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Danielle Lewis on winning Ironman Lake Placid, the childhood dream to become a pro athlete, overcoming adversity, taking control of her health, finding success in triathlon
107 Plays4 months ago
When we think about our future it’s good to set long term and specific goals. It’s funny how putting an idea into the universe can sometimes bring it to fruition years later. Of course there will be twists and turns along the way but if we believe in the process and pursuit of those goals, nothing can stop us.
On this episode of Just In Stride we follow the journey of Pro Triathlete and winner Ironman Lake Placid 2024, Danielle Lewis.
There is a laundry list of things kids say they want to be when they grow up but for Danielle, it was to become a professional athlete. The road getting there however hasn’t been easy.
She took on a number of challenges on the way to where she is today. Despite those hurdles, the drive to become a pro never left her mind. Through determination and resilience she was able to achieve her dream and she hopes her story will inspire you to reach for yours.
Danielle Lewis (@danilewistri) • Instagram photos and videos
Danielle Lewis takes first Ironman win in Lake Placid, overcoming 16-minute deficit after the swim - Triathlon Magazine Canada
Home (daniellelewistri.com)
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Offer from Xact Nutrition: This episode is presented by our friends at Xact Nutrition and they are offering you 15% OFF your order when you use the code JUSTINSTRIDE. So head to xactnutrition.com and fuel your goals today! Now shipping in Canada and the U.S.
Thanks for tuning in to the Just In Stride Podcast. I truly appreciate you taking the time to listen and I hope you enjoyed that conversation as much as I did. Please take a minute after this to rate and review our show on Apple Podcasts. With your feedback we’ll be able to make the show even better and it’ll help us reach new listeners too. You can also find us on Instagram @justinstridepod and YouTube @justinstridepod for all the latest episodes and updates. Glad you came along for the ride with Just In Stride!
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Transcript
Introduction and Sponsorship
00:00:03
Speaker
Hello, and welcome to the Justin's Drive podcast. I'm your host, Justin Puyese. If you love endurance sports, you've definitely come to the right place. On this show, we'll talk to athletes, coaches, and professionals who can help us reach our true potential. Being a student of distance running for over 10 years and interviewing people in the sport for the last five, I've learned a ton, but there's always more to discover. Everyone has a story, and I know you'll resonate with each of our guests as we embark on this new journey together. Join us at home, on the road, or while you run. Together, we'll have some fun. So follow along on Instagram at justinstridepod and your favorite podcast platform and prepare to be inspired. Come along for the ride with Justin Stride.
00:00:51
Speaker
This episode is presented by our friends at Exact Nutrition, a tasty and healthy way for you to fuel your body before, during, and after a solid training session. I can't leave the house without a few fruit bars in my pocket and they never make it back home. Exact is offering you 50% off your order when you use the code justinstride. So head to exactnutrition.com and fuel your goals today. When we think about our future, it's good to set long-term and specific goals. It's funny how putting an idea into the universe can sometimes bring it to fruition years later. Of course, there will be twists and turns along the way, but if we believe in the process and pursuit of those goals, nothing can stop us.
Meet Danielle Lewis: Pro Triathlete
00:01:32
Speaker
On this episode of Justin Stride, we follow the journey of pro triathlete and winner of Ironman Lake Placid 2024, Danielle Lewis.
00:01:40
Speaker
There's a laundry list of things kids say they want to be when they grow up, but for Danielle, it was to become a professional athlete. The road getting there, however, hasn't been so easy. She took on a number of challenges on the way to where she is today. Despite those hurdles, the drive to become a pro never left her mind. Through determination and resilience, she was able to achieve her dream and she hopes her story will inspire you to reach for yours. Hi Danielle. Welcome to the Justin Stride podcast. I appreciate you taking the time today. Hi Justin. Thank you so much for having me. Yeah. I'm really grateful that you took the time. I know you just came off a big win at Lake Placid and um yeah, I can imagine you getting pulled in a few directions with obligations and stuff, but yeah, I know it must've been crazy.
00:02:29
Speaker
a little bit, you know, I have, I've always been planning on taking this week off from training just because I've done two full distance tries in the past two weeks. And I usually take a mid-year break, right. And the summertime here in Boise is, it's pretty nice, you know, and you've got a river to go flow and I've got, you know, paddleboard I could go play on the Lake on. And I think my dreams of doing those things are kind of slowly fading. So I've got to make sure I make some time to go do some fun things here in Boise this week. Yeah, that's awesome. I mean, I always hear about like, uh, end of season, like a winter, uh, break for a lot of athletes, but it's cool that you take one mid mid-summer. Cause I mean, that is the best time to enjoy not only training, but just like everyday life. Right.
00:03:14
Speaker
Yeah. And it's not, it's not like a long, at the end of the year is usually usually a little bit longer, two or three weeks. Um, and, and maybe some additional time and just more unstructured training. It kind of just depends on what the season's going to be looking like. But, uh, the season is so long this year. I mean, I started in April. I mean, there's athletes that started in March, some of them started like in January and we go through. December with the World Championships in New Zealand. And that's just a really long season. So I think it's just really important to give yourself a break mid-year. It keeps your body healthy and then your mind kind of rested and just gives it a time to kind of recoup. you And have you always planned like a busy schedule like that? Has it always been that way? I see like you usually have six, seven events on your calendar in past years.
00:04:08
Speaker
um Yeah, it just kind of depends on what the schedule looks like. I tend to stay and do more North American races and it tends it tends to be just more ah heavier on the front half of the year because of that. Okay. And I saw you got all over to Europe doing Roth. I most recently spoke to somebody who did the Roth challenge and and I kind of always knew it existed and I've done triathlon myself, but I didn't really understand like how it was different. So I asked him that. I was like, how is this event different than like your typical race event? Can you kind of chime in
Triathlon Challenges and Experiences
00:04:45
Speaker
on that? Oh, my gosh. Literally, whenever I think of rough, I just get full body chills. ah And it's weird because like a lot of people that do the race, the same thing happens to them. you know there's There are things that you can pinpoint right that are specific and tangible. But then there's a lot of things, too, that are just not
00:05:05
Speaker
tangible. and i'm you know It's hard to say exactly what that is. um so that was my first well and That was my first non-championship triathlon that I went overseas to do. I did Dubai in 2019 and this one. so This was my first full over there. and so Yeah, I was, ah Andrew really wanted to do it. This has been a bucket list race for him. And so I was like, okay, I guess, you know, you're going, I guess I'll see if I can get in and go do the race. um I wasn't like super keen about adding it onto the schedule because my focus has been Iron Man Pro Series.
00:05:50
Speaker
And this race was two weeks before Lake Placid, which my Ironman Texas didn't go very well. And so I really needed a good performance in Lake Placid. And so I knew it was a bit of a risk traveling across the pond to do a full distance race two weeks before a really important fall, right? But I was like, okay, we're just going to go is to give me a low pressure race. There's really, um, um No expectations on this one, right? Like of course a good performance that Roth is a big deal and can do good things for your career but at the same time there's no like big expectation on this. I'm just going to go use it as kind of a an opportunity to test some things out that I've been working on and just have a good experience over there because most racing that I do is always like for a hard and fast like purpose, right? And so Roth truly was just more for the experience of it.
