If you remember from week 40, I ended the week sleeping on the couch with Jersey right off the bike…I needed sleep. Well, that carried over to start the week last week. I needed sleep, so I took some time off work early in the week and slept (nearly 12 hours on Monday night and nearly 11 hours on Tuesday night), which set me up great for workouts later in the week. I know that if I continue to push myself instead of rest + sleep, I am setting myself up for failure (injury, not hitting intervals, risking over training, etc.), so I almost always listen to my body and give it the sleep it craves. I decided to be flexible in my process and re work my plan for the week to give my body the rest it was craving.
Quote of the week:
“Be clear about your goal, but be flexible about the process of achieving it.”
~Brian Tracy
Swim: 11,000 yards
Friday I had a GREAT swim after work! Not only did I put up some AMAZING paces, but I also took time to play in the water (which is something I haven’t done nearly enough of lately).
Warm up:
200 swim
200 drills
4×50 descending (10 sec rest)
Main Set:
3 times through (start hard and make each set harder/faster/stronger than the last set)
100 (10 sec rest)
200 (15 sec rest)
300 (20 sec rest)
100 kick (with fins)
300 pull (with buoy, paddles, and ankle band)
Cool Down:
200 any stroke
Lately my swims have been all business, so it was WAY past time to bring the fun factor back! Oh don’t worry…I took care of business before playing Friday! ⚡️🔥
Bike: 48.9 miles
I stayed on the trainer last week for all of my bike workouts. I nailed some workouts and struggled with others, but I showed up, gave my best, and learned along the way.
Endurance efforts with surges in power to wake the legs up and fatigue them a bit before a 10 mile run off the bike! ⚡️
Run: 33.5 miles
Being just under 5 weeks to race day, I am ramping up the mileage and had some great runs last week. Some solo, some with my #1, and some with my favorite girls.
I GET to challenge myself and push my limits as I enter into peak training! Enjoying the process and excited to see what I can do on race day! #LFG ⚡️⚡️⚡️
Strength Training: 15 minutes of core strength daily
Weekly Totals: 14 hours & 7 minutes 2×30 minutes of full body strength training 30 minutes of yoga
Attitude of Gratitude:
Petting horses after running…Why not?!
Getting all the sleep!
“Mom, make room for me!” ~Jersey Jersey loves the Normatec Recovery boots
Doing my civic duty by voting for city council + school board at a satellite site.
I have been at a loss for words on how to accurately describe how grateful I am to represent Coeur Sports for year 8 in 2022. This is more than a team. It’s a family! 🥰
Getting to swim/bike/run all in one day… #happyheart 🥰
So grateful that Basil loves to run and shared a few miles with me Saturday! 🐶🥰
So grateful that Jersey loves to run and shared a few miles with me Saturday! 🐶🥰
#SundayFunday included a farm ninja obstacle course, zip lines, hay rides, a corn maze, and quality time with some of my favorite peeps! 💙💛
The farm ninja obstacle course was a fun challenge on Sunday!
What were your highlights from week 41 of 2021?! When you find yourself exhausted, do you give your body the sleep, rest, and recovery it needs?!
Last week I had multiple workouts that didn’t quite go according to plan. I showed up, I gave my best, but my best didn’t allow me to “achieve success” on that day. But you know what?! That is ok! I learned a lot in the process and that learning means I didn’t fail…It actually means I succeeded…just in a different way!
Quote of the week:
“Most things don’t go exactly as planned. That’s why it is a plan…not a certainty”
~unknown
Swim: 5700 yards
Friday I did a swim that I’ve done before and is one of my favorite workouts, but it didn’t go according to plan. This is what the workout looked like:
Warm up:
100 kick with fins
100 pull with buoy, strap, and paddles
100 swim
4×100 descend (times should descend as effort increases) (20 sec rest)
Main Set:
3 x 800 (30 sec rest) – start fast and make each 800 faster than the last
Cool Down:
200 any stroke
I started my 800s strong and focused my mind on the following intentional thoughts that keep me strong throughout:
I set goals on purpose and with purpose.
I will always fight until I achieve my goal.
I achieve every goal I set for myself.
I am a strong and confident endurance swimmer.
My first 800 was strong! My second 800 was faster (averaging 2 sec/100 yards faster than the first 800)! I was super pumped to crush the third 800, but I changed my thinking before starting the third 800. Instead of focusing on those intentional thoughts that kept me strong during the first 2x800s, I focused on key body questions for each 100 yards (I focused on one question per 100 yards for each of the first 400 yards and then repeated them for the second 400 yards):
Am I extending my arms?
