From college athlete to Ironman

Written by Adam Cloe, Grit Endurance athlete and Ironman finisher!

I’m inviting merited “close the yearbook” commentary, but even today, walking away from college soccer has been one of the most difficult decisions I’ve made. It left the obvious and immediate void of more free time in my day-to-day, but after two decades of defining myself as a soccer player first and everything else second, there were some existential questions at bay.

Before college graduation, I completed two marathons, but my training was limited to the generically available online plans; however, this was enough to foster an interest in endurance sports, but one that quickly took a backseat as I dove into a fulfilling, although very demanding, career. My workouts were aimless at best and frequently took a back seat to working hours. By the height of the pandemic, I had lost control of my schedule, and it was beginning to impact relationships with loved ones: work filled the time I gave it, and I gave it mornings, nights, and weekends.

I tried bucking this trend with another marathon, but with my training partner in another city, I was able to half-ass training and still post a respectable time - I needed a challenge that would scare me straight! As someone who associated swimming with beers and didn’t know a tri bike was different from a road bike, an Ironman (2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, and 26.2-mile run) seemed to do the trick. A friend suggested I start with a sprint race to get the feel, and so began my triathlon journey.

To my surprise, the September 2022 sprint showed I was not a good swimmer, and even more shocking, I was not all that fast on my commuter bike. I stumbled upon swimming lessons at my local gym and met Coach Jim Levesque. While he played college soccer for a conference rival, he had a few redeeming qualities, not the least of which was the patience to teach me to swim! I quickly jumped at the opportunity for Grit Endurance personal coaching. It was January 2023, and for the first time, my dreams of a fall Ironman had a fighting chance: I registered for a June race (Ironman 70.3 in Des Moines), with my main goal of Ironman Wisconsin in September.

Jim worked with me to develop a training plan around what I advertised as a less-than-ideal work schedule. There were unavoidable conflicts, such as business travel and long hours, but nothing seemed to waiver Jim’s confidence in me. Personal coaching took the guessing out of my training. I knew that Jim and the team at Grit had my back – all I had to do was execute the training plan. For me, this was something that seemed easy enough on paper, but proved difficult to live.

Training spurred a lot of painful reflection on where I spend my time – reflection, which, absent this Ironman, I would inevitably avoid, consciously or otherwise. It took a few months, but I was able to develop sustainable working and training habits that allowed me to thrive in my career, hit my training sessions, and devote ample time to important personal relationships. As I toed the Ironman Wisconsin starting line, surrounded by family and friends, I already felt that I had succeeded.

While I walked away from the race with a finishers medal and a fiscally irresponsible amount of Ironman merchandise, triathlon has given me so much more: priceless memories with friends & family and sustainable time management practices that will serve me throughout my life.

In my eight months of training, I learned that I love swimming! Whether in a lap pool or open water, a quick swim continues to be an effective way for me to unplug from screens and reset during a busy week. On top of that, if I cannot avoid a long workday, I now can get a great indoor bike trainer workout in while reading emails or doing other work.

From November 2022 up until the night before Ironman Wisconsin, Jim answered my beginner (read “stupid”) questions with a kindness and understanding that made this intimidating challenge seem possible and left me feeling capable. Even if I never do another Ironman (which I already think is highly unlikely), I have found a fantastic community in the Grit Endurance team and look forward to the experiences to come!