00:06:41
Speaker
And we went over there, um, Oh, about just over a week or so in advance of the race. and We lived with a family over there and that was super sweet. They just kind of take you in as your own. I mean, when we were leaving, we were all in tears because you know, maybe people just for really a few days and we had given each other so much of our hearts in that certain amount of time because they cook for you. You cook with them. I learned how to make like these potato dumplings and to made spetzel, which is like this, you know, German like pasta. Um, and I don't know, you just connect, um, with the people. And so that was sweet. And then,
00:07:18
Speaker
On the race day, you have just thousands and thousands of people that come from all over the place to cheer for you. And you just really don't find that energy over here in the States, maybe like snippets of it on certain parts of the course, but not for like the whole entire thing. So it's just really epic. And so, so Andrew is your husband. He's also into triathlon and stuff. He is, yes. Yeah, nice. so So is it hard for you to differentiate between like the competitive side and just going you know going to an event like that and just testing things out? Or does that competitive nature come out in you? Because you did finish fifth also. um So how does how do you balance that out? I mean,
00:08:06
Speaker
I'm not someone that shows up and just sandbags stuff. okay You know, like it wasn't by any means, it wasn't a full send race. yeah Um, especially even on the bike, uh, just because there's, I dunno, I was just kind of like trying to take in the whole experience, I think on the bike. And so it certainly wasn't a full send, but at the same time, like. I wanted to see what I could do based on some of the changes that I was making to my race strategy, race nutrition, and see how my body would respond. and um i mean I felt amazing out there on the run. um My body felt really good. and Again, I think a lot of that had to do with the people that were out there, the energy on course. and
00:08:50
Speaker
um hey and But I think also when your mindset is more relaxed, it allows your body to become freer and more able to do what it's ready to do. And so without having any sort of expectation on it, I was just able to so swim, bike and run, you know? and And oftentimes a lot of our best performances can be in that state, you know, where we don't have this, this external or internal pressure that we're putting ourselves to to perform and we can just do what we're
00:09:23
Speaker
trying to do, which is, you know, perform yes, but like in a much more natural way. um So what were some of those things that you were trying to test out? Like I did read that you had, you're trying to work out like some GI issues um for the run. So I think this is like really interesting except especially with long distance triathlon and it's something that even pros have to work on tremendously to to kind of dial in on. Yep. So I have been, having some really severe like nausea and vomiting in my long distance running. And because my 70.3 is, it's 13 miles for the run, right? And, and I've been fine, no GI issues for an hour and some minutes, right? But then once I kind of get past that threshold, my stomach has been getting like really unsettled. I get really queasy, get kind of like these
00:10:18
Speaker
sharp pains and then end up just vomiting all over the place. Really kind of unpleasant and it it had happens in training and that's what happened to me at Ironman, Texas um this year, which was really unfortunate because I was in like really good shape to run fast. And after Texas, I'm like, man, I have got to figure out what is going on because I cannot afford for this to keep happening. ah It was starting to become fairly consistent. And I started testing out the timing of my nutrition. um I was testing out the quantities of nutrition, testing, taking in solids versus gels. ah And I was still just having issues.
00:11:07
Speaker
And then I decided, well, I didn't decide, I've learned that my stomach just really doesn't like really concentrated sugars for a long period of time. So my bike nutrition had been good coming off the bike had felt okay. But then kind of that accumulation of those concentrated sugars in the gels just wasn't sitting. It wasn't digesting. It just got to a point where my body was rejecting it. And so I moved to using like a cluster dextrin. which is a more complex carbohydrate. It's like a slow release carb. It's not sweet at all. And it goes basically straight to your small intestine just to kind of slowly digest over time. And so combining that with more of an isotonic gel solution, the stomach can easily more easily digest. That combination has really been working well for me. and I have absolutely no GI distress and just can run freely, which has been great. Yeah. I mean, there's no, like,
00:12:04
Speaker
worst feeling than getting to that point, you know, to the run and all you want to do is run. And then you can't because your stomach's completely screwed up, you know? Yeah. Um, and so, yeah so like, you know, I experienced that too. Like my second Iron Man thought I was super trained. I'm a runner by nature, learned all the other stuff after and just totally shut down, you know? And, and it's like, you just feel so helpless out there, right? So and you do. And it's just like, no matter how hard you try, just isn's It's just debilitating. It's awful. So would you say, um, like learning about like the carbs and everything, are you more of like like a high carb athlete? Have you worked on upping your intake for carbohydrates? And I'm getting into this now. Uh, we just did a series on nutrition, so I'm like really into it now. And I'm just curious, like from athlete to athlete, how that changes.
00:12:57
Speaker
Yeah. Um, so on the bike, I can tolerate, I can tolerate carbohydrates really well. I think it also can depend on how the temperature outside, uh, for myself, I can see if it's cooler outside, I can take in more. If it's hotter, it's your kind of, you can be flirting with some queasiness. If you're not careful, it's because your hydration levels can get off, your electrolytes can get off. And then that balance can really affect your ability, your body's ability to digest those carbohydrates. Um, so as it stands right now, I'm generally hover around a hundred grams or so an hour on the bike. Uh, and then the run, I generally target about 60. Uh, however, with the cluster dextrin, I could actually, that's really easy for me to take in. Um, combining that with that, uh, kind of isotonic gel solution, then I've been closer to a hundred actually on the run.
00:13:52
Speaker
an hour. Yeah, it's quite good. more Awesome. So feeling good, like the nutrition was working and then fly home to two weeks later than to race Lake Placid. Were you feeling like
Journey to Ironman Victory
00:14:06
Speaker
confident? Like did the nutrition kind of solution give you that added confidence get going into this race? It really did. You know, ah and Thankfully, you know, Roth, I was, I felt like my body was able to just to do what I'm prepared to do. So that was like, okay, going into Placid. I know that this course is a really good course for me because of the hilly nature of the bike and the run. And um it,
00:14:32
Speaker
Yeah, and then knowing that I had a plan that was working now, granted, I still felt like i I wish that I had just a little bit more time to practice and make sure, okay, I hope this is actually going to work because in Roth, the conditions were really nice. It was cool. It actually rained a bit on us. um And I knew late plastic could be warm and I hadn't tested this out in a really warm condition. So I was maybe a little hesitant and wishing I had a little more time. But I was like, you know what, we're just gonna keep everything the same and just kind of see what happens. And thankfully, yeah, it worked out.
00:15:07
Speaker
So good. But I mean, that race, um not only with nutrition, had its challenges, right? I mean, I i was just reading about it um are coming out, you know, you're 16 minutes behind out of the water. um The article I read failed to mention that you fell off your bike um also, which yeah which you don't really see it sometimes, right? But like, that's also something challenging. You were still behind at that point. Um, so you really needed that nutrition to be on point on the run to be able to make up the ground that you did. Right. Yeah. Um, you know, coming out of this land behind is not something that is foreign to me. Um, it's something I wish that it wasn't quite as big of a gap, but I'm still working on it and, um, things are kind of gradually improving.
00:15:59
Speaker
But I knew that when I got onto the bike, I did have a lot of work to do. and But honestly, um my main competition in this race for the Iron Man Pro Series was Jackie. And so when my husband was giving me splits when it came out of the water, it was about eight minutes behind from Jackie. And I was like, okay, I have 112 miles on the bike to to bridge this gap. I can do this. And so then I bridged to her about mile 80 or so on on the bike. and It's like, okay, well, like here we go. And it was shortly after that, when I had passed to the group that she was with, she went with me. I was trying to put some pressure down this descent and that was leading into this really steep, short descent with a sharp left turn at the bottom. um And I just didn't it just wasn't slowing.
