Mary Beth Ellis Racing & Training Diary

First Endurance HP Optygen: My Case Study

2011-03-21T19:00:00.000-07:00

As the triathlon season gets into full swing with training and soon to be racing. I started taking First Endurance HP Optygen daily in early February. I wanted to wait six weeks before reporting on the results. Over the past six weeks, I have been duly impressed with how my body has responded as i have increased my training stress and i think that has a lot to do with First Endurance HP Optygen.

After a hectic holiday season, I didn't rush into training this year but rather used january to just build my fitness and consistency. When I started to get the 2011 season training underway in February, I started using First Endurance HP Optygen. As started to increase volume and intensity, my body broke down but definitely not in the way it did last year. Last year, I became very overtrained and struggled to stay healthy. But for once, I didn't catch that inevitable winter cold or flu bug but remained relatively healthy. In addition to this, I had consistent training without facing the usual tiredness and soreness that plagued me at least once a week last year.

At the end of February, I headed out to Krabi Thailand for a Team TBB camp stocked up with plenty of First Endurance HP Optygen and multivitamin. Unlike last year where I caught something on just about every trip, I managed the 30 hour journey without catching a bug. Then, I jumped straight into intense training over the last three weeks. With the help of First Endurance HP Optygen, I have responded very well to the training load and been feeling great despite the demands I have put on my body. The recovery from training definitely seems faster, and during back-to-back hard sessions and training days my body has been durable and resilient.

In years past, I have been inconsistent with my nutrition and wanted to make a change. With the help of First Endurance, I have finally started to take my training, racing, and daily nutrition to a higher level. While I don't think that First Endurance HP Optygen is the only reason that my training has been progressing so well, I do think it has definitely been an asset. As a pro, it may give me that extra 2 % that i need to win a race instead of finishing 5th. In addition, with professional drug testing, I need to be sure any vitamins and supplements are tested and don't contain any banned substances. With a company like First Endurance, I don't have any concerns and trust in all their products.

In the scheme of my training program, the easiest workout is taking that First Endurance HP Optygen with my First Endurance multivitamin. Make it one of your goals this year to take your nutrition more seriously. For that, I don't think you need to look any further than First Endurance.

http://team.firstendurance.com/profiles/blogs/first-endurance-hp-optygen-my

A case for daily multivitamins

2011-01-05T07:53:00.000-08:00

As usual, it was a typical hectic holiday season filled with family and fun. But for once, I didn't catch that inevitable cold or flu bug from my niece, cousins, aunts or dad. Finally, I managed multiple plane flights, hugs, shared utensils, and didn't come down with my normal start of the year Illness.

While I am sure there are many reasons for my renewed immunity, I think one contributor is my daily vitamin. Surviving the visits with family and friends as well as four plane flights full of germs is no easy feat for me. Last year, I caught something on just about every trip. However, since I started taking the vitamin, I have been healthy, feeling better during my training sessions, and even seem to be recovering a bit quicker. In years past, I have been inconsistent with my nutrition and wanted to make a change. With the help of First Endurance, I have finally started to take my training, racing, and daily nutrition to a higher level. While I don't think First endurance is the only good multivitamin out there, for me it is nice to know that their supplement is developed for athletes and our unique needs. In addition, it is important to have a vitamin that coordinates with my training nutrition and provides the right amount of minerals, vitamins, and calories to help me recovery whether I am in the middle of a big training block or just building up my base. Finally, as a pro, I need to make sure any vitamins and supplements are tested and don't contain any banned substances. With a company like First Endurance, I don't have any concerns and trust in all their products.

In the scheme of my training program, the easiest workout is taking that multivitamin and nutrition to recover. Make it one of your resolutions to take your nutrition more seriously in 2011 and an easy way to stay healthier and out there training is with a daily vitamin.

Opposite of good?

2010-11-18T15:09:00.000-08:00

What is it about time off of training that makes me want to chew off my arm or cry? Wait, that was a trick question. When you chew off you're arm, you are naturally going to cry in pain. Regardless, the last few weeks have been a test.

Here are my darkly innane observations to match my mood....

Why do people think they have to be happy all the time? I think it's a farce. Only here in the US do you have to be smiling ear to ear to be fufilled. It's just not realistic to be overjoyed all the time. In fact, being happy all the time seems as dangerous as being sad all the time. Isn't there a happy medium where we can have appropriate emotions for the given situation?

Why are people so outraged about the new TSA screening. Firstly, isn't it designed to keep us safe. If that isn't enough, then why are we willing to give up our privacy everyday as we talk on our cell phones in public, join facebook, tweet about our lives, and many even would willing sell their privacy to be on a reality show for their ten minutes of fame....yet we won't give up a little bit to be safe in an airplane?

Why is it okay to tweet about yourself in the third person? Seriously. If you talked to anyone in public in the third person, you would look like an ass but it's totally okay to do it on the internet.

What is the opposite of good stuff? I don't think it's bad or evil stuff. I think it would be the one and only null set. No stuff.

Just call me the Minute Maid

2010-11-07T14:10:00.000-08:00

I have been dormant these last few months having a pity party of one. This year has been one of the toughest in my life as an athlete. It’s been one hard knock after another. Instead of facing my bad race results, injuries, and illnesses with my head held high, I have slunk off feeling embarrassed and like I let myself and everyone else down. As a professional athlete, I have had plenty of bad results but never such a consistent drought of good performance. As the adage goes, when life hand you lemons you make lemonade, so from now on I am going to be the Minute Maid and start producing with what I have.

The quick synopses of these year’s trials reads like a tragic play. As a preface, I failed before the season even started by trying to do too much this year. I can no longer spread myself thin trying to race competitively in ITU races up to 70.3 events. Unfortunately, in trying to do too much, I ended up doing everything poorly. In Act 1, I started the season full of hope and had some mediocre race results from March until early July where my biggest issues were merely attempting to stay sharp for too many distances/styles of racing and not getting my bike fit dialed in properly. The groundwork is laid as each sub par result leads me to train harder not smarter. In Act 2, the perfect storm begins to surface on the horizon. I left my coach and started working with multiple single sport coaches rather than one triathlon coach. In retrospect at this point, I started doing all the work of three single sport athletes and headed down the path of overtraining. Tragically, the worse my results, the harder and more I trained. In this act, the injuries started to creep in as I tore the joint capsule in my 2nd metatarsal in my right foot. Instead of heeding this injury as a red herring, I continued along my path pushing through the injury with brute force. As this act closes, I made the fateful decision to race un-rested in my last event before the ITU world champs and train through it like a hard workout. Already dancing on the line of overtraining, I have no doubt that this pushed me over the edge. At the start of Act 3, I arrive at the world champs overtrained, sick with a virus, and exhausted. After a horrible result, I arrive home and continue to feel awful for weeks only to find I had a recurrence of the Epstein Barr virus along with overtraining syndrome. With a month of rest, I start to feel amazing and the play seemed to be heading for a happy ending. In the light of a new day, I begin to train for Clearwater and am rejuvenated by the hope that I can finish my season off with a redeemable performance. The training was going better than expected until my friend injury came to visit yet again. A second MRI of my hip this week will tell me if it is just a torn labrum or additionally a stress fracture in my hip. Needless to say, I won’t be able to race Clearwater and the play ends with a sad tragic figure on a ledge ready to jump…start next season and juice lots of lemons into a boatload of lemonade.

Top five lessons learned from this year’s school of hard knocks:

For most type A triathletes, it’s best to stick with one specific triathlon coach rather than single sport coaches. In addition, if you don’t have a coach now, run don’t walk to get one especially if you have a tendency to overdo. Rest and recovery is vital and taking a day off doesn’t mean you’re a slacker.
Injuries are signs not be ignored. When you get injured, there is a reason. Don’t just tape it, suck down some Advil, and continue your current training as if nothing happened. Evaluate your races and training, take a mid-season recovery break for a week or two, and come back stronger.
Illness is a red flag too. If you get even a cold, don’t exacerbate it by being “tough” and trying to train through your sickness. There is a difference between a good tired from hard training and the exhaustion that means you are sick and/or on the path to overtraining. Start listening to your body and learning how to tell for yourself. If you’re consistently feeling tired everyday for a week or two, then something is wrong. Take some easy days and keep adding in more recovery until you bounce back. It’s normal to feel tired after hard sessions but not weeks on end.
Look for trends in your body and performance to learn how best to proceed. An interesting correlation for me is that the last time I had Mono I got a stress fracture. By the time, I reach the exhaustion point of overtraining; I need to realize that there are probably bigger skeletal issues lying dormant. Keeping a training log and diary can help to unlock these trends in your own body.
Finally, set goals but reach for them with enthusiasm. Even for professionals, this sport must be fun, and there could be something wrong if you’re not 100% excited to train everyday. When my enthusiasm wanes, it is usually a sign that I am heading toward overtraining. While every session may not be fun and some goals are evasive, take time to ensure that you are enjoying the journey that is triathlon.

I hope that sharing by my experiences and lessons I am able to help even one person avoid my mistakes and stay on the happy healthy path of triathlon success.

Another article on xtri

2010-02-03T20:57:00.000-08:00

Triathlon on a Grecian Urn
http://www.xtri.com/features_display.aspx?riIDReport=6188

John Keats’ Ode on a Grecian Urn encompasses everything that I love most about triathlon. The most intriguing parts of the poem for me are the paradoxes that weave throughout the entire text as well as the elusive meaning of the poem which enables everyone to experience it in their own unique way. Similar to Keats’ Ode, in triathlon each competitor experiences the race from their individual perspective and throughout the event may feel joy and pain intertwined as one. While Keats expounds upon the fantasy world of the figures trapped for an eternity on the urn, he interplays the dichotomy of their frozen time versus the reality of their lives if they were living creatures. The real world of pain and time is contrasted with a frozen unchanging existence of the figures on the urn. In a triathlon, during the pursuit of a goal each athlete faces similar paradoxes: life and death, joy and pain, desire and fear, participant and observer, beauty and truth. The beauty of the triathlon is the struggle each and every competitor faces in a quest of his or her true potential.

For me personally, the section of the poem that speaks most vividly is when Keats is addressing the pursuing lover on the urn.

Bold lover, never, never canst thou kiss,
Though winning near the goal - yet, do not grieve;
She cannot fade, though thou hast not thy bliss,
For ever wilt thou love, and she be fair!
Ah, happy, happy boughs! that cannot shed
Your leaves, nor ever bid the spring adieu;
And, happy melodist, unwearied,
For ever piping songs for ever new;
More happy love! more happy, happy love!
For ever warm and still to be enjoy'd,
For ever panting, and for ever young;

Standing at the starting line of a race, I imagine that I am the bold lover frozen on the urn ready for my moment to chase my beloved, my goal for the race. There is something magical about standing at the starting line of a race, it is akin to being a young fearless character on the urn frozen in time waiting for my moment to pursue an unreachable dream. While frozen there for an instant, anything is possible and my goals though just out of reach are still golden and lie just ahead of me.

As I get older so many doors in life are closed. As a child, anything is possible; I could have been an astronaut, doctor, the president, movie star, or on American Idol. But now, many things that once seemed possible are no longer as life forces each one of us to make choices and determine our own path in life. However, there is one place I know where any goal still seems possible and where I may control my own destiny; that is in the sport of triathlon. When I line up at the start of a race, anything is possible. It is simply me and my beloved, the goal that I have set out for myself, all I have to do is chase. When the gun goes off, I have the rare chance in life to once again pursue my dreams whatever they may be and make them a reality. It’s not just me, but every athlete out there starts the day frozen in time at the instance where his or her goals are there for the taking. In addition, each athlete must battle the paradoxes of joy or pain, hope or despair, to fight or surrender. At the end of the day, whether we win or lose life will continue with our friends and family, but for that brief moment in time, similar to the urn’s frozen time, each of us can choose to suspend the pain in an effort to reach that finish line. There is nothing sweeter than putting it all on the line, setting the bar high, and reaching that seemingly unattainable goal. And as triathletes, we have the chance to do this every time we toe the line.

THOU still unravish'd bride of quietness,
Thou foster-child of silence and slow time,
Sylvan historian, who canst thus express
A flowery tale more sweetly than our rhyme:
What leaf-fring'd legend haunt about thy shape
Of deities or mortals, or of both,
In Tempe or the dales of Arcady?
What men or gods are these? What maidens loth?
What mad pursuit? What struggle to escape?
What pipes and timbrels? What wild ecstasy?

Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard
Are sweeter: therefore, ye soft pipes, play on;
Not to the sensual ear, but, more endear'd,
Pipe to the spirit ditties of no tone:
Fair youth, beneath the trees, thou canst not leave
Thy song, nor ever can those trees be bare;
Bold lover, never, never canst thou kiss,
Though winning near the goal - yet, do not grieve;
She cannot fade, though thou hast not thy bliss,
For ever wilt thou love, and she be fair!

Ah, happy, happy boughs! that cannot shed
Your leaves, nor ever bid the spring adieu;
And, happy melodist, unwearied,
For ever piping songs for ever new;
More happy love! more happy, happy love!
For ever warm and still to be enjoy'd,
For ever panting, and for ever young;
All breathing human passion far above,
That leaves a heart high-sorrowful and cloy'd,
A burning forehead, and a parching tongue.

Who are these coming to the sacrifice?
To what green altar, O mysterious priest,
Lead'st thou that heifer lowing at the skies,
And all her silken flanks with garlands drest?
What little town by river or sea shore,
Or mountain-built with peaceful citadel,
Is emptied of this folk, this pious morn?
And, little town, thy streets for evermore
Will silent be; and not a soul to tell
Why thou art desolate, can e'er return.

O Attic shape! Fair attitude! with brede
Of marble men and maidens overwrought,
With forest branches and the trodden weed;
Thou, silent form, dost tease us out of thought
As doth eternity: Cold Pastoral!
When old age shall this generation waste,
Thou shalt remain, in midst of other woe
Than ours, a friend to man, to whom thou say'st,
"Beauty is truth, truth beauty," - that is all
Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.

"Open" to new lessons

2010-01-06T18:48:00.000-08:00

Like Julie Dibens, a friend and fellow pro triathlete, I too have been reading Andre Agassi’s book “Open”. Julie has a great blog discussing her reflections on the book and how it applies to triathlon. I read her post and was not only struck by her insights but also by the fact that we had completely different portions of the book that resonated in our minds. While Julie was struck by Agassiz’s “last ten minutes before you fall asleep”, there were different lessons in perservence and perfection that I extracted from the book. (click here for her blog it‘s definitely a worthwhile read) I must admit that I am mostly a fair-weather tennis fan just tuning in for the big tournaments, but this book gave me more appreciation for Agassi and the game. In addition, the life lessons that Agassi articulates so eloquently are applicable to triathlon and everyday life.

For me, Agassi had several life experiences that struck me as an athlete, but perhaps his resilience was the most inspiring. Despite facing numerous setbacks through his career, he kept on overcoming challenges that would have stopped many lesser athletes. Agassi continued to keep playing and improving over a long career. Remarkably for a tennis player, some of his best performances were later in his professional life when he should have been past his prime. In addition, as he matured, Agassi seemed to relish the wins more as he appreciated all the hard work and perseverance that were required to get there. As a triathlete, anytime an athlete can overcome injuries, personal difficulties, and burnout, to achieve success, it is very inspiring. I hope that I can continue to triumph over my challenges half as well as Agassi.

Likewise, another key insight for me came from one of Agassi’s coaches, Brad Gilbert. Brad stressed to Agassi that he didn’t need to aim for perfection with every shot. He merely needed to beat the man across the net and force the other athlete to feel the pressure and make mistakes. I think many athletes fall into the trap of trying to achieve perfection all the time every day. Unfortunately, this is never possible in training or in racing. Most days, you just need to go out there and give it your best. Setting unattainable standards, only sets an athlete up for failure and disappointment. For me, the most satisfying training days or races have been not when I was perfect but when I succeeded despite one issue or another. The real trick is to stay positive mentally despite the ups and downs that are inevitable in sport and life.

Finally, the last lesson from the book was that Agassi trained and performed best when he was happiest and his life was going smoothly. While some of this can't be controlled, I hope that I can keep a positive and happy attitude in 2010. It seems like easiest way to improve my chances of having a great season.

