#hcccyclingchallenge

Self coaching in 2020 will provide me with so many opportunities. I can do what lights my fire. I have the flexibility to change up my schedule based on how I am feeling in the moment/weather/appointments/socializing/emergencies that may come up. I can take part in challenges that interest me. I can do training camps that interest me. I have control over my training and schedule. I can do what I want, when I want to. Sure there are key workouts that I will have to make sure I complete to be successful on race day, but self coaching will provide me with some flexibility on when I complete them during the week.

Hardcoeur Coaching offered a cycling challenge for the month of January. The goal was to ride 30 hours in 31 days. I was intrigued! After IRONMAN Lake Placid, I kept my cycling volume up while it was still nice enough to ride outside, but once October hit, my cycling mileage dropped SUBSTANTIALLY!! By January 1, I was more than ready to improve my cycling fitness as a lead up to IRONMAN Mont Tremblant training and this challenge seemed like the perfect way to jumpstart my cycling fitness in 2020! A special thanks to Scott Batula for helping me get my Wahoo Kickr and Zwift ready to roll before the start of this challenge!

I did a FTP test using Zwift on December 31, so that I would have baseline data to start from. My FTP on December 31, 2019 was 198 watts. I used the first 3 days of January to attempt to figure out how Zwift works before starting the 4-week FTP Booster on January 4. Truth – I still don’t have Zwift figured out after using it everyday for a month.

This 4-week FTP Booster was either going to kill me or make me stronger. Did I mention this cycling challenge wasn’t the only exercising I was doing?! I was also registered for an indoor sprint triathlon on January 19 and a 1/2 marathon on February 1 (which I changed the day before to a 5K…see squirrel), so I had to keep showing up to swim and run. Trying to get my running mileage ready for the 1/2 marathon on tired legs was tougher than I imagined, but thankfully my body held up like a superstar!

Week 1 of the 4-week FTP booster:
I started the FTP booster on Saturday, January 4.

• Day 1 = HIT 80% FTP #1: 😊 Total ride time = 2:05:38
• Day 2 = HIT 45 sec #1: 😊 Total ride time = 1:13:45 followed by a 1 hour treadmill run
• Day 3 = Tempo into Sprints: 😔 I missed hitting the sprint wattage during this ride. Total ride time = 1:06:07 + some strength and yoga after the ride
• Day 4 = Endurance: 😊 It was so nice to have an endurance ride today. Total ride time = 1:08:22 + 2,450 yards of swimming before the ride
• Day 5 = 40/20s #1: 😊 Total ride time = 1:06:12 + 30 minute run off the bike

  

  Date night with my fave for our brick workout!

• Day 6 = Tempo with accelerations #1: 😊Total ride time = 1:10:25 + a 90 minute (9.5 mile) run in the afternoon
• Day 7 = Sweet Spot 12: 😊 Total ride time = 1:33:11 + 2300 yards of swimming after work
• Overall…very tired legs, but I’m grateful my body is holding up nicely. Bike totals = 9:23:40 for 150 miles, Run totals = 2:50:00 for 19.1 miles, Swim totals = 1:20:00 for 4750 yards

FTP booster week 1…somehow the computer saved the dates incorrectly. It should be 1/4/20 – 1/10/20

Week 2 of the 4-week FTP booster:

• Day 1 = HIT 80% FTP #2: 😊 Total ride time = 2:05:07 + 1 hour hilly and snow covered run + 30 minutes of yoga
• Day 2 = HIT 45 sec #2: 😔 I missed 4 of the 6 x 45 sec at 345 wattage intervals on this ride. Total ride time = 1:15:46 + 2700 yards of swimming
• Day 3 = Tempo with Finale: 😊 Total ride time = 1:06:02
• Day 4 = Endurance: 😊 Yay for endurance riding today! Total ride time = 1:13:27 + 2700 yards of swimming
• Day 5 = 40/20s #2: 😊 I nailed all of the targets on this ride and felt stronger today than I have since this challenge started. Total ride time = 1:05:03 + 20 minute run off the bike

  

  Crushing those intervals!

  

  Speed work off the bike!

