Triathlon – PushMyLimits

2023 week 11: spring

Published on March 20, 2023 by KeciaLeave a comment

Last week was spring break on campus, but it definitely didn’t feel like spring. With today being the first official day of spring and our temps predicted to reach the mid 50s, I am hopeful that it will feel like spring and stick around for a few months. Regardless of what the weather does, we are still getting a little more daylight everyday this time of year, and that is a WIN!!

“The first day of spring is one thing, and the first spring day is another. The difference between them is sometimes as great as a month.”
~Henry Van Dyke

Swim highlights: 11,150 yards

Last week I had some solid swims and felt great in the water! It has been a LONG time since I have had the power of choice at a masters swim workout, so it was so nice on Wednesday to have that power. ⚡️

Choices. We all have them. We all make them. Choice is the most powerful tool we have. What choices are you making to bring you closer to your goals and dreams?
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During Wednesday morning’s swim we had a choice of what distance(s) to swim for part of the main set. I chose the option that I knew would push me, challenge me, and allow me to learn and grow the most because I am always striving to do and be my best. ⚡️

Bike highlights: 123 miles

I had some great bike workouts last week that each challenged me in different ways, but I was all in for each of them and committed to giving my best effort on the day. That mental training is key for success!

I am committed to giving my best effort ⚡️ • Thursday’s ride was no joke. I pushed myself to the edge, stayed committed to giving my best effort, and found where my current limit is. ⚡️

Run fun: 18.6 miles

Sunday’s windchill was about 30F warmer than Saturday, so we took the run outside. It was still pretty cold, but we knocked out 9 miles as a family. Running outside on Sunday in the colder temps made me even more confident in my decision about racing on Saturday.

Grateful for my pack, fresh air, sunshine, and all the miles. 💙#sundayrunday

15 minutes of core strength daily
2×30 minutes of full body strength
30 minutes of yoga

Weekly Totals: 16 hours & 12 minutes

Attitude of Gratitude:

How often do you celebrate the wins? Even the small wins?
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Monday I am celebrated all of the small wins. The previous week I had an emotional week. I was feeling more anxiety and stress, which caused me to not show up to some of my workouts and take more rest than was planned. BUT that is what I needed at that time. Last week I felt less stressed, less anxious, and more rested. AND I chose to celebrate the wins.
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Monday I am celebrated:
⚡️ getting up early to swim (oh…and that is a huge win with the new time change that I am not a fan of)
⚡️ pushing myself in the pool to swim hard
⚡️ showing up to do a strength session followed by a run on the treadmill after work
⚡️ doing some speed work during my run
⚡️ fueling and hydrating well all day long
⚡️ deciding to quit drinking alcohol over 3 years ago and not looking back
⚡️ deciding ahead of time that today is a new day
⚡️ setting myself up for a successful tomorrow by getting to bed early
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What wins are you celebrating?

It’s the little things. Do you look for hearts wherever you go? 💙

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

We are so lucky that this fun, curious, adventurous, lovable, active, cuddle bug chose us as her forever home 3 years ago! Happy gotcha day Jersey! We 💚 you baby girl!

Going to work with mom is exhausting, but this is how I spent my “Gotcha day” and I loved it! ~Jersey 🐶🥰

Do what makes you happy and have fun! If it isn’t fun, why are you doing it?
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I chose to not run a 1/2 marathon race that I was signed up for Saturday morning because running in -10F windchills with 35 mph winds didn’t sound fun. I’m so happy with my decision, because I got to swim + bike + run (on the treadmill) Saturday and challenge myself in a way that brought me joy. ⚡️

A day full of swim + bike + run = joy! 💙

Mom, please hold my head up with your foot. ~Jersey 🐶🥰

What are you highlights from week 11 of 2023?

2023 week 10: failure is a key to success

Published on March 13, 2023 by KeciaLeave a comment

Last week was a recovery week for me. I took more rest and let my body soak up the training it has done in the last few weeks. While I had an emotional week (feeling lots of anxiety for various reasons), I did have some spicy workouts that challenged me in new ways to keep things sharp and entertaining throughout the week.

