Transcript
WILD ONEZ: Hello, and welcome to the Wild Ones podcast. I am your host, Sarah.
Viv: And I'm your host, Bev.
WILD ONEZ: And we're on episode 21 today, guys.
Viv: We're legal!
WILD ONEZ: Oh, we are!
Viv: I've literally been waiting to say that.
WILD ONEZ: Yeah. Not surprised. That's amazing. I love it.
Viv: We can now drink in all 50 states. As a podcast.
WILD ONEZ: That's a podcast. incredible Well... A bit.
Viv: Sarah, what have you been up to?
WILD ONEZ: I was gonna ask you the same question.
Viv: Oh my God.
WILD ONEZ: It's like you're reading my mind.
Viv: Crazy. Oh my gosh. It's like we have to start every podcast like this. It's crazy.
WILD ONEZ: Right?
Viv: Peace.
WILD ONEZ: So. The house is pretty much painted. I know you guys have like...
Viv: Yay. Can you please drop like a color?
WILD ONEZ: really dying to
Viv: Like we're going to need like. You're going to have to send me a picture so we can post on socials and be like. here's the color of the house. I won't post where you live, but we all need a color of this house because it's been a process.
WILD ONEZ: since you guys have been in the whole process, yes, from the very start, it feels like. Yeah, so house is painted.
Viv: Yay!
WILD ONEZ: I started running this week, which is really exciting.
Viv: That's awesome. How's it feeling?
WILD ONEZ: it's good. I decided to start using this app that I used when I started running for the very first time like five years ago it's called 10k runner there's a 5k runner also but like if you're listening to this podcast and you're curious about running and like you kind of want to dabble with it but you think it's a little too overwhelming to begin with these apps are amazing it starts you out with like
Viv: Okay.
Viv: Yeah.
WILD ONEZ: you get like a five minute warmup, which is just like a walking warmup. And then like, This week's run was... one minute running like a minute and a half walking and of course like my athlete mindset i'm like this seems like so little and like so like this isn't doing anything but like I constantly have to like go back and remind myself that like I have actually not really been doing anything for like four months and this is like a new beginning and I should just
Viv: Yeah, restart.
WILD ONEZ: one of the process of that and just like it's gonna feel slow but like It also felt slow when I started for the first time. And just like, I know my body.
WILD ONEZ: Like. like the muscles and the tendons and like everything in the heart like I haven't lost it all like it's still there and it's going to come back but just like reminding myself that and just like honoring where i'm at in that process and not just like trying to go run like five miles or whatever and i live at eight thousand feet so it's
Viv: Yeah.
Viv: No, that's so smart. Yeah, pace yourself, please.
WILD ONEZ: Yeah.
Viv: Please pace yourself.
WILD ONEZ: yeah and then I got the opportunity to volunteer at swimrun Colorado last weekend and it was
Viv: Yeah! How was that?
WILD ONEZ: Incredible.
Viv: You got to see some friends.
WILD ONEZ: Oh my gosh, it was so much fun seeing all the swimrun besties. Like, volunteering. Instead of racing the last few races. It has been such a joy. Like I've just been getting to cheer my friends on and Like, see...
WILD ONEZ: and experience races from a different perspective it just makes me appreciate it that much more so Yeah, that's been a little bit about what I've been up to.
Viv: That's incredible.
WILD ONEZ: How about you?
WILD ONEZ: Ugh!
Viv: Fingers crossed we get at least a PR faster than a 324. Amen. And. If not, 315, that's like when I'm putting it out into the universe. We'll see.
WILD ONEZ: Hell yeah.
Viv: So I've got the magic shoes. Everything is, like, falling in place. I'm doing laundry. Like, it's... Like we're recording this on a Wednesday night and I leave Friday morning and.
Viv: Yeah, it's just crazy because like work and then life and I'm like, oh my gosh, there's way too much stuff to get done. I feel like and I don't have half my stuff and it's just. We're just here.
Viv: So. We'll see what happens.
WILD ONEZ: Yeah.
Viv: So there's a lot going on. I don't know what shakeouts to do either. There are so many shakeouts in Chicago with so much free stuff. If it's free, it's for me kind of thing. I love that stuff. So I just want to do every single thing. I have so many friends coming to rent it too.
Viv: So I want to see them, but I also want to be smart and stay off my feet. So it's just a lot of planning, carbo -loading with pasta and pizza too, and just enjoying it. As well. Because like.
Viv: Training for Worlds, you want to enjoy the ride. Training for a marathon, you want to enjoy the ride, especially something like as big as this. So the more I put out in the universe and I tell people, like, I'm like, okay. I've told so many people I need to hold myself accountable and like.
Viv: dig deep whenever it gets totally tired because it's a solo race before I do Austin and then a marathon but the marathon I'm pacing people so like I'm not alone this one I'm kind of like I'm running with however many thousand people, but it's your own solo race. I'm excited, nervous, shitting bricks still.
Viv: Everyone's like, are you ready? I'm like, no, no, my body doesn't feel ready. But until I get to the line, I might feel ready. So we'll see. I'm excited. So hopefully I make it out on the other side in one piece, guys.
Viv: And then when this episode drops, we have some good news.
Julia: Y 'all can't hear me?
Viv: So fingers crossed.
WILD ONEZ: Yeah.
Viv: Yeah!
WILD ONEZ: so excited to cheer you on you're gonna crush it
WILD ONEZ: Yeah.
Viv: Sarah? Are you excited to introduce our guest?
WILD ONEZ: Yes.
Viv: for who we have on the podcast this week.
WILD ONEZ: I am, and I'm very excited. You guys are gonna love these. Ladies, we love them dearly. We have Julia and Emily here from Team Dunk and Run.
Viv: We do.
WILD ONEZ: I think.
Viv: Literally my favorite name because I'm a Duncan girl.
WILD ONEZ: Still. Yeah, I think it's another teammate.
Julia: Can y 'all hear me now?
Viv: So I'm like, yes.
WILD ONEZ: It's amazing. But yeah, really excited for. everybody to hear their story. And I think we're just going to hop right into it.
Viv: Absolutely.
Julia: Yep.
WILD ONEZ: So welcome to the podcast.
Julia: Can you all hear me now?
Julia: Thank you.
Viv: Emily and Julia!
Julia: No.
Julia: Thanks for having us.
Emily: Thank you so much for having us.
Emily: This is awesome. It's been really... wonderful I was going to say watching, but like mostly listening to.
Emily: Mostly listening to you launch this podcast and bring in so many just incredible people and then also people we know and i
Julia: I can hear y 'all fine.
Emily: I'm really excited that it's just out in the world. begins. It really is like such a Viv and Sarah production in all the best ways. Yeah, thank you.
Viv: Thank you.
WILD ONEZ: Aw.
Viv: We're so excited that you guys, like, even said yes.
WILD ONEZ: Thank you.
Viv: Because, like, coming on a podcast and somebody asks you to come on a podcast, you're That's really weird, but you're okay.
Julia: All right.
Viv: So we're very excited to have both of you guys and kind of pick your brains on a couple of things too. But again, prefacing because. Kate's episode. How did you guys, we'll start from the beginning, not your birth story.
Viv: But. How did each of you guys find... Sport. when you were younger or older like and then how did you get into swimrun Either of you can go. But like.
Viv: Kind of tell us. who you are and how you found Swimrun, essentially.
Emily: Yeah, well, I can start. So I am like not. coordinated at all and also conflict averse. So organized team sports didn't really work for me as a child. I think I quit soccer pretty early on because I loved being kicked in the shins.
Emily: And softball, I would just. stand in the outfield and pick flowers. Thank you.
