My 2017 Year in Review via Photos

January:

Running into 2017 with my favorite girl!

Crushing my FTP challenge = HUGE smiles!

Running ninja style when it is 2F outside!

Striving for progress, not perfection in the pool this week with a 2 second increase in my 200 yard time trial! 🙂

Doing the work and trusting the process means hay in the barn so I can start a HUGE fire on race day!

So giddy since I crushed my 5K time trial secret goal!

Pushing my limits…always!

Ironman Mont Tremblant…I’m comin’ for ya!

Snow shoeing in the woods with the Iron Hippie and my girls!

February:

Easy morning run for the first time in over a week!

It takes a lot of strength, determination, grit, resilience, perseverance, and self confidence when you have big dreams! Chase your dreams peeps!

Spin ups!

First swim in almost 3 weeks…I still have it!

Running when it is cold out can sometimes turn you blue!

As an 8th grade science teacher, I was blessed to have a student give this to me as a gift on Friday!

New 100 yard PR!

Every second counts when you go down the rabbit hole! “Alice: How long is forever? White Rabbit: Sometimes just one second!” ~Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

I’m honored to be invited to share my Ironman journey with members of the community.

Swim #2 this week was SO much better than #1!

Twin Tuesday at school…Love my sole sister!

Lots of dreaming of spring swims on our walk Tuesday!

Dry needling + electric shock to get my back to cooperate!

Diving into the unknown by incorporating some speed work into my swim so I can #findfaster

Staring fear in the face!

March:

Just keep swimming!

How bad do you want it?!

Work hard for what you want!

Dancing in the water!

Spin, spin, spin!

Running with my favorite girl!

#solesister + #runlove = #happyheart

Running with my faves!

My Coeur Sports + Sound Probiotics team gear for 2016 arrived!

Lunch date at the elementary school with the twins!

Coeur Sports photo shoot at the lake with my favorite girl!

40!

Love this family!

Swimming next to my fave while crushing intervals in a different pool = #swimlove

Family fun in the water!

Birthday miles + smiles!

Snuggles with my favorite girl!

Found the worlds smallest snowman while running Tuesday!

Running with the sunrise on Wednesday morning…so cold my eyelashes froze!

Sound Probiotics = FTW DOUBLE WIN!

New Newton Kismets! YES!

With my parents and the Iron Hippie!

Reconnecting with my mat was MUCH needed!

Incredibly grateful + lucky to have my sole sister pushing me through high intensity intervals even when she isn’t right beside me!

My first ever trophy (when I’ve placed on the podium before, I’ve always earned a medal)!

April:

You can sleep with your dreams or get up and work hard to turn them into reality. I really wanted to keep sleeping with my dreams Tuesday morning, but hard work won!

Tears of joy as I pushed out of my comfort zone on so many levels during my #timetrialtuesday ride!

Morning miles with friends is best!

#runlove in the misty rain! Perfect running weather!

“Celebrate good times…come on!” Some #swimlove Thursday morning!

My morning running buddy! Hill repeats this morning!

More #swimlove, that continued to work hard despite being exhausted

#tearsofjoy for finding a gear in my legs I didn’t think I had on this #timetrialtuesday

Sometimes you fall, but when you get up and keep moving, you get closer to achieving your dreams!

Boston Marathon Monday with my #solesister

So giddy! 16 watt improvement in my FTP test today means I’m over the 200 watt threshold! I never imagined I would see this day! So grateful for Coach Kelly to push me WAY out of my comfort zone and help me get stronger this season!

Aren’t I the “Best in Show”?!

Not quite the race I was hoping for, but I pushed as hard as I could all the way through! Grateful the rain held off until after I finished! Another Drake 1/2 is in the books!

May:

I have 2 students who are committed to teaching me how to do my own race day braids! Each day gets easier!

Flippin’ Friday evening with lots of #swimlove to #findfaster

Chaperoning the 8th grade dance with my #solesister

Grateful to be on 2 wheels on the open roads!

Hill repeats with the sunrise is a perfect way to start the day! #rememberingTRJ

First long solo ride on Saturday! HUGE confidence builder!

Snuggles with my favorite girl!

Lots of puppy love!

Some days you have it, and some days you don’t. Today was a “don’t” kind of day for me. Turning the page!

#saltyballs are prepped and ready for some long outdoor rides the next two days of this 3 day weekend!

Windy day on 2 wheels, but any day with my fave, Mojo, and the open roads is a great day! Lucky for me I get to do it all over again tomorrow!

“This is HUGE! Congrats. A back to back 4 hour ride is a great prep session for the Ironman build up. I’m so happy it went well and glad you do not back down in the face of adversity. You’ve evolved a lot as an athlete this year. I’m proud of you today. Good work.” ~Coach Kelly

I’m SO glad my back to back long bricks are done! All that wind made it VERY challenging!!

June: 

Basil also loves her homemade rope toy that one of my students made her!

60 miles of quiet time with Mojo, Mother Nature, and a few random strangers who wanted to chat while riding on the trail or needed help. #midwesthospitality #bikelove

What a warm + HUMID morning run!