00:16:53
Speaker
so where i needed to be to comfortably take this turn and so i decided to go into the grass and see if i could hold it up my wheel got stuck and i flipped over my hands so far thankfully you know it wasn't. really that bad of a landing. um I was just a bit sore you know when I got up and um nothing really hurt. But at the same time, whenever a crash happens, you don't know if you know something's really hurt because you have so much adrenaline pumping through your body. So when I got back on the bike, I'm like, okay, let's just
00:17:24
Speaker
feel this out the next few miles, see how your body is doing, see how you feel. um My neck was sore. It felt more kind of like whiplash. is you know and like okay like Nothing else is really hurting, but let's just still kind of like just ride this into the finish line. um Don't press quite as hard because you still want to run a marathon after this. so yeah Just trying to preserve preserve myself. Yeah. Were you shook at all but by it? Um, no, i ah crazy enough. I was just kind of like, well, if it happened, all right, whatever, let's just keep going. I am more. So it's just like kicking myself. I'm like, I was like, damn it, Danielle. Like, you know, like, why did you do that? Like that was such a bozo move, but at the same time, you don't want to sit in this place, this mindset of like beating yourself up. Cause it's like, okay, you can have like 10 seconds of like beating yourself up. And then you just have to keep moving forward.
00:18:16
Speaker
Are you known for a crash or two here and there? or No, no, no, no. Okay. Now knock on wood, right? Really? I really feel like I just need to go knock on this wood door right here. Um, because we have these coming up, but no, I've actually used to race my bike and professional fields. Like quit racing and stuff. And like, I know how to handle a bike and I'm good at handling a bike. I think it was more of just a heat of the moment thing. Your energy levels can be a little bit off. Your focus could be off very late into a hard bike ride. And it's just, it was just a mistake. It's not really, it was just a mistake. Yeah. And I mean, everyone goes through those kinds of things and it's just how you pick yourself up and move forward. Right. So.
00:19:09
Speaker
the gear you handle it. The end of the story is you won the race. So that's, that's great. And so getting to the run again, no problems with the stomach. You felt, you felt good. It sounds like you were flying, uh, finishing with the, an amazing marathon time. Yeah. The run, you know, i I started running the first few miles didn't feel awesome, but thankfully they were downhill. And so I just, uh, My strategy for this run was to kind of push the downhills, push the flats and then just kind of keep it steady and try to float up the hills as relaxed as I possibly could. And that strategy was working. I was kind of slowly picking people off and picking people off and ended up running myself into the wind and crazy enough when they were doing the podium, they
00:19:58
Speaker
Or, you know, they had, they called up Alice, they called up Jackie, and then they're like, and with the 252 marathon, I was like, what? I didn't have no idea I ran that fast. I wasn't, because I wasn't looking at my times. I literally was just running. Uh, so that was pretty cool. Very cool. Very cool. And your first Ironman win, which is, ah which is amazing. Um, like, did you ever think you'd get there? Like it's a big race. I mean, anything can happen. Um, like what were your initial, like, what was your initial thought? I mean, going into the race, like full on believed that a win was possible. Um, I knew I would, it would, I would need to ride my bike really hard and run hard to make it happen. But then like during the race when things are kind of folding, uh,
00:20:50
Speaker
Well, with the bike, the little bike crash that I had, I was kicking myself. I was just like, you know, that you make a stupid mistake and you could have just cost yourself a podium or a win or, you know, like you knew this was going well, you know, so that was kind of that moment of like kicking yourself in the rear end. Um, but then, yeah like I said, I had him to just kind of move past that. And then on the run, you know, I was like, okay, uh, I'm in fourth, I'm in third. I'm in second. Sarah is just over three minutes ahead of you. Can you do this? Well, just keep doing what you're doing. Anything can happen in a full, you're making up time. It's not making it up quickly, but you are making up time. So I just, I had moments when, and especially even when I got into first and I started thinking like, Oh my gosh, you're winning. Okay. Don't think about that. Just keep running.
00:21:48
Speaker
You have to get up this really big hill. You know, I'm like, okay, how's your body doing? So I do these like body scans, my body's feeling okay. Okay. My calves are a little bit sore. Okay. So how hard can I push this? I don't, you you know, you don't want to risk cramping, you know, you don't want like, so you're just constantly just taking in information and trying to adapt. And then like, okay, you can start thinking about actually winning once you get to like mile 24, because, uh, it was basically all uphill to about, I want to say mile 19 or 20 ish or so until you get to the top of the climb. And then from there, it's more downhill. Like if I get to the top of the climb first, I know I will win this race. And so, yeah, I was up to the top and it's like, okay, here you go. Keep pressing. And then, you know, I always do this trick in races, especially long races when I, um, Oh, I just tried to guess, um, maybe like 10 or so minutes to the finish. i so
00:22:49
Speaker
counting, I'm like, okay, count to 1000 because it gives myself something to do. Like my my my steps, I count my like right footsteps. So in groups of a hundred, like, okay, a hundred, 200, you know, you just kind of keep counting and kind of gives your mind something else to do. Um, when you're really close to the finish and I'm like, okay, just keep pressing until you see the finish line sign. When you see that, then just enjoy the finish line. So that's basically. So good. I mean, thanks for taking us through that self-talk and like thought process. that's That's amazing. I felt like I was right there with you as you kind of approach. That's that's awesome. Any mantras that you like to follow, in addition to that, that to keep you in it in it or keep you moving forward when things aren't going so great? you know Sometimes those bond trays will just hit me during the race and then
00:23:40
Speaker
There, I don't really have like a hard and fast one that I always stick to because I think it kind of depends on the day and how you're feeling. um In this race, specifically, it hit me at some point. This phrase, it just, I just was telling myself, allow yourself to thrive. It seems kind of hokey, right, but What I mean mean by that is that on this course, there really are strengths for everybody kind of woven into this course, right? You've got uphills, downhills, flats. Where I was really thriving was the downhills and the flats. um I mean, I guess the uphills were going well, but like for me, like those were my strengths and so I'm like, okay, just really allow yourself
00:24:23
Speaker
to move through the downhills, the flats, just kind of as freely as quickly as possible. And don't be afraid of pushing the pace. You just have to trust your body, trust your ability, trust your fitness. um So that's kind of what it meant for me to allow yourself to thrive. Like don't put up any sort of like mental roadblocks or barriers. Like, Oh, I don't know if I can do this. I don't know if I can keep this up. You know, like kind of these self doubts, but more of just focusing on just allowing yourself to thrive in that moment. So that's really actually what stuck with me during the run and plastered. Um, another thing I tell myself late into a race is it doesn't have to be pretty, but just don't quit. and Yeah, late into a race, things aren't always pretty, but you just, just don't quit. Yeah. Yeah. Just keep yeah putting one step, one foot in front of the other and and keep moving forward. Who takes care of the the animals when you're when you're out ah out of the house racing? I have a few different families here in our neighborhood that will take care of the pets. so i've got Right now, this trip, there's a couple girls, young girls that just came over and played with our kitty cats and fed the cats, cleaned the litter box, and then another family took the dog. Okay, nice. That's good. That's amazing.
