Mission Kona

Episode 6 of the WOMEN CRUSHING KONA Series features Kirsten Miller who competed in her first Kona this year in the 55-59 age group! Listen in to hear:Kirsten’s dream of racing on the big island,why she thought the Ironman distance was behind her, andthe mindset it required to overcome an unexpected obstacle and show up on race day despite all odds!Follow Kirsten’s journey on instagram @nourish2flourish_nutritionSupport the show Follow Mission Kona Podcast hosted by Mike & Michelle Payne: · Instagram missionkonapodcast · Do you know an age group athlete who has a great story to share? Send us a message on Instagram!

Episode 5 of the WOMEN CRUSHING KONA Series features Barbora Besperat of Czech Republic who finished 1st in the 30-34 age group and 2nd overall!Listen in to hear:how long Barbora has been racing the Ironman distancewhat she claims is her "key to success" (hint: it's a PLACE!)her run split!!!Follow Barbora's journey on instagram @barubespSupport the show Follow Mission Kona Podcast hosted by Mike & Michelle Payne: · Instagram missionkonapodcast · Do you know an age group athlete who has a great story to share? Send us a message on Instagram!

Episode 4 of the WOMEN CRUSHING KONA Series features Michelle Krebs of Switzerland who finished 2nd in the 25-29 age group and 3rd overall!Listen in to hear how:Triathlon changed Michelle's lifeWhat happened out there on the course before (ouch!) and during race dayand why her nickname is now PACMANFollow Michelle's journey on instagram @michelle_krebs94_ and check out her incredible sponsors as well: @muuvrfitness @catfp.ch @live_insiders @nutriperformxSupport the show Follow Mission Kona Podcast hosted by Mike & Michelle Payne: · Instagram missionkonapodcast · Do you know an age group athlete who has a great story to share? Send us a message on Instagram!

2023 KONA SERIES: WOMEN CRUSHING KONAWe are back with episode 3 of the Women Crushing Kona series featuring Vanessa Murray who finished FIRST in the 35-39 age group and 4th overall at the Women's Ironman World Championships with a time of 9:34:27.A native of New Zealand, Vanessa currently lives and trains in Melbourne, Australia. She finally had the opportunity to return to Kona ten years after her debut ironman on the big island. Though she had qualified many times during those ten years, it was important for her to be ready to give it her all when she returned. It's safe to say - she crushed it!Listen in to hear about Vanessa's race day, the consistent work she has put in over those 10 years, and why being a well-rounded athlete in all three disciplines earns her a spot on the top of the podium time and time again.Follow Vanessa on instagram at @vanmurraytriSupport the show Follow Mission Kona Podcast hosted by Mike & Michelle Payne: · Instagram missionkonapodcast · Do you know an age group athlete who has a great story to share? Send us a message on Instagram!

2023 KONA SERIES: WOMEN CRUSHING KONAAva Warfel finished FIRST in the 18-24 age group at the 2023 Women's Ironman World Championships in Kona with a time of 9:47. In her first race on the island Ava dominated the course, finishing with a 3:10 marathon, the 19th fastest run of the day including the professional women. What an incredible performance!Hear about Ava's introduction to triathlon, how and where she trains, as well as the areas she still strives to improve upon. She will be one to watch going forward!Follow Ava's journey on instagram @avawarfelSupport the show Follow Mission Kona Podcast hosted by Mike & Michelle Payne: · Instagram missionkonapodcast · Do you know an age group athlete who has a great story to share? Send us a message on Instagram!

2023 KONA SERIES: WOMEN CRUSHING KONAElyse Gallegos, a force to be reckoned with in the 35-39 age group, recently competed at the Ironman Women's World Championships in Kona, finishing 2nd in her age group and 10th female overall!As a busy mom of 2 young boys and recently relocating to Alabama, Elyse has had to adapt her training to work with her busy schedule while also finding her way in a new community. You will appreciate how laid back her approach is, the truth behind that "mom superpower", and how consistent hard work can set you up to have an epic race on the big stage!2023 was Elyse's 4th time competing on the big island. She shares many tips about how to race the course, what to expect, and how it all played out for her this year.You can follow Elyse's journey on instagram at @gallegoselyse and check out her sponsor @slowtwitchgoodliferacingSupport the show Follow Mission Kona Podcast hosted by Mike & Michelle Payne: · Instagram missionkonapodcast · Do you know an age group athlete who has a great story to share? Send us a message on Instagram!

