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Episode 8. WILD VerMamas
59 Plays1 month ago
Welcome to Episode 8 of The WILD Onez Podcast. We are so excited to share this episode with y’all! Team WILD VerMamas: a powerhouse swimrun duo made up of two Vermont moms Amanda & Fiona who turned an instant connection into an unstoppable partnership. Connected through their shared love of movement and the outdoors, these women have built a life that blends fierce competition with family adventure.
Between them, they’re raising five kids, often bringing them along for the ride, and balancing it all with the support of their husbands.
With the Swimrun World Championships on the horizon, Team WILD VerMamas is training hard and enjoying all the moments along the way. In this episode, they share their story of friendship, grit, motherhood, and what it takes to chase big goals while staying grounded in what matters most.
Recommended
Transcript
Intro
Introduction to the Vermamas
00:08:37
WILD ONEZ
Hello, Virmamas, and welcome to the Wild Ones podcast.
00:08:42
Viv
Welcome, welcome.
00:08:43
VerMamas
Thanks for having us.
00:08:45
Viv
We're excited to have you guys. I think Sarah and I were like, who do we want on our list? and I was like, God, however, mom is on here. Just because you guys we only met you guys i think once, twice, and like actually in person. I think it's probably Colorado.
00:08:58
Viv
And you guys are like two gems of humans.
00:08:58
VerMamas
Yeah.
00:09:00
Viv
Like, you guys are awesome.
Vermamas' Background in Endurance Sports
00:09:03
Viv
So welcome to the podcast officially.
00:09:04
WILD ONEZ
Yeah, I feel like when we were thinking up
00:09:06
VerMamas
Thank you.
00:09:07
WILD ONEZ
of like who we wanted on the podcast and when we were like, we gotta get the Vermamas on here because they have an awesome story this year. Just like with swim run journeys and then what's to come later in September.
00:09:20
WILD ONEZ
so yeah, we're stoked.
00:09:21
VerMamas
Yeah, we're excited. And you guys are going to be there, so right? So we'll get to see you at Worlds, which is amazing. Yeah.
00:09:29
WILD ONEZ
Yeah.
00:09:29
Viv
I'm so excited. It's going to huge party. but i Anyway, back to the beginning. Tell a little bit about your guys' names, where you guys are from.
00:09:36
WILD ONEZ
Yeah.
00:09:43
Viv
Have you guys always lived in Vermont? kind of thing
00:09:46
WILD ONEZ
yeah
00:09:47
VerMamas
you want first? I'm Amanda. I have not always lived in Vermont, but came here for college where I did track and field and never ran more than 400 meters. So I was not in the distance adventure world.
00:10:00
Viv
Me too.
00:10:01
VerMamas
and then i finished college and was like, now what?
00:10:01
Viv
I love that.
00:10:05
VerMamas
So I signed up for a marathon and like did some Spartan races and triathlon and things just kept getting longer, longer. And adventure racing and I did an Ironman and then fast forward had kids and met Fiona and she introduced me to swim run and I was like yes no more biking it's like what's in the day because adventure racing can be you know through the night and with kids it just like checks all the boxes and so that's how I got here
00:10:29
Viv
Yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, that's so cool.
00:10:36
WILD ONEZ
That's great.
00:10:37
VerMamas
Yeah. And similarly, I also did not grow up in Vermont and then have lived and but grew up coming to Vermont quite a lot and have lived quite a few different places. But Vermont is somewhere that it's so beautiful having the green mountains here and there's so many lakes. So there's like endless opportunities to both swim and trail run. And yeah, I feel like it's been such a wonderful place to raise a family here.
00:11:08
Viv
That's so cool. I love that. So how many, how many kids do you guys each have?
00:11:12
VerMamas
have two. i have three.
00:11:14
Viv
Okay.
Family Life and the Origin of 'Vermamas'
00:11:15
Viv
Okay. How, how old are all of them?
00:11:19
VerMamas
Mine are two and a half and five and a half.
00:11:19
Viv
Yes. Age is wise.
00:11:22
WILD ONEZ
Fine. Fine.
00:11:23
VerMamas
So mine two and a half, four and a half, and six and a half.
00:11:27
Viv
I love that. Or do all of them like just hang out and become this huge group?
00:11:31
VerMamas
Yeah, we're even sharing before we hit record is even right now we're recording at my place, but all of the kids and dads are at Amanda's place and they're yeah getting ready to boil the sap for maple syrup. So yesterday we had done a kind of a fun little bun run together with some friends. And so the kids are pretty excited to get to do their own version of a little bun run sort of situation while while they're boiling.
00:12:01
VerMamas
they They all have so much fun together.
00:12:04
WILD ONEZ
Oh, I love that.
00:12:04
Viv
That's incredible. Oh my gosh. wait So pretty much. just So I guess I'm going to guess. Where does your team name come from now? Okay.
00:12:13
VerMamas
Well, we live in Vermont.
00:12:14
WILD ONEZ
Yeah.
00:12:17
VerMamas
Yeah.
00:12:17
WILD ONEZ
yeah
00:12:17
Viv
Yeah.
00:12:18
VerMamas
And I think even when I know like my son was born, i would always refer to him as a Vermunchkin. And that was kind of like referring to the little people and like other little Vermont rascal, you know, everyone's playing outside in the mud and it's so kind of referred to them as Vermunchkins.
00:12:29
WILD ONEZ
yeah
00:12:29
Viv
Yeah.
00:12:34
VerMamas
So I feel like it felt, it felt appropriate to then, uh, be the vermamas. And to our yeah husbands, their daddies doesn't quite roll off the tongue. We felt like it was fitting.
00:12:51
Viv
Yeah.
00:12:52
VerMamas
and And that's also how we we met at a postpartum like babies and yoga a class.
00:12:52
Viv
Oh, my gosh.
00:12:57
VerMamas
So i don't know, it just feels yeah fitting to who we are and how we end up going about our training and our lives.
00:13:05
WILD ONEZ
That's so fun. I love that. Who thought of that name?
Partnership and Swim Run Training
00:13:09
VerMamas
I'm sure that was you. Yeah, I think so.
00:13:11
WILD ONEZ
Yes.
00:13:11
VerMamas
Because i think even i think even before we officially did a race together, i think even when I did my first swim run, Amanda and I were already doing working out together. and I was like, hey, would you be interested in this?
00:13:23
VerMamas
And we we're like, OK, when we do one together, here's a potential name.
00:13:30
WILD ONEZ
That's awesome. I love that. And it's so fun and fitting. It's like, yeah, it's, I love it.
00:13:33
VerMamas
Yeah. yeah
00:13:36
WILD ONEZ
So genuine to who you guys are.
00:13:38
VerMamas
Yeah, yeah. So hopefully in a couple of years, you'll see the Vermunchkin team of our two oldest races.
00:13:39
WILD ONEZ
Yeah.
00:13:42
WILD ONEZ
Yeah.
00:13:44
Viv
Oh my gosh, please. Can we please get the Vermont skin?
00:13:46
VerMamas
Yeah.
00:13:47
Viv
Yeah.
00:13:49
VerMamas
They're really excited. I mean, if there is a, I know we're starting to see a few more kids races kind of crop up.
00:13:54
WILD ONEZ
Mm-hmm.
00:13:54
Viv
yeah
00:13:55
VerMamas
I think in the U.S., the courses, even the shortest one, we might need to do it like with them. But if there was a very short kids race, they are, yeah, are like Amanda's six and a half year old and my five and a half year old are,
00:14:02
Viv
Yeah.
00:14:08
VerMamas
they're ready they're ready yeah
00:14:10
Viv
Oh, nice.
00:14:11
WILD ONEZ
That is so fun. Are they training with you guys?
00:14:15
VerMamas
yeah I mean my kids are always part of my strength workouts yeah but they last year my husband hosted a kids triathlon and all of our kids did it and so they kind of loved the idea of like competing and training and we'll go out and run with us but
00:14:19
WILD ONEZ
Yeah.
00:14:32
VerMamas
Yeah. And it's nice now, even last summer, I feel like Aiden got good enough at riding a pedal bike that now he can be a similar pace when I run, like on the bike path as when he bikes, which has been a game changer.
00:14:47
WILD ONEZ
I bet he loves that.
00:14:48
VerMamas
Yeah.
00:14:48
Viv
That's awesome.
00:14:49
VerMamas
Yeah.
00:14:49
WILD ONEZ
That is so fun.
00:14:52
Viv
You got a little buddy. Just get him a basket on the front of his bike now and just put all your fuel in there.
00:14:56
VerMamas
Yeah. yeah exactly That's what I need.
00:14:56
Viv
You'll be good.
00:14:57
WILD ONEZ
but's
00:14:57
Viv
You'll good. You get your snacks.
00:14:58
VerMamas
he doesn't eat all my snacks. Yeah.
00:15:01
Viv
Like your snacks and mom snacks.
00:15:03
VerMamas
Yeah, I think that's such a good idea.
00:15:03
Viv
We're good.
00:15:05
VerMamas
Yeah, better
00:15:06
WILD ONEZ
Yeah, you have a moving aid station. and You can go forever.
00:15:09
VerMamas
yeah
00:15:12
VerMamas
for swim run, are there rules on not having a like crew or people mewling?
Endurance Sports and Vermont's Environment
00:15:17
VerMamas
I don't know what the rule... Yeah, I think you're supposed to write carry all of your things from start to finish, but...
00:15:19
Viv
I don't know.
