August 10, 2025 – ÖTILLÖ Casco Bay

This race was so crazy hard—I totally underestimated it! I think it was way harder than a triathlon, which took me by surprise. I’m so proud of myself and of team Dust & Bubbles! I’m officially hooked, and am looking forward to making some changes to do even better next time.

Pre-Race: Stepping into the Community

In the months leading up to the race, I found myself soaking up everything swimrun like a sponge. I watched all the videos, listened to all the podcasts, and followed all the swimrunners on social media. Through this, I connected with WILD Swimrun, a community for female swimrunners that was putting together a US-based group for women doing their first race. It was so exciting to meet all these women who were in the same boat as me, and I was thrilled to meet some of them in person the day before the race. Team Envol hosted a clinic where I met several WILDies, and everyone from both groups was just so welcoming. People were sharing gear, giving feedback, and sharing just a wealth of knowledge! This clinic gave me and my teammate, Stephanie, the chance to practice together for the first time: using the tether, feeling the cold of the Atlantic, and figuring out our pacing and our expectations. This was a game-changer and a HUGE confidence boost.

Run 1: Great Diamond and Little Diamond Islands

The first run ended up being much longer than expected: Low tide really clears out the sand bar, and it was so low that there weren’t really even puddles for what was supposed to be the first swim! We started at a good pace—faster than I would have gone alone, but I felt confident and could maintain it. We ran on roads, mostly packed dirt, for almost the entire thing. I wasn’t feeling great at the start of the day, and it was hard to eat my breakfast. I chalked it up to nerves, but I was also feeling a little nauseous, and that turned out to be a hint of what the whole morning would be like.

Swim 1: Welcome to the Atlantic

Our first swim was a dock jump, so there was no way to do any slow acclimation to the cold. Luckily, I do pretty okay in cold water most of the time, so I adjusted to it pretty quickly. It was calm, and with a bunch of people around, it was easy to follow the crowd without having to spend too much energy sighting. The current wasn’t too bad, and I think I did a good job keeping us straight. I felt a little dizzy getting out of the water, but walking on the shore helped clear it up. I was happy with this swim overall.

Run 2: Peaks Island

After the beach, we hit our first aid station. I had a small cup of water to rinse out the salt water and another gel. We started the run with a tough uphill climb, but it was short, and we settled into a comfortable pace on the road. About a mile in, we turned onto a single track through the forest. This was hands down my favorite part of the day! It was slow going but beautiful. There were tree roots everywhere, up and down little bitty hills constantly, twists and turns, some rickety little bridges, wooden planks to balance on as you trot across muddy spots. This is exactly what I was hoping for from an adventure race! We did about a mile there and then came back out onto a paved road along the coast. Our pace picked back up again, and this is where my stomach decided to be very unhappy. I felt nauseous and couldn’t convince myself to eat another gel. We hit a couple aid stations where I got more plain water before the next swim.

Swim 2: Currents are Hard

This swim kicked my butt. It was SO HARD. The current was very, very strong at this point. I didn’t sight far enough to the left of the flag, and ended up being pulled off course by the current. I was able to adjust and bring us back in, but at that point it was like swimming on a treadmill. What should have been an 800m swim turned into 1200, and I was absolutely exhausted. There were also the coldest pockets of water on this leg out of the entire race, and at one point my left leg was shivering while I was swimming! I don’t think I’ve ever felt that before, and it was a weird, kind of scary sensation. I wanted to cry on this swim. We did make it, but I was very, very tired and super wobbly coming out of the water. I was so glad to be done!

Run 3: Cushing Island

We walked for a bit to recover from that brutal swim and I grabbed some more water from an aid station. I honestly don’t remember a lot about this run, but we maintained a steady pace. This was definitely my emotional low point…you know that point in every long race where you asked yourself, “Why do I choose such stupid hobbies?” This was that point.

