Blog
Check our Blog regularly for updates on the book, the charities, Maggie and Tad’s race preparation, and other great content!
IRONMAN Kona
I had the opportunity to compete in the IRONMAN World Championships in Kona, Hawaii, on October 14th, when I won the IRONMAN Madison in September 2022. After a year of training, I started the 2023 season by tearing my Achilles tendon on mile 10 of IRONMAN Chattanooga 70.3 in May. After canceling my other races for the 2023 season, I focused on rehabbing my Achilles. During the summer, I relied on the help of God, great medical help (thank you, Dr. Mike Anderson at Summit Orthopedics and Andrew Moran at Odom Health and Wellness!), and a lot of family support. With six weeks until race time, I decided to tackle what is arguably the most challenging IRONMAN course. Racing any IRONMAN is intense, but IRONMAN Kona is a heightened intensity. SWIM – Time: 1:04:39 As someone who doesn’t love open-water swimming or mass starts, I was most nervous about this leg. I was thrilled (and relieved) the first time I stuck my face in the ocean to see how COOL it was! The water was clear, and I could see the wildlife! I grew to love open water swimming in the ocean. Race day was different than the practice swims. All wildlife (wisely) vacated the area. IRONMAN implements a rolling “chainsaw” starts at Kona. At any time, three heats are in the water and gradually move to the course start, about 20 feet deep. That necessitates treading water as you wait to begin. Horizontal paddleboards hold racers back. When the
Baby Steps
Last Sunday, our pastor taught us to share the good news of God’s work to encourage others and display God’s power. Well, I have an awesome update! I went in for another surgical follow-up two weeks ago. At that appointment, Dr. Mike commented that my walk was much smoother than the appointment before. After running me through some tests, he asked me if I could do a single-leg toe raise on my injured left side. He was amazed when I quickly did that and enthusiastically cleared me to begin “sport-specific therapy.” My physical therapist, Andrew, at Odom Health and Wellness, created a program for me to start running the day after my appointment. Andrew has consistently told me, “If you feel pain, STOP.” It’s a fine line between discomfort and pain! Discomfort is natural after an injury like this. My left leg doesn’t feel like my right because it’s relearning to run. Therapy and running volume are increasing. I’m excited to say I ran a continuous 30 minutes over the weekend! It's a sign of God’s faithfulness and help that I’m running 2 & ½ months after I had surgery on my Achilles tendon. We don’t know how this healing will continue, but I’m in awe of God’s power and faithfulness during this challenging journey.
Achilles Progress Report
Hi, everyone – this post comes from Maggie, here to update you on my Achilles surgery, recovery, and rehab. Last you heard, I tore my Achilles 68 miles into my Ironman 70.3 race in Chattanooga. I went in for a successful Achilles surgery on June 2nd. The surgery went as well as it could have, and I was on the road to recovery. I went through the grieving process during the first weeks of my surgery. Much of this process was sadness, confusion (and, frankly, anger!) – why was God allowing this to happen when I spent a year training so hard? I know He loves me, and I’ve seen Him work all things for good with more severe injuries than this. But haven’t I had enough injuries?! Why this? Why now? I had my plans, but God had different ones. A friend reminded me that “the heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps” (Proverbs 19:6, thank you, Joelle!). My biggest takeaway is this – I can’t know what God is doing. I can’t see His plans for me, and I can’t see what the future holds. But God knows. Much good has come out of this period of waiting and slowing down. A few highlights include the love and support from my friends and family, enjoying the summer on my parents’ porch, playing gin rummy with my Grandma Kay and cribbage with my family, more opportunities to read, getting to know the employees at
A Setback
Where we've been The last we updated you on Maggie's triathlon journey, she had won the female amateur division of IRONMAN Wisconsin last September. Since then, she'd been training hard getting ready for the 2023 season, preparing for the IRONMAN World Championships in Kona, Hawaii, this coming October. Half Ironman in Chattanooga, TN Maggie's first race of the 2023 season was a Half Ironman in Chattanooga, TN, on May 21st. Exactly ½ of the full Ironman distance; a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike ride, and 13.1-mile ½ marathon. Maggie had been having some foot issues going into the race but otherwise was in fantastic shape. She had a good swim and crushed the bike portion, averaging 22.3 MPH over the 56-mile course. Her run had really improved over the winter, and she was averaging 6 minute 30 seconds per mile through 10 miles, on pace for a 1 hour, 26-minute ½ marathon, when her Achilles gave out. She went down, and we spent the afternoon at the ER getting her checked out. She had completed 68 of the 70.3-mile race and was on pace for a 4 hour, 35-minute finish. Heartbreaking, to say the least! Maggie and I managed to make it home; Maggie in a wheelchair pulling her bike case, me pushing her and pulling two suitcases. We were quite the sight in the airport, but we improved with practice and were speeding by a lot of people in the concourse back in Minneapolis!
