Triathlon Journey and Coaching Switch

Chris 0:57

All right , welcome back to the Find your Edge podcast . I am your host , chris Newport , and I am here in person with a special guest . I thought our friend Julie here would be a really fascinating story to share about getting into the sport and your journey . So , julie , welcome to the show . Thank you Awesome Thank you . So give us a little bit . We looked it up you started with us in 2021 . So give us a little bit of background into how you got started into triathlon .

Juli 1:29

I'm just a basic runner , loved running and my son got into doing some triathlon stuff with a local gym and he asked me if I would do this inside triathlon with him . And I knew nothing about swimming , Hadn't been on my bike in like 20 years and all I had was running behind me and I just went , sure , why not ? And so I trained with him and it was quite fun . I didn't do any swimming because I was petrified , but it was a pool swim , so we just had to swim the amount of time and I did backstroke with the frilly bathing suit on the whole today and finished it and I found that I really enjoyed the three sport instead of just running . It was super , super fun and my son had so much fun doing the sport with me I couldn't stop , so we just started training together .

Chris 2:24

That's really cool . And so when was that ?

Juli 2:27

That was way back in 2020 .

Chris 2:32

OK 2020 . And then you decided to go big .

Juli 2:36

Then he decided to go big and I decided to train with him and define big . Define big was a 70.3 in Santa Cruz , california , which sounds really scary , but I'm from the area and I'm from Santa Cruz Beach area so I knew I could swim it . So I thought actually I've only played in the water and the waves knocked me down , so it was quite scary . When we got there it was petrified and the water was cold , but I jumped in , I did it . I ended up doing it by myself for personal reasons . He couldn't do it , I did it and I got bumped out of the swim for being two minutes too late because I did it with backstrip . But in my defense , it was very foggy and it was my first mild swim in open water ever .

Chris 3:34

So , and you know what ? This is super common with triathletes they're like it's not that bad , right , like I'm playing the water , and then they get in there oh my gosh , this is a whole other ballgame . So then fast forward a couple of months , right , because Santa Cruz was September , september of 2021 . And at the time , we had literally just started our team program , which is like our group triathlon training , that we call our team , and I remember coaching open water and you came and kind of got a little background for me , and then we pushed off the shore and maybe 100 yards in we were having a nice little conversation . Do you remember that ? I do .

Juli 4:19

I don't remember it word for word . Other than breathe , you will be breathed .

Chris 4:25

Yeah , so what made you I mean , after having that experience at Santa Cruz what made you want to stick with it ?

Juli 4:33

I felt very upset and frustrated , but I'm the type of person that likes to finish what I start and I just really wanted to prove to my son and to myself that I could probably do this . The training was fun , the race was scary , but the training was quite fun and my son said I just needed really good coaching and he had been with Endurance Edge . So he told me you need to go straight to Chris Newport and go home back to North Carolina and call Endurance Edge right away , which is pretty much what I did after about a week of whining .

Chris 5:10

OK , ok , you had to mourn a little bit .

Juli 5:15

I had to mourn a little bit , yeah , and I was on a group of triathletes and I texted all of them and I told them what I had just been through and they were like man , you've got a lot of balls coming on here saying you just DNF on a 70.3 . And then they were like did you have coaching ? I was like no . Do you have swimming ? I was like no .

Chris 5:36

So yeah , ok , so yeah . So you were on that swim and I do remember you very distinctly back stroking a lot , a lot . Yes , that's all .

Juli 5:45

I knew how to do .

Chris 5:46

Yeah , so , and then you would flip over and you would swim a couple of strokes and then you'd pop back up and so I thought , for sure , I could handle that slim , but I could not handle that slim yeah . So then , what was next after that ?

Juli 6:00

I mean , yeah , we engaged in coaching , but we engaged in coaching and you came out and you know , I just I really thought my swim bombed . But you believed in me and you told me I like had the fitness to do this and I just Y'all should see Julie , by the way , she is super buff .

Chris 6:18

Oh , by the way , you have to share your age . I'm 58 . Yes , and I super fit 58 . And it's for sure .