Swim 3: Finding my Groove 

This is where I got my mojo back! There was a current, but I was better prepared this time and aimed almost perfectly. I felt stronger, and I wasn’t nearly as cold. This swim felt exactly like I hoped every swim would feel—not spectacularly fast, but strong and straight. I settled into a good groove, sighting every 11 strokes. I’m happy with how good I felt swimming through the small, rolling waves. I also saw a couple of pink jellyfish, which was exciting—the only real wildlife I saw during the race.

Run 4: House Island

This was a very short run, but the last quarter-mile was all rock scrambling, so it was challenging and slow. It was exactly how I pictured racing in Casco Bay, and was unlike anything I’ve ever done before! Definitely more rock scrambling than running, and as we neared the beach we could hear the music at the finish line on the next island over. How crazy…we were about to finish!

Swim 4: So Close, I Can Smell It

The last swim! I was so excited to see the finish tent and hear the music across the water. About halfway through the swim, I could smell the burgers cooking, and I knew we were almost there. I messed up the current on this one, thinking it was going left to right when it was actually going right to left. I swam too far left, expecting it to carry me right, but I was able to adjust without getting too far off course. I also snagged a full bush of seaweed on this leg. It caught up in my right paddle and ended up pulling it off my finger. Luckily, I had the wrist strap, and was able to shake it off and get my fingers reset after a dozen strokes or so. Even though this swim wasn’t executed perfectly, I’m pretty pleased with my sighting here and being able to adapt when things went wrong. 

The Finish Line: Peaks Island 

The final run was super short, but straight uphill, and I was so, so happy to be at the end. Speaking with other swimrunners, both here and at an evening get-together with Envol and WILD, I was struck again by how much I like this community. Whenever people were asked “how was your race”, their answers were entirely unlike triathletes. No answers about data, or speed, or place. Even the people who won didn’t mention winning! The answers were all about feel: I felt so much stronger than last year. I can’t believe I actually finished something this hard. I got sick from swallowing sea water, but I still finished strong. It was a beautiful course. I had so much fun.

Lessons Learned:

1. Nutrition is key, and not just on race day. Lately, I’ve had a hard time convincing myself to cook or eat well, and I was likely in a nutritional hole before race day even started.
2. Swimrun is harder than I gave it credit for. Ocean swims and currents are no joke. In a triathlon, each sport is a milestone that you complete, but in a swimrun, you know another swim and another run are always coming up, and that was psychologically harder for me.
3. The swimrun community is amazing. I loved the people I met. The air of competitiveness and data that I feel in triathlon just melted away when I was talking to other swimrunners. It truly feels like a group of people who just want to have an awesome experience and be out in nature.

So, Now What?

I want to do this again, 100% There just so happens to be another ÖTILLÖ race in October, just a couple hours from home. Colorado weather in October is totally unpredictable, and that intimidates me a little. Will it be sunny? Will it be snowing? It might be both! But will I be there? Yes…I think I will!

July 19, 2025 – Remembering My Why

As someone who constantly immerses myself in triathlon—reading articles, listening to podcasts, watching videos, following professionals on social media, plus the constant training and thinking about training—it’s easy to distort reality or forget why I started this crazy adventure in the first place. There is always the pressure to go longer. I find myself answering “what race are you doing” with a chuckle and “oh…just a sprint.” 

When race week arrived for Tri-Boulder, I was feeling a little sorry for myself. I was having a particularly difficult work week and was working a convention for the two days before the race—missing training because of it—and I just was not in the mood to push myself at a race. I told Matt that I was just going to go into this race with a low-key, stress-relief mindset instead of setting any tangible goals. Emotionally, I needed it to be a decompression race. And you know what? The race succeeded in picking me back up in ways I hadn’t even considered. 

Setting up transition, I set up near a woman who turns out to also be a member of RMTC, only we attend different workouts and had not met before. A few minutes later, another woman joins us to rack her bike, and it turns out to be Sierra, a coworker who is also on this Athletes’ Journey. There were others coming and going all morning: club members, complete strangers, it didn’t matter. We all were mingling together, commiserating about the early hour and generally making small talk while hiding nerves and prepping for the race.  

