Boyfriend Chris Adams on Dating an Olympic Athlete
"We may not be in the boat, but we feel every bump," Kristi's boyfriend Chris Adams says regarding their relationship. Chris is not a rower, but he is most definitely a huge part of Kristi's team. He has an inside view of what her life training is actually like more than anyone else, and they had an honest conversation about their lives and shared funny stories.
*This is an automatically generated transcript*
Chris Adams 0:00
I'm Kristi declaration that she's going to be a professional long border.
Kristi Wagner 0:07
This was like three days after I got home. You're locked out
Chris Adams 0:11
test for a solid two weeks, and then we're at Walmart and Kristi grabs a longboard off shelf, puts it on the floor and stands on it and wipes out, hits the shelf, you know, knocks a bunch of things over, and I go to help her up, it was just get snapped. I'm like that I mean, the short fuse after a race that didn't go the way you wanted it to go. You try not to take it personally.
Kristi Wagner 0:38
Welcome to the other three years, a show for anyone who has an Olympic sized dream, they want to turn into a reality. Hi, and welcome to this week's episode of the other three years. This is a very exciting week, because I have my boyfriend, his name is Chris, on the podcast. We recorded our conversation a couple of weeks ago, before I came to Italy when we were together. So we are in the same place a couple weeks ago when we recorded this, but Chris is great. He's obviously a huge part of my life. And I think he's hilarious. I think he's one of the funniest people I've ever met. So we had a, we had a really fun conversation. I mean, we kind of jumped right in, started talking about what it's like, you know, with me traveling all the time, and how we've kind of learned things over the years, and how we, you know, prioritize our relationship, when we are only together for about half the year and we're more long distance for the other half. We did some fun kind of q&a questions that people had asked on Instagram. So we covered a lot of topics. And Chris and I both told some funny stories about things that have happened over the years. So I think you guys are gonna like it. I think it's a fun conversation. And I think it's, I think it's gonna be good time. But before we get into get into that, I wanted to give you guys an update on my current training. So it's very exciting. We are in race week, the day that this will be released on Friday, I will actually be racing at the World Cup in Varanasi, Italy. I'm racing in the women's double and the women's quad. So it's going to be a full weekend of racing racing is Friday, Saturday and Sunday, World Cups have a pretty condensed schedule, because there are only three days, the World Championships are pretty kind of they happen over like a whole week. So the racing is a lot more spread out. But it's gonna be it's, it could be anywhere from five to seven races, depending on kind of the way we progress through the Regatta. So the double. I'm racing with Sophia, I rode with her last year in the double also. So that's really exciting. I think it'll be fun to get back into the double. We haven't spent a ton of time the past couple of weeks in the doubles. But we've spent a little bit and it's been pretty good. And Lauren and Emily, the other members of our quad are also racing in the double. So all four of us are rowing and doubles and the quad. And the double will definitely be it could be a little bit more racing, it's a heat the top three out of the heat go to the semi. If you don't qualify directly to the semi out of the heat, you'll go to the rap, which is a short way of saying rubbish oz which is a French word for like last chance. In rowing, that's what we call kind of the Second Chance race. So if you go to the rap, and then the semi top three from the semi, go to the a final. Next three go to the B final. So the double it will be between three and four races and then the quad progression is the winner of the heat will progress directly to the a final, everyone else will go to the wrap and then the top two out of the two reps will go to the a final and everybody else to the B final. So anywhere between five and seven races, so it'll be a little tired at the end but I'm really excited the quads and feeling good and it's been it's been fun. Yeah, so we have two more days here in Aruba, Italy at the Leonardo DaVinci hotel. We row here on it's called Lago de He Pisano, like Luciano. And it's really pretty, it's like right on the backdrop of all these different mountain ranges, and it kind of is about 3k long, they do have a 2k buoy race course, which is the race distance that we do. So it's nice because you can kind of do like an around the lake row that takes 25 to 30 minutes, or you can just kind of go up and down directly that's more like a 10 to 12 minutes up and then spin and come back. But there's like mountains and really pretty towns and clock towers and castles. And I don't think there's any castles, but pretty buildings that are old. So it's very picturesque. And it's fun, I feel like life is just a bit more simple. In these little European towns, little Italian towns, we've gotten to have a few afternoons off where we can go into different areas. Yesterday afternoon, I went with a few other of the rowers to Lego, which is about 20 minutes away, and it was cool. It was just you know, on. Its on a little lake that's a kind of an offshoot of Lake Como, which is like the biggest lake here. And yeah, it's just everything's so cute. You can get gelato and walk around and appreciate the scenery. It's very pretty, I imagine it would be very fun to come back in the winter and go skiing. But we probably won't do that. Because we come here to row. We're still far enough away that I'm not super nervous yet. But I will get a little more nervous as as race day gets closer. But it's mostly just excitement. And the nerves will build. But you know, as they say, you you've done everything you can do like at this point, we just want to keep having good rows and builds good momentum going into race week, because nothing you do now it's going to change anything. And we've done really good prep. And, you know, we're ready to show what we've got. It's so exciting thing about racing, you don't know what the other people are going to bring to the table. So all you can do is focus on yourself, which I like because it's I don't know, it's more fun that way? I think. So yeah, so you can look at the results on World rowing.com They'll probably have like a audio commentary for everything and then a live stream link for the finals. And I'll try to share shared some updates on my social media as well. But think good thoughts for me and fast thoughts for me and my boat mates and all of the all the US both there's a bunch of us boats racing, so it'd be really exciting and people have been having good good practices and good pieces. So I think really helped the US contingent has, you know, awesome racing and good Kickstart to our 2023 campaign. So now it is time for review of the week. So this week's review of the week comes from Apple podcasts and not sure how to say this name, but I'm gonna say, boss, Ban one. And I apologize if that's not how your username is said. So they said so honest, I love Kristi's podcast because she did not leave any details off air. I love how she is so honest about her feelings, stresses and the struggles she had leading up to the competition's. The enormous amount of pressure is not for everyone. So thank you, Kristi for choosing the path which not many of us are courageous enough to your passion to do what you love is truly inspiring. Thank you, that's actually very nice. But I really think that you know, taking the first step is like the hardest and I am a firm believer and like a fake it till you make it kind of mentality. And I feel like I don't belong in a lot of situations. And I just kind of pretend until until I do. So I think a lot of people can do a lot more than they think they can. Thinking that people feel really confident and like they're never gonna fail is just, I don't know. Like I just don't think that's true. I think everyone has doubts everyone has, you know, insecurities and some people are just better at hiding them than others. The insecurities aren't shouldn't keep you from you know, the fear of striking out shouldn't keep you from playing the game. A great quote from life and a great movie the Cinderella story. If you would like to have Have your review read on the show, please leave me a review. Leave us a review on Apple podcasts or Spotify. And maybe I'll read it on the show. So thank you. Now it's time for my conversation with Chris.
