037: Fuel, Finish, Repeat – Inside the World of Endurance Sports

What really happens when you sign up for race after race, year after year?  Endurance athlete Christina Balcer takes us behind the scenes of long-distance running, cycling, and the ultimate test—Ironman. From wild mid-race snack stories to the biggest myths about endurance sports, she keeps it real. We dig into the mental grind, the sting of setbacks, and the reality of post-race blues. Whether you’re a seasoned athlete or just endurance-curious, this episode is packed with laughs and perspective. 

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Chapters

• 05:12 - Christina's Marathon Madness
• 10:45 - Ironman: The Ultimate Test
• 15:30 - Snack Like a Pro Athlete
• 20:50 - Setbacks: The Plot Twists
• 25:15 - Mind Games: No Music Allowed
• 30:40 - Post-Race Blues: The Hangover
• 35:05 - Team Spirit: More Than Pom-Poms
• 40:30 - Life Lessons: Beyond the Finish Line
• 45:00 - Inspiring Others: The Ripple Effect

Transcript

Speaker 3 (00:00.014)
Christina, important question. This summer, we were comparing toenails. Has yours grown back? Because mine has not.

Ugh! Don't ever keep your feet away! That is bad!

Teryn can walk away for one minute. Do you have your toenail back? Yes or no?

Ambre, it's gotten worse. I'm not gonna lie. Erin, yeah, I'll show you tomorrow. No free feet pics here, but... So I went for a five mile run two weeks ago and I get back and I'm like, gosh, my toenails really hurt, like my big toes. And I'm like, this isn't always a thing. I go home, I take my toenail polish off and I'm like, that doesn't look...

Can I say tomorrow?

Speaker 2 (00:43.136)
normal. Like something is going on there. Like they hurt and they don't look right.

They're goners.

Have you ever wondered why people get so hyped about their favorite sports teams? Well, it turns out it's not just about the game. It's about the community. My name is Teryn.

And I'm Ambre. Welcome to Almost Fans, the sports podcast that's fun, a little bit educational, and will give you plenty to say when you're trying to keep up with those diehard sports fans in your life.

Speaker 1 (01:16.554)
All right, welcome back to Almost Fans. Today we're lacing up for a conversation all about long distance running and endurance sports. The grit, the glory, and honestly, a little bit of crazy it takes to keep signing up for race after race. And we couldn't think of a better guest to join us than our friend and colleague.

Christina Balser, we may call her Stina at some point. Christina is the definition of an endurance athlete. She's tackled running, cycling, and swimming events, including the big one, the Ironman. She's also an avid concert goer, a huge Swifty, a doodle mom to donut, and fun fact, she's never had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich ever, ever. She's crazy. But we're diving into everything from.

the mental side of training to mid-race snack choices, handling setbacks and what community means when you're chasing challenges this big. brings both the athlete's perspective and a whole lot of honesty about what it's really like to live this crazy, in my opinion, lifestyle. So with that, thank you so much for joining us today, Christina. We're so, so glad to have you.

Wow, thank you. That was quite the introduction and thanks for having me. I've told you this before, but I feel so honored to be on the podcast. You guys are doing something awesome job. So thank you for having me.

We love a good intro and you deserve every bit of it. Christina, do you remember the first endurance event you ever signed up for and why did you want to do that? What motivated you?

Speaker 3 (02:54.189)
Bye!

Speaker 2 (02:58.245)
Yeah, so my freshman year of college, I decided I was going to run a marathon. And my dad had done the Chicago Marathon when I was in high school. And my older sister had completed a marathon or two at that time. And I was feeling quite inspired. So that made me just want to dive in headfirst. I'd never done a half marathon. I was like, I'm just doing the full thing. So.

just signed up and then in the fall of 2010, I completed my first marathon. So I think on the other end, as you mentioned, I've done Ironman and my husband and I used to go downtown and watch and we would say like, someday we wanna do that. So eventually we're like, let's just stop saying someday, sign up for it. And we just signed up. He couldn't even swim across the pool, but we're like, we're gonna do Ironman.

So we bought bikes, we got a coach, and then completed our first Ironman in 2019.

Christina, you were, you played soccer in college, right?

I did not. played all throughout high school and then I played casually. did some like intermurals in college. Yeah.

Speaker 3 (04:13.166)
Yeah, yeah. So you were like an athlete. were, mean, soccer, that's endurance. You were already sort of endurance athlete even before hopping into marathons and whatnot.

Yeah, that's a great point. I think I ran my first 10K when I was in elementary school or middle school even. And I was a cross country runner throughout high school as well. So it's always kind of been in my blood.

