Good morning, feisties.

Good morning, Kona.

All right, it's Kelly, it's Sarah.

And today we have Vic Brumfeld, usatco and first timer in Kona.

Heck yeah.

Super excited to be here.

All right.

I have a whole bullet point on our run list.

That's.

Why did you decide to finally do it?

Oh, my God.

Kelly, how many times have you been told in life that you are the reason why I.

Me personally.

Oh yeah, yeah, you're it.

So I was actually talking to you, I think it was this spring.

And you asked me, I can't remember exactly, but you're like, are you going to do Kona?

And I said, oh my gosh, no, that's the dream.

And then after I said it, I'm like, if that's the dream, why not make it happen?

Right?

And I didn't qualify, but I can fundraise.

So I'm here through the foundation.

Okay.

Amazing.

What did you fundraise for?

So through the Ironman foundation, all of their funds go to support the local community.

So when you look at all the people out supporting the course and impact in the local community, that all comes from the foundation.

So it actually was really important because one of the big things that I talk about all the time is helping communities stay committed to racing because that's the future of our sport.

So it was cool to have the opportunity to support that.

And I hear your training has been crazy.

Crazy training, wild.

Tell us about how you've been preparing.

Oh my gosh.

Well, I take what real people do and then I back it off.

And for me, that's still crazy.

No, we heard about a different level of crazy of like 7 hour bike rides and running long off and not that people are talking about you and your training, but we might have run into one of your neighbors who may have said that.

Okay, but here's the difference.

I go really long.

I just don't go really far.

I will say I to respect the women that are here and the quality of athlete that's here.

I trained harder for this than I've trained for any other race ever.

And I took it really seriously.

I even did sauna time.

Which ladies, I've learned a lot about sauna culture.

It's a thing.

Tell us more.

Unpack that.

I think we should repack it more than unpack it.

There is a.

There is a whole community of men that do odd things and make odd noises in a sauna.

It's very intimate.

Wait, did you cold plunge too or just sauna?

No, I Only saunaed.

I'm all about the heat.

I don't think cold plunging would help you prepare for Kona.

Some people think it helps you recover, so.

Oh, yeah, no, I'm not into recovery.

No, I've done nothing to recover.

So wait, did the sauna.

Okay, first of all, what was your sauna strategy?

And then did it.

Do you feel good because of it?

Like, did it work?

So actually it's super fascinating because I started it.

I think I did three or four weeks of sauna training and I started at 10 minutes for three days a week and then I built up to 15 minutes four days a week and I ultimately ended doing 25 minutes for five days the final week.

And it's wild because when I first started doing it, 10 minutes was really hard.

And actually I found that it got a lot easier.

One time I did it after a six hour ride, two hour run and then I went in the sauna and I, like, I got nauseous because I wasn't hydrated.

And I think that was actually a good experience for me to, you know.

Really feel like really living the conditions of Kona.

I felt like I was on the big island.

Right.

When you're nauseous out on the Queen K, you're going to be like, which.

You may many people maybe.

Yeah, I've experienced this before.

I've been here.

I mean, it was with more men, but.

But yeah, I've definitely.

Closer quarters.

Yeah, I've definitely felt nauseous with men more often.

All right.

And then as a first timer here in Kona, what are you doing?

Like, are you hitting all the things?

Are you doing like the whole bucket list of Kona first timer things?

Okay.

This is the hardest thing about it.

I feel like it's the Super Bowl.

Like, I love it so much and I get so much energy from seeing all the people and all the partners and just the energy of everything that's happening here and I forget that I'm racing and I probably should also relax, which is really hard for me to do.

So, yeah, I'm, I'm, I think I'm going to have to start to pull back a little bit.

But this is like, this is why I work in the industry.

I just, I love it so much.

Like, it's why I love racing.

I feel like you show up to these things and it's the best version of you.

Gets to creep out.

Yeah.

In good ways.

On yesterday's podcast, Kelly and I talked for a long time about the new qualification system.