Are my elbows high?
Am I rotating?
Am I kicking with purpose?
Focusing on the key body questions turned out to not be the best decision as my third 800 was 6 seconds slower than my second 800. What I learned for next time is that I will keep my focus on the intentional thoughts as those definitely served me better.
While some people have entered their off season, I am in peak training…not only putting in the physical work, but doing the mental endurance work too! #LFG ⚡️⚡️⚡️
Bike: 211 miles
Thursday I got to ride outside after work. It was such a glorious day! So grateful for the opportunity to still be riding outside!
Living my best life! • The end 💙💛
Over the weekend, I had a double brick planned…4 hour ride + 40 minute run off the bike on both Saturday and Sunday. I took these workouts to the trainer/treadmill as I had to start early on Saturday to get to Isabella’s swim meet during early afternoon and Sunday there were rain chances on and off all day that I wanted to avoid. Saturday was a great workout, but I didn’t do the best of refueling/rehydrating/recovering afterwards as I went directly to the swim meet. This may have impacted the poor workout on Sunday. During hour 3 on the bike, my legs completely quit turning over. I tried riding in zone 1 for a bit, but just couldn’t get the legs to turn over no matter how much mental focus/energy I gave. So…instead of trying to force my legs to move when they wouldn’t, I hopped off the bike at 3 hours and 13 minutes, changed into dry clothes, downed a protein smoothie, laid down with Jersey, and immediately fell asleep.
Not all workouts go according to plan. Sometimes the legs stop turning over and no amount of mental “pushing” can change it…so sleep + snuggles while still sweaty will make the legs stronger for tomorrow. 💙💛
Run: 28.2 miles
Wednesday I had a split run day, with 7 am miles and 8 pm miles. My #1 and I ran together in the morning at an endurance pace (so proud of him for running his longest distance since December) and I ran solo in the afternoon. While it was super humid in the morning, it was also cool with no wind, very few hills, and I was not very focused mentally. The afternoon was much the opposite…it was still humid (though less than those early am hours), but much warmer with strong winds, lots of hills, and my mental focus was on ! I was super pumped to have a much stronger run in the more challenging afternoon conditions!
Celebrating because my 8 mile pm run averaged 34 seconds per mile faster than my 7 mile am run. #LFG
Strength Training: 15 minutes of core strength daily
Weekly Totals: 20 hours & 10 minutes 30 minutes of full body strength training 30 minutes of yoga
Attitude of Gratitude:
Getting to run in areas I haven’t run in a LONG time kept things fun and fresh!
Thank you Nick, with Vitality Massage Ames, for keeping me healthy so I can continue to do what I love!
Awww yeah!! Any day I get to swim/bike/run in the same day is an amazing day!
So grateful I got the opportunity to watch Isabella crush it at her swim meet!
This girl! I love her so much! Even when she kills critters and brings them to us.
So grateful for an opportunity to see + chat with friends on Saturday morning while riding!
Last week was a super easy week to recover from the Ironman 70.3 World Championship and get back into routines at home. Oh…and how is it that I’m only 8 weeks away from Ironman Arizona?! We had an amazing trip to Utah, but it sure feels good to be home and snuggling with our girls again! We missed them and I think they missed us.
Quote of the week:
“Dog: World’s best cuddle buddy.”
~Unknown
Swim: 1200 yards
Monday we swam in Glenwood Springs, Colorado on our way home from St. George, Utah. The pool was SO big, but WAY TOO WARM for lap swimming, but it was a great travel break to get out and move a bit. The pool is fed by a natural hot spring, hence the warmer water.
1200 yards in 1,078,000 gallons of 91F water at 5761 feet elevation.
Bike: 21.9 miles
Sunday I did some intervals on the bike. It felt good to be back on the bike and in a training routine again!
Time to put the head down and dial in the Ironman training. How are we only 8 weeks out from Ironman Arizona?! #LFG ⚡️🔥
Run: 4.05 miles
We have so much to learn from dogs! 🐶 They are always in this moment. 🐶 They always have fun. 🐶 They are so happy. 🐶 They play hard and rest hard. 🐶 Their unconditional love is endless.
4 family recovery miles on a beautiful morning!
Strength Training: 15 minutes of core strength daily
I definitely needed this flush of the body after that epic Ironman 70.3 World Championship race in St. George! Thanks Nick, with Vitality Massage, for getting me ready to crush this next 8 weeks going into IMAZ. Oh…and I love the new bed!