It's actually incredibly difficult for me to picture like you and Sam standing on the sidelines of an Ironman and not being in the race or at least having one coming up or having just completed one. That's so hard to imagine the two of you as not endurance athletes. It's such a, I think, big part of the two of you for so long.

Yeah, and it's funny, a lot of people don't know this part of us, but when we first started dating, we were both really into weightlifting. So we were like in our meathead phase of going to the gym, making sure we're crushing 140, 180 grams of protein a day. And so when we're sitting there watching Iron Man, I only really knew, you know, cross country running, the marathon that I had done.

But I was all into the weightlifting at the time. So it was a total change of events.

Speaker 3 (05:32.686)
Yeah, I love that. Okay, so speaking of Ironman, when you tell people you've done an Ironman or they spy, I think you the tattoo on your calf, On your arm, your tricep, yeah? So if they spy the tattoo or it happens to come up in a conversation, what's the reaction you usually get from people?

my arm.

Yep.

Speaker 2 (05:54.958)
People are always surprised and shocked, but then they'll ask, what does that all entail? Like they know it's this really big event, but it isn't until you explain to them, oh, it's, you know, 2.4 miles swim and then 112 mile bike and a 26.2 mile run after that, that they're really shocked. So truthfully, that's how I felt about it before I had done one, even going downtown and

Madison and watching the Iron Man I knew it was a long long day because we'd go watch the run in the evening and it's getting dark out and people are finishing but it wasn't really until I sat down and was like okay this is like a day and a half to two days of of work like you sit at your desk for eight hours and this Iron Man is taking people

you have 17 hours to complete it. So it was really hard to kind of fathom that you could be doing this endurance event for a day and a half of work.

Yeah, that is actually mind blowing. Like I never have, I also don't know that I even realized how long it took to finish it. I mean, I would never, I would never have that kind of time. I think I know, I think I know myself. I had some friends in college who really wanted me to do this. I think it was a half marathon with them.

of it that way.

Speaker 1 (07:26.67)
And they trained and trained and they were like, come on. They were literally my roommates. They're like, we're all here. Just, let's just go with this run together. And I was like, no, you guys, I know myself. I do not want to do that. I do not want to do that, but they all did it. So I was like, I'll be there cheering you on.

That's an important role. Christina, what's your best time ever on an Ironman?

I should know this off the top of my head. So I've done it three times. I did it in 2019, 2021, and 2024. So 2021 was my best and it was, I believe it was slightly under 1230. So somewhere between 1215 and 1230, somewhere in there.

That's amazing.

That's the.

Speaker 2 (08:12.174)
Thank you.

I think about the food and the amount, like, cause you just said, right? That's an entire day. Like you think about you eat three meals in a day, but you're just like doing exercise that whole time. like, how do you fuel yourself before? And what are some of the things that you're eating during the race?

That's a great question. I feel like it's something that I took a long time for me to figure out exactly what works for me. So it is so different for everybody. mean, before a long bike ride, I like to eat three waffles or an English muffin with some jelly on it. And then there's other people who are eating giant bowls of cereal or oatmeal or everyone just kind of has their own thing that works for them.

You know, it's kind of weird. You're, you're eating a lot of gels throughout the day or you have nutrition in your water bottles, so powdered substances with carbs and electrolytes and you're, you're kind of just putting in as many calories as you can to keep yourself going throughout the day. So it's not really a, a normal breakfast, lunch and dinner. It's a little chaotic and you're just trying to eat whatever you can, but yeah, it's, really all over the place for everybody.

You know, I know you wouldn't stop and eat a peanut butter and jelly, that feels like a good option to like for someone.

Speaker 2 (09:34.044)
Yeah, people.

Yes, people love the Uncrustables.

Okay, I need to go back to the peanut butter and jelly. I think we've talked about this before, but it's been a couple of years maybe. Is it just that you don't like peanut butter and jellies or you just like never? She doesn't like them.

know if she does or doesn't.

I can't say that I don't like it because I've never had it. So, yeah, my mom always made my sister peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and I did not like the smell. So she would just make me a peanut butter sandwich. So I like peanut butter. I like jelly. The two together just the smell is off putting to me. So I just avoid it. When I started that truck travel after my first week,

Speaker 1 (09:58.862)
Just a bit.

Speaker 2 (10:22.54)
my welcome happy hour was a peanut butter and jelly bar. So build your own peanut butter and jelly. And everyone was trying to get me to eat one. And I was like, you know what? I can't do it because at this point in my life, that's my fun fact. When everyone's like, how many fun facts about you? I'm like, I've never had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. So I can't, I probably would like it, but I can't break that streak now.

