Erika Odlaug Mind-Body Wellness

Back in the US & planning more future suffering. Some snaps from last weekend.

Well, I didn’t turn out the time I wanted, but overall I felt I ran a really good race here in Nice, France at the Hyrox World Championships. Consistent & really worked my butt off. It was a ton of fun. My splits were on target, but overall had a little lag in some of my usually better stations. The little bits add up. Every second really does matter.

It’s tough when you feel like the work you put in doesn’t match the performance outcome you expect or hope for, but you don’t do it because it’s easy to figure out. You do it because it’s fun to try to find that perfect formula. As I’ve gotten older, it’s become less about pushing as hard as possible, and more about recovering better & trying to push as much as I can without being in pain all the time. I’m trying to add volume without being miserable.

I told myself to stay in the pain cave yesterday & I did. When it felt hard I pushed through. I was on the edge the entire time. But, I wasn’t on the death edge 😂 . I know there’s more if I can dig a bit deeper. I’m content knowing I gave all I could with what I had yesterday.

The stats. I’m 40, but I raced in the 35-39 age group because that’s what AG I qualified in.
I was:
26th American overall out of everyone. 74 countries are here.
I was 6th American in my age group.
I was 273/679 overall racers.
58/108 in my age group (35-39)
I would have been 32/87 had I raced in the 40-44 age group.
I am extremely proud to represent the US as a Hyrox Ambassador. I am humbled & grateful to call myself an athlete. I can’t think of another word that describes me better, though I’d also like it to be “kind”.

Thank you for the well wishes. None of it means anything at all without the phone call from your parents, your boyfriend & friends to greet you at the finish, or your family & friends to tell you they love you.

My 2nd year racing at the Hyrox World Championships as a Female Pro Individual & what an honor after the year Hyrox has had. Hyrox was named a TIME100 most influential company. The sport is growing! Special thanks to for the Friday run clubs which have definitely improved my running from chasing & for taking on some of my clients so I could focus more on my training. Hyrox has made me even more anti-social than I already was as an introvert (lol), but I’m excited for the new community of like minded athletes that I have found & what a special thing to push one another to be better.

I am humbled, especially after thinking I would never compete again as an athlete after my running injuries. Here’s to hoping I can hang with the best of them, but the goal is and always has been to exceed myself & so that’s who I am mostly racing against . Looking forward to seeing the friends I’ve made in the Hyrox community, continuing to learn & grow.
Sending all the good vibes to my friends from Chicago .rantala can’t wait to see you guys crush it 💪🏼😜🔥🦄🇫🇷♥️

Doing this because it’s who I am. I can’t help it. I was born an athlete. If you tell me I can’t, I’ll try to figure out how I can. I can’t say that I love this about myself, but I’m curious about it, and seeking.

My boyfriend gives and gives. I often feel that I take.

Being an athlete can feel like a selfish pursuit. “What’s the point?!” I ask. “Why bother?!”

I’ve been googling life’s purpose since I broke myself being an athlete. Then, I built myself back up. I haven’t found my true purpose & I don’t know if it matters.

I remember my freshman year in college sitting in one of my drawing classes in a circle of authentic humans sharing their guts about who they were. I couldn’t do my sport at the time, so I chose to draw, paint & sculpt my privileged version of suffering. Then I threw most of it in the trash when I graduated. What I remember most, is these artists sharing that they did art because they didn’t know how not to. They made art because they didn’t know what else to do. I loved listening to real people keeping it real. Sharing their truth.
It’s like surfing. Beto noticed, that for many, it isn’t just a sport. It’s a way of being.

This may be true for me for sport. It’s my way of being & I don’t know what else to do.

What if our purpose is just to be who we are at our most authentic core self? Is it? What do you think? Asking for a friend.