“you always pass failure on your way to success”
~Mickey Rooney

Swim highlights: 0 yards

I had some anxiety last week that prohibited me from sleeping well and showing up to swim. Thankfully this is a new week, my anxiety is under control, and I am pleased to report that I already showed up to swim this week.

Bike highlights: 51.3 miles

Thursday’s ride was a real “treat”. Jess purposely wrote the workout for us to “fail” at some point to see how long we could hold on. Let’s just say that 4×2 minutes at 130% of FTP was INSANE and “fail” I did! 😜 I didn’t successfully achieve any of those intervals by holding onto the 130% of FTP for 2 minutes, BUT I showed up, pushed hard, and was willing to blow up to find where my edge was, so in my opinion, that is a success! ⚡️

“Failure is the key to success; each mistake teaches us something.” ~Morihei Ueshiba ⚡️

Run fun: 14.2 miles

I took my long run outside on Wednesday this week before the snow started to fly. It had rained most of the morning, but I had just enough time between the rain and snow to squeeze in a 12 mile run. This was my longest run since IMAZ in November and it felt so good to be getting some run therapy in!

“Every woman should be an inspiration to another. We’re strongest when we cheer each other on.” ~Serena Williams • Happy International Women’s Day to all women…black, trans, brown, indigenous, disabled, queer, and straight. We are strongest together! 💙

Snowshoe adventures: 0 miles

We got PLENTY of snow for snowshoeing last week, but the snow conditions weren’t great for snowshoeing with the girls. It was wet heavy snow when it fell and then the temps dropped and made the snow really crunchy. This isn’t good for them as the crunchy snow rips up their feet, so we opted for no snowshoe adventures.

15 minutes of core strength daily
30 minutes of full body strength
30 minutes of yoga

Weekly Totals: 7 hours & 5 minutes

Attitude of Gratitude:

“Don’t mind me while I sleep sitting up.” ~Jersey 🐶🥰

What are you highlights from week 10 of 2023?

2023 week 9: seasons

Published on March 7, 2023 by KeciaLeave a comment

Last week was a pretty normal week, which I was happy to have…everyone is healthy, spring feels like it is around the corner, and we are moving into a new season. I love the variety that all seasons bring us, but I am ready for the warmer temps and outdoor adventures awaiting us on the horizon.

“You can not change the seasons, but you can change yourself.”
~Jim Rohn

Swim highlights: 8750 yards

I am prepping for my first ever swim meet! I am so excited to test myself in new ways in the water and see where my limits are.

We may be preparing for our first swim meet, but we are having fun in the process!

Bike highlights: 124 miles + 21:47:13 hours in February

I didn’t quite meet my 28 hour goal for cycling in the month of February, but considering I was sick for the first 2 weeks and on antibiotics for 10 days, I am really pleased that I spent as much time in the saddle as I did.

We can all learn lessons from Zwift. They celebrate even the smallest wins…what wins are you not YET celebrating?

Run fun: 15.3 miles

Sunday, Jersey and I ran 10 miles on her 4th birthday. Tim and Basil joined us for the first 3 miles. So grateful for my longest run post IMAZ and the best company ever! The weather wasn’t the best, but it made for a fun adventure and more bricks added to my wall!

“Building confidence is very much the same as building a brick wall. When you take the time to recognize all the small wins you make on a daily basis, you keep adding bricks to your wall of confidence.” ~Allistair McCaw

Snowshoe adventures: 0 miles

It looks like our snowshoe adventures are over for the year. Sadly we didn’t get nearly as much snow as we would like this season and with spring right around the corner if we get a snowfall, it likely won’t stick.