She's doing it for the best.

It's just on principle alone.

Exactly.

Speaker 1 (10:56.898)
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Speaker 3 (11:45.91)
Okay, Christina, what does a typical training week look like when you're preparing for something as big as an Ironman? Let's say it's four weeks out. So you're in, I think probably your heaviest training moment. What does it like? What's that look like? What are you eating? How much? How much are you riding and swimming and running? What does it look like? And resting and recovering too.

Yeah, so I would say you're probably training around five to six days a week, sometimes two times a day. So you're waking up before dawn to get your swim in, you're going to work for a full day, and then you're going to have an hour run or a longer medium length ride after work. So you could be doing two times a day even during the work week.

Weekends are typically the longer training days. So that for me would include a longer ride on a Saturday followed by a run right off the bike and then go to Sunday and you have a long run and maybe a recovery swim afterwards. you know, during, like I said, during the work week, it's typically a few hours each day. And then on Saturdays, you're looking at seven to eight hours of training.

And some days are typically around three to four. So it gets to be very, very time consuming in those four weeks leading up to the race.

You've got those leg bag things. Like cooling.

Speaker 2 (13:25.314)
Well, they're like recovery boots. Yeah. So great question. So they're like, to know a massage for your legs, but it's just air compression. So it helps. It helps with your recovery, which is obviously so important when you have, you know, eight hours of riding your bike on Saturday and then you're

What do they do?

Speaker 2 (13:51.062)
running afterwards and then you have to get up and run four hours on Sunday. Your legs don't have that quick of a turnover. So it's definitely not something that is necessary, but it really has helped me a lot.

They have those for like your whole body. Like, you can just dive into one. Just from me, just from like normal day stuff.

They make them for your legs. Like, I don't know necessarily full body, but you can get pretty close.

Tara needs a snowsuit.

I just want to see what happens. Can it make me like even stronger? It'd make me super mom, I think.

Speaker 2 (14:28.63)
In my debate.

Thank

Try that. We don't need that. Okay. So for people who like myself, I feel like I might say this 18 more times, not me. People who aren't endurance athletes, what's a common myth or misconception about what you do?

Okay, I have two things that come to mind. So one is people are surprised that you don't need to complete the exact distances before the event. I before my first Ironman, I was like, there is no way I can do this. I have never swim to 2.4 miles at one time. I have not rode 112 miles at one time. And I've done marathons before that, but

never after all of that before. So I was not confident I could do it. My coach was like, just trust the process. You've done the work, you're going to be fine. And I did and it was just wonderful.

Speaker 1 (15:30.99)
It's pure adrenaline that makes you get through it.

It's just a combination of everything. like you, I've done a hundred mile ride and then I'm running four hours the next day. Like it's, it's the pure volume. And you know, I, like I said, I had a coach for my first two, thankfully, cause I would not have done it without having him as my coach and he was wonderful. But, you really do just have to trust that guidance and understand like,

you're going to be just fine. Just follow the plan and you're going to get through it. So I think like my most mind blowing example for that was I did a 100k trail run and

How many miles is that Christina?

That is 62 miles.

Speaker 3 (16:21.314)
and not on payment on like root.

Yeah, it was about 9,000 feet of elevation throughout the whole race too, so a lot of timing. My longest run before that was 31 or 32 miles. I was like, what? There is no way I can double that in one day. How am I going to be able to do that? But then when you think about it, looking back, I was like,

in

Speaker 2 (16:48.91)
you know, running 25 miles on a Saturday and then you're turning around on Sunday and you're running 18 and then on Monday you're running. So it's a lot of volume that prepares you. So I think the other misconception is that, I think it's kind of funny. People are like, you must be starving after an eight hour training day like that. And I will say that you're riding your bike all day and you think about that pizza and beer that you're going to have when you're done.

Thank you.

Speaker 2 (17:18.702)
and nothing sounds better and then you get done and you're like nothing sounds worse than that pizza and beer. You're just eating so much junk and trying to consume all this crap throughout the day that your stomach just doesn't want anything else and you just feel a little off. So I would say those are probably the two biggest misconceptions.

So you're saying at the end of an Iron Man, you don't have a beer?

correct. I did not after, well, I think after my first two, did not after my third, I did. and I went out, we went out to dinner with our families, and couldn't eat anything. They're all like drinking and celebrating so happy for us. And we're just like, just people lay down and sit in bed. So it depends, I guess, on how you're feeling that day. can't say every day I don't have a beer after a long training day or race, but.