For anyone looking for an inspiring and real book, I definitely recommend it. In fact, I might just read it again now.

Article on Xtri

2009-12-11T06:53:00.000-08:00

State of Professionalism in Triathlon
http://www.xtri.com/features_display.aspx?riIDReport=6128&CAT=23&xref=xx

There is an epidemic among the professional triathlete ranks, and I fear it is spreading. From blogs to race reports to twitter feeds, my compatriots are lamenting the difficulty of their life as if they have a tortuous job working on a chain gang. This constant hum of ‘woe is me’ self-pity is starting to worry me. I am not immune and have on occasion blamed others or circumstances for my own shortcomings. However, I have been lucky to have coaches who have taught me the importance of taking personal responsibility. When I started triathlon, I worked with Siri Lindley and more recently have been coached by Simon Lessing. Both have taught me an invaluable lesson for all athletes namely taking control of one’s own destiny and accepting responsibility.

In 2006, I started training for triathlon and was fortunate to learn some important lessons in self-reliance early in my career. First, in one of my early races, another competitor clobbered me in the swim and tore off my goggles. At the finish line, I was complaining that this happened and it ruined my race…..insert dramatic music here… but my coach just looked at me and said that is racing suck it up and deal with it. In another instance, also during my first year as a triathlete, I learned the athlete’s responsibility to know the race course. As a compulsive first year pro, I drove every bike course the day before the race. I am embarrassed to admit that as a rookie I also tried to memorize all the street names at every key intersection. As a result, except the leader who had a vehicle escort to follow, I was the one of the only athletes to take the correct turn on the course. Since I had driven the course the day before the race, I didn’t even glance at the traffic cops stationed along the course to direct traffic. Apparently, the cops were sending the athletes on the wrong way on the course. Although I am no longer as compulsive, I still believe it is the athlete’s responsibility to know the course. You can’t depend on volunteers or anyone else out there to tell you where to go. It is not their job to know the course it‘s our responsibility.

In the last two years, I have continued to benefit from my early lessons and received additional insights into the importance of taking responsibility. For example, more recently in 2008 a few weeks before the Olympic trials, I was in a bad bike crash in a world cup race New Zealand. During the drafting bike leg, one Austrian athlete, hit the front wheel of another Austrian competitor while we were in a high speed decent causing her to go down hard. I was in the wrong place in the pack and was taken out as she crashed directly into my front wheel. Needless to say, I was quite distraught, lamenting my terrible luck, and devastated to be unable to swim or bike leading into the Trials race. But my coach though somewhat sympathetic turned it all around for me by saying it was actually my fault since I wouldn’t have been in the second bike pack if I had swam to my potential. In her mind, I should have been safely up the road in the front pack and avoided the accident all together. At first, this seemed harsh; however, not only was it completely true but by shifting my focus back to my own actions, which I could control, it enabled me to pull out of a self-pitying funk. Then, I was able to move forward and focus on what I could do to prepare for my upcoming race. Sometimes, merely a shift in attitude can help an athlete focus on taking responsibility and being positive rather than sulking in self-pity.

In the last few years, another lament that rings from the chorus of pros is how unlucky…. I got a flat tire or my bike didn’t work or my brakes were rubbing. If you get a flat tire, it’s not about luck; it simply means that you rode over something in the road. In the past few years, I have had flats and bike mechanicals, and they have all been my fault. While it may be impossible to prevent mechanicals from never happening, by taking good care of equipment and being prepared all athletes can minimize the likelihood as well as the damage to race performance.

Finally, the most wide-spread virus within the pro ranks, is the drafting cries. So many athletes rant that they were riding a perfect race with no draft the whole time while all the other athletes were drafting cheats or when penalized for drafting then the officials must have had a personal vendetta. As an athlete, our only job is to ride legally and allow the officials to find and bust those not following the rules. If everyone who claims to be riding clean outside the draft zone would just focus on doing that and stop complaining, then maybe there would be no drafting. As athletes, we need to focus on how to fix the drafting issues instead of just whining about the current situation. In all aspects of our sport, we need to take responsibility and stop blaming external forces for our own mistakes.

I call on all professional triathletes to stop this epidemic now. While there are many triathletes who never complain and are completely self-reliant, too many of our cohorts don’t take responsibility and blame anything or anyone except themselves for their missteps. I hope that we can all start being accountable for our actions and treat this lifestyle as a career.

Tough Days at the Office

2009-11-18T05:17:00.000-08:00

It's been so long since I blogged that I have to update on two world championships and the LA triathlon. I sound like a broken record, but really my blogging regularity this year has been abysmal. Definitely, this is something I need to improve on....maybe I can kick start things now during the off-season.

World Championships #1- the ITU version (or were they both ITU races)
I made the trip down to the Gold Coast of Australia for the ITU world series championship race. The US team had a great group of athletes and an amazing support staff to keep us healthy. My foot injury was doing the best it has in weeks before the race, all thanks to our support. As a huge reach goal, I was shooting for a top ten finish, but my real goal was a top twenty. I failed on both of those and ended up 23rd. I lost my chance for that top twenty by having a poor swim to bike transition. Coming out at the tail end of that lead pack, my only chance to catch the leaders is to get on my bike fast and hammer like my life depended on it. It's amazing in the ITU races how intense that first few k's on the bike can be. As usual, I was slow getting on and then my hammering wasn't enough to get there. After failing and settling into the second pack for a few laps, I tried to launch a breakaway hoping that one or two of the other strong riders would bridge and come with me. After a lap of pushing hard, no one came and going alone would have been a suicide mission for the run so I pulled the plug and settled in for a leisurely stroll on the bike. On to the run, I could feel my breakaway in the legs but otherwise didn't feel too bad. I had a solid run: nothing great but not terrible either. The other US women did well particularly Sarah Haskins just getting nipped out of her podium finish and Jillian Peterson back from her broken collarbone to finish off the year with a great race.

LA Triathlon
I love this race for its open water swim, challenging run, and point to point bike. However, this year things didn't quite go my way. I started with a mediocre swim and continued the pattern. I was off my game out there and never seemed to get going. On the run, my foot injury from earlier in the summer flared up with a vengeance on the steep downhill. I felt like I was hobbling out there and only managed to finish in 8th. While I was disappointed, the race was stacked with great athletes, and in retrospect my 8th this year wasn't horrendous. In years past and even some non-drafting races earlier this year, the women's fields are pretty weak so it's easy to get a top five finish even with a flat tire or an "off" race. While not happy with my finish place, I am excited to see the quality of field up closer to where it should be.

With my foot flared up, I decided to skip the Dallas Triathlon and Austin 70.3 which were part of my original race plan. It was a hard choice, but I needed to focus on getting healthy so that I would be able to race in Clearwater six weeks down the road.

World Championships #2 - Clearwater 70.3
I had a good training block leading into Clearwater and knew I was fit despite all the hiccups with my injury. However, this year my confidence wasn't too high. I think I was having flashbacks to Oceanside, remembering how much I suffered there. I also had alot of pressure on myself to try and out-do or at least equal last year's performance. The pre-race nerves that morning weren't too high, and I was a bit worried that I wasn't excited enough. In the water for my swim warm up, I tried to get into the zone..fake it until you make it right.
We lined up and all started creeping then the cannon sounded. We were off; I made an early strategic error in the swim moving to the left towards the other gals when I should have just beelined for the Dibenator's feet. Because by the time I have moved up and looked up, Julie was gone up that right side leading everyone. At that point, I thought that's it she's going for it and definitely on a mission to win this race. I came out of the swim a bit back off that main group, less than a minute, but crucial time when you're behind a biker like Julie Dibens. I was on my bike in around 7th and hammered to the front. Jodie Swallow and I led the gals for the first twenty or so miles, but we had a long string of dingle-berries behind. At that point though, the chaos started as thirty or so of the men's racers started to stream by us. It was not a good situation for the women or men. I am sure we upset their race, and they definitely impacted the women's race. But as Amanda Stevens aptly pointed out to me, at least this year all the women were effected by the men's race and not just the front group. At first it was very frustrating, as the men would pass and slow down in an effort to keep the legal ten meter separation. Once they all passed our group, it was much better since they were obviously riding faster and left us behind pretty quickly. I tried to keep on the pedals pushing hard at the front hoping to limit the loses to the two ladies up the road. I didn't know where anyone else was riding except Jodie Swallow, who came to the front a few times. Pulling into transition, I found out that the Dibenator was hours ahead, but second place wasn't too far up the road. Like the rest of the day, the run was a struggle for me. Right away on the run, I felt like my shoe was on backwards or sideways or something. I stopped to adjust it at mile one to no avail. But by mile three, maybe my foot swelled, but it felt a bit less odd on my foot. The run didn't seem to start for me till mile three and then ended around mile 9. Those last few miles, I struggled home trying to hold off all the cramping in my calves and quads. I felt like I was running like a duck with my feet flexed just to keep things from going up in flames. I have never been so happy to see a finish line. I tried to slap some hands and enjoy the experience running down the chute. As soon as I finished, I went over to congratulate the Julie Dibens on her win. After getting the chance to train with her this year, I knew she had it in her to win and was so happy to see her nab that elusive and much deserved 70.3 world title. I hope that next year I can be in the same zip code as Julie and give her a bit of competition.

2009 Season: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly

2009-08-28T06:50:00.000-07:00

I am finally coming through with a much overdue update from the 2009 season. After a rough some might say ugly start to the season, I switched coaches and started working with Simon Lessing and Darren DeReuck. While one high profile athlete may have opted out of their program, it seems to be a good fit for me.

On the racing side of things, the highlights so far would be my wins at the Pan American Championships, Escape from Alcatraz, and Boulder Peak. The lowlights being a tough day at Oceanside and a flat disc wheel for the last 13 miles at the NYC triathlon. On the ITU circuit, I have had a good season finishing inside the top 15 in most of my world series and world cup races(one lonely 17th place). This sesason has flown by so far, but there are still some key races coming up on my schedule. Upcoming races include the ITU world championships on the Gold Coast of Australia, LA triathlon, Dallas US Open triathlon, and Clearwater 70.3 World Champs. I am hoping to fit in another half ironman somewhere to either whet my appetite or adequately scare me for Clearwater.

Outside of all the racing, I have been busy moving and trying to fit in all my housing projects around training. Despite my desparate pleas to the HOA board and jumping through all their little hoops, I am still not allowed to put in the laminate floors I ordered. I guess I'll be stuck with carpet if it ever comes in, but meanwhile I am warming up to the cement subfloor I have been living on the last month. Cement is the new hardwood right? On a side note, I moved just a mile away from my favorite training partners. So that I can keep an eye on them at all times- make sure they aren't squeezing in any secret training on the side.

I was planning to blog more often this year, but life got in the way. Starting now...(I am sure you've heard this before) I am going to do a better job of updating my blog.

Signs of the Apocalyse

2009-01-30T11:13:00.000-08:00

1. The Snuggie is a hugh success and top seller in the US. According to an article USA Today on the 27th of January, over 4 million Snuggies have been sold and the product has even developed a bizarre cult following....seriously? I saw an infommerical for this a few months ago and couldn't stop laughing....you can watch it here:
https://www.getsnuggie.com/flare/next?tag=ossmgotm

2. A Japanese fire station burns down. A blaze broke out after a firefighter left a cooking stove burning as crew members left the station to respond to emergency calls. They plan to order-in dinner from now on....
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/thepress/westcoast/4833871a4560.html

3. A man tried to reclaim breast implants from his ex. Prosecutors say a spurned lover ambushed his ex-girlfriend and tried to cut out the breast implants he paid for by stabbing her. Apparently, he wanted to reclaim what was rightfully his.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090130/ap_on_re_us/implants_attack;_ylt=AtzcTQFquCB.xyUFxChu9djtiBIF

4. Two New Zealand prisoners who were handcuffed together as they fled a courthouse foiled their own getaway when they ran to opposite sides of a light pole, slammed into each other and fell to the ground. Jailers nabbed them as they struggled to their feet.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090130/ap_on_fe_st/as_odd_new_zealand_foiled_escape;_ylt=Ajss7G9OXZnmQevUs1pdLmntiBIF

5. Robber has a really bad day. He was on foot as his getaway car was wrecked, and his rookie attempt at robbing a bank was thwarted by a set of locked doors. Looking for a place to hide, police say, he found himself inside the home of a frightened old woman. He didn't want to hurt the woman but ended up scaring her to death.
http://www.wral.com/news/state/story/4424690/

Fresh Start in 2009!

2009-01-28T17:10:00.001-08:00

It's hard to believe that we're already a month into 2009. My new years resolution, to publish more frequent blogs, was broken swiftly and soundly in the first few weeks of this month. However, I am going to be optimistic and aim to improve from this sad start to the year. Nowhere to go but up.
For my first post, I'd like to draw inspiration from new beginnings.

The first and most notable new beginning is of course our new president, Barack Obama. For the first time in my own memory, it seemed that the whole country came to a stand still to watch the Inaugaration last Tuesday, and it was inspiring. My favorite parts of President Obama's speech were when he addressed the duties we all have: "What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility -- a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character than giving our all to a difficult task." as well as when he spoke of the hope and bravery of General Washington and his men facing the British. In another notable quip, President Obama told those in the Beltway area to toughen up; he was referring to their relative lack of skill in coping with cold weather . I hope that I can toughen up this year and also take the initiative to find a task and purpose greater than myself.

Another more personal new beginning is my change of training program. For the past few years, I have had the great opportunity to train with and follow Siri Lindley and her team of athletes around the world to training camps. While this was an amazing experience, it was time for more stability and a change. In the vein of nothing ventured nothing gained, it was time to try some new things. Last fall, I started working with Neal Henderson at the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine. It has turned out to be a great partnership, and I am enjoying the journey and excited to be learning new things. Most importantly, I am eager to see the results from all our hard work in my races this year.

As an extension of the last new beginning, this year for the first time since 2006 I am spending the entire winter based in Boulder. Thus far, we have been lucky with the weather, and I am keeping my fingers crossed that our good fortune continues. Other new things this year are my new sponsors which I hope to have finalized soon. And my new training partner who is top secret and definitely going to take me to the next level this year if I don't die first.

To end this first post of the new year and fresh starts, I have a few inspirational words about new beginnings for everyone to ponder....

“The beginning is the most important part of the work.”
Plato

“A hard beginning maketh a good ending.”
John Heywood

“I had as many doubts as anyone else. Standing on the starting line, we're all cowards.”
Alberto Salazar

“You will never win if you never begin.”
Helen Rowland

“What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from.”
T.S. Eliot

2nd at 70.3 World Championships

2008-11-11T20:01:00.000-08:00

It's always nice to finish the season well. Unlike last year, I had a strong finish this year: Escape to Bermuda and the World Championships both went well. In my last race of the year, the 70.3 world championships, I finished 2nd and broke the world record. I was a bit surprised by the time and my overall place. But, otherwise the race wasn't too different from my pre-race plan; I wanted to swim well, bike hard, and hoped to come off the bike with the lead women then just run my own race that is pretty much what happened. I'll post my full race report in a few days.
The weekend before that I had an opportunity to race in Bermuda. It was a great trip; the island was so beautiful with amazing beaches. IMG put on the race and did an excellent job; it was very well organized and a ton of fun. The pros also had the chance to help out with the sprint and kids races on Saturday which was fun and allowed us get to know some of the local athletes. The race course was tough with a hilly bike and very hilly run. Other than a sub-par swim, I was happy with the race. The poor swim probably cost me a few places as I was only one second out of 3rd and only eleven seconds behind the 2nd place lady. But at least if you are going to have a poor swim; the water in Bermuda isn't a bad place to spend an extra minute or two floundering around in... I definitely hope to go back next year and improve on my performance.

Blasted Wind!!!

