Ironmom ― Training, Racing, and Living in a Family of 7

From the personal tragedy of a stillbirth to an Ironman and beyond, author and stay-at-home mom of five children Mette Ivie Harrison learned life lessons about accepting herself, moving forward, pushing to become better, and bringing her family along the way—sometimes kicking and screaming.

In this riveting and inspiring first-person story of going from couch potato to nationally ranked triathlete, Mette shares her experience training and racing with her family. She explores how to manage a busy family, how to ignore the things that don’t matter, and how to focus on goals that create a stronger you and a stronger family. She shares how racing can be a vacation, how racing with your children strengthens your family bond and how, when you think you’ve hit your wall, whether in parenthood or during hour twelve in a triathlon, how you can push through and succeed.

Part memoir, part manual and all family, this incredible story of how one mom chose to remake her life and her family will inspire you to achieve greater heights.

Nationally published YA fiction author Mette Ivie Harrisson (The Princess and the Hound and Mira, Mirror) has been involved in triathlon since 2004, when she won 1st place in her age group at the first triathlon she ever entered. Since 2006, when she finished her first Ironman in 13:02 at Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, she has competed in 3 other Ironman competitions, 6 ultramarathons, the longest single day bike race in the United States (LOTOJA), and dozens of Olympic and sprint distance races. She is currently nationally ranked by the USAT for her age group and if she doesn’t bring home a medal, her children usually know it’s because she had a bike crash or was running a fever. Her husband has caught the Ironman bug and has competed in 2 Ironmans with her. Her four oldest children (ages 12-18) have all competed in either sprint or Olympic distance triathlons or half marathons. She trains them, as well as other family members and friends, writing training plans and talking them through the hard times.