00:25:41
Speaker
um yeah so you Congratulations again on the big win. and That's amazing. I'd like to go back to the beginning of kind of who you are and and know how you grew up. Did you always see this this athlete in you? or you Were you an athlete as a kid? um you know I was always the the kid in the elementary school playground that was like beating all the boys in the running races. um Yeah, I was always pretty athletic. I loved playing sports and was very competitive. I played a lot of sports in high school. I did volleyball, basketball, and ran cross-country and track. And yeah, I've always just wanted to be an athlete. And would like would you say you always kind of gravitated towards running?
00:26:27
Speaker
Oh, I used to hate running. um My mom ran, she did marathons and I would rollerblade next to her during her long training runs and You know, I just, I just didn't like running at all. um I mean, I guess I was, I was good at it and I in high school was like, okay. Or I guess kind of started junior high. I was like, well, I'm good at it. So, you know, it's just going to use my God given talent and do the best I can with this gift that I have, even though I don't really like it. And then it wasn't until maybe halfway through high school when I was like, okay, you know, I think I kind of like running.
00:27:11
Speaker
So it took some time for me to grow to enjoy the sport. And did you see that potential in yourself or was it somebody, a coach, family member, or somebody else who saw the the potential to yeah become an athlete in you? um I would say, and specifically related to running my high school running coach, He is a kind of guy, he never asked for anything, never asked for one cent from us, um never expected us to pay for any airfare or anything, but he just genuinely loved the sport and he loved helping young athletes.
00:27:50
Speaker
pursue their ability and really bring that ability out in them. And he did that for me. His name's Glenn and he's still coaching athletes to this day. And he, he and I still kind of stay in touch a little bit. And he's like, I tell my athletes about you all the time. And, um, but he always told me he owned, I was an 800 runner and I don't know, I've ran like two 25 when I was younger and Like, uh, maybe like eighth or ninth grade or something. And he's like, you can break two 12. What? You're crazy. Like it's like five seconds. You're crazy. Next thing you know, next race, I break two 20. Okay. You can break two 15. You're nuts. And okay. You can break two 12. That was the next benchmark. And then I did it. You know, it's like, you'd always say like, you can do this and then I would do it. And I did believe, I didn't really believe him, but I was just, I just did what he said and it it just worked out. So yeah. Yeah. When you don't know anybody, like you're just naive, right? You're just kind of.
00:28:47
Speaker
That's what it is. That's what I'm going to try and do. And that's awesome. Yeah. I think even to this day, I probably ah like that to an extent. And, um, my coach and my husband will just tell me, he's like, okay, you can do this. I'm like, okay, what? Like, come on, but okay. You say you can do it. So might as well just try. Yeah. so and And I'm sure you surprise yourself a lot of times. Like i so i I tell, like I coach a few athletes and I tell them like, Don't always be like looking at your watch for paces and stuff. like Let yourself get to a pace, you know because it can restrict us at times by by saying, oh, I got to run this number, you know whereas maybe we can run faster. is is there Has there been instances where you've really surprised yourself in what you can do?
00:29:36
Speaker
Well, honestly, I think the Placid run for myself was a big surprise. And it was exactly like that, though. I actually never looked at my watch for pacing, but I ah knew that because of this course, you just couldn't rely on pacing. If it was a pancake flat course, and you're like, okay, I just want to set the metronome and or the cruise control and click off this smile after this smile. Like that makes sense kind of just checking in with your your pace, right? But on a course like classic you just have to truly go by feel and I never looked at pacing I've you know, I was kind of watched back some of the coverage and you see me like looking at my watch but I was more so looking at that for like my nutrient timing of like when to take stuff in it was less about like what pace I was running.
00:30:22
Speaker
um So when i again, when I heard how fast I ran, my goal was a 255 on this course. And so, yeah, I was a lot faster than that. So it's exactly right. you You get good advice. Thanks. um Now, like being a pro athlete was on your radar, right? Like, I mean, some people just fall into it. but you had that in your mind from a young age, from what what I've read, also amongst other things, but you decided you kind of wanted to be a pro athlete. So a lot of times we can like say something, envision it, and then, and you know, people say that, that you can make it happen, but you actually did. Can you kind of like walk us through that a little bit and how you kind of envisioned yourself and how you are today?
Overcoming Setbacks to Pursue Dreams
00:31:12
Speaker
Yeah. um So yeah, like I said, I was always just intrigued by athletics. I was competitive and I was pretty good at sports. um And I didn't really care what sport I played. I just wanted to be a professional athlete of some sort. And kind of as you get older, life has its way of taking its twists and turns and kind of pulling our focus in different directions. um And that certainly happened to me. I mean, I've got a lot of ups and downs with my athletic journey. It's taking me quite some time to get to where I am.
00:31:46
Speaker
um And I think that was something that I, and it just got too hard to ignore, really, kind of that pull to be a professional triathlete now. And I mean, I can go into that story if you want me to. I love it, actually. Yeah. and We have some time. Okay. um So let's see here. It's annoying a bit. Yeah, I ran in college. um I went to school at Baylor University. I ran cross country and track there. I did really well in college and I wanted to run professionally after college.
00:32:27
Speaker
um you know It was something that I was kind of on track to do, but I got sick my senior year. And part of the reason was that my body fat percentage just got really low as a runner. And it wasn't something that I was like but purposefully trying to do. um I think it's more of just like my body type and build. It's easier for me to be pretty lean and. Uh, and then also when just when you're in a competitive environment with ah lots of other like fast women and you kind of like subconsciously like eyeball, like what are these girls eating? What are, what are they doing? And you just, uh, you're like, okay, you know, just do what that person is doing. Cause they're really fast, you know? And if it's it's that not the best way to approach things, um, when you're training. Uh, so.
00:33:15
Speaker
Yeah, my body fat pressure got really low, ended up getting mono and had a pretty severe vitamin D deficiency. It kind of took us some time to figure out what was going on with my body, but just kind of shut down and um took some time off. And at that point, I thought that this was my senior year. I thought that I could redshirt because I hadn't redshirt taken a redshirt yet at that point. um But there weren't funds for that at the time. So I decided, you know, I'm just going to finish out my like college and just kind of move on with my life. Cause I just felt like there were some doors that were just kind of shut in my face essentially. And so I stepped away from running. I actually ended up gaining like 50 pounds in one year. Um, and I think there's and a couple of things that happened there. One, I was really depressed and mad.
00:34:03
Speaker
upset and hurt and just grieving this loss of running that had happened to me kind of suddenly. And and I didn't exercise. I avoided anybody associated with the track program. I wouldn't even like drive my vehicle past the stadium where I used to work out just because I didn't want to be reminded. of this pain that I had. And I, you know, sat on the couch and just probably ate too many boxes of cereals. um
00:34:34
Speaker
Yeah. And then also at the same time, I think the second thing is my body was kind of depleted for a long period of time. And I think I kind of had this rebound effect where when I did stop exercising and just eating, my body was like, Oh, wow, I really needed this. I just, my body was like, I need to repair and rebuild and that kind of just went to this other end of the spectrum. But then I remember there was this day I was at home and I honestly, it truly felt like a light bulb moment. It was like a flip that had switched. I was like, you know, I can do whatever I want to do. I just have to set my mind to do it.
00:35:08
Speaker
It was really truly as simple as that. And then from that moment forward, I started addressing some of these issues that I had and gave myself a workout plan. oh I put up in my bathroom, like a piece of graph paper and started tracking my weight so I could at least see that I was kind of getting myself back to a healthy spot. I started losing the weight and then I thought, okay, I'm going to start training for triathlon. And this was in 2011.
