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Erika Odlaug Mind-Body Wellness

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Erika Odlaug Mind-Body Wellness

Welcome! My name is Erika Odlaug. I am a Certified Personal Trainer, Yoga Teacher & Life Coach. Personal trainer, mind-body wellness coach.

Motivation and inspiration through therapy, coaching, mindfulness, yoga, meditation, physical therapy, personal training, inquisitive self-exploration and reflection, education and training in various healing modalities.

12/29/2025

I’m not training to prove anything.
I’m training because this is who I am.

If you’ve ever felt like your athletic chapter isn’t over… you’re not wrong.

.matrix

12/19/2025

Hyrox Anaheim 2025 in some bullets:
1:10.18 PR
🥇 AG win 40-44
#10 overall Pro Women.
Hot & Humid! A slow course!
A thrill to race with & .athlete & . Champions!
No regrets for going out a little hot. I rode over my threshold line a tiny bit in 1st half & it caught up with me though.
Usually go unbroken on Farmers, but my system said “Nope” despite my grip strength being tip top.
A wall ball PR. Change is happening!
Fasted run & rox zone to date.
Lunging felt 🤌🏻
The sweet feeling of the final ten walls. Enough to celebrate on its own.
2 weeks of rest now as we nerd 🤓 out on future plans with .matrix and the
How many donuts a week is too many donuts? I’m really into the choc glazed from Dunkin rn. Happy Holidays! 🎄❤️

12/16/2025

Last June World Championship I finished 301/731 in the world & 38 in my AG in the Women’s Pro Division. This was with a brutal 3 minute penalty for entering the wrong station early. I went into the Farmer’s Carry before the Row. Had I not done that I would have been top 200 in the world overall & top 25 in my AG (my goal was top 25). My biggest Hyrox embarrassment. But, if you’ve competed at this level, you know the race brain is a real thing & I forgave myself & moved on. Looking back it’s a blip that has barely left a mark. I say that to mean if you’re stuck on a poor race performance now, it’ll surely pass. Look forward.

There are times in racing where I am completely disoriented. Wondering where I am & if I’ve done the right thing. We know that when the body isn’t getting enough oxygen & we are pushing at or slightly over threshold the brain deprioritizes “thinking” to protect survival. The limbic system takes over & the pre-frontal cortex down-regulates. Brutal!

I vowed to commit deeper this season. Dedicate more time. Lay a bigger base. Collaborate with .matrix. It paid off with 2 AG wins so far this season & taking the overall win 🥇in Mexico City. I even got to meet my favorite hyrox athlete .athlete in Anaheim. ❤️

I am proud of this, but I do want more & I refuse to believe I’m too old. I don’t just want to be fast for my age. I want to be fast.

Now, I’ll hang up my Hyrox hat for 2 weeks & let the body rest. I need this reset big time.

Not too many people talk about the post race feeling, but it’s an important time to let the nervous system reset. Mine is screaming to come back down to earth. Carbs, warm fires, family, reflection. Looking forward to a rejuvenating holiday season with the ones I love & excited for what’s to come.

.matrix

12/12/2025

My first Hyrox Race was November of 2023. I wore leggings & No Bull high tops. I used to run in those because they had zero support & felt like running in converse. Minimalist shoes were a big help in my foot and ankle healing journey. Much of it was about coming home to myself, and what better way to come home than to feel? Minimalism made me feel the ground beneath me. After that Hyrox, my toes turned black & were bruised so I decided to switch to some Adidas shoes that felt ok on my foot for my first World Championships in Manchester in June of 2023. Since then I transitioned to . You’ll still catch me barefoot in the gym sometimes though. Thank you, feet!!

Chicago 2025 was my last World Championships & there have been several races in between. I’ve done 12 total races to be exact.

My best race was Houston 2025. My worst was Chicago 2023. I don’t remember a single race that didn’t hurt or where I didn’t kind of want to quit at the ski erg . Every one has been a test of character & shown me parts of myself that only these kinds of physical tests can.

When I look at these photographs, at first, I judged my body.
Then I embraced the memory & that noise faded toward the background a bit.

I cry after every race. Hard. Full blown meltdown. A release 😅

There was a time in my life I was Elite. When I felt exceptional.
I used to worry then. A lot.

Sometimes I’m chasing that old time. That elite feeling. But. I think the more important feeling is coming home to myself. That place where the noise falls toward the background, like I said. Where my life feels on fire (but, like, in a good way). When I train, I feel home. When I race, I feel home. When I sit quietly and watch my thoughts, I also feel home.

My story is not a triumph story. It’s more of a “she didn’t but it’s ok” story. I’m not exceptional. No one knows my name. I’m becoming.

That doesn’t matter, though. I know what greatness feels like to me. I’m chasing that feeling. Some days it’s on top of a podium. Other days it’s in the stillness of my breath. It’s sharp & it’s alive. I’m chasing that.

.matrix

12/08/2025

A first taste of December & this I know to be true:
I am a seeker. Always have been. Always will be. That which brings pleasure & satisfaction & meaning & even purpose doesn’t necessarily have clarity. It’s messy & uneven. You can have purpose without clarity. 🤯

Call me a scientist too? Because I’m dissecting the psychological ingredients. The heart of what feels right. And change is coming. I can feel it. I can taste it.

12/02/2025

We are going one more round in Anaheim December 14, but my body is not happy with me. Taking a couple days to recalibrate & give the body some TLC to get it race ready. I think she’ll come around! 🤞 😏🙏🏼

Yesterday’s threshold:
50 m sled push
2 min assault bike (hurts so good)
50 m lunge
2 min bike
40 wall balls
4 rounds
😂 Thanks to .matrix for putting up with these shenanigans!

