Jackie Hering: Hey everyone and welcome to episode 14 of the Women's Race Podcast. This is a random, not emergency, but special episode that I am having today with my dear friend Alice Alberts. We are gonna chat about her special personal news. We're gonna go through all things like placid and any other things we wanna yap about. Before we get going, I want to say thank you guys so much for being here. Thank you to everybody that watches on YouTube, listens on Apple or Spotify. I'm seeing the numbers, guys, and I know you're out there. So thank you very much. the numbers are growing. We are getting at least a few thousand each episode, which makes me really feel like keeping going. So I feel very positive about that. Alice: Yeah. Jackie Hering: I appreciate and have been responding to all your comments. So thank you for those. And yeah, we'll get into it today. We've got Alice here. She's been awake for a more than me because she's on the East Coast. Alice: Maybe. I think you got up and swam. Did you? Jackie Hering: Yes, I do. That's why I look this way. And actually, shout out. I am wearing, we got shirts made for our swim group. Lucier Legends. It's the name of our YMCA. and my swim partner Dave just swam the English Channel. Alice: Cute. Cute. Wait, you posted it on Instagram. Sorry, we're jumping right into it. And I clicked his name and I don't know if it's a race, but he was in like third or fourth in the little cove. Like he was cruising. Jackie Hering: Yeah, he's very fast and he swims forever. He does all these long distance open water swims. And what I didn't realize about I didn't realize the English channel was like there was gonna be more than one person. Were you surprised when you clicked on it? Alice: That's so cool. Yeah. No, I mean I figured he didn't like well, I don't know anything about Dave, but I figured he didn't like organize a crew to like crew him across. So I thought there might be like a selection. But there was more people than I thought. But how long did it take? Like how many hours is it? Jackie Hering: It's like eleven it took him like eleven and a half hours. Alice: my gosh. Well. Jackie Hering: It's very far and each person does so you set up you get your time window a year in advance. So he planned this. He's been training for ages. each person gets their time window and you get you have to set up, you do have to have your own crew and like a big boat. Alice: because like they have to make sure like they tell you so far in advance because they have to be like, yo, you have to train for this. Like this is legit. And like you need to put time and energy and probably money. That's good for him. Go, Dave. Shout out. Jackie Hering: Go Dave. Shout out. he doesn't care about Travod, so he probably doesn't listen to this pod, but other people Alice: You can send them this and then we'll get you'll get one extra listener. I can't bel way to go on your numbers here. I was like just excited to sit down and chat and now I'm all nervous because I know we have thousands of people listening. Jackie Hering: Yes, Well, they enjoy it. So they're gonna listen because they love listening to these conversations because I'm bringing on yeah, we're bringing on interesting people and that's all you gotta do is just chat. So Alice, I have cried tears of joy for you, honestly. And I could cry again just thinking about it. but let's tell the people like whatever you want to share about the journey that you've been on here. Alice: Yeah. I'm one of the listeners. Yeah. thank you. Yeah. Sure. So I guess I'll start by saying what it is. I am pregnant. I am 16 weeks tomorrow, which is amazing. Yes. It has certainly been a journey. And poor Jackie, she's kind of been on it with me. She's, you know, known Mike and I started trying since we started trying. So she's been along for the ride, I guess. So yeah, it's been a long one. We started trying in late 2024 and then we're unsuccessful through twenty twenty five. And Jackie Hering: Yeah. Alice: without going into too much detail, kind of got some tests back saying that if we were gonna get pregnant, we needed to do IVF. So we made the, you know, tough decision to do it. I had a failed transfer early in the year, which was like really tough. I think just like obviously mentally and physically. But then yes, I'm now pregnant. So very exciting. I like to say, you know, or Jackie likes to say this to me, that there's different seasons of life and this is A different season of life and I'm really excited to be in it. So very happy. A new endurance race I'm into. Jackie Hering: You know, it's a stretch. It's a stretch for you, Alice, because you are such a planner and you're so organized and you like to like know everything that's going on in the situation. So I think this is gonna like stretch you in ways and and it's already, I'm sure, has been quite a challenge for you. So yeah. Alice: I know. Yeah. Yeah, and if anything, you know, you don't want your journey to go this way. But I was saying to my husband the other day, I think it's actually been weirdly really good for me. It's been such a lesson in like patience and just kind of like attempting to go with the flow and like, you know, traveling such a thing. Sport is such a thing where you like try harder and you kind of like get the results when you try harder. But like getting pregnant and fertility, like you can try. really hard, but you're not necessarily gonna always get those results. So it's just a lesson and kind of like taking a step back and like letting it flow. And so is pregnancy because some days you wake up and you feel and we can get into this, you feel really good. And other days you wake up and you don't and you just need to like listen to your body because you are creating another human after all. So yeah, it's not worth pushing through I'm learning. Jackie Hering: Yes, that's that's a great point. And that is something, you know, I've pretty much had a lot of moms on here so far, and seems to be a theme, both during pregnancy and in that like postpartum kind of season is the importance of listening to your body and really just not forcing it, I guess. is kind of the take home there, but Alice: Yeah. Yeah. It's which is like so hard, I feel like, for most of us. Like giving you in triathlon you kind of like like forcing it and you like like challenging yourself. So like I had days where I felt bad and I was like, Ooh, like let's go on a run because like I don't know, you like you feel bad, but you want to see if you can do it. And you're like, That's not smart. Jackie Hering: Yeah. But it looks like you've been doing okay. I've been seeing a a lot of like bike rides on Strava and you seem smiley. Alice: Yeah. Yeah, like my my whole, I guess, perspective of it has just been to try to be active each day. Like in the beginning, because we were an IVF pregnancy, I was like pretty timid. I didn't run until our seven-week ultrasound. So and like I didn't run, I think I didn't run ten days before the transfer. So I didn't run for a very long time. and I was biking a little in there, but I was basically bas mostly just going on really long walks, which yes, I put on training peaks and strava. obviously that was my movement. And then yeah, I've gotten back into biking outside. It's I've been in New Hampshire a lot and it's really quiet roads, so I do feel safe and then into running. I'm certainly not fast. Like I'm really aware my body is changing, but that's just like not been my intention. My intention has been movement. So I try to do something each day. And then I've been doing a lot of strength work, which has felt really good on my body. So Jackie Hering: Yeah. Yeah, that's awesome. I remember in early pregnancy, it's like f that should have