Strong Core

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Strong Core, Rachel Kippenbrock (@rachelkipp), a mom of three training for three Ironman 70.3 races plus a major summer bike challenge, shares what it really looks like to pursue big athletic goals while raising a family. Rachel talks about 4:30 AM workouts, feeling stretched thin, and the courage it takes to ask for help and set boundaries. This is a conversation about identity shifts, motivation versus habit, grief, growth, and the truth many women need t...

Send a text Marjaana Rakai (@tiredmomruns) grew up in northern Finland, training to be an Olympic cross-country skier. Then she hurt her back, moved to Norway, met a Canadian on a ski exchange, and spent the next two decades raising three kids across four continents, with no village or extended family nearby and a husband who traveled the world for work. Triathlon saved her. Literally. In this episode of Strong Core, Iris sits down with Marjaana, Ironman World Championship qualifier, coach, e...

Send us Fan Mail She didn’t start as an elite athlete. She started as a mom, rebuilding her identity. In this episode, Caitlin (@caitlin.thompson.tri) shares how losing one path led her to discover something deeper, a fire she couldn’t ignore. What began as a weight loss journey turned into a relentless pursuit of what she’s truly capable of. We talk about the moment everything shifted, from simply wanting to finish to choosing to compete, and what it takes mentally to stay in the race when t...