Chris Adams 10:19
Hi, hi.
Kristi Wagner 10:21
Hi. So it's very exciting. This week on the podcast I have my boyfriend. name is Chris. My name is Kristi. So that's my least favorite thing about us is that we have the same name. But once you can get past that.
Chris Adams 10:40
Don't get it twisted que se
Kristi Wagner 10:42
que se Yeah, spelled differently. So Chris, welcome to the podcast.
Chris Adams 10:47
Thank you. Thank you. Very excited to be here. Looking forward to swimming around in these waters.
Kristi Wagner 10:54
Podcast waters? Sure. Sure. Have you listened to the podcast?
Chris Adams 10:59
I'm up to date? I'm up to date.
Kristi Wagner 11:01
Yeah. What do you think so far?
Chris Adams 11:04
I really enjoyed the Jebi episode. I thought that was great. I love the fishbowl reference again, from the last episode. And from the third episode listening to you and your friends was hilarious. Maybe because I know too much. And maybe because it was just funny.
Kristi Wagner 11:22
Yeah, I feel like you know too much about basically everything. So
Chris Adams 11:25
this feels like the most official conversation we've ever had. It really does. It's being documented. Yeah. Which I kinda like because appeal to reference the video like the commercial.
Kristi Wagner 11:38
Like that throw the flag. Yeah. So yeah. So I'll be able to challenge why I feel like most couples would probably agree that sometimes when you have a conversation, like both parties remember it differently in the aftermath. We seem to have that issue like quite frequently.
Chris Adams 11:58
Not today. We
Kristi Wagner 11:59
all today. Yeah, we maybe we should just start taping everything. Have a little like, camera crew. Follow us around. Yeah, that'd be fun. So yeah, I mean, I thought that maybe we could talk about how it's not super easy to date. An Olympic athlete.
Chris Adams 12:19
Oh, but it's super fun.
Kristi Wagner 12:22
It's super fun, but it's not easy.
Chris Adams 12:27
It's definitely, I don't know, when people ask me about it. I usually say, you know, we're not in the boat with you. But we feel every bump. You know, we feel every bad day every you know. So it's, I don't know. Would you say there's more good days or not? So good days? Oh, I
Kristi Wagner 12:49
feel like there's more good days than bad. Yes.
Chris Adams 12:52
Oh, with us? Oh, with. With us? No, but I feel like we should backup so like, you and I met but you don't you don't have anything to do with rowing you I brought you into the rowing world. We should preface I've never rode. That's not true. You have rode? Okay, I had never been in a rowing vessel other than a canoe or kayak until I met Kristi. And we still don't grow together. Because I've been told it'll put too much tension on the relationship, not by me.
Kristi Wagner 13:28
Other people said that. Chris is worried about it.
Chris Adams 13:33
But no not having any rowing background. And then
Kristi Wagner 13:36
well, and you're a quote unquote, regular person.
Chris Adams 13:41
You think I'm a regular person? Well, I
Kristi Wagner 13:42
mean, you don't you have a job? And yes, yes, you've moved on from your
Chris Adams 13:48
I live in a much more regular regular routine lifestyle.
Kristi Wagner 13:52
I mean, I think you're a very special person. I don't think you're a regular person. But thank you, you do you do have a quote unquote, regular life? I do. So did you think that you were gonna like start dating this person that had a non regular life was that were you like, Who the heck is this girl?
Chris Adams 14:10
Well, I think I mean, in the beginning, for me, I was drawn to just you being passionate about something because it's not everyday that you meet somebody who's passionate about anything. And I like to think that I'm really passionate about the things that I want to go do as well. So it was nice to find somebody who kind of had that same mindset on life. I mean, you're and that was back in the time we're going in the Olympics was like, we didn't even talk about it because there was such thing as a jinx. And there's there's no such thing as a jinx. Okay. There just isn't. But yeah, yeah, I guess that's how that felt to me in the beginning. Yeah, it feels to me still, to be honest. I mean, I love that you pour your heart into something because I think it's admirable. I mean, personally.