00:15:23
WILD ONEZ
Yeah.
00:15:24
Viv
I think we can make some modifications.
00:15:24
WILD ONEZ
At least for training.
00:15:25
VerMamas
Yeah, yeah.
00:15:25
Viv
yeah We know we are some people. We can do that.
00:15:27
VerMamas
Right.
00:15:27
Viv
Absolutely.
00:15:28
VerMamas
If they're little enough and cute enough, I think it'd be fine.
00:15:30
WILD ONEZ
but of
00:15:34
Viv
I love that. Oh, my gosh. Okay. You guys have been, like, a huge example for your kids, obviously. But how did you guys get into endurance sports? more so and then i guess in the swim run because Fiona it sounds like you did a swim run before Amanda hopped in.
00:15:49
VerMamas
may Yeah, I think even just growing up, I had like a pretty active lifestyle, like our family would go hiking and spent a lot of times in the outdoors. And when I was in middle school, and then high school, I had the opportunity to do some different like backpacking trips and like volunteer trail crew where you'd be out in the woods for like a week or 10 days at a time. And so it was definitely drawn to the outdoors and being on trails. And in college, I had the opportunity to work at our school's mountain campus. I went to school in Colorado and worked at Pingree Park. And it's up in a beautiful mountain range. And so
00:16:34
VerMamas
when either before i would work or in between shifts, I could do these really long trail runs. And there's where I like really fell in love with long distance trail running and the fact that you could, you know, I could wake up, like roll out of bed in the cabin and do an incredible loop on people are familiar in Colorado with like the mummy range. So it's right at the base of the mummy range, and not far from the never summer wilderness. So that definitely solidified it for me. Yeah.
00:17:03
WILD ONEZ
It's so easy to fall in love with endurance sports in Colorado.
00:17:06
VerMamas
Yeah, I mean, exactly. exactly. exactly
00:17:10
Viv
Amanda, how did you get into endurance sports, let alone swim run?
00:17:16
VerMamas
Well, I guess it just kind of mostly came from like, there's no world for sprinting, and my body didn't want to keep sprinting. And so I was just kind of searching for something else. I love to be outdoors. I love to be active and move.
00:17:30
VerMamas
And specifically swim run. Fiona was like, one day, hey, want to come, you know, do this workout, and we're going to swim and run. And i really I got there. I was like, well, I think I'm just going to take my shoes off when I swim and like, I'll just put them back on. like I had no idea.
00:17:46
VerMamas
And i don't think I had a wetsuit or swimwetsuit. So I just like jumped in and I did take my shoes off. And then by the end, I was like, next time I'll do it your way. And I would like to do this again. Yeah.
00:17:59
VerMamas
a
00:18:00
WILD ONEZ
It is funny.
00:18:00
VerMamas
Yeah.
00:18:01
WILD ONEZ
That's most people's assumption with swim run is you're taking your shoes off in between your swimming.
00:18:02
VerMamas
Right. Yeah.
00:18:05
Viv
Yeah.
00:18:07
VerMamas
and Everyone's like, okay, footwear. And even, i mean, that was one of my biggest concerns coming from running. I feel like I used to get wicked blisters running, but I was worried.
00:18:18
VerMamas
i was like, I'm really going to get my feet torn up or my heels. And
00:18:21
Viv
Yeah.
00:18:22
VerMamas
It still honestly surprises me the fact that I've never, knock on wood, gotten blisters swim running and before have had done races where the bottoms of my feet are like torn off.
00:18:34
VerMamas
I'm like, this doesn't fully compute and for me, but it's a miracle.
00:18:36
Viv
Yeah.
00:18:37
VerMamas
And so I always let people know, right, when you're trying it out, like, don't worry about it. Use your, right, pick your regular trail shoes.
00:18:42
WILD ONEZ
Yeah.
00:18:44
VerMamas
If you have them, start with that. Whatever regular socks you wear start there, right?
00:18:47
Viv
Yeah.
00:18:50
WILD ONEZ
Start there and don't fix what's broken if it's working while trail running.
00:18:53
VerMamas
Yeah, 100%.
00:18:54
WILD ONEZ
Yeah.
00:18:54
VerMamas
Yeah. Yeah.
00:18:55
WILD ONEZ
Yeah, I like I've had a similar thing, actually, with a few different pairs of my shoes where when I raced High Lonesome last summer, I got very just like terrible blisters in these shoes and I was not expecting it because I had worn them swim running and I'd worn them to Worlds.
00:18:55
VerMamas
Yeah.
00:19:10
WILD ONEZ
And i have had no issues in the past, but it's really nice because you do get your, you like, you give your feet a little bit of a break and they get a chance to cool off.
00:19:15
Viv
Yeah.
00:19:20
WILD ONEZ
And with trail running, they're just consistently like hot and there's friction either like on the bottom of your feet or, If there's a weird spot that's like touching part of your shoe and rubbing, like you get like a good relief from it.
00:19:34
WILD ONEZ
And so I think people get really freaked out about having wet feet and swim running and blisters when in my own experience, it's actually been the complete opposite so far.
00:19:45
VerMamas
exactly. So anyone who's listening who hasn't tried it, hopefully this has debunked your concern.
00:19:55
Viv
That's amazing.
00:20:11
VerMamas
I mean, pretty much right away. i feel like it's, I think probably both of us, but just loving trail running and being in the open water so much. But the fact that you can explore like point to point or especially like swim in multiple different lakes is just incredible. i might even my first swim run I did was swim run Coniston. and so you take a bus out and then you work your way back. And essentially, even there's one like fell you get to run over, but swimming in the different lakes and the fact that you don't have to double back or and you can carry so little with you and not have to bring a pack.
00:20:53
VerMamas
It was just, yeah, incredible. like so pretty quickly my first race was Whistler and I think just like the different you know lakes and being able to see all these cool places that we probably wouldn't have like seen all of it when we were just vacationing it's definitely a draw just check out all the neat new places yeah see five lakes in one day instead of just one or two yeah lame
00:21:13
WILD ONEZ
You do
00:21:19
WILD ONEZ
you do a lot of cold water training. So I've seen from the Instagram stories. So how is swimming in, think it was Needle Lake.
00:21:29
WILD ONEZ
What was that? Was that as shocking to you as?
00:21:33
VerMamas
No.
00:21:33
WILD ONEZ
no. oh
00:21:34
VerMamas
It was cold. There was no like... is called the
00:21:37
Viv
Sarah was like, text me and she like, I'm unwell.
00:21:38
VerMamas
there is no like
00:21:41
Viv
Like, I'm cold.
00:21:43
WILD ONEZ
I had a brain freeze.
00:21:44
VerMamas
Yeah, I mean, we were even that summer where, i mean, it's really like May when you can really start swimming in the lakes here. And when we were doing some early swim runs last spring, yeah it's definitely like brain freeze territory where we did go ahead and buy the halo bands to wear under our swim caps and wear gloves and such just because, yeah, I mean,
00:22:04
WILD ONEZ
Game changer.
00:22:05
Viv
Yeah.
00:22:10
VerMamas
is right if you everyone's experienced a brain freeze before where we have the brain freeze so I think that was good acclimation for what we would I think could expect first time we jumped in Lake Champlain last year we yeah kept our head above water yeah it was so cold yeah yeah That was like early season. Yeah. I think training in the cold water like definitely makes it less like shock in a race that you just like, I will survive this and I can breathe. Yeah, exactly.
00:22:39
VerMamas
Yeah. Yeah.
00:22:39
WILD ONEZ
I think that's huge just for like the mental part of swim run and swim running in cold water as well. Seeing your guys' as Instagram stories has inspired me to like go and jump in the river more.
00:22:50
WILD ONEZ
And like today we went to the South Springs and I rolled around in the snow.
00:22:51
Viv
Yeah.
00:22:54
WILD ONEZ
i was like...
00:22:54
VerMamas
Oh, my God. I mean, it's a perfect place, right? Because Colorado has so... i lived in Colorado for 10 years. There's such a small amount of water, relatively, but there are so many amazing mountain creeks and places that you can go. And I know when I lived at our mountain campus, there's that whole time I was up there, every day i jumped in the creek. Like, and some days it could be, yeah, pouring rain or snow or, like, it's direct ice melt year-round, right? There snow fields, so...
00:23:24
VerMamas
Yeah, you just kind of get used to it.
00:23:26
WILD ONEZ
Yeah, I love that. It's that's such a useful tool to have when entering swimrun too.
00:23:27
VerMamas
Yeah.
00:23:31
WILD ONEZ
You're just like, I got this.
00:23:32
VerMamas
Yeah.
00:23:33
WILD ONEZ
I'm used to cold water. Nothing new.
00:23:34
VerMamas
Well, yeah. Mind over matter. Yeah.
00:23:38
Viv
oh yeah know i whenever it's like so i'm outdoor again i'm in louisiana so it's not as cold as like where y'all y'all are but like i we have a cold flange at my gym but even when the water like i refuse
00:23:44
VerMamas
yeah
00:23:51
Viv
refuse to swim in the outdoor or indoor pool because it's just like it's inside i want to see the outside and even like the like we can get down to the 40s and so the outdoor pool is even colder and I'm like okay babe like I will be like okay the Vermonmas are doing cold plunges you swam in Norway you swam in worlds like there are people who are swimming in colder water than you and it is a pool like I'm like okay I can do it
00:23:56
VerMamas
a Yeah.
