In The News

Spring is in the air and daylight savings times is around the corner. 2021 is showing promise of new racing, new adventures, and new growth in so many ways. But, much like a computer, our brains work on neural pathways and connections. When the computer (brain) is bogged down with too many applications (distracting thoughts), the efficiency to perform tasks (motor planning and executive functioning) becomes compromised, well and then errors develop. We challenge you to "reset" the brain and "refocus" on all of the growth and goodness to come. Communicate, Collaborate, Visualize, and above all great posture!!! Yes, it is true, walk tall and proud my friend. We challenge you to recommit together! Take that step and create a fantastic VISION FOR YOUR FUTURE! #visionforyourfuture #resetandrecommit #racingwillreturn #togetherwewill #endurancetraining

ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT: If you see Emma Quinn on the race course today (in Va Beach) don't forget to tell her Happy Birthday! Emma serves our country in the armed forces races with the Marine Running and Triathlon Team. One of the hardest workers we know that sets her goals and dreams high. Today is she back to racing in the Tidewater area and celebrating a new age group! Happy Birthday Rockstar! #coachsamisrockstars #fusionathletespotlight #passionforperformance #visionforthefuture #happybirthdayrockstar

A Double Dipping Day!

Find your way from your comfort zone to your courage zone. Small changes yield big results. Let's do this together. What are some of the small changes that you have made in your training that yield huge wins? Let's hear from everyone. #mondaymusings #comfortzonetocouragezone #sportsperformance

Who completed the challenge of the greatest mythical Tour in 2021? We had a great start to our cycling training for the year and built mental stamina and grit! Who else achieved Honour, Glory and Victory? Angela Nichols Leonard, Stephanie Prufer Jolinda Bokhorst Jennifer Walker Barnette , Kelsey Kinzy, Lisa Farmer Macpherson TriRiot, Lisa Zoeteman Melanie Hicks Meadows Michael Jones. TOUR DE SUFFERLANDRIAN ROCKSTARS! #tourdesufferlandria2021 #passionforperformance #visionforyourfuture #endurancelifestyle

Fusion Endurance Introduces their most awesome strength Coach. Brandon develops our group strength plan, as well as develops individualized plans for athletes wanting a bit more personalized approach. Brandon started with Fusion in September of 2020 and athletes are seeing great results. Check out his bio below, but give him a huge shout out today! Today is his Birthday and we celebrate you, Brandon! #passionforperformance #visionforyourfuture #strongerandwiser #strongerandfaster #personalize Brandon is a US Marine veteran and served multiple tours to Afghanistan between 2008 and 2013. He graduated from UNCW with a degree in exercise science and is currently finishing my Doctorate of Physical Therapy at Western Carolina University, with a sports rehab specific program in Tucson, AZ. He is a NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and has been in the strength and conditioning field for over 10 years for various athletes (predominately military, first responders, endurance, weightlifing, powerlifting, and rugby). His current project (Change The Game Performance) has been creating an online platform to create concurrent strength programs and education for runners, triathletes, and endurance athletes of all levels.

Happy Birthday Coach Brandon.

Fusion Endurance welcomes Coach Harrison Brown to the team! This weekend he is an athlete as he takes on the Oak Island Half Marathon, but all other weekends he is a fantastic swim coach in Greensboro, NC and the newest. member of the Fusion Team. Harrison has been competing in triathlons at the local and national level since 2012. Originally from Charlotte, North Carolina he began his competitive career as a year-round swimmer and transitioned to competitive triathlons while studying at the University of North Carolina–Wilmington. After graduating in 2015 with a degree in physical education, he taught for New Hanover county public schools before becoming a full-time coach with STAR Aquatics in Greensboro in 2018. As a blend of his teaching experience and years competing, Harrison’s coaching philosophy prioritizes education and long-term enjoyment within the sport before anything else. He says while competing, succeeding, and bettering himself is important, the true benefit of triathlon is it has given him something he can enjoy individually and in community for his entire life. This lifelong love for health, wellness, and community enjoyment is what he truly strives to pass on to other athletes. Harrison is currently a USA Triathlon Level 1 certified coach and also a USA Swimming certified coach and is accepting new athletes for the 2021 year!! Welcome Harrison to the team! #newteammember #visionforyourfuture #lovesshortcourse #joinourteam