• Day 6 = Tempo with accelerations #2: 😊 I nailed all of the targets on this ride and felt strong doing so. Total ride time = 1:24:36 + 10 mile treadmill run after work (we got freezing rain yesterday that has covered all the outdoor running surfaces in a sheet of ice…even though it was -3F today, I would have ran outside had the surfaces been safe for running)
• Day 7 = Max Aerobic declining: 😊 I nailed all of the targets on this ride and while my legs were definitely fatigued, I still felt strong. Total ride time = 1:30:12
• Overall…my body was extremely tired at the beginning of the week, but I reminded myself that it is OK to miss targets because it is too challenging in that moment. This is where I learn. This is where I grow. This is where I gain strength. This is what makes me fierce. AND when I nail these targets the next time, this is when I build confidence. Thankfully by the end of the week, I felt strong…definitely fatigued, but I finally felt strong while tired. Bike totals = 9:40:13 for 159 miles, Run totals = 3:00:37 for 19.3 miles, Swim totals = 1:34:35 for 5400 yards

FTP booster week 2…somehow the computer saved the dates incorrectly. It should be 1/11/20 – 1/17/20

Week 3 of the 4-week FTP booster:

• Day 1 = Progressive 11s: 😊 Total ride time = 2:00:27
• Day 2 = Sub-threshold xx #1: 😊 I nailed all of the targets on this ride and completely fatigued my legs before my indoor triathlon later this afternoon. Total ride time = 1:00:01 + a silver medal finish at the InCydeMan Triathlon (500 yard swim, 8 mile bike, and 2 mile run)

  

  2 sliver medals for our household!

• Day 3 = Spiked Tempo: 😊 I nailed all of the targets on this ride on VERY fatigued legs. Total ride time = 1:07:42
• Day 4 = Endurance: 😊 It felt so good to have an easy day on the bike today. Total ride time = 1:30:24 + 2300 yards of swimming
• Day 5 = 40/20s into Threshold: 😊 Total ride time = 1:00:05 + 20 minute EASY run off the bike
• Day 6 = Threshold block #1: 😊 Total ride time = 1:00:09 + 9 mile run off the bike with 2×3 miles at tempo pace
• Day 7 = Max Aerobic Finale: 😊 I nailed the 4×2 minutes at 240 watts with 2 minutes at 120 watts between each and then averaged 222 watts for a 6 minute interval that I was to ride as hard as I could for the 6 minute duration. Pretty pleased with this as my legs aren’t fresh and I was well above my 198 watt threshold set on December 31. Total ride time = 1:30:08
• Overall…All that learning and growing from the first 2 weeks is paying dividends. This week I noticed improvements in my stats and I FEEL SO STRONG! I’m not saying these workouts were easy. They definitely weren’t, but my body is responding to the work and it doesn’t feel as hard as it did during the first 2 weeks of the challenge. I’m gaining more confidence every day! I’m super excited to see just how much stronger I’ve become at the end of this challenge. Bike totals = 9:30:28 for 163 miles, Run totals = 1:57:31 for 13 miles, Swim totals = 49:02 for 2800 yards

  

  FTP booster week 3…1/18/20-1/24/20

Week 4 of the 4-week FTP booster:

• Day 1 = Progressive 11s #2: 😊 Total ride time = 2:00:15 + 55 minute negative split run + 1 hour with the personal trainer

  

  Running away from the judgement and toward living my best life!

• Day 2 = Endurance: 😊 Total ride time = 1:00:06 + 2700 yard swim
• Day 3 = 10 min Best effort: 😊 My 10 minute best effort power output was 210 watts. I was pretty pumped about this since my legs weren’t fresh. Total ride time = 1:00:08
• Day 4 = Sub-threshold xx#2: 😊 Total ride time = 1:00:05
• Day 5 = Endurance: 😊 This endurance ride felt so good today! Total ride time = 1:00:12 + 30 minute easy treadmill run
• Day 6 = Rest Day Easy Ride: 😊 I found myself really having to hold back because my legs wanted to GOOO today. Total ride time = 1:00:09
• Day 7 = FTP test: 😊 Boo-yah!! My new FTP upon completion of this ride was 214 watts. That’s a 16 watt improvement in 1 month. I still have some work to do to get my FTP back up to where it was during peak training in 2019 (233 watts), but it gives me something to work towards. Total ride time = 1:30:29

  

  Kicking out the previous 198 watt FTP to make room for the new 214 watt FTP.

• Overall…This week the workouts actually started to feel easy. I knew I’d have a higher FTP just on how strong I felt on all of these rides. I was very pleased to see a 16 watt improvement over the last 4 weeks. I may repeat the Zwift 4-week FTP booster again, but maybe not. I do need to start incorporating more balance between swim/bike/run as I move into triathlon season. Bike totals = 8:31:24 for 139 miles, Run totals = 1:25:16 for 9.16 miles, Swim totals = 48:12 for 2700 yards

  

  FTP Booster Week 4…somehow the computer saved the dates incorrectly. It should be 1/25/20 – 1/31/20

I’m SO grateful to the ladies at Hardcoeur Coaching for creating this challenge. It pushed me way out of my comfort zone and definitely into my growth zone! It built confidence, stamina, grit, and resilience, while making me stronger, both physically and mentally. With just over 40 hours (660 miles) in the saddle during January, I finally feel like an athlete again…what a great feeling! The #hcccyclingchallenge + Zwift 4-week FTP booster was a great way to boost my cycling power before officially kicking off the start to my IRONMAN Mont Tremblant training!