Juli 6:27

Thanks . Yeah , I don't feel super fit , but yeah , I guess I kind of am . Yard work kind of makes you fit . So I do lots of yard work Swimming , biking , running , picking up heavy things , you know all that stuff too .

Chris 6:40

Yeah , so when did you find that the whole coaching process and going through the motions , when it was like , did you feel like there was a moment that it clicked , or was it just a process ?

Juli 6:53

It was a process , but it was also a moment . Again , I got a . You handed me to another coach . He was really good and I looked into his background and he did a bunch of really awesome ironmans and triathlons and his job was in the field of triathlons and so he liked my training and kept telling me I was crushing it , I was crushing it and I just kept remembering that . And when I did my first 70.3 , I didn't quite know what I was doing . I didn't know if I belonged in the race . I just knew I had the training behind me , which he said if the hay is in the barn I don't know what that meant at the time , but the hay was in the barn . That's your comment .

Chris 7:37

I could handle it . Thank you , cause , then you ended up doing Ironman North Carolina . Yeah , after .

Juli 7:42

White Lake . I did Ironman North Carolina cause I finished the White Lake and that was incredible and then did Ironman North Carolina . The training was just . It was fun , it was enjoyable , it was really hard . But when you talk with the coach , the coach just kept making me feel like I could do it and getting strong felt really good . I had never felt this strong in my life . That's really cool . So at 58 , I've never felt this good in my own body in my entire 58 years of life . That's pretty badass . Yeah , usually it's teenage years . Oh no , baby , I'm just there .

Chris 8:18

I love it . I love it . You recently . So , speaking of a coach , you recently had a coaching switch , yeah , which we ever so often or , you know , maybe not so super often , but we'll switch people around to different coaches . How has that process been ?

Juli 8:33

I was very nervous because I had personal reasons why I wanted to switch to coach and it was embarrassing . I was having a hard time understanding my equipment and the coach that I was dealing with loved them super informational , but I couldn't have my hands on of what I was doing coach why seeing things , doing things and I'm very hands on person . So even though the message was getting relayed to me through the phone , I could not remember it and relay it the week later and I just kept getting tripped up and I kept thinking to myself I think I need to see someone physically , like hands on , to show them what I am doing . And I bounced it back for probably about six months because I really , really , really liked my coach . But I had to figure this other part of this puzzle out and so I made the switch .

Chris 9:26

Yeah ,

Triathlon Journey and Power of Community

Chris 9:26

of course . How has that journey been ? I mean , it's relatively fresh .

Juli 9:32

It's been good . I've kind of felt like oh , no wait , kind of drowning . You're kind of like reaching for one but trying to go for the other . It's like no , it's not what you think . But I've already learned several different things that I didn't think I could get my hands on before , and so I'm starting to pick up a whole new knowledge of triathlons as far as how to operate all those mechanisms .

Chris 9:55

There is a lot of tech . There is a lot of tech . Yeah , I think that's a good and I wanted to bring that up because I think sometimes people get very like this is a very personal . It's so personal , right , and you know it's a journey just like anything else , and you get watched . Yeah .

Juli 10:12

Yeah , so people become friends , Yep coaches become friends .

Chris 10:16

Yes , I know sometimes people are like are we breaking up ? It's like no , we're just having a different past .

Juli 10:22

I felt weirdly like that yeah , he was a great coach . Mm-hmm , it was kind of like I don't know how to do this .

Chris 10:30

That's why we supported you .

Juli 10:32

I think of myself for just a little bit and just do what I needed to do . Yes , and I'm glad I did that , and I know my other coach is still there . If I have a question he's just a phone call or a text away and he made that very clear to me , so I'm happy good .

Chris 10:46

Yeah , yes , cool , okay . So , speaking of the group , so you've had this one on one coach , but then you've also been doing the team stuff . So what has that ? You feel like that's made a difference at all in this whole process ?

Juli 11:00

I came into it just looking for a coach and not feeling like I was gonna do a team , but I kind of wanted to belong to a team as a member and wear your little fancy outfit .