Yeah, I can imagine that would be. Yeah. Throw it right back up. I would throw up the whole time. That's it. It's just purely, I would just yak from the start to the end.

Okay, I have a random question. I'm always curious about this. So you're eating and you're drinking all day. Naturally you're sweating, but do you have any crazy or embarrassing nature calls? I used to do long runs and I have multiple, multiple spots around the city of Madison where, yep, here we are.

Speaker 1 (18:49.292)
yeah.

Ambre, will tell you that everyone is lying if they say no to that. Yeah, we've all been there. think especially with trail running, if I'm being honest. I would go out to Devil's Lake and run 25, 30 miles out there and you're in the middle of the woods and there is no where there. you just have to, when nature calls and you're in nature.

You just do your thing. Yeah.

Yeah. But you never had any like major accidents or anything. That's good.

you

Speaker 2 (19:28.142)
Like embarrassing accidents? No. I will say though, one of the coolest races I've ever done, and I'll talk about it for the rest of my life, was the New York City Marathon last fall. And I unfortunately had a sinus infection the week leading up to it. So I was on an antibiotic, which did not do well with my stomach. And in return, I had seven bathroom stops along the marathon course.

Thankfully, no embarrassing moments or things I had to hide, but it was not a pleasant day in that aspect.

Yeah.

Hey, can ask a follow up question about New York City Marathon? Will you talk about the really cool advocacy that you did connected to New York City Marathon? And it's really competitive to get into. Can you just remind me, we talked about it last year, remind me how hard it is to get in and how you managed to do that by supporting a really awesome cause.

Yeah, so you can apply to get into the marathon. It is a lottery and it is the year that I did it. So last fall, 2024, was the biggest marathon in history. And I'm not going to say the number. You'll have to Google it because I do not remember off the top of my head of how many people did it, but it was absolutely massive. So I've always wanted to do the race. I applied a few years, never got in. So then

Speaker 2 (20:57.928)
last year I applied to be on a charity team. So I knew if I was going to apply on a charity team, I wanted to do it on a team that I really cared about. So, Brave Like Gabe was the team that I ran with. And that is a charity based out of the Minneapolis area. And my husband, Sam went to high school with Gabe and she ended up passing away from a rare cancer.

and started this foundation while she was still with us. And they raise funds for rare cancer research. So I was chosen to be on this team with, I think there was 14 others of us. were from all over the US, got to know each other really well all throughout the year. We had bi-weekly check-ins, little Zoom calls, and did a lot of team bonding. So.

our team raised a ton of money. Again, I can't even remember off the top of my head. I think it was upwards of $85,000. And yeah, it was insane. It was such a great group of people. We're still in contact. We still have calls here and there just so we can catch up. We have a group chat still going. And now we're cheering on the next team that's doing it this year. it was truly, you know,

Obviously a cool experience in general. I have never been to New York before, so what a cool way to run 26 miles through the city. A perfect way to see the city for the first time, but also to do it for such an incredible cause with wonderful people. I just don't think anything will ever top that.

That's so neat. It's something about running and something about these large scale races that people don't always know about. But there is other options and different ways you can connect with other people and support good causes while you're also, as Teryn says, being crazy and running in long, long ways.

Speaker 3 (23:06.456)
I'm gonna get out there.

Speaker 3 (23:13.868)
Christina, that's so cool that you did that. Yeah. So cool. I still get emails from Brave like Gabe. I've been following the foundation and all the cool stuff they're doing.

Thank you.

Speaker 2 (23:23.158)
Yeah, they do a really awesome job.

Speaker 3 (23:29.58)
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All right, Christina, moving into a part of running that I think is interesting, which is like injuries. And I know we, the three of us, we're talking one time about the amount of ailments that you had at one certain point in time during some trainings. And I just wonder for you, like, how do you handle setbacks when you're trying to train? Because I mean, that is hard because you don't know between like,

Do I keep training through it? Do I rest myself? Like, what's your philosophy on that?

Speaker 2 (25:03.18)
Yeah, well, you know, I kind of think just in general, so bad training days, there's going to be days where you're riding or running with your training partner and they're having an awesome day and you're not feeling it. Maybe you're injured. If have a slight something starting to flare up or you're just not mentally there. That happens all the time. So I think, you know, the really important thing here is

surrounding yourself with training partner or training partners or your family at home that lifts you up and vice versa when they're in that same situation because you know it's going to happen whether it's mental or physical you're not always going to be at the top of your game so and like I said the same thing's going to happen for them and they're going to lean on you for that so I feel like it's so important to find that support system that's kind of your voice of reason too when you do have an injury it's like

You know what, you really shouldn't run three hours tomorrow. You should go swim 2000 yards instead and go for a walk because then you're still moving, but it's a little bit easier on your body. So, you know, I think it's important to realize that not every single training day is going to be a good day. it's not always going to be a PR. Your body's going to fatigue, especially with this high volume. But, yeah.

you're not always gonna have those great training days, but surrounding yourself with people to help you through them and help you through your injuries is super important.