Kristi Wagner 14:59
cuz. I mean, yeah, I mean, I think we're both. I think we're like minded people like we both have a goal and we work really hard at accomplishing that goal. And it's just that our goals are different things right now. But
Chris Adams 15:15
yeah, my goals are more like, do I have to put in long days on Monday and Tuesday if it's about the snow to feed on Wednesday, so I can go skiing all day? Yeah, I very much am in the work to live department.
Kristi Wagner 15:29
Yeah, you're more like an adventurer, I'd say an adventure Hunter. In this in these days in this day and age, then than I am. But I feel like we're both like thrill seekers in a certain sense.
Chris Adams 15:41
Yeah, I even used to be athletic before you went to the Olympics. I
Kristi Wagner 15:45
would, I would like to say that you are the most athletic person in our relationship. Wow, that can't be true. It can be true. And I feel like we should tell everyone what happened when we went to kick field goals.
Chris Adams 16:02
Do you remember I thought you were gonna say the Walmart story.
Kristi Wagner 16:06
No, we can tell that after but basically, it was during COVID. And NFL was like, still happening, right? It was during? Yeah,
Chris Adams 16:15
no, we were watching and watching. We were watching a Patriots game. And he had missed like four field goals all from within 25 to 35 yards.
Kristi Wagner 16:23
But I think it was like more than just like one game. We had been watching red zone or something. And it was just this Sunday that like, all of the NFL kickers were missing. And Chris just says, I mean, I could make a 50 yard field goal. And I'm like, what? I think it's hard. Like I think it might actually be hard to make a 50 yard field goal. And he's like, No 100% I can make a 50 yard field goal. So then we like go to Walmart and buy a football and Chris goes to the tee and like all professional Yeah. And then Chris like goes into the garage. And like brings out his high school sports bag or whatever college like that his lacrosse bag isn't like untouched. And like gets his cleats like this is ridiculous. There we were. glens falls high school. So it's COVID. So Chris has his cleats on. I have the football ball. We go over we have to climb a fence to get into the football fields because everything's closed his COVID warm up. Chris has like some calisthenics, which is a hilarious experience and then starts kicking field goals. And I will say he missed the first few. But then he started to make them and like did make a 50 yard field goal. But then, and then he's like celebrating and I'm like cocky got real cocky. Yeah. Cocky,
Chris Adams 17:55
lined up like a 65 yard field goal. And through my hammy, like, just the ground like a sack of potatoes. I was out so funny. I was out for like three weeks. Like,
Kristi Wagner 18:08
he's like, Oh, I'm so good. I'm in town from out here. Kicks and just like, hits the ground. She was like my head
Chris Adams 18:17
was awful. It was awful.
Kristi Wagner 18:19
It was so funny though. Um, so I mean, the your pain wasn't funny. It was just like a funny experience.
Chris Adams 18:23
I don't stretch enough.
Kristi Wagner 18:25
Yeah, we actually did another athletic feat. At glens falls high school during COVID. Oh, that's your mile. I hope we don't get arrested. But we did do a beer mile. Our friends, like whatever it was COVID and our friends were like, we all want to do a beer mile and they did it. And then we were like perfect. We live right next to a track. So beer mile is when you drink a beer as fast as you can run a lap around the track, drink another beer, run another lap around the track, drink another beer run a lap around the track for beers, four laps. So it's whatever, one mile one mile. I don't even think Chris finished. Up in the corner.
Chris Adams 19:08
I threw up three times. I threw up on lap number two and then I throw up twice on lap number four and I cut lap number four and half you did cut love number I didn't even think you knew because I was behind you. And I saw you cut across the field and get back on the other side.
Kristi Wagner 19:26
It was a hilarious experience. And then like we were just both drunk because we drink four beers in 10 minutes.
Chris Adams 19:34
So that means like ghostly quiet. Yeah, like there's nobody on the street like honestly, they messed up on the sidewalk. We did. They were like laying on the turf. We're not doing anything today. Are we
Kristi Wagner 19:45
need to order a pizza. Sober up.
Chris Adams 19:49
Is that a stud finder you have there? That's nice. I like that model. No, it tells you really important That was pretty good. Usually, you know you don't come out with those
Kristi Wagner 20:09
okay. Do you want to tell the Walmart? This is the stud finder if you're watching the video.
Chris Adams 20:17
I mean, I guess the Walmart story kind of ties more back into rolling
would you say that the Walmart story ties? Yeah,
Kristi Wagner 20:29
I feel like we need to like back up a little bit. And like explain to people kind of like when we met, like, whatever the timeline, how are we gonna know just like the timeline timeline. So we started dating in 2019. In like, in rowing, you get like a few weeks off at the end of the season. And I literally, like met Chris during my like, few weeks off. So I pretended that I was a regular person who did fun things, and trick them.
Chris Adams 21:01
No, you held on for a while, like you held on for a while.
Kristi Wagner 21:06
And now you're always like, remember when we first met and you like stayed up past 8:30pm? And like, did fun things? Like no less. So? Yeah, we had some good times. We had some good times. And then we had been dating like a year. And I was in New Jersey at a rowing camp when like, the pandemic started. And Chris was like, we gotta get out of New Jersey, like, we're gonna get COVID We're gonna close the state border. You know, everyone was like, freaking out. And he was actually visiting. He was dropping off a boat dropping off our boats. Yeah, cuz they said we had to roll in singles. So we had to, he brought our boats down New Jersey for us. And
Chris Adams 21:58
I called the day before I left and I said they're gonna shut the planet down on Monday.