00:35:40
Speaker
Uh, and so I was like, okay, let me start trying to figure out something. Let me get a bike, uh, signed up for a triathlon. I actually did a local try and and was a second female overall. Like first my age group like, okay, like I can do this. Like this is fun. I like this. And so in the process of training for a triathlon, I had a bike accident and fractured my shoulder and had to get surgery on my shoulders. So I couldn't swim. Um, but I could still ride a bike and Then I ended up within just a few years racing on this domestic elite team traveling across the country, ah competing with them. And then this was in 2014, I was in a bike race going downhill 40 plus miles an hour. Two guys in front of me went shoulder to shoulder and they were trying to hold it up, but they eventually hit the deck. I didn't have an out um and ended up flipping and landing on my back and broke a few bones in my back.
00:36:38
Speaker
um And then, you know, when you're laying on the ground in that much pain and really unsure if you can move your legs, it's kind of scary but to say the least. Uh, and after that, I actually just ended up hanging up the bike and I was like, you know, I'm just gonna focus on my career. I had a good job in public health, had a master's degree in public health and, who um, was working in healthcare care and then for local government. And yeah, it was like, I'm gonna just to do that and I'll just compete. locally, I'll just have fun on a regional level, just go to do some races here and there, just whatever kind of makes me happy. Well, that plan lasted a few short years, because then I realized like internally, I was just getting just more and more unhappy with
00:37:31
Speaker
I don't know. just kind of was like I just felt like this piece of me was missing. I guess what I felt like I was meant to be doing, it wasn't happening. And I was like, I need to do sport. you know um So that was 2017. I was like, you know this is my year. I'm going to take back what the lies, the fears, the doubts stole from me. And I am going to pursue this dream that I have had forever. um So I start 2017. I'm going to start learning how to swim. um And I'm going to do this triathlon thing. And that year I actually won like all three USAT duathlon national titles, but then I was also fifth at USAT Olympic distance nationals. And that earned me my elite license. Um, and then I also won like Cozumel 70.3, like overall, which apparently would have got me my elite license as well. Um, so yeah, in 2018 I took that pro card and I've been racing in the pro field ever since.
00:38:29
Speaker
Wow. Yeah. Just kind of a volcano. I just went to Mount Etna. So it was like a volcano eruption or something. All these things came to and then boom, you know, um, and you, you, you know, that the star was born or the, you know, everything came to, um, a lot of questions come from that. And I think it's interesting, like the, um, the component about being like young running. maybe like following what others are doing that's not necessarily like maybe professional guidance, but just what you think is is right, which led to some, you know, deficiencies and stuff. um Like you think that's something that's like, you know, it sounds like it wasn't like a body image thing. It was more just like you weren't feeling yourself correctly, right? Exactly. And so like, what's some, like, what do you think you could have done differently there um that would have maybe
00:39:27
Speaker
um, led you down like a different path. You know, I mean, all these things make you who you are today. There's also that component, right? You've learned some lessons through that, I'm sure. Yes. You know, and I think back on everything that I've gone through, I, ah there's certainly things I'm like, man, I wish this would have gone differently. I wish I would have been a little bit more patient or persevered through this. and change this at the same time, like I still wouldn't change anything because it's made me who I am. And I feel like it's given me a story that can help other people. And to me, that's more important than anything. And so specifically related to kind of the the running thing, the weight thing, um to it's just just just like you said, it wasn't like a body image thing or dysmorphia or anything like that, which
00:40:21
Speaker
you know, well, it's so hard. You know, I talked to some of my athletes, or athletes, some of my teammates rather, that I competed with. And we all agree that it wasn't so much like disordered eating. Oh, sorry. Hold on. What do you say? It wasn't eating disorder that we had. It was disordered eating, right? Does that make sense? Um, because there was kind of this constant like micro comparisons to each other. And even though we did have some nutrition sessions or counseling with nutritionists on the team, you kind of know what to do. But I don't know, you're young. You think like, oh, this is enough. And it's just not enough. like Your body needs more than a salad.
00:41:16
Speaker
man, like eat, eat a burger. Yeah. You're running so much. Your body just needs sustenance. And I think that's the big thing. Like now is that triathlete, I am at least 10 pounds heavier than I was in college, but I'm also a much stronger human. I run way faster than I ever did. Um, and well, maybe not for like an 800, but for a longer, maybe not that two 15. Yeah, I know. I'm not going under. I'm not doing sub two 10 anymore. track So Anyways, um, yeah, I don't know. I just, I think it's important that people understand what it is that their body needs and don't be afraid to do what your body needs. And I think, yeah, you hear that story a lot that, um, people associate maybe being thin with going faster and then that's, that can be like further from the truth. And then you see people that like,
00:42:15
Speaker
Because, because being thin or being light or, or, or weight as a number can look way different. Like if you put on like lean muscle, like that looks different, you might weigh the same, but you're just in a healthier state. Right. So, um, that's like a really tricky thing. And I don't think we understand it. Like, you you know, in our teens or like early twenties necessarily, unless it's coming from like a true professional or. Um, I don't think it's something we can figure out on our own. I'm sure you eat like a ton more now than you ever did. Um, to be able to, for the output, right? Oh yeah, absolutely. I eat a lot, you know, but in elite distance running specifically, there certainly is this fine line that you have to like balance, right? Um,
00:43:04
Speaker
being light certainly is helpful, but you can't be too light to where it's like unhealthy for your body. And so I think the issue is that we turn this into like this subjective feeling about like what we look like or how we are compared to other people where truly it just needs to be an objective thing. Like what is, for example, what is Danielle's ideal weight? for her best performance possible. And then how do you stay there and still be the strongest version of yourself? Does that make sense? So as a triathlete, I know like my sweet spot is like 140 plus or minus two pounds.
00:43:45
Speaker
and I generally hover around 142 pounds for me. or i'm I'm almost 5'10". I'm a taller athlete relative to my competitors. I'm pretty dense. I've got lots of muscle. ah But I also know that when I get under 140, I really shouldn't stay there long because I've found that when I do stay there long, like I can be there for like like world championship level performance. But if I stay there for an extended period of time, my body starts breaking down. So I think you just have to know what your own sweet spot is and just try to figure out how you stay there and just be strong for yourself. Right. And there's like, ah I'm sure a big shift between how you start a race also and like, when, when you finish it, right? Like you're losing, you know, you're fueling, you're still losing a lot of weight during, during these races as well. Right.
00:44:37
Speaker
You certainly can. I mean, I do know people that can gain weight too, just because your body's holding onto like sodium. And so like it's water retention that you have. And so then you might finish and you're like, why am I 10 pounds heavier or whatever? Um, it's like, it was, you'll be fine. Just give your body or the body does weird things to like, kind of recalibrate itself. So like body's pretty smart. So I don't know, just trusted and, um, yeah, do what you feel like is best.
Mental Health and Seeking Help
00:45:05
Speaker
now like Now, on the mental side, like you know working through these things that you were facing, injury, the the deficiencies, did you did you seek out help? Or did you was it something you you spoke to you know family members about? Or um is it something you dealt with on your own? How how did you manage to get through that?