Test of patience

“Patience is not the ability to wait, but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting.” ~Joyce Meyer

Patience is not one of my strengths. As a matter of fact, if you ask my husband or my mother, they would likely tell you it is one of my greatest weaknesses. Every once in a while, the Universe tests my patience. At the beginning of the month (December 2 to be exact), I managed to sprain my back. Hello patience…we meet again. This time of year is NOT the time to test my patience, but apparently what I think doesn’t matter. This is the time of year when our bodies naturally go into hibernation and I need my daily dose of exercise! Hello hibernation mode…less daylight, more eating, more sleeping, less motivation, holiday stress. Throw a sprained back (+ being without a car for a week…long story, but all good) into this mix and hibernation mode has been full steam ahead for far too long. I’ve been trying to keep a good attitude…I really have, but when patience is your kryptonite, it can be SO CHALLENGING to keep a good attitude! I know there are far worse things in life than not being able to exercise the way I want, when I want and I know that this will pass, but I JUST WANT TO EXERCISE MY WAY. My patience has been tested long enough!

Week 1 of a back sprain (I tried swimming a bit too soon)

Week 2 of a back sprain

Week 3 of a back sprain…starting to see some improvement and a bit more movement

I am very grateful to Dr. Chris Feil with Team Chiropractic and Rehabilitation of Ames and Nick Morton with Vitality Massage for working together to help me get better and back on track…even if it is slower than I’d like. Hello patience…did I mention that you aren’t one of my closest friends?!

Dry needling

Adjustments

Theragun

I am finally able to swim, bike, and do yoga, but no running just yet…cue the song “All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth” with a little change of the lyrics.

All I want for Christmas is to go for a run
to go for a run
just to go for a run
Gee, if I could only go for a run,
Then I could wish you, “Merry Christmas”

Ok, I’m not quite that grumpy, but I am more than ready to be outside enjoying the fresh air with my faves and racking up all the miles. The weather has been ideal for outdoor winter running here in central Iowa…no snow, no ice, above average temperatures…and here I am unable to run. It’s time for the Universe to stop testing my patience and let me get back to filling my heart with all things swim/bike/run and without limitations!

Unfortunately, I am certain that I’ll get another lesson in patience from the Universe again at some point in the future, but I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure this lesson doesn’t happen for a very long time to come! For now…fingers crossed that I can start running again after seeing Dr. Chris Feil later this morning.

Just keep swimming…and LIVE! Every. Damn. Day!

living my truth update

If you’ve been following my journey, you’ll know that I have made the decision to “choose me” and live my truth. By choosing me, I am actually choosing US, and I’m so grateful to have the Iron Hippie on this roller coaster ride with me. Here is a quick update on where I’m at.

I love getting to ride with my fave!! Life is a roller coaster ride full of ups and downs! I’m so grateful to have my fave by my side! Instead of screaming throughout the ride, he throws his hands in the air and enjoys the ride!

TRUTH: I REALLY DO LOVE to swim/bike/run! My heart speaks swim/bike/run! It brings me calm. It brings me joy. It builds self confidence. It often teaches me something new. It breeds discipline. It connects me with others. It forces me to be more courageous. It allows me the freedom to mess up & still end up ok. It provides me an outlet. It makes me stronger – physically & mentally. It fills me with gratitude. It helps me be the best version of myself. I can’t imagine my life without swim/bike/run! Here are some of my truths:

• I am a social introvert. Generally, I like to socialize with others while I workout. Socializing while working out fills me up and brings me joy because I get to connect with such great people in amazing communities. Don’t get me wrong, there are times a good solo workout is exactly what I need and crave…hence the introvert. The introvert is more present in the day to day activities when I hunker down at home, recover, gear up for the coming day/week, and jumpstart my batteries.
• I love playing and feeling like a fish gliding through the water! Splashing around, making mud pies, dunking a friend, doing hand stands and somersaults in the water…hello childhood! ❤

  

  Truth: I REALLY do LOVE swimming! I love playing and feeling like a fish gliding through the water. I am a Pisces after all!

• I love the open roads, the wind in my face, the sun on my back, and the freedom I feel when I am on two wheels…I love it even more when I GET to ride with others!! The occasional red wing black bird that dive bombs my helmet also brings me joy…it is good interval training. 😉

  

  Truth: During my outdoor rides this fall, I have come to realize just how much I REALLY do LOVE to ride my bicycle when I do it my way. I love the open roads, the wind in my face, the sun on my back, and the freedom I feel! Riding with others is a bonus! FYI…I am in Minnesota and my fave is in Iowa in this picture.