been that should always be the signal. Is like as soon as you're like, like running is hard and it's immediately slow and your heart rate's jacked, your body's telling you something's going on, right? Alice: Okay. Yeah, but we were saying this before the pod, Jackie. Okay, so I can't believe it. You did an Iron Man was it with Hunter when you were eight weeks pregnant? And then you were saying you like didn't know till you were 14 weeks. And I'm listening, because I listen to every episode, being like, how how did she not know? Like I was my heart rate, granted, like I said, I didn't run for a while. So when I started running again, my heart rate was like wildly high. But like there were signs. Jackie Hering: Yeah. Alice: You know, it's so funny to me that you didn't know. Jackie Hering: There were signs, but and and in hindsight, there were clear signs. But I think I was like, I was training for Iron Man. Okay. And and I was like, you know, sometimes when you just get, I guess back then I don't think I was training the smartest. So I would just like be digging myself into a hole. I just was not taking good care of myself. I was not operating how I do now, pretty much. Alice: Ha ha ha. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Jackie Hering: So was training so much and I was just like so dead tired. Like dead, like pregnancy tired. Yeah. Alice: Cannot imagine. Like the fatigue of pregnancy plus Iron Man fatigue? Like, no, thank you. Jackie Hering: I was like dead sleeping tired and I was like, I just gotta finish up this training. And I actually had a pretty decent Iron Man. Alice: I was gonna ask you, I was gonna say brag on yourself. Like what did you run in the marathon? Jackie Hering: I think I ran a at that time like a three five, which was good for me. Alice: Ghaki, that's that's like what I run in a lot of Ironmans and like you were literally pregnant. my gosh. That's great. Yeah. Maybe a little blood volume in there going on. Jackie Hering: Ha ha. It was my fastest one back then. It was way back. Pre-super shoes, have you? Yeah, I think so. But then afterwards, I like slept. I would sleep day and night. Mark thought I was in some like mega depression or something. And and I'm like, I don't know what's wrong with me. I would try to run and I couldn't even run like a 10-minute mile. And he's like, something is seriously wrong. Yeah. So Alice: Ha ha ha Yeah, yeah. You're in like a post Iron Man coma. And then surprise you're like in your second trimester. Jackie Hering: And then I called I called my doctor and I'm explaining these. She and she it was a nurse and she just like started laughing at me. She's like, Girl, you are pregnant. Alice: That's so good. Wait, what? That's so cool. Jackie Hering: I didn't even take a pregnancy test. She just told me she's like, go take one. I bet you a hundred bucks you're pregnant. So yes, I feel bad because you know, people it many people are in your situation where it's a huge ordeal. So I am lucky. Alice: It's so good. It's so good. Yeah. Yeah. Or like I'm waiting so long to hit twelve weeks because I know it's like kind of silly, but like everyone says get to twelve weeks and you're not in the clear, but like, you know, that's where you're like, okay, hopefully things are all good. And I'm like listening to this pot and you're like, I found out at 14 weeks and I was like, I just had the most stressful twelve weeks of my life. Jackie Hering: Yeah. Yeah. Well, the problem was then my second pregnancy felt like it took forever. 'Cause I found out too e not too early, but I found out at a normal time. Alice: I bet. I bet. Early. Well when you compare it to the first it is too early, probably, but Jackie Hering: It was way too long. But you know, it is I was saying too, like I felt almost normal my second pregnancy, 'cause I guess I not normal, like you know you're pregnant, but you can do things and you could still wake up and feel good and I trained like pretty normally that second one just 'cause I felt okay. Like Alice: Yeah. Yeah. That's great. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And I was saying this to you like most days in the first trimester, I was like very aware I was pregnant. Like I didn't feel great. But like this morning I woke up and I felt absolutely normal. And I was like, Am I am I okay? Are things are things good? And I'm like saying this to Jackie before the pod, and she goes, You know, it's okay to feel good when you're pregnant. I'm like, Jackie Hering: Ha ha ha. Yeah. Yeah. I would just actually pretend I wasn't pregnant the whole time because you know, you get into this like mindset like you have a disability or something and you can't do stuff. And once you get over the hump, especially once you're over like past twenty weeks, then it's like, Okay, the baby's pretty much cooking in there. It's it's doing its thing. Then you can do whatever feels good. Alice: Ha ha ha. Yeah. Yeah, that's so true. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Well the little increase in energy has been very appreciated. That's probably why I'm on my bike more. First trimester I was like, one hour bike ride? That sounds crazy. And now I'm like, I'm like, okay. Jackie Hering: Yeah, my. Well, that is exciting. So when is the due date? Alice: Yeah. Due date is actually right on New Year's Day. I know. So I mean what? I looked into it. Four percent of babies are due on their actually born on their due dates. But anyway, we'll have a holiday baby basically. If we're lucky. Jackie Hering: Wow. How exciting. Yeah, but it well Yeah, it just gives you the sense of like, okay, we're gonna be home for the holidays. You're not going to Florida, sorry. Alice: Yeah, yeah. No. No, but maybe for Thanksgiving. Mike and I have already been in this debate where I'm like, I'll be thirty five weeks, like I can fly 'cause try to go there for Thanksgiving and he's like, like we worked really hard to get here. Like wanna do anything crazy? Jackie Hering: That is a little that is a little close. I had Hunter at thirty six. Yeah. Like with no s no signs that it anything was coming early. It was just like, here we go. Alice: You did. Yeah, I was told Really? Man, Hunter, wow, find out at fourteen, give birth at thirty-six. You have the shortest little pregnancy ever. yeah, they were saying it's interesting, like first pregnancies you expect, I guess sort of, to like go long, but they say with like fit women you're actually often early. So they were saying to me like, We have no idea when to kind of expect. Jackie Hering: Shortest pregnancy. Alice: You granted, hopefully everything goes well. But yeah, okay, now you're making me nervous. Maybe we'll just do Thanksgiving in early November. Yeah. Jackie Hering: Yeah. I mean, 'cause once you get to the like four weeks to go, you kinda wanna be ready for action. Alice: Yeah. Yeah, this is so unrelated, but Mike likes metal music, you know, like the like kinda like loud, yelly stuff that I like can't stand. And one of his favorite bands, like ever, is like finally on tour again and they're coming to Boston and the tickets are pretty cheap. I don't remember what they are, but Jackie Hering: Yeah. Alice: I'm gonna be thirty-five or thirty-six weeks pregnant when they come. And I was like, just get Like it's fine. Just make sure we get seats. Like I'll just sit. And he was like, I'm not gonna make my like massively pregnant wife sit through like a concert that she doesn't even like. Like you're gonna be miserable. And I was like, Okay, I got a good man. He's looking out for me. Jackie Hering: It could be an interesting experiment though because at that point like the baby's like pretty well a baby. It might affect like their tastes. If you like take to a show like