By DeLayne Hart –

The days are getting longer, the weather is getting warmer, and the geese are headed North. With Spring right around the corner, many of us are dusting off our derailleurs and hitting the roads; but those first few rides and runs coming out of the cold months can be difficult: you can’t get comfortable, your legs don’t work like they did last fall, and you’re convinced the wind will be the death of you. If that sounds familiar, let me offer some perspective.

We’re not professionals. We’re a group who loves to move their bodies and spend time outdoors enjoying what the earth has to offer. So the next time you grab your goggles, sneakers, or helmet, I encourage you to ditch the heart monitors and GPS gadgets and just go do your thing not because you need to hit certain numbers, but because it is simply what you love to do. 

For some of you, that may prove to be rather difficult. I, for one, am addicted to my limit. For me, every session is a personal challenge to see how hard, how fast, and how far I can push myself. But this week I’m going to take a page from Misty Brawner’s book and get out there not because I have to meet my splits for the day, but simply because I love to ride my bicycle.

Misty is like the poster child for CMC because to her there are really only two things that matter: to do your best and to have fun.

And really, does anything else matter? I think everyone could benefit from channeling their inner-Misty.

Growing up, Misty was very active in basketball and track. But, as many of us can relate, the further she got into adult life, the farther down the priority list her well-being fell. In 2008 she landed in Columbia, ready to start a new page. By 2010 she decided to take the plunge into Amy’s TriZou Beginner’s training program. Uncomfortable and intimidated, she hopped into the Wilson’s pool and was not able to swim the 25 yards to the other side. The slightest incline on a bike seemed like a massive climb and running was more of a ’shuffle along and try not to have a stroke’ workout. Discouraged and disappointed, she shared her doubts with Amy, who gave her one of those light-your-fire pep talks that only Amy can give.

So she kept at it. Bonding with others training for TriZou, she just kept swimming. And riding. And running. After weeks of workouts and a few additional pep talks, she completed TriZou. Maybe not smiles all the way, but definitely at the finish line. Like many of us, she caught the bug at TriZou.

The next year she completed her first 70.3, and by 2013 she was an Ironwoman. Training for and racing in an Ironman takes a village. Luckily, she was surrounded by an incredibly supportive village: Beth, Craig, and, as always, Amy to keep her head up and her heart strong. On the one hand, she owed a lot to her support system, but in the end, she was the one to move her body 140.6 miles.

To recap, she went from being unable to swim 25 yards to Ironwoman in three years. Let’s pause to give her massive kudos for that alone.

Because of the impact the TriZou Beginner program had on her, Misty was instrumental in initiating the Couch to 3.1 program, an Ultramax training group 5 years in the making. She compiled a group of beginner cyclists to participate in the 2014 Bike MS. Watching her group of ‘Nibblers’ crossing the finish line will forever hold a special place in her heart, which speaks mountains to her character because Misty is never watching from afar, she is always in the thick of it: right alongside cheering on the rest.

After signing up for her next Ironman, life handed her lemons. Last year, Misty lost someone she was incredibly close to.

Processing loss can make one reconsider what is truly important in life. For Misty, thoughts like “I should have spent time with them rather than on my bike” and “I’m wasting my time with training” lead to self-doubt. But our loved ones want us to do what makes us happy. Sure, not all of them understand the joy we feel coming in from a five hour ride, but if it makes us feel good, then that’s exactly what they want us to be doing.

So she got in gear. She rocked her workouts. She put herself first. She is (self-proclaimed) not the fastest swimmer or the strongest cyclist or the most graceful runner but I’ll be damned if you can find someone who is enjoying themselves more during a triathlon than Misty. So in September she traveled to Chattanooga and crushed all 144.6 miles. It was an emotional day. As thoughts of her lost loved one cycled through her head she could feel his presence surrounding her every stroke and step of the way. She knows exactly how much his heart swelled as they watched from above while she crossed her finish line.

Misty is such a positive force in CMC; really its amazing to me that she doesn’t have a glowing light surrounding her at all times. For the members just starting out in the multi-sport community, she is a never-ceasing source of encouragement, humor, and excitement.

So if you’re doubting yourself, remember: WWMD? She’d get out there, give it her all, and have a blast.

“Every journey begins with a single step. Have faith in yourself, kick your foot out, and be amazed at where it will take you.”     ~Misty Brawner