00:24:15
VerMamas
No, but that's, I feel like that's amazing. And that's so great that you have an outdoor pool. but I do think also, yeah, we would love to have that where we live.
00:24:25
Viv
You guys come visit, we'll just do a little swap.
00:24:26
VerMamas
Yeah, it's great.
00:24:27
Viv
Yeah, right.
00:24:28
VerMamas
We can do switch it up. And also, yeah i just feel like swimming in the pool, it does. It is so mental because say if we're with our kids, usually we swim in like a little kind of program pool that's quite warm with them.
00:24:42
VerMamas
So they're comfortable.
00:24:42
Viv
Yeah.
00:24:43
VerMamas
But when that's closed and then we end up swimming in the lap pool or the pool we normally swim in with them, but you're standing still. i'm like, oh, this is so cold. You know, you get... So it's just like, right, you're not in the mindset of like jumping in or swimming.
00:24:56
VerMamas
So it just, yeah, yeah, changes.
00:24:57
Viv
getting it going. Yeah. Like, oh, this is different.
00:25:00
VerMamas
Yeah.
00:25:02
Viv
Yeah, and the mental aspect of, I mean, cold weather in general is wild. And I definitely get a reset every single time I go visit Sarah or my parents in Colorado. Like, oh, no, cold weather does exist. It is okay.
00:25:17
VerMamas
Yeah. Yeah.
00:25:19
WILD ONEZ
We better get ready for that come September here.
00:25:24
Viv
I, yeah, I'm going to have to do a lot more cold plunges.
00:25:27
VerMamas
Yeah, you have to come visit.
00:25:30
Viv
I'll come i'll go up north for a little bit.
00:25:32
VerMamas
Come here. Yeah. Yeah.
00:25:34
Viv
I do love Vermont. I have a high school friend who, she has a family farm in Townsend. So I spent tons of time up there in high school in Southern Vermont and loved it.
00:25:42
VerMamas
Cool.
00:25:43
Viv
I almost went to UVM actually in Burlington and I was very close, but was like, oh, no, maybe not.
00:25:46
VerMamas
okay
00:25:49
Viv
I don't know.
00:25:50
VerMamas
yeah
00:25:50
Viv
so but almost almost was was part of the Vermont crew because I such a free state you guys really do have an awesome backyard just wilderness everywhere it's beautiful so if you are you haven't been to Vermont you need to go I'm just gonna plug you guys it's gorgeous up there love it love it and miss it so much because it's just it's so pretty and like you guys said like guys have endless
00:26:03
VerMamas
Yeah, definitely.
00:26:04
WILD ONEZ
Thank you.
00:26:14
Viv
Mastrianni- Backyard playground essentially from the rivers to like hiking and running and all that stuff to that's made your guys this training super I mean more accessible right.
00:26:27
VerMamas
definitely. Yeah, to be able to just go out the door and you know, run to the pool or get in the lake, it's makes it doable rather than like having to work out extra time to leave the kids and like get a workout in. So it's definitely makes it possible. And the fact that I feel kind of spoiled for choice when we decide on when we're doing our open water swims or swim run sessions between us and some other friends who we will swim run with, we get to decide like, Oh, are we going to go here today? Are we going to go here today? You know, and can, can have the choice where at lots of places you only have one option. So that's pretty nice.
00:27:03
Viv
That's really cool.
00:27:04
VerMamas
Yeah.
00:27:04
Viv
I love that.
00:27:04
WILD ONEZ
Amazing.
00:27:05
Viv
Again, love that about Vermont how accessible it is. has that is i mean How many, how many, how many have you guys done together now
Upcoming Races and Championships
00:27:14
Viv
officially?
00:27:15
VerMamas
Three. Three.
00:27:17
Viv
Okay.
00:27:17
WILD ONEZ
amazing
00:27:18
Viv
How many, how many do you guys have this year together?
00:27:23
VerMamas
that's a good question. We haven't, yeah. At least four, right? Yeah, yeah. So, yeah, at least four. Yeah.
00:27:32
Viv
Okay, which races are you guys doing together? Nice.
00:27:35
VerMamas
So we're doing orcas. Yeah.
00:27:37
WILD ONEZ
Yaaay! yay
00:27:38
VerMamas
And then what's next? And then I'm actually going to do one with my mom in June. So that'll be so I'm not with Amanda and I together, but then we'll do, we're planning on going to Gothenburg.
00:27:51
VerMamas
So that'll be the second Gothenburg and then Casco. Casco. And then worlds. Yeah. Yeah. why Yeah.
00:28:01
Viv
That is incredible. All awesome races. I'm so excited for y'all.
00:28:05
VerMamas
We're pretty excited.
00:28:06
WILD ONEZ
What race are you doing with your mom?
00:28:09
VerMamas
There's it's Seneca Lake, so it's in the Finger Lakes.
00:28:12
WILD ONEZ
That's right.
00:28:12
VerMamas
and Well, you know what?
00:28:12
Viv
My stickers!
00:28:15
VerMamas
It's so funny. I did not make the connection because I had emailed with them in advance but didn't realize until I actually heard your episode about it. And I was like told my mom, i was like, this is the same race.
00:28:26
VerMamas
This is because I had emailed because I think you could they only have an individuals category. But I had emailed saying like, hey, we're planning to race together. we're going to tether. Can we have a team name?
00:28:36
VerMamas
And she was like, absolutely. I can add a team name to the results. And I was like, OK. And then i heard the interview with them. So thank you if you're listening. Thank you.
00:28:46
Viv
TV TV.
00:28:47
WILD ONEZ
was so fun. Yes.
00:28:48
VerMamas
Yeah, yeah.
00:28:50
Viv
I love that. Oh, it's such a small world. I love this.
00:28:53
VerMamas
you guys Are you guys doing that race too? Yeah.
00:28:56
WILD ONEZ
I wish I'll be out of town for for it.
00:28:58
VerMamas
yeah
00:29:00
WILD ONEZ
So, well, i guess that race is out of my town, but I'll be on a family vacation.
00:29:03
Viv
It's different.
00:29:03
VerMamas
Yeah, yeah.
00:29:04
Viv
Different out of town, not New York out of town.
00:29:10
Viv
Yeah, wellll we'll see you guys at Orcas.
00:29:10
WILD ONEZ
But yeah, it sounds like it's gonna be amazing. Mm-hmm.
00:29:13
Viv
We're very excited for that.
00:29:16
VerMamas
Yeah, we're excited.
00:29:16
WILD ONEZ
Yeah.
00:29:17
VerMamas
Yeah. I know, it's coming right up.
00:29:18
Viv
it's It's a fun race.
00:29:18
VerMamas
Yeah.
00:29:20
Viv
It's a race very near and dear to Sarah and I's heart. It was our first swim run and like we haven't been back in two years, I think.
00:29:24
WILD ONEZ
Mm-hmm.
00:29:24
VerMamas
Oh, wow.
00:29:27
WILD ONEZ
Two or three years, yeah.
00:29:29
Viv
Yeah, so we're we're excited to come back and with a new new date. So we'll see our cold water training will come in handy.
00:29:35
WILD ONEZ
Yes.
00:29:39
VerMamas
Totally. Yeah, the only time I was in Orcas Island was in April. And so, yeah, I feel like you never know what the weather going to be. And it was, yeah it was like nine years ago. so it'll be nice to fun to go back and Yeah, who knows, right?
00:29:55
VerMamas
Anywhere, spring weather could be anything, but we know the water will be cold. That's not something we don't have to wonder.
00:30:00
WILD ONEZ
yeah as that is yeah
00:30:00
Viv
Yes, yeah, that be guaranteed. You will get cold water.
00:30:03
VerMamas
It will be cold, air temperature, right? But that absolutely impacts, yeah, how you feel about the cold water. Yeah.
00:30:11
Viv
Just get moving, you're fine. this Once you get out, just start dancing like...
00:30:15
VerMamas
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
00:30:17
WILD ONEZ
can guarantee there will be great views and gorgeous trees to look at no matter the weather it's
00:30:24
VerMamas
Yeah, exactly.
00:30:25
Viv
If you see Sarah on the course, just ask her if she'll climb that tree.
00:30:25
WILD ONEZ
it's
00:30:29
Viv
Just take a tree, just random tree. Just say, will you climb it?
00:30:32
VerMamas
Yeah.
00:30:32
Viv
She actually might, we might stop it.
00:30:33
VerMamas
Yeah.
00:30:34
Viv
We might stop the race and so she can climb the tree.
00:30:35
VerMamas
Yeah.
00:30:35
WILD ONEZ
It's
00:30:36
VerMamas
That sounds amazing. I definitely will ask you. Yeah. of
00:30:43
Viv
make the forest be like Lars just comes out of the forest.
00:30:44
WILD ONEZ
not.
00:30:46
Viv
He's like, what are you guys doing? We dare Sarah to climb this tree. Don't worry about it. We got it.
00:30:51
VerMamas
I know you can you can have extra points, style points.
00:30:52
Viv
All under control.
00:30:55
VerMamas
Like if you do the cliff jump, maybe if you climb certain trees.
00:30:56
WILD ONEZ
Yes.
00:30:58
VerMamas
I think there should be a style points category.
00:31:01
WILD ONEZ
You can actually climb the tree at the click jump. You didn't hear it. You didn't hear it from us, but you can climb that tree and jump off of it.
00:31:07
VerMamas
Okay. yeah amazing.
00:31:10
WILD ONEZ
instant honor
00:31:11
VerMamas
Okay.