2008-10-25T21:02:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I really really hate the wind...especially when I am on my bike and not feeling great. Today was one of those days in Boulder, the wind was blowing at 30mph and gusting up to 40mph. There is something so futile and frustrating about riding into a wind and especially getting upset with the wind (wind rage as I call it). The first hour and a half of the ride, I really was angry at life at the wind at everything. But once I got into the efforts in my ride, I forgot about the wind and focused on going hard. It is amazing how once you stop obsessing about something you can't control like the wind; it seems to suddenly be a non-issue. I am sure there will be wind rage in the future but maybe next time it won't take me a whole 90 minutes to get over my blow-hard anger and just focus on the ride.

Change In Plans

2008-10-25T20:31:00.000-07:00

I was planning to end the season with another three-peat: racing the world cup in Mexico followed by the Bermuda triathlon, and finishing with the 70.3 world championships in Clearwater. But around the time I got back from Dallas, I started to feel a bit off. At first, I thought it was just all the travel and racing. But last week, I went downhill fast and headed to the doctor for the strep test and to see if I had a sinus infection. After starting antibiotics, I turned around pretty quickly and felt okay by the middle of this week. However, after a tough decision, I decided to cancel my plans to go to Mexico on Thursday. It was a hard choice, but I just felt that racing when I wasn't 100% didn't make sense. I also didn't want to jeopardize my last two races by racing when I was still sick. In addition, I realized that a big reason for going to the world cup was not to miss out on one of the few easy points world cups (there are only 21 girls on the start list and top 20 get points). After thinking about this rational, it seemed silly as the only finish that would really help me would be a podium finish, and I know that I am just not at that level yet. So I am home recovering and will ready to roll for the next two weekends. I am excited to finish the season with a bang or a very loud belly flop!

Last But Not Least Dallas

2008-10-25T20:08:00.000-07:00

The last race in my three race string was the Dallas US Open, the final race in the Lifetime Fitness series. I was excited for the race but definitely tired from all the travel. I arrived home from France on Monday but spent a few days on the east coast again, flew back to Denver on Thursday, then left 20 hours later for Dallas...racking up the frequent flyer miles. I was in a bad mood on Friday, but had a nice time at the race briefing and VIP party. It is always a treat to get free food, the life of a poor pro triathlete, and catch up friends that I haven't seen in awhile.
The day before the race Rinny, another pro, and I caravan'd with some of her Aussie friends to the race site. It was only supposed to be @24 miles away but driving there took forever. It made me wonder if the bike course is really 40 miles not 40K. After getting a bike, run, and swim at the race start, we drove the 20 feels like 40 miles and headed back downtown. After a relaxing lunch, I headed back to my room to rest and do all my pre-race rituals.
Race morning started very early....we had to be down and ready to go at 5am. It was still pitch dark for the first hour or so when we arrived at transition. I went on a dark ride through the park and hoped I didn't hit a pothole and crash before the race. The race started off well; the pack was swimming well and then we turned around at the far buoy and started swimming directly into the sun. I think our pack zigg-zagged back and forth and wouldn't be surprised if everyone swam an extra 100 or 200 as we tried to find our way. It was amusing and didn't really bother me too much as I figured everyone else was just as screwed as I was. I just tried to follow the feet and splashing up ahead...probably blinding following them as they zigg-zagged. Once on the bike, it was a bit of a draft-fest for the first few miles as we road through the pack on a tight single lane road. It was a bit frustrating but at least it was only for a few miles. Once on the main road, the pack spread out and drafting officials started hovering around us. Joanna Zeiger got a questionable call to stand down early in the bike; I didn't think she was drafting but sometimes the officials can see things we can't or make calls that suck but we have to live with....I had a great ride and was doing well in second place with Sarah Haskins and Julie Dibens. Then, with only 2 miles to go in the bike, I took a drink and had my water bottle in my hand as I went over a huge bump in the road. The bottle popped out of my butter fingers as I hit the bump with full force. Since I was in the front of the bike, the drafting official was right next to me and told me to stand down. After 90 seconds of standing on the side of the road watching competitors whizz by me I finally able to remount and continue. It was a bit of bad luck for me and very frustrating, but in the end I really wouldn't have done anything differently except maybe put my bottle back in the cage right away post-drink instead of trying to get in two swigs. After the stand down I arrived in transition, not in 2nd place but in 9th. I tried to keep my focus and not stew about the penalty. About 2 miles into the run, I started to cramp in my quads right at the teardrop and was struggling to continue. I tried to take in as many liquids and took a gel right away. After a few miles of struggling, I was able to push it a bit again but was constantly aware of my quads. It was not a good end to the race, and I lost another few places finishing in 12th. Without the 90 second stand down, I would have done better but at least I finished the race and did my best despite some challenges. Next year, I hope that I am able to be competitive at all the lifetime fitness races. On a positive note, I finished second overall in the Lifetime Fitness Series and definitely improved dramatically from my racing last year.

Viva La France

2008-10-25T19:47:00.002-07:00

After racing in Portland, I headed directly to the east coast to spend a few days with family before heading to Lorient France for a world cup race. I have never been to France and was excited for the trip and ready to have a good race after the frustrating mechanical issues in Portland.
The town of Lorient was a very friendly seaside town in south Brittany. The people were very nice and welcoming. The race course pleasantly surprised me again as both the bike and run were quite hilly. I stayed the first night at a hostel and moved into a hotel downtown as the hostel wasn't quite the ideal place to stay. The karaoke the night I arrived along with constant opening and closing of the doors kept me up most of the night not to mention being on a top bunk. Luckily, Katie one of the USAT coaches let me stay with her a few nights in a normal hotel. The team and coaches for the race had a few dinners together, and I was impressed with the food though I am sure the waiters were annoyed with our antics and string of questions about the menu. It is always nice to spend some time bonding with the other team USA athletes at the world cup races.
Race morning came quickly; the day was gorgeous sunny but not hot and windy but not too bad. I had breakfast at the hotel, opting not to have the football size croissant race morning. The race went well. In the swim, I found myself at the front of the main pack behind a small breakaway group. I was fourth out of the water and happy that I was able to stay out of the mayhem that seems to be worse when there are wetsuit swims. On the bike, I worked with my pack to bring in the riders ahead Sarah Groff came back to us first then the small breakaway came back. When they were reeled in, I knew everyone would sit back so I threw in a surge and managed to get a gap on the group. It was early for a breakaway, and I knew I would only stay away if the pack let me go. Unfortunately, they chased a bit and reeled me in about three quarters of a lap later. I then sat back and worked through on the bike but didn't try to take on too much of the work at the front. Unfortunately like every world cup, so many of the girls just sit back for the whole ride it is a frustrating experience. Once off the bike, I tried to focus on having a steady run. It wasn't great but I was happy to run a 37 and finish 16th overall. While I was happy with the race overall, I definitely want to keep improving and move up to finish in the top ten consistently next year.

Ups and Downs at Pro Nationals

2008-10-25T19:47:00.001-07:00

I was a bit unenthusiastic about pro nationals mostly because it has been a long season already and I had a string of three races planned that started with the nationals in Portland. And I was sad that Jeff wasn’t able to make the trip, but the race wasn’t in Portland as we thought rather about 45 minutes out of the city at Hagg Lake so he opted out as logistics for getting out there turned into a nightmare. But my attitude completely changed once I got to Hagg Lake and saw the course. It was beautiful and perfect for me: incredibly hilly for both the bike and run exactly what I like and works to my strengths.
When I arrived at the race site on Friday, I was pleasantly surprised and started to get a very excited for the race, my first ITU style, drafting race, since June. Race day was beautiful for us; we started late in the morning so it had time t warm up and the sun was trying to breakthrough the cloud cover. It was the perfect temperature where I was never cold but never hot either. The swim wasn’t my best; I picked the wrong feet to follow and was SOL when the feet I chose were dropped off the back of the front pack. Definitely a lesson to not be happy at the back on the front pack but rather try to get closer to the front so that I at least have a shot at staying with the small pack around the buoys. I came out of the swim in the second pack and felt good the second I got on my bike. I rode with our group for about 2 laps and then made my move and rode very aggressively over the next two laps to close the minute gap up to the lead pack. Entering my 4th lap through transition, I was only 8 seconds off the leaders and was definitely going to bridge. Then disaster….I hit the corner at the top of the hill going down into transition and my tubular tire came off the rim. At the time, I wasn’t sure why I hit the deck. I got up quickly fixed my chain tried to ride and the wheels wouldn’t move. I checked the brakes tried to go again and the bike still wouldn’t go. Hmmm what is wrong. .. Needless to say, after about a minute and a half of chaos, a spectator volunteered that my tire was off the rim. I checked and indeed they were correct a six inch section of the tire had come unglued and was off the side of the rim. I popped the tire back on adjusted the font brake as it was rubbing again and was off…a minute and 45 seconds later with a few bruises and scraps and a much more timid riding style. While I was off the side of the road, the girls in the second group both went by me and I busted my ass to try to make up all the ground I lost. By the 5th lap, I caught one of the riders and she sat on my ass for the rest of the ride. I made up some time on the other rider and the lead pack but definitely wasn’t as aggressive through the technical sections and keep worrying that my tire would pop off the rim again. Starting the run, I felt a bit tired and frustrated that all my hard cycling effort really netted me no gains with the time loss as a result of the crash. I tried to focus but ended up just running smoothly and simply holding my position of 7th. Overall the race was frustrating but I wouldn’t change the way that I rode or anything I did except to maybe have a better swim. On a side note, the tire was a USAT wheel that was glued by the trade team mechanic, the husband of a competitor I might note. In retrospect, I need to do a better job of checking the equipment that I receive since in the end it’s my job to be safe and stay upright out there.

Me, Myself, and Coach Amos

2008-09-15T07:44:00.000-07:00

It has been lonely in Colorado this week. No training mates, no head coach, no assistant coach, and no Jeff as he flew home for a long weekend with his family...so it was just me and my volunteer assistant coach Amos.
Looking at my schedule, Thursday to Sunday were jam-packed with some workouts that weren't going to be fun. Luckily, I had Amos to motivate me each day. Friday was going to be a tough day; the weather was bad: cold and rainy, and the schedule called for a track workout and hard swim in the outdoor pool. So Amos gave me long look in the morning and said he would disrupt his busy day to accompany me on my workouts to make sure I gave it 100%. At the track, Amos watched from the dry warmth of the car and kept me on task for the entire session. Later at the pool, Amos came on the deck and bravely fought off his drowsiness to keep me motivated. It was a good day, and I have to thank coach Amos for all his inspiration and for working hard to stay awake on the job.
There may be coaching regime changes in the future as Amos is now eyeing the absentee assistant coach's job. He is thinking of all the treats he can buy with the extra income.

Back in LA

2008-09-09T18:36:00.000-07:00

It was weird to be back in LA again. The last few months have been a blur, and it seems like just yesterday that I left my LA family to come back to Colorado. While I was out there for the race, it was great to catch up with my home-stay family. Sam and the kids had a very busy summer too; it was great to catch up and hear their news from the last few months. Their son, Wing, has grown, acquired some new teeth, and learned so many new words. I also got to see the dogs, and we all had a moment of silence for Fudge up in heaven. Good old Flicka was as needy as ever, and Babes still has some junk in the trunk. The family even headed out to Venice to cheer me on as I biked past during the race which was so nice.
The race in LA went as well as I could have hoped. I really enjoy the ocean swim and had a good start and decent swim. Once on the bike, my legs felt good and I enjoyed working the hills. I biked most of the way with Becky in sight; she would drop me on the flats and I would crawl back to her during the hilly sections. I took the lead for about 2 seconds on the fast downhill into T2, and Becky quickly took it back. On the run, I did my best to be steady and smooth thinking about my form. Becky took off and had a great run to finish strong another win. I was happy to finish second and enjoyed the second lap of the run. Overall, I was happy with the race but definitely think there is room to improve for next year.

My Love Hate Relationship with Chicago

2008-09-09T18:03:00.000-07:00

I love going to Chicago (so many memories there and so many good times) and really enjoy racing there...but for the last two years this race has been tough for me. This year, nothing really went wrong I just struggled on the day. When I needed it, I didn't have any pop and being flat on race day against a strong field of great women athletes isn't going to bring home any podium places.
The trip to Chicago was easy; any race that is only a few hours away by plane is a treat. Our race started at 11am and race morning was a bit hot and humid. In hindsight, I really should have been more vigiliant about my hydration on Saturday and Sunday morning that is a rookie mistake I need to prevent in the future. According to the race officals, the water temp dropped magically from 76 to 71 in the 12 hours before the race so it was a wetsuit swim. Judging by the overheating going on in my wetsuit, I would say the water was probably closer to 76 than 71 but all the other women had to deal with the same issue. On the bike, the windy city delivered its wind and we had a headwind going north and a tailwind coming back south along lake shore drive. The bike was not my best; I told my legs to go and they just weren't having a great day out there. I watched Becky take off on the bike, and she had a great ride and made me feel like I was just spinning out there. Getting off the bike, I was with two other athletes in 3/4/5 positions. On the run, I melted; it wasn't quite a death-march maybe a very sick march. I did my best to hang on to my position and finished in 6th. All things considered the race was okay; it was a tough day out there but at least I finished better than last year and didn't give up when things weren't going my way.
Other than the race, Chicago was very nice. I was able to catch up with my parents as well as Uncle Hugh and Aunt Karen and their wonderful daughters. It was nice to have a small cheering section during the race and spend some time relaxing with everyone after the race. Uncle Hugh was great to carry my race bag around for a few hours after the race.....only to find out it was an imposter. Overall, it was a fun weekend with great weather in one of my favorites cities; next year maybe I'll pull through with a good race too.

Bumper Stickers....

2008-08-03T19:42:00.001-07:00

While I was out riding my bike for too many hours the other day, I started to wonder about all the bumper stickers I was seeing. I thought of a fun game (or rather fun only when you're a bored and captive audience riding out in the middle of nowhere in Colorado) to read and try to remember as many as bumper stickers as I could.

I saw many of the typical ones like....

My Kid is a Honor Student (or Band Member or Gifted or ....) at Some School Sticker
Election Stickers mostly of the 2008 variety but some as far back as 1992
Various Sports Team, College, and Radio Station Stickers
Hard-core Opinion Stickers - either Religious, Feminist, Vegan, NRA, Pro-Troops, Anti-War, Road Rage, or something similar
Life Philosophy, Affirmations, Exclamations....half of them trying to be funny
Some just not explainable to me...

Here were a few stickers that stuck in my head for a few hours after the ride:

Unwrap a Smile and Eat a Little Debbie Today
Stop reading this bumper sticker and watch the road
I am already against the next war
Real men don't ask directions
My other car is a Porsche...
Make Levees not War

In full disclosure for this post, I should say that I do have stickers on my own car and am not anti-sticker. On my back window, I have both a Lawrenceville and Northwestern Alumni sticker, and Jeff has a 140.6 sticker.

Next time you're out riding start reading those bumper stickers; you may not learn anything but at least the time while start going by faster.

Triple the Fun in July

2008-08-03T19:03:00.000-07:00

July was a big month of racing for me....I started off with my first 70.3 race in Lake Stevens over the 4th of July weekend then headed to Minneapolis for the Lifetime Fitness Triathlon on my birthday, the 12th, and finished off the series with the New York City Triathlon the next weekend. Doing three races in a row is physically challenging, but I think the hardest part is getting mentally keyed up to race three weekends in a row. I find that the first and second races are much easier than the third unless something happens to botch one of the first two.

The series started with a bang when I won my first 70.3 race. I led from the start of the swim through the bike and run, finishing with a five minute lead over the 2nd place athlete. It was tough in a different way than my usual olympic distance races; the bike and swim were a bit lonely at times. I am so used to racing world cups where you are surrounded by other athletes for most of the swim and bike. In addition, the bike was a challenge because I wasn't quite sure how to pace myself and didn't want to destroy myself for the run. The run went well except for some cuts on my feet that really started hurting the last 8 miles. Jeff told me not to run in my trainers without socks, but I didn't listen. As I ran those last 8 miles, I couldn't help but smile thinking that he was so right...running in trainers without socks is not a good idea at all. I am glad that I decided to do the Lake Steven half; Jeff and I had a great weekend and were able to catch up with our friends Dan and Kim living in the Seattle area. Dan did the race too; both he and Jeff did a great job and it was fun to see them finish.

