Trimarni Coaching and Nutrition

For the past few weeks, I’ve been completely captivated by coverage of the Cocodona 250 - a 254 mile ultramarathon across Arizona with over 36,000 feet of elevation gain and a cutoff time measured in days, not hours. Watching runners push through exhaustion, sleep deprivation, heat, cold, dirt naps and hallucinations, I kept finding myself thinking, “That’s incredible. I want to do that!” But after a few days, I realized that I don’t actually want to run 250 miles. I don’t even want to run 50 miles. Truthfully, running 26 miles at the end of an Ironman feels long enough. What I was really drawn to wasn’t the race itself, it was what the race represented: challenge, grit, resilience, purpose, and the pursuit of something meaningful. This got me thinking that there are probably a lot of people like me who confuse being inspired by someone else’s finish line with needing to chase it themselves. There’s nothing wrong with being inspired by people doing extraordinary things. In many ways, ...

  This year, I am celebrating 20 years of racing long-distance triathlons. My very first experience with triathlon was in the summer of 2003, a year before I graduated college. I saw a flyer on the wall of the YMCA, outside of the spin class room, promoting a local sprint triathlon. I had dabbled with cross country running during my junior year and I was still swimming competitively. My bike fitness came from teaching spin classes. The triathlon perked my interest but there was one problem…..I didn’t own a bike.  I told my parents about my interest in the triathlon so a few days before my birthday, we went to a local bike shop in Lexington, KY and I bought my first bike. A hybrid bike with a kick stand (first picture above). I had so much fun swimming, biking and then running and at 21 years old, I couldn’t wait to do another triathlon. The next summer, before moving to Florida for graduate school, I completed my first Olympic triathlon in Louisville, KY. I am shocked that I e...

It's often said that comparison is the thief of joy. In other words, social comparison is a big part of how we determine our own level of happiness.  If you find yourself in a daily competition with the achievements of others, it's time to direct your energy elsewhere. Start caring about the things and people in life that are meaningful and purposeful to you. Life is filled with sadness, stress, pain, disappointments, insecurities, anxiety or depression. It doesn't matter who you are, life can be tough. However, this idea that life is far from perfect is far from the picture-perfect life that is often depicted on social media. While you may envy over someone's highlight real, you never know what the behind-the-scene moments look like.  I encourage you to have less comparison to others and more compassion toward yourself.  Although it is inspiring and motivating to see the success stories of others, do not let the triumphs of someone else trump your own...

Comparison stings.  Compassion motivates you to go out of your way to help others.  Comparison negatively affects your confidence and self worth. Compassion focuses on others instead of yourself, trying to understand another person's perspective.  If you find yourself in a daily competition with people who make you feel inadequate, direct your energy elsewhere and start caring about the things and people in life that give you a bigger meaning and purpose.  There are far too many people in this world who experience sadness, stress, pain, disappointments, insecurities, anxiety or depression on a daily basis, which is far from the picture-perfect life that is often depicted on social media. Compassion helps us recognize the good in people and reminds us that we all want to be loved, safe, healthy and happy. Be mindful of where you spend your energy. With less comparison and more compassion, you will put yourself into a world where there is less judgement...