00:31:12
Viv
I can do it.
00:31:13
WILD ONEZ
yeah The shakeout. We did it at the shakeout last year.
00:31:15
VerMamas
Okay.
00:31:15
WILD ONEZ
It was so fun.
00:31:16
Viv
Yeah.
00:31:16
WILD ONEZ
Yeah.
00:31:17
WILD ONEZ
or not
00:31:17
Viv
I don't know if I'd recommend it on a race day, but shake out.
00:31:17
VerMamas
We'll
00:31:20
WILD ONEZ
Yeah.
00:31:20
VerMamas
have make sure we get there time.
00:31:23
WILD ONEZ
Yeah. It is so much fun. It's great to see that part of the course as well. Definitely.
00:31:29
VerMamas
Very cool.
00:31:30
WILD ONEZ
It was fun shakeout to to go to. They're all great, but that one's my favorite, I think.
00:31:32
VerMamas
We
00:31:35
VerMamas
can add it.
00:31:36
WILD ONEZ
hey
00:31:36
VerMamas
Free climbing with the kids before we go. yeah
00:31:39
Viv
Right, here you go.
00:31:42
WILD ONEZ
so with the races that you have done together so far have you guys had any like funny race mishaps or things along those lines
00:31:51
Viv
Memories or good things, bad things, things that have taught you something.
00:31:56
WILD ONEZ
yeah
00:31:57
VerMamas
Every race we end, they were like, oh, I wish we could just keep going. Yeah. Except for the very end of Colorado. I was done by that. Yeah.
00:32:04
Viv
Oh, I will second that one.
00:32:05
VerMamas
yeah
00:32:07
Viv
That one was hard.
00:32:08
VerMamas
but But in general. Yeah. I think also what is interesting, right, depending on the course is the amount of swimming can change depending on the tide and things like that.
00:32:20
VerMamas
So, you know, right Whistler was our first one.
00:32:21
Viv
Yeah.
00:32:23
VerMamas
So the water levels were like all pretty consistent and the same. But then Casco was our second. And at the beginning, we like had our swim stuff on like ready. And mean we did, you know, it starts with a run, but we...
00:32:35
VerMamas
Had everything kind of ready to go because i I don't remember the distance, but we thought it was going like a pretty short run. And then and we' we're kind of looking around to see how what everyone else is, you know, doing with their cap and goggles. And then we were running and we're like, well, we're supposed to be swimming right now. And we're like, I guess, you know, we knew it was going low tide for the start, but it was even a lower tide.
00:32:55
VerMamas
So I think that at least the first two swims, so it was really ended up being about four runs, if that sounds right, three or four runs.
00:33:00
Viv
Wow.
00:33:04
VerMamas
Yeah, that got connected. and so for us who are like running is definitely more of our strength than swimming.
00:33:09
Viv
Oh.
00:33:11
VerMamas
So we're like, this is great.
00:33:12
Viv
OK.
00:33:14
VerMamas
But each time we're like, okay, we would kind of get our stuff ready. We're like, in case there's going to be water at this swim, we should be ready to swim. But then we'd be like, nope, put it away. so
00:33:24
Viv
Just kidding.
00:33:25
VerMamas
I think that's kind of like something fun that you learn as you go. And even in Colorado, when we were doing that one. there was one swim we weren't sure if it was going to happen or not. So we kind of got ready and we're like, okay, this is either going to be a I don't remember.
00:33:35
Viv
Yeah.
00:33:39
VerMamas
It was like an 11 mile run or a 14 mile run, or maybe that's maybe people think things were wrong.
00:33:42
Viv
Yeah, right.
00:33:43
VerMamas
I don't remember. And once again, we're like, no swim. We're like, actually, this is great. We're here for the run. And with cooling off in between. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
00:33:56
VerMamas
Well,
00:33:56
WILD ONEZ
yeah that course is killer swim course in Colorado for sure
00:34:03
Viv
Yeah, I might not throw my dad under the bus here. He needs to swim more and he knows it. But he was I don't think I was mentally prepared because I was living on the swims. But I don't think he was mentally prepared either for how much swimming Colorado was, because I think we were talking about it before it or like our shakeout. Like, hey, you know what?
00:34:22
Viv
don't know what the water levels are going to be. Like, it could be higher, it could be lower. and then we all got in. We're like, they're so much higher than they were. so we're like, OK, just add like another hundred on to every swim. And they're like, I feel like we should be done yet.
00:34:32
VerMamas
Yeah.
00:34:34
Viv
We're not done. And all the rocks look the same. And we're not there yet. Like, where are we?
00:34:38
VerMamas
Yeah. Yeah.
00:34:39
Viv
And I was like, that was like close, like maybe a 3K right there. Like, like there should have been much shorter.
00:34:46
VerMamas
yeah
00:34:47
WILD ONEZ
Yeah. bye
00:34:48
VerMamas
Exactly. So it's kind of the like fun of it, whereas a lot of, you know, other races, it's so, I mean, maybe less so and like definitely not adventure racing and the trail races. It just depends on the organizer and what style, right? There's kind of more highly, you know, produced trail races as well as more kind of you know, adventure-y style.
00:35:11
VerMamas
And so just being familiar with, yeah, whether there's going to be an aid station or maybe it's like, there's an aid station plus or minus a few miles or whatever it is.
00:35:20
WILD ONEZ
Yeah.
00:35:20
VerMamas
Just being ready for whether swims are going to flex or fuel,
00:35:22
WILD ONEZ
if
00:35:27
Viv
Those are my favorite. They're like, oh yeah, there might be one in this general vicinity. You're like, am I gonna get fed or no I just need to plant the snacks.
00:35:32
VerMamas
mr Yeah. I think I made the mistake like one time in like a desert ultra and I actually ran out of water because it was like the aid station.
00:35:44
VerMamas
They just like didn't have one. They're like, we weren't able to make it out there. and so I remember noted like never since then have I ever not like over packed, you know, fuel and water, hydration, whatever, just to not be, you know, in the desert with no water.
00:35:55
Viv
Smart, yeah.
00:35:59
Viv
Oh
00:36:01
VerMamas
yeah
00:36:02
WILD ONEZ
That can be scary for sure.
00:36:02
VerMamas
Yeah.
00:36:03
WILD ONEZ
Yeah.
00:36:04
Viv
my gosh.
00:36:04
WILD ONEZ
of Cool.
00:36:07
WILD ONEZ
Okay. So exciting things coming this September for you guys. How did qualifying for Worlds happen for you?
00:36:07
Viv
That's wild.
00:36:19
VerMamas
One race at a time. what Yeah, you
00:36:21
Viv
Yeah.
00:36:24
VerMamas
yeah I think even after we knew we were we werere going to do Casco Bay together because it's closest to where we live. And then we added doing Whistler beforehand, just so that wouldn't be our first one.
00:36:32
Viv
yeah
00:36:37
VerMamas
And we turned it into like a joint family trip. And then after doing those two, were like, that was so fun. we and we have a lot of points. Yeah, exactly.
00:36:47
VerMamas
And since we had a lot of points, we were like, I think we could maybe, if we added another one in, and we both really loved the idea of going to Sweden and the swimming pool.
00:36:57
VerMamas
you know, the point to point through the archipelago, it seemed like magical and definitely right up our alley. So we weren't sure exactly if we need how many more points we might need.
00:37:05
Viv
Yeah.
00:37:09
VerMamas
So we went ahead and added in Colorado. And so we felt like, you know, having three wins for the women's category were like, felt like would be a solid.
00:37:19
VerMamas
Yeah.
00:37:19
WILD ONEZ
Oh, yeah.
00:37:20
VerMamas
je and Yeah.
00:37:21
Viv
Yeah, definitely.
00:37:28
WILD ONEZ
Yeah.
00:37:30
VerMamas
Early on, I don't think I knew anything about it, to be honest. I was just like, yeah, this is a fun race here in the U.S. s And then feel like you were, well, we were talking about how we would love yeah to do a longer one.
00:37:41
VerMamas
were like, well. And i was like, well, I think we have to go. All the longer ones seem be in Europe. So, yeah.
00:37:47
Viv
Yeah.
00:37:48
VerMamas
Amanda's like, I mean, twist my arm. Like, yeah. That sounds good. okay
00:37:53
Viv
Say less.
00:37:53
VerMamas
Yeah.
00:37:53
Viv
I know, we like to call them like race-cations. Like every single time we do a race, like at least Sarah and I together, we're like, okay, so like, what do you wanna do after?
00:37:57
VerMamas
Yes.
00:38:03
VerMamas
Yeah, yeah, exactly. i know that's the thing is key to, right, like plan more things afterwards than before. Because I think we've yeah definitely run into before where you're, you know, you do too much before the race and then during the race.
00:38:16
VerMamas
I know even for my first swim run, i was like, oh, man, we did a really long hike yesterday. And I was like carrying the baby, like the pack and everything. was feeling it. So we tried to like do less beforehand.
00:38:30
WILD ONEZ
That's a really good rule of thumb. Yeah.
00:38:31
VerMamas
Yeah, yeah.
00:38:32
WILD ONEZ
Yeah.
00:38:32
VerMamas
Yeah.
00:38:32
WILD ONEZ
yeah
00:38:33
Viv
Yeah, we've both ran into that before.
00:38:36
VerMamas
Yeah. Yeah.
00:38:36
WILD ONEZ
Yeah, I did that with Worlds my first year. We did like a two-week long adventure before Worlds and then went to Worlds and then almost immediately flew back to the U.S.