So I feel Like, I'm really appreciating the energy that you're bringing because I.

Feel like we've been a little down.

From the fact that this is the last year that it's all women.

So, yeah, I'm just absorbing right now.

I had nothing to add to that.

I was thinking about it, but last year, or last year, the last time it was all women's, there was, like, a crazy number of first timers.

This year, I think there's just a normal amount I haven't heard about.

Crazy numbers.

Are you guys, like, sharing notes?

Have you.

What are you most nervous about as a first timer?

Not the heat, because it's, you know, sauna.

You're ready.

Oh, yeah, I've done the heat training, actually.

I do think what I'm most nervous about is I don't actually know how my body is going to react in these conditions.

Right.

So I've done a couple foals before, and I've done a million triathlons and long bike races, but not in these conditions.

And so it'll be interesting to see how my body responds for this period of time in the heat and humidity.

But.

But honestly, I'm not really nervous at all.

I'm just excited.

Okay.

Yeah, that's great.

Perfect.

Yeah.

And I think going back to the qualification, I mean, here's the thing, it's super complicated, as I'm sure you've all talked about.

I'm like, it's not that complicated.

We explained it yesterday in less than.

30 minutes, which is what I love about your podcast, because I'm like, oh, that's how the world worked.

Kelly just explained the Meaning of life to me.

And I also think that's what's really cool about the foundation.

Like, look, I didn't qualify to be here, and I would have loved to have qualified.

And it's just.

Maybe it's talent, maybe it's time, like, who knows?

But I've never been able to hit that level of.

Of performance.

But being able to still participate through the foundation is actually a really meaningful way to participate because you still deserve to be here.

You still have to do all the work in the training and fundraising is really hard, and it goes to an amazing cause, and it really does go back to the community that we're in.

And Kona is the home of Ironman.

And so to be able to contribute back to them in a way that isn't just economic impact, but it's actually intentional and purposeful, and give back, I think is really important.

So even if you don't make the qualification, which I know you guys are all over, how that's gonna evolve.

There's still a pathway.

What do you feel about.

I mean, sorry to mention, obviously it is the last all women's mixed feelings, mostly down.

But how.

I know you're a big fan of all women's races.

Tell us how excited you are about having all women out there on Saturday.

Oh, I love everything about it.

I'll just give one small example.

I went to a local physical therapist yesterday here.

Yeah.

And he did an adjustment and I was asking him how is having everyone in town?

And he said, it's amazing.

I didn't actually know it was the all women's race, but I was commenting to my colleague about how, wow.

I have not had any athlete jump in front of my car or ride in the middle of the road or flip me off or do anything crazy.

And his colleague said, yeah, it's because it's the women's race.

And I think that that just speaks to.

What I love is one, we're all super prepared.

We're showing up not out of audacity and ego, but out of being prepared and understanding exactly what's happening when.

Although I did just say to someone, I'll see them at the race on Sunday.

So I did get the race day wrong.

Details, details.

Probably minor, minor details.

But I think everybody's really prepared and I think so.

That I feel like changes the energy and then also being around women, for me, I just love it because there's a kindness to it and there is a connection that you get in a way that is just different because men obviously relate differently than women relate.

And I feel that energy and camaraderie from.

From women in a way that I don't think I would get that same experience if I were here with all the best men in the world.

I'd love to know how you're expecting your actual day to go.

You know, like, how are you expecting the swim and bike run to play out?

She's just excited.

I am really excited.

And I actually am staying with two incredible women who are also participating through the foundation.

And this morning we woke up at 4am and we sat around the table and we visualized every portion of the course.

How are we going to feel when we show up to the swim?

Oh, I love that communal visualization.

Okay, sorry to interrupt it.

No, I really.

I'm looking at being like, how does that work?

Like, do you all talk?

Are you all just like, see there with your eyes closed together?

It would kill me if I was.

Like, okay, hey, we're doing team visualization tomorrow morning.

You see that?