Kristi Wagner 22:03
I don't think I need to bring the boats and I was like thinking I was like, John, understand this as the Olympics election. You need to bring the boats. It's critically important. It's like, I don't think there's gonna be an Olympic and I was like, there's gonna be an Olympics. There's literally no way they would postpone it. I was wrong.
Chris Adams 22:18
Yeah, we had a crazy drive back from New Jersey that night. It was like insane. It was wintertime. So there was or there was a snowstorm that night. And it was like a march snowstorm. So the whole drive from Newark, New Jersey to Glens Falls, New York. We did maybe max 45 miles an hour. And I bet we saw it. It was so insane. cars, car accidents. Yeah,
Kristi Wagner 22:41
they were literally like, I've never seen so many cars on the side of the road. And it was really scary, because you have to drive like, right by New York City, which I feel like it was like the epicenter of COVID. And we really knew nothing then and I was like, I'm worried I'm gonna get into an accident. And then they're gonna take me to like a New York City Hospital because we were like, right there. And I was doing the thing where you're like, it's winter. So you've the heat on in your car, but I was wearing my coat because I was worried I was gonna get in an accident. And then like the heat was so you're just like really sweaty in your car ready for a new thing? But like, yeah, gripping the steering wheel really tight. But then we made it home. But then I, I hadn't we weren't living together at the time. But I was like, oh, I'll just stay with you for a few, you know, the two weeks that COVID was supposed to be. So yeah, he hasn't kicked me out since then. That
Chris Adams 23:27
turned into three years. Three years. I mean, we talked about
Kristi Wagner 23:31
Yeah, but like we weren't, it was yeah, no,
Chris Adams 23:35
it wasn't. It wasn't on the docket wasn't
Kristi Wagner 23:37
on the docket.
Chris Adams 23:40
I mean, I want to take it back. Now.
Kristi Wagner 23:42
No things sometimes things work out. Yeah.
Chris Adams 23:45
Thank God. That would have been really weird if it didn't What a weird time that would have been an overfill.
Kristi Wagner 23:50
What if we had like, broken up and then just like, had to live? I feel like I just moved
Chris Adams 23:54
out. I feel like we kind of all of a sudden live together. Oh, if it had been bad living together. Yeah, I can go one or two ways.
Kristi Wagner 24:00
Yeah. That's true. It was good, though.
Chris Adams 24:04
Yeah, it was we enjoyed that time.
Kristi Wagner 24:08
Well, except that people were like dying all around the world. No, it was very, very
Chris Adams 24:11
awful time. Yeah. But I mean, personally at our house.
Kristi Wagner 24:15
Things were not so bad. Things. Were not so bad. I did in the end. Give you COVID though.
Chris Adams 24:21
Oh my gosh. I had gotten two and a half years just dodging it. And then you came home from Switzerland?
Kristi Wagner 24:29
No, it was literally last summer Henley, England
Chris Adams 24:32
or Henley. You can't she came home the weekend before the Matthews plays at Saratoga. And if you are a Saratoga and you know how much fun a day Matthews concert is. And I was dead sick and we had great tickets, and we couldn't go I couldn't go and it was devastating. It was devastating.
Kristi Wagner 24:53
When we first met I literally thought there was a 0% chance that I was gonna go to the island epics, like we met in 2019. And I feel like I had had, I don't know, like a somewhat good rowing career, and I was kind of on the bubble of like making it in 2020. And I was like, Okay, well, I'm gonna row this one more year, and then I'm going to be done. But like, and I'm just gonna give it a last good go. But, you know, then I'm going to be done. And that really didn't happen. But you like really always believed, which probably just means that you believe in me, because I don't think you really actually knew much about rowing.
Chris Adams 25:33
No, none of my belief was based on any knowledge of rowing or technical, you know, strokes. My, my belief was solely just from you, and just seeing how much it mattered. And I don't know, if something matters that much to me, I'm going to do it.
Kristi Wagner 25:53
Yeah. But it was almost like interesting. I feel like you were the person that like, was the least surprised that I like made it to the Olympics.
Chris Adams 26:02
Well, that's just another part of dating an athlete, you have to believe because they're not always going to believe. So you can always believe. Yeah, because you're not believing in anything but the person. And none of the other technical stuff even comes into your brain because you don't know anything about it.
Kristi Wagner 26:19
I guess that's true. I know a lot of like, rowers date other rowers? And I feel like, what are your thoughts on that? Well, what are your thoughts on that? Well, I feel like it would be I don't know, like, it's all we can do. To have like, everyone 100% on Team Kristi. Like, I feel like, I feel like I like lean on you so much. Sometimes, and like, you're just like, you know, you get it. Like when I like get closed off before races, or I don't know, like anything that happens with rowing. You're just like 100%, like on Team Me. And I feel like if you were also racing, you couldn't be 100% on Team Me, because you'd have to be on Team you. So I don't know if I'm just like a needy person.
Chris Adams 27:12
Well, I don't I don't I guess I've never really felt like, in in relationships, that it's that important to be able, it's more important to be able to understand that it is to relate, like I can't relate to your day to day, but I can understand just like you can't relate to my day to day, but you can understand. Yeah, you know, I mean,
Kristi Wagner 27:34
yeah, I know. So
Chris Adams 27:37
that's true. So there's a whole bunch of that going on. That's true.
Kristi Wagner 27:42
That's true. You can you can support one another without having to be able to, you know, yeah,
Chris Adams 27:50
I mean, imagine if we had the same exact day.
Kristi Wagner 27:52
That'd be weird.