All the snuggles! I’ve missed this so much! 🥰
The fire in the sky was gorgeous!
Love these two…even if I have to share my pillow with Jersey and they sometimes make it impossible to sleep. 🤪
Last week we prepped for nearly 2 weeks off from work and had loads of fun in Madison, Wisconsin around Ironman Wisconsin race weekend. Since 2010, we have been in Madison the weekend after Labor Day every year (minus last year…hello Covid) for Ironman Wisconsin. We have volunteered, raced, spectated, cheered, supported, and loved every minute of what feels like a hometown race. We are sad to see the race date change to June starting in 2022 as we will no longer be surrounded by the IMWI experience. With the Ames Triathlon on the same weekend in June, our priorities will be elsewhere. Leaving Madison this time was bittersweet. Here is a flavor of week 36!
Quote of the week:
“Life can be bittersweet, but only you control the sugar.”
~Michelle Parsons
Swim: 0 yards
Sadly I didn’t get any swimming in last week. The timing of life and the pool schedule just didn’t mix.
Bike: 109 miles
Friday we got to ride on the Ironman Wisconsin bike course. I didn’t have working batteries, so I don’t have data to show for our ride, but sometimes those are the best rides! Ride free! We had to take a detour in the first 5 miles as part of the bike course is being resurfaced. This allowed us to climb new peaks and descend into new valleys. It was a fun new challenge! Oh…and that hill climb on Kollath made Barlow feel like a vacation for those of you familiar with the Barlow climb. 😳
Challenge yourself! The more fires you experience, the more fireproof you become! 🔥
Run: 24.8 miles
Saturday morning we ran on a large part of the IMWI run course. This is such a fun course. Running down State Street and along Lake Mendota…so many wonderful memories from racing here in years past.
“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” ~George Bernard Shaw • Creating calm, peace, gratitude, and joy along Lake Mendota Saturday morning with my fav before the excitement and whirlwind of volunteering/spectating at IMWI.
Strength Training: 15 minutes of core strength daily
“As you have bigger goals, you have to be willing to expand on your belief for the next future version. Be clear about who you are, what you want to be, who the future you is. How does that future person act, think, feel?! PRACTICE that over and over and over!” ~ Vanessa Faye Foerster • Grateful for more miles to PRACTICE how my future self acts, thinks, and feels on race day! ⚡️⚡️⚡️#LFG #fun #gratitude #joy
I have been in the change tent at Ironman Wisconsin since 2010 except for years I raced (2011, 2014, and 2016) and last year (hello Covid). See ya later Ironman Wisconsin! 🐮 ❤️
Ian’s pizza is a MUST when in Madison!
Sunday was bittersweet as it marks the end of a chapter. With the race moving to June in 2022, it is time to pass the Captain badge off to the next amazing Women’s Change Tent Captain. 🐮 ❤️
Last week I got to challenge myself in a whole new way with some back to back racing over the weekend. I raced a local sprint triathlon on Saturday and followed it up with a local Olympic-distance triathlon on Sunday. I pushed hard in both races. Saturday I finished 1st overall female (with only 5 men finishing before me) and Sunday I finished 2nd overall female (with the only female finishing before me being a professional triathlete). I will have race reports up soon, so stay tuned!
Key takeaways: -I GET to do this sport -I GET to decide how I show up -I set goals on purpose and with purpose -I LOVE a good challenge -I am incredibly grateful that my body allows me to do this -smile and ALWAYS have fun ⚡️⚡️⚡️
Quote of the week:
“Challenge yourself; it’s the only path that leads to growth.”
~Morgan Freeman
Swim: 2506 yards
The only swimming I did last week was while racing.
SOOOO ready! LFG ⚡️
Bike: 37.2 miles
The only biking I did last week was while racing. Saturday’s race was super flat, but Sunday I got to climb Twister Hill (where the movie Twister was filmed) twice. Anyone who thinks Iowa is flat should come climb Twister Hill with me! 🤪
LFG! ⚡️ Photo credit: Dave Mable
Run: 15.5 miles
I did do a hill repeat run on Monday last week, but then didn’t run again until race weekend. It was good to save the legs a bit to see just how hard I could push them. Saturday’s race was super flat, but Sunday I got to climb a big hill twice. It was good physical and mental training for Ironman 70.3 Worlds coming up next month!
So much heart and courage running into that 2nd place finish! Photo credit: Dave Mable
Strength Training: 15 minutes of core strength daily
Weekly Totals: 7 hours & 16 minutes 30 minutes of full body strength training
Attitude of Gratitude:
I love all the snuggles! 🥰🐶
So grateful to Nick with Vitality Massage for getting me race ready!