• I love running, but I love it even more with friends! Bonus = running with Basil! She knows how to have fun and bring a smile to my face! It’s hard not to smile when I watch her run. 🙂

Truth: I ran 6 miles this morning…3 solo miles followed by 3 miles with Robin. I REALLY do LOVE running, but I love it even more with friends! I love the early morning sunrises, the fresh air, the girl talk, the community, the sounds of feet hitting the pavement, sweating together, and of course the hugs at the end!

• I love being on the water!! It takes me back to my childhood. I love to SUP, canoe, kayak, water ski, tube, boat, anything that involves being on the water. The water is in my blood! 🙂

  

  Truth: I REALLY do LOVE being on the water! I love the core challenge + arm workout water sports provide, soaking up the vitamin D, connecting with nature, the fresh air, and the freedom! It is something I definitely need to do more frequently!!

• I love yoga! I love the community, the mindfulness, the focus, and the feeling of accomplishment + calm after a yoga session.

  

  Truth: I love spending time on my mat, creating space, reducing stress, increasing relaxation, and working to improve my flexibility.

• I love to be outside during all seasons! I love the fresh air, the calming sounds of nature, the various temperatures and humidity levels, the calm, the quiet, and the peace that comes with outdoor adventures.

Truth: I REALLY do LOVE being outside in all seasons! Snowshoeing adventures with my fam is one of my favorite winter activities!

• Boxes aren’t for everyone. I’ve decided to step out of the box I’ve been in and experiment with self coaching in 2020. I’m excited to try new things knowing that some of these things may not work for me, while other things may be the best thing ever for me! Bring on the thinking outside of the box, the experimentation, the trial and error, the freedom and control to do it my way, and the excitement with trying something new!
• I dream of one day…believing in myself so deeply that I open locked doors without the keys and inspire others to do the same on whatever journey they are on!!

Are you living your truth?! Are you being true to what YOU TRULY feel, what YOU really WANT to do, who YOU REALLY are, and what YOU DEFINITELY dream for yourself?! Are you choosing YOU?!

26 weeks ’til #IMLou – patience

Last week’s focus was on patience. Patience while training, patience with myself, patience at home, patience at work, patience with Mother Nature…patience, patience, patience.

This is what “spring” in Iowa looks like! This was the weather across the state Friday afternoon…

Swim: 8900 yards

Thanks for sharing a lane with me Anne! So fun to see you and play in the water together!

“I breathe my courage, exhale my fear.” ~Jonathan Lockwood Huie

3700 yard swim with 20×100 at swim threshold required lots of patience + focus!

Bike: 55.6 miles 

Recovery spin while chasing dreams!

When Coach gives you a “Just for fun…random power challenge”…aka FTP test, you pull out the magic @coeursports kit!! It worked! My test went better than I expected!

Sweat fest on the bike for a couple of hours. “Don’t worry about the numbers. Be patient and do your best!”

Run: 17.7 miles

Hmmmm….2 legs or 4?! #runlove

Sunshine + 63*F = tank top + shorts + a happy Basil + a happy Kecia!! Shhh…don’t talk about the expected snow in less than 48 hours.

My run ladder required lots of patience and had to be done on the treadmill since Mother Nature has a VERY unique idea of what spring looks like. So unique no one else agrees with her!

So grateful to have some motivation and support running next to me today. Thank you Kris!

Leaving tracks while running in our “spring” weather. WHY?!

A short transition run off the bike required lots of layers. The transition was ridiculously long as I struggled to get into all these layers super sweaty, but when the windchill is 13*F, the layers are a MUST!

Yoga: 30 minutes

Thank you Yoga Download for helping me get a good stretch post training!

Strength Training: 45 minutes + 10 minutes of core strength daily 

Weekly Totals: 12 hours & 22 minutes

Quote of the Week: 

“Patience is not the ability to wait, but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting.”

#mothernatureisntfunny

Thursday’s weather while running.

Sunday’s weather while running

Attitude of Gratitude:

A beautiful morning sunrise!

Getting blood work done to learn more about what I can do to improve as an endurance athlete. #blooddontlie

Watching Basil tree squirrels makes my heart happy!

Recovery fuel + NormaTec boots post FTP test.

Homemade Thai food!! YUMMY!!

How was your week?! What were you grateful for last week?! How do you remain patient when you want immediate change/gratification?!

#yogalove at home

As a triathlete, I’ve learned the importance of recovery…active recovery, massages, compression, yoga…it is all so important in keeping me healthy + active! I LOVE going to Ignite Yoga for hot yoga classes…the community, the practice, the instructors, the heat. Sometimes after 2-4 hours of swim/bike/run before yoga, my body needs a good stretch without the added heat. After sweating so much during swim/bike/run workouts, sweating buckets during yoga isn’t always the best idea.

I’m grateful to a blog friend, Amy, for turning me onto www.yogadownload.com so I can get a good stretch post workout at home without the additional heat to further dehydrate me.