00:45:30
Speaker
Well, let's see. When I was dealing with when i ended up
00:45:36
Speaker
Kind of stopping running and then kind of in that year Period of like depression and weight gain all of that. No, I totally isolated myself That was not a healthy spot to be mentally. I was really really mean to myself I said some really terrible things to me myself and I was not a good person to spend time with like I was not healthy for myself to like be around that makes any sense um and I somehow you know, by the grace of God somehow managed to snap out of things. um But I really probably should have sought help at that time. I really didn't want to tell anybody what I was going through. and i Because then, after that, later on,
00:46:26
Speaker
like a few years later, ah you know, actually over the course of years, I was just kind of like up and down emotionally. And I think I've had sought some help earlier. It would have prevented some of those roller coaster ride of like depression and like coming out of it and depression and coming out of it. um And now I have someone, Brandon with Evolved Athlete that he has been really spectacular and he has helped me tremendously. We've kind of kind of gone back to some of the stuff that I've been holding on to for a long time from my youth and just experiences that I've had. And I've realized how some of that has just played into who I am today and how that's contributed to some of those ups and downs that I've had emotionally and mentally. And um I feel just more, much more stable and stronger than I ever have in working with him. But yeah, I wish I had sought some help when I was younger. And what allows you to
00:47:24
Speaker
move on from those like past traumas, let's let's say. like and don't Maybe you don't have to get too much into it, but like if you don't want to, but just like what allows you to move forward from them? like it's it's You know that they happen, um you talk to people about them, but then like how do you move forward from those things and and not let it like impact you maybe the way that it did?
00:47:49
Speaker
of um
00:47:53
Speaker
The work that I've done with Brandon is like, Oh, sometimes there is stuff there that you don't even know is there too, until it's like you dig it up and you're like, Oh wow. I didn't realize that this moment in time actually was affecting me so deeply because the body does store these memories. It stores this information or traumas experiences in the body. And you those can create tension in your body that And from an athletic perspective can really limit your performance. Um, but then from a human perspective, just limit you from just being your best self. And so he, we we just work closely on identifying those areas, identifying where in the body that's stored and then allowing the body to release that, um,
00:48:43
Speaker
and you can kind of it's just so hard to like talk about and explain but you can kind of feel this this release when you just kind of like breathe into that pain breathe into those memories see yourself going through it but then reminding yourself that okay like right now where you are you're safe you're not experiencing that anymore that was a thing of the past and and who you are now is is different. um You're stronger, you're more able to deal with things. um It's kind of like replacing this with more sound and steady truths and grounding yourself here in the present so that you can move forward. So and I hope that makes sense. Yeah, no, totally. 100%. Yeah, just don not letting it like trigger you trigger you in the way that it did, but like rather just like
00:49:30
Speaker
It's part of you, it's there, but you know like it's some kind of acceptance of of how to kind of sure live the day-to-day, right? um And one thing um specifically, like he has a lot of people that come to him because they've had like bike accidents, right really severe like bike accidents. And so now they're afraid to get on the bike and get outside and ride. or you know and so And that that makes sense, right? So this is a very practical example of how like, okay, this accident happens, now you have this like trauma response in your mind. So like for myself, I was going that one crash where I fractured some bones in my back, going downhill 40 plus miles an hour flip, um I'm in severe pain. And every time now when I go down a hill,
00:50:17
Speaker
I say every time, but often I might have like this like passing like memory of this accident that happens. And what I do is I just treat it like the wind, right? It's something that kind of comes in, but you got to let it go. So it could just kind of comes in and go out. And I don't know, that's something that's been been helpful for me. um So, yeah. Yeah, like knowing that like fear impacts impact you and in your current state. I mean, I've never gotten to a big bike accident. I mean, in fact, I get into like the slowest accidents just outside my house. I could like hit my head earlier this year, just on the curb. But I still have these thoughts of like, some people go into these major crashes when they're going 40, you know, 50, 60 kilometers an hour downhill, something happens with the bike or whatever. But, you know, you gotta like use that fear as energy and, you know, go forward. Why did you choose triathlon? You say just like,
00:51:17
Speaker
You just did you know did it. but like was Did you see something? Did you talk to somebody? like What was it about triathlon that drew you to that sport?
Choosing and Training for Triathlon
00:51:27
Speaker
My mom did triathlon a long time ago. and so I knew of the sport. um and then i think you know, it's it's hard to say exactly. I ran in college, I thought I would run professionally, and then I just picked up cycling to get back into shape. And so I think maybe it was just like when I had this combination of like, running and cycling, I thought, Oh, let me just put this together. I just had to learn how to swim, which I'm obviously still figuring out. But yeah, um, so I don't remember, like a time and I was like, Oh, I'm just gonna do like, be a
00:52:07
Speaker
professional like triathlete when I was younger like that and I thought really never occurred to me. I think it wasn't until I had really started riding a bike and I thought okay, like i I could probably put this together. who I'm laughing because like that's exactly what happened how I got into triathlon also when I did because I I was running, got a bike for a charity ride. And then I had the two and I went to do duathlons also. Not at your level, of course, but this is kind of, I didn't know how to swim. So I was like, screw that. I'm just going to do the two sports. Later got into like the sprint and Olympic distance and then eventually longer stuff, but that's awesome. So you say you're still working on your swim. So that's kind of like maybe the least favorite part of the three for you.
00:52:52
Speaker
It's not that I don't like it. I think I've grown a lot in my life for swimming. I enjoy open water swimming. I think it's pretty cool. um But as far as like the actual like racing and then going fast at something that I'm still trying to figure out. um Yeah, I mean, like I said, it's gotten just night and day better than what I used to be. But I still have quite a ways to go if I want to be competitive. I mean, think about it. Sarah, I was...
00:53:26
Speaker
15 nearly 16 minutes behind the leader out of this race. Man, if I was even 10 minutes faster on a late classic course, I would have blown the course record out of the water by like 10 minutes or something. And if I didn't crash my bike, I mean, you know, that's a different story. But um yeah, so like, there's just so whole much opportunity for improvement. And that's the thing like, It's like this double edged sword, you know, and I heard back on the commentary this week, and this is something that I've known is that Matt Vito on the commentary, he's like, man, if she could just if she was out of the water 10 minutes faster, I mean, she'd be like,
00:54:10
Speaker
world, you know, super like world class, trashly and be like Taylor nib who, you know, it's like, I mean appreciate it. I know that really, it kind of is like it just drove a knife into me. Because it's like, I know, I know, I know my swimming. But so one edge of the sword is like, okay, You've been working at it for so long and you're still quite not where you need to be. And are you ever going to get there? Right. So it's kind of like this negative side of it, but then the other side of it is like, okay, wow. If you can just get your swimming a little faster, like things are really going to be good. So I think both sides of the sword are important to an extent.
00:54:59
Speaker
But I just need to focus more on the opportunity side of things than the defeated side of things. Of course. And I mean, this is a big motivator for you now. It sounds like um it's not a negative thing. It's just like, you know, that there's room to improve. And so. you You know, what motivates you to get better? In fact, um, well, the first part of this is like, where did you see the greatest improvement in the sport? Like at what point did you make the biggest leap? I mean, that year when you started winning races and everything, clearly something clicked for you. Um, I, it feels well, so.