The next race in the series was the Lifetime race; it was my first trip to this race and I was very excited especially since the race fell on my birthday. I was a bit trashed from the 70.3 and only had 6 days to recover. By Friday before the race, my body seemed to be doing better, but the cuts on my feet were still hurting badly. To run with them, I had to do apply layers of Vaseline and bag them up all week long...but this wasn't an option for the race. I decided to tape over the cuts and hope for the best. On Saturday morning, I felt good and started off with a good swim exiting the water with the leaders minus Sara McLarty who was somewhere ahead of everyone. On the bike, I managed to stay with the group and had a great ride. It was a non-drafting race, but it felt almost like a drafting race with all of us bunched together. No one was trying to draft but there was definitely an advantage to riding with a strong group of other women. I exited the bike with the leaders and felt a bit tired on the run. I managed to hold on for 6th place but was never able to hit 5th gear. It felt as if I was doing the whole run in 2nd gear running steady but not fast. Despite the disappointing run, I was happy with the race especially since I had done my first 70.3 less than a week earlier.

The final race in the series was the New York City triathlon. I must admit that by the time the third race rolled around I was not very enthused to race. I tried to keep a positive attitude but felt pretty poor during my training all week. On the positive side, I spent the week at my parents home visiting family and meeting my adorable little niece, Lexie or Alex (her official nickname is still tbd). It was great to catch up with all the family in town, but it made fitting in all my training a bit hectic as it was squeezed around lunch and dinner plans. Sadly, I didn't event get to spend much time on the beach. I did get in one open water swim and felt very wimpy as I only lasted 30 minutes since it was so cold @68 degrees F. On Friday, my parents and I went on a 6+ hour journey up the city; normally it takes about 3.5 hours but with the traffic we spent quite a few extra hours in the car. We stayed at an amazing hotel, the Loews Hotel downtown, and many thanks to Jeff's brother's brother -in law, Jon, who set us up with the suite. Saturday flew by with me trying to fit in all the requisite workouts, and my parents spending some time shopping and meeting with friends around town. Race day started off badly and went downhill from there....I wasn't mentally on my game and it showed. Despite all the challenges, I am glad that I managed to finish in 5th and didn't give up on the run even though I really wanted to stop. The humidity on the run combined with the hills in central park made it a tough end and definitely the hardest run of the series of races. I was glad to finish and see my parents, cousin Bridget, and mom's friends waiting for me. Many thanks to everyone for their support and a special thanks to mom and dad for their support in the ensuing days. It was hard to leave on Monday; it always seems like my visits go by too fast.

After the third race, I was mentally fried and really needed a break from triathlon. I did have a special treat planned first a visit with friends and then a weekend away with Jeff. First, I visited with some friends in Bethesda before flying back to Colorado. It was great treat to catch up with Ashley, Antonio, and of course little Lorenzo Cole. Last time I met the little guy he was in the NICU, and it was great to see him thriving at home. It was great to spend some time talking about all sorts of things non-triathlon and hear how things were going in their life. When I arrived back in Colorado, it was great to see Jeff. And I had a much needed mini-break from training to rest up before getting back into serious training for the second half of the season. The weekend with Jeff in the mountains was perfect. We had a great ride on Saturday, the Copper Triangle, 80 miles and 8000 feet of climbing; then we followed it up with a long run at altitude on Sunday. By the time we got back to regular life on Monday, I felt refreshed and ready to start training again.

New Favorite Things

2008-07-01T19:15:00.000-07:00

I wanted to take the opportunity to share a few of my new favorite things. I couldn't make it through the day without these items; well, I guess I could probably make it through the day but it would definitely be less enjoyable.

Podcasts! I was first introduced to the magic of the podcast by my homestay in LA. Jay told me about these crazy Kiwi triathletes with some show and that they were talking about doing this things called epic camp, which involved a crazy amount of ironman training over a week. I listened to Jay and then started downloading the podcast, Ironmantalk. It was very interesting and I had almost 100 episodes to listen to since I missed their first two years of shows. Here are a few of my other favorites: This American Life (an NPR podcast that is excellent - there are a a variety of great NPR podcasts but this one is my favorite), The Final Sprint (running podcast with all sorts of interesting interviews), The Competitors (interviews with a wide variety of athletes), TrainingBible Coaching Podcast (interesting training tips for endurance athletes). I definitely recommend these podcasts, but there are so many great ones out there I am sure that you can find some favorites that fit your interests.
Probars! I have tried a wide variety of nutrition bars from powerbars back in the early days when they were only in chocolate and came covered in that strange white powder to all the newfangled uber-protein bars. I tried probars about a year ago when Jeff was using them for his Ironman since they are calorie dense without being hard to digest. I liked them but wasn't in love until last month when I tried some of the new sweet & savory flavors. The new flavors are amazing; I have tried the Cherry Pretzel, Maple Pecan, Kettle Corn, and Cocoa Pistachio....all great. Jeff is partial to the more understated flavors (aka he's not as adventurous as me); his favorites are Whole Berry Blast, Nutty Banana Boom, Apple Cinnamon Crunch, and Original Blend. My other favorite thing during workouts now is the Cliff Shot Bloks or the Powerbar version; both are easy to digest and are definitely on the menu for my 70.3 debut. (I think the bento box will be stuffed with the bloks and probars...we'll see what is appetizing when I am out there.)
InSport! I love their running apparel. I have a several pairs of shorts, shirts, sport bras, a jacket, and running tights. The shorts and tops have become my lucky hard running workout outfits. I know it sounds strange but for those hard workouts it definitely helps to at least start them feeling comfortable and looking good. Then, when things start to go down the tubes and you're falling off the back of the treadmill or collapsing onto the infield of the track, at least you look like a professional or a jackass....one of the two.

Calamari Steaks....okay totally random, but Jeff and I have been making a Calamari steak salad about once a month. It is delicious definitely my favorite; it must be on my mind since we just had it again tonight. We get the steaks at whole foods, and they are remarkably affordable.

Hyvee: Final US Olympic Selection Race

2008-06-28T19:38:00.000-07:00

The trip to Des Moines couldn’t have come at a better time for me. Monday before the race, I just completed a huge week of training and was exhausted. For once, I didn’t want to fight Siri when the schedule had an easier week of pre-race tune-ups and recovery. But the race came at a bad time for Des Moines. There was flooding downtown at the race site and in various areas around the city. Many residents across Iowa and the Midwest were all dealing with flooding and much bigger issues than a triathlon. The race organizers deserve a tremendous kudos for working around the clock to find a new race venue and working hard to ensure that the race was a triathlon not a duathlon. I wasn’t too keen on doing a duathlon after my experience last year so was considering skipping the event until mid-week when the triathlon option was 50-50 and am so happy that I decided to race. And having the race be a triathlon made it easier for USAT since this race would be determining the final member of the Olympic team. I was out of the running for the team but was just excited to be there and see it all unfold for the women and men still in contention.
On Thursday, I flew into Kansas City and drove up to Des Moines not only was the price right, but it also gave me a chance for a quick visit with my Kansas cousins and aunt after the race. The only downside was the 3 hour drive through some areas; it reminded me of my Alabama drive earlier this year. I was very fortunate to get a home stay in Des Moines. My host family was amazing, and I really enjoyed getting to spend time with them and appreciate their kind hospitality. The new race site in West Des Moines was great especially considering the organizers found and designed it in less than 2 weeks. All the athletes that I talked to were so impressed with the new course and event set-up; the volunteers and race crew deserve a huge round of applause.
Friday and Saturday were uneventful just some training on the course, the race meeting, and lots of down time for stretching and relaxing. The night before the race I had a completely outrageous dream where I was in 2nd place in the swim way ahead of the front pack; this is not a likely scenario in real life. But I took it as a positive sign better than the dream where I miss the race start or forget my goggles. The race morning was beautiful not a cloud in the sky warm but not hot and a decent breeze to keep things interesting on the bike. The late start, 1:30pm for us, is tough as there are too many hours in the morning that need to be filled up before heading down to the start. Finally, race time came.
The swim was rough considering there were only 31 women in the field; I had a very aggressive person hitting me each stroke and sending me off to the left for the entire first leg. Luckily, I was able to escape her around the first buoy. The rest of the swim went okay but I finished the swim at the back of the front pack making it hard for myself to catch the front group of swimmers on the bike. In the transition, things were going great until a girl mounted right in front of me and about 20 meters before the mount line. In her defense the mount line was not clearly marked and none of the race officials were showing us where to mount. In my shock, I almost ran right into her but managed to veer off my course and came to a dead stop waiting for her to stop wobbling. I cried out but none of the officials even seemed concerned that she mounted in transition but that is racing for you. Once on the bike, I missed the girls that exited the water with me and was dismayed to see that a front pack coalesced very fast maybe a half mile into the bike; once a big group forms it isn’t as easy to catch them. I paid for my poor transition and rode the first 6 laps of the bike course solo trying desperately to catch the front pack. I was 30 seconds down the first lap and narrowed the gap on the 2nd , 3rd laps only to see it grow larger again on the 4th and 5th . Then during the 6th lap, I made up a ton of time and caught the girls at the end of the lap. It was such a huge relief to finally be with the front pack, but the damage was done . I could tell that my legs were fried from the 34K time trial. I tried to recover a bit during the last two laps on the bike and surged to the front on the last lap to be ready for any breakaways knowing that my fried legs wouldn’t respond as well as fresh ones. When I started the run, I felt exhausted immediately. I tried to focus on my cadence and do my best. I managed to hold on and felt stronger during the second half of the run. Unfortunately, I was passed just before the finish by two surging athletes and didn’t have a response; I was 12th but was only 8 seconds out of 9th as we all crossed the line within seconds of one another. Overall I was very pleased as 12th is my best world cup finish ever but definitely know that I can improve my run especially if I don’t have to time trial almost all the bike.
And it was very exciting to see Sarah Haskins and Hunter Kemper win the last two spots on the US Olympic team. They are both such talented athletes and will do an amazing job representing the US. I can’t wait to watch the games this summer and cheer on all the athletes that I know and have raced against.

No Escaping Alcatraz for Me

2008-06-11T07:23:00.000-07:00

Another year of disappointment at Alcatraz....last year I had a hematoma in my piriformis(aka butt) four days before the race that made it impossible for me to run.....this year I managed to cross-thread one of my bike pedals. It was just plain bad luck as I have put my pedals on my bike at least 100+ times, yet the one and only time I ever cross thread the pedal was for this race. I even biked on the pedals the day before the race for about 40 minutes and didn't notice a thing.
Sadly, the race was going great up until the pedal left my bike! I had a good swim and was the second woman out of the water only a few seconds behind Linda Gallo. Once on the bike, I charged to the lead and was winning until about 7 miles in when climbing out of the saddle my entire pedal still clipped into the shoe came out of the crank. After laying on the ground in shock for a few moments, I quickly got up and wanted to continue. The first problem was the pedal still stuck on my shoe. Some race officials helped me to take off my shoe and after a few minutes of tugging we finally got the pedal off the cleat. Then, I tried to screw the pedal into my crank, as I wanted to get back on the bike ASAP thinking I might still have a shot at the top ten. The pedal would not go back into the crank...I tried for ten minutes, a race official tried for ten minutes, another official tried, a volunteer tried, a random guy on the side of the race course tried, another random dude tried, I tried again....eventually we realized the the crank was stripped. But on the positive side, at first it appeared that I had trashed another front wheel but after fixing the skewer the wheel was fine. On the side of the road, I watched all the elite women pass me heading out on the bike course. Then about 20 minutes later watched them all pass me heading back on the bike course. After waiting on the side of the road for about an hour, I decided to one leg pedal back the start after pedaling and walking my bike up the hill back towards transition for a mile. I ran into the bike mechanic (funny how the race officials never mentioned that there was a mechanic up the road). The mechanic was able to use a tool to force the pedal back into the crank; he warned me that this would really ruin my crank but at that point I didn't care. After a brief debate in my head, I turned around and started back out on the bike course to complete the race. After losing an hour standing on the bike course, I knew my chances of placing were nil. But I love the Alcatraz course, wasn't hurt from my fall, and most of the field had already gone by me so the course wasn't too packed. I tried to use the race as a workout, enjoy every moment, and have fun racing when nothing is on the line. The run was a bit of challenge as the course is mainly single track so would sprint past slower runners then I would have to tuck in to avoid a head-on collision with an oncoming runner to wait for another gap in oncoming traffic to pass the next group of runners. It was frustrating but as I was no longer running for any place or prize money I wanted to be considerate of all the other athletes. So, I cooled my heels many times waiting for a gap and was forced to walk or jog very slowly before I could run again. The one highpoint is that I did log the fastest women's time up the sand ladder. When I finished the race, I saw Siri at the finish line and just burst into tears. All my emotions from the day just spilled out at the moment...all my disappointment and frustration at being in the lead and having it taken from me by a pointless bike mechanical error. But I am very glad that I was able to finish the race and was proud that I didn't quit. It was nice to at least finish the race this year....and it made me hungry to come back next year and go for it again. And next year I can guarantee that my pedals won't be cross-threaded.
And a special thanks to Jeff for flying out to cheer me on in the race. Sadly, he ended up having to cheer me up after the race instead. But Jeff and I did assuage my sorrows with some retail therapy at the sports basement and a delicious lunch before he headed home.

Madrid Pictures....

2008-06-11T07:13:00.000-07:00

Scottish Cats Meet Madrid

2008-06-11T07:12:00.000-07:00

My trip to Madrid was a blast. The city was beautiful with amazing architecture that obviously made it through WWI and II without being destroyed and has been restored meticulously. We stayed right across the street from the royal palace and gardens. The little bit of time we spent exploring the city just made me really want to go back on a "real" vacation. Not only did I love the city, but I have a great travel companion, Jenna, and really enjoyed spending time with the rest of the US contingent.
The race site was in a park in downtown Madrid; it was so rural considering its in the middle of the city. There were a few women of the night working in the park as Jenna and I saw on Thursday night during our jog but they were gone by race day. I loved the race course; the bike was challenging with a decent hill on each of the 8 laps, and the run was flat and shaded. The only bummer was that the water temperature was just under the cutoff so it was a wetsuit swim. This makes the swim much more intense as the differentiation between the slower and faster swimmers is less pronounced.
I had some nerves and only sleep a few hours the night before the race. The race didn't start as planned. I had a good swim and then right before the first buoy I was dunked by another competitor just as I was taking a breath. As a result, I started hyperventilating and stopped dead in the water trying to regain my composure. Even though I only stopped for @ 10 seconds, a sea of other swimmers swept past me. When I finally started to swim again...tentatively, I had lost the front pack and to fight my way back the rest of the first lap and second lap. Unfortunately, I didn't make up all the time I lost and started the bike in no-man's land. I biked hard to catch the front pack and after 2.5 laps finally caught the group and was able to relax and recover a bit. By that time there had already been a breakaway of 4 from the front pack so I was upset that missed the opportunity to be among those girls. I rode with the pack and during the last lap launched a small breakaway to get into transition with a small lead over the rest of the pack. I headed out of transition ahead of most of the pack and felt good right away on the run. For once, my turnover felt great and everything flowed. I felt great until the last 3K on the run and then my legs started to cramp and even my arms were cramping. I backed off a bit since the main goal was simply to finish in the top 20. I finished in 17th and was the first American finisher. I was very happy with my finish especially considering how the day started on the swim. And I know that with some nutrition adjustments I can stop cramps in the future. The only bummer is that Jenna took a spill on the bike at the bottom of the hill when she was going balls to the wall to catch the front pack. But on the plus side, we all had a great time at the post-race party.

Olympic Trials on TV

2008-05-10T16:47:00.000-07:00

The Olympic Trials were on TV last Sunday. We don't get cable here in Thornton, but my mom was nice enough to tape it for me. I just got a chance to watch the tape and was definitely impressed with it, nice voiceover Siri. I just wish there were less commercials and more coverage.
Here are some pictures from Trials and link to the humorous You Tube video of our two-block parade.

That is me on the far right of the swim start...I was last to pick my spot. And in the second picture, I am at the front of the 2nd pack on the bike.