Here are a few of my favorite yoga videos:

Yoga for Triathletes: Post-Training Practice is a 30 minute session that is perfect for after a swim, bike, or run. You get a great stretch in multiple ranges of motion to work on imbalances we develop while always moving forward.

Yoga for Athletes: Enhance your Performance is an hour long session that helps open tight areas that hinder performance, improve range of motion, and helps you recover faster. This is more of a workout than simply stretching, but is definitely doable after an hour swim, bike, or run workout.

#yogadownload was the perfect way to stretch out my muscles post #bikelove + #runlove!

Yoga for Athletes: IT Band and Hips is just over 50 minutes. Since IT band syndrome is a common injury for runners and cyclists, this session provides a lot of great stretches to open up the tight IT bands, hips, glutes, and hamstrings.

Daily Decompression is just over 20 minutes. It helps you decompress your spine, increase mobility, and relax your mind. This is a great, short session that can be done any time of day.

Grounding and Centering Yoga Flow is a 40 minute session that focuses on the present. This is a great session to bring you back to your home base.

A little #yogalove post running to release the tight spots! Thanks Yoga Download!

Currently I am incorporating yoga into my weekly routine once a week. I would love to figure out a way to add in one of the shorter sessions a 2nd time throughout each week, since I know how important recovery is to keep me healthy + active!

I’m sure there are MANY other great yoga sessions out there! Do you spend time on your mat at home? If so, what yoga resources do you use to guide your practice?

20 weeks ’til #IMMT: chasing dreams

This week…was all about chasing dreams! Putting in the work both physically and mentally to turn my dreams into a reality. My dreams won’t come true if I don’t do the work to get there, so this is what the work looked like:

Swim: 9100 yards

I had some challenging swims this week…they challenged me to try to keep a consistent pace, which is something I REALLY struggle with. Thanks to Coach Kelly for continually pushing me to swim at a more consistent pace!

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!

Sometimes I look faster than I really am!

Working to #findfaster with every stroke in the pool thanks to Roka!

Bike: 58.8 miles

I had a couple of key workouts this week on the bike to help me build my bike strength and push my threshold farther and farther from my comfort zone. I must say…I love the challenge! I love the feeling of success after pushing myself WAY out of my comfort zone! I love to push my limits and find that they are not the limits they once were! I love to find that what was once hard is now easy! Hard work is definitely paying off and I’m super excited about it! Thanks to Coach Kelly with Track Cat Fitness for making me #trackcatstrong this year!

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

Work for it Wednesday is always better with friends!

Chasing dreams requires you to put your head down and do the work!

Run: 14.9 miles

I only had a couple of runs this week, but I was super lucky to get to run with a girlfriend on Friday morning! I was also SUPER lucky to have such an amazing outdoor run on Sunday morning in the misty cool weather!

Getting my #runlove on the treadmill on Wednesday because it sucked outside!

Morning miles with friends is best!

#runlove in the misty rain! Perfect running weather!

Strength Training: 2 hours & 15 minutes + 10 minutes of core strength daily

I had some good strength sessions this week! Box jumps definitely scare me, but I’m working to overcome my fear and become more #fearless. While I’m afraid of missing the box, I know I’m getting stronger by incorporating them into my schedule. Thanks Coach Kelly for pushing me out of my comfort zone! I also had an amazing home yoga session thanks to Amy’s yoga download suggestion. It was the most perfect yoga session for me! Thanks Amy!

Lots more core work this week!

Legs up a wall post Sunday run.

Weekly Totals: 12 hours & 22 minutes

Weekly Positives:

I had a massage on Friday…OUCH! After all of the hard work I’ve put my body through in the last couple of weeks, it was much needed! Thanks to Nick with Vitality Massage for keeping my body happy and healthy as I push it to new levels!

Because #recoveryisimportant and it always feels better afterwards!

I received my belated birthday present in the mail from my tri sis from down under! I can’t wait to read these two books!

I received the best belated birthday present in the mail from my tri sis from down under! Can’t wait to start reading!

Breakthrough Nutrition‘s Goodnight formula is the best! It helps me sleep and I don’t wake up groggy in the morning. This is the perfect #huginamug for recovery + sleep! Take advantage of a 10% discount by using code WELOVESNBS at checkout!

#huginamug with Breakthrough Nutrition in my fave Sound Probiotics mug!

Quote of the Week:

“To accomplish great things, we must not only dream but also act, must not only plan but also believe.” ~ Anatole France

My 2016 Year in Review via Photos

January:

My first ever MRI…thankfully it was nothing serious!

Basil is a good helper after a sweaty workout!

Spending lots of time with my boyfriend…mat 🙂

February:

Some serious #runlove with my 2 faves!! Bonus = running in SHORTS in Iowa…see the snow on the ground 😉

More #yogalove this month

Who’s ready to race?! I’m so excited to be on the Coeur Sports Ambassador Team again for 2016!!