Hyrox Houston delivered some important lessons this month.
1.) You can’t choose everything at once. My stress level from November- March has been 10/10 & it’s impacted my training & my recovery. I’m learning to give some things up & focus on what really matters most.
2. Racing without my usual support team felt isolating & depressing. It made me realize how important the love & support of friends & family matters. I was so glad to see Hyrox friends .rantala & on the course & at the finish 🤍
3. I want more!

Here’s a compromised run that will crush your legs! 😵 😵
When you race Hyrox all expect your first run are compromised, meaning you’re running on tired legs or taxed lungs, or both! With this workout all of your running will be on tired legs. Try to stay consistent with your running, but your run is not a recovery. The goal is to challenge your pace on tired legs & train the body to flush out lactate asap! Tag me if you try it! Love to see my pals kicking 🍑
1mile zone 2 warm-up
8 x .30 mile run @ threshold
Between each run do the following:
30 step ups
30 squat jumps
30 reverse lunges
30 broad jumps
30 kettlebell swings
30 tuck jumps
30 thrusters
30 jumping lunges
Feel the burn 🔥

News update! My time qualified me for Worlds. Looking at the results from this season so far, my time would have been a top 10 finish in nearly all of them & in several races would have won my age group. I still want the podium #1 though, but nice to be in now, not worry about it & chase another PR! Party time 🥳

Recovering from Hyrox LA & feeling pleased to have snagged a PR with a time of 01:15:22. Missed 1st place by about 33 seconds which would have qualified me for the World Championships in Nice, France next year, but I’ll take the PR over the podium any day. Hoping for another shot in DC in March. Also pleased to have finished 11th overall racing against athletes like & . What a privilege to be in their company!

I used to have chronic pain & bad flare ups. Just a few years ago I visited a chronic pain clinic. I’m missing a large portion of my posterior tibialis tendon & had my meniscus repaired after 2 tears a few years ago. To get to this point makes me feel very grateful.

I think there’s some truth to healing being about letting go of everything you think you are supposed to be and becoming who you are. A lot of work went into it & a lot of letting go.
Hoping my body will allow me to continue you to do this for many more years to come, but also very grateful for what it’s done for me all this way.

Each race I forget how hard this sport is. When I threw my last wall yesterday, all I could think was “Thank God”
My race started off as planned. A controlled first 1k, comfortably strong ski, controlled 2nd 1k, and then I hit the sleds.
It was 3 pushes before I could get it moving. I felt like I was pushing through sand. Adjusted my grip & finally got some movement. Off the front pack, but no worries, I think. I’m a 2nd half racer. When I hit the sled pull, I hit chaos. I won’t get into what happened, but it resulted in me pushing an extra length. For perspective, the sled pull is 4 total lengths. 50 meters. I pulled 5 lengths. I felt like I was dragging a semi truck. Yes, I know how to count to 4. I’m still struggling to wrap my head around what happened. The chaos, the confusion. My first lap off the sled, I fought back tears. “All these months of training. Huge mistake.” “Pull yourself together.” I said. “Dig out of the hole. Time to chip away.” I rolled in to station 5 with a 4:16 1k split. “Good girl.” I thought. 4 seconds ahead of pace. My friend was judging BBJs. She talked me through ea one. Onward.
When I hit the rower, I still wanted my PR. But I started doing the math on my next run & knew it was a long shot. The rest of the race felt like a slog. My grip absolutely shot on Farmer’s carry (see my face?). The wall balls lasted a century.
I cry after every race. It’s a huge emotional release. I wanted to cry again last night & couldn’t. It’s like trying to scratch an itch you can’t reach. I had nothing left to give. No energy for tears. Couldn’t complete the stress cycle.
It felt so far off my goals. They felt like an impossible stretch last night. When I look at my splits, I see that they are within reach though. I’m proud of shaking off that demoralizing moment on the front half of my race. I could have mailed it in then & didn’t. LA next month. Will be focused on sleds this month.
Congratulations to all that raced yesterday. ♥️

“Dance for Dravet” is tomorrow, Friday, Oct.6, benefiting the Dravet Syndrome Foundation & our Anna. You do not need to attend to bid in our silent auction & there is something for everyone.

