2010 Coming to a Close....

2010 is officially coming to a close and we are about to enter a new decade. Time sure does fly by; however; this is the time of year I like to reflect on the past 365 days. In 2010, I have accomplished goals in my triathlon profession and as well as personal goals. I feel the most growth we learn from year to year, are the little day to day occurrences in life where learn the most from ourselves. The highs and lows of everyday life are the glue that truly gives us perspective of whom we are and who we strive to become.
The year started off with a tough block of training, including a training camp in Tuscon, Arizona. I traveled and raced more frequently than ever the first part of the year, and it paid off with successful racing, including five wins in 2010. Unfortunately, I also struggled with an injury the second half of the year, which is much, more difficult than training hard, racing and traveling around the world. Although I am proud of my racing accomplishments, I had more internal growth learning from my injury, sticking to finding a solution to fix the problem, and spending many dedicated hours getting better. There really is no better feeling than heading out of a run without pain and enjoying freedom of movement, sun on your face (or snow!) and listening to the rhythm of your body.
Triathlon racing and training aside, other highlights of the year were getting to spend time with family in Minnesota and Missouri, especially during the off-season. As a professional triathlete, I am busy during January through October, and really love to give back to my supportive family and enjoy time with them during the off-season. I have also gotten my family involved in racing this year; as I coached my dad to his first half marathon and triathlon, mother in her first triathlon, and brother in 5k’s and 10k’s. It is great to be able to help them discover the journey of goal setting, accomplishment and most importantly living a healthy and fit a lifestyle.
Reflecting over the past year, I often think how lucky I am to be able to swim, bike and run as a career, but also be able to speak to children and adults about keeping your body healthy. I spoke with several kid’s tri clubs this year and it is great to see the sport growing amongst the youngsters! I am blessed for my family’s and I health and understand that there are so many families around the world who can’t say the same. It is also astounding for me to realize how much support and help I have from those around me to help me reach my goals. Every year, it seems more and more people I have to thank in supporting me in reaching my triathlon dreams. It is very true that behind every Olympic athlete, there is a team of coaches, nutritionists, chiropractors, physical therapists, massage therapists, medical doctors, facilities, chefs, sponsors, team mates, friends, family, husbands and fans! Every person plays a vital role in each Olympic athlete and I am so grateful to have an immense amount of support. Thank you to everyone who has helped me every step of the way this year!
I encourage all to take a moment and reflect on 2010, being 100% open and honest. I am excited for what is to come and to learn from all the “little” moments day to day….

Holiday Health

It’s that time of year again, holiday season! As a triathlete, holiday season also means, “off-season”. Since I am not spending as much time training and not racing, I have more time to relax and spend time with friends and family. Christmas is one of my favorite holidays of the year. When I was younger; the anticipation of receiving gifts I most looked forward to, but now I have the most joy in giving gifts. I especially like to spoil my nieces (as an Aunt, I am allowed!)
Often big family get-togethers equal lots of great food; from the Thanksgiving turkey to the Christmas eggnog. Many people are worried about gaining weight during the holiday season, but I feel one can still enjoy the holiday goodies without the jeans becoming too tight around the hips.

Eating healthy is a lifestyle and that does not change for me during the offseason (or holiday season). This does not meat skipping out on Thanksgiving pie or holiday fudge. It is all about moderation and portion control. Some guides I follow when heading to a family gathering or holiday party:
1) Never arrive to a party famished…this is a sure way to eat too much “holiday” food which may be calorie dense food; high in fat and sugar. If you have a busy day of shopping or work before the party, be prepared to fuel your body correctly throughout the day. I always pack Pure Bars when I am on the go. The bars provide me with combination or protein/carbs/fat that will keep my blood sugar in check.
2) If you are not sure there if there will be a healthy option at the party, bring one! I always like to bring a healthy salad or veggies; knowing that I can fill up on healthy veggies in addition to a chocolate treat while at the party.
3) When it is time for a meal, most parties have a display of yummy food. Sometimes my eyes are larger than my stomach, so when dishing myself a plate I think about portion control and moderation. Those yummy sweet potatoes with brown sugar are not off my plate, but I am sure to not overflow my plate with them. With small portions, I get to taste many delicious options, but I don’t feel stuffed to the brim after eating my meal.
4) Eat slowly….it takes 20 min for your brain to recognize that your stomach is full. If you eat too much too fast, it is not a fun feeling. Relax and socialize with friends and family while enjoying your food. Plus, the food tastes so much better when you slow down and enjoy each bite.
5) When it comes to dessert, keep in mind that some desserts are more nutritious than others. For example, that pumpkin pie is a bit easier on the waistline than pecan. Fruit is always a good option as well as dark chocolate. If you are aware of desserts that are more nutritious for you, it will be easier to make healthier options. Of course, the dark chocolate brownie with the works is okay every once in a while….again in moderation!
6) Finally, during the winter months, it is cold outside and many people choose to become less active than the warmer months. Find a winter sport you enjoy (like cross country skiing or snowshoeing). I still enjoy running outside in the winter, but the correct gear is a must! Make sure to be prepared and bundle in the correct kind of clothing. If you don’t like being out in the cold, join a gym. Most gyms have specials around the holiday season. When I am traveling to visit family in Minneapolis and Missouri, the Lifetime Fitness Clubs become a second home for me. Open 24 hours a day; I know I can always count on getting my workout in and refueling after with a café inside. Life café’s not just any café, this shop knows what your body needs after a workout and serves healthy food, including Pure Bars (my favorite!).

This holiday season enjoy the time with friends and family. Embrace the delicious holiday foods. Be empowered with the knowledge of a healthy and active lifestyle every day during the season and when January 2nd roles around you won’t have to worry about shopping for a larger jean size! Happy Holidays~~

Season Update

Season Update

Unfortunately the 2010 season has to come to a premature end due to an injury in my calf muscle. This injury has been going on and off since I initially injured my left foot back in June. It has been a difficult time both mentally and physically. I have been repeating the process of taking a couple of weeks off and then getting back into racing as soon as possible. The injury was the reason I had to miss out on the run at the London ITU race and unfortunately, the injury has returned. Looking back, I realize that taking a break and then getting back into consecutive races four weeks later is not ideal for recovery back form injury.