March:

Basil and Mya are dreaming of chasing the geese and swimming!

Family run off the bike!

“Just one more” hill for TRJ!!

Easy recovery ride in the courage cave with the boys!

Starting my day with my main squeeze and a new friend in the burbs of Chicago!

April:

Lots of swim analyses done this month!

Outdoor #runlove in shorts!

First century ride in 2016!!

#runlove with friends is the best!

Drake 1/2 marathon is in the books! Official finish time = 1:54:23

May:

Thanks Coach Hansen for the stroke analysis and guidance!!

Market to Market Relay fun!

Market to Market Relay Fun!

#solesistersweat and a podium finish at my first ever duathlon

Challenging our principal to an inflatable race on the last day of school.

Riding the open roads!

June:

Yoga in the park!

#solesister + #bikelove = #perfectworld

DC trip with about 20 eighth graders

Swimming with the nieces between storms.

Milkman 70.3 race in Madison on a hot day!

Our first women’s only ride…SO MUCH FUN and amazing courage in these women!!

July:

4th of July Century ride

#bikelove with amazing people!

Outdoor #swimlove

Women’s only ride #2 for the year!

Teaching the twins how to ride their bikes without training wheels!

Swimming with 2 of my favorite girls!

Getting low fives from my nieces at the Okoboji Triathlon. Photo by Sarah Riley

The Iron Hippie’s Birthday Century Ride

Pool Shenanigans post birthday century ride!

128 miles on the Ironman Wisconsin bike course…EXCELLENT training weekend!

2.4 mile open water swim event in Madison

This is what happy looks like after a successful Ironman Wisconsin training camp!

August:

Running through the jungle on a sweltering day!

Okoboji 3.5 mile Swim with Dad kayaking next to me

Outdoor 50 meter pool swimming is coming to an end.

Running with friends is always best!

Outdoor #bikelove

Taking a trip down the slide at the pool!

#runlove with my faves!

Date night!

September:

Countless laps next to my fave!

Race prep while I watch the Ironman 70.3 Worlds Championship!

Swimming with family in Lake Monona

Meeting my Coeur Sports teammies

Ironman Wisconsin race day! Photo credit: Doree Harding

Ironman Wisconsin #bikelove Photo credit: Erin Klegstad

Running strong at Ironman Wisconsin! Photo Credit: Erin Klegstad

October:

Mom came to visit for a weekend! It was fun to spend quality time with her!

Run for the Roses fun!

Love this little family of mine!

Spectating the IMT Des Moines Marathon!

The Iron Hippie getting close to the finish of the IMT Des Moines Marathon…I’m so proud of him only 5 weeks post Ironman Wisconsin

#bikelove in my fall playground!

I registered for Ironman Mont Tremblant for 2017!!

So happy to cheer on my Coeur Sports Teammates as they take on Ironman World Championships in Kona. These ladies not only inspire me, but encourage me and light my fire! ❤

November:

I found out that I made the Coeur Sports 2017 Ambassador Team…Such a #hardcoeur group of women that I’m overjoyed to be a part of!!

I’m excited to have hired Kelly Hardiaris with Track Cat Fitness as my new coach!!

Hot yoga…a date with my mat is always better with friends!! #yogalove

Washing away the negativity of the month. #swimlove

Running with friends and THIS. BEAUTIFUL. SUNRISE! #runlove

Running with my #solesister and Basil makes the world a better place! #runlove

My twin nieces had their first swim meet this month!

Proud Aunt!

We are Godparents! Baptism for the twins.

Ice skating with our nieces!

Starting Thanksgiving with friends and morning miles!

Thankful for this tribe!

4 generations of #strongwomen

Jumping on trampolines is a much tougher workout than I thought it would be!

Yay!! Mojo is home after surgery!! Now it is time to get to work!!

December:

#chlorinetherapy + #swimlove with the Iron Hippie!!

2 mile time trial with the track all to myself!!

FTP test…I’m not where I once was, but I’m recovered and ready to work hard to surpass where I once was!!

When you wask up to negative wind chills and want to stay in bed with your dreams, but get up and work hard during your swim time trial to turn those dreams into a reality instead! #swimlove #chlorinetherapy

Running on trails along the river = #runlove

Z5 intervals on the bike were super tough, but it felt good to push my limits in a new way and come out stronger as a result!

When it is FREEZING cold outside, it is time to run on the mill and dream of the tropics in my Coeur Sports Tropical Punch kit!

Running the golf course with my girl + bonus #puppylove

Climbing to new heights is VERY scary for someone who is afraid of heights…but I did! #fearless

Tree pose on a tree trunk…this is much harder in jeans than yoga pants!

I’m thankful for all of the great experiences, adventures, and joy in 2016! Cheers to an even better 2017!