that. Alice: I know. Yeah. I know. I know, which I don't really want. But someone was like, you know, babies can hear. Like that'd be really loud. And I was like, interesting. Yeah. Yeah, like a weird way of getting headphones on them. Yeah. We're not gonna go. But anyway, I thought it was a cute little story. Things you have to think about. That's what I said. He has friends. Jackie Hering: Yeah. Yeah, you'd have to like put a cushion over your belly. Yeah. Maybe he can he can invite a friend. Does he have any friends? He has friends. Mike's got Mike's friends with everybody. Yeah. Alice: My gas more friends than anyone, I know. So he'll be good. He'll be fine. I hope he gets to go. Jackie Hering: I hope so too. well, we could talk about pregnancy and babies all day. but I think we should crack into Lake Placid. I yeah, I went on the on your left, I don't know what they do, pre-race show or whatever about this. And you know how they do the power rankings, like and then usually they chat through like the dynamics of the race, all this stuff. Alice: Yeah. Let's do it. Ooh. Pod. YouTube. Yeah. Yeah. Jackie Hering: Somehow we didn't really get to that. It was very strange. It was a little bit it was just a little bit disorganized. Like it ran out of time. So I thought we could just talk through. I mean, maybe we could just do you're practically the like expert on like placid. Alice: Mm. Okay. They just did power rankings and moved on. It's my favorite race ever. Like I consider it almost my Kona. I'm obsessed with this race. I am in fact, Mike and I are going. So for a second year in a row, last year I went, Jackie was there. I obviously wanted to cheer her on, but I was injured with my Achilles injury, so I wasn't even racing, but we still went and watched. And then this year we're going again because we just like going. So I've delved into the race dynamics and stuff, so we can do what on your left didn't Only for the women's race, of course, because this is the women's race pod, obviously. Jackie Hering: Yeah, for sure. It's only a four hour drive or something, right? It's not super far. Yeah. Alice: Yeah, four and a half. It'd be four if we were going from New Hampshire, but we're in Boston this week, so four and a half. It'll be good. Yeah, only. After your seventeen hour epic road trips. Jackie Hering: Yeah. Okay. Well, should we do you wanna do do you wanna do just like a bird's eye view of like the course? Are we going like wetsuit, non-wetsuit, weather, anything you wanna just like hit on and then we'll go through like who we're looking at? Alice: Yeah. Yeah, and you've obviously done it too. So yeah, we can just talk about the course, I guess. I mean, Lake Clacid is known for it's swum in a lake called Mirror Lake, which has this like really nifty cord underneath the water. I think it was used for schullers rowing, right? So like Jackie Hering: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah, like growing. Mm-hmm. Alice: You don't technically have to cite. It's great for like, I guess you could say for pros who, you know, have that line. A lot of age groupers have to deal with the fact that it gets crowded and maybe they won't be over the line. But yeah, so you can kind of keep your head down and and go, which is really cool. It tends to be really calm in a sense because it's not a huge body of water. It and it's protected by like forest and trees. So it's just a fast, nice, really pleasant swim. I've always enjoyed it. Jackie Hering: Even the s the second loop is a bit congested. Yeah. Alice: yeah, I call that the washing machine because you have the age groupers. And often I don't remember what it was when we raced it. We were swim skin and age groupers were wetsuit. And I think it's been that every time I've ever done it. So it does get a little washing machine y out there, which can affect it. But then second loop I feel I find pros often just take that inside line and just kind of avoid the the sight thingy. Yeah, yeah. Jackie Hering: Yeah, I think that's what it normally yeah. Mm-hmm. Scruff. Yeah. Alice: Yeah, and then the bike is beautiful. Yeah, over 7,000 feet of elevation gain. and just gorgeous through that farmland. And you have that nice keen descent where you can kind of like recover. We'll get into race dynamics and stuff, but this is often where like at least the women's race, I find, like, really spreads out. and it can kind of make or break the race. It didn't last year. We'll talk about that a little. but Jackie Hering: The bike is beautiful, hey? Alice: It's just such a beautiful, fun bike ride. And it's really challenging. So my whole thing with it is you better finish that first loop, being like, Okay, I can do that again. Cause if you finish the first loop toasted, you're toast. Yeah. Yeah. Cause you gotta do it again. And those hills feel a lot bigger the second time around. So yeah. Yeah. Jackie Hering: That's my problem. They do. Yeah. Alice: Particularly like ninety-five ninety-five-ish miles into town. It's just a steady uphill the whole way. And like that's where you'll find if someone's having a really good race, the race just blows up in those like last 15 to 20 miles. So I think that'll be really affect the women's race this weekend. And then the run's also hilly. Jackie Hering: Yeah. Yeah. And the run and just I know you love this race. I have like I think I think I would just best describe it as a love hate, because there are some things I really do love, but then there's certain portions that I really do not love. And that's kind of why I'm not there this weekend. it's which one is that? The lonely one? Alice: Yeah. Yeah. Do you like River Road or do you not like it? River Road's at the very bottom of the hill, the lonely out and back. Okay, so you know that la when you raced it. Okay, so you've done it both courses, right? Or was it Okay, it had changed. So in twenty twenty three, when I first no, I did it in twenty two and twenty three and they hadn't changed it yet. You were on River Road even longer. Jackie Hering: No, too sad. I did the last two years and then I did it back in way back when. Alice: Because you didn't do this other out and back that we do now where you go out and back to where the cyclists are coming in. You kinda go up a hill and turn around. That one's good because you get fans and stuff out there. That used to not exist. So you used to just be on River Road for miles and miles and miles. And it was nice 'cause you it's like rolling and not as like straight uphill, but you are lonely. Yeah. Jackie Hering: Yeah, I like that one. Yeah. So lonely. It's got definite, like, I mean, it's kind of similar to Kona in that you're just like headed out. Peace out. You know, there's a few people out there, but hardly anyone. No music. It's hot. It's like hot as heck and humid as heck. Alice: Mm. Yeah. No music. That's crazy too. Yeah, I would rather do River Road over that highway in Kona any day though. But I was in a pretty bad place. So I've only had one experience with that. So in Kona, I mean. Yeah. I know. Yeah, 'cause at one point you were ahead of me and you're coming back and you were like you said something like, I'll wait for you and I screamed, No. What? Jackie Hering: I I was possibly in a worse place, I'm not sure, but on the run? Alice: Yeah, and Kona, you were in like such a bad place. You said something like, like, you'll catch me in a second, or like something like that. And I remember being like, No, like go. And then I never caught you. I never caught you. You got a second wind. Jackie Hering: 'cause I you which I'm shocked about. I knew I only had enough like I don't know, fuel or energy in me to go like a 10K. So I was like, I'm just gonna hit it for a ten K. Alice: Oof. Yeah. Yeah. Well