As it turns out, I have a tear in my soleous muscle. The good news is this tear is slight and in the belly of the muscle, so healing is much quicker verses a tear in the tendon. Healing however, is top priority and racing in the last two races of the Toyota Series are not possible. I am focusing 100% on with the bigger goals of becoming stronger and healthier next year and focusing towards the 2012 Games.

The injury makes very clear sense to me, which helps me to understand what has happened and what to do to prevent this injury in the future. Not surprisingly, the injury has occurred on the same leg I had surgery on last year. Prior to the surgery, I did not have function of my big toe and push off motion (the muscle I tore has the responsibility of toe-off). The recovery time for the nerve healing is two years, and currently I am still in the window for healing. This particular muscle was much weaker compared to other areas of my leg and the stress of 10-15 races the past couple of years (per year) was just a bit too much to take.

The positive news is that with proper recovery and slowly easing back into training, my leg will have a full recovery and will be much stronger next year. The next two years I will really be focusing on the Olympic trials and qualifying for London in 2012. This means a bit less travel than this year to really focus on training and hitting key races at peak fitness. I am extremely disappointed that I am not able to defend my 2009 Toyota Cup Series Title, but I have to be proud of the two wins I earned in the Series; Minneapolis in July and Chicago in August.

Part of being a professional athlete is overcoming obstacles and becoming a stronger athlete in the future. Every year I learn a about my body’s, weaknesses and areas to improve in the coming years. This year my husband and I learned a lot about training progression and building more of an aerobic base early season to ward off those possible injuries later on, especially with my leg since I am still recovering from a nerve injury. The body is very strong and will continue to fight and fight until it breaks, and once it breaks, you have to give the body the rest and recovery it needs to heal. Unfortunately, this is tough to do in the middle of race season, but we have learned!

I can’t thank my sponsors enough for all the support this year in 2010. Over the past year, I have raced almost a dozen races, including five wins, and three top ten finishes in the World Championships Series races. Next year the plan may not be to get to the starting line as frequently, but each time I do toe the line I will be ready for a quality performance.

Travel Tips

Go to Pure website to check out the blog at: http://thepurebar.com/blog/2010/09/21/pure-travel-tips-from-sarah/

Last weekend, I competed in the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. The bulk of the past five days have consisted of 24 hour travel days, which at times can be more of a challenge than racing. After six years of racing around the world as a professional triathlete, I have learned a few tricks for smart travel and how to minimize your travel stress. I would like to share with you what I have learned to help prepare you for your next trip across the country or perhaps across the world.
Five tips to favorable travel:

1) Arrange your flights so your layovers are not less than one hour. This will help ensure that you will make your connection due to any short delays from your previous flight (which frequently happens). It also gives you peace of mind not to stress out if your flight is running 15 minutes behind schedule. Of course, sometimes missing your flight is unavoidable due to weather, cancellations, etc., but try to take a proactive approach in your planning.

2) When flying across the Atlantic, try and book a flight that departs later in the evening or late afternoon and try to get a least a little shut eye on the flight. Once you arrive in Europe, stay up all day, even though you will be tired, but you will sleep great that night and be right on track. When traveling west, (Asia, etc.) leave early in the morning and stay up the entire flight until you reach your destination and go to bed at your normal bed time.

3) Flights with a duration of four hours or longer, I recommend wearing compression socks, and this goes for everyone of any age. Sitting for long periods of time on the plane creates poor circulation on your lower limbs and compression socks help to circulate the blood back to your heart. It is not fun trying to put on your shoes with swollen feet and hobbling off the plane once you land Find some at www.linsocks.com or at any Walgreens.

4) Make sure to get up and walk around every few hours to keep the blood moving around the body while in flight. Do a walk around the plane, stretch, keep your body loose.

5) Planes dehydrate your body while traveling. Make sure to drink plenty of fluids. In addition, it is best to eat healthy, light meals. When traveling it can be a challenge to find healthy food options, so I often pack my own food and for the long hauls. I be sure not to forget my PURE bars! They are a perfect combination of carbs, protein and fat to keep my energized and feeling good. Airline food is usually not healthy and loaded with sodium, so be prepared and don’t forget your PURE bars.

Next time you have a long trip, follow these simple guidelines to get you to your destination feeling PURE, refreshed and ready for your trip! Enjoy!!

Travel Tips

Go to Pure website to check out the blog at: http://thepurebar.com/blog/2010/09/21/pure-travel-tips-from-sarah/

Last weekend, I competed in the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. The bulk of the past five days have consisted of 24 hour travel days, which at times can be more of a challenge than racing.



After six years of racing around the world as a professional triathlete, I have learned a few tricks for smart travel and how to minimize your travel stress. I would like to share with you what I have learned to help prepare you for your next trip across the country or perhaps across the world.

Five tips to favorable travel:

Arrange your flights so your layovers are not less than one hour. This will help ensure that you will make your connection due to any short delays from your previous flight (which frequently happens). It also gives you peace of mind not to stress out if your flight is running 15 minutes behind schedule. Of course, sometimes missing your flight is unavoidable due to weather, cancellations, etc., but try to take a proactive approach in your planning.

When flying across the Atlantic, try and book a flight that departs later in the evening or late afternoon and try to get a least a little shut eye on the flight. Once you arrive in Europe, stay up all day, even though you will be tired, but you will sleep great that night and be right on track. When traveling west, (Asia, etc.. leave early in the morning and stay up the entire flight until you reach your destination and go to bed at your normal bed time.

Flights with a duration of four hours or longer, I recommend wearing compression socks, and this goes for everyone of any age. Sitting for long periods of time on the plane creates poor circulation on your lower limbs and compression socks help to circulate the blood back to your heart. It is not fun trying to put on your shoes with swollen feet and hobbling off the plane once you land Find some at www.linsocks.com or at any Walgreens.

