This June marks the 50th anniversary of Title IX, which has led to a dramatic increase in the number of women and girls participating in athletics. The progress over the past 50 years is undeniable. 

Rhabdomyolysis, or “rhabdo” for short, is a condition caused by damage to skeletal muscle. There are several causes of rhabdo but the main ones pertaining to endurance athletes include exercise, crush injuries, heat stroke, hyperthermia, and hypokalemia.

For our 1st anniversary, the coaches each took a moment to reflect on the past year.

“I look at Ironman sherpa’ing as 2 different jobs. My 1st priority is always my racer but as an Ironman Sherpa, it’s also about getting a few other people across the line too. Ultimately it’s hard to quantify the role, because it’s not measurable but you just hope you’re making somebody’s day a little bit easier.”

Endurance is our medium. Community and courage are our purpose.

“When I’m in the dark places of the run, I know that through suffering – it’s deeper than just a silver lining, it’s deeper than “I can get a medal.” You’re learning something about yourself through the suffering that you could not learn otherwise. And that’s redemptive because you discover qualities of character that would have been latent if you hadn’t gone through it.”

With so many choices on mask/gaiter styles and fabrics, which one is the best to use?