In this episode, Mike shares a quick recap of his race at 70.3 Arizona (HOT!) and then we chat a bit about the 2024 Kona slot allocations at upcoming races for the men. Some fun places to grab a coffee or bite to eat if you visit the Tempe/Phoenix area for the full ironman in November:Hava Java - Cold Foam Cold Brew in their fall flavors (YUM!)Peixoto Coffee Roasters - Best coffee we've had in a while, cold brew of course!Pita Jungle - this is right downtown near race, fresh & tons of healthy options!Hundred Mile Brewing Company - also downtown near race, food and beer options were excellent! BONUS - we are friends with the owner as she is originally from Iowa :) Launching soon: the 2023 KONA SERIES!Support the show Follow Mission Kona Podcast hosted by Mike & Michelle Payne: · Instagram missionkonapodcast · Do you know an age group athlete who has a great story to share? Send us a message on Instagram!

We're back for season 2 of Mission Kona Podcast! In this episode, Mike and Michelle share some big life updates, how training and racing has looked for the past 6 months, and what's ahead for the podcast!As many know, Ironman World Championships for the women just took place in Kona on October 14, 2023. It was a fantastic race day for many ladies, a bucket list checked for others, but in all seemed to be a very positive experience to have a field of all women competing on such an epic course!Listen in to hear what's in store for SEASON TWO!Support the show Follow Mission Kona Podcast hosted by Mike & Michelle Payne: · Instagram missionkonapodcast · Do you know an age group athlete who has a great story to share? Send us a message on Instagram!

Jennifer Vollmann may not have been the first pick on the playground for a game of elementary school kickball, but what she (and others!) didn't know at that time was that she was BUILT FOR ENDURANCE!Jennifer is a mom, a triathlete, and a coach - residing in beautiful Phoenix, Arizona. Having entered the sport as a novice, Jennifer shares how her hands-on coach guided her to fully understand the sport and most importantly, to LOVE the sport. Now as a coach herself, Jennifer has a similar approach with her athletes. Building a strong foundation leads to a longer and more enjoyable triathlon career/hobby!Jennifer began racing the half ironman distance in 2017, building to the full ironman distance in 2019. She most recently finished 5th in her age group at 70.3 Indian Wells 2022 and also raced Ironman World Championships St. George and Kona in 2022! Adding arguablely the most epic achievement of the year: Jennifer WON the Starvation xTreme Triathlon in July of 2022!Ironman Texas 2023 is quickly approaching and is the first race of the year on Jennifer's calendar - she is eyeing a Kona slot. Listen in to hear how her build is going, why she loves training in AZ, and what additional plans she has to ensure she shows up to Texas stronger than ever!Follow Jennifer:www.findingendurance.com@jennifervollmannPura Vida Cycling ChallengeSupport the show Follow Mission Kona Podcast hosted by Mike & Michelle Payne: · Instagram missionkonapodcast · Do you know an age group athlete who has a great story to share? Send us a message on Instagram!

On this Host Episode, Mike & Michelle share 5 Reasons to Hire a Coach.There's no doubt that triathlon is a journey. What may start as some easy cross training from a run or sport injury can lead to a full on obsession with the sport of triathlon. Somewhere in there most of us have tried to coach ourselves. We pull a plan off the internet  or piece together what we "think" we should be doing to get stronger. With this approach, we can quickly find ourselves overtraining, spending too much time in the wrong zones, burnt out, overwhelmed, and not seeing results.Listen in to this short episode on the 5 reasons we feel a coach is important to your progression in the sport. Some you may have heard many times from athletes we have chatted with... some may surprise you!Enjoy!Support the show Follow Mission Kona Podcast hosted by Mike & Michelle Payne: · Instagram missionkonapodcast · Do you know an age group athlete who has a great story to share? Send us a message on Instagram!