Make sure to get up and walk around every few hours to keep the blood moving around the body while in flight. Do a walk around the plane, stretch, keep your body loose.

Planes dehydrate your body while traveling. Make sure to drink plenty of fluids. In addition, it is best to eat healthy, light meals. When traveling it can be a challenge to find healthy food options, so I often pack my own food and for the long hauls. I be sure not to forget my Pure Bars! They are a perfect combination of carbs, protein and fat to keep my energized and feeling good. Airline food is usually not healthy and loaded with sodium, so be prepared and don’t forget your Pure Bars.

Next time you have a long trip, follow these simple guidelines to get you to your destination feeling PURE, refreshed and ready for your trip! Enjoy!!

World Championships Finale, Budapest, Hungary

World Championships Finale, Budapest, Hungary

This past Sunday, I competed for the first time in eastern Europe in Budapest. All three days prior to my race were cold and rainy, but on race day for the women, the skies cleared and the temperatures warmed up to mid 70s. The race course had two different transitions, T1 and T2 located about 3.5 miles away from each other, which led to more of a challenge than usual on race morning. Fortunately, I had my teammates with me to bike through the streets of downtown Budapest, so I did not get lost finding both transition areas.

The swim was a wetsuit swim, with water temp in the low 60s. The Friday prior to the race, the water felt, much, much colder due to colder air and water temperature, but on race day the water felt comfortable with the warmer temperatures. I started off the swim in a great position, was in second position after the first 300 meters and at 500 meters took the lead and held the lead for the remainder of the swim. I wanted to push the swim to try and create some separation; however, I did not want to push over my limits so that I could exit the water with a quick run through the first transition and onto the bike.

A couple months out of ITU racing I realized can get me rusty with transitions. Unfortunately, I got a bit caught up in my wetsuit and lost a critical five or six seconds. Instead of riding with Helen 100meters in front of the group, I found myself working hard to catch up to Helen Jenkins so that we could start working together. The first section of the bike course was a straight 5k, which headed to the looped portion of the course. The bike course was very technical and challenging due to narrow turns, railroad crossings, and potholes. I have to admit I was a little timid due to all of the crashes in the races the day before (however, it was raining during those races). We were very lucky to have dry pavement and were able to have a fast ride. I felt the ride was very challenging because of all the turns, required repeated jumps out of the saddle with high end wattage. In fact, I had my highest 10 second wattage recording of all time. To be honest, most of my cycling training has been more time trial based focus and I have not prepared my legs for the repeated jumps. It is a tough call to know how to prepare for a race, especially not having raced prior on the course.
Most importantly, all the women stayed upright on our bikes and finished safe. With one lap remaining on the bike course, I made sure to get to the front of the group, however, with the last turn I let up just for a second and ended up exiting about mid-pack. Again, I noticed I was rusty putting on my shoes and I lost about 5 seconds in the second transition. It is tough to run out on the run course and see a long line of close to 30 women in front of you. In addition, ITU racing has a new rule about putting all equipment inside a box, and if not followed the athlete will serve a 15 second penalty, so I was also worried about putting all the equipment in the box…for the future I will need to practice with the box!!

Once out of the run, I struggled to find my rhythm, but I stayed focused to catch as many women up the road as possible. After lap 1, the pace settled a bit and I focused on my form and staying mentally in the game. Unfortunately, a couple women passed me within the last one kilometer, but I managed to finish inside the top 20 (20th). This final score left me in 14th position overall for my world ranking, which was short of my goal. However, I do have to consider that I was missing a score from my overall ranking since I was unable to run in London and only had four scores verses five. I was not quite prepared for the day, but as always, I can learn from my mistakes.

I finished up second on the swim rankings and finished just behind Laura Bennett and it was great to finish first/second for the Americans in the swim title.

I have still a bit of racing left this season, including my goal to defend my Toyota Cup title. I look forward to finishing the season strong and racing in the US.

Chicago

Chicago Triathlon
This past Sunday, I competed in my second Chicago Triathlon event. The race was on the same course as last year; however, the race “feel” was a bit different. Last year we had a wetsuit swim in the 66 degree water, this year non-wetsuit swim in the 73 degree water (and did lake water feel refreshing!!). Last year I was warming up in long sleeves in the 65 degree air temp, this year I was not doing much warming up besides swimming, as the air temp reached 92 degrees! Over the years, I have learned to try and conserve as much as possible before the race on hot days and that means little warm-up on the bike and run. The crowd and race atmosphere was still the same and I loved having a large crowd there to cheer on the pros.
With tougher conditions expected, I truly feel preparations for the race begin right from the moment you wake. I made sure to hydrate and eat a hearty breakfast with the noon start time. I slept in until 8:15AM (nice!) and had a PURE bar to get my body going along with water. At 9:00 AM, I ate a peanut butter and banana bagel with 20 oz of EFS lemon flavor drink. Prior to the race, I drank another bottle of EFS drink and made sure to have my aero bottle and an additional First Endurance water bottle filled. During the bike ride, I drank both bottles and this helped me stay hydrated to the race finish. Before I left for the race, I made sure to wear my Bite Tech mouthpiece so I would not forget it in my transition bag before the start!
One of my favorite parts of the race is the swim in beautiful Lake Michigan. The swim is unique in that the competitors swim the length of the boat harbor and spectators can walk along the pier and follow us as we complete the 1500meter swim. The swim reminds me of my swimming days, because I can breathe to my left and see my family and husband cheering me on and actually hear people cheering while we are swimming! The swim was a deep water start and I wore my TYR Sayonara over my race suit. I was very pleased with my swim as I was able to swim with Sara McLarty and Hailey Peirsol for the first half of the swim and lost about 20 seconds to Hailey and 30 seconds to Sara by the end of the long swim. The challenge before even getting to our bikes however is an 800 meter run to get to our bikes! Last year I opted on not putting on shoes, but the year I made sure to spend the extra ten seconds to put shoes on before the run. The ten seconds I lost putting on shoes, I gained by running ten seconds faster and my feet were much happier the remainder of the race! I quickly got out of my shoes, stripped off my Sayonara, and put on my Rudy glasses and Wingspan TT Helmet.
The first part of the bike on my Fuji D-6 and Zipp Zed-Tech 808 Front and Sub-9 rear Disc was tough. I enjoyed having Sara McLarty out in front to work and try and catch up with her. Sara was riding very strong and I did not take over the lead until the half-way mark of the bike course. The bike was warm and windy (but I guess it is always windy in Chicago). The bike course is very straightforward and non-technical, so it is a grinder (glad I had my mouthpiece!) The first part is a false flat uphill and the second part is a false flat downhill section (two loops) and we had a head wind for the downhill section…so we did not have a break. My muscles were screaming at me most of the ride, but I wanted to ride strong today so I kept pushing on through.
Exiting the bike, my legs felt heavy. I quickly put on my Saucony Fastwitch flats and headed out of the 800meter transition area. I crossed the first mile marker and had a feeling the run was going to be a long, hot 10k. The first three miles was mostly a slight downhill, however, we had a headwind the entire way so it felt as if we were running uphill! I was very glad to cross that finish line and break the tape. So many factors can happen during a triathlon, you never know what obstacles are going to come your way. I was very happy and appreciative to walk away with a back to back win!