2016 Intentions Check In #3

Where has time gone?! It is hard to believe that 3/4 of 2016 is already behind us! It seems like just yesterday I was sitting down to write about my intentions for 2016! 2017 will be here before we know it!

1. #Believe…I have made progress with this intention, but still have room for growth. I think this is one area I will ALWAYS have room for growth. When things get tough in training, work, or life, I have turned to #courageovercomfort to bring me focus, help me overcome obstacles, and remind me to believe in myself throughout 2016. #courageovercomfort has helped me many times to find focus and redirect my self confidence to where it should be…to a place where I #believe in myself and my abilities much more than I used to. “Bravery means believing in yourself when nobody else does.”                    
2. Break down barriers…I am pleased as punch to have our ladies only bike rides so well attended this summer! We managed to have one ride each in June, July, and August. Thanks so much to Coeur Sports and Kyle’s Bikes for their support to help make this event successful!! Yay for encouraging more women in cycling, helping them gain confidence on their bike and on the roads, and helping them learn basic bike maintenance!! I am definitely looking forward to hosting many more ladies only rides in 2017!!                         
3. Be present…I continue to really struggle with this one! I have a VERY hard time focusing on the here and now. I often find myself thinking about the past or the future. I wish I could say my 30 days of meditation in July happened, but unfortunately they did not. I’m still hopeful to make this happen before 2016 is over and out. Yoga always seems to help me find presence, but I have not had much of this in my schedule in the last few months due to ramped up Ironman training. Now that I am in the offseason, I have time to reacquaint myself with “mat,” my boyfriend. Tomorrow we have a date and I can’t wait!
4. Find Balance…I set out to find balance more with the emotions that I direct at myself than other parts of my life. Thanks in part to my Living Brave Semester with Brene Brown, I have been doing a much better job of focusing in on how I am feeling, why I am feeling a certain way, giving myself permission to be human, and how to forgive myself for being human and making mistakes. I am pleased that I’ve been able to keep these habits in play even though the class has concluded. Now, it is time to find balance between life, training, work, and fun in the offseason.

Did you set goals or intentions for yourself for 2016? If so, have you checked in with these goals or intentions lately? What progress are you making toward achieving your goals or intentions?

14 weeks ’til #IMWI: What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger

Not sure how this happened, but we are inside of 100 days until Ironman Wisconsin. I guess time flies when you’re having fun!!

Monday:

Since we both had the day off work and we weren’t on a rigid schedule, we slept in and completed our workouts at different times throughout the day. We went to the gym at about 9:20 am for an hour strength training session. It was nice not to have many people at the gym since they weren’t officially open. We have a 24/7 key and can go to the gym anytime we want to do strength training and use the cardio equipment. This does not give us access to the pool anytime we want, so after our strength training, we went to the outdoor pool for our swim. It was SO AWESOME to get to finally swim outdoors!! After refueling, we hopped on the bike for 75 minutes of saddle time. We knew there were storms coming, so we opted for the trainer so we could get some yard work and house work done after our workout. With a couple more days of work, we prepared for the coming week, went to shower at our friends’ house (since we still didn’t have a working hot water heater) and then it was early to bed.

Tuesday:

We took today as a rest day since we had put in lots of hours last week and knew we were getting a new hot water heater after work. On my way home from work, I met a client for a personal training session, picked up our CSA, stopped at the pharmacy, and picked up a gift card for the person who was installing our hot water heater. It took longer than I imagined to install the hot water heater, but it felt so amazing to shower at home and not have to heat water on the stove to do dishes!!

Wednesday:

Last day of work!! And to celebrate, I went for a bike ride!! It was an ABSOLUTELY PERFECT day to be in the saddle and on the open road/trail!!

Serious #bikelove in my FAVORITE Coeur Sports kit!!

Thursday:

Happy first day of summer break!! We woke up at 4:30 am (yes, you read that correctly, I still got up early to workout with the Iron Hippie) and ran hill repeats with the sunrise + my two faves!! It was the perfect start to my day!! I spent most of the morning doing house work (vacuuming, laundry, and dishes) before going to the outdoor pool to swim at 11 am. There were a lot of people in the pool, but it was so peaceful to have my head in the water, the sun shining on my back, and not a care in the world about trying to rush off to whatever is next. After my swim, I made lunch, cleaned our veggies from our CSA, took an epsom salt bath, and did more laundry before the Iron Hippie came home from work. We capped the night off with TRX and refueling before bed.

Friday:

It was another early morning and so peaceful to start my day in the 50 meter pool!! The long course + sunrise + quiet morning = #happyheart I consumed my breakfast smoothie on the way home from the pool. I had just enough time to get an easy hour in on the bike (trainer style) and shower before meeting a client for a personal training session. I went grocery shopping for the coming week on my way home…it is so nice to go during the week and not have to fight the crowds of people on the weekends. After eating lunch, I took the dogs for a walk and spent the afternoon relaxing, catching up on email and blogging. The Iron Hippie and I went downtown in the evening for the local “Art Walk,” where each downtown business sponsors a local artist for 3 hours. It is crazy how many different artists there are in our area!!