But actually, what would be really interesting, if you did sit down with just calm morning energy and you said, here's what I'm doing in the morning.

And then you would probably chime and say, actually, that's really interesting.

I did something different.

And it was a really.

It was a really interesting discussion because we all come with different perspectives, different preparation, different approaches.

But it was really helpful to hear each person talk through.

Through what they expect their journey to be based on their experience and based on what they want to get out of the race on Saturday, not Sunday.

Yeah, number one.

Yeah, number one.

I'm just.

I'm just telling myself as a reminder so I don't show up on the wrong day.

But it.

It is really important because I think you never know what the island or the day will serve up to you.

You never know.

And you can prepare as much as possible.

And I think in the moment and on the day, the only thing you can do is be open and.

And be mindful of what your plan was and try and go back and adapt as much as you can and just know that actually one of the women I'm staying with said this, and it was really beautiful that whatever the island gives you that day is what you need to have the experience that.

You'Re going to have.

And that's something that I'm really looking forward to.

And it may be.

It may be a really, really hard day in a way that I wasn't expecting.

But the good news is, if I have a terrible day and I finished past midnight, I'm going to finish on my birthday.

So all I do is win.

I was, like thinking about that for a second.

But you will still finish past midnight and be in the cutoff because of the rolling stars now.

So, yeah, that's fine.

Do that.

Yeah, I'll make that.

I'm not worried.

I'm going to make the time cut off.

I'm going to finish.

I don't know how the day is going to play out, but I know I'm as.

I am as prepared as I can be, and I feel really calm and confident and excited about it.

And one of the things, and I've talked about this before when I.

When I race, I'm not.

I'm not a fast athlete.

It's not something that I've ever aspired to as far as performance to be on a podium, but what I do aspire to is to finish.

Feeling really strong.

And I always focus on making a friend on the run.

Like, that's actually one of the most important things to me because it, it really fuels me.

Every race I've ever done, I've made at least one friend on, on the run.

And it's often somebody that you remember for the rest of your life.

Are you still friends with them?

The people I do not do it every race, but the people I've made friends with on the run, like, we still, our Instagram friends still talk.

Are you still friends with them?

I would actually think you'd make more enemies when you're fast because like if.

You'Re, if you're making a friend on the run, things have gone south for me, for Sarah probably, you know.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So then you're out there hanging out.

You know, it's interesting because I, I just think about.

It is in the moment, but I still, like.

I got a text message from a woman.

It was at the Mid south two years ago.

I did the 50K, I did the double, like the bike run and I ended up picking up this woman.

She was going to DNF, like I don't even know, like 10 miles in.

And I picked her up and I was like, why don't you just go with me to the next aid station?

And we did the whole thing together.

And she texted me before the race saying, I'm not racing today.

But I just want you to know that I think about you all the time and I never would have done that race if it wasn't for you.

Meanwhile, I'm just selfish because I'm like, do you have any toilet paper?

You know, like, I just like, I want a buddy, but I do that all the time.

And it's, it really, it fuels me.

And if it's appropriate for that person, it helps them.

And not everybody wants a buddy.

I will tell you, if you try to make buddies when the race is heavily European, men, it doesn't go as well.

They don't want to talk.

Yeah, I try to focus on people who speak English.

Yeah.

And actually it's funny you say that.

I typically find women, but there have also been men.

I did a race in Boulder a few weeks ago and it was a three lap run.

And when I was just finished my first lap, there was a young guy, he'd never done a 70.3 distance before.

He'd never ridden his bike more than 20 miles before.

And he just got into the run and he was talking to an official about dnfing.

And I Said, hey, buddy, like, why don't you just.

What are you doing?

You just run with me to the aid station.

Yeah, I did.

I picked him up and I went to the aid station.

We ended up doing his last two lap or my last two laps and his first two laps together.

He kept telling me that it was better than Molly.

And I'm like, I'll take your word for it.

And.

And I stood there at the finish line with his mom, who was sobbing when he crossed the finish line, and like, yeah, I'll never talk to this kid again.

