I remember reading once that the only difference between a jogger and a runner is an entry form. When I signed up for my first 5K, I didn’t run at all. Spending the money on that registration and having a deadline is what drove me off the couch and propelled me into the crisp autumn air. But it’s easy to lose sight of what we’re chasing day after day with so much on our plates at work, home and school. I recently had a revelation that’s changed the way I view myself and the time I spend at the gym. I was struggling to get out of bed at 5 a.m. and prepare for spin class. I realized I was feeling a bit weary. I mean, who really wants to get clad in spandex to drive to the gym in the dark and pedal towards nothing for fun?

I have a little countdown widget on my phone that tells me how many days separate me from the Racine 70.3 Ironman triathlon. I did this for my first sprint and the marathon and found it motivating/terrifying. Sometime during that 45-minute spin class, it clicked for me: I’m not aimlessly floating through work outs. Even though I’m just working on my base building, every day brings me closer to the start line of my next triathlon race. To a beach packed with black neoprene, nerves and muscle. To a six-hour test of my endurance and spirit. To miles of challenges and triumphs.

I can’t tell you what July 21 will hold. It could be unbearably hot. It could rain in sheets. It could be windy. I could have a blister or my goggles could leak.

What I can tell you is what I’m doing today to make that day bearable. So I pedalled my heart out and decided I’ll give it my all every damn day. I have everything it will take, but it will take everything I have.

This epiphany is what propels me every day. I’m not just a full-time professional and wife who commutes, cooks and cleans, but I’m an athlete training for a goal. Because we’re all athletes, it’s simply a matter of if we’re training or not.

Read Kelly’s previous blog for Tri-Eva or catch up on her main Web site, Kelly the Culinarian.

Kelly Janowski is Chicagoland foodie blogger turned amateur endurance athlete. She started dabbling in running two years ago before she became inspired to complete an Ironman. With a marathon and sprint triathlon behind her, this summer will hold her first 70.3 half Ironman triathlon.

• Pace Triathlon Capri- all of the performance details you’d expect, including high-performance fabrics and our exclusive women’s specific triathlon elastic-interface chamois, in a versatile and flattering new length.
• The Olympus Long Trisuit- our best-selling longer-leg trisuit, now available without a crop top for maximum versatility, allowing you to wear your favorite sports bra underneath!
• Speed Long Leg Tri Short- we are now offering our best-selling Speed Long Leg Tri Short in plain black for a super-slimming look or with spicy orange side stripes for when you want a leg-lengthening pop of sporty color.
• Spicy Orange- just in case it’s not obvious, we are loving spicy orange! Our new favorite color is now dotted through the collection, in everything from one-piece trisuit stripes to fun and sporty tri tops. Spicy orange will add a little zest to your triathlon training and racing!

How many times do you have to train a week? Can you train with a job, or a family, or a life (or with all of the above)?

The answer is yes, with a little help from Tri-Eva. Read our article here.

Read our latest article here to find out!

As the first major race on the U.S. calendar, St. Anthony’s Triathlon has kicked off the triathlon season in North America for the past 29 years… Tri-Eva can’t wait to be there for their 30th Anniversary! Come by and check out Tri-Eva triathlon clothing, meet our founder, ask any “what to wear” questions you might have or just say hi.

We look forward to meeting you in sunny Florida!

When I started running, it felt like punishment. I decided I needed to get fit and lose weight. Signing up for a 5K without any running experience seemed like it would motivate me to work out with a purpose. And it did… eventually.

The first time I ran was five weeks before the race. I barely made it a mile, and every step felt like an eternity. I looked for places that I could call my husband from to come and pick me up, and I prayed my shoes would come untied so I could stop. On our way to the race in October of 2010, I asked my husband if anyone ever died doing a 5K. He assured me no one had. But 34 minutes later as I crossed the finish line, I thought I just might be the first.