BALANCE: an even distribution of weight enabling someone or something to remain upright and steadyEva Frieden joins us on this episode to share how she has found BALANCE in the sport of triathlon. We had an impactful discussion on all the elements that are important to finding sustainable success as an age group athlete. SPOILER! Having fun and enjoying what you do = LESS chance of burnout and injury! Perhaps no surprise there, but this was a really good reminder for us.Eva resides in Santa Monica, California and has been in the sport for a handful of years. Formerly a collegiate rower, she grew up very active playing a variety of sports and finding that the social aspect was something that really fueled her and kept her engaged. Now, she has completed over 10 Ironman and Half Ironman distance races! In 2022 she finished 2nd in her age group at Ironman Alaska and also earned her Kona spot, racing Ironman Hawaii in October!There's no denying that Eva is a strong athlete - mentally and physically. You'll learn a lot from how she's navigated her race schedule, her approach to training with athletes often outside of the triathlon community, and really dialed into the things that bring her joy! She's a fan of good food, good coffee, and good company!Up Next: Eva is racing the 2023 Boston Marathon - a first timer at a home race of sorts for her!Follow Eva:Instagram @evadorphinsSupport the show Follow Mission Kona Podcast hosted by Mike & Michelle Payne: · Instagram missionkonapodcast · Do you know an age group athlete who has a great story to share? Send us a message on Instagram!

Nick Modrzejewski is a name you'll remember - perhaps have difficulty pronouncing (MA-JE-SKI) - but memorable indeed!Nick resides in Champaign, Illinois, is husband to Amy, father to two, a Pastor at Illini Life, a triathlon coach at SuperFly Coaching, and a competitive age group triathlete.He has completed Ironman Florida FIVE times with finishes in the top 10 of his age group each time. His best finish at Ironman Florida was in 2021 where he finished 2nd in the 35-39 age group- this after an incredible 1st place age group finish at Wisconsin in 2021 where he secured his spot to Ironman World Championships in Kona this past October 2022.The Ironman Florida race has been a highlight race for Nick - one he likes to finish his season with. It's warm, flat, and fast! His race in 2022 may not have been all he hoped for, but with a finishing time of 9:49, it's one to be proud of - especially considering how he felt on race day, just coming off of Kona a few weeks prior, and a new baby at home! If you're considering racing this course you'll learn a lot from his Nick's experiences over the years.One thing you cannot deny -  Nick has a true love and passion for the sport of triathlon... "a good day is getting to swim, bike, and run." Simple as that. He shares how the pressures of a big goal can and DO weigh him (us) down; rather success is found when we let those expectations go and show up as our very best that we have to give on race day.Follow Nick's training and racing on Strava, or reach out via Super Fly Coaching.Support the show Follow Mission Kona Podcast hosted by Mike & Michelle Payne: · Instagram missionkonapodcast · Do you know an age group athlete who has a great story to share? Send us a message on Instagram!

We are bringing you a special episode this week around the 4th discipline of triathlon: NUTRITIONYou'll enjoy this conversation with Kathleen Oswalt, a registered dietitian who gives nutritional guidance and support to endurance athletes who want to follow a plant focused diet. Together with her husband Don, a 2x World Championship qualifier, they own eatloveTriathlon where they focus on plant-based nutrition and mindset to empower endurance athletes to fuel their body for sustained energy, endurance and quicker recovery.Kathleen shares her wisdom and experience around developing positive habits with nutrition to support your workouts and your lifestyle. As endurance athletes it's common to under-fuel or be overwhelmed with trying to eat "perfectly" - THANKFULLY there are resources available (eatloveTRIATHLON!) to help us navigate this process, support our bodies, and reach our goals.Follow on Instagram @eatlovetriathloneatloveTRIATHLON is sharing a free resource with you! The Endurance Athlete's Guide to Plant Based Eatinghttps://courses.eatlovetriathlon.com/beginners-guide-to-plant-based-eatingJoin eatloveTRIATHLON's Private Facebook group:The Plant Powered Athletehttps://www.facebook.com/groups/theplantpoweredathleteSupport the show Follow Mission Kona Podcast hosted by Mike & Michelle Payne: · Instagram missionkonapodcast · Do you know an age group athlete who has a great story to share? Send us a message on Instagram!

