Ironman Cozumel 2020 – Part 1: The Journey

Journey to the race

“Ferry is cancelled.” All of my blood dropped from by body down to my feet. I felt heartbroken. My mind was wrestling with denial, doubt and acceptance of the fact that we will not be able to cross the ocean to get to Cozumel for Ironman.

The trip up to that point was very smooth, flight from Atlanta to Cancun and private shuttle ride to Playa de Carmen were all on schedule. Nadia, my travel companion, awesome sherpa and translator, warned me the ferry might get cancelled due to strong winds caused by Cold Front 13  a couple of days before the trip but I didn’t take it seriously enough to prepare my mind for an alternative. Addie, who was also racing and traveled with us, Nadia and I were on a quest to find the way to the island but the alternatives were slim. We considered taking a small cessna plane from the nearby airport or getting on a cargo fleet which “might” operate just like 100s of other athletes who got stranded but in the end Nadia, who is fluent in Spanish, was able to gain assurance that we should just be patient and wait.

Nadia and I just didn’t feel comfortable with flying on a small airplane, so we decided to get a hotel to stay there and hope for the ferry to open up the next day. If we could get there the next day, we would still make it to the athlete’s check in and pick up my bike 2 days before the race. By the time we checked into the hotel and grabbed something to eat, we were all exhausted but still trying to figure out the ways to cross that 12 mile ocean the next day with very few leads but lots of friends also trying to work behind the scenes to help us too. The triathlon community is amazing in that way.

When life throws us a curveball, our mind goes to the negative space and starts to think about the worse case scenarios. If we let that roll, worries and anxiety will spike high and take over our mind. I accept that is our defense mechanism to prepare for the worst but this is also a dangerous, self defeating lie we often get tricked into. I have learned staying in the present moment over the years helps stop my roller coaster mind from

going into a downward spiral. I grounded myself on all of the my knowns: We were safe in a very clean and pleasant hotel, had a nice dinner with good friends at a very cool restaurant, the weather forecast looked a little better for the crossing, and best of all we had a few leads and a plan of actions for the following day.  Additionally, we had 2 more days until the race. I tried my best to keep my mind in the present but the force and pull to the negative space for the unknown future was very strong and I had to keep fighting for it. I had envisioned this race for months of training in the hot summer days, the cold rain of the north Georgia mountains, so many times I have run this race through my head and to be so close yet so far away was very difficult. My heart-ached to be in Cozumel, to be on the plan, to be settled and getting my mind ready for the race conditions.

Next morning, we discussed our plan at breakfast while meeting many athletes trying to cross the ocean. Some were flying Cessna or helicopter,(really?) others went to the local airport to see if flights were even available. Nadia was checking messages from the local agent to see if she had any news. Addie decided to rent a car as a back up plan to get on the cargo fleet at 4pm. We were getting ready to go to the airport when we heard from the agent that the ferry opened up around 9 am!!!! Nadia and I screamed with joy we were so excited and I could feel the blood come back! We rushed to pick up Addie’s car, drove over to the port and saw what seemed to be a thousand people lining up to get tickets and getting on the ferry. I knew then it was going to be a very long day but still was happy with the hope we might get to Cozumel and my race day would become real.

Nadia and I got cut off from the ferry Addie got on. Another wait with prayers that they’d continue to operate because the ocean was still rough. When I saw another ferry coming in, docked and unloading the passengers, my heart was dancing in my chest. We boarded the ferry shaking side by side, saying another prayer that we’d make it safely. Ginger chews that I brought for the race came in very handy because the ride was very rough. The ferry rocked the whole trip, splashes of water were flying in, and people screamed when it rocked so hard which felt like a 45 degree tilt. But, we made it!!! I had 30 minutes to check in, so I rushed to the Expo on foot 3 blocks and made it just in time! Oh, what a relief! This time my heart raced with excitement!

I was so fortunate to travel with Addie and Nadia who are also very positive. We met some athletes along the way who were very negative, complaining and sucking energy out of others. I’d stay away from those people because life is complicated and beautiful but we can either be miserable or we can chose happiness. Being flexible with unexpected challenges are also so important not only on race day but life in general. There is always a way to get to where we want to go or achieve our goals even though the plan gets altered. This experience was very challenging but now a beautiful memory in my book. The most precious gifts in life are experiences shared with friends.