Here is the link to the Parade: (if you're really into it you can check out part 2 as well)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4tEx8OGx5g

Goodbye LA, Hello Thornton Colorado

2008-05-10T16:39:00.001-07:00

After the Olympic Trials, I headed back to LA for a week of hard training, intense packing, and saying goodbye to my favorite haunts in the area. It was sad to leave my LA family; they were so amazing to stay with and so hospitable. I got very lucky when they agreed to let me stay with them. To show my appreciation, I got them some gifts but there is really no way to thank a family for taking you in for months and letting you be a part of their life. It was such a great experience for me to get to know the kids as well as Sam and Jay; their son Wing grew up so much in the few short months that I was there from saying a few words to talking in sentences and their daughter Lela was always a breath of fresh air. I definitely am going to miss everyone and of course the crazy dogs…but I am heading back to a crazy dog of my own in Colorado not to mention his crazy owner.
After a week of getting my butt handed to me in practice, I packed up the car with all my stuff and then added all Jenna’s stuff and then squeezed in some more stuff until there was not one ounce of extra space and headed back home early on Sunday April 28th. It was great to have Jeena along for the ride; she was a great driving companion and we made amazing time. Sorry Mary but she doesn‘t need to pee quite as often as you so I was forced to hold it and so we only stopped every 4 hours instead of every 2. We did the drive all in one day and arrived exhausted in Colorado at 10pm ….after 16 hours of driving and an hour lost to the time zone difference. Jeff was suprised to see us so soon and we ruined his welcome back suprise, sorry about that. Jeena and I settled in and will be ready to start training camp thornton edition on Monday morning.

Olympic Trials

2008-05-10T16:00:00.000-07:00

I arrived in Tuscaloosa feeling very excited. I healed well over the past two weeks and was ready to roll. The only difficulty post-crash was getting the wetsuit on and off my arms. The entire weekend was a ton of fun and organized very well. They had a parade for us on Thursday…a two block parade but still it was my first time riding in a parade. There is pretty neat You Tube video posted of the parade if anyone’s interested in what a two block parade of 21 athletes looks like….. On Friday, I had the opportunity to speak to a local school about triathlon and try to get the middle school kids interested and excited about the sport. It was a great experience and the kids had some very thoughtful questions. We did a short race to see who could get on their running shoes fastest, simulating a T2, and I lost badly. I guess I have some work to do. I hope that the kids enjoyed the presentation as much as I did and that some of them are able to continue in sports through high school and make it part of the rest of their life. Maybe even a few will do a triathlon one day. The race was on Saturday after the collegiate race. I woke up feeling great…well rested and excited to race.
The race started off well, since there were only eleven of us on the start line, position wasn’t too much of an issue. I tried to get out hard and hang on to the feet in front of me. I didn’t have a very good swim. Not only did I struggle but I was also at the back of the pack and the last one to see as we went off course and the last one to correct the error. Swimming even slightly longer than the course is a mistake that I couldn’t afford to make. I exited the swim way off the back of the leaders and knew that I had a lot of work to do on the bike. My goal for the race was to never give up so I decided to go after it on the bike. I caught up to Becky Lavelle almost immediately and we worked together to catch the 2nd pack of riders during the 2nd lap. I went by strong and yelled for them to grab on as I wanted to help us catch the lead pack. Sadly no one came with me, I ended up in no-mans land and got as close as 35 seconds from the lead pack but wasn’t able to bridge the gap on the strong group of four working together. After fighting by myself for a lap or two and not making up any ground on the lead pack, I eased back a bit to wait for the second pack in the hopes that together we could catch the leaders. It just wasn’t meant to be…we spent the entire rest of the ride about 50 seconds off the lead pack not losing or gaining any ground. On the run, I started off strong and felt good for the first mile. Then I struggled to find my form from 2K to 6K and finally in the last 4K I began to feel better and tried to finish as strong as possible. I finished in 6th place a heart-breaking 10 seconds off of 5th. Overall , I was happy with the race. If the swim had gone better, I think I could have bridged to the leaders on the bike and come off in the lead pack. But I don’t think it would have changed the results significantly as I wasn’t ready to run fast enough to land in the top three, those girls all blazed to 35 minute 10Ks. The Olympic Trials was a great experience, and I am definitely happy for Julie Ertel who earned her spot with the win. She had an amazing season last year, and it is nice to see her get named to the team. Sarah Haskins in 2nd and Sarah Groff in 3rd also had incredible races, and I am sure they will both be in Beijing one on the team and one as an alternate. The race in Des Moines could be pretty exciting if Sarah Groff can pull off the upset and be first American. If I am not at the race, I will surely be glued to my computer that day.
Congrats again to Julie Ertel and Matt Reed whose gutsy bike and fast run got him a spot on the mens’ Olympic team. I am definitely inspired to keep working hard and hope to be back in contention 4 years from now in 2012.

Healing in LA

2008-05-10T15:47:00.001-07:00

I arrived back in LA a bit of a mess; I wasn’t able to swim and my whole body and head still were in a lot of pain. But in than 2weeks, the Olympic Trials will be held in Tuscaloosa Alabama. I am scrambling to try and plan my last minute travel down to Alabama and find flights that aren’t going to cost me an arm and a leg. Since I don’t have funding from the national team, I will have to pay for everything and hope they reimburse me something in the next year. Plus the reimbursement has a cap so I am trying to keep the travel under that so I don’t have too much out of pocket. This week it is very hard still not being able to swim. Each day that I can’t get into the water is tough, I am definitely concerned since tapering and traveling for the past 2 weeks along with not being able to swim this week after the crash is going to hurt my chances of keeping up in the swim. I can’t afford to miss 3 weeks of swimming leading up to a race where Sara McLarty and the other girls are going to be on fire in the water. But at this point there is nothing I can do to change what happened in New Zealand so I just am just going to focus on what I can do. And on the bright side at least I am no longer feeling sick and nothing is broken. Here are some pictures from the race in New Zealand courtesy of my amazing home-stay family:

The photos above are from the race...pre-crash. This photo below is me and the girls post-crash. You can see my arms are pretty bandaged up and I have some nice cuts on my forehead and lip.

The New Zealand Curse Continues....

2008-05-10T14:58:00.001-07:00

I arrived in New Zealand to rain and cool temperatures on the 1st of April. I was lucky enough to get an amazing homestay family right in New Plymouth, but that is were my luck ended. I woke up the first morning feeling sick as a dog. After calling Heidi to let her know that I caught the bug too, I decided to rest up and try to get better in time for Sunday’s race. Again my great homestay family helped get me everything I needed to recover. By Thursday, Heidi still wasn’t feeling any better either so we both ended up getting antibiotics from the doctor that she was staying with. As soon as I started the antibiotics I felt immediately better; the congestion in my sinuses was still bad but at least the body aches and sore throat weren’t as bad. By Saturday, I was starting to feel better but when I tried to do any hard workouts I wasn’t feeling quite myself just weak and tired. The next day, race day, I woke up feeling not so great and considered skipping the race since I was already high enough in points to race the Olympic Trials. After calling home and breaking down in tears when I couldn‘t get Siri on the phone, I was a mess, I decided to just start the race and stop if I started to really feel much worse.
During my warm-up I felt okay and started to be a bit more optimistic. However, as soon as the swim started things went downhill. The effort required to swim was taking so much more out of me than normal. My arms and legs were sluggish but my heart rate was ticking right along at a high rate. When we exited the swim after the first lap, I was exhausted and wanted to stop right there but decided to focus and actually had a good second lap. Exiting the swim, I was down on the leaders but in a good position to get into the lead pack by the 2nd lap of the bike. During the first lap of the bike, I coalesced around a great group including Lisa Huthaler from Austria and Lisa Norden from Sweden both great riders so I knew we‘d get that front pack very quickly. During the first lap on a short but steep descent, I was following Lisa Huthaler’s line as she pulled abreast of her teammate Kate Allen. Then I remember being shocked as Lisa veered quickly into Kate and away; Lisa’s back wheel hit Kate’s front wheel. I saw Kate wobbling out of control but didn’t have any time to react as she crashed directly in front of me; we were both going well over 35 mph. I don’t remember much of what followed except that the left side of my head hit the pavement very hard. I rolled down the hill for about 15 feet and came to a stop just before I would have hit the curb with my head. My front wheel and helmet were demolished but otherwise my bike was okay. I on the other hand wasn’t in great shape; I had road rash on both hands, forearms, and shoulders not too mention a very sore head. Amazingly my lower body seemed relatively unscathed. The EMTs arrived very quickly and were worried about a concussion especially after seeing my helmet in pieces. Kate Allen was in worse shape than me; she had deep cuts on her hands and face. I think we were both in shock and upset at Lisa’s aggressive bike riding. Kate and I were taken on a bumpy ambulance ride back to the race start then I was taken on another one to the hospital. Again, my homestay family was incredible; they took great care of me every step of the way.
Heidi and my homestay family were amazing in taking care of me and helping to get my bike and everything else packed since I was without my hands. The next day, I headed up and was upgraded to Business class on my Quantas flight home when they say my sad condition. It was pure luxury and probably the last time I will ever see that side of the curtain.
So the New Zealand curse has 2 and I have 0...should I dare try to break it with a trip back next year?

Season Opener 2008!

2008-05-10T14:54:00.000-07:00

The first race of the season is always tough especially when it’s the Mooloolaba World Cup in hot Austrailia at the end of the their summer. Not only did I pick one of the most stacked world cups of the year (it is the Olympic selection race for Australia and New Zealand as well as an important one for many other athletes trying to get their ranking high before June) but also the course and weather make it one of the toughest races of the season. However, I would rather race against the best and get an accurate benchmark of my fitness than have a sub par performance where I score lots of points merely because the field is weak or small.
It is such a shock to the system to go from training where you think you are working as hard as you can to racing where you need to give it that extra 10%. The first one of the season is always a wake up call. Not to mention the nerves, I am always a bit more on edge when I haven’t raced in awhile so I was feeling those as well.
I left on Tuesday March 25th out of LAX and arrived Thursday morning in Brisbane Australia. I was traveling with and staying with another US athlete Heidi Grimm. The flights were uneventful but I was stuck in a middle seat for our 14 hour flight it was a tight fit between two large men. After we arrived in Brisbane, Heidi started to feel sick, and I kept my fingers crossed that she didn’t pass it along to me since we were staying together and spending much of our time together. I did start to feel a bit sick on Friday and Saturday but it never turned into a full-blown illness. Unfortunately for Heidi she started to feel worse much worse and didn’t get to race on Sunday.
The race started out well. I had a very good swim and came out of the water 12 seconds off the leader and made my way into the front pack by the start of the 2nd bike lap. It was a frustratingly slow bike as I was trying not to work too hard and wear myself out like in my drafting races last year, but everyone else seemed to be saving for the run too. I ended up pulling a bit but not the entire way like I would have last year. I started the run feeling very flat and cramping in my stomach. The stomach issues were my own fault: I broke the golden rule and tried something new on race day a combination of red bull and endura which I won’t recommend to anyone plus I didn’t have a bottle of plain water. The run started badly but definitely improved and by the last lap I felt good it was just a bit too late. I finished 25th overall and was the 2nd American. I was disappointed that I wasn’t in the top 20 but with the strength of the field a 25th wasn’t too shabby. I have very high expectations for the rest of the season and know that I am capable of even better results. With this finish, I should also be good to go for the April Olympic Trials! Next weekend, it’s on to New Zealand for the 2nd race of the season. I haven’t had the best luck there so I am hoping to break that curse.

Fail to Succeed

2008-03-15T13:04:00.000-07:00

I failed in one of my running workouts this week. I was supposed to descend the run starting out conservatively and then ratcheting down the pace every two miles to finish running hard. Unfortunately, I started out way too aggressively running my first 2 miles too fast. Then, I was forced to hang on and suffer for the rest of the run. I completely failed to complete the workout as intended; however, I still improved my fitness and mental toughness by finishing the session with 100% effort.I think that sometimes failing in a workout whether it's a run, swim, or bike makes you a stronger athlete. If every workout went perfectly as planned, it wouldn't be a challenge.
The interesting thing about doing sports is that every workout is an opportunity to improve my physical and mental fitness. Thinking that there is no possible way I can take another step let alone finish the workout and yet gutting through it to finish makes it easier to get through a tough race when the body really start to hurt. Staying focused and positive when a workout goes poorly is the best way to prepare for that situation in a race.
I love this quote by Franklin D. Roosevelt, "When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on." I have definitely been at the end of my rope and somehow managed to survive. I remember my first marathon in Chicago, I had an unseeded number so was supposed to start way back from the elite runners. But I wanted to really give it a go in the race so I jumped the barrier and started up to the front as close to the pros as was allowed. My attitude was either your going for it or you're not, and I didn't want to finish with any excuses as to why I didn't have a good race. So I wanted to hold 6 minute pace as long as I could and managed to hit the first half in 1:19. While I paid for the early pace during the last six miles, the risk also garnered me a great finish as well as made me mentally stronger and smarter for the next one. In triathlon, I have had similar experiences where I don't think I can possibly finish a workout or race yet somehow I manage to get through it. Every time it is much better to finish even if it's ugly than to quit and it makes the races that go well according to plan even more magical.

Getting by with a little help from.....

2008-03-03T19:14:00.000-08:00

Confucius, otherwise known as 孔夫子; Kǒng Fūzǐ; K'ung-fu-tzu, or "Master Kung", was a thinker and social philosopher whose teachings have deeply influenced Asian thought and life. His philosophy emphasized morality, justice, and sincerity. Confucius' thoughts have been developed into a system of philosophy known as Confucianism (儒家).

Confucius emphasized the importance of study and is still seen by Chinese people as a Great Master. He wanted his disciples to think deeply for themselves and relentlessly study the outside world, relating the moral problems of the present to past. One of the deepest teachings of Confucius may have been the superiority of personal exemplification over explicit rules of behavior. His moral teachings emphasise virtue, self-cultivation, emulation of moral exemplars, and the attainment of skilled judgment.

What does all this have to do with triathlon? On the surface of day to day training, not a whole lot.... However, after all the workouts and hard training, life and our journey in triathlon still has to have meaning and provide fulfillment aside from success or failure at any specific event. Each day involves personal choices: to give 100% or cheat yourself, to support your teammates or put them down, to appreciate your coach, friends, family or to take them for granted, to see the world through empathic eyes or critical ones, to see your challenges as opportunities or dread them as insurmountable mountains. This season, I want to find embrace each step of the journey and remain calm under all the antagonizing eternal pressures.

Here are a few wise quotes from Confucius that really capture the essence of my hopes for this years' adventures.

"Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in getting up every time we do. "

"Everything has its beauty but not everyone sees it."

"Forget injuries, never forget kindnesses. "

"Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves."

"Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart."

Climb On

2008-02-27T20:44:00.000-08:00

I dread every Wednesday morning when our training group meets early in the morning to ride with a group, LaGrange Cycling. While the group is very friendly and fun to ride with, the ride is not. We climb up a challenging 5 mile hill 3 times trying not to get dropped at least not in the first half-mile. Every week, I wake up on Wednesday morning smashed from Tuesday training, and it only goes downhill from there. Some days it feels like my quads are about to explode by the time I reach the top, and I still have to do the climb two more times after that on jelly legs. To add insult to injury the descent to start of the climb for the 2nd and 3rd time up the hill is cold, freezing all the sweat so by the last time down my hands and feet are useless nubs.
But, I know that this will pay off when I get to the races this year...it's just not always easy to remember that when my legs are on fire only 2 miles into the climb.

Valentines Day Weekend

2008-02-27T19:55:00.000-08:00

On Valentines' Day, I flew back to Colorado for a long weekend for two reasons most imortantly to see Jeff after a long three weeks away in California and secondarily to visit the Olympic training center in the Springs.
My trip to the Olympic training center was quick but packed full of activities. Thanks to Nate and the rest of the resident team for making my trip so easy and helping me to get set up while I was there.
On Saturday, Jeff picked me up and we had a fun-filled weekend together. The highlights included dinner at one of our favorite local restuarants, the exchanging of cheesy but cute gifts, a relaxing but not so fun ride together where I complained about my saddle the entire time (sorry again about that), a hilly trail run in the snow, and some good old-fashioned quality time. with Amos oh and Jeff too.
On Monday, a very sad girl returned to the training camp in LA. It took me a few days to get over my home-sickness but by mid-week I was back in the swing of training and too tired to be sad. But I still miss the boys and look forward to seeing Jeff in March.

