my 2023 year in review via photos

January:

We had some visitors that I’m grateful to meet (the twin babies) and have dearly missed!

One of the twins…SO TINY!

Thank you for all of the love you have given us. We love and miss you so much! Run and swim free baby girl! 💕

snowshoe adventures with this amazing crew ❄️💙

snowshoeing at dusk was a great way to end the work week ❄️💙🐶

snowshoe adventures in the falling ❄️ before the temps plummeted ❄️💙🐶

February:

Grateful for:
💙 shorts weather in February in Iowa
💙 antibiotics and finally feeling healthy again
💙 sunshine + fresh air
💙 the therapy I get from pounding the pavement

I think I saw more kites in one place today at the kite festival on Clear Lake than the cumulative number of kites I’ve seen in my entire lifetime. 🪁 It was a beautiful winters day to venture out and experience something new! 💙

8 wonderful miles with my pack on a beautiful Sunday morning! 💙 #grateful

March:

Happy happy birthday baby girl! How is it that you are already 4 years old?! Love you so much! 🐶🥰

Helping the twins paint their bedrooms. Who knew using your foot to help put the outlet cover back on was a technique?! 😜🤣

“Explore your limits and get to know yourself. You’ll never feel more real than after the hardest workout, the longest run, the toughest week, or the best race of your life. Constantly make your own standards tougher.” ~Luke Watson
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Saturday was my first EVER swim meet. I swam the 200 yard, 500 yard, 50 backstroke (as part of the medley relay), 100 IM, and 1650 yard. I tried something new, explored my limits, overcame challenges, and had fun in the process. I’m so grateful for the community of people I’ve met through masters swimming, the automatic personal bests I achieved in my first swim meet, and the strength my body + mind endure daily to carry me on these exciting adventures. ⚡️💙

April:

When the Van de Graaaff generator gives you a hair raising experience!

Snap peas are planted! 💙

It was hot enough for pool time! Temps were near 90F for most of the week, but don’t worry…Mother Nature blessed us with more snow on Sunday. 🤦🏻‍♀️

First outdoor ride of the season is in the books! It felt SO AMAZING to be riding on the open roads in the fresh air, sunshine, and spring temps with my fave by my side! 💙⚡️

First race of 2023 is in the books!
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⚡️ I achieved my goal of taking the first 10 miles easy and emptying the tank in the last 5K.
⚡️ I committed to giving my best effort.
⚡️ I am really proud of my pacing and fueling.
⚡️ I am making progress towards my goal.
⚡️ Despite the cold temps, it was a sunny day.
⚡️ I created joy while running and crossing the finish line of my 12th Drake 1/2 Marathon.

May:

Meet my new Argon girl…Moxie! We have been getting well acquainted the last few months indoors on Zwift and the Wahoo kickr, but it is FINALLY nice outdoors for us to really get a feel for each other. After spending quality time together yesterday and today on the open roads, I can tell we are going to be the best of friends! 💙
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Moxie = energy, pep, courage, determination ⚡️
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Thank you Kyles Bikes for building her for me and getting us moving and grooving together! 💚

Another 13.1 miles in the books today! So grateful for a strong body + mind, all the smiles for miles, and the amazing community of women who put the Des Moines Women’s Half Marathon together + raced at this incredible event! ⚡️💚💛

Dear Mother Nature, Thank you for finally blessing us with a beautiful weekend day!! 💙⚡️

Diving into outdoor swimming for the summer!

So proud of this one for taking home some medals at the Special Olympics over 3 days.

Summer is here and dock jumping is back!!

Thank you Adam at Kyle’s Bikes for dialing in the bike fit on Moxie Monday. I’m excited to see how these minor changes equate to huge gains! ⚡️💚💛

June:

Time on two wheels makes my heart happy! 💙⚡️

Sunsets, fresh air, and adventures! 🐶🥰

Love me some Coeur ladies and meeting them IRL! ⚡️

Running down the red carpet is always a privilege! ⚡️

Pro numbers for these tri sistas! #LFG ⚡️

Making my way home with the Capitol building in the background!

Being on the water makes my heart happy. Jersey loves it too!! 🐶🥰

Race directors having fun at the Ames Triathlon!

July:

Creating new memories by taking new adventures on Independence Day. ❤️🤍💙

Teaching the twins how to jump the car…just in case.

Having all of the nieces visit us was a fun time!

Sometimes you just have to flip things around…like when you wake up thinking it’s Monday. Take that”M” and flip it around so it becomes a “W” and just like that you are winning on a Wednesday! ⚡️

Spending time on the water together was SO FUN!

We got to go out on the golf cart! 🐶🥰

Friends make the world a better place!

Bikes + watermelon + bluebird skies + open roads = pure joy ⚡️💙

These two make us laugh and always end up soaking wet when we are on the water.

August:

playing on the water at home-home

riding the golf cart

trail riding

swimming with our baby girl

riding from Iowa into Minnesota

playing on the water at Gull Point

more trail riding in Minnesota

swimming the Point to Point 3.2 mile swim from Gull Point State Park to Pikes Point State Park

September:

making memories with Michelle in Sacramento

swimming at sunrise in Folsom with Michelle

family time in South Lake Tahoe

Look at how crystal clear this water is!

feeling small next to the vastness of Lake Tahoe

Swimming in Lake Tahoe was one of my favorite swim experiences EVER!

Sisterly love

hiking at Echo Lake with new friends

morning hike with my sister and Dulce

time with family + friends 💙

love these girls 💙

let’s go zip lining! 💙

Cheering on this girl as she has gotten stronger + faster throughout her XC season.

October:

Getting to ride outside with my fav is always a highlight!

So grateful to be on the Coeur Sports team for year 10!

This is the latest we have ever been on the water and it was awesome!

Family miles brings all the smiles!

So grateful that my grant application was accepted by Newton Running providing Ironhawk Juniors with 25 free pairs of new shoes for those less fortunate girls getting into sport!

All the snuggles and squeezes at the same time!

These two always brighten my day!

November:

We did it!! Isabella’s first 1/2 marathon!! SO PROUD OF HER!!

beautiful fall running with my girls

we were the race directors for a local turkey trot (which we both did with illness). thanks Tim for doing the local television live shot since I sounded like Darth Vader.

lots of puzzling 🥰

getting acupuncture to try to help my foot…thankfully it is helping perimenopause symptoms 🥰

December:

so grateful for such an amazing team to swim with

Sometimes the best laid plans are the ones that are spontaneous! 💙💛

puzzling + holiday lights = peaceful

This is the first run in a LONG time that I felt in a flow state. There has been more ebb than flow in 2023, but I’m working to change that. Cheers to bringing more flow into 2024! ⚡️

I almost didn’t do this workout today because I had negative thoughts about not being able to successfully complete it last week, BUT I pushed those thoughts aside, got out of my own way, got on the bike, stayed present, and took it one interval at a time. Boom! Success! Don’t count yourself out before you try! ⚡️

V is for victory!
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30x100s at an average pace I didn’t know was in me. Keep showing up and consistently give yourself the chance to be better than you were yesterday.

❤️ miles with my girl
🧡 fresh air
💛 pounding the pavement
💚 seeing my girl so full of joy
💙 running with my thoughts
💜 feeling proud of my effort

Girls night out…dinner + a holiday lights display. Oh…and notice we are all outside in sweatshirts in December in Iowa.