Ten Podcasts!
Maggie and I have had the privilege to be guests on 10 podcasts over the last few months. We'll provide a link to all the episodes soon. Here is the link to one of the podcasts on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0AyAyGIxrJbvHC1YLRsnBJ The host of this podcast is Dr. Danny Yamashiro. Dr. Danny hosts the most listened to Christian radio show in Hawaii, the podcast The Good Life with Dr. Danny, and is the chaplain at MIT. We hope that you will be blessed by the podcast! From my family to yours, we wish you a very, Merry Christmas as we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ! Tad #ironmantriathlon #ironmantri #ironmantraining #ironman #triathlonlife #triathlontraining #triathlon #ironmanmadison #traumaticbraininjury #traumaticbraininjuryawareness #traumaticbraininjurysurvivor #hitbyabus #survivor #modernmiracles #lakeminnetonka #minnesotastories #minnesotalife #minnstagramers #authorsofinstagram #fatherdaughter #25Meters #25MetersToGod #accidentrecovery #philanthropy #charities #charitywork #charityfundraiser #redemptionpress Visit our website to learn more of our story!
Podcast! Goodreads! Reviews!
Tad was recently on the All Things podcast at Redemption Press, the publisher for 25 Meters to God. Here is a link to the episode at their website, https://redemption-press.com/25-meters-to-god-with-tad-weiss/ or you also can listen on iTunes or wherever you listen to podcasts! While you’re here, can you do us a BIG favor? If you’ve read the book 25 Meters to God, could you take a few minutes to write a review or mention us on Goodreads? Here are the links to Redemption Press and Amazon for reviews, and Goodreads for recommending the book. Thank you in advance for helping us spread the word! Redemption Press Website Amazon Website Goodreads Website
You are an IRONMAN!
The 20th running of IRONMAN Wisconsin was Sunday, September 11th, in Madison. The weather couldn’t have been much worse; 55 degrees, 20 mph winds, and all-day rain! But the race goes on, and 1,300 competitors started the 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, and 26.2-mile run at 7:00 AM. There were more than 1,300 participants. Maggie finished FIRST among women in the amateur division. She had a phenomenal race, finishing in 10 hours and 48 minutes – even beating a handful of pros. She finished the race by running the marathon in 3 hours and 24 minutes!! By winning her age group she qualified for the IRONMAN World Championship to be held in Kona, Hawaii in October of 2023. Twenty years after his last IRONMAN, Tad had a spectacular race, too, despite the literal headwinds. He was happy with his swim, couldn’t wait to get off his bike, and ground through the marathon, finishing in the dark and with an incredible time of 14 hours 27 minutes. This placed him 4th of the 25+ participants in his age bracket! Stay tuned here for more coverage to come soon! See Tad cross the finish line: A18 Tad Finish See Maggie cross the finish line: A15 Maggie Finish
IRONMAN Wisconsin and fundraising update
Maggie and I are wrapping up our training and are officially in the “taper” stage of our race preparation. We are nine days away from IRONMAN Wisconsin! Here are two finish-line photos from 2002 for Tad and 2021 for Maggie. We are hoping to have updated photos for you on September 11th!! We’ve had a tremendous response to our fundraising efforts. Thanks to the generosity of 88 friends and family that have supported our efforts, we have raised $336,150!! After the race, we’ll split the proceeds equally between four wonderful charities. And there’s still time to give!! I’d love to see our number of donors hit 100 by race day. If you haven’t donated yet, click on the link that follows and join the team! https://ironmanfoundation.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.participant&participantID=2872 We’re heading to Madison on Thursday and will send you updates from there. Thanks for following along, and enjoy the Labor Day Weekend! Tad and Maggie
Tad and Maggie on Carrie Tollefson’s Podcast
Hey everyone, Maggie and I just had the privilege of being on Carrie Tollefson’s podcast. Carrie is one of, if not the best runner to ever come out of Minnesota. She won 13 state titles in cross-country and track in high school, before going on to win five NCAA championships running for Villanova University. She won the 1500 meters at the US Olympic Trials in 2004, and competed in the 2004 Olympic Summer Games. Carrie and her husband Charlie have been long-time family friends. Carrie is a great ambassador for endurance sports; she stays busy running, broadcasting, hosting a summer distance camp for teens, and running her podcast. It was an honor for us to be on her show, and we hope you enjoy the episode! P.S. Less than 3 weeks until the IRONMAN! Check out our updates and fundraising progress at www.25meters.com!!