PURE

I have recently partnered with PURE, a company that encourages a healthy and active lifestyle and helps keep us going throughout the day with healthy, organic bars. Pure bars not only taste delicious, but are made with 100% natural ingredients and contain a healthy proportion of carbohydrates, protein and fats that sustain you for a quick meal on the go or a healthy snack option. For me, Pure bars are essential when I am on the road or traveling on a twelve hour flight overseas. When you are fueling your body correctly you not only feel better, but as athletes we are able to perform at our potential!

It is exciting to be part of a company that shares the same values as me. I am very passionate about sharing with children and adults about being healthy and active in mind, body and spirit! The other day, I had the opportunity to speak to a youth triathlon club; ages 5-14 about my career as an elite triathlete. I shared with the children five tips for a successful triathlon season, but I truly feel that these tips can be helpful for anyone at any age in trying to accomplish a goal in any type of sport.

1) Don’t forget to fuel your body correctly! Without proper hydration and nutrition, your body will not be able to perform to it’s best abilities. Eating healthy will also keep your body healthy….it’s no fun being sick! PURE offers a perfect snack while outdoors. P.S. Don’t forget to hydrate---
2) Be a good sport! It is important whether you are running on a trail or playing soccer with your friends to cheer on your teammates or friends. If you are outside on a jog, encourage other joggers with a hello, a good job or a smile----these small little gestures can go a long way.
3) Be safe! If you are out biking for example, always wear your helmet. If you are going swimming in a lake, never swim alone. The outdoors is a great way to be healthy and active, but remember to plan accordingly.
4) Set goals! Success is not an accident. It takes hard work and planning. Be sure to write your goals down and to tell others about the goals you want to accomplish---goals next month, next year or ten years from now.
5) Have Fun! Spend time outdoors with family and friends or maybe some time alone.

I believe following these five tips can help you live life to the fullest. To find out more about PURE: please go to the website: www.thepurebar.com. Oh, and my favorite bar flavor….hard to pick just one because they are all so delicious, but I would have to say Chocolate Brownie (how can anything with the word chocolate not be delicious?). My husband’s favorite is the Cranberry Orange. Try them all and see which one is your favorite….

Update

Update:
The past ten days have been very busy…it seems like I have been away from home for much, much longer, but it was only July 21st that we left Colorado Springs headed for London! Since London, I have been in St. Louis and Jacksonville, Florida visiting family and friends and attending a wedding in Florida. The start of the trip went very smoothly and I loved the fact that I had a direct flight from Denver straight to London. London was a great city, with a vast amount of historical as well as modern landmarks.
The triathlon took place in Hyde Park, which was a huge park right in the middle of the city. The swim course was a two loop swim in a calm, weed-ridden pond (of course you don’t notice the weeds too much while racing). The bike was a fairly technical eight lap loop course around the park and the run was a flat three loop course. I went into the race expecting of only compete in 2/3’s of the event. Ten days prior to the race, I strained a tendon/muscle in my calf and I wanted to give my leg a chance to fully heal and not damage my leg any further so that the later part of my season would be compromised. Nate and I still felt traveling to London and competing on the swim and bike would be important since this is the site of the Olympic venue and experience on the course is important for future preparations.
The swim was fast, but I was able to get to the buoy just behind Emma Moffett and Laura Bennett. I exited the swim in second position, just behind Laura. Once on the bike course, the plan was to do as much work on the bike possible to keep any groups behind separated and to help out the Americans in my group by allowing them to do less work on the bike. At the start of the bike, I rode on top of my pedals through the first turn and up a gradual descent. When I was ready to put my feet into my shoes, I lost some valuable time struggling to strap my feet in; however, our group was motivated to get moving and several women in the pack were really working hard to stay away from the chase pack. Our lead extended from 50 seconds up to two minutes from the middle to the end of the ride.
Once out on the run course, I ended my race there. Unfortunately, I was not able to finish contributing to my overall score in the rankings; however, I felt the smart move is to heal now and have a more successful end of the year.
While in London, I was able to get excellent treatment Alex Keith the chiropractor and Robby Dolby, massage therapist, so I am happy to report that I have been back to running for the past several days now!
Watching the men’s race the following day was extremely exciting and great to see such a wonderful crowd supporting triathlon. This is great news for what kind of support triathlon is likely to have for the Olympics and beyond!
Since the race, I have been enjoying a visit to St. Louis and Jacksonville. In St. Louis, Nate and I went to Six Flags with my family….it has been years since I have been on roller coasters! We also helped my Dad get fitted on his bike with clip-less pedals. He was on a pair of my old Sampson pedals and really picked up the new shoes quickly! He rode 17 miles with me and was able to keep up with a smile on his face the entire way…minus one small set back---climbing the hill back up to my parents house he snapped the chain! Nate and I mentioned that he was producing so much power and his pedal stroke that he broke the chain. As a result, he went down on his elbow. Fortunately, he walked away without any injuries, but this was his first official, “crash”.
This past weekend, we had our last leg of the trip to Florida where we attended Andre Lapar and Kathy Hunken’s wedding. We had a blast at the wedding and got a chance to see friends, dance, and enjoy some wedding cake! It was extra special to see them exchange vows, since three years ago Nate and I introduced Kathy and Andre to each other at the St. Anthony’s Triathlon in St. Petersburg, Florida. I have to say that about the only activity we did not enjoy this past weekend, was going for a run at 12:30PM with a heat index of 110 degrees! All I have to say is that I do not recommend, however; sleeping in was worth the cost of having to run in the sauna. Today we went running along the beach shore, which was much, much more comfortable having the ocean breezes blowing on you for much of the run. Both runs were ended with an immediate jump into the pool and today; into the ocean. Nate caught a couple waves, losing his shorts in the process---but, fortunately, he found them before he had to scare anyone off the beach. The rest of the day will be spent heading back across the country and back to some quality training in preparation for the final part of the season that will quickly be approaching. I have Chicago next up on the agenda at the end of the month.
Hope everyone is enjoying summer and don’t forget to take a moment to relax before the remainder of the summer season flies by!

