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Andrea Suarez

@couch2achallenge

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👋 I started this acct when training to 🚴 56 mi at the St. George IM. Then 1st century🚴🏼‍♀️ 1st 1/2 🏃🏻‍♀️ STP next. Personal @thai_andreasuarez

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Running musings. As I looked down at my watch struggling to finish my 1 minute interval it felt time had stopped. It reminded me of the concept of chronos and kairos mentioned in the book 10x is Easier than 2x. The quality of your time changes depending on what you fill it with. By the end of the year, if you are filling your minutes with time stopping moments, the quality of that year would be rich, gratifying, and transformative. Go for the time-stopping moments. #womenfortri #tritraining #10x #10xiseasierthan2x #time #kairos by @couch2achallenge

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6 months ago

Tour de Palm Springs 2026. This year I did 58.8 miles with no training and boy have we come a long way. Two years ago I couldn’t have done it. But this year I did it easily and had @riveracarbone and his friend Ben to ride with for the first half. Everyone rode at their own speeds in the second half and our finish times corresponded to our various age groups 😂 It was a great first ride of the year and I’m excited to train for this year’s #stp Anyone want to join me??? by @couch2achallenge

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8 months ago

Sometimes giving yourself the permission to do the BARE MINIMUM is what you do to do so much more. Reminding myself that I’m here for a good time not a fast time was what I needed today. I had a million reasons not to get out of the house today, let alone run. My back hurts, it’s that time of the month, I am behind schedule, I need to pack for a bucket list trip…it keeps going. But all it took was a decision to do one small thing “move your body.” And then I negotiated myself INTO a run instead of out of it. From “move your body” to “run walk it if you want” to “what about a zone 2 jog.” And next thing you know…I get to celebrate with a matcha at @coffeedosecafe by @couch2achallenge

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a year ago

Your 100% will look different from day to day. In March, my 100% was 100 miles. Yesterday, it was just over 25 miles and I had a blast at Tour de Big Bear. The views were spectacular, the weather warm with a cool breeze, and nothing beats the energy of riding with a hundred or so other cyclists, including riding with the friend who put me on this journey to begin with. (PS a little glitter ✨ makes everything more fun 😉) A very special thank you to the best pit crew and cheer squad. I am reminded everyday that I have so much to be grateful for. 🙏🏼 @yukot515 and @nhuchi by @couch2achallenge

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a year ago

2025’s big challenge - the Solvang Century ✅

It was HARD NGL.

The tough parts:
❄️it was 35 degrees when I rode from the hotel to the start line
⛰️ it’s the climb 🎵 5100 feet of it with two of the biggest ones at miles 85 and 95 … why???
🕳️ potholes galore on the bumpy country roads. My insides were rearranged
🤕right knee pain for most of the ride. After 50 miles I stopped at 7-11 to buy some Advil…it didn’t help
😱 scary winding descents

The magical parts:
🌫️ the morning fog
🏞️ the magnificent views
💨 tailwind that pushed me up some inclines
🐎 🐄 🦅 the wildlife

The best parts:
🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒 having my family there to cheer me on
🏅 the sense of accomplishment that comes with doing something really hard.

I always cry at the beginning of riding events because of the feeling of gratitude (for my body, my training, my bike, the resources that allows me to be there, and for the beauty around me), it’s always overwhelming. I cried three times on this ride. Once at the beginning. The second time at the end of the biggest climb (I didn’t quit and I didn’t get off the bike and walk when others did). And the third time when I was zipping downhill because I felt so free and alive.

Our brains have a negativity bias and it takes intentional work to savor the good moments so I am savoring it once again. One more time before we start training for the half marathon in Nashville coming up next month. LFG!

#century #cycling #roadcycling #solvangcentury by @couch2achallenge

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2 years ago

This weekend I rode my first accidental almost century (96.5 miles) at the @tourdepalmsprings . I signed up for 85 miles to prepare for what was supposed to be my first century in Solvang next month. The furthest I had ridden before this weekend was 60 miles.

Unfortunately (or fortunately) I thought I was supposed to follow the blue arrows ➡️ and after 85 miles I was at a SAG stop rather than the finish line. That’s where I learned that I still had another 15 miles or so to the finish line 😳 So I fueled up, and 🚴🏼‍♀️ I was at 96.5 miles at the finish line. Another reminder that we are capable of so much more than we think. Huge 🙏🏼 to Sarah at @whateverittakeshealth for helping me get my nutrition dialed in leading up to and during the ride.

At this time last year, I did my longest ride at the Blossom Ride in the Central Valley. It was 40 miles in the rain. If you told me I would ride almost 100 the following year, I would have called you a liar 🤥 Here we are. Now I just need to repeat this…with over 5000 feet of elevation gain next month. Anyone doing it with me? by @couch2achallenge

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Here’s your permission to pivot and find a different challenge if you need to. Even if you already said you would do something. Don’t quit because it’s hard or it scares you. Quit because something else equally hard brings you more joy. by @couch2achallenge

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2 years ago

Never miss twice. That’s it.
#nevermisstwice #tritraining #triathlon #ironman703 #womenfortri #fitness #run #swimbikerun by @couch2achallenge

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2 years ago

These legs. Never loved how they looked but they are strong. They were in pain on this interval run but I am grateful for them. These legs danced ballet for 12 years, performed on countless stages, figure skated, swam, played rugby, hiked, roamed streets on 6 continents, rode bikes, ran, and carried me forward on long walks on my darkest days. They are scarred and they are strong. Another kind of #legday #grateful #thankyoulegs #triathlontraining by @couch2achallenge

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2 years ago

Hoping this serves as proof of progress in the future. I hear that your favorite sport will move around the longer you do tris. Right now 🏊‍♀️ is my least favorite. But even so, I acknowledge progress from the first time I got in the water two years ago. I couldn’t swim 25 yards without feeling like my heart was going to explode. The thought of doing 200 non-stop seemed insurmountable. That’s my warm up now. Can’t wait to see improvement as I keep working at it. Thanks for helping me get from here to there. @joby_fc_endurance #swim #swimbikerun #swimminginplace #womentri #womenwhotri #triathlon by @couch2achallenge

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Working on keeping a certain run cadence? This was a game changer for me: Try searching @spotify for music at your desired run cadence. Any other random tip everyone knows that I don’t? Please share! #sharingiscaring #womenfortri #runrunrun #cadence #spm #bpm by @couch2achallenge

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