Mojo has been blessed for Saturday’s race by Kyle…the best bike mechanic on the planet!

Morning meters in my favorite pool!

The heat index was 97F with sustained winds of 22-25 mph and gusts up to 35 mph. It was a rough day! Not what we’ve trained for, but we each set a new PR since we did a new distance…

Jumping for joy because the heat index is much lower today and my run was amazing as a result!

Meeting my mother in the middle of no where Iowa to pick up the twins for a couple of nights!

Helping to make dinner!

Cleaning all the fruit!

Playing games!

Visiting Iowa State University’s campus

Eating Tropical Snow

Some days you’re the bug and some days you’re the windshield. Today I was the bug. SPLAT!

Happy Fri-yay morning!

My fastest 100 miles ever in the saddle with these two!

July:

Strong, athletic women are the best! Summer doesn’t get much better than this!

Outdoor swimming is the best! So #grateful to have my fave at my side for so many of life’s crazy adventures!

Love these peeps!

Spending some much needed time with my sole sister!

Mojo and I spent some quality time with Mother Nature! I love the open roads on 2 wheels in Iowa!

So much fun to watch dog jumping downtown this July 4th weekend!

So happy + #grateful to finally put together a pretty solid long run despite the full sun, warm temps, + high dew point. Mother Nature put up a fight, but I won Wednesday!

I’m in a big build…today (Friday) adversity had me sitting on the side of the road in tears with 10 miles to go. I had lots of thoughts and choices while sitting under the tree. I chose to get back on Mojo and continue to chase my dreams! As Coach Kelly says, “it is supposed to feel like that and that this is what it takes. :)” First solo century is in the books!

So much fun to meet my Coeur Sports teammate Saturday and cheer her on to 1st place AG as she raced in Iowa last weekend!

Turning social media friends into real friends is so much fun!

Pure joy comes when you learn new skills! Congratulations to Maggie! She stared fear in the face and won! So proud of you Maggie!

Holding plank with 3 of my nieces on my back! They are such good help when doing my core work!

#swimlove with my fave at home home!

Tubing is part of the pre-race training plan, right?!

4 of my favorite girls swimming in the lake off the boat!

Family + Lake Okoboji = #happyheart

2nd place AG at the Okoboji Triathlon!

Enjoying Indian cuisine with our friends + being blessed with these gifts from India = #happyheart

With a really tight calf comes dry needling. Thanks to Dr. Chris at Team Chiropractic for keeping me healthy and getting me in to see him right away!

Thank you Kyle for getting Mojo ready for my last big push to Ironman Mont Tremblant! You are the BEST! Kyle’s Bikes all the way!

“Never give up, and be confident in what you do. There may be tough times, but the difficulties which you face will make you more determined to achieve your objectives and to win against all the odds.” ~Marta
Wednesday’s 18 mile run was a sufferfest, but I was determined to #nevergiveup and was SO happy to be done!

Last long ride (107+ miles) in Iowa done before leaving for the NE! With an excessive heat advisory Saturday, there were a few times I felt like I was in hell, but I kept on going!

Helping my fave get some birthday miles in Sunday morning! Happy Birthday to the Iron Hippie!

Morning swim in 86*F water in La Porte, Indiana with my fave! #toohotforlapswimming

Visiting Niagara Falls with my Fave!

Climbing App Gap…5 miles of continuous climbing.

#trackcatstrong

All ready to ride and then…

Last long run before #IMMT in Stowe, Vermont…now it is time to taper and soak up all this training!

Smore’s at training camp!

August:

We’ve arrived in Lake Placid, New York!

Soaking in the beauty of Mirror Lake!

The Ice Hockey venue where Miracle on Ice took place!

The Ski jump!

Standing on the podium for the ski jump

Overcoming fears and going to the top of the ski jump to look out over Lake Placid and surrounding areas.

Swimming in Mirror Lake in Lake Placid, NY

A beautiful night for a free concert on the lake!

After climbing out of Jay, it was time for a little descending.

Mojo loves the views of the Ironman Lake Placid bike course!

Dinner with a new friend in Lake Placid!

This lady is AMAZING!

Big Slide Brewery has some great pizza options and some pretty tasty craft brews also!

Arriving at our condo in Mont Tremblant, Quebec, Canada…look at this view!

Riding the gondola to the top of the hills to look out over Mont Tremblant!

The top! These views!

We got to swim in one of the most cleanest, nicest pools ever in Mont Tremblant! Why can’t we have a facility like this in Ames?!

Getting a pre-race massage at our condo. Melanie Jardot did a FANTASTIC job. HIGHLY recommend her for massage if you are in need of one in Mont Tremblant!

Running with my fave for a few miles to shake out the legs post massage.

My family from California came came for a few days! #happyheart

Love these three monkeys!

Family snuggles

We went to the top on the gondola again!

Getting ready to ride the luge in the summer!

Putting in some work, but alas the storms showed up and cut our work a bit short for this ride!