Viv: I just see little Emily just sitting there just like. Oh.
Emily: Yep.
Viv: There's the ball.
Emily: Thank you. But in middle school, I had done some track. And then when I got to high school, I was like, wait, there's this.
Emily: There's this sport where you just disappear into the woods and my... dad can't follow me with his giant like zoom lens camera This sounds amazing.
Emily: So I've been running for a while. And I will say, I will preface this with. I'm not, I was not ever a division one.
Emily: athlete material type, but it was such that at my college. at the time if you were willing to put in the work you could walk onto the team And so I walked on for cross country and.
Viv: Nice.
Emily: If you did that, you really were looped in for. roped in for all three seasons, so indoor and outdoor track also. I don't think I really got. Fast. Oh, probably.
Emily: Like the late 20s, 30s, it definitely, you know, my in college, my. coach kept i think you know you could see he's like this she's gotta be good at something he was like put me in hurdles or steep. No.
Emily: I'm just... I'm just here for the vibe.
Viv: Like I'm just here.
Emily: thank you Yeah. But I loved that, you know, some of my... closest friends to this day are from that team. Swimming for me was much later in life.
Emily: I have friends here in Boston who are triathletes and during the pandemic they're like come on come on you got to come in the water with us i mean it's literally right outside.
Emily: my back door. I don't swim in that one, but there's water. It's very easily accessible. So I had started. swimming and I anytime I could rope somebody into biking I would do the run and swim portion of a try.
Emily: And I...
Emily: Learned about swimrun first through swimrun Cape Cod. which woohoo! We just had another one.
Viv: Yeah.
Emily: It did get canceled two out of the four years. because of hurricanes. Yeah. So it's really nice that it actually happened last year and then again this year. Since it didn't happen the first, you know.
Emily: When I had signed up for it, I was like, well, I have to figure out what on earth this sport is and first listen to all the low -tie boys that I could.
Viv: Absolutely.
Emily: I think I'd posted in some Facebook group and immediately Trista and Amy were like, Team Anval, you gotta... learn about anvil and get get connected and that's that's been really wonderful so austin I don't know what...
Emily: year it was 20 1, 2, 23 I think 22 was, was my first swim run.
Viv: Nice. That's really awesome. We haven't looked back since.
Emily: It is like the fun midlife crisis. activity.
WILD ONEZ: It's a great thing to sign up for and to get into.
WILD ONEZ: Yeah.
Emily: Totally. And not expensive or anything.
WILD ONEZ: It's a good rabbit hole to go down.
Viv: Yeah, no, totally.
WILD ONEZ: There's worse hobbies you could have.
Emily: Totally, totally are.
Viv: That's so true.
WILD ONEZ: Well, we're so happy you found Swimrun.
Viv: Bye. Toodaloo!
WILD ONEZ: And we fucking do.
Viv: Julia, what about you? How did you get into sport?
Viv: Were you always into moving your body or you're just like, eh, swimming's cool?
Julia: Growing up, we had a swimming pool. It was really important to my mom that we Didn't drown. You know, she likes us all.
Viv: Fair, yeah. That's good.
Julia: And she set us up for swimming lessons very early. And so that was kind of like our thing. It's so funny Emily mentioned about sitting in the outfield picking flowers because same like my sister was the same like we never contact sports like it's not our thing either so we we grew up swimming and I still remember my dad just like
Emily: No.
Julia: I think I was three at the time and he just like. tossed me in the deep end and like I was like flailing and screaming and like eventually like swam to the side and my mom came running out it's like real mad and like she's like she could have drowned he's like but she didn't you know
Viv: She's fine.
Julia: And. yeah she's fine and so we just that's kind of how it started and you know we were I was okay at swimming, so that's just what we did.
Julia: and Then, let's see, how did I get into Swimrun? 2020, COVID, one of my friends that I knew through... triathlon. I had known her for several years. And she's kind of the type of friend where we could.
Julia: Like go months without talking and then just like pick up. And so she.
Viv: Yeah.
Julia: They called and she reached out and she's like, And I was like, hey, you know, what's up? You know, thinking like, is something wrong with one of your dogs or like what's going on? She's like, so.
Julia: Her and her husband had signed up for Austin Swim Run. He didn't... I think it actually was going to go because it was 2020.
Julia: So he thought he canceled.
Viv: Yeah.
Julia: So he had not been. doing a lot of training and she really wanted to do the race and he was not like up for it. And so she's like, so I really want to do this. You know, they're like, he's not wanting to.
Julia: So can you do it? And I was like, oh, well, sure. When is it? She's like, next week.
Julia: So it was.
Julia: it is quick.
WILD ONEZ: That is being adventure ready.
Julia: Very quickly ordered a wetsuit and. like watch some videos and was like okay well like this looks okay I think it'll be great and uh So we did that race and Like, like, I love the sport fell in love with not just the sport, but like, the community. I was like, these are my people, we get to just like pounce through the woods.
Julia: fell in love with Lois's cooking afterwards. Like, that sealed the deal.
Viv: Oh yeah.
WILD ONEZ: Oh yeah.
Julia: That was awesome.
Viv: You're like I'll keep coming back. Yep.
Emily: mm -hmm
Viv: Mm hmm.
Julia: Yeah. Yeah. So that was 2020. I don't think I've done a triathlon, maybe one, one sprint or a little Olympic sense. Like this is where my little heart lays now.
Julia: Yeah.
Viv: I love that.
WILD ONEZ: I love hearing people's stories of how they got into swimrun or like how they found it or it found them because every story is so unique. End. It's just really fun to hear about.
Viv: How did you guys end up teammates? How did that occur? Like, did one of you, like, because I've learned people slide into DMs and email people and cold call. So how did you guys end up together?
Emily: Here we go.
Viv: for some of these races.
Emily: Yeah, there was a little middle school drama actually.
Viv: What?
Emily: yeah
Viv: Do tell.
Viv: Do tell. Tell us the tea.
Emily: So. So this was, so after whatever year that. Austin was. I'd gone to the camp that at the time on bull was running and julie was also there And I think both of you were also there.
WILD ONEZ: I was there. I remember seeing you and meeting you guys there for the first time.
Viv: Sarah was there I was not there yeah
Emily: 07. Yeah. And you know, everybody's sort of like... scoping out like what what might work and And I was talking to my coach, Nico. trying to figure out and now i am i i'd say like in terms of abilities Julie and I could probably be, you couldn't be.
Emily: more unmatched. She does. Such a strong swimmer. And I am like. Lead in the water. I tried to do a few laps without all my gear today. It was like whoa I'm not moving anywhere.
Emily: And then, and I shouldn't say more unmatched. Like Julia is a very strong. runner. I have like. I have more years built behind me I shouldn't say that we're unmatched in that way it's mostly like it's it's me with this swim but
Julia: Beautiful. Fine.
Emily: but I had asked like, hey, would you want to do, I forget what the first one. of that season was.
Julia: Lake James?
Emily: No, but Flake James, we did put her down.
Viv: Oh yeah. Oh yeah.
Emily: but it was something before Lake James and you already had a partner, I thought.
Viv: Love to think which races were there.
Emily: Anyway, I don't remember what it was, but like I had asked and
WILD ONEZ: It all blurs together.
Emily: Julia already had a partner for this race and like, okay, all right. But... Then we did. connect for Lake James. So that was our first swim run together.
Emily: which was so much fun.
Viv: Nice.
Emily: it's a good one I'm glad it's back.
Viv: Are you guys, yeah, I was like, are you guys signed up? We have yet to sign up, but we will be signing up. What? one of us will be
Julia: We are summed up.