This same vibe was happening all day: during swim warm up; on the beach watching the other waves begin; in the water waiting for the gun, blindly searching for the buoys in the direct sunlight. On the bike course, people saw my kit and cheered “go RMTC” even if they had no idea who I was. Club coaches cheered me on as I transitioned from bike to run, and there were waves and shouts of encouragement from everyone who even vaguely recognized me or vice versa. I found myself actually smiling as I was racing, thinking to myself: “this is so much fun.”

And even when the race was done, we were all spending time together as a club, chatting about what went right and complaining about what didn’t. Talking about other races, other plans, other goals. It didn’t matter if we did the Sprint or the Beast, if we were on the podium or DNF’ed. It just mattered that we were outside, together, tired and happy. And that’s when I realized that this is my why. Why do I put myself through the training, the dark mornings, the early bedtimes, if it’s not because I love it? It makes me feel happy to be healthy and to be outside, to be a part of a community that also loves those things…and all of my races are a celebration of that. 

So no, this race was not “just a sprint”. It was a Triathlon, with a capital T, all in bold, with flashing letters and exclamation points, and the time and the place don’t matter (even though I’m really happy with them) because the goal was to get out there, have a good time, celebrate with good people, and I certainly accomplished that.

June 1, 2025 – My First SwimRun!

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May 25, 2025: My First Metric Century!

Race number 2 for this season was more of a personal challenge than a true race: I was going to complete my longest ride ever. 100 km…a Metric Century. 

When Matt first suggested this as an early-season goal, I wanted to do it as part of an official event. Last fall, I participated in the Denver Century Ride and did my first 50 miler. I liked being part of a large group, feeling the excitement and adrenaline of everyone participating, and having aid stations with music pumping and volunteers cheering us on. But as the date got closer, schedules didn’t line up for me, so we shifted to a solo ride. And you know what? I’m glad we made that change. It took a ton of the pressure off because I could go at my own pace, stop if I needed to, and make my own decisions about the route I wanted to ride.

I decided to stick to a route I am very familiar with, so I wouldn’t need to worry about navigating. Essentially, I took 3 routes that I often ride and stuck them together: the Littlefoot Triathlon course, my 470/Mary Carter/Bear Creek loop, and Chatfield State Park. It was almost entirely bike path, so I didn’t have to worry about angry drivers zooming past me. 5 of the 7 climbs were in the first half of the ride, so I could cruise it in if I was hurting in the back half. 

Because there were no aid stations, I had to plan out my nutrition in advance. I’ve been feeling a lot more confident lately in what makes me feel good and how much I need, so I think I did a pretty good job on this ride overall. I ended up taking in almost 1200 calories during the ride as a combination of liquid nutrition, gels, and chews, plus breakfast before and a recovery shake afterwards. I did end up testing out two new gel brands, and one of them did not sit well with me, so now I need to go back and figure out which one it was, but other than that I felt strong and had the energy I needed to not only get through the ride but recover pretty quickly!

I am so, so pleased with this ride and proud of myself for getting it done! My longest ride ever, 100 km, done and dusted!

May 7, 2025: Smashing Time Trials

I really enjoy having races on the calendar. There’s just something different about doing a race than doing the same hard effort on my own. During training, I’m always comparing the workout I’m doing to every workout I’ve ever done, and that’s a perfect recipe for never being satisfied. Races let me compare to a specific point in time and show me how far I’ve come.

Today’s time trial gave me the opportunity for a direct comparison to one-year-ago me. In April 2024, I participated in my first cycling time trial ever, and I was so intimidated. I was still pretty uncomfortable in my aero bars, didn’t quite know how to work my bike computer, and had no idea what to expect from time trialing at all. I completed the race in 38:07, so for 2025’s race I set that as my goal: Beat 38:07.

