Transcript
WILD ONEZ: Hello, Virmamas, and welcome to the Wild Ones podcast.
Viv: Welcome, welcome.
VerMamas: Thanks for having us.
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.
Viv: And you guys are like two gems of humans.
VerMamas: Yeah.
Viv: Like, you guys are awesome. So welcome to the podcast officially.
WILD ONEZ: Yeah, I feel like when we were thinking up
VerMamas: Thank you.
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.
WILD ONEZ: so yeah, we're stoked.
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.
WILD ONEZ: Yeah.
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.
WILD ONEZ: Yeah.
Viv: Have you guys always lived in Vermont? kind of thing
WILD ONEZ: yeah
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.
Viv: Me too.
VerMamas: and then i finished college and was like, now what?
Viv: I love that.
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
Viv: Yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, that's so cool.
WILD ONEZ: That's great.
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.
Viv: That's so cool. I love that. So how many, how many kids do you guys each have?
VerMamas: have two. i have three.
Viv: Okay. Okay. How, how old are all of them?
VerMamas: Mine are two and a half and five and a half.
Viv: Yes. Age is wise.
WILD ONEZ: Fine. Fine.
VerMamas: So mine two and a half, four and a half, and six and a half.
Viv: I love that. Or do all of them like just hang out and become this huge group?
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.
VerMamas: they They all have so much fun together.
WILD ONEZ: Oh, I love that.
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.
VerMamas: Well, we live in Vermont.
WILD ONEZ: Yeah.
VerMamas: Yeah.
WILD ONEZ: yeah
Viv: Yeah.
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.
WILD ONEZ: yeah
Viv: Yeah.
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.
Viv: Yeah.
VerMamas: and And that's also how we we met at a postpartum like babies and yoga a class.
Viv: Oh, my gosh.
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.
WILD ONEZ: That's so fun. I love that. Who thought of that name?
VerMamas: I'm sure that was you. Yeah, I think so.
WILD ONEZ: Yes.
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?
VerMamas: And we we're like, OK, when we do one together, here's a potential name.
WILD ONEZ: That's awesome. I love that. And it's so fun and fitting. It's like, yeah, it's, I love it.
VerMamas: Yeah. yeah
WILD ONEZ: So genuine to who you guys are.
VerMamas: Yeah, yeah. So hopefully in a couple of years, you'll see the Vermunchkin team of our two oldest races.
WILD ONEZ: Yeah.
WILD ONEZ: Yeah.
Viv: Oh my gosh, please. Can we please get the Vermont skin?
VerMamas: Yeah.
Viv: Yeah.
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.
WILD ONEZ: Mm-hmm.
Viv: yeah
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,
Viv: Yeah.
VerMamas: they're ready they're ready yeah
Viv: Oh, nice.
WILD ONEZ: That is so fun. Are they training with you guys?
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
WILD ONEZ: Yeah.
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.
WILD ONEZ: I bet he loves that.
VerMamas: Yeah.
Viv: That's awesome.
VerMamas: Yeah.
WILD ONEZ: That is so fun.
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.
VerMamas: Yeah. yeah exactly That's what I need.
Viv: You'll be good.
WILD ONEZ: but's
Viv: You'll good. You get your snacks.
VerMamas: he doesn't eat all my snacks. Yeah.
Viv: Like your snacks and mom snacks.
VerMamas: Yeah, I think that's such a good idea.
Viv: We're good.
VerMamas: Yeah, better
WILD ONEZ: Yeah, you have a moving aid station. and You can go forever.
VerMamas: yeah
VerMamas: for swim run, are there rules on not having a like crew or people mewling? 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...
Viv: I don't know.
WILD ONEZ: Yeah.
Viv: I think we can make some modifications.
WILD ONEZ: At least for training.
VerMamas: Yeah, yeah.
Viv: yeah We know we are some people. We can do that.
VerMamas: Right.
Viv: Absolutely.
VerMamas: If they're little enough and cute enough, I think it'd be fine.
WILD ONEZ: but of
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.
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
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.
WILD ONEZ: It's so easy to fall in love with endurance sports in Colorado.
VerMamas: Yeah, I mean, exactly. exactly. exactly
Viv: Amanda, how did you get into endurance sports, let alone swim run?
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.
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.
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.
VerMamas: a
WILD ONEZ: It is funny.
VerMamas: Yeah.
WILD ONEZ: That's most people's assumption with swim run is you're taking your shoes off in between your swimming.
VerMamas: Right. Yeah.