We are happy to ship auction items to the winners if not attending the Dance. The bidding will continue until 9pm on Friday, October 6.

Please help us in finding a cure for our sweet Anna. She’s had a very difficult last few months, in & out of hospital with too many seizures to count.

All items can be found online at www.dancefordravet.org.

Silent auction:
https://secure.qgiv.com/event/dancefordravet2023/items/

Anna’s story:
https://secure.qgiv.com/event/dancefordravet2023/page/1275028/

A FEW TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL BIDDING:
• For the best experience, download the GIVI app and CREATE AN ACCOUNT on your mobile phone.
• Open the app and tap JOIN EVENT on the home screen.
• Type in the email address you used to register and then tap SUBMIT.
• If you provided your phone number you can get updates if you are outbid.
• A one-time passcode will be sent to you. Enter the passcode on the next screen.
• Create a password to finish setting up your account.
• ALLOW PUSH NOTIFICATIONS to receive alerts during the auction.

When to fight & when to surrender?

Fighting can be like chasing a butterfly. Stomping through your garden.
Tripping over vines. Grasping & flailing.
Never catching the butterfly & exhausting yourself. Chasing something that wasn’t yours to begin with.

Surrender can be sitting down in your garden, feeling the sun on your forehead, breathing in the smell of nature & letting the butterfly land on your nose. Inviting in what’s yours.

I’m not a big fan of some of what Steve Harvey says, but he did say this:

“You can’t go forward & backward at the same time.”

Look backward to reflect, to learn, to grow, to forgive, to celebrate. Look back to shower yourself with the loving kindness you maybe didn’t have back then & really needed. Look back to see how far you’ve come, even how far you’d wish you’d gone. Look back in regret & disappointment. Sure, why not? It can be painful. Lonely too sometimes. It’s not always easy, but it is all welcome for you to process, to watch, to feel. To do what you need to do to feel better. It doesn’t need to consume you. This feeling too shall pass.

Look forward to dream & to have a vision of the life we want. Goals. A shiny future. What sounds fun? What looks exciting? Stop telling yourself it’s too late. Look forward & maybe there’s fear & anxiety too. You can worry of what’s to come. What mountains are ahead. What pain may be before you.

The present is where your pushing the rocks, though. Doing the work. Sharpening your strength. Breathing. Building. Holding the plank.

So, yes, reflect. Yes, feel sorry. Yes, grieve.
Yes, dream. Yes, plan. Yes, visualize.

But, then, RETURN! Return to the rocks beneath you & the sky above you, and spend most of your time there because 1 step forward, 1 step back is really just the present moment. Anywhere else is just in your head.

I’ve have a dream for my business that I will eventually sell merchandise. T-shirts with positive, empowering, or funny sayings & Erika-isms. My boyfriend beat me to it & had this 1 made for me. While I said this once because I didn’t want to help with dishes, it’s come to mean more. Work hard, but stay chill. Constantly balancing effort & ease. Chaos & peace. Finding the calm in the storm. The crazy balancing act we call life. I hope you’ll buy one eventually & help me spread good vibes.

Back to the basics today giving my knee a big RESET 🔁💯

Bike 10 min easy warm up

Foam roll 10 min (tight areas- TFL, Adductors, IT bands, calves)

Hamstring stretch 3 x :30 ea direction (straight, across body, out to side)

Quad wall stretch 3 x :30 ea side

Single leg squat (super high on tiptoes) 3 x 15, work on sending knee forward like walking down stairs. Focus on tracking & stability.