But for me, like, that was the most fun I could have had was those two laps with him.

I think I love that better than Molly.

Should we.

Should we cheer that at people?

Definitely what they want us to cheer for.

If we see you on Saturday, not Sunday.

Now you have me saying it.

What should we yell at you?

Well, if you yelled it's better than Molly, I'd be like, who's Molly?

Yeah, what should you yell at me?

It's a good question.

I mean, I think, honestly, just seeing you out there is going to make me happy.

Like, I think.

And I think this goes back to our.

It goes back to what we were talking about at the beginning, about how just being here fuels me with energy.

Is that seeing all the people that I know through the sport and being all here together for the same purpose, there's.

There's something about that that I think really lifts me.

So I think just seeing you is going to bring me joy.

All the pros have said, tell me everyone else looks terrible.

So, yeah, the different perspective.

Yeah.

When we.

But when I spoke to an age grouper yesterday, a local, she said.

She also said that, yeah, like, tell me I look amazing.

Yeah, don't tell me.

Yeah, the pros are like, tell me everyone else.

Tell me everybody else looks terrible and I look amazing.

All right.

Part of the reason I was asking you about all women's races is I know you're a big proponent of them for, like, getting more women into the sport.

Obviously, that's been a hot topic kind of broadly with the all women's iron man and with, like, the qualification.

What is USAT doing?

What can we do to kind of get more women?

Big question.

How do we get more women into triathlon?

That's the existential question.

I think the thing that we have to acknowledge is there are fewer women in the sport in general.

It's always been disproportionate.

So even though we talk a lot about how our sport started, equitably from the beginning.

Right.

Like women doing the same course, prize money for World triathlon going down in equal amounts.

There's always been huge elements of equity that have far exceeded other sports that started historically much, much later than ours.

But there is inequity in that it's time consuming and there are significant barriers to entry.

And you know, when we look at women's participation, we hit an all time high.

Close to 40% women, 60% men in aggregate across all distances before COVID Okay.

But it's pulled back now.

In short course, it's near parity.

So that's something that we're actually really excited about.

So our national championships for sprint and Olympic, we did not do anything intentionally to, to affect the proportion of men to women, but we had 46%.

I may need to fact check myself, but about 46% women by nature of people qualifying and then registering.

And so I think that's really positive.

In super sprint, it's almost equal.

And so what that says is there's a few things happening.

We know that women have disproportionate responsibilities in life and home life.

And so I think what we're looking at is one, how do we really promote the accessibility of short course racing?

Because it is accessible.

I am so grateful to be out here and have this opportunity.

And I will tell you, training for this distance on top of my life and my work has really left me empty and it's been really hard for me physically and emotionally and I don't have children.

So you think about women who are also trying to balance home life is really hard.

So I think what we're doing is we're promoting short course, we're encouraging race directors to add more formats because you also see increase in female participation in the alternative formats.

So team type stuff or relays, well.

Mix relay is really fun, but I'm talking about swim, run, bike run.

So as soon as you go into short course and alternative formats, you have more women participating.

So one is making sure that they have access to races.

Two, that they understand that every woman is capable of doing a triathlon and there are distances and formats that are accessible, regardless of your ability to access equipment or, you know, your ability to train, swimming or other things that could be barriers.

The other thing that I personally think a lot about is promoting the importance of coaching.

Because I think what happens is women especially, I think part of our nature is we don't do something until we know we can do something.

Right.

I hesitate here.

Some women, I do lots of Things that I'm not prepared for.

All right, so if you're out there and you're also like, that's fine.

Well, well, right.

And I'm going to go down a tangent for a minute.

We know that women finish endurance racers and races in higher proportion than men.

Right.

There are lower DNF rates.

And so you can, you can say, well, maybe it's a higher pain threshold, whatever.

I personally believe it's that women show up to do things that they have prepared for, that they feel capable of doing, where more men will say, oh, I can do that, I did that five years ago, or I can power my way through.