you did it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I remember being like, Don't don't let me catch you. And you didn't. So gobble done. Anyway, that's Kona. But yes, late classic, you're a little alone, but I don't know. It's just a great finishing line too. Like you run through that, what do they call it? Like the Olympic oval or something like that. so it's just fun. And it's so hard. I say add. Jackie Hering: Well. That's Kona. Yeah. Alice: Forty five minutes to your normal Iron Man time? Jackie Hering: Probably. Let me look at what a normal Iron Man time is. Alice: I think that obviously like differs for like age groupers to pros and like the bike is gonna take some age groupers a really long time. Fine, but like for for anyone listening to this race who might be racing, I I always say pack an extra hours worth of nutrition on the bike. Jackie Hering: Yeah. Yeah, bike times for women are like around five hours. Alice: Yeah, yeah. Okay. So like thirty to Yeah. And then the runs are never, I mean, Solvay and Tamra proved us wrong with this last year, but the runs are never like that crazy good. Like high two fifties is a really good run in Placid normally. But I think what was Sulvay last year? Like two four I could be wrong. Two forty eight ish. Jackie Hering: Thirty extra minutes, at least. Two f yeah, two forty-seven. Tamara two forty. That's ridiculous. Alice: Yeah. Yeah, that's like unreal. I know, I know, for that course. Just and that that's gotta be a course record by a ton. But like I remember, you know, I've done this race a few times and I've obviously looked back at this isn't fresh knowledge, this is from pro past research, but like years prior to when I started doing it in 2022, like the average winning marathon was three hours. I mean, that's typical in women's racing, honestly, going that back that far, but like even even some three 10's doing really well. at that base. I think when I won it, I ri I ran like a 305. So anyway, 10s are changing. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Jackie Hering: Yeah. Times they're going faster and faster. These people keep getting faster. It's crazy. Well, we have got like a mega good start list as far as I can see. I it. Alice: Yeah. It's so fun. It's so fun. So many different dynamics, like with it being Paula's first, very fun. And we kind of got that out of this race with Holly last year. It was her first, wasn't it? Last year. It's kind of fun that people are doing like their debut Iron Man's and Placid. And then you just had Lisa on, which is fun. Jackie Hering: Mm. Yep, I'm interested for Lisa. She's been just like battling some injury and so it'll be interesting to see. I think, you know, what we're gonna have is some s we got a couple strong swimmers, honestly. Alice: I know. Yeah. That gal Lara Hernandez Tomez. She I raced her in Arizona where Rachel Zelenskis was there as well. And like Rachel is obviously an incredible swimmer. She outswam Rachel by three minutes in Arizona. Jackie Hering: The yes, her That's okay, that's crazy. Alice: That's bonkers. So like this gal can frickin' swim. Jackie Hering: She's gonna go. And then Rachel, I don't the only person that could maybe, maybe hang with Rachel is Marta Sanchez. Alice: I know. Yes. Okay. So I was going to ask you this. So I wrote like I think Lara's, I took some notes. I think Lara's gonna swim out front. And then it's like a total hit or miss if maybe Marta can get on Rachel's feet. But I kind of feel like, tell me if you've swum with these gals more than I have. Do you think there's a chance that there's a Marta Chelsea Paula group? Jackie Hering: Kelsey's been swimm faster. I think Yeah, it's gonna be interesting to see. But Alice: Faster than Paula. Yeah. And like, will Lisa make that pack? 'Cause she's talking about her like takeout speed. And if Lisa doesn't make that pack, who's she swimming with? Is she with Grace Tech? Jackie Hering: Then it's I think it's Lisa. It's Lisa and Paula and maybe Grace if she makes it. Grace is kind of hit or miss, like she's sometimes many times with me, but then sometimes she makes it up there. So Alice: Yeah. Right. Ahead. Yeah, I found that with Grace, I think of Grace as being a terrific swimmer. And I think her 70, she's newer to Iron Man's. I think her 70.3 swims are way faster in comparison, if you can do that, to her Iron Man swims, if that makes sense. Like when I swim against when I do a 70.3, I'm a lot farther back from her than say her recent Iron Man swim times. I'm a lot closer to that. So I think Jackie Hering: Yeah. Alice: I think like she her ceiling is actually pretty high for how fast she could swim in a Iron Man, but yeah. Jackie Hering: Yeah, so it'll be interesting. That could be it's really gonna be interesting to me to see if Chelsea can magically stay on with Marta because remember in Kona, Chelsea came out like with Holly, with Marta, with that front group. Granted, that may or may not have affected her blowing the smithereens on the bike, swimming that hard. or maybe she would take it more conservative and then it would be her, Lisa. Alice: Yeah. yeah. yeah. Right. Right. Right. Yeah. Jackie Hering: Maybe Grace and Paula. Alice: It's so fascinating. Like, are groups gonna form or are they not? Because all these people could be kind of solo, but I think you're right. I think that they're I think you're right with that group. But then, you know, okay, so then is Grace alone or is she with Tamara? I think of Grace as a faster swimmer than me, but I think of Tamara as being like the same as me, maybe a little behind. And so I'm like, okay, is Tamara just gonna be off on her own? Because if you look at the list. It's either those people we've talked about and then everyone else swims over an hour. Jackie Hering: Yeah. Right. There may be a couple stragglers around that fifty six, fifty, seven, fifty-eight. But I don't like to hang out there, Alice. I don't like to. Alice: Yeah. Yeah. Which is my little sweet spot. That's where you and I like to hang out. But I was surprised they're I know you don't like to I like to hang out there. I think it's I like my little fun fact is like no matter where I line up on a start line, I could be nowhere near you, Jackie. Not even thinking about you. I will end up on Jackie's feet. No matter what. It's great because you're faster than me. So if I get your feet, I'm like, I'm having a great swim. Jackie Hering: Yeah. Yeah. Which is I think you take it out faster than me somehow. Well not somehow. You just it just does. It just happens. Yeah. Okay. Alice: I think I do too. I just do. And then I get your little feet. Okay, anyway. so that'll be really interesting. And I think, you know, will it affect the race a ton? I don't know, 'cause as we were saying, like the bike is really challenging and this is kind of gonna where be where it potentially'll split up a ton. So Jackie Hering: Yeah. This is a type of course where it's like sometimes you ride with someone, but then oftentimes it makes you go out of your comfort zone, maybe a little more than you want to. Alice: Right. Totally. And there's spots where you can ride with people, like the bottom of the Keen Descent and kind of like into J. It's like pretty flat and rolling and you like can get a group. But then there's times where it's like there's not even any like draft benefit here. So like we're riding together for like entertainment purpose. And then as you said, you're like outside of yourself. So it'll be interesting to see like what comes of that. Jackie Hering: I love riding with people for entertainment purposes. I'll actually just smash myself for fun just to not be alone. I'll do it. I mean, Grace, honestly, I can say racing with Grace, she is gotten a