Amanda Brush – Dream Bigger

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70.3 North American Championships — Des Moines
70.3 World Championships — New Zealand
70.3 St. George

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Can I be real for a minute? Even with all the GREA

Can I be real for a minute? Even with all the GREAT things of 2020, pandemic life has wildly changed my professional life and that has been HARD. Oftentimes, it’s left me struggling with worthiness, because no matter how much work I’ve done to know that my worth does not come from my job or athletic success or my ability to get a baby to nap or have a clean kitchen when @talmond_34 gets home, I still struggle. And I’m sure you do too.
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One of the greatest tools I’ve learned about in my work is writing post it notes (thank you @brenebrown and @stephanieweichert ) and so I’ve written a lot of post it notes and permissions slips over the years. Last week, I was really struggling with worthiness due to more changes with covid and jobs and life. I left the house grumpy and probably with some tears to go workout and I came back home to this post it note on our mirror.
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You. Are. Worthy.
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So to all of us who are trying to navigate pandemic life (stillll) and adapt and overcome and STRUGGLING, you are enough. You’re worthy regardless of your job, your ability to crush forced e learning, your lack of variation in food, your quarantine 15lbs, your constant pajama wear.... whatever it happens to be- your worth does not depend on any of that. Let me pass my permission slip post it on to you: own your worth.
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#journey #lifelessons #lifecoaching #permissionslips #worth #family #reminder #athlete #personaltrainer #quarantinelife #wegotthis #hope #keepshowingup #brickbybrick

Christmas picture outtakes: I had to significantly

Christmas picture outtakes: I had to significantly lower my perfectionist expectations for this one 😂🤣 But at the same time, THIS is perfection... Christmas lobster included 🦞 🎄
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#christmas #family #perfectlyimperfect #lobster #christmasjammies #journey #foreveralmondjoy #teambrushnuts @burtsbeesbaby @smallwoodhome #ironman #bonusmom #blessings #joy #home

Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will. .

Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will.
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#mondaymotivation #mantra #mood #believe #achieve #succeed #jump #fitness #triathlon #strength #train #ironman #coach #athlete #trainer #journey #brickbybrick
📸 cred: @kristin.marie.photography (from wayyy back when)

Of all the life lessons I’ve learned through Iro

Of all the life lessons I’ve learned through Ironman and training, patience might be the most valuable. The first five minutes of a run aren’t ever the hardest- it’s being patient and following a plan to achieve your best effort. On my warm up run, I devised a plan for this 2.5 mile effort. The first mile, it felt easy, almost too easy and I was tempted to unleash my legs a little. But the tiny voice in my head whispered: “patience, Iago.” And thankfully I’ve bombed enough runs due to lack of pacing that I listened. Mile two was faster and it felt much faster. The burn started. But, the amazing thing about our bodies is that we have a lot more left to give when we start to feel it, we just have to believe. And so, finally, on the last two laps, I allowed my legs that steady and strong finish to the end. I don’t actually remember those two laps, which is a beautiful thing- when the mind shifts to autopilot and you just go. It’s actually quite magical. And as I reflected on my almost perfectly negative split run paces, I realized that it’s a combination of patience and mental toughness (with a hint of crazy) practiced over and over. And above all else, you must always be willing to fail. If I hadn’t have failed at pacing a majillion times, it wouldn’t have gone so well today. Failure is just data and a tool, it takes nothing away from you, it just adds to who you are.
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#lessons #athlete #track #runfast #sundaylongrun #circles #speed #bettereveryday #ironman #triathlete #coach #brickbybrick 📸 cred: @talmond_34

#teambrushnuts aka my support squad happens to be

#teambrushnuts aka my support squad happens to be second to none. Thanks @talmond_34 and lil man for the extra cheers and high fives today while I ran some hard laps around the track. #bettertogether
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#timetrial #sundaylongrun #squad #supportcrew #cheer #goals #records #data #ironman #wife #bonusmom #athlete #coach #dreams #track @roka #custom #brickbybrick @ts2coaching

Sometimes the best thing to do is game face up and

Sometimes the best thing to do is game face up and believe you can. Harness the power of your mind and the body will follow: in sports and in life. Believe and achieve.
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#coach #athlete #run #optoutside #speedwork #challenge #change #fast #bestself #fitness #ironman #ironmind #resilience #brickbybrick
📸 cred: @thejimmyryan

May you take a few minutes today to reflect on the

May you take a few minutes today to reflect on the blessings you’ve received in life and plan to pass them along in the coming days and months.
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I’m grateful for my people, both new and old, and for their continued influence and blessing on my life 🤎💛🧡 Here’s to moving through life with a bit more gratitude and patience in the days ahead (it’s a practice, y’all.) Happy Thanksgiving, friends.
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#gratitude #happythanksgiving #grateful #blessed #family #socialdistancedining #quarantine #2020 #almondjoy #teambrushnuts 📸 cred: @amandatranbarger

#foreveralmondjoy 💜🥰 . . . . If you need me

#foreveralmondjoy 💜🥰
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If you need me I’m just over here scrolling through all these amazing photographs captured by @amandatranbarger from our Lake Tahoe adventure aka elopement. And I have zero apologies for all the Almond spam pictures coming your way in my stories this week. #yourewelcome
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#wedding #elopement #somegoodhappenedin2020 #almonds #teambrushnuts #chunkchunk #lionking #laketahoe #elopement #photography #besttripever #zoomweddings