I was much more confident this year, having done the same course last year, and I knew I was stronger, but what I didn’t know was by how much. In the end, I absolutely demolished my goal! Official race time: 34:49!

I was super proud of my time, but then Matt’s text got me thinking about everything else that has improved along with my speed. Really, all those workouts I wanted to skip but didn’t, the doubts I pushed through, and the miles I’ve racked up have made me a stronger athlete — as much mentally as physically. I did a more intentional warm-up this year because now I understand just how valuable it is to have my legs firing before the start. I knew the course, so my mental fortitude was way stronger and I was able to push myself when I was getting tired. I am more confident on the bike, so I moved more smoothly through corners and got up out of the saddle to accelerate out of turns and over hills. And I rode almost the entire time in my aero bars, compared to only a third of the time last year.

This race gave me such a motivation and morale boost because I had that direct comparison that proves to me just how much all my hard work this past year has paid off. Things are looking good for 2025’s racing season…this is just the start!

April 22 – 2025 Race Schedule

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It’s always exciting when an idea turns into a concrete plan! I have officially registered for all my races for the 2025 triathlon season, and I’m pretty excited about it. I think I’ve got a lot of variety this year, which, for me, is way more fun than just doing the same type of race over and over. I don’t have concrete goals for many of these yet, so I’ll develop those as the races get closer. So long, trade show season…it’s race season!

May 7 – Karen Hornbostel Memorial Time Trial

Last year I did my first time trial bike race at this series, and I was pleasantly surprised! I definitely told Matt that I have no plans to become a time-trialer, but it was kind of fun to just give it all I’ve got on a bike without swimming first or running after. I’m much stronger this year than I was last year, and my confidence is also much higher, so I’m excited to see what I can do!

Distance: 9.6 miles

Elevation Gain: 300 feet

Goal: Beat Last Year (38:07)

May 24 – Metric Century

This is a solo ride, not an official event, but we’re definitely treating it like it’s official! Last year, I participated in the Denver Century Ride, where I completed the 50 mile course. I was very intimidated by it, but I really enjoyed how it felt like a massive group ride, rather than a race. That was my longest ride ever, and so this year we’re upping it…and “Metric Century” sounds so much cooler than “Longest Ride” or “62 Miles”.

Distance: 100 km

Elevation Gain: tbd

Goal: Finish

June 21 – Loveland Lake to Lake Triathlon

First triathlon of the season! I’ve never done this one before, but I’ve heard good things from others in my club. I am looking forward to racing in a new location, and it sounds like the atmosphere at this one is pretty chill. I’m racing the sprint distance and am hoping to put out some good speed this year. I think I can push myself on the swim and the bike for sure—though there’s some hills in there that I haven’t done before—and then I just need to keep my focus and not let my brain get the better of me on the run.

Distance: 800 yd swim | 15 mi bike | 5 km run

Elevation Gain: 575 feet

Goal: Aim For Littlefoot (1:33:24)

July 19 – Tri-Boulder

I’m back to the BBSC races in Boulder after not doing any of them last year. I’m expecting it will be really hot for this one, but I like riding this course and I am confident in the swim. The run is the really tough part for me here…it’s hot, and it’s long, and you can see forever so it never feels like you’re getting any closer to the end. I know I can do it, though, as it’s the same run as Boulder Peak, just without the soul-sapping climb of Olde Stage on the bike beforehand.

Distance: 1500 m swim | 26.4 mi bike | 10 km run

Elevation Gain: 994 feet

Goal: Don’t Walk on the Run

August 10 – ÖTILLÖ: Casco Bay

This is what it’s all about! The biggie. All roads lead to here. I’m so excited for this race because it’s unlike anything I’ve ever done. I’ve never been to Maine. I’ve never done a trail race. I’ve never done a swimrun. I’ve never run in a wetsuit. I’ve never raced a swim with paddles or shoes. And I’ve certainly never done any of those things while tethered to Stephanie! How exciting that we’ll get to experience all of these firsts together. It’s been 27 years since we met…it’s about time we went on an adventure together! 