lot stronger this year. I think she's really leveled up. Yeah. Yeah. Her biking is stronger. So she I think will do well. And probably. Alice: I know you do. Love that. Jackie Hering: Stay ahead of tomorrow. but right up front, I think Alice: Yeah, I think so too. Jackie Hering: Really Paula could have a good friend in Lisa Perter. I think yeah. Alice: Yeah. And you know, it's interesting. I was looking at last year's times. Marta outrode Lisa. However, Lisa had a penalty and still only was, I think, two seconds behind Marta. but I mean both Lisa and Marta outrode Solvay last year, which is something to say. But that's last year's race. But just something to say, Lisa rode great last year. So I think she just really does well on this sort of course. Jackie Hering: Yeah. Alice: And I do think Paula and her could hang. Jackie Hering: And Marta and and Marta too, maybe if they catch up to her. Alice: Yeah. Yeah. I think they'll catch her. I think my theory is that Lisa and Paula will somehow like get together, catch Marta, and then there's we'll see. Like it like it's kind of we don't know how Paula's gonna play this course. Is she gonna go really strong up the hills in the first lap and try to like get ahead of people or is she gonna be like I don't know, she's never done an Iron Man. So is she gonna like stay within herself to then, you know, we don't know. Jackie Hering: Yeah, I actually have no clue her level of self control for something like this because I think she would have a lot of fun. Like she likes to ride up hills fast. And that's what she's good at. And that's what Alice: yeah. Yeah, exactly. I wrote, Paula is incredible in the hills. Jackie Hering: Yeah. So if she can like keep keep it dialed back a little bit, I think it would probably be smart because, you know, if she wants to go throw some grenades, she can do that on the second lap. Alice: Yeah. Totally. As I said, finish that first lap, knowing you can crush the second and then make your time up mile like ninety-five on. So who knows? But and then I guess an important people we haven't mentioned, like how are how's Rachel gonna do? Who's gonna be up there? And she's a pretty solid cyclist. Like, are people gonna catch her? Is she gonna then stick with people? And then Chelsea too is a little un unknown for us as well. We don't really know how she's been riding. Jackie Hering: Yep. We don't know anything. She hasn't finished a race since August of last year. Alice: Wow, there's a fun fact. Well, it's not really fun, but there's a fact. No. Wow. So this is huge. And then I don't know if you know this. Okay. So I looked it up. There's I'm jumping ahead. There's four KQs, but like so many people have How does Chelsea's work? Like, is she one of those people who won Kona so now is like forever in Kona and she just has to finish? Does she not even have to finish? I I get confused with the rules they change. Jackie Hering: Fun fact it's not fun for her, but it is a fact. She has to finish to valid to validate. And it's I think she's the last year. She was twenty twenty two that she won it. I think that's the final year where they have this like validation rule. Everybody else, I think, has to like re earn it or something. Alice: Okay. Okay. Rule. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I thought so too. Okay, so she just has to finish. On Ooh, I'm blanking on what it's called. Tri Ranking. Is that what it's called? Tri Ranking? They have something called everyone has KQs next to who have and hers says I think AQ. So I was just wondering what that even meant. Jackie Hering: Yeah. I think it just means auto qualify. Alice: But you're saying she hasn't even finished a race since August twenty twenty five. So we obviously know she has to finish this run to be able to go to Okona. So that's fascinating. Jackie Hering: That's the that's it. So so maybe that'll cause her to like you know, you wanna make sure you finish so you're not gonna do stupid stuff. It was like it's actually the way that probably most people should race an Iron Man. It's what I did. Yeah. It's what I it was like how I was in Texas, which was like it's like a slight maybe bit more of caution. Alice: Will it make a race different? Yeah, exactly. Exactly. Not do stupid stuff. Jackie Hering: But also like you know you're gonna do the steps necessary to get to the finish line. And you're not gonna do anything that would like make you go past anywhere where you're like risking not finishing, pretty much. Alice: Yeah. Right, totally. Yeah, so that could like just the fact that she has to do that, that's like a really interesting thing to think about with her race and like what her mindset is with that. Or is she like fired up because she hasn't finished race since August and she's like, I'm gonna prove to the world. Who knows? We don't know. Unless you have insights to text her. Just kidding. And then there's no like Uber bikers that I could see coming from the like little bit of slower swimmers. So there's no one who's gonna be like plowing through the field that I can see. And then this is where like Jackie Hering: Yeah, we do not. Right. No. Alice: No pressure on her, but like whatever Tamara does, because we know she can run a 240. So she can minimize her gap, you know. Jackie Hering: Was it I think no, this was her second Iron Man. Last year it was her second one. She did Texas, I think where she was like really conservative, and then this one. So I'm interested if she's getting braver or whatever at Iron Man and she's gonna maybe try to like push the bike a little more and then see what would happen. So that might affect her run a little bit. Cause Alice: Yeah. Yeah, more confident. Yeah. And she has a KQ, she got it in what, New Zealand? Yeah. Jackie Hering: Yes. Yeah. So this could roll. I mean, depending like right now all the qualified people could potentially finish like in the top six if everybody does their thing. So it could be like seven, eight, nine, tenth place. Alice: Crazy. It could roll deep. Yeah. Yeah. Pretty cool. Totally. Mm-hmm. Jackie Hering: That would be cool for those girls. Yeah, so there is something to fight for. If you're like back in twelfth, like you gotta grind her home and see if you can get a Kona spot. Alice: And that's fun. Like it keeps the race really interesting, you know, beyond top three, beyond top four, beyond top five. So that'll be fun to like be watching on the tracker, kinda like who who could get that KQ. But anyway. Jackie Hering: Well, do you rem do you remember last year it rolled to like twentieth? Alice: Yeah, that was at Placid 20th. I think 'cause like some gals didn't show up to the award ceremony and others had and then yeah, that was pretty crazy. And that's actually happened, I think, the year we both raced as well. I think that happened. Maybe. I don't remember. But Jackie Hering: yeah, maybe that was two years ago 'cause not everyone wanted to go to Nice. Alice: maybe. But I do know the two girls who were, you know, twentieth, whatever. Maybe it wasn't that far down, but who got the slots last year to Kona. I do know both of them. So Yeah. Yeah. So all is to say if you're listening and you're a pro woman, show up to the awards ceremony because you never know. But yeah. So then we're on to the run. And this is, you know, where it's decided and has been where it's decided like every year. Do you have a Jackie Hering: That's crazy. All right, twentieth place. Don't give up. Yeah. Yeah. Alice: Like Sylvay, I think I was looking wait, I wrote it down. She came off five and a half minutes down in T two last year and then still one. So that's kinda cool. It's not over till it's over. Yep. Jackie Hering: Yep, it's not over till it's over. And with with this field, I mean