Charity Spotlight – Engage Your Destiny
Maggie and I are raising money for our upcoming IRONMAN race on September 11th for four charitable organizations. Today we’d like to spotlight Engage Your Destiny. I encourage you to watch this 6-minute video from Ben Peterson, the founder of Engage Your Destiny. Engage Your Destiny was created in St. Louis Park, MN to bring honor, healing, and hope to our country’s military veterans. They recently held the Heroes Honor Festival at Daytona International Speedway, where 35,000 people attended, 25,000 of which were veterans or their families. The festival was designed to give a proper “Welcome Home” to our country’s Vietnam veterans, one they didn’t receive 50 years ago. Engage Your Destiny provides resources to military veterans and their families, designed to bring honor, hope and healing, leading to a world without veteran suicide. Check out their website at www.engageyourdestiny.com. And go to our website, www.25meters.com, where you can donate to our fundraising and support EYD and three other fantastic organizations! https://youtu.be/-x8U56QXIAQ
Fundraising Update!!
Maggie and I are raising funds for four fantastic charities leading up to IRONMAN Wisconsin on September 11th. I’m pleased to report that we have raised $312,460 so far!! We’ve received gifts from 5 families of $25,000 or more, and many gifts in the $5,000 to $10,000 range…..amazing!! We also received a gift of $10 from a good friend that is a student right now, and that was how much she could afford to give at this time. That gift means as much to us as the larger ones, as it shows a grateful heart regardless of circumstances. We’re one month away from race day! If you’re reading this and haven’t donated to our fundraising program yet, please consider making a gift of any amount here: https://ironmanfoundation.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.participant&participantID=2872 We love seeing the number of donors grow as much as we love to see the dollar amount grow. Each gift will bring joy to your heart, encourage us, and will benefit four amazing charities that support people in need. Help us finish strong, and thank you for following our journey!! Tad and Maggie P.S. If you have donated and have not received a handwritten note from Maggie and me, please let me know! The IRONMAN Foundation works with many athletes, and donations that aren’t processed through the website may not get credited to our fundraising. Thank you!
25 Meters to God is now available!!
The book 25 Meters to God is available for purchase through Amazon and Redemption Press! The book is available in Hardcover, Paperback, and Ebook, with the Audiobook coming soon!! Here is the link to purchase through Redemption Press. If you haven’t already, follow us on Facebook and Instagram for book, fundraising, and race updates. And if you’re on Goodreads, we’d love it if you would add us to your “Want to Read” shelf!
Charity Highlight – Wine to Water
Hey everyone, I strongly encourage you to watch this interview I conducted with the founder of Wine to Water, Doc Hendley. Maggie and I are raising money for Wine to Water and three other organizations. I know you’ll be inspired by Doc’s story. He is living proof that no matter where you are in life, you can do great things that make a difference and help others! This interview is 11 minutes long, so grab a small cup of coffee, sit back and watch. I know you’ll be inspired by Doc’s story. When you’re done, go to our website, www.25meters.com, for more information on the organizations Maggie and I are supporting. Thanks for your time, and have a great weekend! Tad https://vimeo.com/734822678 Are you following us yet on social? Facebook and Instagram
#100
Last September when I first had the crazy idea of joining Maggie in an Ironman triathlon, I hadn’t swam for four years. With Wendy paddling a SUP beside me, I jumped into the lake to see if I could still do it. I swam ½ mile with many stops and very heavy breathing, but I was encouraged enough to think I could improve enough to do the 2.4-mile swim in the Ironman. Since then, I’ve swam in a pool or lake two to three times a week, for 43 weeks. Today marked my 100th swim since last September. I swam in our lake for an hour straight without stopping, about 1.7 miles. I’m not fast, and it will always be my weakest part of the triathlon, but I’ve built up to the point where I should be able to complete the swim without draining myself for the bike and the run. Do you have something you’d like to accomplish or become proficient at? It could be for your health; like swimming, walking, or running. It could be reading; committing to reading a book or the Bible every day. Or it could be any other pursuit. If there is something out there for you, don’t think about doing it 100 times, think about 25. If you can do any activity regularly 25 times, you will have created the habit and become proficient enough to keep going. You will eventually get to 100 but focus on 25 first. The first 25 times
Charity Highlight – Feed My Starving Children
Hey everyone, I’m excited to share with you an interview I conducted with Mark Crea, Executive Director and CEO at Feed My Starving Children. FMSC is one of the four charities that Maggie and I are raising money for. I’ve known Mark for a lot of years, and I strongly encourage you to watch this interview. It’s 17 minutes long, so get a cup of coffee or watch it over your lunch break. I get inspired every time I talk with Mark, and I think you will too! Thanks for watching, and enjoy the weekend. Tad Weiss https://vimeo.com/730410833
We are getting close!