Viv: Actually, probably both of us.
Julia: Thank you, Bernie.
Viv: Sarah needs redemption at that race, too.
Julia: I didn't know there was any drama. All I remember was Emily brought baked goods. And then when she like asked me, I was like, oh yeah, you're the one that made the cinnamon rolls.
WILD ONEZ: Nope.
Julia: Heck yeah.
WILD ONEZ: No drama, just bribery.
Julia: Yeah.
Viv: Just bribes.
Emily: Hey, you know you do what you need to do to get the job done
WILD ONEZ: Okay.
Emily: Sometimes. it's bribing with baked goods
WILD ONEZ: It's a great philosophy.
Viv: And if you ever get Emily baked good. Oh. They're so good. She can make cookies. She can make bread. She can make anything. Because it comes from her house in Boston. This woman travels with these goods.
Emily: Yeah, don't travel with unstuffed cannolis.
Julia: The cannolis, yeah.
Emily: I learned that. Yeah.
Julia: An only fiasco.
Julia: Yeah.
Viv: Where was that? Look, no. He's at.
Emily: I don't know, but they were like, well, you can stuff them.
Julia: Thank you.
Emily: And I, obviously that. then that This cannoli gets all soggy.
Viv: Oh.
Emily: So I had to check my bag. Which I've never done for a swim run. It worked out okay. I would not do stuff like that.
Julia: No, these were great.
Emily: I don't, I'm not actually a baker. It's really funny that this is what I... No important things do. Too big. I mean, I do some baking, but like. you know, from the box. I'm not fancy or anything. It's just...
Viv: I don't know it's good.
Emily: I. Travel.
Viv: It's great. I love it.
WILD ONEZ: Amazing. Okay, so you found each other at... a Swimrun training weekend basically
WILD ONEZ: And then... What was your guys' first experience swim running together?
Julia: We had a good race, I think, for our first time. Yeah.
Emily: Yeah. we did a lot of like because we were still
WILD ONEZ: Did the team...
Emily: And I mean, I think we still... Dude, that's me joking. It's like... Dunkin' Run or Dumpster Fire. Both names work.
WILD ONEZ: I was wondering when did that overlap happen and what is it now?
Julia: Thanks so much.
Emily: 2025 was officially the year of dumpster fire.
Julia: We were blazing.
Emily: Yeah.
Julia: Amazing.
Emily: But I think... Our first race together we were... Like... you know still feeling each other out and there was a lot of apologizing.
Julia: to be on the best behavior.
Viv: Yeah.
Emily: We were apologizing to each other all - race long like i'm so sorry And then finally... towards the end. We got to stop.
Emily: We got it. No more apologies. Like we're doing this. as a team we're just gonna do it And then wouldn't you know, I'd like fall on my ass.
Viv: That's amazing.
Emily: It could not have been more perfect. It was... And I was okay, obviously, so it was fun.
Viv: You're good.
Emily: Yeah.
Viv: That's wild. Okay. And you guys. What made you guys dream of worlds? Because you guys have done a couple of races together and separately. You guys have done a lot.
Viv: What made you like, hey, this is the race we want to do together? How did you get to that point?
Emily: think when I first heard about
Emily: Probably probably as soon as Austin because you know if marcus is running the shakeout you know that That is the first thing that he's going to talk about is how many transitions are in worlds.
Viv: True.
Emily: And I still. don't remember It's it's.
Viv: I don't either.
Emily: an obscene number.
WILD ONEZ: I think it's like 30. I don't know.
Viv: It's a lot.
Emily: Amazing. and hard and I want to do that someday. when I'm grown up. So it was always sort of in the back. And.
Emily: then 2024 was when we had started like thinking okay what what do we need to do in terms of racing and training to get enough points that this could be possible.
Emily: that's that's my version bit.
Julia: Very similar here. And when Emily generally asked me to do something, it's... hard for me to tell her no. Cool.
Emily: Horrible idea. Sign me up.
Julia: Most things.
Julia: Sure. Just bring me some cinnamon rolls.
WILD ONEZ: So the bribery works.
Julia: It does.
Viv: That's really good. I don't even have to bribe Sarah. Sarah just says, you want to do this? And I was like, yeah, sure.
WILD ONEZ: That sounds really crazy.
Viv: Sounds good. Yeah.
WILD ONEZ: I'm in. Yeah.
Viv: Say less.
WILD ONEZ: Of course.
Viv: I mean, there's obviously going to be snacks there because like we're snack people, but like that's incredible.
Emily: I think also like... Okay, bribery aside, and... Oh.
Emily: And Julia, I don't want it to make it seem like Julia's not a really great runner because she's... She's done a lot more. I... came to not only swimming. but also trail running because of swimrun. Julia had done all of that. And I'm like, okay, here I am figuring it out in my road shoes.
Emily: But... I think that we have. sort of similar attitudes where we like we want to do our best. and compete but also don't take ourselves too seriously like what We're both really focused on like, we're going to have.
Emily: adventure. you know like we're gonna be out there with our tether buddy and our crew. And just. have a day.
Viv: I love that That's awesome. Okay, so you guys get in the world. How does that feel? Are you guys like... Oh, okay, we're doing this. We're like, woohoo! okay, we're doing this. Like, what's going on? Like, here we go.
Julia: slightly terrifying. you know after you get in You know how you always like... It's like when you get that instant fix after you push the registration button, like that's your little, little hit.
Julia: And then reality sits in everything.
WILD ONEZ: It's like, oh shit.
Julia: need to do to get there, like not just. the training, but all of the. logistics and the planning and everything else that needs to happen for you to be able to go to Sweden for a week.
Julia: you know, all of that stuff. Yeah. No, it was slightly panicky. Just a bit.
Emily: Yeah, I think. I guess it was probably January where... training sort of started ramping up and I mean, I plan to pretty big year for myself. with you.
Emily: varied training. goals, so... Saturdays would be my long run with speed work for Boston. And Sundays would be my very slow crab walk down the rocks. training for rock man and then like get in swims for world training so it was kind of.
Emily: chaotic, but... but a fun chaotic until. salute Things fell apart.
Julia: And that was 2025.
Emily: 2025.
Viv: Yeah.
Emily: Yes, yes.
Viv: Yeah, because you that was the other.
Emily: yet.
Viv: Yeah, for everybody listening, that was that was the dumpster.
Emily: the dumpster.
Viv: fire here guys
Emily: It was dumpster fire, yeah.
Julia: That was a year.
WILD ONEZ: Okay, so kind of bring us.
Viv: Yeah. Cause they, yeah.
WILD ONEZ: Thanks.
Viv: So they. Yeah, you guys...
WILD ONEZ: to that story.
Viv: Yeah, because you guys got in in 20... 2025. for 2025 world. And then we're training again for all these back -to -back races.
Julia: Yeah. We both ended up having some health issues.
Viv: Okay.
Julia: 2025. I mean. world's didn't happen. Like we were really team take a nap. Like that's like, you know.
Emily: I mean, literally sometimes.
Emily: I'm singing.
Julia: Like it was
Emily: stays in bed.
Julia: Not. It was not a great year for us training wise, but. You know, you do what you can do. meet your body where it's at then. wait for it to come back around. And we did. And it did, you know.
Emily: So we got it in Casco that year.
Julia: So long.
Emily: what you mean it was That was... I'm... proud of us for doing that because I think I had literally not trained for three months.
Emily: and then trained for three weeks before that race.
Julia: Yeah.
Emily: And at the time we were still thinking, well, maybe we could. do i don't we probably shouldn't do worlds but maybe we can i'm so glad you didn't like weaver Nowhere near. there.