Chris Adams 27:55
We probably talked about, like, how much we squatted today.
Kristi Wagner 28:00
I know that whatever your needs were, yeah, that'd be weird.
Chris Adams 28:04
Yeah, I don't. I don't think I could do it.
Kristi Wagner 28:08
But I also give a lot of credit to couples that like, work to get like the I don't know, like to man work show. They just spend all day every day together. No.
Chris Adams 28:18
I mean, I wouldn't be opposed some more time together. I think we could, you know, add a little bit. I mean, I understand that you gotta go to Italy next week. But
Kristi Wagner 28:30
that's no, I don't. Yes, we don't we don't get to spend very much time together. Which is sad. It's hard. Because I've gotten a lot.
Chris Adams 28:44
I have no comment.
Kristi Wagner 28:47
No, I mean, it's true, right? No,
Chris Adams 28:50
it definitely is truly hard. I mean, we talk every day. But
Kristi Wagner 28:53
yeah, but it's really hard. And I feel like I mean, I don't know, I feel like we learned a ton from like the last Olympic cycle about, you know, things we wanted to do differently for this cycle. And I feel like we have like, made some changes.
Chris Adams 29:09
Oh, definitely. And I mean, the way that I think about it's different from the first time for sure, like, I mean, those chunks of time, like two weeks before a big race, you know, you're locked in and everyone around you is locked in. So like, I've always thought that, you know, you're kind of in any particular moment, you're kind of the sum of your peers, you know, the average of the people around you is kind of where you're at. And if everyone around you is locked in, then, you know, I don't take that personally. Yeah, you know, I mean, I just know that we're in that chunk of time, and, you know, it won't be that way on the back end of it. But yeah, it just, you know,
Kristi Wagner 29:54
but I think that like I learned like, I don't think I realized how like insular I got, you know, like, right before Tokyo. And I think that and like hearing, you know, like, how what do you call it the Bubble bubble? Now, like in the bubble I was, you know,
Chris Adams 30:15
I mean, I am a little needy. So
Kristi Wagner 30:20
I don't think you're that needy All right, I think it's good. I mean, I think if you're choosing to like, share your life with someone, then them recognizing that you exist is probably a pretty standard
Chris Adams 30:35
reminding them, ya know? No, it's I mean, it's definitely part of it. I mean, that can be, you know, in the bubble before a big race or that can be even you know, when you come home after a big race. Yeah, you know, whether it went the way you want it to or whether it didn't that adrenaline and that that, you know, that mindset that you've had for the last two months leading up to it doesn't your doesn't go away. You know, as soon as you walk in the front door,
Kristi Wagner 31:04
I think that's been a really hard thing for us to like, work through. Because sometimes like right now, we only have like one week, right? Yeah, we have we have six days, six days. Like, okay, well, you want to make the most of it. But when you've been apart from each other for a while, it's hard to just like, fit right back into the rhythm. Like normally it takes us like a week to find our rhythm. And we don't even have a week this time. So how do you how do you think we've been doing? I think actually, we've done like a pretty good job. This week. Yeah. This week. Yeah. I
Chris Adams 31:38
feel the rhythm. You feel the rhythm.
Kristi Wagner 31:39
Yeah. Yeah.
Chris Adams 31:43
Yeah, now you're getting weird in these waters.
Kristi Wagner 31:48
Do you know a movie?
Chris Adams 31:49
Be in the rhythm? Yes. See the rhyme. Jamaica. It's boats lead time.
Kristi Wagner 31:55
Very good. Yeah, this guy I don't know who is like it's random person we saw. Like when we're in California. Oh, it was our Uber driver. And he was like, we said, oh, we're training for the Olympics news like, oh, have you seen Cool Runnings
Chris Adams 32:11
a million times.
Kristi Wagner 32:12
I mean, yeah. Obviously, I've seen Cool Runnings. But like every year at Christmas, I'm glad that when people think of the Olympics, they think of Cool Runnings.
Chris Adams 32:20
When Christmas you watch Cool Runnings at Christmas. Oh, yeah. It's always on TNT. Okay, we have cable now.
Kristi Wagner 32:30
Yeah, thank goodness. You want to talk about Ted law? So
Chris Adams 32:35
we can talk about whatever you want to talk about.
Kristi Wagner 32:37
What do you want to talk about? I didn't let you tell the Walmart story. You can tell it now if you want. Okay, because I feel like that fits with me coming home.
Chris Adams 32:47
This does fit with you coming home. We segwayed our way there. Yeah. There can be there can be a little rage. Coming back from a race that did not go the way you wanted it to go. Because I do. I think sometimes you keep reliving it. Like every time Oh, yeah. It's your you can Oh yeah. It's horrible. And we're in Walmart. Well, no,
Kristi Wagner 33:08
for I had made my declaration before we even
Chris Adams 33:12
Oh, yeah. Chrissy made a declaration that she was going to be a professional. longboarder complicates the word professional after rowing. So we went to Walmart and bought a longboard. And
Kristi Wagner 33:23
this was like, three days after I got home from Japan. And you were pissed. I was a little bit upset. You're
Chris Adams 33:31
You're, you're locked out pissed for a solid two weeks, at least two weeks.
Kristi Wagner 33:37
First, I had like a bit of a meltdown at my friend. So I literally flew home from Japan and went to one of my best friend's weddings like the next day, which was amazing that I was able to go to it. But I made it actually. I like crushed that wedding. Right? That was a miracle. Yeah, you did a great job. And I like dry hadn't been drinking because I was kind of like, Oh, if I if I have a drink, I'm gonna fall asleep because I've been up for like, I don't know. 50 hours or something like that. But I like dd to everyone. But anyways, we were at the like, brunch. You know? They have a brunch on the Sunday. Chris actually hates those brunches.