Christina, important question. This summer we were comparing toenails. Has yours grown back? Because mine has not.

Speaker 1 (26:48.436)
Don't even keep your feet away! That is bad!

Teryn can walk away for one minute. Do you have your toenail back? Yes or no.

Ambre, it's gotten worse. I'm not gonna lie. Erin, yeah, I'll show you tomorrow. No free feet pics here, but I went on a run two weeks ago and truthfully, as we're talking about injuries, I have a little injury right now that I do need to...

Can I say it to my co?

Speaker 2 (27:20.172)
go and do some PT for, I've had this little hamstring thing going on for a while, but it's not awful. And I can still go for a jog here and there, just not the volume that I'd like to. So I went for a five mile run two weeks ago and I get back and I'm like, gosh, my toenails really hurt. Like my big toe. And I'm like, this seems a little unusual. Like this isn't always a thing. I go home, I take my toenail polish off and I'm like,

Thank

Speaker 2 (27:50.53)
That doesn't look normal. Like something is going on there. Like they hurt and they don't look right. The gutters. There's different colors that are unnatural. That was not my nail polish because I mentioned I took it off. So yeah, there's always kind of things happening there. The feet just struggle. And everyone always asks me, are you wearing the right shoes? Are you wearing wide enough shoes? Are they the right size? I'm like, you know what? They are. I'm good.

I've worn the same shoe for years and years, same brand, same style. It's just, it's gonna happen. not. else, someone's gonna be like, that doesn't just happen, but.

I feel like, I feel like all distance runners have the wackest feet. Like they're just gross. And I know offense. I'm not, I'm not like the poster child for beautiful feet by any means, but that's bad.

I'm not winning any foot photo contest, I'll tell you that right now.

Yeah, I'm so excited to see tomorrow. I'm totally as soon as I get in, I'm going

Speaker 1 (28:58.51)
I will be far away. will not be there. Do not bring your feet by me.

You're gonna wear sandals. Just don't look down.

It's gonna be right there for anyone to

There's few things that make me queasier than thinking of like a toenail falling off.

Yeah

Speaker 3 (29:15.726)
I get used to it. Okay. So kind of sticking with this theme, endurance sports, yes, obviously physical, also super mental. You're running 30 miles on a trail. You have an eight hour training day. You're doing the competition and it's 12 hours long. And yes, you see your friends and family, but only every two hours. So that's not enough to get you through.

How do you train your mind to be able to be on your own like that, to be able to get through when it feels really hard and it feels like you don't wanna go any further?

that's such a great question. You know, everyone would answer this differently. And for me, my very simple answer is you just don't give up. You set your mind to a goal and you do whatever you can to get there. you know, I think of some of these really, really long training days, whether it's a run or a bike ride, and you can't listen to music during Ironman. So...

you're training without music. And some days you're training solo. So you're on the bike for seven, eight hours and by yourself in the middle of nowhere, no one to be found, no music. And you just want to be done. Like that happens all the time. It's like, I'm so over this. I feel like garbage. I just want to be done. But I always remember in the back of my head,

whether it's a race or a training day, how incredible it really does feel when you finish it. So, know, some days you're having a great training day, you feel really great and you still just want to be done because there's other things you want to do that day, not spend your entire Saturday training. But I always just say like, keep moving forward. The forward motion, the forward momentum is going to get you to the finish line, whether you're, you know, crawling on your bike at

Speaker 2 (31:16.49)
eight to ten miles per hour or you're walking instead of running. It's just training your mind to remember as long as you are moving forward you are going to get to the finish line and that feeling afterwards after a hard long training day or a race is really that ultimate reward that I always remember.

love that. Also, you can't use music at all in the Iron Man. No. They you to be aware of your surroundings at all times.

Yeah.

Speaker 2 (31:46.286)
Yeah, they don't close the roads. The roads are still open. And majority of people are avoiding them, but they are still open on the bike course. So yeah, it is a big safety thing.

Thanks then.

That's brutal. Understandable, but brutal.

Yeah.

