAVE ANY INSPIRING INTERACTIONS OR CONVERSATIONS WITH FELLOW ATHLETES?

JESS: Oh many! The run is the one place that you can really have conversations with people and hear some of their stories. There were two things that inspired me the most at this race:
1. My husband not giving up when I knew he was struggling on the run.
2. I distinctly recall passing people on the second loop of the run, they were going out on the loop and we were coming in towards the finish line. I knew they probably weren’t going to make the run cutoff as they had 3-4 miles to go and only about 20 minutes. I heard one of them say it wasn’t going to happen. But they still kept going. They were still smiling and just forging ahead. That is the thing I love about endurance sports: there isn’t always a line of win or lose. All of us are out there for our own reasons and our “winning” may mean crossing the finish line or maybe it just means not giving up on our selves.

SCOTT: My wife and sister kept me focused, inspired, motivated and in the mile I was in. This is a really really good way to be successful in an endurance effort.

● COULD YOU SHARE WHAT IT FELT LIKE WHEN YOU ENTERED THE FINISHER’S CHUTE AND HEARD YOUR NAMES CALLED OUT?

JESS: I had been literally saying out loud to myself during the entire race “Jess, You are going to finish,” so when we crossed the finish line together, I just looked over to see the look on Scott’s face because I was so proud of us!

SCOTT: I’ve crossed a few finish lines, but I’ve never experienced a finish line like that. Energy, excitement and really nice people to assist with the “race brain” that I had. I’m so grateful for the organizational efforts to make that finish such a great experience.

● REFLECTING ON THE RACE, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WOULD DO DIFFERENTLY NEXT TIME?

JESS: I might be the minority with this, but I rarely look back at a race or training phase and think “I would do *blank* differently if I could do it over.” I kind of like stumbling and learning and having “bad” moments to laugh at later. All the hard stuff makes me stronger and is such a big part of the whole story! Some races are a big physical win and some are a really big mental win! Either way, I gained something!

SCOTT: Not much. It turned out to be one the best race experiences I have had. I think I can attribute that more to being lucky enough to train for 16 weeks side by side with my beautiful wife followed by coming across the finish line together after she saved my race by pacing me. That, and having the most incredible sister in the world on route all day, providing coaching, support and a kick in the ass during a few low spots running.

● CAN YOU SHARE A SNIPPET OF YOUR JOURNEY LEADING UP TO THE RACE AND HOW THAT IMPACTED YOU?

JESS: So much training! But I really love that aspect. I didn’t know I would fall in love with cycling. That came as a surprise and I am so happy that I did because I have so many new adventures planned now. My main takeaway from the experience as a whole is that if my husband and I can get through training AND racing together. We can get through anything life brings. We didn’t just get better at swim, bike, run. We got better at comprise, gratitude, patience, expectations, and argument resolution… all the things that come up along the way we grew those skills too and it left us stronger individuals and a stronger couple.

SCOTT: I know I’ll be sorting out all the people I’m grateful for after this race. This list is long and the reasons are many. Some are professionals that provided very clear guidance and training plans. This included everything from nutrition, to forcing me to rethink my own training patterns (not an easy task I might add). Other professionals provided clinical help when my worn out parts were getting cranky. They not only encouraged me to race, they helped with finding me the resources I needed with literally days before the race. Others just knew how to help me in simple words of encouragement. It’s going to be a long time before I forget about this experience, and yes, I’m already trying to figure out what the next big challenge will be.

● WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU OFFER TO SOMEONE CONSIDERING TAKING ON AN IRONMAN OR A SIMILAR ATHLETIC CHALLENGE?

JESS: My advice to athletes going into any kind of endurance sport or race is to take your time in training. Don’t try to squeeze it all into 3 or 4 months. As an ultra distance run coach, I know the importance of proper progression to avoid injury. Your cardiovascular fitness and muscle endurance will adapt much faster than your joints and ligaments, which take longer. Pushing too far too fast can lead to frustration, burnout and injury. Besides, your training takes exponentially longer than race day so you should plan to make it as fun as possible, creating those memories along the way!

SCOTT: Before anything else, just decide you’re going to do it. Don’t hold back. Don’t wait, Don’t think you’ll get another chance, Don’t wait until it’s more affordable.
A) Make sure you have the support of your family. It’s a big time commitment.
B) Get a coach. Best money spent. So much second guessing was taken away.
C) Trust the training. Especially during the taper and race week.

And that’s a wrap for Ironman Arizona 2023. I hope you enjoyed reading Scott’s and Jess’ experiences. I’m sending a huge shout out to both of them for taking the time to share their thoughts, especially in the midst of their busy lives. One thing that made me smile from ear to ear is that less than a week after crossing the finish line they texted me asking which Ironman they should do next (and hinted at pulling me along for the ride)! Looks like they might have gotten hooked!

Stay tuned…x Becky 🙂