Happiness is a race start line. We celebrate the journey and we celebrate you! Have a wonderful day and stay dry! Soar onward and upward! #coachsamisrockstars #visionforyourfuture #passionforperformance #endurancelifestyle

Be Specific, Be Resilient, Keep it Social! Join Fusion Endurance for a pretty awesome journey. Every Friday we will highlight what remarkable athletes are doing during 2021 to find their VISION for their future. We'll introduce the coaches and let you get an inside peek at how they can guide you to well, just be the best you. CHECK OUT PAGES 80-82 :-). Some great advice to get started on your journey. Coach Sami is truly honored to be in such great company with some truly amazing athletes. Happy Reading! #visionforyourfuture #passionforperformance #theXTRIlife #coachsami https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.yumpu.com%2Fen%2Fdocument%2Fread%2F65282715%2Fthe-journey-second-edition%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR2GPlfzrHdl0HqHJzH7p9_PrWCtlO-m5DDMgbe5VuU-n5sAqMF6eE5LH40&h=AT3mViRgEw8urf8LTgtdmabKCKZXIwLzwSgcy_8EiFKp_plhm2mXfEgiUEsksrODF04VKmIOdv3v13JRXu7-MRvAxC0-Xg2_sJpNHd0vpiLctz0AeivTR--p7C0t8HAjRHv7XA&__tn__=-UK-R&c%5B0%5D=AT3-5pDgJSHetlF9COngmnK_5xZc3NUBWQDf4-dbl7pGV9PK5oWjs5SuklCt9mz-htcGYggItEDUg6qHtz8i4932mT-sk3NmwILHu94gyKkjUp0qFsDsijtjHXAP050x6xGlU5Wbls-MeFiKUn-wKPywB1YYu1IewyrZCRfpnDcz8mTnRXnpXby7ue0lRhhGH_PopAFefw0BWfblcfDD4-Wp243c5UUxQA

the Journey SECOND EDITION

Some awesome Rockstars enjoying the crisp and beautiful weather. Emma wins 2nd Overall Female at the 10 miler with a 6:45 pace; Zeke and Gary win first place in the dog division at the Paws for People and Valerie does a self supported 50K!!! A beautiful weekend for racing and training. Come join Fusion on this journey of 2021! http://www.fusionendurancecoaching.com

What a glorious day for a birthday!!!! An amazing athlete with 2 70.3's scheduled for this year. Better than that she has some awesome swim and bike goals for the first half of 2021! Growing stronger every day. And she has the cutest pup!! Happy Birthday Gwen! #coachsamisrockstars #happybirthday #microgoals #bigdreams

New Year's Day as celebrated by Fusion!! 1 mile run to continue an amazing streak and a 10K PR!!!! What a wonderful and perfect day! #startingtheyearoffright #runnerstreak #10kracing #visionforyourfuture #passionforperformance #lifestyle

From our Fusion Family to yours, Have a beautiful and sparkly New Year!! The future is bright for Fusion in 2021 as we have added 2 new coaches and have a team ready to challenge themselves with their journey towards an endurance lifestyle. We are ready to rejoice in the journey, find every opportunity and LIVE LARGE! Keep sparkling everyone! #visionforyourfuture #lifestyle #passion #heresto2021

Earlier this week, we posted an article on tips to help you plan and set goals for the new year. What are yours? Tell us about your goals for 2021. Of course we love hearing about your fitness goals, but we also want to hear about your personal goals as well. Maybe travel, a new home or a move . . . whatever it might be, we would love to hear about it.