Hamstring curls on stability ball 3x 10 reps, slow & controlled

Dead bug core work 3 x 10 reps total

Pistol squats 3 x 10 ea leg

Pikes on ball to single leg lift( pike, then lift 1 leg off like moving into handstand7 3 x 10

Turkish getups 2 x 4- 6 ea side , 20 lb, 15 lb

1000 m row easy, form form form

There have been many times in my life when I’ve found myself looking for an exit door. A job, a marriage, a romantic relationship, a friendship, a workout, a social function, a chore, a project.
One of the most helpful things I’ve learned in the situations where I’m eyeing the exit is to ask myself “Why?”
What is it about the situation, the person, the place, the feeling, that I’m trying to escape?
Sometimes, staying is about facing a fear, other times it is about bucking up & honoring my commitments.
Sometimes, finding the exit is about safety. Getting out means life or death.
Or, it can be about honoring my truth. I might not be where I feel I belong so what is the most graceful & gracious exit? Do I burn the path out in flames? Blow up the bridge back I may one day need? I’ve done that, and I regret it.
Sometimes it’s just about being tired. Burned out. I want to be here, but I need a break. Can I take a few breaths, hang on a bit longer? Endure. In those situations I find if I am staying & I have to stay, then I’m going to show up fully & presently. If I have to be there. Be there & give it my all.
Other times, all I’m giving is truly all I have. I’ve dug to the deepest depths of my capacity to give that day if I’m to rise again tomorrow. Backing off means self care sometimes. Holding back is about self-love.
In that space, I feel compassion for others that are also just on their last leg & need to pull back on the reigns. Sometimes more isn’t 100%, sometimes less is.
Mostly, though, when I’m looking for an exit, it’s because I’m misaligned. It’s a call to action. Wake up! Pay attention! What’s not working here? It’s a tipping point. A reminder. A nudge towards a North Star, or away from the star you no longer want to visit.
When you find yourself looking for that glowing exit next time ask yourself, “Why?” If you sit quietly, take a deep breath & listen with your heart, you might be surprised by your honest answer. 💚 💚💚💚

prozis.com/ByY3 to shop

My dream as a teenager was to be a pro athlete. I was voted most athletic & most likely to go to the Olympics in high school. I thought for certain nothing would stop me, and that I’d be sponsored by top brands like Nike & be a voice for the sport of running. I had the talent & the grit. But the early 2000s $800+++ orthotic trend majorly FCCKKD my foot & I spent a decade & a half trying to heal from the damage done. The advisors of my feet poorly advised & as an anxious teen I didn’t have the tools to know my body well enough to revolt against doctors that didn’t know my body. How does a 17 year year tell a doctor you are putting your literal feet into, “You are wrong.” ? That coupled with obsessive compulsive disorder was a deadly combo. I haven’t spoken out much about how a doctor screwed up my foot because I mostly blamed myself.
I’m now mostly anti-orthotic because of my experience & because the building up of intrinsic strength & foundation in my feet has been a big 🔑 to my healing. I’m still angry, but I am also mostly healed & use that 🔥 to teach female athletes & others how to trust & listen to their deepest knowing.
This post isn’t about that or my feet though!!
This post is to share an exciting milestone.
Me + = 🤝
The embers are still there. Sharing my PASSION of health & wellness with the world & having the support of a company that shares the same passion. Looking forward to sharing the products with you & letting you know my thoughts on them! Especially excited for all the 🍑 hugging leggings like these alpine high waist leggings & & work travel I’ll do in them.