Running became fun for me when I realized the community that existed around the sport. I made friends to go running with and had a great time at races. I pushed myself to dream a little bigger and go a little further. It was around this time that I saw a YouTube video of an Ironman race recap. Watching this video, I started to sweat. My pulse accelerated. I clicked through to more videos, noting that it wasn’t just chiseled Adonises crossing the finish line. There were moms and pensioners, big athletes and teeny tiny petite girls. There were people in wheelchairs and with prosthetic limbs. And if they could do it, so could I.

I knew at that moment that running wasn’t about getting skinny, and working out was no longer going to be to check a box off of my to-do list. I was going to do something epic. I was going to become an Ironman.

That fall, I completed a half marathon and the next spring, I started shopping for a used road bike. I signed up for my first tri and took a swim lesson to perfect my stroke. I followed an eight-week training plan, logging double workout days and bricks. On race day, I had no idea what to expect, but I snagged first in my age group. The next day, I started training for my first marathon, which I finished with more insight into my body’s limits. I’ve learned myriad facts about myself through these events, and gleaned transferable skills that have improved me as a person. The most important thing I’ve learned thus far is that what I do is not unique, special or superhuman. Anyone can complete a marathon, triathlon or bike ride. It just takes a training plan, time and the perseverance to get out there every day and give it your best try.

This summer brings me to several critical events in building up to the Ironman distance. I’ll complete my first indoor triathlon as a bit of a tune up to assess my fitness. I’ll also dive into long-distance triathlons with the Ironman Racine 70.3 in July in Wisconsin. I hope you’ll join me on my blog, Kelly the Culinarian, as I make the journey to the 140.6 finish line and dream of hearing those magical words: “Kelly Janowski, you are an Ironman!”

And Tri-Eva will be featuring blog articles on Kelly’s journey as well. Stay tuned as she trains towards the next step in her Ironman dream!

Helena learned to swim last year to complete her first sprint distance triathlon and was hooked. Along the way, she even earned the nickname Running Mermaid. Her “why not?” attitude has led her to an even more ambitious goal this year, Ironman New Orleans 70.3. Having already finished her first race of the season, the HITS Olympic distance in Naples (and coming in 4th in her age group!), she’s got those of us living in colder climates feeling a bit jealous…

Stay tuned throughout the season for more from our favorite Running Mermaid!

With spaces to log your seasonal goals, monthly goals and daily workout tracking, you’ll remember what you’re striving toward and what steps you’re taking to get there.

Take the first step to this year’s success here.

“This year we added the NYC Olympic team (benefiting Parent Project MD) to our annual participation in the Danskin Sprint triathlon (benefiting Jett Foundation).The Gals are proud to be able to partner with two Duchenne organizations this year, extending our visibility while also supporting the newly formed Duchenne Alliance.” said Cindy Quitzau, founder of Gals and mother of Cal, the original inspiration behind the team.

Erin goes out on the bike …all smiles!

Tri-Eva was proud to award this year’s biggest fundraiser, Erin Hoesly, with a gift card for her choice of Tri-Eva gear. Erin raised over $6,000 while taking on the greater challenge of doing her first Olympic distance tri! Erin raced with a group of 13 Gals for Cal, all doing the NYC triathlon as their very first Olympic distance event. The team’s participation in New York was a partnership between Gals for Cal and the Run for our Sons team benefiting Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy.

Congrats to Erin for her amazing fundraising efforts and to all of the Gals, both for their impressive fundraising and triathlon participation. You continue to inspire!

Whatever your excuse, we think that you CAN do a triathlon!

Don’t believe us? Tri-Eva’s inspirational video, featuring Irongranny triathlete Eddie Brocklesby, will change your mind. Eddie not only took up sport at the ripe young age of 53, she has since run marathons, done triathlon at highly competitive levels and ridden her bicycle more miles than some of us drive in our cars.

Watch Trigirl’s video and hear about Eddie’s accomplishments from the woman herself- we think you’ll be motivated to get out there and do something amazing, too! No excuses