As Joy Von Werder stretched the bright orange swim cap onto her head in preparation for the first leg of the Great Floridian Triathlon, she took a good look around at the mass of contenders. There were hundreds of people crowded around her wearing wetsuits and yellow swim caps, ready to make the mad dash into Lake Minneola in Clermont. 

 

As it turned out, the orange caps were reserved for the 53 females taking part in a race with more than 400 participants. It was at that moment the Winter Springs mom realized what an amazing feat it was, both physically and mentally, to be competing as a woman in a challenge often reserved for the most serious athletes.

 

"It made me feel very proud that I had gotten that far," Von Werder said.

 

While Von Werder, a Pilates and stationary bicycle instructor as well as a personal trainer, has competed in multiple triathlons over the years, she had never participated in one as intensive as the Great Floridian Triathlon. The race, which is often compared to the renowned Ironman, consisted of a 2.4-mile swim followed by 112 miles on the bike and then a 26.2-mile run to the finish.

 

"I had no intentions in the early part of the year to do [the Great Floridian Triathlon] because I am not a long-distance runner and I really didn't think I could run that far," she said. Von Werder said prior to the day of the race, she had never actually run more than 15 consecutive miles.

 

After successfully participating in a shorter distance triathlon in May of last year, Von Werder reconsidered her options. After some encouragement from her training partner, she decided it was time to set new goals. And now in her 40s, Von Werder joked she wasn't getting any younger.

 

"I wouldn't attempt to do this any other time, so I sort of bought in and agreed to do it. I surprised myself," Von Werder said. Once she was on board, she requested the full support and commitment of her family and friends. As she explained, intensive training would also affect the lives of the people close to her, especially her two children, 11-year-old Cole and 8-year-old Candice.

 

"I asked my kids what they thought about it and warned them there would be some days I would be gone all day on my bike. It wouldn't be forever — it would be for a four-month period of time. They were excited about it," she said. 

 

Von Werder adhered to a strict training schedule that included biking, running and swimming two to three times per week with one recovery day. As race day grew closer, the intensity increased from two to five hours a day.

 

She said she didn't have a special diet during her training period, she just stuck to healthy foods. Von Werder said she never skimped on carbohydrates and ate foods rich in protein.

 

In spite of her experience as a certified USA Triathlon coach, Von Werder hired a coach online in North Carolina. "I knew I would have trouble coaching myself," she said. "I knew I didn't need someone to meet with me, but I did want his feedback on what more I needed to do."

 

"I have had a history of problems in open-water swim. I really panic in the water and when I got there and it started raining and the water was choppy, I was concerned I would have a panic attack in the water again," she explained. To remedy her fear, Von Werder said she spoke to herself in the past tense based on what she wanted to tell people after she completed the race. "I said to myself, 'I remained calm. I remained calm.'"

 

Another important skill that aided Von Werder in her success was her focus on "staying in the moment." "When I was on my bike, if I let myself think, 'Gosh, after seven hours I am going to have to run 26 miles,' I would have felt panic. I knew I would never do this race again and I wanted to really experience the day. I was just enjoying riding my bike," she said.

 

Von Werder used similar tactics while running the 26-mile leg in the race. "If I was on mile six and I thought about mile 20 then it would have been daunting. But if I was on mile six and I stayed on mile six, that was all I thought about."

 

The same philosophy has transcended into her daily life. "I realized you can do anything you set your mind to. Physical goals have always been a little bit easier for me to obtain. So some of the emotional, mental goals, parenting-type goals, I now know that if I put my mind to them, I can be better," she said.

 

With her sights set at a 15-hour finishing time, Von Werder was amazed to have crossed the finish line in 13 hours and 45 minutes. She placed ninth out of sixteen in her age group.

 

Von Werder is humbled by her success. "It just makes me think that people are really in control of their fitness level. And I like to use that to try to motivate women that I train," she said. "I feel different now. I feel empowered."