00:55:46
Speaker
God miss gracious. um 2018 and 19, I lived in Missouri. I actually was in a different relationship at the time and it was challenging. I was working full time um and also having to commute like one hour, but basically two hours a day. So one hour, one direction up and then one hour back. And so for two years it was, kind of the cycle was get up at four o'clock in the morning, um get out the door by like 5.30, make it to master's swim by 5.30, go be at work by eight, and then work until like lunch, do a workout at lunch, go back to work, and then try to do something
00:56:34
Speaker
you know, training after work, and then get home and then make dinner, eat dinner, be in bed by like, 8pm, if I could, at 8, 830, and then reaping get a forklift again. So like, repeating this cycle um for a long time. And that was really tiring. Oh my gosh, really tiring. um And your body is only going to be able to do so much when you have that type of schedule, which is why I have immense amount of respect and admiration for age group athletes who do this all the time, and they are still performing well. Because I mean, I've been there, I've done that. I'm so thankful that right now I don't have to do that so that I can focus on performance. um And then I moved to Idaho. um And then COVID happened 2020. Right. And so I think some of the most of the improvements
00:57:27
Speaker
I would say more of like 2021, 22 and 23 have just kind of been this very steady improvement over time. Maybe like a blip here and there of like a win or like, you know, a good performance. But I think this thing with our sport is very few people just win every single race that they do. um You know, I think our sport is just naturally kind of like ups and downs, but I think it's kind of like a stock market, right? As long as you're continuously trending in the right direction, then You're on the right track and I feel like I still am on the right track, uh, with the sport and I still have a ways to go. That's great. So, so like, where do you see the biggest improvement for you today? Like, is it, is it more on the swim side bike? You see, you still see them. There's more improvement for running. I think, yeah, with the bike in the run, I do think that there's an opportunity, but the most is in the slim. For sure.
00:58:24
Speaker
And how do you go about and improving? I mean, do you have a ah specific focus or do you, do you have to get like a, a coach just for swim? Like, is there a strategy behind, behind that? Like you're asking me how to get better in swimming. Yeah. You want to tell me, listen, maybe if you had to coach somebody who wanted, who knew nothing about swimming, what would you tell them? Oh, okay. Yeah. I mean, gosh. Cause I think this is a big challenge for, for triathletes, you know, somebody who's who swam in life, but never really got any formal training. Like, you know, you get on a bike, it's kind of, you know, there is some stuff to biking, of course, and and running too, but the real technical aspect of this board, let's face it is you need to have eyes on you, right? You need to have someone that's evaluating what you're doing, helping you correct it in the moment. And then.
00:59:19
Speaker
honing in on those corrections. um That's where I have found my greatest improvements is when I've had you know somebody there teaching me just the basic like fundamentals of swimming, what it's supposed to look like, what it's supposed to feel like. And then if you can get in the water and be around people who are But, you know, faster than you, not like crazy faster than you, because that's just demoralizing, but like, you know, within just like the reach of, of you. And then I think that's going to help you just get faster also. Um, so I think those two big, those two things are really important consistency and being in the water on a daily basis is super important for somebody that doesn't have that background. And it doesn't have to be like,
01:00:08
Speaker
Excuse me, it's not like you're in the water for a long period of time, but just getting touches in the water um is it's important. And I know like for girls, it's annoying because your hair gets all wet and you have to wash your hair again or dry your hair again, like go to work and all the stuff, but I don't know, just like and cut your all your hair off or something. kidding Yeah, i'm not I'm just kidding. I wouldn't do that. That's the kind of dedication it takes to to to make those improvements and gains if you if that's what you want. you know um It is. so So what motivates you now? You know you got to win it. How do you stay hungry in the sport? Well, this was like this is exciting. I feel like this was almost like it just threw a bit a few logs into my fire winning.
01:00:56
Speaker
and It's really good timing because they have a championship season coming up. Um, it can be very challenging when you go out there and you know, like what you're physically capable of, but your performance doesn't really show that. And I'm not talking about like your place, but it could be like your times or your power or these like metrics that, you know, that you can do in training, but maybe it doesn't translate. So it can be demotivating or discouraging when stuff like that happens at race. Um,
01:01:28
Speaker
And so anyways, just I guess for me, like the plastic was definitely just kind of threw some logs into the fire. It's like, okay, I've got niece coming up and it's a good hilly bike, which is good for me. And I feel like it can position me well to have a good day. um So I think again, the thing with our sport, if I'm just giving like advice to um people is not to put too much weight on anything, whether that's good or bad. results because yeah, if you're putting too much weight on a bad result, then you're probably just not going to get out of bed in the morning to train. If you put too much weight on a good result, well, you could end up over training yourself and hurting yourself. And then you can't get out there for the next one. So take what you need to from each experience and allow that to make you a more complete and whole athlete.
01:02:25
Speaker
Is it easier for you to know when to back off? Uh, I think it is. Um, I really try to just listen to my body. I feel like I've got some pretty clear indicators when I'm overreaching and I just need to like scrap a workout for the day. Um, kind of a rule of thumb as if I get like nine minutes as my coach says. We get nine minutes into a workout and you're just really, really not feeling it. Then just either if you're so bike ride, just ride easy or just run easy or scrap it all together. Um, but I don't know, just like for myself, if I, I, yeah, I feel like I have some pretty good indicators. If I need to kind of change and things around.
01:03:07
Speaker
Right. Yeah. It's, ah it's important to take those, like those rest days too. And to kind of like lay yourself like regroup and, and pull yeah for the, for the next one, because as an athlete, like, you know, yourself the best, right? That you might. your your coach is there to help guide you, to give you workouts, a training plan. And if your day is just stacked with training, but you know it's really not in your best interest to force yourself to hit these intervals, these watts, this these paces, and you feel like your gut is just telling you to change something,
01:03:51
Speaker
you need to just listen to your gut. Certainly, there are times in training when you are meant to be training under fatigue. um And you just sometimes just need to tough it up and do it. And so, you know, but there's there's times too, when it could just have a more of a negative effect and a positive effect. And so you just kind of have to try to weigh this out in your own mind. And hopefully, your coach is one that is understanding and supportive of you. doing that, yeah, if it's someone that isn't flexible with you, I think then maybe it may not be the
Inspiration and Personal Life
01:04:23
Speaker
best fit. and That's just my opinion. Is the goal to stay in the Ironman distance now or will you go back to racing more 70.3s? Oh yeah, I'll do a combination of both for sure. And and do you have like a preference? Do you prefer one of over the other?
01:04:44
Speaker
Um, not specifically, you know, I think that the full distance suits me really well. Um, but it's also a really long day, really long day. So it's a always nice to go back. Yeah. It's, it's, uh, it's nice going back to 70.3 after you do a fall. Cause it's like, Oh wow, I'm already done. This is great. Yeah. Um, I wanted to ask you too, like having had that. idea of becoming a pro athlete, even as a as a young as a young person. Is it everything that you thought it would be? Goodness. Yes and no, to an extent. um ah Triathlon is different than a lot of like sports such as like team sports, right where you just have you just everything is on your own. You're not surrounded by teammates.
01:05:42
Speaker
um you have to kind of like get yourself out of bed to do your training on your own you know and so maybe maybe you have you coordinated with somebody to meet them for a session but like everything's pretty much on your own and training can be well training is very hard um I do, I do the vast majority of all my training alone and, um, it, it can be lonely at times. I think that's probably the hardest part of this sport is it is and when you are in these long blocks of training, you're not really doing things socially. Um, you're just kind of alone a lot and then that's fine. Like that's part of it. It's this little sacrifices that you have to make.