My dream as a teenager was to be a pro athlete. I was voted most athletic & most likely to go to the Olympics in high school. I thought for certain nothing would stop me, and that I’d be sponsored by top brands like Nike & be a voice for the sport of running. I had the talent & the grit. But the early 2000s $800+++ orthotic trend majorly FCCKKD my foot & I spent a decade & a half trying to heal from the damage done. The advisors of my feet poorly advised & as an anxious teen I didn’t have the tools to know my body well enough to revolt against doctors that didn’t know my body. How does a 17 year year tell a doctor you are putting your literal feet into, “You are wrong.” ? That coupled with obsessive compulsive disorder was a deadly combo. I haven’t spoken out much about how a doctor screwed up my foot because I mostly blamed myself.
I’m now mostly anti-orthotic because of my experience & because the building up of intrinsic strength & foundation in my feet has been a big 🔑 to my healing. I’m still angry, but I am also mostly healed & use that 🔥 to teach female athletes & others how to trust & listen to their deepest knowing.
This post isn’t about that or my feet though!!
This post is to share an exciting milestone.
Me + = 🤝
The embers are still there. Sharing my PASSION of health & wellness with the world & having the support of a company that shares the same passion. Looking forward to sharing the products with you & letting you know my thoughts on them! Especially excited for all the 🍑 hugging leggings like these alpine high waist leggings & & work travel I’ll do in them.

Have you ever leaned in so far? Stretched your arms wide open.
Allowed yourself to free fall spiral into that deep abyss?
High on the spin.
Tingling bubbles.
Flapping wings.
You heart racing adrenaline ju**ie.
Did you lose your firm rooted footing, after gripping first with white knuckles, then just 1 hand, and then only with an index finger. Or did you just leap out? Reach for the sun.
Close your eyes. Sign the dotted line, without the agreement.
Let go & allowed yourself to float.
If you did, did you get caught in a basket of stars? Did you find a whirlwind of asteroids?
Did you lose your way, or become a new you. Forget where north & south were, or find your North Star. Were you complete?
I wonder for you, because this I know for me.
I don’t want to fall in love.
I want to walk up in love.
Stairs underneath me.
One step at a time.
A path behind me.
My shoulders under my head.
My roots in tact.
If you pull my rug, I know how to jump. I’m nimble on my feet. Like a cat I spring.
I want to step up in love. Never let go of Me. Keep her free & wild.
Don’t lean too far forward. Don’t fall too far back.
I’ll hold your hand on the way up. When you’re tired, a hand on your back. I’ll walk with you, or behind you, or in front (many a times 😏) Can you keep up?
I’ll try not to let you fall forward, or back either. This I’ll do for you.
For love.

In yoga, we open our hearts. I know how to do this & I practice.
Añjaneyāsana, crescent moon pose, is a back-bending shape, and we’re taught in the yoga tradition to balance effort & ease. Like Anjaney, reach for our desires. Expand out from the hips, axial extension. Proud, but not conceited. Lift the chest, shoulders down & back. But don’t give too much away or you’ll compress your lumbar, be taken advantage of, lose your foundation. Burn yourself from the heat of the sun. Don’t release your core or you’ll collapse.
This is my kind of love. Knowing when to pull back & when to extend out.
Knowing you.
And always loving her first.
🤍
photo cred 😘

Happy Valentine’s Day! Let’s add up the Purple Hearts for Anna! 💜💜💜💜 💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

Yesterday I raced in the Hyrox North American Championships & finished 9th overall, & #1 in my age group qualifying me for the World Championships in Manchester 🇬🇧 iin May 27.
I registered on a whim last November signing up after seeing & compete in the November race


HYROX is a holistic approach to fitness including a 1k run followed by 1 functional workout, repeated 8 times. It requires endurance, power, strength, and speed.

HYROX was started by Hamburg entrepreneur Christian Toetzke & 2x a Olympic gold medalist hockey player Moritz Fürste. The first HYROX event launched in Hamburg in April of 2018. It’s a pretty new sport & popular amongst triathletes & Crossfitters. It takes on average 1.5 hrs to complete with the Elite Pros closer to 1:00-1:05. My goal time was 1:20 & I finished in 1:10.

Elites compete with heavier weights for each movement, but same distances, with the exception of 100 wall balls instead of 75.

I signed up for the “Open”, but I’ll now compete at the “Pro” level as result of qualifying, which takes my sled push from 225 lbs to 335 lbs, sled pull from 172 to 227, Farmers carry from 35 lb to 52 lbs, Sandbag lunges from 22 lbs to 44 lbs.