Viv: Yeah.
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.
VerMamas: i was like, I'm really going to get my feet torn up or my heels. And
Viv: Yeah.
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.
VerMamas: I'm like, this doesn't fully compute and for me, but it's a miracle.
Viv: Yeah.
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.
WILD ONEZ: Yeah.
VerMamas: If you have them, start with that. Whatever regular socks you wear start there, right?
Viv: Yeah.
WILD ONEZ: Start there and don't fix what's broken if it's working while trail running.
VerMamas: Yeah, 100%.
WILD ONEZ: Yeah.
VerMamas: Yeah. Yeah.
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.
VerMamas: Yeah.
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.
Viv: Yeah.
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.
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.
VerMamas: exactly. So anyone who's listening who hasn't tried it, hopefully this has debunked your concern.
Viv: That's amazing.
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.
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
WILD ONEZ: You do
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.
WILD ONEZ: What was that? Was that as shocking to you as?
VerMamas: No.
WILD ONEZ: no. oh
VerMamas: It was cold. There was no like... is called the
Viv: Sarah was like, text me and she like, I'm unwell.
VerMamas: there is no like
Viv: Like, I'm cold.
WILD ONEZ: I had a brain freeze.
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,
WILD ONEZ: Game changer.
Viv: Yeah.
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.
VerMamas: Yeah. Yeah.
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.
WILD ONEZ: And like today we went to the South Springs and I rolled around in the snow.
Viv: Yeah.
WILD ONEZ: i was like...
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...
VerMamas: Yeah, you just kind of get used to it.
WILD ONEZ: Yeah, I love that. It's that's such a useful tool to have when entering swimrun too.
VerMamas: Yeah.
WILD ONEZ: You're just like, I got this.
VerMamas: Yeah.
WILD ONEZ: I'm used to cold water. Nothing new.
VerMamas: Well, yeah. Mind over matter. Yeah.
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
VerMamas: yeah
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
VerMamas: a Yeah.
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.
Viv: You guys come visit, we'll just do a little swap.
VerMamas: Yeah, it's great.
Viv: Yeah, right.
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.
VerMamas: So they're comfortable.
Viv: Yeah.
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.
VerMamas: So it just, yeah, yeah, changes.
Viv: getting it going. Yeah. Like, oh, this is different.
VerMamas: Yeah.
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.
VerMamas: Yeah. Yeah.
WILD ONEZ: We better get ready for that come September here.
Viv: I, yeah, I'm going to have to do a lot more cold plunges.
VerMamas: Yeah, you have to come visit.
Viv: I'll come i'll go up north for a little bit.
VerMamas: Come here. Yeah. Yeah.
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.
VerMamas: Cool.
Viv: I almost went to UVM actually in Burlington and I was very close, but was like, oh, no, maybe not.
VerMamas: okay
Viv: I don't know.
VerMamas: yeah
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
VerMamas: Yeah, definitely.
WILD ONEZ: Thank you.
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.
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.
Viv: That's really cool.
VerMamas: Yeah.
Viv: I love that.
WILD ONEZ: Amazing.
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 officially?
VerMamas: Three. Three.
Viv: Okay.
WILD ONEZ: amazing
Viv: How many, how many do you guys have this year together?
VerMamas: that's a good question. We haven't, yeah. At least four, right? Yeah, yeah. So, yeah, at least four. Yeah.
Viv: Okay, which races are you guys doing together? Nice.
VerMamas: So we're doing orcas. Yeah.
WILD ONEZ: Yaaay! yay
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.
VerMamas: So that'll be the second Gothenburg and then Casco. Casco. And then worlds. Yeah. Yeah. why Yeah.
Viv: That is incredible. All awesome races. I'm so excited for y'all.
VerMamas: We're pretty excited.
WILD ONEZ: What race are you doing with your mom?
VerMamas: There's it's Seneca Lake, so it's in the Finger Lakes.
WILD ONEZ: That's right.
VerMamas: and Well, you know what?
Viv: My stickers!
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.
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?
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.
Viv: TV TV.
WILD ONEZ: was so fun. Yes.
VerMamas: Yeah, yeah.
Viv: I love that. Oh, it's such a small world. I love this.
VerMamas: you guys Are you guys doing that race too? Yeah.
WILD ONEZ: I wish I'll be out of town for for it.
VerMamas: yeah
WILD ONEZ: So, well, i guess that race is out of my town, but I'll be on a family vacation.
Viv: It's different.