WILD ONEZ: Your body probably thinks you also.
Emily: Awful, yeah.
Viv: That's crazy.
WILD ONEZ: Okay, so at some point you guys decided that 2025, the dumpster fire year, just wasn't going to work for the world's journey. And so with that process, you were able to get kind of like a deferral for the next year.
Emily: No.
WILD ONEZ: what did that look like like.
Julia: qualify
Viv: Okay.
WILD ONEZ: You had to re -qualify.
Emily: That may exist, I don't know, but we just, we're not like. fancy special elite people so we're just like we're just gonna get the points and
Julia: In.
Julia: Yeah.
WILD ONEZ: Okay, so you had to re -qualify for that all over again, which is a process in itself.
WILD ONEZ: You definitely have to go to a lot of races, complete a lot of races, and have a lot of fitness to even. get there to that point to then qualify. And then you went through the whole process kind of starting from the very beginning then again the next year.
WILD ONEZ: essentially. with putting your name in the hat getting drawn and then experiencing that like
Emily: Yeah.
WILD ONEZ: Oh shit. Like we are. Start.
Julia: Here we go.
Viv: Doing it again.
WILD ONEZ: We're doing this again.
Emily: Here we go.
WILD ONEZ: fingers crossed it goes better this time and so like bringing us then to the beginning of this year Was there any type of modifications that you guys did for your training in this build to worlds?
Julia: Okay.
WILD ONEZ: Or what did that process look like for y 'all?
Julia: Emily, I think you cut back on some racing. Like I think 2025, like you. Boston and you had Rockman on the calendar. And so I think she kind of like streamlined.
Julia: Her races and. I kind of. streamlined my sleep as much as what I could just trying to like preemptively.
Viv: Yeah.
Julia: Not get hurt, not get injured. Try to not get sick, but, you know, foreshadowing. like a month before. world.
Julia: Yeah, but, uh... I think that was kind of my focus is more on. Recovery and. Training smart and. Like I just listened to the episode with Andrea and Deanne and like when they. She was.
Julia: One of the two was like, well, I was running 65 miles a week. Well, I'll tell you, I was not running 65 miles a week ever. So, you know, I just like that's awesome to the people that can do that. But like my body cannot do that.
Julia: Yeah.
Emily: Yeah, I think the second time around. So I'll just put it out there because it's one of those things that people don't know about and maybe it'll be educational for somebody. they have something called Myelagic.
Emily: encephalomyelitis it is or also sometimes called chronic fatigue. It's a little bit like long COVID. So I am, as my specialists will say, like the healthiest person that they know that has this sarah and i had a long long talk about this at the long stocking museum
Viv: Yeah.
Emily: of all places.
WILD ONEZ: I remember that.
Viv: Amazing.
Emily: let me tell you my health What? It's great. And, but what that's meant is like. I just need to be really, really mindful of if my body is feeling fatigued. because that can set off like a a flare -up where you know it might be just a couple days but it could be also months at a time where i i can't do anything and like
Emily: the sports that I love, but also like. work. be a contributing member to my family. Air.
Viv: Yeah.
Emily: etc. So I do, yeah, so I, you know. I think the goal was... Volume over time and consistency.
Emily: knowing that there were just a lot more. off days and sometimes off weeks. But. trying to stay consistent and stay stay on the plan as much as I could.
Emily: And... It is a little bit like. well Am I just tired and I don't want to get out of bed because it's dark and I should get my butt to the pool?
Emily: Or is it, you know, I have to like check myself. Is it just like...
Viv: Yeah.
Emily: every day like I don't know want to do this but I should do this or like I really shouldn't do this so there is that balanced game of Uh...
Emily: Yeah, what's... I don't know the word is but
Julia: it's a fine line
Emily: Yeah. Yeah.
Viv: That's fair. Yeah. That's, that's tough. Cause like, especially If you have something going on in the background and you're like, listen, I like. I'm trying to listen to my body. I don't know what it's telling me today. Kind of like just.
Viv: pacing yourself in that. season of life. with this goal in mind too and just knowing like hey I want to get the most out of it is definitely a tough balance too. Plus, like all the life.
Viv: stuff that boils on top of like training for a massive race like this too
Emily: right right and like you know you don't need to have like uh uh to be have a chronic health condition to for trainings like something training for something like worlds to be hard like it is just it's it's so much time it's
Emily: energy it's sacrifice of you know what are some things got to get like there's only so many hours in a day in a week and so we're where else.
Emily: you know, where... Can you?
Emily: take from other areas of your life so that and put a little bit more in. to training but make sure that it's not so much that it's at the
Emily: expense of everything.
WILD ONEZ: Yeah, it's always a really hard thing to balance because once you find out that you're going to Worlds, it... kind of just becomes your life.
WILD ONEZ: until the race happens.
Emily: Yes.
WILD ONEZ: which is just like, it's so wild because it's like the only thing that you can think about in time after worlds doesn't even exist.
Emily: Yes.
WILD ONEZ: It's like everything leading up to worlds and then whatever's afterwards, you'll, you can worry about it afterwards, but like. not a thing that you even like think about or try to think about you're definitely like putting little sections of life almost in a box and it's so funny experiencing it because there's no other race really that i've personally experienced that gives me like that same like mind like that place that I am in my mind when I'm there
WILD ONEZ: Which is wild. okay so bring us to race day this year like how were you guys feeling on the start line like the traveling everything kind of leading up to it
Julia: We were nervous. I mean I was very nervous.
Viv: Yeah.
Julia: Yeah. Just the... The travel. Hit me a lot harder than what I thought it was going to I mean I tried to do you know everything I could to mitigate that but the the jet lag is real like
Viv: Okay. Yeah.
Julia: Nice. Like I'm. you know, up at midnight, my husband and I are just like looking at each other like, oh, what are you doing up? everybody's awake and Just. sleep all my all my schedules were were out of sorts so that that hit me harder so we're real Nervous about that. I don't think Emily slept real well the night before.
Julia: I don't think you slept at all.
Emily: No I did not. the night before.
Julia: Like not one, one minute.
Emily: I did have the benefit, though, of, because you got there, what, Wednesday?
Julia: Mm hmm.
Emily: So the day before the training on the last.
Emily: few islands and I'd been there so I you know I got to make everything like a baby. whole big production. So I brought my my spouse my kids my parents came with us and we've been in stockholm for I think a week.
Emily: at or almost a week at that point so i was you know at least adjusted to sleep
Julia: What?
Emily: And... you know had my bearings around me still obviously nervous but not having the same like Physical. taxation of the jet lag immediately. travel.
Viv: Yeah, that does take a toll. Especially like... Like, okay, here we go.
Emily: Yeah.
Julia: Yeah.
Viv: Yeah. so okay when do you guys get to the start line we're all lining up How does it feel just standing there knowing that you guys have done so much work to get?
Viv: to that line.
Emily: oh my gosh okay i'm gonna try not to cry here I think.
Viv: It's okay, you can cry. I'll send you tissues to Boston.
Emily: I think. So. because the year before we hadn't gotten to the start line to just be at the start line.
Emily: And you can always say like, sure, you can, there's always more that you could do for training, but no, like we put in a good.
Viv: Yeah.
Emily: We put in... good work and that we were at that start line when we hadn't been able to the year before and didn't know if we would you know if it was going to be in the cards like that was It was.
Emily: I had a little bit of like jet fuel and probably I'm glad we were tethered because... It's like the start of any race. Go! It's like, wait, wait, there's all day of this.
Viv: Pace yourself.
Emily: Yeah. So nervous, but also just. so incredibly grateful.