And so the reason why I say that is in order to stay healthy and balance your busy life with training, there is nothing more important in my experience than having a coach.

The only reason why I'm able to train at this level with the intensity of a life that I live is because of my coach, 100%.

So helping women understand that actually coaching will help you in your journey, regardless of where you start.

Whether you're just starting or.

Or you want to train more, you want to.

You want to race more, you want to go faster, you want to go longer.

It's actually an external expert that's going to help you have that greater perspective to navigate the challenges of your life so that you're able to balance it, because you can balance it.

It's just a question of what are your goals.

And a coach can help you set those in a way that's more accessible in your life.

Yeah.

Or even having more.

Now I'm just jumping in, but like, we often talk about having more coaching options too, you know, because triathlon coaching can be quite expensive.

You know, you're like 200 to $500 a month having those options of like group coaching or having a program that you follow and sort of even a mentor that you can ask about the program.

Like, I think there's lots of ways to, like, chop that up that could be more accessible too.

Yeah, it's definitely.

It's a big expense.

I will say I've had a coach that I've been able to talk to.

So suppose there's a lot of value to AI coaching as well.

But the woman that I've worked with, I talk to her regularly.

And what she's able to do is.

Is the qualitative side of understanding where am I and what am I dealing with and where to back off.

And what's interesting, my coach actually has me do.

She asked me to do less, more than she asked me to do more.

And I think that's something that you actually get through a relationship and somebody understanding you.

And what's also really interesting about it, I feel seen and known by my coach in a way that I don't in any other relationship.

Nobody else knows the side of me that I express through training and racing like she does.

And so there's an intimacy to it and there's a, there's.

I don't know, it makes me feel.

It makes me feel like I've, I've got somebody in my court who really knows me.

I love that I have a friend.

I mean, I have to pay her to be my friend, but she's my friend and I love it.

Oh yeah, we joke my kid because we pay for like a nanny part time that we pay someone to be his friend and no one ever tell don't tell him because he thinks he has all these friends.

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There'S also obviously like you mentioned, a lot of barriers so I do want to call out like Ironman obviously has been working on some of those.

They they like child care is a big one.

Lactation.

They are doing a bunch of things this year with like hygiene products in in the transitions in the aid stations, a changing area in the in the transition if you need lactation accommodations.

And I'm saying this so that anyone who needs it can contact them because they have it available in transition.

But you need to let them know first.

And the King Cam has a room set aside this week for lactation and pumping.

If you ask at the front desk, I promise I would like make sure people knew that.

And they're also doing a survey right now about childcare.

If people.

Which I know, we think is a little funny because you're surveying the people who are already here, so they figured it out.

But take the survey.

We'll include the link.

Because I think more childcare is always also a big issue for women.

So I agree.

I have a hard time getting pet care, so I can't even imagine.

We are on that note.

We did want to hear from Sky Munch on that note.

Of childcare.

No, because.

Because we went out and she's brought her mom, she's brought her 11th month old.

This is her first pro race back postpartum, like, literally the Ironman World Championships.

So we had a long.

Me and her had a long talk about just, like, what that has been like.

All right, sky, you made it.

You got the kid on the plane.

You're here.

What was that like?

You mean the buildup to that or just getting here?

Like, where do I start?

Right.

I had a baby 10 and a half months ago and was the furthest I've ever been from Ironman World Championship fit at that time.

And then, yeah, I mean, getting through newborn stage and sleep deprivation and all of that, a lot.

It's been a lot.

And it's funny, I think I was a little more optimistic about how fit I could actually get for this, but we're fit enough.

And, yeah, traveling with the baby, first time, but Lois is actually a very good baby.

Like, she's just a happy, easygoing baby.

She must get it for my husband.

So she was really, really good.

The travel, obviously, it's not that traveling is relaxing, but it's way less relaxing with a baby you're just on.

But, yeah, we made it.

We're adjusted.

We're sleeping through the night, so we're good.

Yeah, I do feel like expectations.