01:06:26
Speaker
Um, but going to the races and being around your peers, your friends, like that really is the fun part. Um, tapering is always very fun because you just feel like you have all this energy in the world. And you're like, wow, so it feels like to be a normal person again. Um, or this is what normal people feel like they're not tired and hungry all the time. Um, so, Oh, I don't know. I think, yeah, to a certain extent it's. Yeah. It is kind of what I thought it might be like, cause you just kind of training a lot, but then at the same time, there are some things that are more challenging that, you know, we just got to work through. Right. And, and is there like talking about that community, how is it for you as a like pro athlete? Is it, um, do you have like friends in the sport? Is it like open and and welcoming? Like how, how do you, how do you find it? How can you describe it? Uh, I think it's.
01:07:26
Speaker
It's kind of just how our our world is, like in general, right? do You have, and you do have people that are open and welcoming and kind. I think you have people that aren aren't open, welcoming and kind, you know, it's just kind of this. microcosm of the world that we live in. um I personally try to be open, welcoming, and kind to people of all levels. I don't glorify anybody because I think that we're all just humans on this planet kind of going through this life the best that we can. And you know I was just talking to somebody else
01:08:01
Speaker
um who Menominee actually, she just made the Olympics and she she and I both, we just feel like we're just two humans that managed to do okay in triathlon. you know It's just what we do. Other people are really cool in their own fields. I don't know. That's just me. Anybody you look up to in the sport or or could be past athletes as well? Um, you know, if I look up to somebody, it's probably more just based on their character and who they are, not so much their performances. because I think that that's true more important to me. Um, I, yeah Meredith Kessler was commenting this weekend for Ironman Lake Placid. I think she is just a gem of a human. Anyone that's ever met her only speaks
01:08:45
Speaker
you know, good things about her. Um, I admire her. Um, I admire Rennie. I've kind of gotten to know her, uh, Miranda. And yeah got to know her and she's really another great human and she's done really remarkable things in the sport too. And so I think that if I can just continue to pursue my best and just be the best that I can as an athlete, but more importantly, be the best that I can be as a human, that's going to be more important than the long run. I was actually, I was watching an event up in Montremblant years ago now. and um
01:09:21
Speaker
You know, those two, they came across the finish and then they they were there with their kids and they there were, you know, embracing at the finish line. And it was such a wholesome moment. And I was taking photos actually, I captured all of it. um And I actually sent them photos of from that finish line, even though they probably have pro shots and stuff. But um just lovely, like human beings too. So it's nice to see that human aspect too. and and Um, it's nice to approach like pros too. And that, you know, when they're kind, it's like, I guess, you know, some people are surprised, but, um, it could also go the other way. Like you're saying, which is nice. Do you find you get recognized where you live and stuff? and No, no one knows who I am. and I love it. No, I don't need anyone to know who I am. I just, you know, live under my rock and I'm happy. So you have a pain cave. Are you in the pain cave right now or?
01:10:16
Speaker
Uh, this is our garage gym. So it's kind of our strength set up, which we put together during COVID. So it's, you know, Looks great. So what are you doing when you're not training? Yeah, I have three cats and a dog. So I play with them and I also crochet. I sound like I'm 80 years old. I'm just a little lady crocheting with my cats. Yeah. Um, it's, it's crocheting is actually like a really good pastime for an athlete that just has lots, like recovery is important. You can sit on your couch and just like, you know, rest and crochet. Um, I yeah, I've got some friends here locally, so we'll go out for dinner and kind of hang out downtown Boise, but so we're just pretty chill, uneventful people. We go to Costco. We like Costco. gate Costco is fun.
01:11:14
Speaker
but Is it a good place to live, would you say? I don't know many people in Boise. Boise is amazing. Actually Boise used to be kind of like the, like Boulder before Boulder was Boulder. Yeah. Yeah. It used to be like, there's a bunch of pro triathletes that lives here. And, um, currently we do have like Jocelyn McCauley lives here in Boise. We have ah Travis Wood. He's a pro male triathlete that lives here. Um, so. Sorry, my husband is leaving for work. Bye. And yeah, um it's great. So in Boise, we have mountains. I mean, not like giant, giant mountains, but we have a bogus basin, which is 16 miles from the bottom. So you start in like downtown Boise, you start at the bottom and you can ride your bike all the way to the top where there's a ski mountain. And so that's a great climb, really technical descending as well. So I'll be doing that a lot in preparation for Nice.
01:12:13
Speaker
ah We have kind of the foothills so you can get kind of lots of like 10 Minute climbs five minute climbs and through the rollers. We've got lots of farmland So if you just need someplace to go time trial, you can do that ah We have a river that goes through Boise and there's 40 miles one direction of paved trail So I do a lot of my long runs on that um we have lots of dirt paths for gravel riding or Uh, you know, if you want to do long runs on dirt, we also have over 500 miles of managed trail system for mountain biking or trail running. So boy is awesome. Yeah. I think you've sold it. You know, like don't, don't keep going. You didn't have people
Key Lessons from Endurance Sports
01:12:58
Speaker
moving out there. It's, uh, yeah. Um, what would you say is the biggest, uh, lesson that, that, you know, endurance sports has taught you?
01:13:11
Speaker
Just don't give up. It's so cliche, but like persistence and resilience and consistency all pays off over a time. So if you can just keep going, you're goingnna you're going to do well. Yeah, that's awesome. And um yeah, it's it's so true. like We can get through anything. and You know, oftentimes we see challenges as like the worst thing ever ever in the moment, but when we look back, we get through them and sometimes they become our our greatest accomplishments, right? So um it's a it's a good lesson. Just keep going. and And I love that. Where can people find out more about you, Danielle?
01:13:59
Speaker
Yeah, I'm pretty active on my Instagram. So Danny Lewis, try D-A-N-I, Danny Lewis, L-E-W-I-S, try T-R-I. And that's my handle. And yeah, I usually respond to people if you message me for the most part, as long as it's appropriate. And yeah, yeah so yeah, I just, I like talking to people and meeting people. So. Yeah. and And again, like I reached out to you on Instagram and you're super easy to get in touch with. It's very responsive and and I really appreciate that about you. Um, and I appreciate the content you put out. It's like open and honest and, uh, from the heart it feels like. So I really appreciate this conversation. Thank you for sharing the ups and the downs and and I'm happy you've gotten to this, this place where you're at right now and looking forward to see how you do for the rest of the season and beyond.
01:14:54
Speaker
Well, thank you so much. I hope ah our conversation today was helpful to someone somewhere. So thank you for taking the time. I'm sure it will be. Thanks. Have a great day. Thank you. Thanks for tuning in to the Just In Strive podcast. I truly appreciate you taking the time to listen and I hope you enjoyed that conversation as much as I did. Please take a minute after this to rate and review our show on Apple podcasts. With your feedback, we'll be able to make the show even better and it'll help us reach new listeners too. You can also find us on Instagram at justinstridepod for all the latest episodes and updates.
01:15:30
Speaker
Of course, this show wouldn't be possible without a solid team behind me. With logo and design by Vanessa Pugliese, as well as audio, music, and editing by Forest McKay, a huge thank you goes out to both of them. Guest outreach, social media, writing, and advertising are handled by me, your host, Justin Pugliese. Finally, we'd like to thank you, our listeners, for coming along for the ride with Justin Strad.