Enjoying a beer by the fire after babysitting the nieces so my sister and brother-in-law could enjoy a date night!

These peeps hold 4 keys to my heart!

Tandem in Quebec!

Snuggles at the lake!

Love these peeps!

Pre-race swim prep!

Riding Chemin Duplessis in Mont Tremblant…such a beautiful bike course!

Meeting Erika, my Coeur Sports teammate!!

Swimming to the coffee boat on the swim course!

So grateful to have Dad and Aunt Linda come spend time with us in Mont Tremblant and cheer us on to PRs on race day!

What a stunning sunset view from our condo!

Mojo is racked and ready for an epic adventure tomorrow!

The Iron Hippie and I making our way to the water.

Let’s go ride!

Two of the best spectators EVER! Thanks to Dad and Aunt Linda for cheering us on all day long! Love you both!

So much coeur on this course! #bikelove

Loving this course and enjoying the beautiful views!

Love you Ericka! Thanks for the photo!

September:

Helping a fellow triathlete (soon to be Ironman athlete) learn to change her tire before race day!

Rock climbing…still working on overcoming my fear of heights!

The many volunteers in T1 at Ironman Wisconsin!

Giving back! I LOVE this sport!

Washing away the post Ironman blues!

Running with my faves on a beautiful morning!

Spirit Run with my 2 favorite colleagues!

CyMan Sprint Triathlon…OUCH!

CyMan Sprint Triathlon…this hurts SO bad!

Fall #bikelove in Iowa!

Children of the corn 😉

October:

Running makes most of us happy! 😉

Dr. Chris Feil with Team Chiropractic educating the ladies at the recovery clinic co-sponsored by Coeur Sports and Ignite Yoga!

Practicing yoga with this amazing community of women at the recovery clinic co-sponsored by Coeur Sports, Ignite Yoga, and Team Chiropractic!

This amazing community of women learning, practicing, and loving at the recovery clinic co-sponsored by Coeur Sports, Ignite Yoga, and Team Chiropractic!

Reconnecting with my mat!

“All you need is love” and a shower!

Focus, focus, focus!

Brick…45 minute run, 45 minute bike, 45 minute run all before work…in the rain!

You’re never too old to sit on your mama’s lap!

Watching Iowa State beat Oklahoma!

The dogs love swimming in the lake!

Snuggles with 3 of my most favorite ladies!

Running with my favorite girl along the lake!

Dreaming of warmer days and lots of swimming (by both of us)!

Swim time trial day!

Bike power challenge!

2 mile time trial at the track!

Running with friends is always best!

Swim stroke refinement thanks to Coach Hansen!

Trying to multitask by grading and riding my bike at the same time!

Running with girlfriends is always fun…even when Mother Nature has decided that winter would show up a few months early!

November:

Wrapping up a full week of work + parent teacher conferences by running with my favorite girl!

Running the Hillbilly 1/2 Marathon with these two crazy kids was so much fun!

So humble + honored to have this AMAZING company and these empowering women by my side in 2018!

First successful intervals since IMMT!

3800 yards of #chlorinetherapy is my longest swim since IMMT!

Running is always better with four-legged fur babies!

Some rides are easier than others. Like in life, the challenges help us grow. I must have grown a LOT on this ride!

Speed development on this #sundayrunday meant 100 yard repeats at the track!

Tempo Trainer M3 Ramp Test had me like…holy crap!

Crushing my bike intervals!

Getting stronger as I #findfaster in the water!

#sundayrunday with these two amazing running buddies!

Early morning miles with my favorite girl! I’m so lucky to have such an amazing running companion!

Starting my 4 day Thanksgiving weekend with #chlorinetherapy + #swimlove!

Basil loves our evening walks!

So grateful for these amazing people in my life + morning miles! #friendsgiving

The boys carving the turkey for our #friendsgiving feast!

The Iron Hippie’s parents came to visit for Small Business Saturday!

Family dog walks at dusk are the best!

Working to #findfaster as I chase my dreams!

So much #bikelove on my longest ride since #IMMT

Good morning! What a beautiful sunrise!

“Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.” ~Harriet Stowe

Finishing off November with my favorite girl!

December:

Getting back into the gym to build strength!

Running with my two faves!

One of the best swims I’ve had in a while!

Dreaming of Kona and the sunshine!

Dreaming of Kona while I watch the Ironman World Championships!

Kona love for this swim!

#runlove with my favorite girl!

Putting puzzles together is a favorite holiday tradition!

Celebrating my sole sister’s birthday with these amazing ladies!

#runlove with my favorite girl!

Dancing with my favorite girl in the kitchen!

Playing in the water is a must!

Holiday cheers with the Iron Hippie’s sister + brother-in-law.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Day sunset over the frozen lake at home home! #lakeokoboji

Making cookies with our twin nieces at Christmas.

Crushing our #batcapchallenge the last week of December!

Pedicures with my #solesister

Evening snowshoeing with my favorites!

Making snow angels in the dark!

Windchill temps of -32*F means we bundle up to shovel snow!

New Years Eve swimming!!