I mean, it's great, right?

Like, women are getting back out.

But then I feel like some of our expectations can be like, I'm gonna be Iron man fit in five months.

It's gonna be great.

And I think you and I have had a different, rockier journey.

Well, I think what we've had is a real journey because the reality is babies don't sleep through the night right away most of the time.

They require so much time and energy, and they deserve it.

Like, I love being a mom.

I've loved every second of it.

I mean, maybe some of the sleep Deprivation, I could have done without, but, like, it's just what it requires.

It's a completely different shift in priorities and energy levels and everything.

So, yeah, it's definitely.

It's very different from what I thought it would be.

Harder.

Not in a bad way.

Like, I feel like when we say hard, it means bad.

But no, it's not bad.

It's just way more challenging.

And I'm not one who can just push through sleep deprivation and go train for five hours.

Like, I've just had to really be kind to myself.

And Lois, like, she needs me.

So, yeah, I think we've had just real experiences and yeah, we're.

We're juggling a lot.

So what are you.

I'm going to ask you, what are your expectations on Saturday?

Are we just, like, here to finish?

Are we.

Do we have a time goal?

No, I. I don't have a time goal.

I never have a time goal, though.

Yeah.

You know, in the pro race, it's just about racing the race, and there's so many variables that affect the time part of it, but expectations.

I don't have expectations, honestly, other than finishing.

Um, and that doesn't mean that I'm going to go like, lolly gag the whole race.

Like, no, I'm not going to be out just on an easy ride.

No, I'm going to race it the best I can.

But honestly, part of it is, like, I don't know what to expect because, yes, I've been training, I've been able to be quite consistent.

The last, I don't know, couple months of I had a few bouts of being sick and, you know, or bad nights of sleep where I'm like, I can't freaking train today.

Um, but I feel like the last couple months have been pretty consistent.

The last few weeks, I've gotten in some really good, longer sessions, not quite at the level that they were before, but I'm not so far off that I'm like, what am I doing?

But, yeah, I'm not.

I don't expect myself to perform at the level I have in the past, but I'm also not counting myself out.

I guess I don't have expectations to be disappointed in.

I guess just.

Just go do it and give my best.

Don't give up, Stay positive, which is really what I do most years.

So this is your literally your first race bag, right?

First race back is world championship, right?

Yes, first real race.

I did two local races back in Utah, so I did an Olympic distance and I did a half ironman, a Month ago I did a half Ironman.

Yeah, I mean get a good workout and get the race.

Make sure the gear like man, going through the race gear again.

You know, there's so many little things.

So.

Yeah.

And now here we are.

Ironman.

Just every month I've been leveling up.

Okay, yeah.

Olympic next.

A month later, half a month later, boom.

Ironman world championship.

But on that like the world championship is the biggest, best race to be a part of like this only this race could motivate me to keep going.

Some days that were just.

I don't know.

I can't tell you how many times I've wanted to quit honestly, just because it seems just crazy and whether I feel so exhausted or like my nanny's sick or whatever, there's just way more obstacles and sometimes some days I just want to be with my baby too if I'm being honest.

So.

But having Kona as like it's not just any Iron man, it's the big one.

So that got you back out the door?

Oh yeah.

If it was any Iron man like I wouldn't be here.

It's.

It's literally just because it's Kona.

And yeah, I guess it had to be a big enough goal to really, really keep me accountable because you don't want to be.

You have to be a certain level of fit to actually enjoy yourself on the big island racing.

Cuz it's just so hard.

Like I, yeah, I knew there was a certain level I needed to be at to even just get through it without completely being miserable.

So that, and I knew this was the place where I could see sponsors and friends and everyone and that, that's exciting to me because I literally have not seen anyone since, you know, almost two years ago.

Really.

I guess I saw some people.

I did T100 Miami in March 2024.

Let's talk, let's talk about you.

So how did you end up in this position?

You qualified Florida 2023 and then.

Yeah, so I, I knew I was planning to get pregnant after 2023 season.

