In August,l I decided to compete in the Boulder 70.3 Half Ironman. It was a great opportunity, not only to test my fitness, but also as a sort of “test run” before I complete my full IRONMAN in just a few months. True to form, the 70.3 gave me the same nerves and annoying logistics that come with any race. I had to pack for the race, ship my bike off, etc. I figured it was good to do this all at least once before my big race in October. Also, it gave me a great excuse to visit my favorite place in the world – Boulder! Surprisingly, I have never been there in the summer so I was so excited to see what Boulder had to offer.
After the race, I enjoyed some down-time tubbing in the creek path, cooking dinner for friends and then I had the great opportunity to visit Skratch Labs HQ! I have always been a fan of Skratch’s products because they use minimal and real ingredients. When buying endurance fuel, I look for real sugar- yes sugar! When exercising, your body needs quick digesting sugar to use up as energy. This is why I only recommend sports drinks or sugared fuel while actually exercising. Skratch does it right! A personal favorite is their sport hydration drink mixes, energy chews, and energy bars.
When Skratch first reached out about this project video I was immediately interested. It was all about women in sport and how it translated to their work. I create recipes for athletes because of my love for the sport and pushing boundaries. I always ask myself this one question- How can I be better? And I look at food as an edge or a way for me to be that much better. My passion for sport translates into my food day in and day out. It is what drives me to create that new recipe or create content educating athletes about nutrition.
I started to run as a way to stay in shape but later on I saw all the other amazing benefits that came with running. For one, it built self confidence in all aspects of my life. Not only did I feel physically stronger but I felt mentally tougher than ever. No matter the conditions outside I got my run done; I fought through pain and the voices that said “I can’t.”
I believe strongly in the importance of supporting women and putting our vulnerabilities out there. Sharing our areas of weakness and being able to garner support in those areas is actually a sign of strength. Strength is being able to share that you are not perfect. For me I learned to not compare myself to other women because it’s just a deep hole that’s hard to get out of. Recognize there is always going to be someone faster than you, smarter than you, stronger than you…and that is okay. Learn from each other and build each other.