We are excited to bring you the third episode of the Couples Who Tri series where we sit down with couples who are both active in the sport of triathlon. Do they train together? Race together? Did triathlon unite them or did it come to be after the fact? And WHAT will a world championship race in 2 different locations look like for competitive triathlon couples?Amy & Seamus Woods live and train in Cape Cod, Massachusetts and race in the 45-49 age group. They are parents to 2 kids, so we spend some time chatting about how they manage busy lives and schedules, and how staying active has been a part of their relationship from the very start.Seamus raced Ironman Kona in 2022 and shares a recap of how he got there and how the day played out for him (SPOILER: his finish time of 9:59:59 might be the best thing ever!).Amy (fellow @iracelikeagirl teammate to Michelle!) most recently raced Florida 70.3 in 2022 after a year of battling injury. With a finish time of 5:20:33, I think it's safe to say she's BACK and more than ready for her 2023 season!Both Amy & Seamus have some great advice for busy athletes and parents, and we appreciated their honesty when it comes to balance and staying true to your own goals and dreams.Follow Amy & Seamus:@amywoodsfitness@rhymes_w_famousSupport the show Follow Mission Kona Podcast hosted by Mike & Michelle Payne: · Instagram missionkonapodcast · Do you know an age group athlete who has a great story to share? Send us a message on Instagram!

Mike & Michelle share some racing highlights from the 2022 season including huge PRs and dreams reached! Listen in to hear what races went to plan and setbacks did we have to navigate over the past year....also - what's ahead personally AND for the podcast in 2023!!!And find out Michelle's "WORD OF THE YEAR"!Support the show Follow Mission Kona Podcast hosted by Mike & Michelle Payne: · Instagram missionkonapodcast · Do you know an age group athlete who has a great story to share? Send us a message on Instagram!

We are excited to bring you the second episode of the Couples Who Tri series where we sit down with couples who are both active in the sport of triathlon. Do they train together? Race together? Did triathlon unite them or did it come to be after the fact? And WHAT will a world championship race in 2 different locations look like for competitive triathlon couples?There's a TON of good stuff packed into this episode with Kerry Girona and Andreas Moraitis. Living in Florida, both Kerry and Andreas have had a lot of success in the sport of triathlon - including many podium finishes at the 70.3 and full Ironman distances, AND an overall age group WIN for Kerry at Gulf Coast 70.3.We really enjoyed hearing how they balance training and supporting one another in their goals as they keep learning, growing, and pushing themselves to new levels - whether that looks like getting faster and stronger, or doing the most with what they have.Kerry also had the opportunity to race Kona in 2022 - her 2nd ever full Ironman distance race! She shares her build, how she was MORE than ready, but unfortunately didn't get to have that race day she dreamed of. Redemption forthcoming?!Be sure to listen in to hear their plans for 2023. Exciting things ahead for both of them!Continue to follow their journey on instagram:@kerryteamtrifox@porsche_ironmanSupport the show Follow Mission Kona Podcast hosted by Mike & Michelle Payne: · Instagram missionkonapodcast · Do you know an age group athlete who has a great story to share? Send us a message on Instagram!

