Couch to 13.1 – No Fear, Just a Crazy Comeback
Sometimes, the best way forward starts with two simple words: WHY NOT?
Not the reckless kind, more like the kind that wakes something up in you. That dares you to say yes before you’re fully ready. That calls you to rise, even when the ground beneath you still feels shaky.
I honor Carson Philbin’s Why Not? legacy, and the family who now carries it forward with strength and light. Their courage reminds me that we don’t need to have it all figured out. We just need a reason to begin.
That’s how you go from the couch to 13.1 miles.
That’s how comebacks begin.
That’s how this story starts.
This WHY NOT 13.1 starts with Tracy. A dear friend who lives in Tucson who was supposed to race IMNY 70.3 Jones Beach with me last year, the race that never happened because of the bike crash. She’s also one of those people with a very specific superpower:
She can talk me into just about any race.
I always tell her it’s “the voodoo that you do”, a mix of heart, hype, and pure belief. She’s a damn fine triathlete, a cheerleader in the best way, and someone who leads with joy, adventure, and kindness.
So when I picked up the phone last week and she said,
“Hey… want to do the Carlsbad 13.1 in January 2026?”
I didn’t even flinch. I just laughed and said,
“Tracy. This is coming from couch to 13.1 in seven months.”
And Tracy said Pffffffft “You Can Do It!” I hear it in Rob Schneider’s voice from The Waterboy:
“You can do it!”
Thanks, Tracy.
Thanks, Rob.
The place is booked in Oceanside. We’re registered. And this is happening. Road trip from Tucson to 13.1 shenanigans in California, and back to Tucson! Good Gawd, I am so excited!
Here’s the ironic part:
Of all the disciplines—swim, bike, run—running is where I struggle the most. I don’t hate it. But I’ve never exactly shined brightly there. It is where the needle scratches right off the record.
And yet... it’s running that gets to be my comeback.
Maybe that’s the magic.
It doesn’t require driving to the pool and all that liquid hoopla.
It doesn’t require a bike or revisiting all the bike crash trauma.
It’s just me. And my shoes. And the road.
There’s freedom in that.
I’m excited to train, not just for the finish line, but for what happens in the miles between here and there. The mental floss. The strength work. Those shenanigans I will no doubt get into with Tracy. And let’s be real: she’ll be waiting for me at the finish line because homegirl can run.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned in this wild season of rebuilding, it’s this:
WHY NOT? is a damn good reason to begin.
I carry the WHY NOT? spirit forward in honor of Carson Philbin and the legacy he left behind.
To learn more about the incredible foundation created in his memory, visit whynotcp.org.
Thanks for being here.
Keep SHINING!