Emily: Like we're here, we're doing this.
Julia: mm -hmm mm -hmm
Viv: That's awesome that's yeah it's so it's so energizing just being there and everybody it's it's I love asking everybody, like, what does it mean standing on that line? Because, like, you're there, you're worried about logistics, but then you get, like.
Viv: A minute. to just stand there in the corral and the music's playing and your heart's racing and you're either just like, okay, locked in or like you're nervous because it's your first time there. You don't know what to expect, but.
Viv: It is something that's indescribable. Like kind of like if you just travel somewhere and you're like, oh my gosh, it's beautiful. And everyone's like, oh, what's your favorite part?
Emily: Totally.
Viv: And you're like, I can't. I can't tell you it's just magic.
Viv: How did the first swim go for you guys? Because that's usually a little bit where the chaos starts and then it slowly eases out a little bit. So how did your guys' day start?
Julia: At the first swim to me... I don't know, Emily, it might be different for you, but I didn't think it was super eventful. I mean, we're...
Viv: Nice.
Julia: kind of positioned ourselves appropriately towards the back and you know everybody else had contact
Emily: Go do your thing.
Julia: Up ahead. But I mean.
Emily: we're coming
Julia: you know It was fine. It was cold. I mean.
Julia: The whole day was cold for us.
Emily: Yeah, we're a little wimpy.
Viv: Yeah.
Julia: Uh.
Emily: The jellies were so fun because I'm used to... They were actually. a couple weeks. this summer in boston that the lions main were got so
Viv: And those guys are nasty.
Emily: and like big as tires that there were a few weeks where I just wasn't. swimming in the harbor. And so it was so nice to be like. Just go. Hello little friend. Thanks.
Emily: That was fun.
Julia: Yeah.
Viv: That's awesome. What did you guys think of the... Well, Michael Lemel calls it no fall rock, but... just going through those first couple of islands of just... Rock.
Emily: Dad?
Viv: Do you guys like technical?
Emily: So so it was It was... like, type 2 fun. I will say it was very clear to me at that point like oh You can see...
Emily: who has these skills. And who maybe has spent. their entire running career on a flat road going as fast as... Because. I'm diptoeing around. trying to make sure that we didn't. like wipe out and uh yeah it was like the whole time it's kind of body on mind on because you don't want to slip and fall or yeah
Julia: And Emily does a really good job. Emily is a fine technical runner. back sheet Leads all the runs. And I just look at her feet.
Julia: Because I.
Viv: Yeah.
Julia: a worse technical runner so like she She does fine. So I. I thought your lines were very good.
Emily: it through we made it through it just like it was not it was not gonna be where we have other strengths.
Julia: I'm never going to be Marshall Spartan.
Emily: You bet!
Viv: Yeah.
Emily: No, no, no Little guy -dope.
Viv: It's okay.
Julia: Just stop us.
Viv: I follow Sarah's feet. I'm like, Sarah, you go in front of me. Like, that's what I did this year. I was like, Maya, go in front of me. I just follow your feet. I'll lead your swims, but I'll follow your feet.
Julia: Yeah. The one time I didn't follow her feet and I was like, oh, I think this is a better spot.
Emily: The.
Julia: I slipped and almost ate it. And I was like, oh. Lesson learned.
Viv: Follow the feet, follow the feet.
Julia: Yeah.
Viv: Oh, that's so, I love that. Yeah, no, that's definitely. Like. one partner you're just like i'm just gonna follow you follow the leader and turn my Turn my brain to just your feet because that's what I have to do right now.
Viv: Oh. I love that So we were, you guys made it to the pig swim. What do we think? What did we think about it this year? It was a little bit of a... Boom!
Julia: extra stinky.
Julia: Hello. Eh.
Emily: is to pick swams.
Julia: Just... The swims as the day progressed. They just took me a lot longer than I thought that we were. Like. into something and that pig swim
Viv: Yeah.
Julia: Like the waves were so high that like even me trying to cite like I like I couldn't see any like I had to stop and put up my goggles and
Viv: Yeah.
Julia: When I turned around and asked him, I'm like, are we even insane?
Emily: Yeah I grabbed you a few times.
Julia: Are we even moving? And then I didn't know this, but Emily was getting seasick back there, too, at the time. I didn't know this till, like, way later that she was throwing up back there.
Emily: Cheers.
Julia: So it was. Yeah. It was. Not.
Julia: But we made it through.
Emily: We did.
Julia: Like we did in fact make it to get the Twix bar. It just wasn't super speedy.
Emily: Yeah. No, no, you were, that was.
Viv: Did it for the Twix.
Emily: that was you like Man. That was, when we were out there, it was like, oh my goodness, if I... was doing this on my own, I would be terrified.
Emily: Because there was such strong current. And such strong, like such big swells.
Julia: Wait.
Emily: I usually, so if I'm... out at the Cape or in Boston, like... If I... you know travel further afield I can get some waves but if i go to the cape this summer you know i made a point to practice in the ocean because just to prepare myself and I'm so glad that I had because I think I would have like panicked otherwise when we got to the pig swim.
Emily: But Julia did a really good job of, you know, because when you're... When you're swimming, you... It's so much work because you're. you're moving yourself forward. She's pulling me behind and then also citing and getting there. And I think you know, sort of a theme for the entire day. was we knew coming into this that it was a hard race like that is what we were expecting But then...
Emily: afterwards and hearing from folks who had done it a number of times. or you know people that have done it like All the time. I forget.
Emily: 10, 11 times and saying that that was the hardest year is like, okay. all right i mean we didn't because we didn't know We're just like, well, it's a hard race. This is what it is. But then you're like, oh, okay, it's not.
Emily: usually this hard. It was reassuring, I think. both of us because because we were chasing all the cutoffs like pretty closely.
Julia: let's see
Viv: I gotcha. So how did that Twix bar taste?
Julia: I was pretty happy with it. Emily, I don't think you were super happy with yours. In fact, I think I ate yours too.
Emily: I think you did, which is funny because I really like Twix. I think it was the seasick. This.
WILD ONEZ: Bummer.
Emily: point. i'm just like weird vestibular stuff it's all it's all good it's all
Julia: Well... And.
WILD ONEZ: That's it.
Julia: And we were very cold after that one.
Viv: Yeah.
Julia: And.
Viv: It's a long time.
Julia: Very good. We've been there so long, so it was...
WILD ONEZ: It's not a long island to eat the Twix either.
Emily: It's not a long island and it's also a bit technical so you're not
Viv: No!
Emily: at least We were not like.
Julia: Okay.
Emily: speeding along you know so What I love, I need like 20 minutes of. a little something something so I can get warmed up again before the next swim.
Viv: Yeah, do like a little dance or something.
Emily: Yeah, yeah.
Viv: You're like, no, I'm just trying. I'm shivering. Yeah, no, like that one. That, after the pig swim, I was...
Emily: Prancercise. I need like 20 minutes of prancercise before getting into the next swim yet.
Viv: I was. Yes. oh I definitely felt that because I I'm like you guys I run cold Sarah is usually like are my heart partner she's running like a little bit warmer like she's calving down I mean she's she's hot in general Woo! And so like I'm freezing after that too. So I was right there just like.
Viv: eating my Twix knowing I had to get something in my body because I literally just spent all those calories, but also like. It was definitely a lot. Again, props to you guys for getting across that one because it was a bitch this year. Regardless of if you were at the front of the pack or back of the pack. Like you said, like there were like Hugo and Adriel are like, this was a hard year. And I was like, okay, if you guys are saying that, it, again, made me feel better, too, along those lines with you guys.