Chris Adams 34:12
Fun. Nobody should do a brunch. Yeah, well, yeah. Married.
Kristi Wagner 34:15
There's everyone's too hungover. Sorry. Sorry. I mean, if you had a really good like a breakfast burrito to go, like,
Chris Adams 34:23
a really good time at a wedding. There's no way you want to go to that brunch. Yeah, there's no Well,
Kristi Wagner 34:29
we were at this brunch and I just kind of like had a meltdown. Like, then my friend's boyfriend was like, trying to talk to me. And I was just like, and kind of like, I don't know, I think he's being a little judgy and I was like,
Chris Adams 34:40
dude, during that chunk of time you thought everybody was being a little judgy I don't know how judgy he was actually being you probably wasn't being judged and the fact that that you hadn't really left Tokyo yet. You were home. I wasn't home. Yeah, you were home but not home.
Kristi Wagner 34:57
But anyways, then we're at Walmart.
Chris Adams 35:00
So yeah, and then we're at Walmart and Kristi gets on, puts grabs a longboard off shelf, puts it on the floor and stands on it and wipes out, like completely wipes out, hits the ground, hits the shelf, you know, knocks a bunch of things over, and I go to help her up and just get snapped at just like, I'm like, and that I mean, that the short fuse after a race. Yeah, that didn't go the way you wanted it to go. is, you know, you don't you try not to take it personally. But it's not personal. It's also like you you haven't seen this person in a long time. And you want to have fun. But you you're just not there yet. Because she's really not home yet.
Kristi Wagner 35:50
Yeah, I feel like the interesting. How is she doing is that everyone asks Chris how I'm doing and ask like, they don't want to ask me how I'm doing. So they asked Chris,
Chris Adams 36:04
well, you don't like that question.
Kristi Wagner 36:06
What do you say?
Chris Adams 36:09
Well, depends on how you're doing.
Kristi Wagner 36:11
Tell the truth. Yeah. You're not just like blanket like, oh, everything's fine. Because that's what I say.
Chris Adams 36:18
No, I mean, no one in my family is good at that.
Kristi Wagner 36:23
Yeah. Yeah. You like to lay it all out?
Chris Adams 36:27
Well, I mean, if they asked me if you're in a bad mood, and I'd say you're not in a bad mood, and then they approach you like you're in a good mood, then I've just like thrown them into the fire. So I might as well just tell them.
Kristi Wagner 36:40
Yeah, I do think it's funny, though, because people don't usually ask me how you're doing. Because you just tell them?
Chris Adams 36:49
I guess I haven't. I have one of those written on your face emotions.
Kristi Wagner 36:56
It's all right here. Yeah, you do. Yeah. And you just share your share? I think that's a good thing. I think that you I think your ability to share has made me share more. That's nice. I think in some ways you've inspired this podcast.
Chris Adams 37:13
I mean, from from,
Kristi Wagner 37:17
could you imagine me in 2019. Doing
Chris Adams 37:20
Chrissy Wagner four years ago, who would not talk about the Olympics would not talk about rowing, would not talk about a race. You just was a complete closed book when it came to rowing. And we had to have like a come to Jesus like, hey, if we're gonna date, you were like, to be on the team. You gotta like, tell me about your day. You were like,
Kristi Wagner 37:43
I gotta be on the team. I gotta be on the team
Chris Adams 37:45
dinner time talk of me splurged on about my work day. Which I mean, I'm an architect. So the majority of my work happens in a chair.
Kristi Wagner 37:57
Hey, exciting things happen at your work.
Chris Adams 37:59
Oh, exciting things happen, for sure. But I definitely would say that you are much more open now. And for you to be doing this podcast and sharing intimate details about the whole process with strangers is like a huge step from where we were four years ago.
So I'm working on it. No, I think it's good. You can't be all bottled up like that
Kristi Wagner 38:23
now. Yeah. Me acne. That's like, I think one of the worst things about rowing. I feel like it's, I have adult acne because of it.
Chris Adams 38:34
It's horrible. You're beautiful.
Kristi Wagner 38:35
Thank you. But I would love for the pimples to go away. Some questions that have come in on Instagram, which I know you're not on Instagram, but yeah.
Chris Adams 38:47
What do we got that
Kristi Wagner 38:48
okay. Yeah. Okay,
Chris Adams 38:50
I ended up.
Kristi Wagner 38:51
All right. Do you get to travel with Kristi a lot.
Chris Adams 38:56
So, not that much rowing. Unfortunately, rowing is not one of those sports where you get paid millions of dollars to fly your family to every game. So although Kristi's trip is free, mine is not. And the whole working in regular life means that maybe you get two weeks off a year. And my philosophy on this Oh, yeah, but dog too, and we have a dog. But like, you get two weeks off, you want to use them. And it's not that going to erase is not something that I want, don't want to do. It's just it's not a vacation because you're basically on vacation by yourself because you're in the bubble. And I'm in this beautiful place, wherever it may be, but I'm not on vacation with you. And if I've got two weeks a year, I'd rather take one of those or both of them and do it in one of those golden periods when Yeah, You can actually take time off for rowing. Yeah.