"Eat, Do the splits, & Be happy!"

2008-02-11T20:01:00.000-08:00

"Eat, Do the splits, & Be happy!" - I need to give credit to the brilliant poet Lela. She is the creative and bubbly 8 year old daughter of my home stay family in LA. Her motto hangs by the front door as a daily reminder and definitely helps me keep things in perspective as I head out the door for yet another training session. Kids don't sweat the small stuff and focus on what is really important.
This season I want to be more like Lela and not worry about the all the external things I can't control. During all the hard workouts, I am focusing on doing the best that I can whether I am on-fire or feel awful. Failing or succeeding in one workout in February will not determine my race results or define my season. Keeping the daily challenges from getting to me and enjoying the journey will help me find the success I am looking for this year.
It has been a nice treat living with Lela and the rest of my home stay family, and I look forward to learning a ton more over the next few months.

World Famous

2008-02-11T19:36:00.000-08:00

Well no not really but I can dream....

I did get a nice interview featured in the online news section for Lawrenceville. Check out the article here. I would like to thank Barabara from the alumni and development office for writing such a thorough and complimentary piece. She made me sound impressive.

And last week, USAT published a list of the American Triathletes who have qualified to compete at the Olympic Trials in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. There are 12 women and 10 men on the list, and at this point I am perched percariously at the tip of the women's list.

Beep Beep Beep!

2008-02-04T07:50:00.000-08:00

Why do cars feel the need to beep at you when you riding your bike or running along minding your own business? On our easy ride this week, we received at least 5 unsolicited beeps. I have never felt the need to beep my horn at an unknown rider or runner; maybe there is a good reason to beep. If anyone knows of one please let me know so I don't curse all those randomn beepers under my breath on the next easy ride.
The other beep beeps this week have been in the pool. A few of my teammates and I tend to swim similar speeds and it's sometimes a toss up who will be feeling the best any given day. So when we misjudge how one or another of us is going to rip it up in the pool we tend to bunch up and a train ride ensues. During one time trial swim this week, I was caught by a teammate coming up and we swam side by side stroke for stroke during the rest of the swim. At one point, there were 4 of us swimming across a standard size lane...it was a bit tight to say the least. Not ideal for training but definitely good practice for those tight world cup race starts.
The last beep beep is for the exciting LA traffic. The traffic hasn't been too bad but some days the freeways are just at a standstill....even at random times like Sunday night. And the funniest thing is the parking lots are so small for most supermarkets and other big box retailers that you end up waiting longer for a parking space to open up then you spend in line buying your items. I am suprised there are not more road rage incidents in parking lots as people fight over one spot.
On your next drive, please don't beep at me save it for the jerk stealing your spot at the super market.

LA

2008-02-02T13:13:00.000-08:00

The first week and a half of training camp has passed by very quickly. It has been good hard training and despite some rain, I have been enjoying the area a ton. After the rain ended last Saturday, the first long ride was amazing....Miranda and I joined a group from the LA Tri Club and climbed up one of the canyons in malibu, Tuna Canyon for those who know the area, and the skies were so clear after the rain; we could see all the way to catalina island to the east and the san gabriel mts. to the west. The views were impressive, and the group was very nice to us newcomers.
This week, our team also tagged along with another biking group, LaGrange, to join their Mandeville climb session. It was a good 5 mile climb without a killer grade until the last 200 meters or so. But after the 3 time up the climb, my legs were jello and ready to be done for the day.
We also got kicked off the track and did our track session out on the paths in palisades park off ocean boulevard. I wouldn't call it fun because hard track runs usually don't fit into that category, but it was pretty neat to be running up on the cliffs overlooking the ocean with views of malibu to the north and the beaches to the south. We also did a hard fartlek run from the canyonbacks trail head it was a nice trail maybe a bit rocky with lots of long rolling climbs and descents. But some of the views of the city from the top were impressive. You could see the city buildings to th south and valley to the east and malibu/ocean to the west. It definitely made running hard a bit more enjoyable.
Otherwise, the week was filled with some uneventful swims....when is swimming ever eventful unless you are in the open water . But it is nice to swim long course, it definitely is much harder than short course and will hopeful make my swim stronger this year.
More of the same to come next week...but so far I am really enjoying this training camp and know it is the start of a good season.

Weekend Getaway

2008-01-27T20:54:00.000-08:00

Before I left for California, Jeff and I celebrated his birthday with a trip to the Gold Lake Resort. See the picture below...not exactly how it looks in winter but just imagine the scene with a frozen lake and lots of snow everywhere. It was beautiful, and we had an amazing time.

To start off the weekend I went for a swim, not in a frozen lake, back in a pool, heated pool, in Boulder. Then we went up skate skiing in Eldora for most of the day at about 3pm we headed over to the resort to make sure we were in time for our couples massage. After the massage, we headed out to the natural hot springs right along the lake. Treking around the resort on the icy roads was a bit scary but once safely ensconced in the hot pools it was well worth the risk. After a nice soak, we got ready and went to enjoy our 3 course dinner. The food and wine was spectacular...the venison and the onion soup Jeff choose were terrific as was his wine selection and I am ususally one to really enjoy wine but this one was very good.
The next day, we went on a snowshoe in the morning; it was a nice and mellow with some good views of the indian peaks and peaks in the rocky mt. national park. We got back into Boulder about 1:30 and had to rush back home when I retrieved my cell messages and was notified that I had a bit less than 2 hours to report for an out of competitions drug test. It made the end of our weekend a bit abrupt; despite this it was still a great last getaway before I had to leave for training camp in California. I am definitely missing my boys now and look forward to visiting sometime in February.

I am traveling west....

2008-01-27T20:18:00.000-08:00

The road trip with Mary from Boulder out to California was fun and uneventful....no speeding tickets, no spilled coffee, no cat fights....just pee stops every 90 to 120 minutes. We had a great time, and it flew by as we swapped off the driving every 3 to 4 hours or every other pee break. I am hoping to get some pictures up to highlight the key moments during the drive...so get excited to see those. We spent the night in Sin City and opted not to stay on the strip but paid extra to get a nice room away from all the madness where we got in a quick run, dinner, American Idol, and bed. The next morning, we got an early start and made it to Santa Monica by lunch in time for our afternoon swim workout. Unbelievably, I had a great swim workout...the 6K flew by and the 1:15s in a meter pool felt easy. I boil it down to the road trip taper; I highly recommend driving 17 hours - 13 one day then 4 the next - heading straight to the pool and you're guaranteed to swim PBs. Sometimes, the body does strange things but I won't complain when it gives me a good swim workout.
It is awesome to be in LA. Despite the rain which started the afternoon we arrived, I am very excited to get back into the groove of training with the group and to ride my bike outside and run without the fear of hitting a latent ice patch. I met my home-stay family and look forward to getting to know them over the next few months. Though I am going to miss my boys back in CO, I think this is going to be a very successful training camp and the start to a great year.

Not recommended for training

2008-01-11T20:39:00.000-08:00

A few things that I have learned in the past few weeks......

Do not borrow your mom's ipod for a running workout....the songs went from Aretha to the B-52s to Bob Dylan to Snoop Dogg and Frank Sinatra. It was odd and shocking at the same time plus trying to run hard to old blue eyes isn't ideal.

Do not try to swim hard in the 90 degree YMCA pool enclosed in the 95 degree aquatic center without some nice ice cold water on deck. After a hard swim set, the only way to cool off is to pour the water directly onto your head.

Do not try to run on the Colorado trails after a messy snow left from a storm has started to melt. Either you risk running on ice and falling flat on your ass, which I have done - not fun at all, or you run through the shit-kicking mud that sticks to your shoes taking them from 8 ounces each to 5 lb shit-kickers. Just suck it up and run on the roads.

Do not eat the sausages and bacon wrapped scallops. They will not add in your training sessions the next day. And steer clear of the $60 pudding and canolis too just not a good idea.

And a final one courtesy of Marion Jones....
Do not cheat yourself. Whether it's simply backing down during a hard training session or doing something much worse. Not only is it not worth it, but it always catches up with you and you pay later. It just came out that Marion Jones will serve 6 months in jail for lying and cheating - more that Lindsey and Paris combined- if that isn't incentive to stay clean then maybe your integrity is.

Happy Training!

Holidaze!!!

2008-01-02T19:34:00.002-08:00

I hope that everyone had a festive and fun holiday season and new year. My crazy holiday schedule was daunting, but everything went like clockwork. Jeff and I did the double this year - we hit both Boston and Rehoboth for Christmas. The two flight legs from Denver to Chicago then on to Providence were a bit scary; it was a windy day and both landing were made at 45 degrees angled into the wind with the plane shuddering the whole way in...these shaky affairs made us a bit nervous. We flew Southwest which I love because it seems like they always get me there on time....in all the years I have flown with them I only had one flight canceled that I can remember. We arrived on-time and in one piece, woo-hoo. Most of Jeff's extended family live in or near Bridgewater Massachusetts just outside Boston; I had a great time meeting the extended family and enjoyed spending more time with his parents. It seemed like our time there flew by...but we were able to get in some great messy trail runs and swam at the local club a few times. I had no idea the number of state parks in the area and was very impressed with the terrain though with the leftover snow and ice it wasn't the ideal time to run there.
After our trip to Boston; we headed down to Rehoboth. I always love going home and enjoyed taking Jeff there finally after he dodged the bullet last year by doing his snow dance. We had a fun time celebrating a belated Christmas with my extended family. Before Jeff returned to Denver, we also visited my good friend Ashley and Antonio in Bethesda and were able to meet their new son Lorenzo who is busy getting big and strong in the NICU. They moved back from South Africa this summer, and it is always such a pleasure to spend time with them.
Then, Jeff flew back to Denver on New Years Eve, and I spent an extra week in Delaware so that I could attend my sister-in-law Cindy's baby shower. During my extra week in Delaware, I managed to squeeze in some good base training around all the family outings. I swam in the 90 degree water at the YMCA, which is always fun - nothing like trying to swim hard when you body just wants to lull around in the hot bathtub-like water. But, other than the Y, the weather was great for running, and I even got to bike outside a few times. I was also able to catch up with my good friend Shan from high school; she too caught the pregnancy bug and is expecting her first in April. We met up in Easton and had a nice relaxing lunch and chatted about her wedding this past summer. She always has the craziest stories - only her wedding inn would have Michael Jackson refusing to leave and causing a scene and umbrella shortage before her rehearsal. The end of my trip culminated with the baby shower for Cindy; my mom and aunt did an amazing job with all the food and decorations....it was amazing. My mom got tons of kudos for her various stratas, her cupcakes, and of course the homemade diaper cake; my contribution, the pumpkin chocolate bread pudding, also received some nice praise. It was sad to leave home, but I was also excited to get back to D-town and my two favorite men.

Painting with Amos

2008-01-02T18:56:00.000-08:00

Before Christmas, I was forced to take some time off...that is my least favorite part of the season every year. It is always a nice treat to sit around for the first few days; then I start to get antsy and want to do some sort of activity. Luckily, the 2 weeks went by fast as I was busy around the house doing some painting and cleaning with the help of my trusty sidekick, Jeff's dog Amos. To be truthful, Amos is a 14 year old brittany spaniel and wasn't much help with either task. But his moral support, aka peaceful snoring, was quite reassuring while I was painting the entryway, kitchen, and dining room various shades from a soft muted gray to a tangy mustard, and subdued wine shade. While I fussed and fretted about the color and my lack of skills, it was a calming influence to watch the old guy just sleeping away the day on the couch. During the cleaning, Amos was a bit more active following me from room to room as I struggled with the steam cleaner he would jump out of the way at the last second. Finally, he tired of the cleaning too and retired to snore away on the couch. But Amos wasn't so happy when I waxed our hardwood floors. The poor guy sleeps there sometimes and now has trouble getting all his feet under him; just as one foots starts to get purchase and the rest will slip out so he'll fall back onto his stomach with all four feet in the air. Between our chores, Amos and I take long walks, and I get to pick up all his little packages. But I can't complain; it has been a treat to have a companion to help keep me entertained and make the 2 weeks of rest go by faster. I need to get a picture of my favorite helper up on the blog...I'll see if I can find a glamour shot from his younger days.

Some Pictures from last season

2007-12-12T21:12:00.000-08:00

Team Pictures in Australia

Team Pictures in Hawaii

More Team Pictures ....

Dad, Jeff, and I in the Chicago Bean

Fashion Icon is Born

2007-12-12T20:30:00.000-08:00

Who needs shoelaces when you can use medical tape to keep your shoes on securely? There is actually a good story to go with this one.

Photo credit needs to be given to Jeff Cloutier Not only for his expert skills but ability to remain cool and calm in the face of a distressed subject.

Twas the night before US Nationals in 2006, my first ITU race and only my 5th triathlon ever and 2nd as a pro. In other words, I was scared shitless and very high stress. I was getting my race shoes ready to go and those quick laces all set...my first pair. I trimmed the laces down to get them perfect only to realize that they were a bit too short and my racing flats were too tight to pull on. 8pm at night in Long Beach California there were no quick laces or even shoelaces to be found. To overcome my stupidity, I ended up taking the laces out of my trainers to use in my racing flats, and they worked out fine. But in the meantime, I wanted to still use my trainers to walk around before/after the race...hence my new fashion statement with the tape. I patented this new shoe system and am waiting for it to really take off in the fashion world then my ship will come in....But in the interim I guess I will have to scrap by as a toiling athlete.

Locked Down in Israel

2007-12-03T20:03:00.000-08:00

My last race wasn’t all that I hoped for…in fact it was a big disappointment in my book. The biggest downer is that my running improvements that I have worked so hard to achieve in my training were not reflected in the run. I exited transition strong and got out to a great start but faded fast. I was passed by almost 30 people on the run falling from 5th place to 35th. Mentally watching that many girls blow by me was difficult since my wasted legs had no response. I am not sure if I biked too hard pulling for to much of the 40K course or if the fighting on the first portion of the swim had any effect. Regardless of the cause, my run was four minutes off where it needs to be next year. I have a lot to work on in the off-season and look forward to getting my running form back on track.
Israel takes its security to a different level imagine having all your bags unpacked in front of you. I am not exaggerating my carry-on, checked bag, and bike were unpacked completely. Every item was removed as they x-rays and swabbed each and every item. My items were splayed and dumped everywhere....my bike and wheels riped from the case to be x-rayed separately….. But on top of this psychical examination, you are also grilled verbally about your trip details the whys wheres and asked the same question in 3 different ways to try to catch you in a slip. It is this intense interrogation and invasion that makes the US airport security a breeze in comparison. We went through security within Israel 3 times, and it was intense every time. It is normal to spend an hour or more being cleared through security before you can even get in line for your boarding pass.
On Sunday after the race, Jillian and I miscalculated and were short on time; we only arrived to check in 1 hour and 45 minutes before our International departure. As our bags were unpacked and prodded and analyzed by 8 security agents, we were stressed about making our flight. The delta manager came over to say we were tight on time, and it wouldn't be their fault if we missed the flight. After an hour and 5 minutes, we were repacked and cleared to finish checking in. As we arrived at the counter with 45 minutes to spare, we were treated to the Delta manager telling us that we could board the plane only if we both had $100 in cash to pay for our bikes. Most airlines don't assess this fee on international flights especially since our bikes were well under the weight restrictions, at 36 lbs for mine. We scrambled for cash but could only come up with just over $30 each. Jillian and I offered her travelers checks or credit cards or to sprint to the atm. I am not ashamed to say that we begged her to please have some pity on us, and please let us on the flight. Coldly, the Delta manager ignored us and walked away...not even offering to help us get re-booked on the next day's flight or any advice on how we should get home from Tel Aviv. It was 10:50pm, and we still had 40 minutes until our flight was due to take off. The Delta desk was unmanned and would not have any agent there until the next night at 8pm.
We tracked down the Delta number in the states, and with the help of moms working on the problem from US phones were able to get re-booked on a flight 12 hours later at 10:40 am the next morning.
I understand that we were at fault but the Delta manager’s complete lack of compassion for our situation and unwillingness to assist in any way was downright evil. . Yes we should have arrived sooner, but the lack of empathy to assist us when we had time to still make the plane was appalling.
After spending 20 hours in the Tel Aviv airport, we were so slap happy and silly that everything was amusing. Since the Thursday night before the race until Sunday night, I had a total of 12 hours sleep. Not enough considering that I normally get 8 to 10 hours a night. Finally, we got on the flight headed home. Sadly for me, we arrived at JFK late. After clearing passport control, waiting for my bike and bag to arrive, and clearing customs, it was already past the take-off time for my scheduled flight. I was re-booked for the next morning to arrive home at 11am the next day and given a hotel room for the night - yay finally a chance to shower! Sadly, the luck didn't last; I was called later that night by Delta to let me know that the flight I was rescheduled on the next morning was cancelled. Now, I would leave in the morning and fly to Atlanta then fly to Denver arriving at 4pm. Wow, this is turning into the never-ending trip: I left Eilat at 12pm on Sunday or 3am Sunday morning MST. When I get home tomorrow afternoon, I will have been traveling for 62 or more hours.....