Viv: Because it's, mm -mm. That was not it. Because Sarah, you had... Sarah had waves in 2024 as well. And Sarah was behind Anna. So did you get seasick at all?
WILD ONEZ: I did.
Viv: during the pig swim because that was tough for you guys too.
WILD ONEZ: No. I got air, but I did not actually vomit during that swim. I have yet to do that, so fingers crossed.
Emily: Yeah.
WILD ONEZ: That doesn't happen, but I could.
WILD ONEZ: I mean... It's entirely possible. Like...
Emily: Bodily functions and swim run are not strangers to each other.
WILD ONEZ: No.
Emily: Really?
Emily: It comes with a pterosaur.
Viv: Honestly, so true.
Emily: Just don't poop when you're leading a swim.
Viv: Hey.
Julia: Oh, I would
Viv: Yeah, no, I, yeah, that's. That's what we all learned. Like, all right, you need to go in front. What? What's wrong? I just, I need a.
Emily: Yep.
Viv: I need a minute.
Viv: Oh my gosh. Did you guys get a swing this year? I think it's on Commando.
Julia: I didn't even see the swings.
Emily: So...
Emily: I think I saw it as we were... going past but also by that point we were We were like pretty.
Viv: You're like, we got to go.
Emily: In the zone and - and - a little bit like I didn't realize it until we had passed it like oh those are the swings
Emily: So next. time next time we'll see
Viv: Absolutely.
WILD ONEZ: So what was the day like for you guys? You mentioned chasing cutoffs. Was that something that you guys were worried about from like the very beginning? or did that kind of relationship with the cutoffs change throughout the day at all.
Julia: I mean, I think we always knew what was going to be. Close. I was. hopeful. Like. That we would.
Julia: obviously make it like I didn't I think that. We would miss it by so. I think it was like.
WILD ONEZ: Was it how? Yeah, how long was it?
Julia: 37
Emily: 40 seconds.
Julia: Okay. Yeah. Yeah.
Viv: Yeah, you guys. So yeah, for anyone who's listening and doesn't know. You guys missed the last cutoff. before the last five, essentially.
Julia: Yeah. So but we. Like we had. Like plenty of time. For the first one, I think it was about a half an hour. And then the second one we had about like.
Viv: Nice.
Julia: Six or seven minutes. And then. The third one we... Had a little cushion as well. I think we weren't. anticipating me having such an implosion once we got to Orono.
Julia: Ugh.
Viv: Yeah.
Julia: Go ahead.
Emily: I think it was.
WILD ONEZ: island
Emily: Yeah, I think it was hard because...
WILD ONEZ: Chris. Carnage.
Emily: No. So Julia was just coming off of being sick. End is dragging me. through the water.
Emily: End. And... Like by the time we got to Orna. we're both tired Right.
Viv: Yeah.
Emily: but it there was like a point where i I felt so bad but I just stopped even asking how she was doing because I knew. We're both not feeling great. I knew that she wasn't feeling great.
Emily: And just trying to like, okay, we just got to. Haul ass.
Viv: Just gotta keep going, yeah. Just keep going.
Emily: Chugging along, yeah.
Julia: Yeah. we did for like the first like eight or nine miles, like...
Emily: And we did. Yeah.
Julia: I remember seeing Nico. There's a lot I don't remember, y 'all. Like there's a lot.
Viv: Oh, yeah. No.
Viv: Oh, yeah. You you for sure. You black out this race like it.
Julia: Cheers.
Viv: It just happens.
Julia: But yeah, I remember seeing Nico and I remember him telling us like. You know, y 'all are fine. Like, as long as you keep going at this pace, you'll be fine. And, like, Nico's not one to, like, blow smoke, you know.
Viv: Yeah.
Julia: If we were not gay. I don't think he thought that we were going to have we, me, have such an implosion. but yeah we saw
Emily: He's French. He's gonna tell you like it is.
Julia: Yes.
Viv: Yeah, oh yeah.
Julia: So. But yeah, no, it's, oh, it's just so heartbreaking to miss it by so little, but like. Especially after we just ran 12 miles.
Viv: Oh my gosh.
Emily: I don't know.
Julia: Have a good one.
Viv: Yeah.
Julia: Hold before.
Viv: Yeah, the longest run.
Julia: Thanks.
Viv: Do you know what we just did? I need to actually like maybe just splash myself for a minute.
Julia: And I think too. I. This was maybe a me thing. I didn't realize it went back to technical like that last one.
Viv: Yeah.
Julia: A quarter of a mile, it got real technical. And so. That also like slowed us down. like me clunking around back there just trying to to make it so that.
Julia: Yeah.
Emily: Yeah, I think That's actually something, I don't know even how I would mark.
Viv: Fair.
Emily: paddles for this because sure you can memorize some things ahead of time but I think in the moment Whatever information you're going to retain may not be what you previously had in your head. And so I knew that at some point. It turned back to technical, but I didn't know.
Emily: when. uh
Viv: Yeah.
Emily: But yeah, so we got... Hold. Right. right it's sick
Julia: 12 hours and 40 seconds.
Emily: Yeah, yeah
Julia: Yeah.
Emily: along with a French team and then...
Julia: Chris and Chris.
Emily: are.
Julia: Thank you for by us.
Emily: Our friends, yup.
Emily: Yeah. I would say that that was not my finest moment. full -on ugly cry it was it was it was bad i'm super glad there's no recordings of that The low moment.
Julia: There's a recording in my head.
Viv: There.
Viv: Julia remembers everything.
Julia: That I do remember. yeah
Emily: Oh, yeah.
Emily: Sorry.
Julia: Yeah.
Emily: Sorry.
Viv: Yeah.
Emily: Yeah, but... You needed to be there. So.
Viv: Yeah.
Emily: 640
Viv: No. Fair. And I, and I think I told one of you guys this at the end of the race too. And I mean, you guys were in the conditions out there. It didn't get, those swims didn't get any easier. Usually like there's like one hard swim between the, like the last five.
Viv: that like pulls you a little bit. But they were all super wavy, super poley. I think those were the fastest swims and I still wasn't going anywhere.
Viv: And so. for them to be so harsh on the cutoffs this year. it needed to happen but it just like hearing that you guys were so close it was like I was like, oh my gosh.
Viv: Like... Seriously, they didn't let them go like so Just knowing that. that occurred to you guys was definitely like I've definitely felt for you guys and I think the whole entire team did as well because you guys have prepped so much and just again just the fact that you guys got there is is insanely impressive and the fact that you guys made it as far as you did, like there's people who got out the 9am cutoff.
Viv: And it's just... It's just a feat of endurance as I'm going to quote the low tide boys, but like it truly is. And like what you guys did was incredibly impressive. So please be proud of yourself knowing that you guys like it was a hard year.
Emily: Oh, yeah.
Emily: No, I'm super proud of what we did.
Viv: But...
Julia: Okay.
Emily: And I think like also. with So showing up feeling. you know, like, do we belong here? And it's like, nope. everyday people can do this.
Viv: Yeah.
Emily: we put in the work we can do this so i am really proud of what we did and and you know like we we've just it's it's progression We went from not being able to start to starting and next it'll be like, okay, we're just going to get to the finish. That's what happens next.
Julia: And we basically did the whole course if we count that Thursday in Uto.
Emily: That's true.
WILD ONEZ: You got to see everything.
Viv: Oh yeah.
Julia: Thanks.
Emily: Ciao.
Julia: I mean... We've seen it all.
Emily: I do need to see it again because there's a lot I don't remember. Sheep?
Emily: I was promised sheep. I didn't see any sheep. I need to finish it.