Kristi Wagner 40:03
And like, let's be honest, watching rowing is not Oh, I love watching
Chris Adams 40:08
it. I mean, I love you watch it on the TV. You know, head of the Charles is awesome. I love it when I can like hanging out with your family at a race and, you know, be with them and, and obviously being there to see you do the thing. Is, is exciting. But that's okay. I mean, I, I still really liked those 4am Our time races that I get to watch in bed on my cell phone with the dog.
Kristi Wagner 40:36
We're about to go to Europe. So yeah, those
Chris Adams 40:39
aren't bad. I like those.
Kristi Wagner 40:42
The follow up to that question is, how do you stay connected with all the traveling? So I feel like we were talking about that a little bit. But I think it's a really good question. Because I'm on the road, like, almost half the year.
Chris Adams 40:55
Yeah. Well, I feel like we talk every day. But it's not I would say it's not just like talking every day. It's it's like really sift through the bullsh*t. Yeah, quickly. You know, it's not like a fluff. You know, let's make up 20 minutes of conversation. So we could say we did it today. Yes. Like, and I
Kristi Wagner 41:16
feel like when we don't have anything to talk about, or if we're both, like really tired, we'll just get off the phone. Yeah, we don't just like sit there to say that we did it like check a thing off the box. Or box off, whatever, check a thing off the box. Yeah, probably the same. And we've had Congress, you know, like, you were like, hey, calling me right before you go to bed sucks. Because you're tired and you don't want to do it. You don't want to talk like so I was like, yeah, that's my bad. No, but it's true. I mean, I feel like you have to, we have to say the thing. You know,
Chris Adams 41:56
I think it was also kind of important to establish like, hey, like, you know, my day to day, you know, you know what I'm doing? I'm working. Yeah, you know, you know that you can call me anytime you know, that I'll probably pick up if I'm not in a meeting with somebody. So, you know, taking the ball as far as like, Hey, I'm gonna call you at this time, you know, in like committing to a committing to it. Like you said, I'm going to be the dinner at five. You know, when you when it during those times when the phone is like what you have? Yeah, you know, I we personally treat it like, you know, you showed up late to dinner. Yes. If you said you're gonna call it this time. And then yeah, you know, I mean,
Kristi Wagner 42:36
but it's hard like it camps. It's hard. Because you're someone I'm sharing a room with people like lightning are never alone, like her alone. You're never alone and the way that they like kind of plan your days, it can just be it can be a challenge. And we'll deal with like time changes and stuff. And it's funny because I actually think that some of it like two and three hour time changes are harder than the like six hour time change. Yeah, just because we're, you're it's close enough, but
Chris Adams 43:05
Well, I feel like the Never Alone part. Like that's why it's, I mean, I haven't met any of your, you know, rowing teammates or friends that I haven't liked. So I do like, I don't know. I guess I do like hearing about their day to you like, yeah, well
Kristi Wagner 43:23
just like, eager, like, well, I
Chris Adams 43:26
want to feel like you know, I know that you guys are never alone. So you know, I want I want whoever you're with to feel comfortable with me. Yeah. You know what I mean? Just so that it's easier for you to say, Hey, I'm gonna pick up the phone call Chris. And everybody in the room doesn't look at you like, sh*t. I love swear.
Kristi Wagner 43:49
I don't think we have any swearing on the podcast. It's really hard for me.
But everyone like loves Chris. He's like, Yeah, Team. Team sport. Team boyfriend. I mean, no, they can't have you. Wow. I feel like you otherwise you're duking it out. But the thing is, Chris is basically like a stand up comedian. He's like a funny man. Especially when he's got like a little audience. So I know you're gonna say a little buzz, or a little but you definitely also very fidgety right now. Okay. Okay, we have one more question so far. What's your advice to stay mentally strong? Me? Yeah.
Chris Adams 44:44
Go do something fun every day. Live your life to the fullest. At least for an hour a day. Do something that you just think is awesome.
Kristi Wagner 44:57
That would be my trick. That's how You're mentally strong.
Chris Adams 45:01
Get yourself a dog, stat.
Kristi Wagner 45:07
So this week, I had an Ask Kristi anything with my producer, Christine O'Donnell.
Christine O'Donnell 45:16
I have kind of a tough one. Ask us. Are you sure?
Chris Adams 45:20
We won that game? Oh, yeah,
Kristi Wagner 45:22
we won the newlywed game. Oh, but we're not getting married. I mean, maybe one day,
Christine O'Donnell 45:28
is there ever any like time body clock societal norms, expectations when it comes to being in a relationship for a certain amount of time that you feel like you're up against? Is that a challenge in your relationship? In the other three years?
Kristi Wagner 45:47
Yeah. Well, I think that we had both kind of thought that I was gonna stop rowing after the last Olympic cycle. And I think we both kind of thought we were gonna get engaged and married. After that. I feel like we're very secure in our relationship. But in talking to Chris, like, he kind of voiced I don't want to put words in your mouth. But like, when, when and if whatever we do get engaged in married, like, we really want to spend that time together. And I'm not traveling all the time. And that can be like, a really great time, you know, in our lives. And so kind of overlaying it with
Chris Adams 46:37
I think the words were I kind of envisioned being engaged, you know, being with each other all the time. Yeah, it seems like, you know, nothing, it doesn't change how I feel about you exactly. change anything.