First & Last Duathlon

2007-12-03T19:58:00.001-08:00

An oil spill in the SF bay made the Treasure Island race into a duathlon. It was my first ever and hopefully my last. The race showed me that I still have many more improvements to make on my running speed and fitness. I started out the first run well but faded after the first half mile. As a result, I ended up in no-mans land. I was forced to ride the entire 40 K on my own, which is not ideal for a drafting race but preferred to staying with a pack that expects me to do all the work. In the future, I'd like to go back and race Treasure Island on the real course when we are able to swim as well as run and bike. On the plus side, the trip was a very fun. Jeff was able to take some time off and come with me. We stayed with friends and had a nice time enjoying Marin county for a few days after the race. It is such an amazing place to ride and run; I look forward to visiting again soon.

Kona Camp

2007-12-03T19:57:00.001-08:00

Despite my burned out body & mind, the Kona camp was perfect. Exactly what I needed to get in some great quality training with teammates, Abi & Vin, along with Siri & Nicky. I was able to spend almost three weeks in Hawaii. I saw some great improvements in my run and definitely left the camp feeling more fit and excited to finish my season.
Kona is an amazing town and a great place for an iron man. We spent time riding and running on parts of the iron man course, and it gave me renewed respect for those athletes. I hope that I have a chance to train in Hawaii again and especially enjoyed training with teammates who were able to push me on the bike and run.

Dallas

2007-12-03T19:48:00.000-08:00

The weekend after returning home from Greece I headed to Dallas for a non-drafting race. I was eager for redemption after the upsetting turn of events at that race. And it was a great bonus to have a high school friend living outside Dallas; it was great to have a place to stay and have the opportunity to catch up with her & her husband.
The race didn't go badly but wasn't great either. The swim was not my best; I had chance to go for it and try to bridge the gap or be comfortable in my pack. I choose to be comfortable instead of really giving it that extra effort to chase the leader. It was a costly mistake in retrospect since I really needed to get every second that I could on the swim to get ahead for the run. The bike was a good effort not spectacular but not bad. I passed several people and came into transition in 3rd with the 4th place right at my heels. The run was typical of this season steady but not fast. I slide from 4th exiting transition to 7th. After this race, I felt very drained and part of me really wants to end my season right now. But after the bad luck in the last three world cups I'd like to end on a good note. In retrospect, I should have planned a week or several days completely off in September or this week after Dallas to recharge physically and mentally. But instead here I am surging on with the training and flying out to camp in Kona for the next 3 weeks.

Greece is the word

2007-12-03T19:39:00.000-08:00

I headed to Rhodes Greece for my next race and was very excited for the chance to race healthy after my bad luck at the world cups in July. Unfortunately, the bad luck continued and followed me to Greece. Rhodes city was an amazing location to race. The old city is very historic with the walled city and gates still standing from early BC. To race in such a scenic and historic location was awe-inspiring. And the Mediterranean sea was so clear and salty.
On race day, I had a good swim and exited the water with the leaders. But once on the bike, in the first 800 meters I heard an audible pop from my bike tire. I looked down to see a flat. I rode on it to the neutral wheel stop and asked for a 10 speed shimano cassette for my new back wheel. I was given a nine speed and got on my bike as fast as possible but the lead pack was gone and I was now in no man’s land. I rode steady with the second pack for several laps until the cassette locked up between gears on the hill. I just barely avoided crashing and had to ride backwards down the hill to the wheel stop. This time I was given a 10 speed cassette but the 2nd pack didn’t wait for me. I was now riding in the third pack and frustrated with the bad luck and my chances of a top finish as I would be starting the run well out of contention after losing about 7 minutes with my wheel stops. I pulled out of the race on the run; it was the first time that I have voluntarily pulled out of a race and I hope to never do it again. I think in retrospect it would have been better to finish but at the time I was too defeated and mentally out of the game after my unlucky day.

Tale of two cities: Chi-town & LA

2007-12-03T19:31:00.000-08:00

Chicago
I was able to break up my season with 2 non-drafting races. The first was Chicago and the next LA; I was excited for races where I could use my bike to my advantage. Chicago is always a favorite place to visit after spending my college years there I have many fond memories as well as family that live in the area. In addition, Jeff was traveling to the race as well as my parents so I was excited to have so many people there to support me. Sadly, the race didn’t go as planned. The day before the race I went for an ill-advised bike on the race course, lake shore drive. I should have know better not only was I scared out of my wits by the traffic but got two flat tires and had to walk my bike to the nearest cross street and hail a cab back to the hotel. The race didn’t go much better; I was shook up on the swim when another competitor was very unsportsmanlike stopped during the early portion of the swim and purposely clawed off my goggles. There is always contact during the start of our swims but this was totally out of line. I was upset and in shock. I stopped to fix my goggles and swam to the other side of the pack to get away from that competitor; I would not have know who she was except for the special color cap she received as an honor. For the next week I had the claw marks where blood was draw on my forehead. The bike and run didn‘t go very well; I don‘t think that it was my day. I gave my best effort and it wasn‘t good enough the final insult was when I was out-sprinted for 10th place with 100 meters to go. I just had nothing left in the tank at that point and was lucky to finish on my feet.

LA
Two weeks later, LA went better. I had another great homestay which makes it easier to afford traveling to all these races. Unfortuneatly, a training partner had a bad experience with her homestay, but on the plus side she was able to race superb despite that outside stress. I really enjoy ocean swims and was looking forward to competing after last year’s debacle where most of the field was DQ’d. The swim went well; I came out with the front pack and had a good transition. The bike was faster than last year; I definitely have room to improve if I want to hang with the top racers but I didn’t lose ground to anyone except the top two finishers. I came off the bike in 3rd place and ran solid. It felt much better than Chicago but the effort wasn’t good enough to hold off the charges from two fast runners behind me. I finished in 5th and was happy with the result overall but know that I have a better run split in my legs.

Local races rock!!!

2007-12-03T19:26:00.000-08:00

It is always a rare treat to wake up in my own bed for a race. Longmont is only a 30 minute drive and with the late start time it was nice to sleep in my own bed and not have to travel for this race. I was eager to race but a bit nervous about how my leg would pull up after he sailboat incident. I was excited to get to have a cheering section as Siri, several training partners, and Jeff all made it down to the race to support us.
The race day was hot, typical Colorado front range in august 100+ degrees dry heat but with a penetrating sun. We started after 1pm and with a very exposed run course the heat would definitely be a factor during the run. The swim went badly…very badly. I ended up no mans land between the front pack leaders strung out ahead and the large second pack. I swam as hard as I could but mentally found it hard to keep my thoughts positive. Exiting the swim I felt spent and ran to my bike dreading the pain to come. I headed out hard on the bike and caught 3 or the 5 girls ahead of my in the first lap. I pushed past them hard to ensure that no one would be riding with me unless they were able to jump on the train. I ended up passing the girls cleanly and rode the entire 40K bike on my own time trialing. I lost time to the 2 girls in front strong cyclist working together but was able to put time in on the rest of the field. Starting the run in 3rd place, I wanted to stay steady and finish the hot run without falling apart. As expected the run was very hot and the lack of ice and water on the course made it even worse. I tried to keep steady and felt better as the run progressed. I managed to hold off the other races and finished spent in 3rd place. At the finish we were glad to see ice filled baby pools to fall into, and I was sent off to the medical tent for some assistance.
I was happy with how the race ended but hope that I can avoid racing draft legal races all on my own in the future.

Killer Sailboats

2007-12-03T19:24:00.000-08:00

I arrived home from Salford on Monday night and was back training on Tuesday bright and early 5am! On Wednesday, our team had an open water swim practice in the boulder res. At the end of our session we were doing a final warm down loop as a group. Swimming along in the pack with a lifeguard watching on his jet ski, I was hit by a sailboat. The experience was very traumatic since I was hit hard twice by the centerboard and rudder and had no idea what was happening to me. The pain was excruciating. I had severe bleeding into my quad and another hematoma. I was very upset with my luck as well as the irresponsible behavior or the boulder res lifeguard and the sailboat operators. This accident cost me where I need it most; I lost another week of run training. And with a continental cup planned for 10 days from the accident I was left unsure of my race schedule. I decided at the last minute to race at the Longmont continental cup and with the decision being so last-minute my taper was only 2 days.

3 Races for the price of 1

2007-12-03T19:21:00.000-08:00

First race as a 30 year old
I had a great experience racing in NY for the Geneva Continental Cup. My parents were able to make the trek up to watch another race this year. I spent my 30th birthday on the plane traveling to the race and looked forward to racing after a long break. The race course is great with a no wetsuit swim, a challenging bike course, and flat run. I was looking forward to the bike since each loop includes some tight crit-like turns and a decent climb and decent. This was the first triathlon I have done that starts after noon; the race starts at 3pm. I am not sure how to plan my nutrition for racing at that time since I normally only eat breakfast before my races. The race started okay but the swim didn’t go quite as planned; I lost contact with the lead gals and was chasing them for the last 500 meters. Exiting the swim I was 20 seconds down and had to work hard on the bike to bridge to the front pack. The bike went well our group worked well and put time in the other packs. Exiting the bike, we had a sizable gap on the other racers. The run started off poorly but improved steadily until the last two laps when I started to feel normal. I was able to finish in 3rd moving out of 4th place in the last lap. Overall I was disappointed with my run but happy overall with the effort and excited for my world cup races in the next two weekends.

Sickpuppy in Austria
I traveled to Kitzbuhel Austria for a world cup race and caught a bug that turned into bronchitis. By the time I arrived at the race, I was sick as a dog. Luckily, my mom accompanied me to the race and was able to help me cope. The bronchitis had me wheezing and hacking up with any minor aerobic effort. On race morning, my mom did some respiratory therapy on my back to loosen up my lungs. But even as I was riding to the start I was hacking and coughing in a tiring effort. By the start, I just wanted to finish the race and go back to bed. I finished the race and actually held together pretty well until the run when my exhaustion from battling the illness caught up with me. I finished the race and wanted to immediately collapse into any bed. As soon as I finished, I started a course of antibiotics in the hope that I could kick the illness before next weekend’s world cup race in Salford.

What a difference a week makes
By the race weekend in Salford, I was feeling much better; still not 100% but night and day from where I was only a week earlier in Kitzbuhel. By the race day, I felt confident that at least my body was doing double duty battling an illness along with having to race. The swim went well and I exited in the front of a large pack. One the bike, I did a lot of work pulling to try to keep the pace honest so that we weren’t caught by the other packs strung out along the course. Sadly, I think I wasted some energy that I really didn’t have to expend and suffered more on the run as a result of biking so hard. On the run, I felt steady but not fast. When I finished the race I was frustrated by my performance but not upset considering the events of the last three weeks.

June Blues....

2007-12-03T19:16:00.000-08:00

June was a tough month on June 1st I went in for a pre-race massage tune up and left the office in pain. My massage therapist went too deep on some already strained muscle tissues. Sadly, the deep tissue massage caused the damaged tissues to bleed leading to a hematoma in my piriformis muscle. I had planned to race Alcatraz and San Juan but had to cancel both races as I was unable to walk or run at all. This is very upsetting since the training was going very well. But on the positive end as a result I have met and been working with a great acupuncturist that will help me to heal and prevent this from happening in the future. Since I will be off running for 2 to 3 weeks, I won’t race until the July 14th Continental Cup in Geneva NY. And I get the chance to be a spectator and watch Jeff’s Ironman later this month in Idaho. I am excited for the trip and know he is going to do great.

South Africa World Cup

2007-05-21T19:48:00.000-07:00

I arrived in South Africa a bit worse for wear. The flight was packed and I felt like a sardine stuffed along with hundreds of other people in a too small tin can. I definitely didn’t sleep as well as I had on my flights out to Portugal and cringed each time the people around me coughed and sneezed hoping that I wouldn’t catch anything before the race. When I arrived in Durban, a childhood friend living in South Africa with her husband came to pick me up from the Airport. It was great to spent the first night with Ashley, her husband, and her family; it definitely took my mind off the race. On Friday morning, I woke up way too tired and too early to drive from Durban to Richards Bay for the race. When I arrived in Richards Bay, I got in a run, bike, and swim on the race course. I was feeling awful; exhausted, jet-lagged, and ready to go back to bed but managed to stumble through all the workouts. As soon as I got to my hotel that afternoon, I passed out and took a two hour nap before the race meeting. When I woke up I felt 100% better and on Saturday felt even more rested and ready to race. I tried to keep all my pre-race workouts easy and relaxed saving it all for Sunday. Then, I spent the rest of the day trying to stay relaxed. On Sunday morning, I felt good warming up on the bike and swim. I was ready for the gun at this race and had a good start but managed to get clobbered really badly during the sprint to the first buoy. Getting dragged backwards, clawed, dunked, swum over…it was mayhem.
But after the first buoy I broke free and had cleaner water and more space until the exit for the first lap. I overtook some girls in the front pack during the sprint out of and back into the water. I was swimming a bit close to one of the large German girls, I guess she thought too close and decided to place her hand on my back and give me a good dunk. After that I backed off and bit and slide onto her feet…no need to get dunked again. At the end of the swim, I was in the middle of the lead pack and sprinted onto my bike. This bike course was much better for me than last week; 8 laps of a loop with one pretty decent hill. I really went after the bike and worked hard on every lap. I ended up pulling along 15 girls for about 80% of the entire bike but didn’t even care -- I was on a mission to give myself as much time going into the run as possible. I had a little help from my teammate, Joanne, and a few of the other girls but didn’t want to waste any time so I put it all out there on the bike and keep our pace going. Unfortunately, we ended up lapping out 3 of my American teammates, one of the last lap was very upset with me and yelled at me. I was so focused on killing myself on the bike to get that lead going into the run that I couldn’t think about any distractions. But getting yelled at when you’re going after your best race is not very constructive and distracted me just enough so that as I came first into transition I tried to dismount my bike still going about 20mph. Don’t try this at home!
I lost control of my bike and it flew down onto the ground while I kept running. So I turned around scooped it up and only lost about 10 seconds with that whole fiasco. Once on the run, I could tell that I biked really hard; it was hot and I was exhausted. I tried to just keep going and hold onto my position in 15th place, at the back of the bike pack that I pulled around. I was cramping up and had the chills from the heat and dehydration. I just tried to focus on keeping my cadence and finishing. A few of the girls from the second pack caught me and I wasn’t sure my place when I finally made it over the line. I ended up in 20th overall and with one world cup point. It wasn’t the best race especially with the death march run, but I was happy with how I really went after the bike. When I finished my tank was on empty so I put it all out there on that day and did my best which is all you can ask of yourself. On the bright side, there is plenty of room for improvement. I definitely think I can put together a better race with a faster run and better timed surges on the bike to go for a breakaway instead of pulling along the lead pack. And it was very nice that a few of the girls in the front pack thanked me for all my efforts pulling our pack and keeping the pace fast. With each world cup, I have learned a ton and look forward to competing in more later this year and improving on my results.
After the race, I was able to see a bit of the men’s race but had to quickly get on the road to head back to Durban to spend a few more days with Ashley and her family. I thoroughly enjoyed the rest of my time in South Africa and was able to see a ton of sites around the Durban area. I even got the chance to do a 6K open water swim off the Durban beaches, which thankfully is protected by shark nets. By the time I returned home, I was very excited to see Jeff and eager to catch up with my training partners and get back to some hard training in Boulder.