Yeah. No, Taylor Swift for you. No. So you've been open about the mental health side of being such an active person and how that's affected you and some of the struggles that come with that sort of lifestyle. You've even used the term post-race blues before, which is something that people maybe don't talk about that often. But tell us a little bit about like what some of those

Speaker 1 (32:34.238)
major struggles are and how that's affected you or how you manage that.

Yeah, so I can talk about both the struggles and the benefits for me here. So I'm really open with how I struggle with anxiety personally, and I am really aware that everybody deals with their anxiety in a different way. for me, endurance sports and living a very healthy and active lifestyle has really been something that has helped my anxiety.

a ton. So again, that is just personal experience for me, but that has helped me so much over the years. So that is a large reason why I continue to do it. On the flip side, post-race blues are a real thing. So you're finishing a race that you've spent an incredible amount of time training for, and you're on this really high, high, when it's over.

And then typically for me, a few days later, you hit those post-race blues and, you know, training for something as big as an ultra marathon, an Ironman or a marathon just requires so much of your time. And it's such a large part of your life that when it's over, it sounds a little bit dramatic, but it really does feel like you just don't know what your purpose is anymore.

It is, it is. It's like, I've spent all my time doing this for this reason and I finished it, I did it, but now what? And I think the other hard thing is when they know that you do these events, they constantly ask you, so what's next? Are you doing Ironman again next year? And it almost feels like this expectation that you do always have to be doing something big because you've done it before and they want to know what the next big thing is. So.

Speaker 3 (34:39.893)
Like an addiction.

I fortunately know the importance of when I need to mentally step away and maybe explore a different avenue such as going back to weightlifting in my bodybuilding days or something like CrossFit, which I got into in the past couple of years, or even setting smaller goals. I want to run 30 minutes every day for a month.

And I always say, sounds so funny, but Teryn, mentioned the breakup. I always say, like, I need to step away to re-fall in love with a larger goal like that before jumping back into it. Yeah. And then there's also times for me, like this year, where I don't have any big goals. I don't have any races planned. And that is just, for me, I have learned that that is just...

as fine as having these large goals and always shooting towards something bigger. It's really, really nice to also have the time to reconnect with friends and family and have time to do what you want when you want.

I do also think that that's a testament to like your friends and family too, because you even said to us that one of your friends was like, maybe it's time to stop. you were like, and you were you were wise enough to be like, I think that they're right. And that I should probably just this isn't this isn't healthy. know? So I mean, that says that says both like a lot about you and who you surround yourself with that you you surround yourself with people who can like see that about you and they can

Speaker 2 (36:00.27)
Exactly.

Speaker 1 (36:19.82)
you know, give you that good advice.

That's when I was doing my, I was like, kind of like I just mentioned, I was doing a 5K every day. So it started as a month thing. And then I was like, huh, I'm going to go through the end of the year. And then I was like, well, I'm going to see if I can do it for a hundred days. And I did. And then I was like, I'm going to go for 150. And then I did. at, on day 151, I think. Yeah, it was 151. I was hanging out with my dear friend, Lisa, and she was like,

I think it's really great that you're so driven and motivated to do something like this, but there's a time where you can also just be done and maybe have a different goal. Like you don't have to keep doing this and your life doesn't revolve around it. You can do something else. And that day I was like, I'm done. She's like, I doubt it. You're going to go home and do it. And I was like, no, I'm not. Like I really value her opinion. And yeah, so it's good to have people like that in your corner.

Speaker 1 (37:24.312)
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Speaking of that, so how has community, so maybe this is training partners, maybe it's your husband who's also a training partner, maybe fellow athletes, maybe friends like Lisa, how have they supported you as an endurance athlete? Sounds like yes, maybe kind of like bringing some reality into your view when needed, but how else have they supported you through your endurance journeys?

Yeah, having a really strong support system is truly the only reason I have been able to successfully do these races over the years. Last year was the first time that I did Ironman and my husband did not do it. So I've done it three times and he's done it twice. The things that people don't see.

with something like that is my husband made all of our meals. He walked our dog multiple times a day because I would leave early for work and training and then I would be training late at night. He would plug my bike in for me so my shifting wouldn't die and change the sealant in my tires. He goes on bike rides with me and pushes me because he knows my potential and sees something greater.

Speaker 2 (39:24.11)
and he'll go on my runs with me. He'll tag along on his bike and bring the water so I don't have to do that. So that's just one example of why I'm so fortunate to have people like him and friends and family in my corner that support me because I look back on last year and I'm like, I was so selfish. did, I was like, I'm doing this for me. I want to do well. I want to enjoy every second of it. And he helped make that happen. And I'm so grateful for it.