Viv: I didn't either
Emily: Okay.
Emily: Well, that's all right.
Viv: And there's normally sheep. And I was like. Where are you? I was like... You can ask Maya. I was like, Bye. Bye. Where are you Sheen?
Emily: Maybe they didn't like the wind either.
Emily: I don't know
Viv: They were like, no, we're out.
WILD ONEZ: yeah they were hiding they were like these conditions are not
Emily: Amen.
Julia: inspired.
WILD ONEZ: habitable.
WILD ONEZ: Yeah. It's really impressive what you guys did out there this year. getting to experience it from a different perspective as a spectator. it really made me reflect on how like
WILD ONEZ: incredibly challenging this race is and for anybody to get to that start line to put in the work to get there and then to start the race and to just like give it your all for and just fight for it as long as you absolutely can like there is so much to be said about that and that effort it's really incredible to see and I'm really proud of you guys for
Emily: Thanks.
WILD ONEZ: getting after it and giving it your best and also just like showing up on the start line after not being able to be there. your guys's story.
WILD ONEZ: We talked about it a little bit before the race and then again at the pasta place right before everybody headed out to the hotel. It to me...
WILD ONEZ: It was really inspiring and really helpful just to know your guys' stories and then kind of where I was at this summer. And I think there's a lot to be said about.
WILD ONEZ: where you guys came from. that journey in 2025. to then Not. like you know calling it quits but to being like no we're gonna keep pursuing this goal of ours and we're not going to give up we're going to get to that start line and we're going to give it absolutely everything we can for as long as we can and Just crush it.
Emily: Yeah, I and there there like there is i'm not there's light at the end of your tunnel but like there is you're just gonna burn the place up once you're feeling better, Sarah.
Julia: Yeah.
Emily: And I think, you know, when... the two of you had first asked us to do the podcast he was like oh julie i don't know about this
Julia: Like, don't they want somebody that actually finished?
Emily: They want somebody to finish. We didn't finish. They do know that, right?
Julia: Do they not know we didn't finish?
Emily: And then I was thinking about it. I was like, you know what? No, I think. that it is And thinking about like. even me listening to like low tide boys or some of your podcasts where you know people it's like the adversity and you know you you persist and you don't You don't.
Emily: give up like you can there's there's always the next thing no i think that that's for whatever verbal vomit is going to come out of our mouths. Maybe it's important for somebody.
Julia: Despite, despite all our like. clunkers were very gritty.
Emily: were very gritty.
Julia: like we're very
Viv: Yeah.
Julia: and, you know, try to get... What we came here to do, Don. Despite a lot of clunkers. broken legs Losing each other.
Julia: All
Emily: Yeah, we must.
WILD ONEZ: Wait, what?
Emily: each other in Casco. Or maybe I love Julia. I think that's more what happens.
Julia: I broke Emily's leg. She ran away from me.
Viv: I'm really glad you guys found each other again.
Julia: something. So many things.
Emily: And I have heard that now the Vermamas have like, they came up with their plan of. What happens if they can't find each other because we lost each other? Thanks.
WILD ONEZ: I've never thought about that.
Viv: Guys, that's why there's a tether. What happened? What happened to the channel?
Emily: Whoa, so...
Viv: Who had to pee in the forest?
Julia: No. So there's a story.
Viv: Okay.
Julia: So.
Emily: story.
Viv: Please don't.
Julia: Sorry, I know we're over time, but...
Viv: We need that. Okay, then we need this story.
Julia: So... So. Whistler 2020. Four? the lake that was really cold like really cold Emily gets really cold so when we jumped in there I was like oh man it's real cold so I was doing everything I could to
Emily: 52 degrees or something.
Julia: Help get her out really quickly. So I was really trying to swim. fast. And so upon exit of that transition, I got out a little too fast and she slipped. We kept going, but her leg hurt. And then come to find out like a week later, her leg was broken.
Julia: So... Like I got out too quickly. Like the trailer was tight.
Emily: No.
Julia: I basically like broke Emily's leg. So. Now, when we get out of the water. I unhook the tether very quickly so that that does not
Viv: Makes sense.
Julia: So that's what I did at Casco because I didn't want Emily to slip and have another instance. Except for then we... Yes.
Julia: And. Like. Emily got ahead of me and then she's so kind to think that I was like. a faster runner so she thought ahead so she kept running faster and then I thought she was back there so I was back with the sweeper
Julia: And he would not let me go back to the exit of the first swim because my mind very quickly went dark and I was like, oh my gosh, what if somebody stepped on her? She drowning in all the kelp, like, and so I'm arguing with the sweeper to try to go back. Find her. And he wouldn't let me. And so he's like, no, you just go to the first aid station. And I'm crying. I don't know what happened to Emily. I'm like, is she?
Julia: alive and then so we got to the first aid station and it was like a scene from gone with the wind we just Hugged each other or both Balling for several minutes.
Emily: So good. Let's continue.
Julia: Well, we're so happy to find each other again alive. But that's why we don't, didn't tether like X today.
Viv: Fair, fair.
Julia: about a situation
Emily: So... That is your version of the story. If anybody has listened this long.
Emily: Don't listen for like another minute while I tell my version. which is that, yes. Julia had busted her ass to get me out of that cold swim at Orcas. But I can fall all on my own. Like, I'm...
Emily: Super clumsy. That was gonna happen no matter what. And I... It's... Did not feel it like it It was a little niggle, but like really didn't affect.
Emily: the race at all and in fact
Emily: Yeah, no, it totally felt fine. I mean, I was icing it with all those swims. It was great. Even at the end of the race, I'd asked a medic for a Band -Aid. And you can see this medic who like those trails are gnarly.
Emily: You know, and mountain bikers, like they have seen some stuff and they're kind of like. Yeah, we can give you a band -aid. Thanks. to find out a week later because my toddler kept poking at it.
Emily: I should get this checked out. but so so we That is why we were un... we would julie would untether because she was worried but it's like again not her fault Casco, we did, I don't know what happened. I think we like took different lines and then I couldn't.
Emily: I wear earplugs and my neoprene cap and then my cap because I'm a wimp. So who knows? So first I like waited. Then I went back a little bit, but I think, and this is not the right.
Emily: thing to do but I think my who knows what my... I panicked, clearly. I was just like, well, maybe... Maybe she went past me thinking that I'm ahead. Which again like what I don't I should have just gone back to the last place. I saw her but i like sprinting through the woods passing
Julia: Which is our plan.
Emily: Everybody! Try to find her. and shouting her name. Like an idiot like Mike not functioning clearly.
Emily: get to the aid station and say like, get you in there. Like, are you Emily? Like, yes. Where's my partner? Is she live with strong? And they tell me she's okay and she's coming. But I still didn't really believe them. you and i'm like you where's julia she's fine she's fine like and the the aid station volunteers like you just told her she's fine and she's like but i didn't believe it You said it.
Emily: And so then when we saw each other, it was like. But we needed to get that kink out. It cast. we stayed tethered pretty much almost the entire race at Worlds, and I think that is the right move.
Emily: so so that we don't lose each other and also it's like oh it's it's good feedback so
Emily: Safety and feedback. All the things, yeah. Sorry for people. now have heard two versions of the same.
Viv: No, I love it.
Emily: told me
Viv: No, you need both.
WILD ONEZ: You need both. Yeah, that was great. It's a great story. Yeah.
Viv: built built with some good advice but okay so now that we're like a little bit more removed from worlds and kind of this year of training we still have austin on the calendar and you guys have done swim run kit cod and colorado but From Worlds, what are you guys going to take away with you?