Chris 11:11

Which very much . Right now , julie has her feet . See how fit on you .

Juli 11:17

Unlike a billboard , as one coach says . But um , I love the team . I have found friends within the team , that the chemistry is like so deep and so strong . You think it was like we've known each other for years and years and years and years , and I'm talking decades , and we've just barely known each other for three years . Yeah , you know , yeah , and we only see each other when we swim , bike or run . Yet Somehow we all pull each other into this crazy sport of training and we just keep each other going and you guys are all doing the same 70.3 this year .

Chris 11:51

Yeah , so all of each other . I know I know which y'all are nuts , but that's okay and it involved no alcohol . That is a common thing .

Juli 12:04

Fermented food , don't nothing it was . It was sober decisions of all Adrenaline . That's what it was . It was adrenaline .

Chris 12:14

You know , I think , social connections . We were just talking before we started recording about how that can seem like it just sort of Windles over the span of a lifetime because you , you're a mom , yeah , your kids are grown . Yeah , right , you have grandkids now . Yeah , like does it ? Is it different ? It's so different .

Juli 12:32

You just you don't have , and I I even live in a rural area , so I don't see people around me . Even so , the friends I used to have in my neighborhood walking around , I could see them walk if I didn't join them walking . Yeah , I don't see anymore . So now I'm in the house all the time , unless I'm out doing yard work , so I don't see people . So coming here is like my chatty-caddy hour .

Chris 12:55

Which is lovely , I and you've said to me multiple times , because you're always like , glowing and smiling and you know , you're just like always the first to introduce yourself to like a new person , new person walks in , you like they're like , oh my god , what's happening ? And I love it because I mean that we deserve to belong , right so , but you somehow characterize yourself a little bit differently than what I like people .

Juli 13:24

I like people . I like happy people , yeah , and I want people to know how good this sport is for them , because it makes you happy . It it's so much better than any medicine out there . It's so much better than depression . It's so much better than being sad or being lonely . It's like this can cure so much . Yeah .

Chris 13:43

How about that ? I know , oh , I like that as a quote . I just can't .

Juli 13:48

Yeah .

Chris 13:49

So what's next on the horizon ? I mean , I know you're doing the 70.3 that you guys all ripped each other into .

Juli 13:54

Yeah , yeah , yeah . Next on the horizon . I'm really looking into healthy stuff and I really would love to do a full Ironman I think that's everyone's dream after doing all these 70.3s . But I don't know If my knee can't handle it , I think I'm going to just do a bunch of Olympics or something .

Chris 14:13

Yeah , I just I don't know how to back off the 70.3s , but I don't know , is that kind of like your distance that you feel is sort of like engaged to right now ?

Juli 14:24

I'm so comfortable with 70.3s or an Olympic . I like those two distances . If I'm going to do it . I want to do it for a longer distance rather than a shorter distance , even though I'm slower .

Chris 14:34

I enjoy it so much more . Reminds me when I saw you and Sarah on the run at North Carolina , you guys said oranges in your mouth and we're like smiling at me with orange slices , which is hilarious we were having so much fun ?

Juli 14:47

Yes , we were having so much fun , and I think if you have fun , your body relaxes and you enjoy it more and go a little faster , baby .

Chris 14:56

Have you seen ? I mean because this sport can be intimidating .

Juli 15:01

Completely .

Chris 15:02

Yeah , do you think that that's a deterrent for a lot of women your age to get into ? Oh my gosh .

Juli 15:08

Yeah , it's a scary , scary sport to get into . One , you feel like you can't do it . Two , you feel like you're too slow , you can't do it , and then you feel like you're going to be judged . And then you feel like , oh my gosh , and then I got to wear that tight stuff as a woman . No woman wants to wear that tight stuff around her body , yeah , but we look kind of cute in that tight stuff . We just got to realize it .