00:38:42
VerMamas
Oh, cool.
00:38:54
VerMamas
Enjoy.
00:39:01
WILD ONEZ
So that's that's a good thing to learn early on.
00:39:02
VerMamas
Oh, that's what I get. i again We have to get pointers from you guys or any different places and things. So we'll have to connect as it gets closer.
00:39:10
Viv
Oh, absolutely.
00:39:11
VerMamas
Yeah.
00:39:12
WILD ONEZ
Yes.
00:39:12
Viv
Yes.
00:39:13
WILD ONEZ
Yeah.
00:39:13
Viv
Oh, I'm very excited.
00:39:13
WILD ONEZ
100%.
00:39:14
Viv
I mean, we're going to definitely, I think, want to talk to you guys too after Worlds for sure because what you guys are going on, like this adventure, I think it's it's really cool. like Sarah and I have both been to Worlds twice, once together and then once separately.
00:39:28
Viv
And our first year was like, all right, we don't really know what's going on. And I think that that's like the special piece about it too is like kind of like the ignorance bliss piece of like, we're just going out there and have fun and enjoy it.
00:39:35
VerMamas
Yeah.
00:39:37
VerMamas
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:39:40
Viv
And, but going back now, it's it's kind of fun to see the like excitement that like for like the first time somebody does worlds. Cause like, I still get those jitters like at the starting line, like even the second time we did, was I know this course, but I am about to shit my pants. Like, I don't know what i is how to put that any other way. Like I'm freaking out.
00:40:01
Viv
And, but there's people there that are just like, awesome and I'm like I'm still like it's just so cool I cannot wait for you guys to experience it and like to talk to you guys afterwards because it is one of the coolest races ever and I I'm so excited for you guys what did it feel like to like finally find out like what's the moment that you're like oh my gosh is this is real we're actually doing this we're going
00:40:23
VerMamas
Yeah.
00:40:24
VerMamas
Like when we got it, we're like, it's happening. yeah it's happening when we got I feel like when we're looking out for, yeah to see if it was came through. And then I think once we're like looking, we're like, okay, we should look at like plane tickets and actually making, you know, committing on how many days we were going to be away, that sort of thing.
00:40:36
WILD ONEZ
who
00:40:40
VerMamas
I feel like is when it kind of all started coming together. Yeah. Felt real. Yeah.
00:40:44
WILD ONEZ
a The countdown begins. it was It's like it's six months away now, which is crazy.
00:40:51
VerMamas
Wow.
00:40:52
WILD ONEZ
are you are you guys traveling with family for this race?
00:40:52
VerMamas
Yeah.
00:40:55
WILD ONEZ
Are you making?
00:40:56
VerMamas
Yeah. This race, well, I don't know.
00:40:57
WILD ONEZ
No. Yeah.
00:40:59
VerMamas
With our kids being so little, it just doesn't feel like a little kid spectator friendly thing.
00:41:01
WILD ONEZ
Yeah.
00:41:05
VerMamas
Like all my kids on a boat. they
00:41:08
WILD ONEZ
Yeah.
00:41:08
VerMamas
yeah I think that, yeah, it's really fun to have them at some of the races. And this one just felt like one that may not be. Yeah. Yeah.
00:41:16
WILD ONEZ
Logistically, it's hard.
00:41:18
VerMamas
yeah if
00:41:19
WILD ONEZ
Yeah.
00:41:19
Viv
Yeah.
00:41:20
VerMamas
And also maybe it's something where like we get familiar with it and it seems different in there you know as they get older.
00:41:24
Viv
Yeah.
00:41:26
VerMamas
But yeah, agreed.
00:41:28
WILD ONEZ
Are they going to...
00:41:28
Viv
Definitely.
00:41:29
WILD ONEZ
Okay.
00:41:32
VerMamas
Still TBD on the details for who I'll, I mean, we're definitely, we're going.
00:41:33
Viv
Okay.
00:41:34
WILD ONEZ
Okay.
00:41:35
Viv
Yeah, you're here.
00:41:36
VerMamas
out so And then the rest of it is just many summer logistics going into it.
00:41:43
WILD ONEZ
Yeah.
00:41:44
VerMamas
But yeah, we'll see.
00:41:45
WILD ONEZ
Yeah.
00:41:45
VerMamas
We'll see which ones we'll be at this year.
00:41:46
WILD ONEZ
that's awesome I, yeah, I just like, I loved how you guys all traveled together to Colorado. It was so fun to see both of you guys and your families out there just having a good time around swim run and.
00:41:53
VerMamas
that
00:41:58
VerMamas
Yeah. Well, they're so amazing to get to see you actually the week before at the 50K and i think at the trail race. And then a week later, to see you in Fort Collins.
00:42:09
WILD ONEZ
That was great.
00:42:09
WILD ONEZ
Yeah.
00:42:10
Viv
That was really cool. Sarah's like,
00:42:12
Viv
I'm like, it's incredible.
00:42:12
VerMamas
Yeah.
00:42:14
VerMamas
so
00:42:15
Viv
It's so fun. Again, such a small world.
00:42:16
WILD ONEZ
I was just
00:42:16
VerMamas
minute Such a small world. I feel like there's, you know, between the trail running community and swim run, right? there All the these communities are so small and intertwined.
00:42:27
VerMamas
So it was really cool. We know so many of the same people and a lot of crossover.
00:42:30
WILD ONEZ
is just I was just gonna ask Fiona did uh Rob Howard make you do it first one month
00:42:37
VerMamas
For Swim Run, you know, and we've done a lot of things, I feel like, that made each other do. And yeah, different ultras. And I, you know, paced him lots of times.
00:42:47
VerMamas
I would say this one is not one that Rob made me do. But when did the first episode, I think that you guys did, and so much of it was like an ode to Rob. I did text him right after.
00:42:56
WILD ONEZ
Yeah.
00:42:57
VerMamas
i was like, Rob, I can't stop smiling right now.
00:42:59
WILD ONEZ
Mm-hmm.
00:42:59
VerMamas
Like, yeah, he was one of my first friends when I moved to Colorado. And yeah, is yeah close friend. So that made me so so happy. And just to hear right how many people he's gotten into sports, this and other things like we've done lot, trail races, triathlons, all kinds of things together in the past.
00:43:19
Viv
Yeah.
00:43:20
VerMamas
And he definitely has that personality about him that's infectious.
00:43:25
WILD ONEZ
Yeah, just going out there and getting after hard things and seeing what you're capable of, I feel like is just like, yeah, it's very inspiring.
00:43:25
VerMamas
Yeah.
00:43:28
VerMamas
Yeah.
00:43:34
VerMamas
Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely.
00:43:37
WILD ONEZ
Cool.
00:43:37
Viv
Yeah, the Rob made me do it. We really just didn't make that our artificial sticker because
00:43:42
VerMamas
Yeah, you should definitely get Everyone's trying to stick right that says it.
00:43:42
Viv
it he
00:43:45
VerMamas
Yeah.
00:43:47
Viv
yeah who's that one friend that you think of that just pushes you and signs you up for it and you're like oh I have no idea what I'm doing where's my parachute I don't know we're good okay let's do it Rob is that person but he'll make sure like Rob is also your parachute he will make sure like you don't fail and he'll feed you do snacks as well so that's a good thing about about him like in such a small world that like it's really cool to be so intertwined in it
00:43:57
VerMamas
Yeah.
00:44:05
VerMamas
Yeah.
00:44:15
Viv
and be, I mean, get connected this way too, because you guys are also racing underneath Team Wild. are you guys excited about that as well? What does that mean to you guys?
00:44:25
VerMamas
and go Yeah, I mean, i think we always love like having our kids and women, girls, like just getting everyone out there and doing it. So it's really fun. You know, we've kind of created this community here in Vermont and to make it a bigger community and get everyone out there.
00:44:42
VerMamas
It's just pretty exciting to be part of it all. Yeah, I think they have such as this a great mission, right? The more women, right, that you see out there and even today on the day of recording is, be remiss not to mention it is International Women's Day.
00:44:58
VerMamas
So I feel like...
00:44:58
WILD ONEZ
Yeah.
00:45:00
Viv
Woo-hoo.
00:45:00
VerMamas
Right. Even though as there's more equality, know, in so many spaces, I still feel like sport is a way, right, especially even if you have young girls and something, they're, you know, more likely to stick with something. And then also as girls go through puberty is where you have such a high dropout rate from sport. So I think the more they can see people when you're going through these different life cycle changes, whether it's you're going through puberty or, you know, going through motherhood, like having kids, like even so many people, i think that we know who there's so many valid reasons to kind of move away from your sport or what you love and to have that cycle continue and bring your kids along with it.
00:45:44
VerMamas
I mean, we're like, when we're, yeah invited to join the Wild team. We're like, absolutely. like This is a part of of the way we're living our lives anyway. So happy to do that. Yeah.
00:45:55
Viv
That's wild. I mean, that's wild. That's really cool. I it's
00:45:58
WILD ONEZ
if
00:45:58
VerMamas
but
00:45:59
Viv
and have to ask, how did you guys get first get introduced to wild? How did you guys find out about the wild swim run?
00:46:07
VerMamas
You know, when I think it was yeah, when I was listening to, when I was going to do my first swim run and I was looking for content on, you know, an't typical, right? Answering all the questions I had about all the things.