Weekly Totals: 14 hours & 7 minutes

15 minutes of core strength daily
30 minutes of full body strength

Attitude of Gratitude:

Grateful for some time on Moxie and this amazing new Coeur Sports Velvet Banana kit! 🍌

Any day where I get to swim, bike, and run in the same day is a great day!

Getting my squeeze on! Thanks Hyperice for keeping me healthy!

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

Getting my squeeze on while on a Coeur Sports Team call! 💙

What are you highlights from week 9 of 2023?

2023 week 8: stand back up

Published on February 28, 2023 by Kecia2 Comments

Last week I finally got myself out of the rut I’d been in for FAR TOO LONG! Since Thanksgiving I have put on 17 pounds and while I don’t put a lot of energy into monitoring my weight, I knew I needed to take note of my weight change because I’ve noticed the clothes fitting tighter, the belly getting in the way for some yoga moves that used to be much easier to do with a flatter belly, and everything being a bit more challenging as I carry the extra weight. So I am on a mission to get myself back on track, lose the extra pounds, reestablish a solid workout routine, and stop consuming those extra + unnecessary calories. Perimenopause has definitely been a factor in all of this, but I am not willing to allow that be the excuse for all of this, so it is time to figure out what works best for my body in this changing time. Oh…and finally deciding what the first half of my 2023 racing schedule will look like has definitely helped with the motivation to get me moving consistently again.

“When life knocks you down, your only option is to stand back up. Whatever you do, do not stay down and just wish things would get better. Go out there and start making them better.”
~NIkki Banas/Walk the Earth

Swim highlights: 9750 yards

Lots of time in the chlorine last week preparing for my first ever swim meet. Yes, you read that correctly, I will compete in my first ever swim meet next month. When was the last time you did something for the first time?!

I am willing to show up and blow up to explore where my edge is. ⚡️

Bike highlights: 162 miles + 20:16:59 hours in February

Thanks to the Hardcoeur coaches that coach the Coeur Velo Virtual Club, I was challenged more than I’ve been challenged in a LONG time on the bike. I was definitely exploring where my edge was for each of these workouts and I’m proud of what I accomplished mentally, emotionally, and physically while on the bike last week.

This morning’s ride was SUPER CHALLENGING. I’m certain that if I was doing this ride on my own that I likely would have backed down, taken it off ERG mode and not worked as hard, and allowed my recent illness to be an excuse for why I couldn’t hold these targets. Thanks to the Coeur Velo ladies and watching them all work hard, I stayed connected to my effort, stayed committed to giving my best on this day, stayed focused on the interval I was in, stuck with it, and persevered! Ladies, if you are looking for a new + fun way to challenge yourself on the bike, join the Coeur Virtual Velo Club and come ride with us!
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I am willing to show up and blow up to explore where my edge is. ⚡️

Run fun: 16.1 miles

I had a tough run on Wednesday that I really doubted I could successfully complete. Good thing doubt isn’t a problem because I nailed it! I’m sure my new kicks helped also!

Today I took my new Newton Running shoes the distance!
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I am willing to show up and blow up to explore where my edge is. ⚡️ And today I learned my edge is a bit farther away than I thought it was.

Snowshoe adventures: 0 miles

I’m beginning to think that our snowshoe adventures may be done for the season. We got some more winter weather last week, but it was an ice storm with VERY LITTLE snow. It isn’t often that Iowa State University cancels in person classes (requiring them to be taught online) + requesting employees to work remotely, but that happened last week.

Weekly Totals: 18 hours & 26 minutes

15 minutes of core strength daily
3×30 minutes of full body strength
2×30 minutes of yoga

Attitude of Gratitude:

Someone didn’t feel well, so I got LOTS of snuggles from her. Thankfully she is back to her normal, happy, healthy self. 🐶🥰

Finished this puzzle just in time for the new ones to arrive.

The ice just kept coming! Thankfully we never lost power and the temps were warm enough over the weekend for it to completely melt it all.

So excited to represent Coeur Sports for year my 9th year! 💙

Eeeekkkk…my new Coeur Sports team gear finally arrived! SO excited for race season! 💙

Thanks to Normatec for getting my squeeze on!

