QC resident preps for Ironman World Championship

DAVENPORT, Iowa (KWQC) - Morgan Meseke was introduced to the idea of doing an ironman race from a bike and run interval class she teaches at the YMCA.

“They kept asking me if I ever do triathlons and every year I would give an excuse. Then in 2019 I ran out of excuses,” Meseke said.

Ironman, though, is not your typical triathlon. It consists of 2.4 miles of swimming, 112 miles of biking, and 26.2 miles of running. Meseke estimated she spends between 18 and 20 hours a week training, including early morning swims, hundreds of miles on the bike, and running on tracks and throughout the Quad Cities.

“With all the training and hard work, you tell yourself you’ve practiced for this, you’ve trained for this,” Meseke said. “Keep going. You got this, and trying to keep positive and looking forward to the next block.”

So far she’s done two Ironman races. Her third will be her biggest yet, as she qualified for this year’s Women’s Ironman World Championship.

“[I’m] very grateful and blessed. I haven’t been doing the sport very long, and I’m just excited to compete against the world’s best of the best,” Meseke said.

Meseke said all of the hours of training are worth it when she crosses the finish line.

“It’s just euphoric, you know. Sometimes people will tell me what place I’m in, and sometimes I have no idea and just having fun. I look at my watch when I’m done and sometimes I can’t believe it,” Meseke said. “‘Wow, I just did that. That was my time.’ All that hard work and training. If you’ve ever been to one, the finish line is just phenomenal. It’s amazing.”

Meseke will get to enjoy the moment with a friend of hers, Sarah Doneth, who also qualified for the world championship.

“It’s so cool. We just get to share that experience together,” Meseke said. “She’s never gone, I’ve never gone. So we are pretty pumped.”

The Ironman World Championship takes place on Oct. 14 in Hawaii.

To learn more about Meseke’s journey, and how you can help, click or tap here.

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