Viv: from this experience
Julia: A question.
Emily: One and it sounds cheesy, but like honestly just like so so
Julia: just try
Emily: Much appreciation for Julia and like. Oh. that You do late. Cheers. I really... I can't have imagined what that day would have been.
Emily: otherwise you know like We're gritty. We're gritty. Yeah. She is so... Talk in like all the ways you possibly could be and it just I love you.
Emily: And then the second, like, I really need to up my swim game.
Emily: That's the winter. winter project is swimming and then the technical. When I was training for Rockman, I... I did do like a lot of putzing around on rocks and I think I need to do.
Emily: more of that because Yeah, Roadrunner. on. Pray else's. It needs some work. mostly this one
Julia: Sorry, I'm crying You're so kind, Emily.
Julia: But yeah, no, I just.
Julia: Like, I love Emily so much. Like, she's brought up trying to go back. And. Like, I don't want to. Like I keep on going back to when we got caught and like It was so heartbreaking. And like seeing. her so upset like That's kind of why I'm like, oh, I don't know.
Julia: Like you could do so much better than me for a partner, you know, like somebody that like you could actually finish with. So that's.
Emily: No, that's not
Julia: You know, I just have such an appreciation for like. For the community and just enjoying the day. Yeah. So.
Emily: Yeah, the community piece, that's another, like... It was... Amazing. I mean, the community here in the U .S.
Julia: So.
Emily: Between. on bowl and then wild and then you know just coming off the high of being a keep caught in like I love these.
Emily: small local races because i really think that is a way to bring people into the sport and you know people were like okay so tell me more about wild tell me more about on ball and There's Austin and then... Like, James, like, what? you know, Where do I sign up? And just.
Emily: seeing that they're it's it is so different from other sports in that way because there's so much community.
Emily: uh So I was just writing. Even though... you know, there is some sadness just riding on that high. I think Immediately after we finished the race, I was like, I just want to go back to mainland and disappear and direct. Nope, don't do that. And I'm so glad we didn't because.
Emily: because the community to celebrate everybody's successes to you know, friends that other friends that didn't make it to like commiserate with them and also just like kudos for doing the thing and showing up.
Emily: for a hard day out there so Yeah, I think that was. and to see like how welcoming even at the international level you know Night. here let me
Emily: fix your wetsuit or let's show you around the
Emily: trails here this is where you can find these things in stockholm just it's It is really unique in that way.
Viv: Yeah, someone is special. And it's, I mean, it's what's brought all of us together too. I have a podcast to talk about some badass ladies, including you guys, because.
Viv: We all come from such different walks of life. And I think that's like, again, like Sarah said at the beginning, we love hearing the, how did swimrun find you? Or you find swimrun? Because it truly is, again, it's magical. You can't ever describe that feeling to somebody unless they do it.
Viv: So. Listening to... all of the low -tie boys and everybody else's advice when you guys first started. Do you guys have any advice? We usually ask everybody this. Do you have any advice to anybody listening who...
Viv: Is swimrun curious or endurance sport curious? Any advice you have? for anybody listening. Who wants to start something? But it's like. not sure yet.
Julia: Just sign up. Just do it.
Emily: Yeah.
Julia: Like... Figure, like... Figure it all out, like, as you go. I mean... I didn't have a wetsuit like it was like the week before the race like I wouldn't have.
Julia: done it on my own had somebody not asked. Just sign up and... But... put your name out there looking for a partner and we will find you a partner, you know, so.
Julia: Like some of the best partnerships come from Facebook. Like that's how Scott and I met. Yeah.
Viv: That's awesome.
Emily: Our little our little love tree triangle.
Julia: Yeah. Our triangle. Hello?
Emily: All right.
Viv: We love Scott.
Emily: It's so tangled. Scott and I haven't actually raced together.
Viv: Somebody needs to remind Scott to eat. Julia, do you remind Scott to eat?
Julia: You know, scotches. doesn't need to eat.
Viv: no scott needs to eat that's the thing scott needs to eat he would be so unstoppable if he did eat
Julia: He did.
Julia: I had a waffle. Well, I don't want them to be that much quicker. Like I got drunk around. And like in Colorado, that tether was. tight. Like... So, but no, he, he. He's getting better.
Julia: Yeah.
Viv: That's good. I'm glad.
Julia: But no, just... Just sign up. Like, don't wait for the perfect time or like, oh, you know, I need to. prepare, investigate, just do it. And like, figure it out later and people will help you along the way.
Emily: And I think that goes for other endurance things too. Like you. you're probably not going to feel 100 % ready. when You. decide to take something big on.
Emily: but with training and with mindset. you'll get there. We're all capable of so much more than we think. we are. I mean, I, again, like not a swimmer.
Emily: and happy. you know Colorado has like. Five plus miles of swimming world, Tez. i don't know how many miles
Viv: Uh, 10K. of swimming.
Emily: Yeah, a lot of money.
Viv: A lot of swimming.
Emily: A lot of swimming and, you know, like you... Set. Set big goals and slowly chip away. And find community that can... Hope you do it.
Emily: Because that makes it so much more fun. Oh my goodness, yeah.
Viv: Some good advice.
WILD ONEZ: Yeah, great.
Viv: Some very sound advice.
Viv: No, we just, I adore you guys. Literally, I say that about every guest because, like, we are so surrounded by so many badass ladies. And I adore both of you and getting to know you guys better too.
Viv: And like Emily, your daughters are my favorite little tiny humans. Like I love our swim run.
Viv: Our swim run kids are like. My favorite things. I get so excited. I still get the stink eye from Robin and Greg's kids, but that's okay because we need to teach our children stranger danger. But, like, I love seeing our next generation of tiny humans come up because, like, they have some badass parents.
Viv: that are teaching them hey like you can do hard things and you guys are like just constantly an inspiration for everybody of like you can do hard things everybody in this like harping on the community piece like it doesn't matter what skill level you are we're all in the same boat paddling up shit creek together it's just like okay here we go
Emily: We love that. No, I have to say like the love is totally mutual because the two of you.
Viv: So.
Julia: Yes.
Emily: Badasses.
Emily: doing amazing things. And then. like building i mean out here building community. And. Bringing people inviting people into that, you know, it'd be really easy to say like, okay, we're gonna have our exclusive little thing here. We don't want it.
Emily: everybody that's not at all what you're about And just like ambassadors for. the sport and especially, you know.
Julia: Yeah.
Emily: There's we're we're fortunate I think in the U .S. but that there are as many women sort of coming into the sport but that's not reflective of what's happening on the global scale. you know, sort of.
Emily: changing that. to you.
WILD ONEZ: Yeah, I think with... having this podcast, one of our goals is definitely to... make swimrun more accessible to people and I think one way that we can do that is to continue to share these stories that are imperfect because
WILD ONEZ: we're all imperfect humans and I think there is a lot of people out there that can resonate with that and then decide to like take that next step and sign up for that scary thing and just go for it and find the community and find the resources and find what it means to do what you just signed up for along the way without having all the answers so
Emily: I love that. Yes. 100 % yes.
WILD ONEZ: Yeah.
Emily: Y 'all are amazing.
WILD ONEZ: Well, thank you guys. You guys are amazing. Thank you guys for...
Viv: We love you guys.
Emily: My youngest will say, family hug!
WILD ONEZ: But.
WILD ONEZ: family hug.
WILD ONEZ: Yeah. Well, thank you guys. And thank you everybody for listening. And we will see you next time on the pod.
Julia: Thank you.
Emily: Thanks, Blake.
Julia: Thanks for having me.
Emily: Thanks, Sarah. Yes.