Folk dancers at the downtown “Art Walk”

Locals knitted a square to be hung as part of a quilt on the outside of a local business

Saturday:

We started the day with a 10 mile run, which I was hoping to average a 9:00/mile pace for…nailed it!! After making a quick smoothie with whey protein, for recovery, we rode our bikes to yoga in the park. Every Saturday from now until the first weekend in August (except July 4th weekend), Ames offers free yoga at Bandshell Park from 10-11 am. It is a great opportunity for people new to yoga to try it for free! For those who love yoga, it is a great opportunity to practice yoga outdoors with others! When we came home, we devoured food, did yard work, cleaned the house, did laundry, and then it was nap time!! It has been a while since I took an afternoon nap on the weekends, but my body loved it!! After my nap it was time for dinner and froyo before bed. It was great to meet my #solesister and her kids for some froyo!!

Basil cooling down in the shade post running. Love her!!

Sunday:

I was a bit tired, so I slept in and then completed the 3x(60 min bike + 20 min run) by myself. I set up the trainer in the driveway since each brick was supposed to be slightly harder (higher zone) and faster. This would allow me consistency and not have to worry about traffic/traffic lights/wind speeds to go harder with each one. I also ran the same route off the bike each time to try to go a bit farther with each run. “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” was the theme for this workout. In the middle of brick #2, the wheels fell off…it became REALLY hard and I wasn’t sure if I could do brick #3. When I came back from run #2, I climbed back on the bike and reached out to multiple friends to encourage and motivate me to #nevergiveup on this workout, even though it wasn’t going as planned. With their encouragement and support, I pushed through and finished this workout. I seriously hope that our 70.3 race in 2 weeks is much easier than this workout!! After refueling and spending over an hour just laying in the recliner, I decided to move and take an epsom salt bath. We then did a little shopping for the coming week, took the dogs to Peterson Pits so they could swim, gave them baths in the driveway to wash the fishy water away, grabbed some leftovers for dinner, and met some friends for froyo. It was great to sit outside and chat with them while enjoying some froyo!!

Weekly Totals: 18 hours and 1 minute

Swim: 7907 yards (the 50 meter pool throws my yardage off during the summer)
Bike: 122 miles
Run: 24.8 miles
Strength Training: 2 hours & 15 minutes
Yoga: 1 hour

Quote of the Week:

“That which does not kill us, makes us stronger. ” ~Friedrich Nietzsche

Strong Girls = Strong World

“I encourage you to join me in embracing YOUR body, maximizing and celebrating your own strengths, letting go of the “imperfections,” and making the most of the incredible body you already have.”  ~Kara LaPoint

If you are a woman, have a mother, sister, daughter, niece, aunt, or any woman in your life that you love and care about, Kara’s blog post on fitspiration is a MUST read!! After reading this blog post, I was inspired to embrace myself and encourage others to embrace themselves!! We are our own unique selves and we should not compare ourselves to others. We all have AMAZING bodies that allow us to do so many wonderful things and it is time to embrace that, not be critical of it!!

I want my nieces to grow up feeling confident in their skin, being thankful for their health, and loving the adventures their bodies take them on!! After all, STRONG GIRLS = STRONG WORLD 🙂

We are a family of STRONG GIRLS!!

My body is healthy and perfect for all of the adventures I’ve had and those yet to come:

Acting like a 6 year old and jumping on a trampoline = FUN!!

I have swam thousands and thousands of miles over my lifetime and I can’t wait to swim thousands and thousands more!!

I love to ride my bicycle…even during a tough time trial!!

I love the challenge and fun of a cyclocross race!!

Running and racing makes me happy!! The smile says it all 🙂

Color Run Fun with the FAM 🙂

I have crossed lots of finish lines…some of them once seemed impossible. I get giddy thinking of all the finish lines I have yet to cross!!

I love to play in the snow!!

Some finish lines that I’ve crossed have been much more challenging than others. This was a tough day, but knowing I overcame challenges was AMAZING!!

I love being on the water!! Stand-up paddle boarding is so much fun!!

Who says adults can’t have fun?!?! Taking a break mid ride to have some fun and work the core is perfect!!

I love being in nature and hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park makes my heart happy!!

Another finish line crossed and a PR was achieved!!

Spending time in the saddle with family is the best way to spend the afternoon!!

Snowy adventures with my girls = #happyheart

Love me some hot yoga!! Stretching and sweating = da bomb!!

What awesome adventures has your body taken you on? How do you help promote self confidence and gratitude in girls of all ages?