00:46:20
VerMamas
And i came across the Low Tide Boys and I had heard, i was just, you know, like skimming. I'm like, I'm not going listen to all the episodes, like picking ones. And I saw an interview with wild And I'd listen to that and i was like, this is incredible.
00:46:34
VerMamas
Like what an amazing program. So I remember going to their website and subscribing to their email listserv because until this fall, I never had an Instagram.
00:46:46
VerMamas
Like I didn't have a like when we created one this fall is my first introduction to it. And so totally missed the that boat. Right. And so which really heard of it on a podcast, subscribe to an email list.
00:46:56
Viv
Thank you.
00:46:58
VerMamas
Cause that was my, way of communication. and right then learned about it more through there. And then Helene has been, yeah, amazing.
00:47:09
VerMamas
Yeah.
00:47:10
WILD ONEZ
yeah she's incredible I love the story behind Wild her mission all of it it's amazing we're so excited to be part of it and we're so excited that like we're just inspiring more women to get into the sport and
00:47:18
VerMamas
Yeah.
00:47:22
VerMamas
Yeah.
00:47:28
WILD ONEZ
Just, it's incredible.
Social Media and Community Engagement
00:47:30
Viv
gotta go to the Instagram because the fact that you just created an Instagram like not that long ago, you're actually very good at it. You guys are both. And again, as we're recording, you guys did the Attila takeover on the US side.
00:47:44
Viv
You guys actually are like, guys are killing the Instagram. I gotta have to say that. The Vermamas Instagram is really good.
00:47:48
VerMamas
so
00:47:50
Viv
You guys couldn't, you wouldn't be able to tell.
00:47:51
VerMamas
It was like our main reason for considering of like why we may not agree to it. We're like, we don't even know how to use it. We asked for like a yeah a little how to yeah Yeah.
00:47:59
WILD ONEZ
Yeah.
00:48:02
VerMamas
We did some. We needed some tips. We've been Googling. We're like only stories.
00:48:06
Viv
Oh.
00:48:08
VerMamas
I'm like, what's a
00:48:12
VerMamas
Like still, I'd say if anyone listening who works for Instagram or for Meta, I would say it's not. it is And I don't think it's a very easy tool or user friendly.
00:48:26
WILD ONEZ
I mean, I've been off Instagram. Like I'm very here and there on Instagram for like the last maybe two years, three years, I would say before I was like very in the know and like coming back into making content for Instagram.
00:48:41
WILD ONEZ
I'm very thankful they've took over that part because i when I did the Otilo Instagram takeover, i also couldn't figure out what was going on. A few times I recorded things then I had to re-record things and I was like, why is the audio not in here?
00:48:54
WILD ONEZ
What is going on?
00:48:55
VerMamas
and and yeah That was my first question. The real trick is you have to just record it on your phone and then bring it in because doing it on Instagram is good.
00:48:57
WILD ONEZ
It
00:49:02
Viv
Yeah.
00:49:04
VerMamas
We were, yeah, we're like, I don't know. That's so funny. Yeah.
00:49:08
WILD ONEZ
it is, yeah, same.
00:49:08
VerMamas
Yeah. Yeah. yes okay
00:49:11
Viv
either way, everybody is feeling the Instagram game. i'm very proud of you guys.
00:49:15
VerMamas
yeah my
00:49:18
VerMamas
you can
00:49:19
WILD ONEZ
It is, yeah, yeah.
00:49:20
Viv
does it feel kind of being, I mean, being connected on Instagram, but also wild, but just seeing how much
00:49:21
VerMamas
Yeah.
00:49:28
Viv
swim run is out there? Like, i mean did you guys feel like when you guys first got so much stuff like, i guess, into swim run? Did you guys feel like you guys were isolated? Or do you guys feel still connected to everything?
00:49:44
VerMamas
No, I think even the first swim run I did, it was just like a really welcoming community. And yeah, it was so nice. Like they had, you know, hot soup and bread at the finish and my kids were there and my husband like having everyone there. And it was the...
00:50:02
VerMamas
women who I was going back and forth with during the race. We were chit-chatting while we were, you know, racing against each other, which was a lot of fun. Like every swim they would pass me, every run I'd catch up and, you know, just immediately felt like it was quite similar to like a trail running community. don't if you feel like it's like adventure-y thing or trail running, but yeah. Same world. Yeah, yeah. late Laid back type of environment, which is nice.
00:50:29
VerMamas
Yeah, and I feel like Fiona is so good at creating community. Like, if it doesn't exist, she's going to make it. And we have, like, a group of people that swim run with us now.
00:50:35
Viv
You
00:50:36
VerMamas
And, like, anyone we see, we're like, hey, do you swim? Like, you run? mean, yeah we had so many converts.
00:50:43
WILD ONEZ
Let's combine the two.
00:50:44
VerMamas
I'll be like, Amanda, like, I just came back from school pick up. I think we have another person. Or like at a group run, we came in, we're doing our bun run and a girl, she comes up to us and she's like, Hey, i she's like, I'm in, in visiting in town.
00:50:56
VerMamas
Where do i run? And we're like, thank you for asking. come to the right of place yeah Or even at the end of our, when we're leaving, ha haker yeah the one of the nice girls who worked there was interested in joining. So like literally every opportunity we're like, yes, you're welcome. Please join us. Yeah.
00:51:16
WILD ONEZ
I love that about swimrun.
00:51:17
VerMamas
Yeah. yeah Yeah, it's so fun.
00:51:20
WILD ONEZ
Yeah, it really feels like a community unlike any other I've been a part of before.
00:51:25
VerMamas
And I mean, also, you are swimming with your sneakers. You cannot take yourself seriously. Like, I don't care. There's incredible. When like when you look at at the international platform, these athletes are incredible athletes, right?
00:51:34
WILD ONEZ
Mm-hmm.
00:51:37
VerMamas
They have competed for their national teams in different sports.
00:51:37
WILD ONEZ
yes
00:51:40
VerMamas
Like, it's amazing. And in my opinion, if you're swimming with your shoes on you have to be able to laugh at yourself.
00:51:42
WILD ONEZ
e
00:51:47
VerMamas
Like, it's ridiculous and so fun.
00:51:50
WILD ONEZ
Yes, and like running running with a swim cap on and a wetsuit also, I mean,
00:51:50
VerMamas
like i mean, for it, but let's be honest. Yeah.
00:51:56
VerMamas
yeah you cannot take yourself seriously if you do go we need to talk we get a lot of good looks we're running on the trails when we have our caps and our goggles on definitely do double takes like are you what are you doing triathlon no
00:51:59
Viv
Yeah, just pile it on.
00:51:59
WILD ONEZ
I love
00:52:03
WILD ONEZ
it.
00:52:14
Viv
No, but have you heard of swimwright? You should come with us.
00:52:16
VerMamas
yeah no but then literally that's what we do literally
00:52:19
WILD ONEZ
<unk>
00:52:20
VerMamas
Or we just ask people to take a photo of us yeah and then they have to send it to us because we can't swim around with our phones and then they've got our number. so yeah
00:52:27
Viv
See?
00:52:31
WILD ONEZ
And this is how we organically grow the sport of swimrun.
00:52:34
VerMamas
Yeah. Yeah.
00:52:35
WILD ONEZ
think
00:52:36
VerMamas
Yeah. Way more efficient than Instagram. Yeah. Yeah. You know, my husband when i was getting, was like, we're setting up a social media account. He's like, you guys, he's like, you don't need that. He's like, you're a word of mouth person. was like, I know, I know. Yeah.
00:52:49
WILD ONEZ
It's been so fun to see you guys.
00:52:50
Viv
like just in case. Just in case.
00:52:52
VerMamas
Yeah.
00:52:52
WILD ONEZ
Yeah, yeah it's it's been really fun to see your guys' is like training and stuff on Instagram though recently.
00:52:53
VerMamas
yeah
00:52:59
WILD ONEZ
like it's It's really inspiring and I'm sure it's reaching a lot of like folks in they're seeing it and they're also getting inspired to like try different things and get into swim run and take their children with them places start lifting them for their weight training days and it's great to see what's been the most fun part for you guys like doing all of this being being moms
00:53:08
VerMamas
kind of good.
00:53:10
Viv
Yeah.
00:53:15
VerMamas
Yeah.
00:53:18
VerMamas
Yeah. well
00:53:27
VerMamas
I think for me, it's the social part. Like, it's so easy as a parent to be like, oh, there's no time. Like, I should stay home and make dinner or I should do this. But if I'm like, hey, I have to go meet Fiona. Like, there's no excuse. Like, I'm going to get out and do it. And so to be able to, like, have that social piece and get out and be outside and exercise, like, there's nothing better than that.
00:53:48
VerMamas
Yeah. Yeah. And I think it's so fun, like the fact that you can do it with a partner that Amanda and I get to like for like running and I could like run and chit chat the whole day. That's the only downside about swimming.
00:53:59
VerMamas
You can't really chit chat while you're swimming.
00:54:01
Viv
Yeah.
00:54:02
VerMamas
Yeah, that's true. That would be my ideal to like head above water. That's actually my in our hearts. I think that would be our thing. We would probably do pretty good if we could only breaststroke. And everyone else had to breaststroke.
00:54:14
VerMamas
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
00:54:14
Viv
Oh yeah, a noodle.
00:54:15
VerMamas
I think we do good. And still have a flotation device. so
00:54:21
VerMamas
We need a new category. But that's fun that you get to do it.
00:54:23
WILD ONEZ
It's noodles.
00:54:27
VerMamas
Noodles, yes. So we need to have like also something with style points and lots of flotation to help us win.