Lifetime Fitness Triathlon

LTF Triathlon
7:03AM sharp (three minutes behind the pro men) was the start of the Lifetime Fitness Triathlon and the second race in the Toyota Cup Series. This was my first race in the series and the goal of the race was to defend my race title from 2009. The field was relatively small this year, with many other races occurring around the world, but none the less many talented women were at the start line.
The swim was a one-loop course in a calm, warm lake. I have to say that I could not wait to get out of the 82 degree water…it felt warm for racing. I tried to swim with Sara McLarty, but was unable to swim with her for more than 200meters. I exited the swim with a group of other athletes, including Rebeccah Wassner, and had a solid transition through T1.
Once out on the bike, I focused on high cadence riding to make sure not to fatigue my legs too much muscularly. I also wanted to ride as technically smooth as possible, avoid course potholes and try and catch Sara McLarty up the road. I felt much better out on the bike course, than in the warm water and was able to catch up to Sara around mile 18. We exited transition close together and I was ready for my final leg!
On the run course, I started off at a good pace; knowing talented runners were behind me. I had about a 50 second lead over Wassner off the bike. On the second lap of the run, I saw that my lead was extended a little bit, so I felt at this point I could relax a bit and really think about my form the last two miles of the race. It was great to cross the finish line accomplishing my goal….and I finished one second faster than last year…I guess that shows consistency. I finished in 2:00:49 in 2010 and 2:00:50 in 2009!
I had a great time visiting family and friends in Minneapolis and I am very grateful to have so much support on and off the course. After the race, I got a chance to spend time at my in-laws lake house and enjoy the beautiful MN summer afternoon. Sunday I had an early morning back to the airport and headed back to Colorado for a brief block of training before I head to London next week. This was my fourth year competing at the race and this is one I definitely mark as a priority that I don’t want to miss! The crowd is great year after year and the sponsors and race directors do a fantastic job putting on a great event for the Pros and Age Group athletes.
I also can’t thank all my sponsors enough for all their support this year. This was my first chance to check out the new expo set up at the Toyota booth. I love the set up….with my new Fuji on top of the Camery. Also, at the end of the year, a gear gift package is up for grabs with my sponsored product in a drawing taking place. I will be in Chicago, Los Angeles and Dallas at the expo’s the day before the race, so stop by the booth and check out all the prizes you can win and meet Andy Potts, Hunter Kemper and Craig Alexander as well!

What's Been Up

The past couple of weeks have still been busy as ever, but racing season is now well under way….in fact, I already hit the half-way point! The past couple of weeks I have been focusing on my next couple of races in July; Lifetime Fitness Triathlon on July 10th and the London WCS race on July 25th. With what has already been a long season of racing a travel; I have spend the past couple of weeks getting back into some base fitness to carry me through the end of the season. With racing, I sometimes encounter little bumps in the road and I had to take a couple weeks off running post Madrid/Des Moines to get over some tendinitis in my left foot. I have been back to running for the past couple of weeks now and ready to finish the season strong!

Earlier this week, I spend a few days in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho for a TYR photo shoot. We arrived at the end of the Ironman last Sunday and got to see some age grouper’s finishing up their day. I have to say that Coeur d’Alene has to be one of the most beautiful places in the country (at least this time of year!). Lakes, mountain pines, and fresh air are plentiful and what a great place for some amazing pictures. I arrived back home on Wednesday night with just one week until I leave for Minneapolis. The fast forward button has been set on the remote control since spring and I feel it is still flying by so far this summer!

Shortly after I return home from Minnesota, I am co-hosting a webinar with Bob Seebohar on July 12th. You can learn all about race day nutrition and what might work best for you. For more information and to sign up for the webinar; click on the link: July 12 Race Day Nutrition registration link: http://bit.ly/bx3pbz

I will keep you posted about my Minneapolis race…goal is to perform my best and also defend my 2009 title!

Hy-Vee Tri

Race Report
This past Sunday, I competed in my fourth Hy-Vee Triathlon. Although this was
my fourth time competing in Iowa, this was only the second time on this exact
race course. The race began back in 2007 in downtown Des MOines. The following
year it was moved to West Des Moines because of flooding and last year the course
was changed once again so that the swim, bike and run were all completed near Raccoon
River Park and made the race very spectator friendly. This course consisted of a two
lap swim, an eight lap bike and a four lap run.