If I had known this would have been one of my last

If I had known this would have been one of my last opportunities to race for a while, I would have approached the ending with a much different outlook (cause I pouted about my performance pretty hardcore after this one). This is perspective (and maybe some wisdom with age that people talk about).
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So here’s my perspective for 2020 holidays: they look different. They are going to be different based off guidelines and people’s personal preferences. Let’s not judge (we never see the full story of someone’s life and why they make a choice). Let’s focus on ours- make whatever your holiday is this year special with details (shoutout @stephanieweichert for life coaching on making the details of my elopement SPECIAL). And let’s show up with a little extra love this year- here, from afar, and in person (respecting space, personal preference, boundaries, people’s ability to make choices). And I say that all for me as those are the thoughts I’ve had to wrestle through today. 💜 #twothousandandtwentylessons #perspective #journey #snippetintomyjournal #triathlon #calves #champion #girlpower @themasterandcommander #athlete #mondaymotivation #kindness #holidays #longruncontemplation #race #ironman 📸 cred: @amandatranbarger

Last minute decision to go to the colts game with

Last minute decision to go to the colts game with this guy 😍 First NFL game in the books! (also, shoutout to all the workers who actually enforced rules and social distancing like they say. Well done. If you’re gonna post rules, enforce them. <~ that’s not a political statement, that’s how I feel about everything. My biggest frustration of 2020 is hypocrisy.)
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#sundaynightfootball #socialdistancing #colts #gbvsIND #triathlete #date #couple #blue #letsgo #football #nfl

I started out 2020 saying #singleandsober2020 in J

I started out 2020 saying #singleandsober2020 in January in an effort to put some serious focus into racing.... ended up married, bonus mom, enjoying staying home with wine and tequila, and not really racing at all. 🙃
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To look at a year or plan that didn’t go as expected and say it’s easy to see the silver linings is A LIE. It’s a daily reminder for me to acknowledge that this might have been the year I needed but didn’t know I needed. It’s a constant perspective shift that there is a plan and purpose greater than what I can craft (though I’m pretty good at plans 😉 ) and it’s a daily ask for grace and forgiveness when my frustration exceeds what I can handle (because the world around me is constantly starting fires and explosions). But in the midst of all the chaos and 😷that is 2020, I found love- true love- and healing and a joy that is beyond what I could have imagined. (Am I the happiest? Yes! Is it easy and fairytale perfect? Hell no. It’s hard work and I still put myself in timeout often. But it’s worth it- working every damn day is always worth it.) #foreverAlmondJoy
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#teambrushnuts #wedding #mrandmrs #family #tinyhuman #bonusmom #triathlete #coach #wife #2020 #brickbybrick 📸 cred: @amandatranbarger

Today, I remembered what it’s like to just sit i

Today, I remembered what it’s like to just sit in a chair, in complete silence and just exist. And it was glorious. And I also promised myself to do it more often. Here’s to finding space in the world of busy. Here’s to stillness and reflection (even if that’s uncomfortable). And here’s to making time to cultivate that as a habit of growth and self love.
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And so for whoever needs to hear this today: it’s ok to take a moment and be still. 💜
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📸 cred: @amandatranbarger
#stillness #wellness #life #journey #athlete #triathlete #coach #coffee #selfcare #brickbybrick #meditation #prayer #takefive

Portrait mode Rupert. . . . Rupert was a last min

Portrait mode Rupert.
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Rupert was a last minute decision in the checkout line yesterday because he made me smile under my mask. In a world where everything seems uncertain and ever changing and stressful, this lil guy made me smile and brought me joy. Sometimes, you just need a Rupert to make you smile. ☺️
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#joy #almondjoy #2020things #life #ironman #journey #thistoshallpass #puppiesnotpoliticsorpandemic 🤣

👀 The Almonds. . . . 📸 cred (and morning af

👀 The Almonds.
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📸 cred (and morning after photo idea) @amandatranbarger
#eloped #married #thestartofforever #almondjoy #rocks #adventure #explore #love #laketahoe #atease #mrandmrs

Workouts are just business meetings with yourself

Workouts are just business meetings with yourself 😉 It doesn’t have to be 3 hours. 10 minutes of movement (stretching counts!) might be all you need to improve your mood and change your day. As the days get shorter and the holiday busy creeps in (and the threat of stay at home looms over our heads), keep moving. Write it down and keep that schedule. It’s crucial to health and wellness, if not now more than ever. Need help? I’ve got you. Just reach out. Let’s make this holiday season (and whatever May come for the end of 2020) our best one yet. 🤞🏼💪🏼🙏🏼
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#healthcoach #wellness #plan #athlete #coach #consistency #movement #health #ironman #strength #stretch #immunity #bettertogether #brickbybrick #write #plan #succeed
📸 cred: @amandatranbarger supervised by #luna

Flash back to yesterday’s #thresholdthursday ...

Flash back to yesterday’s #thresholdthursday ... pretty sure my legs will still be feeling that effort today 🔥 Sometimes you just gotta put on a good playlist, put your head down and say, “let’s do this.”
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#ironman #triathlete #bike #cycle #indoortrainer #trainer #triathlon #ride #questforkona #work #watts #power #letsgo #brickbybrick

Just a couple of nuts 🤣 #thursdaynightdatenight

Just a couple of nuts 🤣 #thursdaynightdatenight

Eat real food in all colors and varieties 👌🏼

Eat real food in all colors and varieties 👌🏼
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#throwbackthursday to a photo shoot in @amandatranbarger ‘s kitchen 😍
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#fuel #food #eatrealfood #advice #eattherainbow #triathlete #trainer #wellness #healthcoach #inspiration #performance #brickbybrick