Kristi Wagner 46:51
I think that's the biggest thing for us. Like, I'm like, we rd, you know, we, whatever we live together, we're in a secure relationship. So I'm to say we don't fight like we get, we fight. We get in arguments, you know, and like, it's really hard. Like, my, this is really hard. It's really hard. For Chris, it's really hard for me, like, I'm gone a lot. And I have, you know, there's a lot of stress and everything, but I feel like the secure ness of our relationship, like, shouldn't be defined by what like, our ring fingers look like,
Chris Adams 47:27
I know married couples that are way less happy than we are.
Kristi Wagner 47:31
Burn. Chris's friend. No, I don't even know what you're talking about. But, but yeah, like, I don't know. And, but it is hard, because we're both like 30, you know, and I think, well, Chris's sister has kids. So his parents, I think are a little less child crazed. Grandkids, they have grandkids, so but my parents don't, but my brother is getting married. So really everyone else has stepped up for us. But yeah, I mean, I think I think it can be hard sometimes. Because like most of our friends are married and have kids. So we are in somewhat of a different like life stage. But we also see that our friends who are married and have kids, like babies can't really do anything. So we're just trying to like relish our time. Yeah, right. Chris really wants one of those backpack, baby hiking things. I
Chris Adams 48:33
think it would be hard to Row Your Boat fast with baby bump.
Kristi Wagner 48:37
I did. Well, I said something about having a baby. And Chris was like, Well, what would you do with the baby? And I was like, you could stay home with the baby. And he was like, and that's the I'm a heart out.
Chris Adams 48:50
Oh, here, I'm gonna go try to win a medal. Take this.
Kristi Wagner 48:54
Yeah. So I don't know. I
Chris Adams 48:58
mean, I understand that there has to be an element of selfishness to achieving the goal that you're trying to achieve. But in my head, that takes it to a whole new level. Yeah, like when I
Kristi Wagner 49:11
I mean, there are women that have children. And then, but if rowing for some reason feels different, like, and there are women and other countries doing it, I don't know if there's really been any us women that have done it. But it would be a huge expectation of your partner. Because when we travel like I don't know where I would put a baby. I don't know where I would put Chris.
Chris Adams 49:35
Yeah. I don't know. I feel like we grew up in very similar families. So our outlook on kind of what we've always envisioned that time looking like it's similar. Yeah, except I don't want to live in a cul de sac. My parents don't live in a call sec. They live in a neighborhood. It's great. You can play street hockey. It's awesome.
Kristi Wagner 49:57
Well let you know that the cul de sac thing Get back to young
Chris Adams 50:01
babies.
Kristi Wagner 50:03
Yeah. But yeah, it's hard. It's hard. So I don't know. Is there anything you want to leave the people with? How should we wrap this up? What's a? What's a takeaway you want people to have from this episode? Give me some so Chris likes to send me post or pre race inspiration.
Chris Adams 50:26
Oh my gosh, you want me to throw out a Michael Jordan quote right now?
Kristi Wagner 50:28
I think it'd be fitting.
Chris Adams 50:30
I was gonna say you can't go wrong with passionate people. But
Kristi Wagner 50:35
what was the I think we should end with the Shaq? Quote? Do you remember that one?
Chris Adams 50:40
No. Did you save it?
Kristi Wagner 50:42
I was somewhere I can't remember where I was in Colorado. And rowing camps can get a little hard. And Chris sent me this text. He was like, I've been watching the Shaq TV show. Shaq has a docu series. And he said like, it never hurts to be nice. Oh, yeah. And I was just like, honestly, like, changed my camp. Like I was like, yeah, it never hurts to be nice. Like, like, I'd rather be nice. Chris is just, I don't know. That's the team on his back. He sends me Michael Jordan code. I love it.
Chris Adams 51:21
It never hurts to be nice. never hurts to be nice. Don't get too wrapped up in your own stuff. Everybody's got stuff. Can't go wrong with passionate people can't go wrong with passionate people. Even if you only see him six months out of the year.
Kristi Wagner 51:38
You're all clammy.
Chris Adams 51:38
I'm so clammy. I'm top down sweaty.
Kristi Wagner 51:43
All right. And that's a wrap. Coming up next week, I have a conversation with winter Olympian and professional cross country skier truly occurred. And Julie and I grew up in towns that were next to each other outside of Boston. But our paths never crossed. I found her on Instagram. I was a fan. And I reached out to her and asked her if she would come on the podcast. And she said yes. So we met virtually. And yeah, we had a really fun conversation. It was cool to hear about cross country skiing and kind of the path to the Winter Olympics. And it was fun. Like some things are really different between cross country skiing and rowing. And some things are pretty similar. So I don't know it was really cool to hear like, how similar some of the things we're in certain things she said like really resonated with me. And I just thought that was a really cool thing, a really cool moment to share. But she's awesome. She's a total badass. I was super impressed with her and she's been killing it. I don't know if you'd still crawl cross country ski slopes slopes on the track on the slopes. I don't know. I'm a cross country ski novice. Perhaps you would rather me be calling it Nordic skiing. Again, I apologize for my knee naivete in this area. But it was a great conversation. Super fun. If you are a Winter Olympics fan, tune in and hear Julia and all of the amazing things that she had to say. And to close the show. I have a great quote for everyone this week. It is from the amazing show. Ted lasso. If you haven't watched it, Apple TV, it's such a good show. It's just chock full of amazingness. The third season the finale of the whole show just happened. But I think this this quotes from season one. So taking on a challenge is like riding a horse. If you're comfortable while you're doing it, you're probably doing it wrong. So thanks and see you next week. Bye.
I'd love to hear from you. So send us a topic suggestion or if you'd like to submit a question for our Ask Kristi anything segment, head to our website, theother3years.com