We can all agree that we've had enough of 2020 and are ready for the new year. Have you set your 2021 goals? Planning for the new year is exciting… and it can also feel a bit overwhelming. But it’s all about how you approach it, and this guide will help you plan your goals for the new year with ease. https://www.eofire.com/how-to-plan-your-goals-for-the-new-year/

From our Fusion Family to yours, have a beautiful perfect holiday filled with family, fun and friendship. Happy Holidays!

No matter which holiday you may be celebrating at this time of year, it seems that almost everyone has at least one holiday tradition and we LOVE THEM ALL. Tell us what your tradition is . . . . .

Here's hoping that you are all taking a little time for yourselves, your families and friends and enjoying the holidays that are upon us. And, if that enjoyment includes a warm cocktail, well, that's ok too. Here are some fun warm cocktail recipes (just in case you need to be inspired). https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/drinks/g2976/hot-cocktail-recipes/

Hot Cocktails That Will Warm You Up

What is the hardest thing you have ever done?

Twas the second weekend in December and the best time of the year Fusion was excited for some athletes to cheer Make the weekend great filled with friendship and fun Here's hoping the weather is good and your day is bright as the sun! #safeCovidracing #inpersonracing #amazingathletes #coachsamisrockstars

Roll call - where were you born and where do you live now? Please play along; we are curious.

Roll call - who has started their holiday shopping? Or maybe, who has finished their holiday shopping? And, go . . . . .

Some great tips on how to warm up for a cold weather workout: https://www.drkushwaha.com/environment/warm-cold-weather-workout/

Winter running season is notorious for its challenges. The snow, wind, ice, darkness, and of course – the cold weather. This article gives us some great breathing tips for cold weather running: https://runninforsweets.com/breathing-tips-for-cold-weather-running/

Three Breathing Tips for Cold Weather Running | Runnin’ for Sweets

A throwback to 1 year ago, but we get to race again!!! Let's "blast off" to a super fun marathon weekend! Grateful to watch such strong athletes enjoy doing what they love. Christina Vazquez have an amazing Space Coast Marathon and you deserve a PR kinda day! #spacecoastmarathon #coachsamisrockstars #runfree #fromnursetorunnerallinaweek #consistency

Roll call - who is traveling this Thanksgiving? And, are you flying or driving. Let's hear it . . . . .

Well, the holidays are definitely upon us. We know that during these busy times, it's sometimes difficult to keep up with your workout routine. This article shares some hints on how to stay active throughout the season: https://inaroundmag.com/latest/maintain-workout-routines-during-the-holidays/#:~:text= Maintain workout routines during the holidays ,daily schedule to fit in gym... More

What's your favorite Thanksgiving dish? Is this a family tradition that goes way back, or something you adopted more recently. We want to know (and there will be extra points if you include pictures) . . . .

Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Check out these healthy(ish) side dish recipes: https://www.bonappetit.com/gallery/healthy-thanksgiving-sides

Did you play youth sports as a child? If so, which sport? We want to hear from you.

And here's to 2021!!! Limited spots and get registered.

IRONMAN 70.3 North Carolina

Earlier this week we posted an article about some of the interesting (or strange) things that may go on at a gym. Now we want to hear from you. What have you witnessed while working out OR, if you are brave enough, tell us something strange (out of the ordinary) that you do or have done while at the gym. We can't wait to see your replies. And, go . . . . .

You just never know what you may see while at the gym. Today's article may just make you giggle a bit . . . . https://www.bodyandsoul.com.au/fitness/workouts/a-guy-started-doing-situps-naked-on-the-locker-room-floor/news-story/00ca2b7495239b2df9947bd9cb481600

'A guy started doing sit-ups naked on the locker room floor'

1% better everyday!!! Dream! Believe! Anything is Possible. Congratulations Chris.