Weather this year again proved to be a challenge. Des Monies was hit with heavy rain the days leading up to the race. As a result, the kids triathlon was cancelled and the Age Group race was cut back to a sprint distance to try and fit everybody in beforea dangerous thunderstorm rolled in. Fortunately, the weather held out for the elites;although the park was turned into a swamp!

I went into this race with a fourth place ranking as my season has been strong prior to the race. I started off the swim in decent position; although I was not able to get on the feet of Sara McLarty and Hailey Peirsol. Those women were battling out the swim for the $5000 swim
prime! I exited the water in third position, but leading the large pack of chase women. We were just under one minute down on the two American women. We had about a 300 meter run into
the transition area and once out on the bike really wanted to push the pace quick.
On the bike course, positioning was critical as the course was extremely narrow to accommodate a large pack of women. I tried to push the pace on the first lap and get our pack a little smaller;
however, with the flat roads attacks were unsuccessful. A group of athletes were working well to paceline at the front; however, our group had to be quite pedestrian through the transition
area since it was a very narrow technical section to be safe with our large pack. I again tried to attack towards the end of the ride to try and bridge up to Sara and Hailey; although I was
still unable to get away! Behind us, some of the key players; including Emma Snowsill and Barbara Riveros were only 30 seconds down at the end of the ride.

I really focused on being in the lead heading into transition every lap and at the last lap I was in great position and in the lead; however, once I took my shoes off few women passed me right before exiting the bike. Once I started the run, my legs did not have the normal "pick-up" that they have felt most races this year. I struggled to find my form the first mile and saw the women
in front of me getting farther and farther away. It was one of those days my legs felt FLAT...could not get my heart rate up and could not get those legs moving. I was frustrated with the result of finishing 16th overall, but I have to realize that not every race will be great. Sometimes you learn more from the performances where you fall very far from your goals.

I think the all the travel thus far this season is finally catching up to me. Now it is time to get back into some consistent training the remainder of the year and to gear up for the races towards the end of the season. Although I did not have the performance I was looking for, I truly enjoy the Hy-Vee experience. The staff, volunteers and citizens of Hy-Vee and West Des Moines go above and beyond making sure each athlete has a wonderful experience. I enjoyed the family time and the cheering from friends and family who made the trip. Nate's 30th birthday was the day before the race, so it was nice to spend his birthday with smiles, cake, and laughter with family!
Now I am back in St. Louis----I am quickly remembered by the familiar heat and humidity here at my hometown!~ Six races down and at least seven more to go....so just about half way through with 2010...time sure does fly by.

Madrid

This past Saturday, I competed in my third World Championship Series race for the year. This was my third time back to Spain; as I competed previously in ’06 and ’09. This year, conditions proved to be warmer than usual with temperatures in the low 90’s and water temps in the mid 80’s. Fortunately, Madrid’s climate is similar to Colorado in that it is a very dry heat, so my body is more adapted to this type of weather. Next weekend I will be racing in Des Moines, Iowa…so I will be prepared for the heat + humidity of the Midwest.
All the race action took place at Caso de Campo Park in downtown Madrid. The race started at 1:15pm; however, this was 5:15am back home in Colorado. My nutrition prior to the race for breakfast at 10:30AM was 2 pieces of peanut butter and jelly toast, 16 oz of EFS and 6 oz of Pre-race. I also made sure to take my Mulit-V supplement. Since my body felt like it was getting up at 2am, I wanted to get some Pre-race in my system early to help “wake” me up. While arriving at the race course, I continued to drink another 16 oz of EFS drink and 100 cal of EFS gel flask. At this point, my body was nutritionally ready to go!
The swim was two loops in a large pond, eight loop bike that included a 1500meter climb, and a mostly flat 4 loop run. On the swim, I was first at the turn buoy, but was very cautious about expending too much energy too soon with the warmer conditions. I led the first lap and settled into second position on the second lap behind Jessica Harrison of France.
We had a 300meter run to T1 and all went smoothly. I got on my Fuji SL1-RC outfitted with Zipp 404s, Oval handle bars and ISM Adamo Racing Saddle; working on the first lap, but also conscientious of staying within myself. I had a gut feeling that if I really attacked the bike and pushed the climbs I could dehydrate myself for the run portion. Near the 6th of 8 laps, a large group of riders all merged together, so I made sure at this point to stay near to front to avoid any crashes. I led up the climb on the 7th and 8th laps and rode strong, but did not attack. I wanted to maintain my lead heading into T2; however, with 800 meters to go on the bike I was stuck behind a group of riders and unable to come off in front. There was a crash right near the finish, which was very scary, but I was lucky not to be in the path of the crash. I was very aware of my nutrition during the race and made sure to drink every last drop of my 20oz water bottles. I drank two full bottles of EFS lemon before I exited my bike.
I dismounted the bike near the top 1/3 of the pack, but I had trouble racking my front wheel into the rack and lost a few precious seconds. I started the run relaxed and at a comfortable pace. I didn’t worry about surging up to the leaders too quickly. By the 1k mark a group of six of athletes was running together at the front and I continued to run with this pack until 1 lap to go on the run. At this point, I was beginning to feel the effects of the heat and unable to respond to any surges.
I finished in 5th position, and I am happy with my progression so far this year. I will continue to be working towards my goal of a podium finish in the next two WCS races (London and World Championships in Budapest). Congratulations to the winner, Nicola Spirig…that’s two wins in a row for the Swiss team.
Currently, as I type I am ready to get off the plane!!! I have been up for nearly two days straight with a few power naps in-between, so I am ready for a good night sleep tonight. Tomorrow I will get this body moving again and flushed out so I can get in the last bit of prep training before Hy-Vee on Sunday. Hy-Vee is always a special race for me since it is so close to my hometown I have many friends and family members making to drive to Des Moines to watch the race. Nate’s 30th birthday is on Saturday, so it will be a nice way to share the birthday with family---and hopefully a nice paycheck the following day!