Distance: 3230 m swim | 13.7 km run | 6 runs, 5 swims total

Elevation Gain: 367 feet

Goal: We’re Going On An Adventure!

September 6 – Littlefoot Triathlon

This is my favorite local race that closes out my summer every year. It’s practically in my backyard, it’s a short bike, and many of the people racing it have raced it for years and years. This was the first triathlon I ever completed without walking any of the run. It’s also the first triathlon where I raced my new bike with aero bars. Sometimes it’s super hot and sometimes it’s snowing. Sometimes it’s so windy that the park rangers have to kick a dozen windsurfers out so we can begin. I love everything about this race.

Distance: 750 m swim | 15 km bike | 5 km run

Elevation Gain: 456 feet

Goal: sub-1:30

April 9 – Coach Matt and I Dial in Swim Form

March 30 – Training and Racing With a Partner

March 16 – Injury Week

You know that feeling, when you’ve been sick or injured for a while and you finally feel better? That “OMG it feels so great to be healthy!” feeling? I wish I could bottle that up and call on it whenever it’s needed, because nothing feels better than that.

For the past few years I’ve been dealing with a subluxated rib problem where my ribs “get stuck” out of place for very little reasons (like emptying the washer, or stopping quickly during a run). When it first started happening, it caused me to have several days of excruciating pain, trouble breathing, and panicky nights. Now that I’m aware of the issue, though, I just grab my trusty foam roller and POP! everything is fine again. 

But this week, it was different. I thought I had torn a muscle in my shoulder. I couldn’t raise my arm above my head, sleep on my side, or hold the handlebars on my bike. I had an appointment with a doctor and set up appointments with my physical therapist so we could solve the problem. Then, Matt wondered if maybe it was related to another recent rib pop out. After a miserable night thinking I’d need to go to urgent care, I decided to give my foam roller a try, and BAM! A rib in my chest popped (very suddenly and very loudly) back into place, and the next day my pain was completely, 100% gone. 

The human body is a fascinating example of connectivity…and boy, oh boy, does it feel good to be feeling healthy again.

February 15 – Trade Show Week

February 9 – Trust Your Coach

I had a call with Matt a few days before the Valentine’s Day 4-Mile race to talk through strategy and kind of recap the previous week’s Superbowl 5K. The key takeaway this time was that I need to do a better job of warming up. I’ve never understood people who run a couple miles before racing a couple miles. It just seems so counterintuitive…won’t that suck all the energy out of me before I need it? But I was feeling good, and Matt never steers me wrong, so I went for it.

About a mile and a half of easy running. 3-4 strides at race pace. Time it all so the warm up ends about 10 minutes before the race begins; that way, my heart rate is already elevated and my muscles are warm, so my body knows it’s time to work.

You know what? It worked! Okay, okay, I’m a believer now.

January 30 – First Time Vlogger

Here we go…2025 training has begun. Somehow, I managed to convince Stephanie to join me on my adventure this year, so we’ve committed to racing Ötillö Casco Bay in August! I’ve been toying with the idea of a swimrun for the last year or so, and I always had it in my mind that Steph and I would do it together, so I’m thrilled that she said yes. Now we just need to prepare ourselves for swimming in our shoes, running in our wetsuits, and all the other craziness that goes along with a race like this.

Triathlon isn’t going anywhere, though. I’ve got some beasts to conquer this year, including my first metric century bike ride and hopefully making it through Boulder Peak Triathlon without walking up Olde Stage. Littlefoot Triathlon and the Oktoberfest relays with RMTC are on my list every year because they’re my favorite, and I love having some races that are just fun, no pressure. And in between all of this is just the always-present goal of just getting stronger one day at a time.

If you had told high school me that I’d be featured in a sports video series, I would never have believed you! And yet, here we are. Hopefully people find some value in me sharing my journey this year. I know I’ve been inspired by so many people online—both professional and amateur—and by watching their journeys. Thanks for joining me on mine!