Portugal World Cup

2007-05-21T19:46:00.000-07:00

My first world cup race of the season was in Lisbon this May. I was really excited for the race and eager to get more experience at that level of racing. I arrived in Lisbon on schedule, but my suitcase and bike decided to spend some more quality time in Heathrow airport. I guess the 8 hours of layover in London wasn’t quite enough time for my bag and bike to enjoy the airport. It was the first race trip during which my bag and bike have been lost; I was calm at first but started to get more nervous the longer the bags took to arrive. 36 hours later just as I was starting to get a bit manic, both bags arrived at my hotel. The bike arrived just in time for our team to go down to the race site. Unfortunately, our hotel and the host hotel were about a 30 to 40 minute drive from the race site through the confusing streets downtown Lisbon. Thankfully the USA team rented some vans to get us back and forth to the race venue on Friday. The swim was in an small open water lake with cold water; it definitely was going to be a wetsuit swim. The bike course wasn’t going to be fun. It included a 1K section of cobbles on each of the 8 laps as well as a technical section of tight 90 and 180 degree turns on carpet as the course snaked down and through an indoor pavilion. I would have preferred a tougher course with more challenging climbs but at least this race would be a good opportunity to work on my technical biking skills. The run was flat with varied terrain from cobbles to uneven boardwalk. After previewing the course on Friday, I wasn’t able to get back there on Saturday and to get to the race site on Sunday morning my parents and I rented a car. After I finished all my pre-race stressing and workouts, it was already the late afternoon. Luckily, my parents were able to see some of the downtown Lisbon sites while I wasted the day getting ready for the race. On Sunday morning, we got to the race in plenty of time thanks to the lite Sunday morning traffic and my crazy desire to get us up and going hours before the race start. I felt great on my warmups and was excited to get going. During the swim leg, I had the worst start ever….there was no time between the take your mark and the horn. Unfortunately, I am pretty sure that I was last off the pontoon. Despite the start, I had a great swim and stayed with the front pack the entire way.
From the swim to the bike, I had a good transition too and my wetsuit came off super fast. Once on the bike, I tried work really hard to catch a few of the swimmers that got out of the water a few seconds up on the rest of the lead pack. After the first two laps, it became clear that no one was going to do any work on the bike. I tried to get things going but it seemed that everyone’s strategy was to work hard and sprint through the technical sections then sit up and ride Sunday style for the rest of each lap. This was the worst possible scenario for me. Since I haven’t been able to run, I needed to keep the lead pack far ahead of the second and third packs. Sadly, all three packs merged on the bike and when we started the run there were almost 40 runners starting together. It would have been even more but there was a small crash on the last lap of the bike. I tried to do my best on the run but my lack of fitness with all the time off made it a struggle. I finished in 30th overall and 3rd American. I wasn’t very happy with the results but considering the way the bike played out and with the challenges facing my running training the last few months it was the best I could do.
After the race, I definitely decided in South Africa I was going to work my butt off on the bike and try to keep any lead that I could over the packs behind me. For the next few days, I spent some time in Cascais, a beach town outside Lisbon, with my parents and enjoyed getting the chance to explore the area. By Wednesday, I was ready to head to South Africa but sad to say goodbye to my parents.

Never-ending Easter

2007-05-21T19:45:00.000-07:00

I arrived home from Australia on Easter; it was a never-ending Easter day as I left at 2am in Australia Easter morning and arrived 24+ hours later at 4pm on Easter in Colorado. Before leaving Australia, I saw my doctor there and received the MRI results that I had torn cartridge in my hip. I was given another 2 weeks of rest from running but allowed to swim, bike, and water jog. It is simply nice to know the problem and have a workable plan for getting healthy. On the bright side, upon my return to Boulder I found out that I got into the world cup races in Portugal and South Africa. Although the timing with my injury is not ideal, I am looking forward to this chance to race at the elite world cup level. Training in Boulder is always a challenge with the altitude. On top of that I had major jet lag and wasn’t able to fall asleep until 3am for the first few days back in Colorado. But by the end of the week, I was starting to feel normal again and was happy to get back to doing some great bike and swim workouts. And looking forward to starting to run on the amazing trails in Boulder as soon as my two weeks off were completed.

(Long overdue) Wellington NZ Race Report

2007-05-21T19:37:00.000-07:00

At the end of March, I went on a short trip from our training camp in Australia to Wellington New Zealand for a continental cup race. I was really really sore from the Mooloolaba open race and wasn’t totally looking forward to making the trip since I was also battling an injury from February that had resurfaced with a vengeance. The week before the race I even went to get an MRI on my hip to locate the problem but wouldn’t get the results until after I got back from the race. I was happy not to know since my goal was simply to race my best and go after a good swim/bike combination.
I arrived in Wellington and went directly to my accommodation, a youth hostel. I was a little wary of staying in a hostel before a race since I didn’t want the stress of trying to sleep in a bunk bed with 3 roommates to each suite. However, it ended up working out fine and the women in my suite were very nice, friendly, and mature (aka thankfully not out partying till 4am).
The race course was excellent: the swim was in a choppy bay, the bike course had a challenging hill that we were to climb 5 times during the race and some technical turns, and the run was 3 flat loops through town. The day before the race I did my usual pre-race warmups and really enjoyed the bike course. For the swim, I went to a local pool and was feeling good but swimming very slow. Until I realized that the pool was long; 33 meters long in fact making what I thought were 100s into 132s. I breathed a sigh of relief with that news. For the rest of the day, I relaxed and got ready for the race. There were a four other Americans at the race; its always great to see some friendly and familiar faces.
Race morning was cool and rainy, my least favorite race conditions; but the rain abated before our race start. The wind however was not as cooperate and there were 40 to 50 mph massive winds making the swim extremely choppy and the bike treacherous. I was preoccupied with my sticky bike brakes and worried that they would be rubbing the whole race…so much that I wasn’t even as nervous as usual. At the swim start, I had a poor position but ended up with a good swimming coming out of the water in 5th position behind the fast swimming Americans and one Kiwi athlete. On the bike, I had a great ride and worked with two Kiwi athletes to real in all the fast swimmers. And on the last lap of the bike, I broke away and had a 37 second lead going into transition. I knew I would need it for the run. The run went well; I focused on keeping my cadence up and trying to run as fast as I could through the injury. I ended up 6th and was really happy with my swim and bike performances and was happy that I made the trip.

I headed back to Australia for the last week of my training trip; it was a great experience but I was also looking forward to getting home to see Jeff and get back to my life at home.

Photos from Down Under

2007-04-02T03:22:00.000-07:00

Check out more team photos from Australia on Siri's website.

Firsts

2007-04-02T03:07:00.000-07:00

It was a load of Firsts for me in the end of March. I had my First race of the season, the Mooloolaba Pro Open Race, on the 24th. My First time to the Sunshine Coast, which is even more amazingly beautiful than the Gold Coast. My First road trip for the year as we got two mini-vans to take 6 of us up the coast for the race. I finished First in the race and had a great time. The swim was in the ocean and I even caught a small wave, my First in a race this year, but promptly lost the advantage when I stepped in a hidden hole while running out of the water and face-planted (my First ever in a race) quite dramatically. On the bike, I managed to extend my lead and build up a good cushion for the run. Since I’m dealing with an injury, I really wanted to have a good position going into the run. It was also my First paycheck for the year! I will definitely need it to cover all the travel costs for this training trip and my races. I am excited for another First next weekend; it will be my First ITU (draft-legal) race this year. I am hoping to get some much-needed points. It will be my First trip to Wellington, and I am very excited. Hopefully, there will be more Firsts to come.

Icy Hot

2007-03-06T17:02:00.001-08:00

The last two weeks have been very intense. With all the hard hot training, I have resorted to icing and frequent sessions with the icy hot goodness of tiger balm and the soothing aid of arnica with traumeel to keep my muscles happy and mobile.
Speaking of heat, the weather here has still been really warm; some days it’s so intense but most days it’s been bearable. Luckily most of our hard run and bike sessions have started before 6am. My parents are down in FL for a quick vacation, and it sounds like their weather has been great too.
Finally, I have decided that my first races will be at the end of this month one in Mooloolaba and an ITU continental cup race in Wellington, NZ. In New Zealand, I am hoping to get some much-needed points. I am eager to have a good first race too in Mooloolaba to get the kinks out after all this hard training.
Well that’s all from down under for now.

Highs & Lows

2007-03-06T01:49:00.000-08:00

The first two weeks of training camp are almost over. It’s been a great start to the season. Though I am a bit worn out, I look forward to working even harder in the next few weeks. I know everything I do now will pay off during the racing season.

Some of the highlights thus far were our team outing to Surfers’ Paradise after our long ride on Sunday. The waves were amazing, and it was fun to play around in the surf with my training partners. And our long ride through the hills west of the coast was gorgeous with some challenging climbs to rival those in Boulder. One part of the descent was so steep it felt like my handlebars were pointing straight down the bumpy chip seal road, and my sweaty hands were gripping the bars so tightly that I was afraid my arms would cramp. It was a little scary but needless to say I survived. Another highlight was our team BBQ at our apartment complex last week; it was nice to unwind with some good food and great friends. Finally, getting the opportunity to ride in a local cycling crit the last two weekends has been a fun experience and definitely is helping to improve my pack riding not to mention cornering and sprints since each loop of the course includes a 360 degree turnaround.

Not to many lows, mostly just a few miserable workouts that I suffered through painfully and was relieved to forget about as soon as the session ended. And missing Jeff, my parents, and friends in Colorado. I didn’t think I would get homesick at 29, but I was wrong. It's been a bit of culture shock with all the changes this past month from quitting my job and moving to flying down here and really becoming a full-time athlete. The last low light I hate to complain about with friends and family freezing at home but it's really hot here....so hot in our little room that Mary bought an XL fan to help cool us off and even that hasn't helped much.

I am attaching some pictures from the Gold Coast in Australia. These were taken by an expert photographer and my teammate, Mary, just across the street from our apartment complex. On another note, my favorite triathlete, chef, asst. coach, and support crew leader just set up a blog, Stories from the Sidelines.
Well that’s all the news for now....signing off from down under.

G’Day from Down Under

2007-02-25T21:38:00.000-08:00

My teammate Mary and I completed the 25+ hour journey together from Boulder to the Gold Coast of Australia. It was pretty uneventful except for a few fun details like when my bike trainer was confiscated at the gate because it was clearly a deadly weapon. The manager of ticket agents grabbed the offending trainer out of my hands and proceeded to lunge aggressively at me with the trainer to exhibit how it could easily be utilized to strike anyone on the airplane. Mary and I were both shocked by his display and despite my objections that I would not be using the trainer to hit anyone over the head he still insisted upon confiscating it. Another highlight of the trip was our continuous trips to the bathroom….we were amazed that our seat mate went only once on the 13 hour flight vs. our 5 or 6 trips. The trip was going swimmingly until Mary’s bike did not arrive in Brisbane, turns out it decided to stay in Colorado instead of traveling down here. It finally arrived a few days late but was missing a seat post bolt, clearly a sacrifice to the bike box gods. After getting a bolt, she’s now up and running. But we’ve both been plagued by some gastric issues….Mary has been struck my some bug from the plane while I seem to have gotten a case of food poisoning. Luckily, we are both recovering and should be a 100% imminently.
Now to the destination, Australia is an beautiful scenic country, and the weather has been amazing. The Super Sports Center in Runaway Bay is a great facility with a 50M swimming pool, running track, cycling crit, weight & cardio machines, sports med., and more. (I have been battling an injury to my hip joint capsule and unable to run so the pool is also excellent for water jogging in the interim. Much improved over Flatirons where I have only a 10 meter stretch to use.)
And our team is all looking forward to Siri’s arrival here so that we can really get to work.

The Joy of Riding Outside!

2007-02-11T21:15:00.000-08:00

Finally, after weeks of snow, ice, and cold temps....I made it outside for a long ride. Don't get me wrong, I actually like riding my trainer. But after 5 weeks of long rides inside, it was a treat to get outside on a moving bicycle. Even 2 flat tires and freezing digits, fingers and toes, on the downhill couldn't dampen my mood....well maybe for a nanosecond but not for too long.
And less than a week until I leave for Australia. I am nervous, excited, and can't wait to get in some great training; I am sure there will be some awesome sessions and a few horrible suffer-fests. It's a bummer that I won't have my new custom Elite Bicycle before I leave, but it also gives me an extra incentive to hurry back to Colorado in April. And if I can ride well on my old bike, imagine how fast I'll be on the new one!
On another note, I am officially a resident of Thornton. The move went very smoothly - fast and efficient like a well-oiled machine. I am not sure about the 'hood but my two new roommates couldn't be better.

4 Shots A Day...Keeps the Doc Away

2007-02-07T19:38:00.000-08:00

I am officially unemployed!
Kind of crazy...luckily I haven't gotten bored yet. Actually, the last two days have been a whirlwind of tedious errands and appointments...and today's highlight 4 shots at the doctor's office. The shots were to prepare for a continental cup race I am planning to do in Thailand, a remote area of Thailand on the Laos border. Hopefully the shots along with the malaria pills will protect me from typhoid, polio, malaria, and any other diseases. If not, I guess I'm SOL. The CDC also had a warning about any exposure to fresh water due to Schistosomiasis, an incurable parasitic infection caused by infected snails that release large numbers of larvae (mmm...) that can permeate any mucous membrane exposed to the water.... does that include the Mekong River where I'll be swimming for the race? Could I swim in a full-body dry suit? Maybe a few ITU points aren't worth it.
On another note, the shots in the arms certainly did not help my swimming tonight. It was a pitiful sight, but at least I didn't drown in the pool. Our coach, Siri, warned us that once we get to Australia, she's gonna really put the hurt on us. I kind of though I was already feeling it, but I am sure all my definitions of pain and suffering are soon to be rewritten.
One of my other big tasks for this week is packing up for the big move this weekend. A big shout out to my FCC, Jeff, who will be helping to supervise the loading of my 10 ft, not 10 inch as the Budget rental agent clarified for me, moving tuck. It's funny, I started packing in January and did a great job for the first few days but haven't made much, or any, progress since oh about January 6th. Maybe I'll get back to it now or maybe wait till Friday night. Who doesn't work well under pressure?
Well, the boxes are calling or is that MTV with another bad reality show?

Training Hard in Boulder

2007-01-27T15:29:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my new blog!! I am a 2nd year professional triathlete who is leaving my position at Corporate Express and pursuing my dream to be a world class athlete full-time.

Starting in late December, it was back to the grind to get ready for the upcoming 2007 season. As it is my 2nd season as a pro, I am excited to see even more improvements this year and hopefully learn from each race what I can do better next time. Last year, I learned a ton and defnitely suprised myself with some amazing races. But, I know that I have a long way to go and putting in lots of hard work now will pay later this season. Unforuntealy, this winter in Boulder has been snowy & cold. For the past 4 weekends, it has snowed at least 4 inches. Not to mention the snow left over from the blizzard in December! Needless to say my bike hasn't seen pavement since I was visiting my family for Christmas. My teammate and I have spent plenty of quality time on our trainers either at home in the garage or in our coach Siri Lindley's basement. And the running hasn't been much better. But luckily, Boulder plows it's bike paths, faster than the roads, so I have been able to venture out for some miles instead of spending hours on the treadmill. And it helps to know that the snow & cold are only temporary at least for our team. In 3 weeks and counting, I'll be headed on a jet plane to the outback for some hard training and racing in Austrailia. I can't wait... biking outside, not having to run over ice and snow to the outdoor pool, feeling the sun, and of course training my butt off!