So that's part of why I did Ironman Florida.

But I like a late season Ironman anyway.

But I knew that I, if I could, I wanted to qualify and then be able to, to defer it because one, I didn't know if or how quickly I would get pregnant and two, like it would be nice.

I didn't know what it would be like coming back.

So it would be nice if I wasn't like oh, I gotta qualify for Kona.

And it's funny because well I didn't get pregnant as fast as maybe ideally it took me five months which is not long but if it was like two months and I'd have, you know, when we're talking fitness.

Anyway she came when she was ready to come so yeah, I was able to defer.

So I emailed Ironman and I said hey, I'm pregnant, I would like to defer my.

Can I defer?

I wasn't entirely sure like Ironman's website has the maternity pregnancy policy.

Right, Exactly.

And so it's not necessarily, at least at the time it didn't seem super specific to pros but I assumed that's that would be the case and sure enough it was.

So yeah, I just deferred it and thought I'd get a bit more racing before I got here.

But here we are and how support.

I mean.

Yeah.

So Iron man allows you to Defer.

I know T100 has like a wild card policy for pregnancy.

How supportive has everyone been?

Has your sponsors been.

Have people been.

Yeah, I would say mostly very supportive.

T100 has a maternity policy but they haven't even made it public yet I don't think.

But you know they've, they financially supported me because I had a contract with them.

Um, and then yeah, if I wanted to race one of their races this year or I think it maybe was even within like 18 months, I don't know.

Yeah, I could, I could probably still get a wild card like later this year or next year if I wanted.

So there's that.

And then sponsor wise like most of my sponsors have been great but I'm not gonna lie and say that everyone's been 100 great but like mostly they've all been great.

Like really they have.

So if I'm like promoting them and wearing them and showing them like they've, they've been great.

I mean any.

Yeah, some of my sponsors just ended naturally but then some of them it was like, well we're not working together anymore so.

Yeah.

But yeah, yeah.

And so you're looking forward to seeing everybody, you're looking forward to race.

What else are we looking forward to this weekend?

This week?

This week.

I mean I'm excited to see everyone.

That's a big one.

Well you said that.

So I'm excited to see everyone.

You know I've actually been really excited to bring Lois here and you know that's not this week.

We've been here a few days but it's just fun to see her experience a new place and like, new sounds, new things.

Like, she's fascinated with just, like, the palm trees blowing or the sand on the beach, stuff like that.

So that's been fun.

And I don't know, I think what I realized when I got here was traveling here is like, my worlds are colliding right now.

Who I was before I had Lois and who I am now, just because, I don't know.

Becoming a mom has been, like, the most transformative experience of my life.

I don't know if you feel that way at all.

No, no.

Yeah.

You're just the same.

You're completely unaffected by this.

But I feel like my perspective has really, really changed, and just my appreciation for mothers in general.

Like, I just see things so differently, and so.

I don't know, in many ways, I feel like a different person.

So it's kind of like bringing it all back together for me, coming here and seeing everyone and being.

Doing something that was so much a part of me before I had a baby.

So.

Yeah, that's.

I'm just excited to see what that feels like for me because.

Yeah, I've just been in my own baby world.

Yeah.

Now you're bringing Lois, and she's gonna meet everybody.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

It's cool.

It's cool.

Okay.

One thing I love so much is how many moms there are now in the pro field.

Like, I think back when I.

My daughter's turning 15 in next month, and I remember just, like, seeking out blogs of other moms who had had kids, like, in any activity at all.

Like, we didn't have.

One of my friends said to me at the time that I was the first person who had a kid late.

Like, I had her when I was 35, and then came back to.

And then came back to racing pro.

Right.

So.

And I didn't really take that in at the time because there were a couple other moms, but it was still a thing.

Like, the mom, like, oh, whether I was coming back or not was still very much in question, and people very much assumed that I wasn't.

Right.

So, yeah, it's really cool to see that there are things like lactation areas popping up, that there's support.