This competition has meant more to me than I thought it would & I wouldn’t have qualified or pushed as hard as I did without pushing the pace out of the gate.

I am missing nearly all of my posterior tibialis tendon in my foot, and my meniscus was referred to as “frayed jeans” before I had it repaired nearly 3 years ago. Sport and injury have both broken my heart & provided my greatest joy.

My mental health has had me paralyzed in fear during periods of my life.

I got divorced during the pandemic.

But none of that compares to the suffering I have seen others go through, most closely my 5 year old niece Anna Grace who suffers from Dravet Syndrome, the rarest form of epilepsy, an intractable & horrific disease that I watch her & her parents race against every single day. And, no pain I could ever feel while digging for my deepest strength could ever compare to hers(cont. in comments).

ErikaOdlaug on TikTok https://www.erikamarieodlaug.com/

Comparison.

“Thief of joy” said Roosevelt
“Death of joy.” said Twain

Stay in your lane. Run your own race.

Be your best you.

When you stand back to back against your competitor let it be to support one another’s ambition, not to measure your failures.

When you feel green (or is it neon?) with envy, thank your lucky stars for inspiration.
Glow brighter.

When you lose, shake the winner’s hand. Grow taller than your failures.

Look back to reflect, to learn, to reach a hand out to someone that tripped.

Look sideways to smile. To share. To acknowledge.

Not to compare. Not to judge.

Look up to dream. To laugh at the sky.

Look down to focus. To remember your why.

Look ahead to plan. Is the life I want the one I’m creating?

Look inward for guidance. The space between. The greatest knowing of all.

!

Success loves discipline. If we wait for the motivation only, we’ll only do so much. I don’t always want to work out, but I know it helps my mental health, makes me feel most like myself, is a fuel for my confidence, and is my passion to share with the world. What keeps you going when motivation alone won’t?

Ode to Running. To the sport that taught me what passion really is. What it means to push yourself harder than you ever thought possible. The sport that broke my heart in a million pieces. That made me question purpose. Reality. What really matters. That made me ask, “who am I?” Taught me how to tap into my dee...

A quick core session that will have you feeling your power, and remind you to say no to things that are toxic to your core self. 💪🏼🔥💥✨💛🧡❤️

Erika Odlaug on Instagram: "A quick core session that will have you feeling your power, and remind you to say no to things that are toxic to your core self. 💪🏼🔥💥✨💛🧡❤️ #coreworkout #stabilityballworkouts #stabilityballcore #cor Erika Odlaug shared a post on Instagram: "A quick core session that will have you feeling your power, and remind you to say no to things that are toxic to your core self. 💪🏼🔥💥✨💛🧡❤️ ...

W’s only with this Full Body H.I.I.T without for your next minimal equipment gym visit!
I love creating workouts based on whatever I’m dealing with while traveling.
4 rounds fried me! Try 3-5 rounds depending on your energy level. You can take it slowly & focus on form, or crank it up, elevating the heart rate & try to beat your time for each round (while still maintaining quality form).
Let’s get it ✌🏼❤️ 🔥
Like it, share it, save it.

5 pull-ups
10 renegade rows ea side
20 total walking lunges
10 suitcase DL
20 wall balls
10 narrow med ball push-ups
200 meter row (aim for :40 - 1 min)
……

Erika Odlaug on Instagram: "W’s only with this Full Body H.I.I.T without for your next minimal equipment gym visit! I love creating workouts based on whatever I’m dealing with while traveling. 4 rounds fried me! Try 3-5 rounds depending on your.. Erika Odlaug shared a post on Instagram: "W’s only with this Full Body H.I.I.T without for your next minimal equipment gym visit! I love creating workouts based on whatever I’m dealing with while traveling. 4 rounds fried me! Try 3-5 rounds depending on your energy level. You can take it slowly ...