Um, I'm also really fortunate to have one of my best friends have the exact same interests as me. So she trains with me. She pushes me to be a better athlete. And I always say she can absolutely kick my butt on any day on a bike ride, on a run, on a long swim, but training with really motivating and energetic and encouraging people.

really makes you a better athlete all around and truly just makes training enjoyable. Like she made me fall in love with training for that event again last year. family, friends, and then I will mention the other thing is I think I struggled with this more when I was first getting into Ironman. Family and friends that aren't involved in the sport or really know much about it.

struggle to understand it and you kind of have to explain you can't be at every family function and you can't be at every happy hour and you have to be a little bit selfish and it's ultimately because you're shooting for this big goal that's important to you and if your friends and family support you they will get on board with it might take a little bit of explaining but

It was hard at first. I truthfully, I've lost friends throughout the years just because they may not understand the full picture of what it entails. they, why do you always say no when I ask you to go out for a drink or why do you always say no? And I want to do this on the weekends and you can't come because you have to ride your bike. So it takes a lot of patience from friends and family, but a lot of patience from you as well to understand that they might not.

Speaker 2 (41:46.744)
totally get what you're doing and why and why it takes so much time.

You know this makes me think of? It makes me think of somebody who works full time, obviously, and then is pursuing like another certificate or degree or like you set this goal. This is a thing that I want to accomplish. I think it's going to benefit my life and it's going to take a lot. And if I want to actually do this right, then I'm going to have to spend time outside of my work day to get it done. You know, it's just that.

think some people maybe think of these kinds of events as not something that benefits. If they've never done it before, they might not recognize how much it does benefit your life and all that it takes to take that step to commit to it and register for that race.

Yeah, it's a great example.

Christina, what has endurance sports taught you about life outside of athletics? whether it's work or your relationships or resilience, all those types of things. I mean, we've touched a little bit on it already, but like, is there more, you know, other than just like keep going? Because that's a good one in and of itself. Keep going.

Speaker 2 (42:58.136)
Keep going is a great one. Again, like I said before, it's just that constant movement forward does make a big difference in the long run. Another way to say it is progress comes from just showing up consistently. So you don't have to have the hardest workout of your life to, or every single time to see big progress in the end. It's like those little things really do add up and you can relate.

that to so many different things in your life, whether it's, you know, small, steady investments in your relationships or in a project that you're trying to complete at work. It's like, if you're putting a little bit into the buckets, you're going to see the results in the long run, whether it takes a little longer than you want or not. So I would say that's probably one of the bigger things that has taught me outside of athletics.

and I guess another thing is that it has put discomfort into perspective for me. yeah, when you're running for hours and hours on end, a really tough day in general or at work doesn't necessarily feel as like overwhelming because you remember a different kind of pain. So I think it's really just kind of.

Love that.

Speaker 2 (44:24.792)
taught me a little bit more about, yeah, like discomfort in perspective.

you

good. I just connected so many things about your personality with endurance athletics. Okay, so for people who don't work with Christina in and out every day like Teryn and I do, she is the most positive, patient, caring. I love the word unflappable. It is hard to really ruffle your feathers. That is your personality.

And whether I'm sure you had more than a nugget of that before you began your endurance sport journey, but I imagine that those factors are what makes you really great at endurance sports and that maybe endurance sports also help to like build and enhance those parts of your personality too. You're so patient, so patient in the most trying of situations. And Christina can just

gut through it and somehow at the end of it have everybody feeling good and comfortable with whatever came from it. Would you agree that that sort of your personality lends itself, but then also endurance sports enhance that?

Speaker 2 (45:43.254)
Yeah, I would say so, but I also say that was just so nice. So thank you. It's true. I really appreciate that. That's so sweet of you, Ambre. Thank you.

Yeah, it's just like that just kind of all of sudden clicked for me. Like, oh, that's why or at least like there's there's a connection there.

Yeah, it all kind of intertwines.

Yeah. Yeah.

we love you for that. And if someone's listening who is, they've never done endurance, athleticism, athlete, what's the word I'm looking for?

Speaker 3 (46:19.822)
Sports.

Endurance, athleticisms, that. Give me a ball. need to find a ball. Where is one? I'm sure I've got one around here. Okay. So if someone's listening to this and they've never done an endurance sport or event and they want to try it, what's a really small approachable way for someone to just get started?

Here needs a ball. Just give her a basketball.