I said this on the on your left podcast. I feel like with these top five ladies, Lisa, Chelsea, Marta, Tomorrow, Grace, and Paula, like it could go any which way, pretty much. Alice: yeah. Yeah. And Rachel. Like I wanna throw Rachel out there. Like she unfortunately gets injured. Like she has that's like stopped her from racing a lot. But girl can swim. She has improved so much on the bike. And her run is actually like really coming around if she's healthy. So she'll she'll be in the I think she'll be in the mix of it, at least coming off of T two. And I think she'll hang. But yes, you're right. Like she's not raced as much or as frequently as some of the others, but Jackie Hering: Yeah. Alice: Yeah. Jackie Hering: Well, she'll definitely be in the mix. She's extremely strong. She used to be she was a ten K open water swimmer. Alice: Yeah. Super strong. I know. Talk about a mindset. Yeah, I really love racing her. I know. I like racing her. I really also just like being at races with her because she's so sweet. But we're not picking favorites based off that. But yeah, no, who knows what'll come of this. If we were, then I would actually really struggle because I actually all of these gals are great. But Jackie Hering: Like she's an absolute be she's a beast. And she's so sweet. I yeah. I do have. But if we were Alice: Marta ran a three two last year compared to Lisa's two fifty five, which is a really good run on this course. Two fifty-five. But we also know Lisa's not running a lot. Jackie Hering: Yeah. I don't know. Marta ran well, she had her first like sub three hour marathon, I think, or maybe not first, but she ran sub three in Texas. So if you're just under if you're just under three in Texas, you're probably gonna be over three in placid. Alice: yeah. Yeah, which last year three two. So maybe she'll be around that again. Yeah. Paula's completely unknown at this distance. Once again. We don't know. Jackie Hering: Yeah. Yeah. I'd say. We have no clue. Honestly, I I am really interested how it's gonna go for her and I hope it goes really well. I hope she can like you know how you just have to like navigate all the like different feelings and the ups and downs and all that. Yeah. Alice: Me too. Me too. The emotions. Yep. Yeah, like and to know that you could have a major down at mile eight and then feel freaking amazing at mile twelve. And like that's gonna happen a lot through the race. And I'm sure she's been told that a million times. So yeah, the ups and the downs. Jackie Hering: Yeah. Yes. Yep. The ups and the downs. so should we pick who we think we're gonna is gonna win? We don't have to. Alice: I did all these notes and then I didn't even like do a podium or anything. But no, I think that'd be fun, but as host I'll let you go first. Jackie Hering: I didn't really plan either. That question just came out of my mouth. I'm gonna go. Paula, Lisa, Grace. Alice: that's so good. my gosh, I was gonna put Grace's third because I thought that'd be fun. okay, I can't. I it's probably I should have gone first then. I'm gonna do I'm gonna do Paula. Chelsea Lisa. Jackie Hering: Mm. Alice: I just think if Chelsea's running well, she could run really well here. But like I could pick a different podium and still feel good about it. Like I really just pulled that out 'cause I didn't want there to be too much silence and I was panicking. So Jackie Hering: Yeah, for sure. That's a good shout, yeah. Yeah, cause you know I don't want to edit this anyways. Too much hassle. We cannot be bothered. Alice: I don't wanna put you through that. So I add all the names there, Eaty Meeny Mani Mo. No, I'm just kidding. There was a little education there, but Yeah. Jackie Hering: Yeah. No, I think that's that's a solid shout. It and like we said, like depending who has a good day, like who's getting their period and who's two weeks later, that's who's gonna crush it or not. Like it's just Alice: Totally. It's so true. I know I heard you say was it where was it? Texas? They're all four weeks apart. Like they really are. So if you're on the bad cycle of it. Jackie Hering: I've had bad luck this year. Like every race. Like Yeah I'm on the bad cycle. It's been painful. Alice: Yeah. Is Sweden getting you off it? Is Boise getting you off that cycle? Jackie Hering: well, here's my news. I I have a slight, I don't know if we're calling it an injury or a niggle, which never happens. I I am personally just as shocked as anybody else might be, but it's complete out of nowhere, a random pain in my lower leg, and it's like outside. Alice: not Jackie Herring, she doesn't get those. my gosh, where like shin? Ankle? Jackie Hering: Not the inside, the outside, like the anterior tip, I think tendon. Cause I did, I think it's from this one run I did. Even though that didn't really it didn't hurt really anything during it, but it was like they laid that like really tiny pea gravel on this trail that I always run on. And I was wearing like some like kind of old trainers that have no traction. And I was Alice: Mm. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Mm. Yeah. Think little slippy. Jackie Hering: And I was running, I was running fast. I was running a whole bunch of miles at like 550. And but I was slipping a lot. Like my by the end, I'm like, my hip flexors are shot. Like I've just felt like I wasn't running right because I was trying to get traction. And I was like, I kind of just felt off at the end, but no specific pain. The next day I had off randomly because Hunter was not feeling well. Alice: you were fast. Let's go. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Jackie Hering: The day after that, I didn't even think of it. So I ran my lake loop, which is like 11 and a half miles. And the last like two miles of that, I was like, my left leg just feels like heav like not right. Like it was hard to get. No, it just felt like like hard to like get my foot going. So I was like, okay. And then I went on a bike ride that afternoon. And as the bike ride was going, and of course I do these big loops, as the ride's going. Alice: Yeah. So it still wasn't even specific. Yeah. huh. Jackie Hering: It's like building pain in that specific spot and by the end I could barely like pedal with that leg. And that was last week that was like a week ago at this point. Alice: I hate that. Okay, and how are we progressing in death sense? Jackie Hering: So of course like I throw I'm not used to anything hurting, so I throw the kitchen sink at it. I w like got to PT the next morning, got some needles in my calf. Alice: Yeah. Got some needles? Love needles. Jackie Hering: you know, we weren't really sure what was going on, just a whole bunch of soft tissue stuff. And I'm like, okay. I woke up the next day and I'm like, it actually feels like pretty good. So I jogged two miles very easy with the fam I was like, okay, it didn't get any worse. It just felt like a sore muscle. So I was like, okay. That afternoon I spun very easy and it was fine, like an hour. Alice: Yeah. Yeah. Jackie Hering: Sunday I rode my bike home from church and by the end of the ride riding outside terrible. Can't ride outside. Anyways. Alice: No. Whoa, you think it's just the way that you brace your foot? Jackie Hering: Something. Anyways, it's bad. I can't run. So I'm probably all that to say, this is like a tiny niggle and a will be nothing probably in a week, but I'm most likely not doing boisey because whatever. I mean Alice: my gosh. how sad. You're so smart about this though. Like when you have a niggle, you d I know, and I'll never forget, not to make this about me, when I did Eagle Man last year, and I should not have done Eagle Man, like my Achilles was real even Oceanside when I did Ocean when I raced last year. Let's just