Lots of sparkle due to the ice storm we had on Wednesday + Thursday last week 💙

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

What are you highlights from week 8 of 2023?

2023 week 7: feeling better

Published on February 20, 2023 by KeciaLeave a comment

Last week I started to feel better and was so grateful for it! I am officially off of antibiotics, I’m noticing my resting heart rate returning to normal, and I have more energy. #sograteful

“Being sick is your body’s way of saying you’re way too awesome, and you need to slow down, so everyone else can catch up.”
~Unknown

Swim highlights: 6575 yards

I was so glad to be back in the water after 2 weeks off!

Awww yeah!! It felt so good to be back in the water after 2 weeks away!

Bike highlights: 88.5 miles + 11:29:38 hours in February

I got some good mileage in last week, but am still a bit behind on cycling 28 hours in February. We will see how this week shakes out and just how close I can get to achieving my goal.

So grateful to be back on the bike, feeling better, and for these ladies to ride with

Run fun: 7.46 miles

Monday I got to run outside in SHORTS in FEBRUARY in IOWA…WHAT?! Oh yeah!! Don’t worry…by Thursday we were back to real Iowa winters.

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

Snowshoe adventures: 0 miles

The small amount of snow we got on Thursday quickly melted with the sunshine + warmer temps we had over the weekend.

Weekly Totals: 10 hours & 59 minutes

15 minutes of core strength daily
30 minutes of full body strength
30 minutes of yoga

Attitude of Gratitude:

Sushi!!! It has been far to long since we last had sushi for dinner!!

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! 💙

What are you highlights from week 7 of 2023?

2023 week 6: knocked back down

Published on February 14, 2023 by Kecia2 Comments

Last week started off well. I felt like I was recovering from whatever crud I had on Monday, but Tuesday I was knocked back down again. On Wednesday I went back to the doctor and was put on antibiotics for a sinus infection. Thankfully the amoxicillin is working and I am feeling SO much better!

“I get knocked down, but I get up again. You are never gonna keep me down.”
~Chumbawamba

Swim highlights: 0 yards

Sadly there was no pool time last week.

Bike highlights: 49.9 miles + 6:17:40 hours in February

I did get some time in the saddle toward the end of the week. I have a long way to go to get caught up with the challenge, but thankfully I have 15 more days to get the hours in.

FINALLY got to spend a little time with the Coeur Velo ladies during a morning ride. Saturday was the first day in over two weeks that I was able to spend with the ladies.

Run fun: 3.33 miles

I ran super easy on Sunday morning with Tim and the girls. I felt so much better on Sunday and the fresh air was amazing. Definite spirit booster!

Snowshoe adventures: 0 miles

The temps have been climbing, which means we don’t have snow for snowshoeing…but that could drastically change in the coming days.

Weekly Totals: 5 hours & 41 minutes

15 minutes of core strength daily
30 minutes of full body strength

Attitude of Gratitude:

My mom came down over the weekend and we went to an orchid display at Reiman Gardens.

Getting to cheer Isabella on at the state swim meet!! So proud of her for cutting time in most of her events!!

What are you highlights from week 6 of 2023?

2023 week 5: ready, set, STOP

Published on February 6, 2023 by Kecia2 Comments

Last week I was SO ready to set myself up for a successful week! I knocked out a solid day on Monday and then…I woke up Tuesday with a sore throat and could hardly swallow. I missed 3 days of work, and lots of training, BUT I tested negative for strep + covid. Thankfully I’m feeling better and bouncing back even if I still sound like death.

“ready, set, STOP”
~the virus

Swim highlights: 3200 yards

Monday morning was my only swim of the week. It started a bit rocky as the chlorine levels were low, so they had to shock the pool before we could swim. This meant we had to wait a bit before getting in the water (and yes, I questioned whether shocking the pool with excess chlorine could have caused me to get sick, but there is no way to test this until the next time this situation happens).

