Episode #8 - Sisters Before Blisters - Just the Sisters

Sisters Before Blisters: Chafing the Dream | Episode Update — Wins, Fears & Race Day Plans

Three sisters. Three countries. One 70.3 Ironman. Cheryl (Canada, bike), Christine (USA, swim), and Colleen (Germany, run) check in with a real, unfiltered update on where training actually stands right now.

This episode covers the honest stuff — crinkly knees during squats, soccer seasons eating into run training, shoulder rehab, flooded rivers, and the very real challenge of finding time to train when you've got kids, a move to Kansas potentially on the horizon, and a memorial service to host.

The sisters also dig into their biggest race day fears (spoiler: nobody wants Christine to drown), their individual game plans for getting through their legs of the race, and what's stuck with them from the expert guests they've had on so far — from wetsuit etiquette to pelvic floor health to finding your family in the crowd with a giant bunch of helium balloons.

There's also a conversation about what it means to be aging athletes who played hard and maybe didn't have the science to back it up — no regrets, but a whole lot of "we wish someone had told us about hamstrings."

Oh, and the Au Sable River Canoe Marathon is officially on the dream board for 2028.

In this episode:

• Training wins and setbacks from all three time zones
• Race fears, game plans, and personal goals
• Training around real injuries (ACL history, knee swelling, shoulder rehab)
• A future event the sisters are eyeing for 2028
• Monthly step challenge results
• Would You Rather with the sisters
  
  Timestamp:
  
  00:00 Meet the Sisters
  00:55 Episode Setup and Agenda
  02:11 Christine Update and Knee Scare
  06:12 Colleen Update and Kansas Move
  08:39 Cheryl Update and Memorial Prep
  11:14 Next Big Idea Canoe Challenge
  17:18 Training Reality and Weather Talk
  25:31 Race Day Fears and Safety
  30:16 Game Plans and Race Goals
  34:59 Race Day Goals
  36:33 Training Updates
  37:17 Expert Takeaways
  41:35 Training Around Injuries
  45:59 Aging And Staying Active
  47:47 No Regrets Just Lessons
  53:03 Steps Challenge Recap
  54:08 Shoutouts And Race Plans
  55:58 Would You Rather Game
  01:04:10 Mood Meter And Mantras
  01:05:50 Final Wrap And Next Episode
  
  
  

The race is September 2026. Follow along every month.

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