00:54:35
WILD ONEZ
New categories.
00:54:37
VerMamas
Yeah, I think we'd pursue in like the alternative versions.
00:54:41
Viv
We can make that happen.
00:54:41
VerMamas
Yeah. yeah this but They say this sport is still evolving. yeah Maybe they didn't picture this. I know. yes We were like thinking it would be more serious.
00:54:54
VerMamas
and like We're trying to I mean, we to revert.
00:54:58
WILD ONEZ
Again, swimming with shoes.
00:55:00
VerMamas
Yeah, yeah. We're like, come on now. Come on.
00:55:02
WILD ONEZ
thank
00:55:04
VerMamas
was trying to do
00:55:04
Viv
I still want get the ducky flotation, you know, it the like little rubber duck one that sits in the front.
00:55:09
VerMamas
Oh, yeah. that would be We have that for communication devices between the both of us for, like, kid ones.
00:55:10
Viv
I want to get one of those.
00:55:14
VerMamas
Yeah.
00:55:14
Viv
Perfect.
00:55:14
WILD ONEZ
position
00:55:18
Viv
I'll bring that to the next shakeout.
00:55:20
VerMamas
Yeah. For sure. Okay.
00:55:24
Viv
I love this. Yeah, because you guys have inspired so many people just through what Sarah's said about Instagram and all that stuff too, but what does it, what does swimrun like mean to you guys personally, and instead of just like on the inspirational side, what does it mean to you to do this sport?
The Personal Impact of Swim Run
00:55:47
VerMamas
I think it's so nice to have the opportunity, right, when you can both connect with others, but also to connect with yourself. i feel like both trail running or if you're just open water swimming are kind of solitary sports in a lot of ways where you spend a lot of time in your head and can like, I think that can be really such a powerful tool too.
00:56:10
VerMamas
So whether it's some days, don't if you're just swimming for myself, even like swimming and training, Sometimes I'll like lose track of what lap I'm on and I often will swim extra when I'm swimming because I'll just like lose, you know, have a whole train of thought.
00:56:24
VerMamas
And i think, right, anytime you're moving through nature can be both like meditative and is such a calming centering from when work can feel stressful and you have all these logistics in your life.
00:56:25
Viv
yeah
00:56:38
VerMamas
But to come back to that and spend time in nature and then put all these pieces together m I know for myself, like trail running and the open water swimming are two of my favorite activities. So for them to come together is just cool.
00:56:52
VerMamas
Yeah. I mean, feel like i was going to say something very similar. yeah Being outside is so grounding. And my work, I do like therapy with kids. And so we talk a lot about being outside and how regulating that is and moving your body. Yeah.
00:57:08
VerMamas
I feel like it's such a part of who I am and to be able to like do it in the world for me and also for my kids and for work. Like it just was really great to have that place for it.
00:57:20
VerMamas
Maybe swimrun is a version of play-based therapy. Pretty much. yeah I think we're going to therapy just every day. It's true. Yeah.
00:57:28
WILD ONEZ
I could agree with that.
00:57:30
VerMamas
Yeah, I know even we were swimming, I think at the pool there's someone who works in the same space as Amanda, you know, as a play-based therapist. And she looks to me, she's like, are you a therapist too? And i was like, no, but I'm a recipient of therapy. So this is safe space. I was like, we can, this is all, we can share a lane. Yeah, that is so true.
00:57:54
Viv
That's incredible. Yeah. Have you guys been able to kind of tie in some run with what you guys do every single day? it sounds like Amanda, you do it pretty well with the play therapy. Is that, I'm quoting that right? though
00:58:08
VerMamas
Yeah, play-based therapy, but yeah.
00:58:10
Viv
Play based therapy. Okay.
00:58:11
VerMamas
Or nature-based, or it depends on who it is, but yeah.
00:58:17
Viv
That's really cool. Fiona, what about you? Have you been able to kind of work in trail running or nature kind of in your everyday life with work or life or just in general?
00:58:27
VerMamas
Yeah, absolutely. In my life, I mean, we are such an active family. I mean, for I'm lucky for work, I primarily get to work from home. So I am typically do my workouts and everything like early in the morning or in the evening and such. But yeah my work is in a different space but yeah i'm able to you know if i need to still be wearing you know running shorts or something you know that's okay most days depending yeah yeah it definitely weaves into our lives and something that we can do you know with our kids and everything so that works out well
00:58:53
WILD ONEZ
Business on top, running to the top bottom.
00:58:56
Viv
I'm not.
00:58:56
WILD ONEZ
please
00:59:01
WILD ONEZ
That's awesome.
00:59:09
WILD ONEZ
What do you hope your kids take away from like seeing you both... swim run and train together and just spend so much time in nature.
00:59:21
WILD ONEZ
Like, what do you hope your kids are learning from all of like this example that you're leading from?
00:59:28
VerMamas
I don't say i think I mean, for me, I just think seeing your parents doing something.
00:59:31
Viv
you
00:59:35
VerMamas
I know I feel lucky to see have seen like my parents, you know, they would kind of alternate and do their workouts or do their runs and things like that. And so I feel lucky to have experienced that.
00:59:48
VerMamas
And so it does, it's something that I haven't really overthought not doing and just want for them. They're like, you know, my husband and I and also a logistics tip.
00:59:59
VerMamas
Like we alternate every other morning in our house of like whose morning it is to be with the kids and whose morning it is to, you can either work out or sleep in right? Your choice. But, and it's like, you know, what Early, early morning hours, right?
01:00:08
Viv
smart
01:00:11
VerMamas
Until your workday starts or, you know, school drop off starts. And yeah, I think just them, my kids are like, oh, is it is tomorrow morning your morning?
01:00:21
VerMamas
Are you going swimming? Are you swimming, running with Amanda? And like the swim run being in their vernacular and just not even thinking of like, oh, my parents are doing this. I think it'll then help be ingrained into how they live their life, you know, and having sport and nature a part of who they are.
01:00:40
WILD ONEZ
I love that. That's amazing.
01:00:42
VerMamas
think too the like ability to do hard things and be persistent for kids to see is so important and like especially working with kids too like we have in our society we give up on things really quick or we move on or you know scroll past or whatever it is we're just like moving on and to show kids that like you know it's gonna be hard and we're gonna have to try things out and figure them out and keep practicing and that people are going to beat us and we're going to beat people. And, you know, we can always keep working harder and training harder. I think for them to see that in real life is really motivating.
01:01:21
VerMamas
It keeps them excited about it. Yeah.
01:01:24
WILD ONEZ
That's awesome.
01:01:24
VerMamas
Definitely.
01:01:27
Viv
Do you guys have any advice for other moms or just people in general out there to pursue any huge athletic goals or just getting
Encouragement for Newcomers
01:01:38
Viv
into swim run? like Any advice you guys have?
01:01:42
VerMamas
think just find a friend, like someone who's going to get you out the door. i mean, i I did swim team when I was, I don't know, third grade. And then they were like, okay, now you have to do flip turns. I was like, bye, I'm out. Why not?
01:01:55
VerMamas
But yeah. Amanda, can you do flip turns now? can do flip turns. Yeah, she came back. And with paddles, for anyone who doesn't love swimming, with paddles and a pull buoy, like, I am a totally different swimmer.
01:02:09
VerMamas
It's amazing. Flip turns are easier. You can go so much further. So I am a strong advocate for paddles and a pull buoy. then, like, swimming, like, you're floating, you're moving faster.
01:02:20
VerMamas
Swimming's a whole different thing. Way more fun.
01:02:22
WILD ONEZ
I agree.
01:02:24
VerMamas
Yeah. Yeah. Totally.
01:02:29
Viv
That's amazing. Fiona, what advice do you have for anybody who's getting into it or moms or just in general?
01:02:35
VerMamas
I think just... you know, they say about lots of different things about like stacking the one brick at a time. And I am such a proponent for that of, I'm someone who is quite goal oriented and I don't mind if there's something like even for me when I couldn't run for so long, like I was doing ultra running before having kids and then not being able to run during like a lot of my pregnancy and for a long time afterwards and including until You know, after I finished breastfeeding, like there was such a long time, right, when you have the relaxant in your body. And I couldn't trail run without pain because of the uneven ground without having mean terrible pelvis pain. And but to know like my goal was still to get back to doing those long races and even.
01:03:25
VerMamas
To be honest, getting into swim run was a little bit of a bridge to that because i returned to swimming from also like swimming as a kid because I couldn't run. And I'm like, okay, I want to go back to running these long races again – and mixing in the swimming felt a lot more accessible and feeling okay with like, okay, maybe it won't be like five more years until I could run a hundred K again, but I'm going to do it.
01:03:51
VerMamas
And I haven't yet, but I'm going to do it. you know And just knowing that. And even if it's just like one hour long run at a time, right. You're just kind of stacking those bricks and I think for other people, it can feel overwhelming whether you're going to do your first 5K or swimming a mile for the first time is so daunting for people. it's like just swim one lap and take a rest on the other side.
01:04:14
VerMamas
Swim another one, take a rest on the other side. You're now doing a 25-yard workout, right? You just kind of keep doing it and not being afraid of that.
01:04:23
WILD ONEZ
That's great advice. I think that's huge. Just one, one little chunk at a time and build building those bricks and keep stacking them.
01:04:27
VerMamas
Yeah, chunking it off.
01:04:32
VerMamas
Yeah. Wow.