Recovery

Earlier this week I spoke with graduate and undergraduate students pursuing a sports medicine/athletic training degree from the University o f Alabama. Of all the schools in the country, I thought it was quite ironic that I had a connection with their college town (Tuscaloosa was the sight of the 2008 Olympic Trials and upcoming US Nationals in September). I spoke with an athletic trainer who works with athletes at the Olympic Training Center on a daily basis. I was there to give an athlete’s perspective. The topic: recovery….if there is one thing I have learned the over the past six years being an elite athlete; it is the importance of listening to your body and techniques to properly recover.
I have heard the saying, “It’s not how hard you train, it’s how hard you recover.” The past several years I have realized how true this saying is to reach your top potential and to try and avoid injuries. Of course pushing our bodies to the limits on a weekly basis, injuries due occur throughout an athlete’s career. However, with proper recovery techniques, these injuries can be greatly decreased.
Thinking back to my college days and running at the NCAA level, I realize now how poorly I was at recovering. I did not have much knowledge on nutrition, proper sleep, and stretching techniques…just to name a few aspects. In fact, recovery based training is scientifically proven that it really works, where as ten years ago this type of training was not too well known.
The training center in Colorado Springs has an entire building devoted specifically to recovery techniques. Three years ago, this center opened to all resident athletes and available for athletes to use as much or as little as they choose. Athletes are allotted 90 minutes of massage per week. In addition, the center is equipped with a dry and wet sauna, cold bath, hot tub and a yoga or stretching room. Recently, Norma-Tec pants have been added for athletes to use post workout or between workouts. These pants help flush out waste from the legs, similar to a massage. With nutrition being a fundamental key to recovery, the center is stocked with bars, fruit, and plenty of fluids. If an athlete chooses to take advantage of all the recovery tools, this can definitely give he/she the extra edge needed to perform at their best.
Just as training can be individually based, I feel recovery works the same way. A certain recovery technique that works best for athlete A, may not work best for athlete B. Find what works best for you! Some of the key recovery techniques that I use and pay attention to: 1) nutrition/hydration: making sure you are fueled properly pre/during/post workout. Fueling within 30 minutes with after finishing a quality session is key for the muscles to recover. 2) sleep/rest: The best way for the body to recover is quality sleep. Sleep is one of the best ways for me to listen to my body and know that I am properly recovering. If I begin to have consecutive poor nights of sleep, this alerts me I may be “overtraining”. 3) massage: This is a great way to flush the legs after travel or tough training. I feel massage is a great way to prevent injury as well 4) ice bath : After a high intensity bike or run session, ice baths are a great way to help flush out the legs and get them ready for another challenging session the next day 5) strength training/stretching –I spend time daily working on my flexibility and strength training all the “little” muscles to help prevent injury and improve my performance in addition to strengthening the large muscle groups 6) compression tights—I find these are great for travel or after a key workout…they keep the blood flowing in the legs to speed up recovery. If for some reason I can’t prop my legs up after a tough workout and going to be on my feet; the compression socks are a must.
Good luck with your race season and don’t forget to recover!

Seoul: World Championship Series Race #2

This past Saturday (technically Friday night in the USA), I raced my second WCS race of the year. The race was in downtown Seoul, South Korea. This was my first time to Seoul; however, in 2007 and 2008 I spent a couple of weeks in Cheju in preparation for the Beijing Olympics. Cheju is known as the “Hawaii” of Korea as it is a tropical island south of the mainland. Cheju is a beautiful island landscaped with tropical greenery, mountains and bright blue oceans. The look of Seoul is much different than Cheju in that it is a massive city with a population of over ten million people and an extensive city skyline.
The race took place at the Han River with a start time at 10:25AM (a 15 minute delay due to trouble closing the streets). The swim was a 1000meter loop followed by a 500 meter loop in the chilly 15.2 degree water. This was my first WCS race to wear my new TYR Hurricane wetsuit, which felt smooth and comfortable in the water. I had a great starting position and almost immediately was on the feet of Kerry Lang, who was having a great swim. Once we reached the first bouy, Kerry was on the feet of Hailey Peirsol and I was in third. By the end of the first lap, we had opened up a 15 second gap and extended the gap to 28 seconds once we exited the water and headed off onto the bike course.
I felt very strong on the bike on my Fuji SL 1 RC and wanted to push the pace to make the girls behind work and chase. I realized that I was going to get caught by the larger pack of women behind me; however, I was prepared for an attack once the groups merged. I wanted the bike to be hard and aggressive and with the tight corners in the race I felt a breakaway was possible. I attacked shortly after the packs merged, but unable to get a response from any of the other women to attack with me. We still had a chase pack behind us, so I felt it was important to keep the tempo of the group high to keep the second pack from merging. With so many strong riders in the second pack, we were unable to hold off the pack with two laps to go on the bike. Throughout the bike, I again tried a couple more unsuccessful attacks, but really focused on getting off the bike in front. I was happy to have another strong transition and able to execute my mental game to prepare myself for a successful run.
Once out on the run course, Emma Moffet took off very quickly. I ran the first 2k very hard and really wanted to get as close to Emma as possible. Right around the 4k mark, I started to hurt and around the 6k mark was really struggling to hang onto the pack. I think I may have burned one too many matches for my run legs during the bike segment and also took out the run very hard at the start. I ended up finishing 10th overall and remain in 8th for the overall WCS rankings. Congrats to Daniella Ryf for the win and an amazing spring finish! The goal of this race was to be aggressive throughout the entire race and see what would happen. I love to push myself from start to finish and although I may have pushed the envelope a little too far on the bike, it is important to know where your limits are and to test your body.
I have included a picture of me across the finish line, yes, looking a bit fatigued. I noticed my time on the clock reading a 1:55…and crossing the “finish” line seeing a 1:49….however, my overall time reads a 2:02. Once seeing this picture, the moment all came back to me; I was standing on the timing mat with a load blaring noise going off (my chip was hitting the map but not shutting off!). So, lesson learned…make sure you cross the timing matt completely when you finish and do not just STAND on the timing matt!! At least no one was close in front or behind so I did not lose a finishing spot!
Nate and I head home today and back to the US. It has been a whirlwind of travel and racing the past six and a half weeks, and now time to settle a bit and get back to some consistent training.
Also---I want to wish all mother’s out there a Happy Mother’s Day (the most important job in the world). I know I would not be where I am today without my mother’s love and support growing up and continued love and support today.