VerMamas: Yeah, yeah.
Viv: Different out of town, not New York out of town.
Viv: Yeah, wellll we'll see you guys at Orcas.
WILD ONEZ: But yeah, it sounds like it's gonna be amazing. Mm-hmm.
Viv: We're very excited for that.
VerMamas: Yeah, we're excited.
WILD ONEZ: Yeah.
VerMamas: Yeah. I know, it's coming right up.
Viv: it's It's a fun race.
VerMamas: Yeah.
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.
WILD ONEZ: Mm-hmm.
VerMamas: Oh, wow.
WILD ONEZ: Two or three years, yeah.
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.
WILD ONEZ: Yes.
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?
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.
WILD ONEZ: yeah as that is yeah
Viv: Yes, yeah, that be guaranteed. You will get cold water.
VerMamas: It will be cold, air temperature, right? But that absolutely impacts, yeah, how you feel about the cold water. Yeah.
Viv: Just get moving, you're fine. this Once you get out, just start dancing like...
VerMamas: Yeah, yeah, exactly.
WILD ONEZ: can guarantee there will be great views and gorgeous trees to look at no matter the weather it's
VerMamas: Yeah, exactly.
Viv: If you see Sarah on the course, just ask her if she'll climb that tree.
WILD ONEZ: it's
Viv: Just take a tree, just random tree. Just say, will you climb it?
VerMamas: Yeah.
Viv: She actually might, we might stop it.
VerMamas: Yeah.
Viv: We might stop the race and so she can climb the tree.
VerMamas: Yeah.
WILD ONEZ: It's
VerMamas: That sounds amazing. I definitely will ask you. Yeah. of
Viv: make the forest be like Lars just comes out of the forest.
WILD ONEZ: not.
Viv: He's like, what are you guys doing? We dare Sarah to climb this tree. Don't worry about it. We got it.
VerMamas: I know you can you can have extra points, style points.
Viv: All under control.
VerMamas: Like if you do the cliff jump, maybe if you climb certain trees.
WILD ONEZ: Yes.
VerMamas: I think there should be a style points category.
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.
VerMamas: Okay. yeah amazing.
WILD ONEZ: instant honor
VerMamas: Okay.
Viv: I can do it.
WILD ONEZ: yeah The shakeout. We did it at the shakeout last year.
VerMamas: Okay.
WILD ONEZ: It was so fun.
Viv: Yeah.
WILD ONEZ: Yeah.
Viv: I don't know if I'd recommend it on a race day, but shake out.
WILD ONEZ: or not
VerMamas: We'll
WILD ONEZ: Yeah.
VerMamas: have make sure we get there time.
WILD ONEZ: Yeah. It is so much fun. It's great to see that part of the course as well. Definitely.
VerMamas: Very cool.
WILD ONEZ: It was fun shakeout to to go to. They're all great, but that one's my favorite, I think.
VerMamas: We
VerMamas: can add it.
WILD ONEZ: hey
VerMamas: Free climbing with the kids before we go. yeah
Viv: Right, here you go.
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
Viv: Memories or good things, bad things, things that have taught you something.
WILD ONEZ: yeah
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.
Viv: Oh, I will second that one.
VerMamas: yeah
Viv: That one was hard.
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.
VerMamas: So, you know, right Whistler was our first one.
Viv: Yeah.
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...
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.
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.
Viv: Wow.
VerMamas: Yeah, that got connected. and so for us who are like running is definitely more of our strength than swimming.
Viv: Oh.
VerMamas: So we're like, this is great.
Viv: OK.
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
Viv: Just kidding.
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.
Viv: Yeah.
VerMamas: It was like an 11 mile run or a 14 mile run, or maybe that's maybe people think things were wrong.
Viv: Yeah, right.
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.
VerMamas: Well,
WILD ONEZ: yeah that course is killer swim course in Colorado for sure
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?
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.
VerMamas: Yeah.
Viv: We're not done. And all the rocks look the same. And we're not there yet. Like, where are we?
VerMamas: Yeah. Yeah.
Viv: And I was like, that was like close, like maybe a 3K right there. Like, like there should have been much shorter.
VerMamas: yeah
WILD ONEZ: Yeah. bye
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.
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.
WILD ONEZ: Yeah.
VerMamas: Just being ready for whether swims are going to flex or fuel,
WILD ONEZ: if
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.
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.
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.
Viv: Smart, yeah.
Viv: Oh
VerMamas: yeah
WILD ONEZ: That can be scary for sure.