Speaker 2 (46:46.062)
Two things come to mind. So one is to ask questions. So if you know someone or know someone who knows someone that's done something similar, so say you want to run a half marathon and you're like, I don't even know where to start. I'm sure there is somebody in your network that has done something similar that would love to talk about it and give advice of what worked for them. And even if it's not something that

would work for you necessarily, you get some really good ideas. And one thing that comes to mind right away is like, I would tell someone, invest in a really nice pair of comfortable running shoes. Like they are not cheap, they are expensive, but it is so worth it when you're training for something like this because you are on your feet so often. So I would just say like,

There's so many resources out there, but use your connections to ask questions and you will get some great advice. The other thing is to sign up. So I know it sounds a little crazy, but like investing your money into something is going to make you want to see it through. So nobody wants to pay $150 for a marathon.

just to like think about it and then feel guilty on the day that you didn't even train for it. You didn't even try. And of course, like some things are gonna happen where you get an injury or a conflict comes up and you can't make it to the race. But as long as you sign up and try, commit, do the work, it is so satisfying. One of my close friends from college, Liz, texted me last fall and she was like, I'm not a runner.

known her to work out for a long time, but she's never been a runner or interested in it. And she said, I want to run a half marathon in the spring. And I was like, yeah, this is so awesome. So I gave her some advice. She connected with another friend that has done some half marathons and she texted me on her marathon or her half marathon day and was like, I'm doing it. And she did it. And I sent her a screenshot from months ago that was like,

Speaker 2 (49:07.97)
Hey, I wanna, I'm thinking about running a half marathon. Like, where do I even start? And it was like, you did it. That was the coolest thing ever.

What an awesome story to be like, here's the beginning and now here you are at the end of your journey.

And she crushed it. She ran the whole time and she trained so hard and she's so proud.

I love that. Speaking of beginning and ending, not that I envision there's going to be an end for your endurance, achievements, any near future, but in years from now, when you look back on all of these races and especially the really meaningful ones like the Ironmans, like the New York City Marathon, like the 100K Trail Run, what do think you're going to be most proud of?

I'm sure you're probably not going to say the race times necessarily. What will you remember most about those experiences?

Speaker 2 (50:07.648)
Yeah, so I already talked plenty about it, but one is obviously the New York City Marathon. Just being able to raise money for such an incredible cause and do it with wonderful people that will be in my life forever is just such a special thing that I never envisioned would be something that I would get to experience. So.

I think everything around that race is always going to be something I'm proud of, even though I had all of those stomach issues and those bad memories from that. It's always going to be top of memory. And then the other thing is just like the example I just gave you of my friend Liz. I think the coolest thing for me, and it makes me emotional, but when people tell me that I've inspired them to do something similar.

It like makes me want to cry. I want to do, I just talked to a girl over the weekend at a wedding and she's like, I've followed your Ironman journey and I remember when you didn't even complete one and I want to do one now because you've done it. And it's just truly the coolest thing when people ask you about it or ask questions of how can you help me get there? Do you think I can do it? Or you've inspired me. I think that's something that I'm going to be.

proud of for the rest of my life.

Speaking of inspiring, I know that our listeners are going to hear this episode and love hearing about your journey, the accomplishments, but also some of the really hard spots. The moments, yes, the New York City multiple bathroom breaks, but also just some of those pieces of being an endurance athlete that maybe you don't think about right away when you think about training for something. We really appreciate how straightforward and honest you've been.

Speaker 3 (52:02.506)
and sharing your journey, both the really uplifting parts, but also some of the harder parts. And I also wanted to mention, as you were saying that last bit, that at least twice a week I asked Christina, what are you wearing? Because she's amazing and she has a fantastic Instagram account. What is your handle, Christina? Will you share with folks who want to learn more about you and maybe ask you their own half-marathon questions?

You are so funny. Yes, it is underscore Stina, S-T-I-N-A-B.

Thank you so much, Christina. This is awesome conversation.

Dana B.

Speaker 1 (52:41.685)
Avenue.

Thank you both for having me. It was so fun.

And I can't wait to see your sandaled feet tomorrow. We should just sneak around the corner when Teryn's not looking and then drop her attention or drop a pen or something.

You're so mean.

So mean

Speaker 1 (52:58.903)
I will not judge you, will just maybe make a-

Little gags. That's fine. I won't force you to look.

I will. I will very much try to get her to look. Okay, Sina, you are the best. Thanks again so much for joining us.

Thank you guys.

Speaker 3 (53:24.118)
That's it for today's episode. A huge thank you to Christina for sharing her journey and giving us so much to think about both on and off the race course. If you enjoyed this conversation, the single best way that you can support our show is by leaving a five star review and a quick comment. It helps more people discover the podcast and keeps us bringing you these stories every week.

Thanks for listening and we'll see you next week.