Emma Adriaens simply does not have time for pre-race anxiety. The ROKA STNDRD Racing team member, medical device project manager, and mom of 5-year old twins spends race mornings prepping her sons for the day with her husband (and RSR teammate), Joe. So by the time she toes the line, it’s almost a break. Almost.
“Now there’s not enough time to get in my head anymore,” she says. “By the time I get to the race, I think, Now I have 5 hours where all I have to worry about is myself, and make decisions just for me.”
Emma races with a sense of joy and gratitude that was, frankly, too hard earned.
She grew up in a triathlete household, going to her dad’s races, so the sport felt familiar. But her sport was gymnastics, and she was supremely talented. That’s why, one day in high school, she was piking over the high bar, swinging around to pick up speed in order to pop off the bar, do a full turn, and grab the bar again—an exceptionally advanced move often seen in Olympic champion Nastia Liukin’s routine.
Emma got going too fast and flew off the bar, landing on her head. The crash was devastating.
“I was an outpatient at a brain trauma center. I had to relearn how to read and walk,” Emma says. She was 15. She spent the year listening to books on tape while following along with the text, and putting one foot in front of the other.
She largely had to stay home in the dark to avoid stimulation—no light, no TV. “I did teach myself to shuffle cards!” she jokes.
As if rehab weren’t tough enough, losing her identity as a gymnast was also crushing. When she was cleared to resume sports, she says, “My dad knew I was sad, and said, ‘Let’s go do a triathlon.’”
Emma showed up to the Root River Triathlon in Houston, Minnesota, not far from home, and started on a multisport journey now entering year 21.
Her wisdom reaches far beyond her 35 years—and a degree in biomedical engineering and psychology from Michigan Tech University. She loves mentoring the next generation of triathletes and relishes in helping others reach their goals. Below, Emma shares her hard-earned lessons for getting the most joy out of sport.
Lesson #1: “The faster you go, the faster you get to margaritas!”
Race Your Local Tri Every Year
If you’re lucky enough to have one close, make it an annual event. Emma races Root River—a canoe, bike, run sprint event—every year. “It reminds me of why I started,” she says. “It’s nice to do these small races and remember this is just for fun; I don’t get paid.”
It was her first race ever, and it was the first race she did after having her twins. It keeps her grounded.
Look on the Bright Side
Emma collected a few more gymnastics injuries before turning to tri. She tore her left shoulder on the parallel bars, making swim training challenging; too much or too hard puts her on a fast track to reinjury.
“It’s so much weaker than my right shoulder. It doesn’t matter how much PT I do,” she says. “I had to do a ton of work to not veer off to the left during the swim!”
But she chooses to look on the bright side: “I have to take it slower,” she says, "so I get my money’s worth out of the swim!”
“Since I’ve become a mom, I enjoy swimming even more, because it’s the only part of my life that’s quiet. It’s nice to be underwater so you can’t hear anything and just reset.”
Sign Up for that Big Race—Doctor’s Orders
In 2017, Emma had a labral tear in her hip that required surgery to repair. “A week after surgery he made me sign up for an IRONMAN,” she says.
“He said, You’re always going to have an excuse not to do it. So you need to sign up and spend the money to force yourself to stay disciplined and diligent on your PT and getting back to the life you want to lead. You got this surgery to get back to being an athlete, now it’s time to get back to being an athlete.”
Go All-In on 70.3
“I’m focused on figuring out this distance,” she says, “because I can do it without losing complete balance in my life. I want to devote as much time as possible to my kids, because every first is a last. I want to be there for all the little things.”
Emma’s Faves
SWIM
Emma focuses on technique work in the pool. A typical workout looks like this:
10x100, 25 drill, 25 a different drill, 50 swim
6x200, #1&4 ez, #2&5 race pace, #3&6 all out
BIKE
Emma's fave workouts are hard intervals:
3-5 x 30 seconds @ 220-250 watts
Ladder:
10 secs at 350 watts --> 50s @ 180 watts (goal 70.3 wattage)
20s @ 325w --> 40s @ 180w
30s @ 300w --> 30s @ 180w
40s @ 275w --> 20s @ 180w
PSYCH UP SONG
"The Eurovision Song Contest movie soundtrack is ingrained in my head. It's what I'm. bopping to every single race. Especially Lion of Love."
Emma’s Pre-Race Pep Talk
“Enjoy yourself! This is your hobby, This is something we pay to do There’s no point in getting stressed out about it. The time’s gonna pass. The day’s gonna happen. Go out there and have as much fun as possible with your hobby. And enjoy the lycra. And the free snacks.”
We’re so proud to support Emma, the RSR Team, and all of the athletes and teams setting big goals this year and getting after them.