01:04:33
WILD ONEZ
Yeah. It's great advice.
01:04:36
Viv
I think people look at something like Worlds. I know what you guys are facing this year and like all of the races you guys have planned together with your mom too. People will look at these races know, oh my gosh, this is huge and massive. And I'm like, but you just you just ran a mile. Look at that.
01:04:54
Viv
You ran another mile. You just ran another one. It's incredible when you break it down instead of like, oh my gosh, I have to like 50 miles of this. Like what? And I think swim run organically just breaks it down in general because you have a swim.
01:05:09
Viv
You have a run. And they're not the same distance, but it's it's a chunk of the race at a time.
01:05:11
VerMamas
Yeah.
01:05:16
VerMamas
Yeah.
01:05:16
Viv
So I totally agree with that.
01:05:16
VerMamas
And you can have a snack on each one of them. You should. it is recommended have a snack on each one, right? You swim, you run and snack. You swim and you run and snack, right? It's just going through that cycle. Like, how bad could it be?
01:05:29
Viv
All about that snack time, man.
01:05:30
VerMamas
Yeah. Yeah.
01:05:31
Viv
Do you guys have...
01:05:32
VerMamas
Agreed.
01:05:32
WILD ONEZ
but it's called the FICO World Championship Race.
01:05:34
VerMamas
Oh, yeah. That's what we did say. We're like, we're here for it. We're here for it. For sure. Yeah.
01:05:40
Viv
Do you guys have a favorite trail snack or swim run snack?
01:05:42
VerMamas
I mean, the swimming suit. You mean one that's feasible, that fits in a swim run suit? Or do you mean, yeah. Swim and butt.
01:05:51
Viv
Maybe one that's a swim run snack and one that's a I will eat this on the trail.
01:05:58
VerMamas
My default was always peanut butter crackers. But fun fact is if you put them in your swim run suit, not all brands stay dry through the packaging.
01:06:03
WILD ONEZ
Okay.
01:06:08
VerMamas
And soggy peanut butter crackers are really awful. yeah So not recommended for swim run. I know.
01:06:14
Viv
Oh, no.
01:06:15
VerMamas
Amanda was really set on being like, I'm going to eat all solid food the whole race. was like, you can try it. You can try it.
01:06:21
Viv
Good luck. Yeah.
01:06:23
VerMamas
Yeah. I mean, I definitely think I was, you know, have tried all the different gels and things for me the last, like, since doing swim run, the precision fuel and hydration, like having theirs, their kind of neutral taste, even though it's still sweet.
01:06:37
Viv
yeah
01:06:38
VerMamas
Like i feel like i I can do those for a long time. You can eat them with regular frequency. I know. I'm like a gel robot, but I do like their chews lot.
01:06:50
VerMamas
So I prefer sometimes to just feel like you're eating something. However, in I recommend keeping them like close, like are in your sports bra or something because the water is often so cold.
01:06:54
Viv
I
01:07:01
VerMamas
the chews are, you know, so chewy and hard. And so we've had a couple times where I've been like running and choking. so what hold the the gels I feel are the way to go.
01:07:13
WILD ONEZ
That's what I worry about, honestly. That's why I've never tried those in a swimmer.
01:07:16
VerMamas
Yeah. Yeah. I've had them in like my back pocket and then I go to have them when we've been swimming in Vermont and they're so hard.
01:07:25
Viv
You're like, oh, I did want to defrost a little bit.
01:07:26
WILD ONEZ
Was it working?
01:07:28
VerMamas
Yeah, totally. But if you're doing a warm swim around, I'm sure, no problem.
01:07:33
Viv
Yeah.
01:07:33
VerMamas
yeah
01:07:35
Viv
Yeah, with the peanut butter crackers, Sarah and love Honey Stinger waffles. We now do them before races or after races. We don't do them during races because there was one race, I think it was Orcas our second time, there was this
01:07:45
VerMamas
Yeah.
01:07:47
WILD ONEZ
work close
01:07:49
Viv
It wasn't fully sealed. And we were also, we were like, we're going to have this waffle no matter what. The soggy waffle did not hit, but we ate it anyway.
01:07:55
VerMamas
Oh, no.
01:07:58
Viv
Yeah,
01:07:58
VerMamas
Oh, yuck. You need to write into their product quality team and say, not a good packaging seal. Yeah.
01:08:05
Viv
this is why.
01:08:07
WILD ONEZ
We definitely shared that soggy waffle though, and I will never again.
01:08:07
VerMamas
Yeah.
01:08:14
Viv
not...
01:08:14
WILD ONEZ
i know too much now.
01:08:17
VerMamas
yeah
01:08:18
WILD ONEZ
Too much.
01:08:19
Viv
I want to test it again. We're good.
01:08:21
WILD ONEZ
No.
01:08:25
Viv
Oh my gosh. Well, I mean, I'm just so excited. I'm going to keep talking about worlds because I'm just so excited for you guys. Like,
01:08:33
VerMamas
know we'll have to have a part two when we see you guys next to out catch up on worlds when we see at orcas, right?
01:08:36
WILD ONEZ
Yes.
01:08:39
VerMamas
I'll see there.
01:08:40
WILD ONEZ
Yeah.
01:08:40
Viv
yes, we will look with the whole debrief before and after. What does it, what does it mean to stand on that starting line and what's going to like, What's going to be your guys' motivation standing there after like putting in all this work?
Excitement for the World Championship
01:08:56
VerMamas
Orcas are at worlds. the
01:08:59
Viv
Oh, world.
01:09:00
VerMamas
her well yeah I mean, I think the motivation of yeah i like seeing the course.
01:09:02
Viv
Orcas too.
01:09:07
Viv
Definitely, definitely both for sure. But definitely, I mean, looking at worlds too.
01:09:09
VerMamas
Yeah.
01:09:12
VerMamas
I think with the time cutoffs, like there's definitely a motivation to go fast so you can see the whole course, right? Like you want to do as much of it as you can.
01:09:18
Viv
Thank
01:09:20
VerMamas
yeah See it all. I know. I'm just, I'm so excited for it. Like I, yeah, really looking forward to it. And also something that I find so interesting about swim run is the water.
01:09:34
VerMamas
i mean, of course there's different trails that are different, lots of places and and we've been lucky to get to travel different locations, but being in the water just feels so different, like whether you're swimming in different lakes or different oceans in different countries and places. And so just to see like, yeah, what it feels like and what the current's like and all of these factors about, there's something about being in the water where you really feel you can experience a place differently. And I'm, I'm just so excited to get in the water there. Yeah.
01:10:03
WILD ONEZ
Yeah. Oh, I love that. I feel the same way about any swim run race. It's such a fun way to experience that location. it's like a very intimate experience with the nature there that you can't really get anywhere else, like any way else, I guess.
01:10:19
VerMamas
Yeah, exactly.
01:10:19
WILD ONEZ
It's cool.
01:10:20
VerMamas
I feel like wherever we go, i always want to get in the water, wherever, as long as the water is wherever we travel, if it's clean, you know, then.
01:10:26
WILD ONEZ
Yeah. Did you really go there if you didn't swim?
01:10:28
VerMamas
want Yeah, yeah, exactly.
01:10:29
WILD ONEZ
Yeah.
01:10:30
VerMamas
Exactly.
01:10:31
Viv
Exactly, yeah. Did you touch all of the nature provided?
01:10:32
WILD ONEZ
enough
01:10:37
VerMamas
exactly
01:10:37
WILD ONEZ
That's so funny. Awesome. Well, do you guys have any other like last bit of like advice or nuggets that you want would like to share with people, I guess?
01:10:48
VerMamas
I think. I mean, we're really hoping to bring a swim run to Vermont, so we'll keep you posted, but maybe we can want our own category there.
01:10:55
WILD ONEZ
Yes.
01:10:57
VerMamas
Yeah. know we definitely highly estimateize it I think there has to at least be like a kids and or fun category. And maybe it' go like when I was in college, we had, i was on our club triathlon team and
01:11:05
WILD ONEZ
We'll be joining the fun.
01:11:11
VerMamas
While our team didn't win nationals in the traditional sense when I was on the team, we absolutely won spirit champs when I was on the team. So that was, you know, it was like team, you know, everyone had a team theme.
01:11:23
Viv
That's awesome.
01:11:27
VerMamas
We came head to toe in costume. So I feel like if there's a swim run category where you need to bring the flair, yeah, that would be, we can do that.
01:11:38
WILD ONEZ
I will definitely be signing up for that.
01:11:39
VerMamas
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
01:11:40
Viv
Yeah, let us please let us know when and where and we will be there.
01:11:44
VerMamas
We'll keep you posted.
01:11:46
WILD ONEZ
Awesome. Love that.
01:11:48
VerMamas
And go talk to Tom, you thought race director after this. Yeah, exactly. about those give some porn yeah exactly get some Give some tips.
01:11:57
Viv
I love that. Oh my gosh. Well, thank you guys so, so much coming.
01:12:01
VerMamas
thank you. for yeah yes Thank you guys so much. It's been so fun to get to know you guys a bit better. And I know I'm excited to get to see you guys in person at least twice this year.
01:12:11
VerMamas
so yeah.
01:12:13
WILD ONEZ
Yeah, we're so stoked.
01:12:15
VerMamas
Yeah. Thank you.
01:12:16
WILD ONEZ
Awesome. Cool. Well, thank you guys for joining. that is all for this week's episode. And we love you all. Bye.
01:12:25
VerMamas
Bye.