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 • 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! • ⚡️ 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! 💙 • Moxie = energy, pep, courage, determination ⚡️ • 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!! 🐶🥰
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! • 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.
October was a pretty mild month here in central Iowa. We didn’t have to run the a/c or heat for the majority of the month…thank you Mother Nature! Because of the beautiful weather, we were lucky enough to get outside multiple times for outdoor adventures. Here are some of October’s highlights:
Getting to ride outside with my fav is always a highlight!
So grateful to be on the Coeur Sports team for year 10!
Consistently finding my stride again with swim/bike/run!
This is the latest we have ever been on the water and it was awesome!
Family miles bring 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!
At the end of July I took a break from the blog. I thought my weekly updates were getting redundant with mostly the same things week after week. Things have been mundane, and I’ve felt stagnant with my writing, training, and life in general this year. I took a break from following a training plan and racing…I lost myself in the process. It’s easy to lose yourself sometimes. I have taken some time recently to reflect and really sit with my desires and dreams. While 2023 hasn’t really been the year I wanted for myself, it is what I’ve had. It’s been a year of change, learning, and growth.
What have I been up to? We spent the first week of August at home home in Okoboji relaxing, spending time on the water, in the water, by the water, on the bikes, walking, etc.
playing on the water
riding the golf cart
exploring the trails and roads around Big Spirit Lake
swimming with our baby girl
trail riding
playing on the water at Gull Point
solo riding on the trails around the lake
riding from Iowa into Minnesota
more trail riding in Minnesota
swimming the Point to Point 3.2 mile swim from Gull Point State Park to Pikes Point State Park
I spent Labor Day weekend in California. I got to spend 24 hours with my friend, Michelle, in Sacramento and then 4 days with my sister, brother-in-law, and nieces in South Lake Tahoe. So many amazing memories were made!
making memories with Michelle in Sacramento
swimming at sunrise in Folsom with Michelle
family time in South Lake Tahoe
feeling small next to the vastness of Lake Tahoe
Sisterly love
hiking at Echo Lake with new friends
Who says adults don’t have fun?!?!
morning hike with my sister and Dulce
time with family + friends 💙
💙
love these girls 💙
let’s go zip lining! 💙
While in South Lake Tahoe, I got the wonderful experience to swim in Lake Tahoe…not once, but twice in 3 days. The water was absolutely magical! I have NEVER swam in such crystal clear water that you could see FOREVER in. It was definitely one of my top 5 favorite swim experiences EVER!
Swimming in Lake Tahoe was one of my favorite swim experiences EVER!
Look at how crystal clear this water is!
We have been cheering on our niece as she has been moving her way up the field in cross country. I am so proud of her and with her in the progress she has made. She is so strong physically and mentally!
Cheering on this girl as she has gotten stronger + faster throughout her XC season. (BTW…I was yelling at her to keep her eyes up as she climbed the hill in front of her.)
These things of course are the highlights. The lowlights have been dealing with the symptoms of perimenopause on the daily. While I’m grateful to have lived long enough to go through this transition, it has NOT been easy. The weight gain, the night sweats, the hot flashes, the mood changes (which at times can give a person whiplash), the loss of motivation, the sleeplessness…it is all just SO much!
I have been getting laser treatments on my foot to help alleviate the pain I’ve been experiencing from Morton’s Neuroma. I am happy to report that after 4 treatments, I am starting to feel improvements and am so happy to be running longer pain free!
Laser treatment on the foot to help with the Morton’s Neuroma.
I had my first colonoscopy. They lowered the colon cancer screening age to 45 and boy am I glad they did. While the colonoscopy prep is the WORST TASTING CRAP I’ve EVER had and a truly miserable experience, I had a 4 mm polyp removed that was benign, but often known to turn cancerous if they remain in the colon. Thank you to the doctor, nurses, my husband, technology, insurance, my snuggle bugs, and everything that brought me through this experience cancer free. Don’t worry…I will spare you a picture from this experience. 😜
Looking ahead…I will be getting back to racing in 2024 and am SO EXCITED! I have REALLY missed racing and all that comes with it…the structured training, the community, setting challenges to push myself to try to achieve, learning + growing in the process, the race day hugs + high fives, exploring where my edge is, and giving my best to get to the finish line. I will definitely be toeing the line of more start lines in 2024 than I did in 2023 and the fire inside me is burning bright! Get excited, because I’m going to be back with my weekly updates soon as I gear up for a racing season that I’m truly pumped for!
Last week I signed up for the Okoboji Triathlon on Wednesday and raced on Saturday. It was definitely a last minute decision and a fun one! I also got to spend more time with my sister and nieces who were back visiting from California.
“Weekend forecast: 100% chance of fun!”
~unknown
Swim highlights: 3302 yards
The swim was a bit choppy on the way to the turnaround buoy. Lots of people didn’t self seed correctly on the swim as I passed multiple people who went out towards the front of the race and couldn’t hang. After the turnaround, it was “give it all you’ve got” as I was committed to giving my best effort!
Grateful for the opportunity to race despite the poor air quality.
Bike highlights: 99.8 miles
I put in the majority of my miles on the trainer last week.
This is where the majority of my bike miles were last week.
Run fun: 3.79 miles
Running during the triathlon was the first run I’ve had in a month (since the last time I raced). I started out a bit fast in the first mile and really felt heavy chested, so I backed off just a bit in the last 3 ish miles. I thought it was because I haven’t ran in a month, but I found out after the race that the AQI was 140 and unhealthy for sensitive groups, so we probably shouldn’t have been racing in it.