IRONMAN

There are many benefits to physical activity and team sports for kids. They include physical, educational, emotional and social benefits. Check out this article explaining these benefits for youth (and for adults as well): https://www.aspenprojectplay.org/youth-sports-facts/benefits

Halloween is a holiday celebrated each year on October 31, but how much do you really know about it's ancient origins. Here's a little Halloween history lesson: https://www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween

Halloween 2020

Happy Birthday to You!!! Fusion Endurance Rockstar, Ali, celebrating today and everyday. Celebrating fitness, strength, dreams, goals and aspirations. 2021 and beyond have some magic wrapped up inside. Have a wonderful day Rockstar! #dreamsandgoals #imbqandmore #endlesspossibilities

On Top of the World!!! Some Fusion Rockstars conquering the Summit of Mt. Diablo. Truly on top of the world. Always finding new challenges and room to grow. Way to go Rockstars! Betsy Baum Block Stephanie PruferKelsey Kinzy...Congrats on an amazing day! #coachsamisrockstars #summit #topoftheworld #newchallenges

Photos from Fusion Endurance Coaching's post

What do you listen to while working out? Do you have a favorite playlist? And if so, what type of music does it consist of? A favorite song? Or, maybe you like to pass the time with a great podcast or audio book. Who knows, maybe you even suffer in silence. We want to know . . . . . tell us what you listen to (or don't listen to) while working out.

Listening to music while working out is a great way to make the time pass more quickly and to take your mind off of the pain of it all ;). Check out Time Magazines list of the 50 best workout songs of all time: https://time.com/5502429/best-workout-songs/

The 50 of the Best Workout Songs to Motivate You

Fusion Endurance missed 2 special birthdays last week and that means we missed 2 awesome reasons to celebrate in 2020! Hope Chief Petty Officer Shay Hutchings and Rockstar Kelsey Kinzy had Happy Birthdays! Two awesome athletes ready to shine on in 2021. Looking for adventures and continuing to improve in 2020. Have an amazing birthday month :-)!! #happybirthday #celebrateyou #octoberbirthdays

Photos from Fusion Endurance Coaching's post

A bit chilly this morning here in NC, but sounds like a beautiful day to be able to race! Return to racing in 2020 continues Onward and Upward! Enjoy Rockstars! #returntoracing #trilife #coachsamisrockstars

If you could have one super power, what would it be? This is going to be fun - please play along.

Improper shoe sizing and shape are the primary cause of ingrown toenails, bunions, corns, hammer toes and hallux valgus. Shoes that don’t fit your feet correctly can also lead to muscular imbalances in the body, opening the door to foot, knee and hip injuries. Take a look at this article from Runners World discussing the importance of proper running shoe fit: https://www.runnersworld.com/advanced/a20796654/proper-shoe-fit/

Rockstar Jolinda Bokhorst takes on the IRONMAN Virtual KONA edition and is doing the first Iron Distance on the island of Curacao! Kona Dreaming and next year on the Big Island! #konadreaming #curacao #gojolindago

Happy Birthday to a Fusion Rockstar!! An awesome runner, triathlete and a great running buddy for Coach. After 5 marathons she qualified for the Boston Marathon is just patiently waiting for that amazing opportunity. Lisa Farmer Kerr, hope you have an amazing day and can't wait to celebrate it with a run! #runningrockstar #bostonmarathon #coachsamisrockstars #happybirthday

Earlier this week, we shared recipes for pumpkin muffins. After all, isn't pumpkin spice kind of it's own season. We have winter, spring, summer and pumpkin spice. But we know that not everyone loves it. It seems that nobody is on the fence with their feelings for pumpkin spice. You either love it or you hate it. So, which is it, do you LOVE pumpkin spice or do you HATE pumpkin spice. We're curious to see which will get more votes.

Happy Birthday to a go getter, planner, coach and student. YES, she decided to go back to school and has found her true calling, all while fitting in her own training and being an awesome Mom to her 2 boys. A throwback picture to who knows how long ago, but hope you create more awesome memories today! Kelli Nolan Kerkhoff have a wonderful Rockstar kinda day! #happybirthday #coachsamisrockstars #throwback

Nothing says October like pumpkin. Check out some of these delicious pumpkin muffin recipes: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipes/2010/bread/quick-bread/muffins/pumpkin-muffins/