Look at this gorgeous sunrise that greeted us on Saturday morning.
This was my first time stepping up on the top step of a podium to take the overall female win! Photo credit: The Iron Hippie
Taking 1st at the Twin Lakes Sprint Triathlon on Saturday! 🥳
Getting to squeeze and race with my Coeur Sports sistas!
That 2nd place medal at Bluff Creek Photo credit: The Iron Hippie
Taking 2nd at the Bluff Creek Olympic-distance Triathlon on Sunday! 🥳
Thanks to the ISU Physics club for volunteering at the Bluff Creek Triathlon on Sunday! Photo credit: The Iron Hippie
What were your highlights from week 32 of 2021?! Have you ever raced back to back?! If so, what did you learn?!
Last week I got back into structured training as I build into these next 5 weeks toward Ironman 70.3 World Championships and 14 weeks to Ironman Arizona. It feels good to be pushing my limits again and challenging myself in new ways.
Quote of the week:
“Only when we seek challenges can we hope to find the best in ourselves.”
~Robert Rodriguez
Swim: 8796 yards
Thursday when I got in the water to complete my swim, I felt so sluggish and had thoughts that this swim was not going to go as planned. I decided to change my focus to my effort and form because I set goals on purpose and with purpose. I will always fight until I achieve my goals. Thursday required a little more fight and a lot more focus, but it totally paid off with each set faster than the last.
“Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.” ~Harriet Beecher Stowe ⚡️🔥
Warm up:
200 swim
200 drills
Main Set:
4×50 descending (10 sec rest)
3x[100 (10 sec rest), 200 (15 sec rest), 300 (20 sec rest)] Descending sets (each set should be faster than the previous set
100 kick
300 pull
Cool Down:
200 any stroke
Bike: 166 miles
Saturday and Sunday I rode on the trainer to climb ALL of the HILLS! Saturday I rode 70 miles and covered just over 5500 feet of elevation gain on The Mega Pretzel route on Zwift. Sunday I rode 68 miles and covered just over 4500 feet of elevation gain on The Pretzel route on Zwift. That is 10,000+ feet of climbing in 118 miles and buckets of sweat in 2 days. What a great way to prep for Ironman 70.3 World Championships!
I’d have to ride only hill repeats for days to get that kind of elevation gain here! 🤣
Run: 24.9 miles
Monday I ran hill repeats. I was going to do this before work, but with the poor air quality due to the smoke in the air from the Canadian wildfires, I decided that doing it after noon (when the air quality was to improve a bit) would be a wiser option. Bonus…it would also be a bit warmer and a gorgeous afternoon…nothing like the heat we had last week! There was still smoke in the air, so I probably should have done the hill repeats on the treadmill, but I just couldn’t resist the beautiful afternoon weather!
Hill repeats are in the training calendar on repeat for the next 6 weeks in preparation for all the hills in St. George at the Ironman 70.3 World Championships. I love a challenge! #LFG ⚡️🔥
Strength Training: 15 minutes of core strength daily
Weekly Totals: 21 hours & 15 minutes 3×30 minutes of full body strength training 2×30 minutes of yoga
Attitude of Gratitude:
So grateful that we don’t have the wildfires here, but the smoke from those fires in our area sure make for some beautiful sunrises.
So grateful I got to spend some time with my Coeur Sports sister, Courtney, and her husband Ron while they were visiting from DC!
Last week was race week for Ironman 70.3 Ohio. I will get a full race report put together, but for now, my race was not what I had trained for, but it was the race I was given. I am incredibly grateful that I got to cross another finish line and had the privilege of racing.
Quote of the week:
“There will come a day when I can’t do this. Today is not that day.”
~Unknown
Swim: 6509 yards
Raise your hand if you’re ready to race this weekend!
Bike: 95.3 miles
So grateful to get to spend time with my Coeur Sports teammate, Akira, on Saturday before the race.
Run: 18.0 miles
Running with my fave in Springfield, OH was one of my favorite runs last week.
Last week was focused on continuing to build my engine so it is primed and ready for Ironman 70.3 Ohio in just 2 weeks! Eeeekkk…how are we only 2 weeks away from race day?!
Quote of the week:
“Today is your opportunity to build the tomorrow you want.”
~Ken Poirot
Swim: 8615 yards
Tuesday I had a rock solid swim! I was consistent, I was confident, I played chase in the water…it was SO, SO awesome!