15 minutes of core strength daily
Attitude of Gratitude:
We got to go out on the golf cart! 🐶🥰
Walking to the water for my pre-race swim warm up.
1st place AG + 5th place overall female ⚡️
Friends make the world a better place!
Grateful for the support of Abbie and Dad at the finish line (Tim too…he was the one taking this pic)!
Last week had some family time, fun times, and was an all around good balance. Right now I am focusing on doing what I want instead of following a training plan. It is just the break I’ve needed before deciding what my future goals are.
“Time spent with family is worth every second.”
~unknown
Swim highlights: 5796 yards
The week started off well with some solid swims in the outdoor 50m pool.
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! ⚡️
Bike highlights: 115 miles
Tim and I went for a couple of bike rides last week on the open roads. I am so happy to have him back alongside of me while riding.
Creating new memories by taking new adventures on Independence Day. ❤️🤍💙
Run fun: 0 miles
There was no running last week and I am perfectly fine with that.
Walking: 5.03 miles
Last week I went water walking in the lazy river with our neighbor and on a longer dog walk with the family. Getting out and moving (that wasn’t running) was a good change…not sure I want to do it all the time, but for right now it has been good.
SUP: 1.23 miles
We took the twins out on the water on Sunday and had good times!
Today was a 10/10 on the fun-o-meter! ⚡️⚡️⚡️
15 minutes of core strength daily 30 minutes of full body strength
Attitude of Gratitude:
Teaching the twins how to jump the car…just in case.
Having all of the nieces visit us was a fun time!
These girls are so strong, independent, and fun!
So grateful to have Tim back in the saddle by my side!
Last week was all about recovery! After having races for 3 weeks in a row, I was in Zombie mode! I am not signed up for any races at this time, so I am taking time to reconnect to the process before deciding what goals are ahead.
“Recovery is about progression, not perfection.”
~Unknown
Swim highlights: 3828 yards
I finally made it back to the pool on Saturday morning and it felt GOOD!
“Set big goals and love the work that gets you to them. Even if you fall short, you’ll still be winning.”
~Des Linden
Bike highlights: 38.6 miles
YAY for outdoor rides with Tim!! It’s been FAR too long since I’ve had my fav riding alongside me. So grateful for this time together on two wheels and the open roads!
“British researchers found that one smile can generate the same level of brain stimulation as up to 2,000 bars of chocolate,” according to Ron Gutman, the author of Smile: The Astonishing Powers of a Simple Act
•
Smiles for miles! Today’s ride had me earning all the chocolate! ⚡️
Run fun: 0 miles
I just haven’t felt ready to run quite yet, so I am listening to my body and not fighting it.
15 minutes of core strength daily
Attitude of Gratitude:
Getting my snuggles on! 🐶🥰
Ya know that swim I did…well, I my goggles slipped out of my hands as I was putting them on my face and slapped my eye…I think I am the only person I know who can give themselves a black eye while swimming! 😜
Last week was race week…it’s like Groundhog Day, BUT this time I wasn’t racing…I was one of the race directors for the Ames Triathlon. It is always SO MUCH FUN to have put together the triathlon and see the rewards of having people race in our hometown! So many first timers, friends getting together to race as a relay, and people who have been in the sport for years get to challenge themselves at a sprint triathlon. We are so grateful to all of the athletes, the volunteers, medical team, USAT officials, spectators, and everyone who helped make this the best year yet!
“The person who starts the race is not the same person who finishes the race.”
~unknown
Swim highlights: 2406 yards
We practice mass swimming for the triathlon/open water swim for those racing.
Bike highlights: 3.14 miles
These were bike commute miles…otherwise there were no bike miles logged last week.
Run fun: 0 miles
There was no running last week…unless you count all of the running around we did in preparation for the Ames Triathlon
15 minutes of core strength only a couple of days…OOPS!
Attitude of Gratitude:
Being on the water makes my heart happy. Jersey loves it too!! 🐶🥰
So grateful to this crew for helping to set up transition for the Ames Triathlon!
It was a beautiful evening setting up transition
Congratulations to Coeur Sports teammate and pro triathlete, Jess Smith, on her overall win!
Race directors having fun at the Ames Triathlon!
Our 3 professional triathletes! Congrats to all who raced and had a blast (quite literally thanks to the STRONG winds 😜)!
Last week was race week…again, but it had a very different vibe since it was sandwiched between Ironman 70.3 Des Moines and Milkman “70.3” (that was actually 71.3)!! The first two days were really focused on getting lots of sleep, eating lots of good calories, getting a massage, enjoying snuggles, and giving Moxie a bath. On Wednesday I showed up for a swim and super easy bike and then added a LITTLE pop of intensity into cycling on Thursday to wake up the legs. I didn’t run one step until Saturday to allow my legs to recover the best that they possibly could before racing again.
“What really matters when facing a challenge? What matters is learning. You want to test yourself, throw yourself into something outside your comfort zone and see what you’re capable of. Your true goal is not to conquer fifty feet of inanimate rock, but to expand your abilities through learning.”
~Arno Hintjens
Swim highlights: 6727 yards
I got in a couple of swims to get some pep back.
Floating between races
Bike highlights: 101 miles
Other than race photos, I didn’t get any pics of me on the bike last week.
Run fun: 14.2 miles
I was surprised at how well my legs felt on Saturday during my short shake out jog.
Shaking out the cobwebs and feeling ready to race…again.
15 minutes of core strength daily
Attitude of Gratitude:
Pro numbers for these tri sistas! #LFG ⚡️
Take your dog to work…Jersey thinks this should happen every day.
Lots of heart and courage with Coeur Sports teammates post race.
PushMyLimits 