put it that yeah. Jackie Hering: I'm like the queen of caution. Actually in our training camp in February. Alice: Yeah, yeah. You're like, why is it? But it wasn't and I was like, 'cause I'm trying to have a baby. But anyway, I was like, I need to race, because what if I get pregnant? And then obviously I didn't. But Yeah, so I yeah, so you're smart because I probably should have never done Ocean Side, should have never done Texas and should have never done Eagle Man and then had to take off until Kona. But Jackie Hering: Yeah. I was like, why don't you just stop for a few days? Yeah. That's the that's the thing I'm trying to avoid is I don't want it to spiral. I I'm on the mindset and generally why I think I don't really get injured is when something is off. I just like want to nip it in the bud right away and just take a week off running, get all get the PT, like get this thing sorted out so that I never have to think about it ever again. So Alice: Yeah. Right. And it's so smart. It's such a lesson to all of us too. Like that's why you've probably been able to, besides enjoying your training and all that and just having a good attitude, like why you've been able to make your career so long, because you're like listening to yourself. Yeah. So wait. Let me think about this with your pro series. How many 70 point threes have you done? Okay. Yeah. Jackie Hering: Yeah. I just don't like to do anything when stuff hurts. Like it's not pleasant for me. If if I was in pain. Yeah, so I've done two. So I have two. They're just crappy scores. So the idea of Boise, they're there. The idea of Boise was to try to replace one of those, which I think I would get a better score. Cause there's like Solving and Taylor aren't there. So that would have helped. but you know, if I'm in pain I'm I'm maybe I wouldn't get a better score because maybe I would suck. Alice: But they're there. Yeah. Yeah. yeah. That's true. Yeah, and maybe I mean, like, the hope is obviously still to go to Sweden, I assume. When is that Jackie Hering: So Yeah, that that is only a month away. So we really just need to get healthy and you know, I was training really, really well. So I am and I was in extremely good shape. So I mean Alice: Okay. Yeah. So are we only swimming right now? Jackie Hering: Well, I can I put an if I put like an insert almost like a it's like a really beefy like arch support heel lift kind of where it like makes that part relax and not use it to like lift my foot. It's lifting the foot that is the pain. if that's in there, I can bike like easy and medium. So like pretty much like up to 200 watts. If I start to Yeah. Alice: Yeah, you don't like stretch things. Yeah. You can bike. Yeah. Okay. Jackie Hering: If I start to go harder, then it hurts. So Alice: Yeah. Four hour trainer ride at 200. Let's go. Just kidding. Well, I don't know. Watch Lake Placid. that'd probably make it. Yeah. Jackie Hering: I think that would fatigue it. Yeah, I mean, I think that would fatigue it too much. That's the problem. It feels like it just like can't handle like a long sustained load. So I could do Yeah, we'll see. I've got another appointment today and you know, this is I'm messaging all my injured people I know to like be like, it's okay, this happens, like Alice: Yeah. Shoot. Good. Yeah. Okay. Jackie Hering: I don't know the last time I took more than three days off running, so it's just different for me. I'm not used to it. Alice: Yeah. Yeah. It's how the cookie crumbles, I guess. It is part of it. A frustrating part of it for sure, but you're being smart. So wait, did you figure out how to get the fam to Kona? I saw your Instagram the other day. Arm and a leg. Jackie Hering: It is. that was just me that was just me complaining about life. you know, I'm I'm a travel agent as my part-time job, so I think it's fine. I think a couple different cards, you know. It was funny the messages that people sent in. It's like suck it up or leave the kids at yeah, leave the kids at home. All sorts of weird stuff. Alice: Ha ha ha. Yeah. It'll work out. no. Wait, really? what? That's really sad to me. I would never expect. It's like hate messages. Jackie Hering: Yeah. And then some are like, like you gotta you you gotta like be smart and use your points and which that is what I gotta do. So I think we'll have enough for a couple on points and I may have a kind person donating some points to cover one of the tickets, which is cool. Yes. Yeah, well they weren't hate, they were just more like, what up, this is life. I'm like, well, yeah. Alice: Yeah. incredible. Very kind person. All right, we'll take that with all the hate messages for sure. Yeah, like we're dealing with that too, sort of deal. Yeah, that's valid. Hawaii costs money to go to. Shoot. Jackie Hering: This is life. Yeah, so it does. They're just way expensive. Tickets are just way more expensive than they used to be. Alice: Yeah, they are. They really are. It's kinda crazy. But everything is. Jackie Hering: So everything is. okay, well, that's the main things. I want to do a couple little like quick hot takes on a couple of the news things that are going on, which is I am mind blown by Mike Mika Newt crashing into an ambulance. Did you hear this? Alice: fun. I know. I did hear about this. I don't know a ton. I just know that that's what happened. And then they got that little video of him. Jackie Hering: I kind of went on, I went on research rabbit hole on this, and it it's a part of the course. And this is kind of what he he talked about in his thing where age groupers are coming up one way. The ambulance was going the direction of the age groupers, but in his lane, and he was coming down a hill screaming. And it was a Yeah. And like it was around a blind corner. The ambulance is coming towards him. Like they could have Alice: let's hear it. He was like what four minutes ahead? Something crazy. Jackie Hering: Easily like head on and he could have died. Alice: Yeah, man, he looked good for that being the situation. Jackie Hering: Yeah, but instead he like quick you know, just careened off the side of it. So scary. Alice: my gosh, that's terrifying. Was it narrow or was it it was like two lane, it sounds like, and they just happened to Jackie Hering: I think that Two lane road, I don't know. I don't think England roads are wide by any means. Alice: That's valid. That's valid. Why is there an ambulance? Was it like going off? Or was it just Jackie Hering: I don't think so. I think it was just driving and probably didn't realize the course, but honestly he needs to get a lawyer, which is really sad to say because that's like some bad stuff. It might be too American of me to say, but Alice: Yeah. That's some real bad stuff. You're like, get some money out of this. No, I'm just kidding. But Jackie Hering: I v I believe that's kind of like a really bad scenario. Alice: I mean it is gonna like, you know, he didn't win the race, he therefore doesn't get that prize money, he doesn't get the sponsorship bonuses, there's all this stuff in addition to being injured, but not as not as bad as I guess it could have been, it sounds like. Jackie Hering: Being out of commission for Yeah, that's I think that that's bad news for the as whoever I don't know if that's on like the race organizers or who, but Alice: Yeah. It is bad news and like we don't want like this sort of thing to be the norm. Like you don't want to be scared that like I like races because you don't have cars on the road and because, you know, you can feel free to go fast through intersections and all this stuff. But if you're scared for, you know, ambulances and whatnot. 