VerMamas: Yeah.
WILD ONEZ: Yeah.
Viv: my gosh.
WILD ONEZ: of Cool.
Viv: That's wild.
WILD ONEZ: Okay. So exciting things coming this September for you guys. How did qualifying for Worlds happen for you?
VerMamas: One race at a time. what Yeah, you
Viv: Yeah.
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.
Viv: yeah
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.
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.
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.
Viv: Yeah.
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.
VerMamas: Yeah.
WILD ONEZ: Oh, yeah.
VerMamas: je and Yeah.
Viv: Yeah, definitely.
WILD ONEZ: Yeah.
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.
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.
Viv: Yeah.
VerMamas: Amanda's like, I mean, twist my arm. Like, yeah. That sounds good. okay
Viv: Say less.
VerMamas: Yeah.
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?
VerMamas: Yes.
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.
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.
WILD ONEZ: That's a really good rule of thumb. Yeah.
VerMamas: Yeah, yeah.
WILD ONEZ: Yeah.
VerMamas: Yeah.
WILD ONEZ: yeah
Viv: Yeah, we've both ran into that before.
VerMamas: Yeah. Yeah.
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.
VerMamas: Oh, cool.
VerMamas: Enjoy.
WILD ONEZ: So that's that's a good thing to learn early on.
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.
Viv: Oh, absolutely.
VerMamas: Yeah.
WILD ONEZ: Yes.
Viv: Yes.
WILD ONEZ: Yeah.
Viv: Oh, I'm very excited.
WILD ONEZ: 100%.
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.
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.
VerMamas: Yeah.
VerMamas: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
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.
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
VerMamas: Yeah.
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.
WILD ONEZ: who
VerMamas: I feel like is when it kind of all started coming together. Yeah. Felt real. Yeah.
WILD ONEZ: a The countdown begins. it was It's like it's six months away now, which is crazy.
VerMamas: Wow.
WILD ONEZ: are you are you guys traveling with family for this race?
VerMamas: Yeah.
WILD ONEZ: Are you making?
VerMamas: Yeah. This race, well, I don't know.
WILD ONEZ: No. Yeah.
VerMamas: With our kids being so little, it just doesn't feel like a little kid spectator friendly thing.
WILD ONEZ: Yeah.
VerMamas: Like all my kids on a boat. they
WILD ONEZ: Yeah.
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.
WILD ONEZ: Logistically, it's hard.
VerMamas: yeah if
WILD ONEZ: Yeah.
Viv: Yeah.
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.
Viv: Yeah.
VerMamas: But yeah, agreed.
WILD ONEZ: Are they going to...
Viv: Definitely.
WILD ONEZ: Okay.
VerMamas: Still TBD on the details for who I'll, I mean, we're definitely, we're going.
Viv: Okay.
WILD ONEZ: Okay.
Viv: Yeah, you're here.
VerMamas: out so And then the rest of it is just many summer logistics going into it.
WILD ONEZ: Yeah.
VerMamas: But yeah, we'll see.
WILD ONEZ: Yeah.
VerMamas: We'll see which ones we'll be at this year.
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.
VerMamas: that
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.
WILD ONEZ: That was great.
WILD ONEZ: Yeah.
Viv: That was really cool. Sarah's like,
Viv: I'm like, it's incredible.
VerMamas: Yeah.
VerMamas: so
Viv: It's so fun. Again, such a small world.
WILD ONEZ: I was just
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.
VerMamas: So it was really cool. We know so many of the same people and a lot of crossover.
WILD ONEZ: is just I was just gonna ask Fiona did uh Rob Howard make you do it first one month
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.
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.
WILD ONEZ: Yeah.
VerMamas: i was like, Rob, I can't stop smiling right now.
WILD ONEZ: Mm-hmm.
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.
Viv: Yeah.
VerMamas: And he definitely has that personality about him that's infectious.
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.
VerMamas: Yeah.
VerMamas: Yeah.
VerMamas: Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely.
WILD ONEZ: Cool.
Viv: Yeah, the Rob made me do it. We really just didn't make that our artificial sticker because
VerMamas: Yeah, you should definitely get Everyone's trying to stick right that says it.
Viv: it he
VerMamas: Yeah.
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
VerMamas: Yeah.
VerMamas: Yeah.
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?
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.
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.
VerMamas: So I feel like...
WILD ONEZ: Yeah.
Viv: Woo-hoo.
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.
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.