I could have stayed in bed for a bit longer…

Bike highlights: 65.9 miles + 36,388 feet of total elevation gained in January

The goal for February is to ride 28 hours in 28 days. Thanks to starting the year off sick, I’m a little behind, but I am not worried. We are just getting started!

Run fun: 4.4 miles

I completed one run before the crud took me out. I have just over 5 weeks until my first race of 2023, so it’s time to get those run legs moving.

Snowshoe adventures: 0 miles

Sadly our snow is shrinking. The temps are climbing and melting all of our snow. I am not quite ready for winter to be over, so if we could get another massive snowfall before March, I’m all for it!

Weekly Totals: 7 hours & 17 minutes

15 minutes of core strength daily
30 minutes of full body strength

Attitude of Gratitude:

Mom, can I help you do strength training? 🐶🥰

These two have bonded so much more after losing their sister last month.🐶🥰

This 1000 piece puzzle looks a bit different than the picture on the box.

I had to do something with my brain while sick, so…I completed this 750 piece puzzle in one day.

Hibernation mode activated with these cold temps! 💙🐶🥰

What are you highlights from week 5 of 2023?

2023 week 4: explore

Published on January 30, 2023 by KeciaLeave a comment

Last week I spent exploring…exploring where my edge was while climbing Alp du Zwift on the bike, exploring where my edge was during a 200 yard time trial, and exploring all the trails in the snow (including some new to us trails).

“Exploration is a wonderful way to open our eyes to the world, and to truly see that impossible is just a word.”
~Richard Branson

Swim highlights: 3050 yards

Wednesday was the only day I swam last week and boy was it a great swim! We did a “shark” swim Wednesday. Melissa is about 30 seconds faster than me at the 200 distance (her breast stroke and my freestyle). She gave me a 30 second head start and I worked HARD to not let her catch me. Thanks Melissa for pushing me to really get the most out of myself! 💙

New PR for the 200 yard distance in the pool Wednesday that ended with heavy + labored breathing, seeing stars, feeling my heartbeat in my toes, and feeling SO DAMN PROUD of myself for going deep into the well. ⚡️

Bike highlights: 29.4 miles + 36,388 feet of cumulative elevation gained in January

Monday I climbed Alp du Zwift with the goal of trying to set a 90 day PR. My previous PR was set 5 days prior with a time of 90:20 for the 7.76 mile climb. On Monday I SMASHED that by setting a new PR of 78:04! ⚡️ This climb also got me to the top of Mount Everest for the month of January. Don’t worry…I didn’t stop climbing just because I achieved this goal. I’m still climbing through the end of the month!

So damn proud of my accomplishments:
⚡️cutting over 12 minutes
⚡️sticking with the discomfort when I wanted to quit climbing many times
⚡️my curiosity won instead of my fear of failure and fear of disappointment
⚡️my intentional thoughts were on point to get me to the top

Run fun: 0 miles

I didn’t do one run last week and I’m ok with that. I ventured out on snowshoes multiple times instead. Taking advantage of the white fluff! ❄️💙

Snowshoe adventures: 6.61 miles

We got out for a snowshoe adventure early in the week before it got too cold to be outside for long later in the week. It is so peaceful out in the woods! I’m so grateful to have a family who enjoys these outdoor adventures! ❄️💙🐶

Weekly Totals: 9 hours & 40 minutes

15 minutes of core strength daily
2×30 minutes of full body strength

Attitude of Gratitude:

snuggles + building radical self belief with Vanessa Foerster + getting squeezed by my Normatec boots = happy heart

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

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

Recovery is on point after all the playing in the ❄️

What are you highlights from week 4 of 2023?

2023 week 3: messy + imperfect + uncomfortable = success

Published on January 24, 2023 by KeciaLeave a comment

Last week we started to figure out our new normal while experiencing less of everything: dog hair, love, feet to clean, happy tails, mouths to feed, snuggles. Monday I made the commitment to myself to “just show up” everyday and that is what I did. By doing this, I had a super successful week that I am SO DAMN PROUD of!