Lactation areas.

Yeah.

Secret lactation areas that we are spreading.

The word about, and that, like, the sponsors are also, you know, stepping up and staying around for the most part for folks like Sky.

I think what's so interesting about that is, like, we talked a little bit earlier about how you have to see something before you think it's possible for you to do And Katie Zafaris asked you in an interview recently of have there always been this many moms and we just didn't know it?

And you made the point of.

Actually, no, it's.

It's women making a choice and then being very public about it that have actually shown that it's possible, invited others in to have a similar experience.

And I think that's so important.

Like, going back to our message of how do we bring more women into the sport?

We have to make sure that we are amplifying the stories of women who make big, bold moves that are out of the norm, whether that's doing a big race or whether it's doing it juggling really big responsibilities in family or work, just showing that it's possible.

And I think that's a respons, I feel, from the federation is to make sure that we're telling the stories of everything that's happening, whether it's showing diversity in the sport, showing women in the sport, and just showing that.

That there are opportunities for all at every distance.

And there's that.

That anything really is possible.

I think that's Iron Man's tagline, is that anything's possible.

But it's so true.

Like, you don't have to be an extraordinary person to do extraordinary things.

Like, you can be an ordinary person, really living an exceptional life, as long as you know that that's possible.

And so just a huge shout out to the women who've made these big decisions that have shown that it's possible for us.

Yes.

I also want to say, yeah, the conversation Katie, I were having, which, if you are a longtime listener, obviously you're a longtime listener, she was asking.

Because it does seem now.

Now you're like, well, man, if I'm not winning a 50 miler after three months postpartum, we went hard the other way.

So the question she was asking was, like, what happened?

And to your point, like, there were these huge stories, you know, Chelsea, Allison, Felix, Kara Goucher, and it paved the way.

And now more and more, like regular women are realizing they can come back.

Of course, in our universes, sky, me can be like, why am I not world championship fit already?

And that's fine, too.

And that's, I think, why it was nice to hear from sky and because her and I have had a similar.

Though I'm much slower, but a similar, like, oh, this isn't going as quick as I thought it would.

And that's fine, too.

Like, it's one of those, like, if it's hard, that's okay.

Like, you're not failing.

Yeah.

But also you can do big things.

It is possible.

And I think it's probably true of a lot of things like this.

Like, super success stories are first come first, you know, and then we don't often hear these, like, slower stories of people coming back or whatever.

I do, I do remember that a lot of times a lot of my peers, like I'm 49 now in the pro field, would had their kids in their 40s.

Right.

Which is also another thing.

Right.

It's all like an epic journey to start in your 40s, too.

But, yeah, now there's just more possibilities and more options.

There's just so many possibilities.

Yes.

Anything is possible.

All right.

I realize because.

Because we are out here on the lawn of the Kona Canoe Club.

We didn't thank our sponsors because there's just so much going on.

There's a brunch.

There's.

Yeah.

Ocean swimming.

There's.

And so we.

Glowing in the background.

In the background.

Sorry about that.

So I do want to say thank you to Wahoo and Lever and Hedda's.

And there are discount codes in the show notes and you can get 25% off a lever right now through Sunday, which is like, kind of a big deal.

It's an amazing.

Like, if you can't afford an anti gravity treadmill.

Right.

You know, it's a great way to come back from an injury or a pregnancy or anything you're coming back from.

Kelsey, just talking to us about using it yesterday.

I know a lot of the pros use them, so check out the show notes.

Thank you to all our sponsors and we will include a link to the rest of the events.

Come to the Shakeout run tomorrow morning.

If you're listening to this in time, come to the live podcast on Thursday.

Come to the post race panel.

Come to the shop.

So many things, Vic.

Shop.

We're here at Kona Canoe Club from 8 till 11.

And of course, thank you to Vic Brumfield, CEO of USA Triathlon, for joining us today.

Yay.

Have fun.

We'll yell at you.

We'll yell positive, encouraging things at you on Sunday, Saturday.