We Are Getting Close! I was like a kid at Christmas when Wendy dropped off a package at the office yesterday. The box was “book-sized” and from my publisher, Redemption Press. It contained a preview copy of 25 Meters to God. The cover of 25 Meters to God I hadn’t thought about what that moment would feel like, but it was quite emotional, especially when Maggie walked into my office to see the book. I’ve been working on this project for five years, but the last nine months have been intense. The excitement and satisfaction of holding the physical book was an incredible feeling! The book should be ready to order in 3 weeks. There will be a Hardcover, Paperback, eBook, and Audiobook version available. Our website, www.25meters.com, will have a link that will send you to the Redemption Press bookstore to order the book. The book will also be available through the major online retailers, but you’ll get a better price at Redemption Press. If you would like to order multiple copies, or receive a signed copy, let me know and we’ll be happy to get them to you. We’re posting a lot of content about the upcoming race, our fundraising, and the book on Instagram and Facebook. Please follow/like for updates and share with your friends to help us get the word out. Thanks and we’ll be back to you soon! https://vimeo.com/729663112 Read more posts here!
Victory at the Lake Minnetonka Triathlon
Maggie and I are competing in three triathlons in preparation for IRONMAN Wisconsin in September. We competed in the Buffalo Olympic Distance triathlon in early June, and the Lake Minnetonka Triathlon last Saturday. This was the 18th running of the LMT Sprint race. After finishing second on three prior occasions, Maggie brought it home in 1st place this year for the women’s division at the Lake Minnetonka Triathlon! Her time of 1 hour 14 minutes provided a comfortable margin of victory and was Maggie’s first win in her home state…congratulations Maggie!! Her “old man” finished in 1 hour 30 minutes and was pleased with his race. Maggie took first place in the women's division. You can read more about Maggie’s victory in this article. Please like/follow us this summer on our social media: Facebook and Instagram and share our story with your friends!
REDEMPTION PRESS
I recently signed a contract with Redemption Press to publish and distribute the book 25 Meters to God. The team at Redemption Press has been awesome, and for a first-time author, the process has been eye-opening. As I was told by a friend of mine that has written numerous books, writing the book is the easy part; publishing it is the hard part! The writing of the book has been a labor of love. Much of the content was written in 2014 as we documented Maggie’s accident and subsequent recovery. I’ve had numerous people tell me I needed to turn my journal writings into a book, so it’s been on my mind for a long time. I’ve been writing the book off and on for the last five years, and I’m thrilled to finish the project. 25 Meters to God will be available through Redemption Press, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other book retailers.
NEVER FORGET
Writing a book about an event that happened eight years ago is a great way to remember the past. I’ve been fortunate to have a journal, notes, photos, and thousands of e-mails to help jog my memory. Without those, the story wouldn’t be very accurate. Our memories and recollections of past events fade over time, but there is something else at work too. The speed and change of life give us new things to focus on, to the point where we slowly forget the blessings that God provided in the past. Eight years ago, I vowed to thank God every day for performing a miracle and saving my daughter Maggie’s life. Starting each day with a thankful heart gives honor to God and sets me up for a better day. When it comes to God’s promises and blessings, I will never forget.
JIREH
I was out for my long run on Sunday. In our Ironman training, we do a long bike ride with a short run on Saturday, and then follow it up with a long run on Sunday. The idea is that you’re tired coming off the long Saturday workout, which simulates how you’re going to feel during the run on race day. I listen to music when I run, and on this day I was listening to a worship music playlist on Amazon Prime. It was a cloudy day and I was on my 7th mile when the song Jireh came on, a song written and performed by Elevation Worship and Maverick City Music. I’ve heard the song many times, and it has grown on me the more I’ve heard it. Not even a minute into the song, in the second verse, they sing that God would cross an ocean, so I wouldn’t drown. The words hit me like a ton of bricks, because that is the essence of our story, and of the book! God crossed an ocean to save Maggie, and He crossed an ocean so I wouldn’t drown! How could I have listened to this song, maybe fifty times before, and missed this? As the words were sinking in, the sun burst through the clouds, and a bright light and warmth hit my face. God was putting an exclamation point on the moment, and He and I were connected. He reminded me that He is always there for
Welcome to our website
We created this site to share information on an exciting project we’ve been working on. In a nutshell, here is what you’ll find on the site: A summary of our family story that details our daughter Maggie’s accident in June of 2014 and subsequent recovery. Information on the book 25 Meters to God to be released in August of 2022. Maggie and Tad’s training for Ironman Wisconsin, a race they’ll be competing in together in September of 2022. Our fundraising efforts that will benefit four fantastic charities! You can follow our journey throughout the summer at our website, and on Facebook and Instagram. Please share the site with your friends and family too! We would love to recreate the following we had eight years ago at the time of Maggie’s accident, to tell the world about the book, our fundraising efforts, and to support us in the race. Reach me at [email protected] with any comments or questions, and thanks for following our journey!