'Cause there was the police car. What race was it? Was it tech there was a gal I'm gonna get this so wrong. There was a gal who hit it in Dallas who hit a police car. Jackie Hering: Some Yeah, coming i at you. yeah, in in Dallas. Yeah. Alice: But that's because he was going after he okay, so a car ran the intersection. The police car started chasing the car that ran the intersection, but because he took off to chase that car, she hit him. So that one could have been prevented. but I mean, I guess they all could be prevented, but not a good thing to Yeah. Jackie Hering: Yeah, for sure. Yeah, I feel feel so bad for him. That would be just an absolute rough way to do it. actually that was the only news thing I had written down. Alice: It's horrible. Yeah. Hot goss Jackie Hering: I have no other gossip. I don't have any gossip at all. Alice: boy. Well, I don't want you to give away any inside scoop you have here, but I will say I was really sad not to see Holly on the Lake Placid start list. That was sad. And I know you mentioned it briefly with Lisa, but we don't have to get into it because I know you're friends with her in chat. But that's a bummer. That means no Kona. Unless she's going to Sweden with ya. Jackie Hering: Yes, Holly I don't think she's announced her plans, but I can say like Alice: Okay. Don't want to put you in an uncomfortable situation. Like yeah. Jackie Hering: That's fine. I'll say a little bit, which is she had an injury that she sustained during the T100 in Spain. And then she tried to do hamburg. And that that injury was part of the reason that she couldn't finish hamburg. And she was trying to manage that. And I think is just running into some issues. So yeah. So I think it is kind of yeah, it is it is hard for her because I know she Alice: Yeah. Okay. Yeah. I figured. Mm. Bummer. That's disappointing. Jackie Hering: wanted to have kind of like redemption 'cause she had I mean, Placid was her first, but I think she, you know, has some demons to slay. Sh I don't think that went like I don't think particularly well for her there. So I think she was looking for some redemption there. So Alice: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, and had a happier race, it sounds like in Kona. So then you kinda like wanna relive that feeling and be like, Okay, Iron Man's not always like brutal to an extent. Jackie Hering: Yeah. Right. Yeah, so yeah, maybe she'll put some news out there, but sometimes she is not as for vocal yeah, vocal with her plans, because I don't know. She doesn't need to be. And sometimes, like yeah. Well, as she she has taught me many things. I've learned a lot from Holly. You know, world champions have different stuff going on than we have, and part of that includes like Alice: Vocal, yeah. She doesn't need to be. Whatever. I mean, you know me, I don't have a filter, so I'm like, this happened to me. This is happening to me. Yeah. Yeah. Jackie Hering: They have bigger deals with sponsors and they have to like be a little more protective, I think, of what's going on to like maintain some of these relationships, quite honestly. So I think for us it's like you know, a little more chill, maybe. So yeah. I think Alice: Yeah. Yeah, that checks. Yeah. And maybe sponsors want different things out of us. You know, us being a little less chill might be more like our vibes. But yeah, that's too bad. Good vibes. Jackie Hering: Maybe so. They're just looking for vibes. Yeah. Yep. So we'll see what happens. I mean, I'm just glad I got my Kona spot before my freak leg started being a freak and not doing what it's supposed to. Dude, I don't think you're making it. Alice: Yeah. Do you know that I have a conosat? I don't think I'm gonna be there, guys. Yeah. I don't know. I took it in Arizona 'cause I wasn't really sure how this was all gonna go for us and I was like, I'm keeping my options open, but it's kind of funny to see that like I'm sometimes I'm some I'm sometimes occasionally listed in things and I'm like, guys I'm still getting emails for drug testing and whatnot. And I'm like, Are you guys really gonna come find me? Like, it's kind of a waste of your money. Jackie Hering: Yeah. Right. Yeah that's funny. They might. I remember when they came when I was like, it one time sticks in my mind when I was like in the thick of it. Like when Hunter was t no, but it was when it labor might have been better, because then at least I was like in one spot. It was when like Hunter was two and Sky was a brand new baby. And I remember like Mark was gone. I'm trying to feed this baby, take care of this toddler. Alice: I thought you were gonna say in labor. Yeah. Yes. Jackie Hering: And the drug tester shows up and I just like started crying. I'm like, I can't do not do this. She's like, Alice: Cannot do this right now. Jackie Hering: we just need blood and urine. I'm like, we no. I have nothing left to give. that's hilarious. Alice: Too much. Too much, lady. Too much. All right. I gotta be better about updating it then. I should I should update it. I didn't say anything about me being in I should probably shouldn't make this public. I didn't say anything about me being in placid 'cause we like didn't know when we were going. And I guess that's when they would stack you down. But they have bigger fish to fry in placid, I would hope. So but yeah, it's Jackie Hering: You would think, well just chuck it in there and then if they feel like tracking you down, you can just get to confirm pregnancy. Alice: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah. this is just I don't know if you know the answer. So obviously I'm not racing this year. My last race was November twenty twenty five. I did re-up my pro license with USAT for twenty twenty-six because again I like didn't know what was gonna happen. I didn't pay anything through Iron Man because I could have done that if I'd signed up for a race. Jackie Hering: Yeah. Yeah. Alice: Were you ever out for that long that like you'd have to worry? Like, how does it work with your pro license? Cause I have a January baby, so that's then all of kind of 2027. You know, that would be two-ish years. We have to like re-call. Jackie Hering: I think it's like I think you're fine. I mean No. I think you just r are gonna reap reapply. I think it's two or three or four years. It's a long it's a long time. I'm sure I'm sure there is. Yeah. Or you can just straight up email and say, Look, it takes practically two years to get pregnant and have a baby. You can't magically Alice: Four? I wonder if there's a maternity clause in there. That would be smart to put that in there. It's probably something I could look up, but Yeah. Mm. Yeah. Yeah. It's just something I was thinking about. I was like, I'm not gonna have a race on there for a minute, but unless I pull like a Holly and a Sky and race, you know, ten months after, but I don't know. Jackie Hering: Just start racing. I wouldn't put it past ya. You're equally as crazy as them. Alice: I'm taking that as a major compliment. Thank you. Yes. Mm-hmm. Thank you. Jackie Hering: It is. Yes. Yes. it's a very great compliment. you're gonna do great. And you guys are gonna be great parents. And I can't wait for January, but you gotta you gotta journey before then. Yep. Yep. All right. Well, we gotta wrap it up here. Thank you for coming on the show. I shall publish this tomorrow morning, Friday morning, in case people wanna listen before like placid, they can. Alice: thanks. I got a ways to go. I got a ways to go. Yeah, yeah. Cool. Yeah, so fun. Wow. Yeah, get that Lake Placid hype up. Jackie Hering: Yeah. All right. Well, thanks for chatting with me, Alice. And thanks everybody for listening. If you want to go follow Alice's journey, you can find her on Instagram. And yeah, of course, follow along with the Women's Race Pod. New episodes every week. Okay. Bye bye. Alice: Course. Okay. Yeah function.