Stephanie Melkonian lives and trains in Albuquerque, New Mexico and is by no means new to Ironman. One might say she was not an overnight success in the sport - but what Stephanie DOES have is dedication, grit, and undeniable passion which FINALLY led her to earning that coveted Kona spot at Ironman Chattanooga in 2022.Stephanie shares her journey - the ups and downs and the "almosts" - which created the path she was destined to follow. You may find many parallels to your own triathlon journey in her stories.We also enjoyed hearing about the awards ceremony at Ironman Chattanooga where so many women were able to accept Kona spots for 2023. Stephanie shares that the room was full of energy and the women were SO excited. This is what it's all about - lifting up each other in sport and sharing in the joy of all the hard work day in and day out to reach dreams that were not possible until now.Follow Stephanie's journey:@iron_chipmunkSupport the show Follow Mission Kona Podcast hosted by Mike & Michelle Payne: · Instagram missionkonapodcast · Do you know an age group athlete who has a great story to share? Send us a message on Instagram!

This episode kicks off our new series - Couples Who Tri!As Mission Kona Podcast co-hosts and a couple who does triathlon, Mike & Michelle thought it would be really interesting to hear how other couples navigate the sport together, what training looks like, how they came to the same sport... and SO MUCH MORE.Our first couple, Nicole & David Levenson, recently completed 2022 Ironman California. And when we say completed, we actually mean CRUSHED it! Nicole finished 2nd in the 35-39 age group with a time of 10:00:50 in her second ever ironman distance race! This also secured her a spot to Kona in 2023. David finished 18th in the 35-39 age group with a time of 10:11:47 in his very first Ironman!We enjoyed chatting with Nicole and David about their exposure to the sport, strengths, setbacks, successes, and failures that led them to an incredible race at Ironman California. You'll learn more about the course in CA, the unfortunate cancellation in 2021 due to extreme weather, and what makes it so special to share the love of the sport with your significant other.Fun fact: Nicole is ALSO a sugar cookie decorator like Michelle! There could have been a whole podcast about that, but alas this is Mission Kona ;)Follow Nicole & David:@tri_dicole@prettykittyillustrationSupport the show Follow Mission Kona Podcast hosted by Mike & Michelle Payne: · Instagram missionkonapodcast · Do you know an age group athlete who has a great story to share? Send us a message on Instagram!

Scott Iott & Mission Kona Co-Host, Mike Payne, join forces to talk through Ironman Wisconsin 2022 - the rain, the wind, the cold... but even more important the preparation, mental toughness, and fortitude to keep moving forward.Scott Iott finished 3rd in the 45-49 age group at Wisconsin. His 25th full Ironman event and 13th time qualifying for the Ironman World Championships. Scott considers IM Wisconsin his "home course" having raced it 6 times. He works in education outside of Chicago, IL and resides with his wife and 2 sons. He is also a triathlon coach - and actually - he's Mike's coach!There's a ton of information packed into this episode from Scott's start in triathlon, connections to some pretty cool people, and how his unique coaching style paired with knowledge of the Ironman Wisconsin course has translated into some spectacular results for himself and his athletes.Both Scott and Mike share the perspective on how your consistency in training and commitment to enjoying the process can make a terrible weather day work in your favor. Don't misunderstand - the day was brutal - but dealing with less than favorable conditions is just part of the game.Connect with Scott via email scottiott1102@gmail.comSupport the show Follow Mission Kona Podcast hosted by Mike & Michelle Payne: · Instagram missionkonapodcast · Do you know an age group athlete who has a great story to share? Send us a message on Instagram!

There's a good chance you've heard the official news from Ironman that the men's race in Kona for 2023 will not happen on the big island in October - instead the men's race will take place in another location on another date (to be determined in January). The women's race, however, will continue to take place in Kona as originally planned. With this announcement, we thought it would be a good opportunity for us to sit down, lay out the facts as they are, and chat about what this means for Mike (and others who had already qualified), what it means for our podcast, and how to navigate the uncertainty of it all.We also wrap up this episode talking about what our off season training has looked like and what goals we have for next race season!We hope you enjoy this "solo" episode! Or rather, "dual" episode? ;)Article from TRI 24:7: "Everyone gets what no one wants"Support the show Follow Mission Kona Podcast hosted by Mike & Michelle Payne: · Instagram missionkonapodcast · Do you know an age group athlete who has a great story to share? Send us a message on Instagram!