12/01/2025

November was full of highs & lows. There’s much to be grateful for. Sunny sports bra & shorts days. A body that can jump & Autumn colors. Before & after faces. A gym to call my own with quiet space to scream yes I can. I’m grateful even to those that took advantage of me this month.Reminded that what you put out always comes back to you. I’m reminded that I’m messy, but I’m disciplined too. And perhaps the key to success is listening inside to your deeper calling & chasing that full throttle. Looking in the mirror, but also looking up at God, and saying thanks, You. To both. And thanks to those that came before me to show me what it means to be good. To be kind. And to lead with love above all else.

11/24/2025

I haven’t shared this yet, but in the weeks leading into HYROX Mexico City I slept in a Mile High Training hypoxic tent to prepare for racing at 7,300+ ft.

I can’t say I felt anything dramatic while racing, but I do know this: the science is real, and every small adaptation matters. I ended up winning the overall Female Pro race by just 4 seconds. Four. Seconds.

My training is what got me there—but I genuinely believe the tent helped give me that extra margin my body needed to handle the altitude and stay strong all the way through.

If you’re racing at elevation or looking for tools that can support performance, the Mile High Training setup was a huge part of my prep. Happy to share how I used it.

Thank you 😅😮‍💨😌

11/14/2025

Goooood afternoon from Las Vegas(!!!) where I’m finishing out a work event & finding small windows to process last weekend in Mexico City. One of the mentally toughest races of my life. You can see it on my face.

Boarding my flight back to Chicago & couldn’t be happier that it’s 50+ degrees & the snow melted.

Out of the routine used to be a place I really enjoyed. I craved change & surprises. Now, I’m favoring the quiet comfort of discipline & routine.

Did some hill repeats on the treadmill this morning. Coming back down to (almost) sea level feels great. Worth every penny paying for access to the gym in the spa at Mandalay Bay for $25. It wasn’t as big of a workout as I would have liked, but I needed that extra 30 min of sleep.

Can’t wait to cheer everyone on Chicago this weekend. Remember not to go out too hard!

11/09/2025

It’s a wrap on Mexico City! What a beautiful & vibrant city!

From the food to the culture, we felt the LOVE!

To walk away with the overall win by 4 seconds feels surreal.

The race…

For the last 6 weeks I have been sleeping in a hypoxic tent (more on this later). I was surprised I still felt the altitude as much as I did. Still, I do think this tent made a difference.

The day leading up, during my shake out, and during my warm-up I felt my heart beating through my chest. My chest felt tight & I felt nauseous. I wasn’t sure if it was the altitude or anxiety as they feel similar to me. Maybe both!

From my first 1k on the track, my running felt slow, but I kept my effort/rpe at what felt right. Several women went out fast, including one wearing converse! I thought, “let them go, run your race.”

When I hit the sleds, I got a bit of a boost. I trained the sleds hard, and they felt like they were moving well. I felt great during them, but when I went back into my runs it was as if they caught up & flooded my blood. I had to jog to the out arch. I never did feel like I could hit my run rhythm. Still I was out front.

Burpee broad jumps were anxiety provoking. I got 2 warnings for not having my feet parallel enough. I backed way off to tighten my form. Felt it cost me :45.

From there my focus shifted from Attack & Let it rip to “Stay in control. Maintain.” Make sure you are focused on getting the job done.” I felt I was playing it safe, but also felt like I was having an anxiety attack the entire race. “Was I in first?” “Did I go to the right station?” Even though on the rower, my Dad assured me I was doing great. Killing it. I was so afraid I missed a lap, or entered the wrong station. I’m used to chasing, so to be out front felt foreign & uncertain.

The last 10 wall balls were relief. Smiles.

When I finished on Friday, I quickly went from happiness to obsession. A jog around the park. A phone call to Beto.
I won, but I didn’t run the time I had in mind. I had higher expectations. What happened? I went dark.

I hired a therapist a few months ago & thankfully she was available. We chatted & brought me back to the light❤️☺️.
So grateful.

11/01/2025

When I was a kid I was an elite runner. Then I tore a tendon in my foot and couldn’t run at all. I tried everything possible to get back to running. Sometimes the universe has other plans.

I couldn’t get healthy. The pain persisted even after surgery. I couldn’t run more than a mile without extreme discomfort. I gained weight, I went crazy, I found yoga. I wanted to be saved.

I kept trying. I drove all over the state of Colorado to try to find a doctor that could help me. I spent hours in the car. I flew to Palo Alto looking for answers. I did crazy things like sleep with my shoes on & tried new religions. I gave up & then tried again. Over and over again. For 20 years.

Some people heal differently than others. Some don’t heal at all physically, so they have to heal emotionally, psychologically, spiritually. I lost myself & I grieved. Then, I decided to became someone new.

Being able to do what you love is a gift, but it doesn’t define your self-worth. Everyone has their own story.

When I look in the mirror today, sometimes I feel old. When I look back at the girl in these photos, sometimes I feel sad.

Sometimes it feels like whatever it is will never be enough, but that’s also sort of the fun of it. I’ve always wanted something to chase. Something to obsess over that made me feel alive.

Comebacks come in all shapes and sizes. My comeback once was just getting out of bed in the morning. But, I’m really proud of how far that girl that once broke tape has come and I’m so grateful to have been given another chance to toe the line. Even if it looks a little different than I imagined. ❤️

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