Viv: That's wild. I mean, that's wild. That's really cool. I it's
WILD ONEZ: if
VerMamas: but
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
Viv: Thank you.
VerMamas: Cause that was my, way of communication. and right then learned about it more through there. And then Helene has been, yeah, amazing.
VerMamas: Yeah.
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
VerMamas: Yeah.
VerMamas: Yeah.
WILD ONEZ: Just, it's incredible.
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.
Viv: You guys actually are like, guys are killing the Instagram. I gotta have to say that. The Vermamas Instagram is really good.
VerMamas: so
Viv: You guys couldn't, you wouldn't be able to tell.
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.
WILD ONEZ: Yeah.
VerMamas: We did some. We needed some tips. We've been Googling. We're like only stories.
Viv: Oh.
VerMamas: I'm like, what's a
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.
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.
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?
WILD ONEZ: What is going on?
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.
WILD ONEZ: It
Viv: Yeah.
VerMamas: We were, yeah, we're like, I don't know. That's so funny. Yeah.
WILD ONEZ: it is, yeah, same.
VerMamas: Yeah. Yeah. yes okay
Viv: either way, everybody is feeling the Instagram game. i'm very proud of you guys.
VerMamas: yeah my
VerMamas: you can
WILD ONEZ: It is, yeah, yeah.
Viv: does it feel kind of being, I mean, being connected on Instagram, but also wild, but just seeing how much
VerMamas: Yeah.
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?
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...
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.
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.
Viv: You
VerMamas: And, like, anyone we see, we're like, hey, do you swim? Like, you run? mean, yeah we had so many converts.
WILD ONEZ: Let's combine the two.
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.
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.
WILD ONEZ: I love that about swimrun.
VerMamas: Yeah. yeah Yeah, it's so fun.
WILD ONEZ: Yeah, it really feels like a community unlike any other I've been a part of before.
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?
WILD ONEZ: Mm-hmm.
VerMamas: They have competed for their national teams in different sports.
WILD ONEZ: yes
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.
WILD ONEZ: e
VerMamas: Like, it's ridiculous and so fun.
WILD ONEZ: Yes, and like running running with a swim cap on and a wetsuit also, I mean,
VerMamas: like i mean, for it, but let's be honest. Yeah.
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
Viv: Yeah, just pile it on.
WILD ONEZ: I love
WILD ONEZ: it.
Viv: No, but have you heard of swimwright? You should come with us.
VerMamas: yeah no but then literally that's what we do literally
WILD ONEZ: <unk>
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
Viv: See?
WILD ONEZ: And this is how we organically grow the sport of swimrun.
VerMamas: Yeah. Yeah.
WILD ONEZ: think
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.
WILD ONEZ: It's been so fun to see you guys.
Viv: like just in case. Just in case.
VerMamas: Yeah.
WILD ONEZ: Yeah, yeah it's it's been really fun to see your guys' is like training and stuff on Instagram though recently.
VerMamas: yeah
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
VerMamas: kind of good.
Viv: Yeah.
VerMamas: Yeah.
VerMamas: Yeah. well
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.
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.
VerMamas: You can't really chit chat while you're swimming.
Viv: Yeah.
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.
VerMamas: Yeah, yeah, exactly.
Viv: Oh yeah, a noodle.
VerMamas: I think we do good. And still have a flotation device. so
VerMamas: We need a new category. But that's fun that you get to do it.
WILD ONEZ: It's noodles.
VerMamas: Noodles, yes. So we need to have like also something with style points and lots of flotation to help us win.
WILD ONEZ: New categories.
VerMamas: Yeah, I think we'd pursue in like the alternative versions.
Viv: We can make that happen.
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.
VerMamas: and like We're trying to I mean, we to revert.
WILD ONEZ: Again, swimming with shoes.
VerMamas: Yeah, yeah. We're like, come on now. Come on.
WILD ONEZ: thank
VerMamas: was trying to do
Viv: I still want get the ducky flotation, you know, it the like little rubber duck one that sits in the front.
VerMamas: Oh, yeah. that would be We have that for communication devices between the both of us for, like, kid ones.
Viv: I want to get one of those.
VerMamas: Yeah.
Viv: Perfect.
WILD ONEZ: position
Viv: I'll bring that to the next shakeout.
VerMamas: Yeah. For sure. Okay.
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?
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.
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.
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.
Viv: yeah
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.
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.
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.
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.
WILD ONEZ: I could agree with that.
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.
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
VerMamas: Yeah, play-based therapy, but yeah.