How long do you let yourself stay in the discomfort? • The discomfort is part of the journey. It opens the door to new possibilities and adventures. The discomfort is where the growth + magic happens. Don’t shy away from the discomfort. Chase it! Embrace it! Own it! #LFG ⚡️🔥
Bike: 141 miles
Thursday we rode our first century of 2021! It was such a great day! The weather was perfect, the roads were open, and the heart was full!
What a great day to be on 2 wheels! Live life out loud and to the fullest! The open roads make me feel alive! I’m so grateful to get to feel alive for 100 miles Thursday! ⚡️🔥
Run: 19.4 miles
Friday was a double run day! We haven’t had much rain this year and are in a drought, so the 2+ inches of rain we got Thursday evening through Saturday morning were much needed. BUT these storms put me on the treadmill for both my 7 mile am run and my 8 mile pm run.
Same effort + same average HR for both runs = well oiled Diesel engine ⚡️🔥
Strength Training: 15 minutes of core strength daily
Weekly Totals: 16 hours & 13 minutes 2×30 minutes of full body strength training
Last week was race week of a different sort. As race organizers for the Ames Triathlon, we were in the finishing stages last week as we kicked off the race on Sunday morning.
Quote of the week:
“OMG! OMG! It’s race week.”
~ME
Swim: 2953 yards
Saturday morning we got to swim in the 50m pool with my Coeur Sports sister, Sarah, who came to stay with us for the weekend. I love the 50m pool!
Warm up:
300 easy swim
4×50 drills
200 swim
100 kick
Main Set:
4×100 easy (20 sec rest)
4×100 moderate (20 sec rest)
4×100 fast (20 sec rest)
500 pull
Cool Down:
200 any stroke
Playtime with friends in the 50m pool!
Bike: 0 miles
Mojo didn’t get any love last week as all of the last minute race prep took precedence.
Run: 3.01 miles
Wednesday I ran home from work in the heat of the day to continue acclimating to the warmer temps. It was toasty, but I kept the run short and my pace easy + steady.
Heat acclimation run!
SUP: 1.89 miles
Spent some time on the water Tuesday before the storms rolled in. It is so peaceful and calming to be on the water!
Pure joy! 🥰🐶
Strength Training: 15 minutes of core strength daily
Weekly Totals: 3 hours & 57 minutes
Attitude of Gratitude:
Getting the post race tightness/soreness worked out by Nick with Vitality Massage Ames.
This sweet thing loves to ride on my board with me! Thank you Ruffwear for making it so easy for her to get on after she swims! 🥰🐶
This little nugget is the snuggliest thing! Love her SO much! 🥰🐶
More cuddle time with our baby girl! 🥰🐶
Testing out the podium for Sunday! 🥰🐶
Getting transition set so athletes can fill it in just a few minutes!
Who’s ready to race?! We are ready to get the Ames Triathlon party started! Photo credit: Dave Mable
Last week summer really arrived and cranked the furnace way up! There were a lot of opportunities to acclimate to this warmer weather, so I took advantage of it.
Quote of the week:
“A woman is like a tea bag – you never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water.”
~Eleanor Roosevelt
Swim: 9724 yards
Saturday morning I got to swim outdoors in the 50 m pool and it was MAGNIFICENT! Our outdoor pool wasn’t open last summer, (#covid) so it has been just shy of 2 years since I have gotten to swim outdoors on the 50 m distance.
Warm up:
300 kick with fins
300 pull
300 swim
4×100 descending times (increasing effort) (20 sec rest between each)
Main Set:
2×800 Z4 effort (30 sec rest)
400 Z4 effort (30 sec rest)
Cool Down:
100 any stroke
I’m SO grateful the 50 m outdoor pool is open this summer!!
Bike: 98.3 miles
I got some good outdoor riding in last week. It was a really warm week, which was good for acclimating for race season!
The heat was cranked up this afternoon, so Coeur Sports fire in the sky was a fitting choice to help acclimate to this heat! 🔥
Run: 14.5 miles
I didn’t get one picture of any running last week…SLACKER in the social media avenue, but I had some really good runs. One 8 mile run outside after work was a bit of a sweat fest, but it was a great acclimation workout!
SUP: 3.88 miles
We got out a few times on the water, which TOTALLY filled my heart and soul.
Gratitude overload for the peace the water brings me!
Strength Training: 15 minutes of core strength daily 2×30 minutes of strength 30 minutes of yoga
! I was super pumped to have a much stronger run in the more challenging afternoon conditions! 
