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, and the mindset it required to overcome an unexpected obstacle and show up on race day despite all odds! Follow Kirsten’s journey on instagram @nourish2flourish_nutrition 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 ..read more

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 distance what she claims is her "key to success" (hint: it's a PLACE!) her run split!!! Follow Barbora's journey on instagram @barubesp 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 ..read more

Episode 4 of the WOMEN CRUSHING KONA Series features Michelle Krebs of the Czech Republic who finished 2nd in the 25-29 age group and 3rd overall! Listen in to hear how: Triathlon changed Michelle's life What happened out there on the course before (ouch!) and during race day and why her nickname is now PACMAN Follow Michelle's journey on instagram @michelle_krebs94_ and check out her incredible sponsors as well: @muuvrfitness @catfp.ch @live_insiders @nutriperformx @arcycling.velo Support the show Follow Mission Kona Podcast hosted by Mike & Michelle Payne: · Instagram missionkon ..read more

2023 KONA SERIES: WOMEN CRUSHING KONA We 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 crush ..read more

2023 KONA SERIES: WOMEN CRUSHING KONA Ava 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 @avawarfel Support the show Follow Mission Kona ..read more

2023 KONA SERIES: WOMEN CRUSHING KONA Elyse 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 ..read more

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 ..read more

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 hoste ..read more

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 ca ..read more

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 shor ..read more