Viv: Play based therapy. Okay.
VerMamas: Or nature-based, or it depends on who it is, but yeah.
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?
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
WILD ONEZ: Business on top, running to the top bottom.
Viv: I'm not.
WILD ONEZ: please
WILD ONEZ: That's awesome.
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.
WILD ONEZ: Like, what do you hope your kids are learning from all of like this example that you're leading from?
VerMamas: I don't say i think I mean, for me, I just think seeing your parents doing something.
Viv: you
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.
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.
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?
Viv: smart
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?
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.
WILD ONEZ: I love that. That's amazing.
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.
VerMamas: It keeps them excited about it. Yeah.
WILD ONEZ: That's awesome.
VerMamas: Definitely.
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 into swim run? like Any advice you guys have?
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?
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.
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.
VerMamas: Swimming's a whole different thing. Way more fun.
WILD ONEZ: I agree.
VerMamas: Yeah. Yeah. Totally.
Viv: That's amazing. Fiona, what advice do you have for anybody who's getting into it or moms or just in general?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
VerMamas: Yeah, chunking it off.
VerMamas: Yeah. Wow.
WILD ONEZ: Yeah. It's great advice.
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.
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.
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.
VerMamas: Yeah.
VerMamas: Yeah.
Viv: So I totally agree with that.
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?
Viv: All about that snack time, man.
VerMamas: Yeah. Yeah.
Viv: Do you guys have...
VerMamas: Agreed.
WILD ONEZ: but it's called the FICO World Championship Race.
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.
Viv: Do you guys have a favorite trail snack or swim run snack?
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.
Viv: Maybe one that's a swim run snack and one that's a I will eat this on the trail.
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.
WILD ONEZ: Okay.
VerMamas: And soggy peanut butter crackers are really awful. yeah So not recommended for swim run. I know.
Viv: Oh, no.
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.
Viv: Good luck. Yeah.
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.
Viv: yeah
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.
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.
Viv: I
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.
WILD ONEZ: That's what I worry about, honestly. That's why I've never tried those in a swimmer.
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.
Viv: You're like, oh, I did want to defrost a little bit.
WILD ONEZ: Was it working?
VerMamas: Yeah, totally. But if you're doing a warm swim around, I'm sure, no problem.
Viv: Yeah.
VerMamas: yeah
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
VerMamas: Yeah.
WILD ONEZ: work close
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.
VerMamas: Oh, no.
Viv: Yeah,
VerMamas: Oh, yuck. You need to write into their product quality team and say, not a good packaging seal. Yeah.
Viv: this is why.
WILD ONEZ: We definitely shared that soggy waffle though, and I will never again.
VerMamas: Yeah.
Viv: not...
WILD ONEZ: i know too much now.
VerMamas: yeah
WILD ONEZ: Too much.
Viv: I want to test it again. We're good.
WILD ONEZ: No.
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,
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?
WILD ONEZ: Yes.
VerMamas: I'll see there.
WILD ONEZ: Yeah.
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?
VerMamas: Orcas are at worlds. the
Viv: Oh, world.
VerMamas: her well yeah I mean, I think the motivation of yeah i like seeing the course.
Viv: Orcas too.
Viv: Definitely, definitely both for sure. But definitely, I mean, looking at worlds too.
VerMamas: Yeah.
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.
Viv: Thank
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.
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.
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.
VerMamas: Yeah, exactly.
WILD ONEZ: It's cool.
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.
WILD ONEZ: Yeah. Did you really go there if you didn't swim?
VerMamas: want Yeah, yeah, exactly.
WILD ONEZ: Yeah.
VerMamas: Exactly.
Viv: Exactly, yeah. Did you touch all of the nature provided?
WILD ONEZ: enough
VerMamas: exactly
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?
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.
WILD ONEZ: Yes.
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
WILD ONEZ: We'll be joining the fun.
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.
Viv: That's awesome.
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.
WILD ONEZ: I will definitely be signing up for that.
VerMamas: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Viv: Yeah, let us please let us know when and where and we will be there.
VerMamas: We'll keep you posted.
WILD ONEZ: Awesome. Love that.
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.
Viv: I love that. Oh my gosh. Well, thank you guys so, so much coming.
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.
VerMamas: so yeah.
WILD ONEZ: Yeah, we're so stoked.
VerMamas: Yeah. Thank you.
WILD ONEZ: Awesome. Cool. Well, thank you guys for joining. that is all for this week's episode. And we love you all. Bye.
VerMamas: Bye.