Juli 15:30

I haven't seen a woman look bad in one of those kits yet , yeah , in our heads we think that , but we don't on the outside . So it's so scary and intimidating . But if , once again , if we just show up , make that first step , go to the practices , train , we start feeling better from within , we look better on the outside , we meet the team , we have fun , we joke around . Next thing , you know , it's like coming to practice , it's like family . It's like family , it's like the fun time of the day , and then you leave and you're like Kids are like kids .

Juli 16:01

It's so great , I think we like being like kids .

Chris 16:05

I mean , when else do you just get to cut up but then also get to work and do your workout , but then also shut like let's see strength training on ? Right after Christmas you came to class wearing was it ? A reindeer ?

Juli 16:20

outfit . It was a gingerbread onesie . It was a hooded gingerbread onesie .

Chris 16:26

Ok , and then you came to track wearing an ostrich low about fit .

Juli 16:33

Because I called one of the teammates like the day before we had track and I said let's surprise the coach in dressing costumes . I'm getting a blow up costume and she loved it . So she called the other team members and we didn't . I said but you got to tell me , do not tell the coach . And she tells the coach everything . So I said you got to promise me and we didn't tell the coach . And he laughed so hard when he came to the track and saw us all in our tip .

Chris 16:56

I want to have to see if I can pull a photo of you guys up to share , but it was so funny .

Juli 17:01

I always wanted to run in one of them . Blow up costumes , Well check .

Chris 17:05

You have checked the box . I checked that out , the box . Yeah , yeah , that's awesome , that's so easy to run in . All right , so Sony Q3 , maybe some Iron Man's on the horizon , but it sounds like this is your thing , kind of like your activity for in and outside this is my jam .

Juli 17:21

I think this is my yeah , yeah , I want to do some more open water swims . I think I really love that Long distance open water swims . I just don't want to get too carried away in that .

Chris 17:32

Yeah , yeah , I know which . I guess we didn't really tie that bow , like you were so fearful when you first came and then you just friggin crushed . You're standing with three like I mean Things we learned and I think , how long do you ? Did you remember how long it took you ? It was like maybe 40 minutes . Is that fun ? Maybe I'll have to look it up . I'm not sure we're gonna have to get some evidence .

Juli 17:52

It was fun . It was fun .

Overcoming Fears, Finding Joy in Triathlons

Juli 17:53

I enjoy swimming's like my favorite . Out of running , biking , swimming is now my favorite and it was my least favorite when I started . How about that ? That's so cool and that crazy ? Yes , that's so crazy . I don't know how I got my head wrapped around that . Because I was so incredibly nervous for the first year of every single one of them swims . Every one of them , congratulations .

Chris 18:13

That's a big accomplishment . Thank you , yeah . So if you had to just sort of tie it all together , if you had to give two or three tips to whether it be a new triathlete or someone who's perhaps a woman , your age plus or minus , whatever what would your tips be so that they could get involved and feel stronger like you Don't be scared , don't be nervous and just show up .

Juli 18:37

Come , just come and give it a try , because you don't know , unless you try it and eat protein , you've got to eat your protein .

Chris 18:45

I was really sitting here with our like bowl of chicken . I'm going to have to take a selfie of us here in the van , all right , so show up and eat your protein . Show up and eat your protein , but give it a try .

Juli 18:58

Give it a try . You don't know unless you try it .

Chris 19:00

Yeah , scary things are good things , yeah , and I think what I've learned from you is that you think kind of thing like to not be afraid and to just be yourself and to smile and to welcome people , like it's just , it's very heartwarming , oh good .

Juli 19:19

Yay , yay . I think the more scared I am , the more I smile . So , yeah , ok , it's a good mechanism . I'm not a good , good mechanism .

Chris 19:26

I mean , julie literally has a smile on her face like all the time , no matter if you know , oh , we're doing an interval , ok , let's go . Yeah , I got that , like yeah , you do . Or like you know , bringing up the rear end and like cheering for all the people everywhere . I mean , it's just like your energy is contagious . So that's why I wanted to share your story with everyone else , thank you , thank you , you make it fun . Oh well , good , I'm glad , thanks .