“Show up messy. Show up imperfect. But just keep showing up.”
~Jenna Kutcher

Swim highlights: 10,800 yards

During Wednesday’s swim, Coach Sophie gave me feedback to make my swim stroke more efficient and balanced long term. Right now it is in the ugly + uncomfortable + craptastic stage where I am mentally doubting if it is worth it because I am slow and awkward. I trust the process and I believe that it will get better with time. So for now, I will continue to show up, be messy + imperfect + uncomfortable and practice, practice, practice. AND on Friday, I set a new PR at the 500 yard distance with a time trial…maybe those tweaks to my swim stroke are working. 🙃

How lucky are we that we get to swim here?! Oh…and that new 500 yard PR is pretty awesome too!! 🙃

Bike highlights: 57.8 miles + 30,705 feet of cumulative elevation gained in January

Ummm…Thursday’s ride was BRUTAL in the BEST way!! I missed doing the Kilimanjaro workout with the @coeursports #veloclub Thursday morning, which meant I had to do this challenging workout solo later in the day. After seeing all of the posts and comments about the difficulty of this workout I was scared + nervous to go it alone. My brain was full of doubt. But thankfully doubt isn’t a problem. I did some session priming before starting this workout. I decided ahead of time what I wanted to think + how I wanted to feel DURING this workout AND what I wanted to think + how I wanted to feel AFTER this workout.

“Remember you have to be a bit scared to be brave, AND you have to overcome that fear to get the biggest feeling of accomplishment after.” ~ @jesssmithtri
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I am exploring where my edge is. As challenging as this workout was, today I was pushed close to my edge, but I did not reach it. I finished with stars for all 49 intervals, trashed legs, a happy heart, and the biggest feeling of accomplishment! ⚡️

Run fun: 5.64 miles

Wednesday I had a run where the main set was 4 minutes fast/4 minutes easy. Based on my last performance doing this workout a couple of weeks ago, I decided to shoot for 7.8 mph (8:01/mile pace) for those fast intervals. I took some time to session prime and when I stepped on the treadmill, decided to explore where my edge is and go for 8.0 mph (7:49/mile pace). I had no idea if I could actually hit this, but I knew I was willing to try it and see if I had it in me to do on this day. It wasn’t pretty, but I held on for every second of those fast intervals and I was so damn proud of myself for not settling with the easier pace and pushing myself so close to my edge.

Snowshoe adventures: 5.25 miles

We finally got out for some snow adventures last weekend! Wahoo!

Weekly Totals: 16 hours & 33 minutes

15 minutes of core strength daily
30 minutes of full body strength
30 minutes of yoga

Attitude of Gratitude:

Look at what we FINALLY got?! Who’s ready to snowshoe?! 🙋🏻‍♀️

recovery is on point 🥰 with a squeeze from my Normatec boots

everytime we light this we think of our baby girl 🐶🥰 thanks Steena and John for giving us such a beautiful gift to keep her around for a bit longer

snowshoe adventures with this amazing crew ❄️💙

snow, friends, and conversation is great therapy ❄️💙

Sometimes we get tree limbs and sometimes we get deer legs brought to us by our favorite little “hunter.” Sunday was a little of both. 😜🤣 (this one is the tree limb)

What are you highlights from week 3 of 2023?

2023 week 2: goodbye sweet girl

Published on January 17, 2023 by KeciaLeave a comment

Last week was a really HARD week. Our sweet old girl, Mya, went over the Rainbow Bridge on Tuesday. We miss her SO much! She have left a huge hole in our hearts that directly correlates to the love we shared. She gave so much love in her nearly 14 years on this Earth and we are forever grateful that we got to share so much love with her. Adjusting to a family of 4 has been way out of our comfort zone. We are all floundering at the moment, but we will create our new normal with time.