WCS #2 Approaching….

In a few days, I will be traveling back across the Pacific once again, but this time to Seoul, South Korea. Less than three weeks ago I raced the first World Championship Series Race of the year in Sydney, Australia and finished in 8th place. Sydney was an amazing city and I would have loved to stay an extra few days and vacation; however, this is not exactly in the training plan at the start of the season. I quickly returned to the US and suffered for a few days from jet lag and travel. But, once I felt recovered, I was anxious to get back into some quality training in preparation for Seoul.
On April 25th, I raced in the St. Anthony’s Triathlon in St. Petersburg, Florida. The goal of this race was to be able to incorporate a tough workout into my training block ----and there is no better way to get in an intense quality workout than jumping into a race!! Florida felt much like Sydney, warm and humid… I did not have to pack any cold weather gear.
Speaking of packing….I will have to prepare much differently for Seoul. Cool and possibly wet conditions are likely for Korea and I will make sure to bring my arm warmers, rain jacket and tights. I will definitely need my TYR Hurricane Wetsuit, as I have a feeling the water is going to be COLD. I think one of the unique characteristics of triathletes is our ability to adapt to adversity. I can’t imagine too many other sports travel several weeks apart to different continents and race in quite drastically different conditions. I love a challenge and look forward to getting out on the start line and putting forth 100% of my effort; both physically and mentally.

St. Anthony's Triathlon

Race Report: St. Anthony’s Triathlon
This past Sunday, I competed in the prestigious St. Anthony’s Triathlon. The race is beginning to have a hometown feel to me, as it was my fourth time competing at the race. I missed last year after undergoing surgery in Feb. or 09’ at DISC Medical facility in CA for a nerve entrapment release in my leg. This was the first time we stayed in downtown St. Pete’s and experienced the atmosphere and flavor of city.
The race is EARLY, especially traveling from Colorado with a 6:55AM start (which is more like a 4:55AM start; however, once race morning arrives any feeling of tiredness is replaced with a rush of adrenaline!) I woke up at 4:40AM; had my normal breakfast and walked the .8 mile to the transition area to get setup. It is still very dark at 5:30AM, so fortunately Nate had his flashlight to help me get all my gear set up in transition. Around 6 AM, I started my warm up and ran down to the swim start, followed by some activation, drills and strides. I wanted to make sure to get in the water and test out a couple of runs into the water since it was a beach start. The water felt very refreshing at 74 degrees vs. the muggy, humid 76 degree morning.
The men started promptly at 6:52 and we began just three minutes behind. I had a decent start, next to Laura Bennett who is one of the best in the world at beach starts. She had a body length on me after the run into the water, but I remained calm and got right on her feet for the first 400meters of the swim. After the first couple of buoys, I took over the swim lead and swam at a comfortable, but strong pace. The swim started off fairly calm, but the waves definitely picked up the second half of the swim. As I approached the steps to climb out of the water, I was grateful a couple of volunteers were there to help me onto that first step, as I was feeling a little dizzy from the waves at that point.
Once out on land, I focused on getting my TYR Sayonara off as quickly as possible and strapping on my Rudy Project Wingspan TT Helmet. I felt comfortable on my Fuji D-6 with my 921 Oval Aerobars, ISM Adamo saddle, Zed Tech 404 and Sub9 disc. I also loved my new pedals from Sampson Sports; Stratics S6, which are lightweight, yet have a great platform for power. The bike was a bit windy (wind from the south), so the first 15 miles of the bike were challenging. I focused on making sure all my corners were smooth and keeping up a high and steady tempo. At two points on the course (around mile 3 and mile 17), I could see where the other girls were located. I noticed I had about at least a minute lead over the next girl, so I continued to ride at my pace and made sure to hydrate in preparation for the run. I drank 36oz of EFS fluid while on the bike course, much more than most races beginning at 6:55AM due to the high humidity in Florida!
Heading into T2, I focused on starting the run off at a high tempo pace, especially thinking about my form. The run is an out and back, so I only could see the other competitors at the half-way mark. I noticed I had a lead by a couple minutes, so I knew if I could keep everything together at that point, I should break the tape in first. I was very glad to get to that last stretch of the run, knowing that I accomplished my goal for the day! My time was the second fastest for me on that course (although it is tough to compare overall times because conditions change so much from year to year!).
After the awards ceremony, we headed home back to Colorado. This made for almost two days in one, but it was nice be able to spend my recovery day on Monday at home. The travel home was much easier than the travel to Florida….we had to drive in a snowstorm up to Denver last Friday! Yes, Colorado can still get pounded with snow at the end of April!!! Hopefully, that snow was the last!!! I am now gearing up for my second WCS race in Seoul, Korea on May 8th. Recently I have been doing lots of traveling and racing, but this is my last race for quite some time (five weeks). I will spend most of May and part of June training for the races upcoming in this summer.
Best Wishes
Sarah

Sydney Race Report

This past Sunday (technically Saturday night in the USA), I raced in Sydney, Australia on the 2000 Olympic course. This was my first visit to the city and I have to say it is one of the most beautiful cities I have visited; with the blue Pacific Ocean at an arm’s reach, a centralized botanical garden and friendly downtown atmosphere. The weather was pleasant, although on race day; temperatures were about fifteen degrees above normal, which made for a more challenging day.
The race began at 9:50 AM (the men raced earlier in the morning at 7AM). The swim was a two loop 750meter lap swim in Sydney harbor. The water was cool, but felt refreshing with air temperatures in the mid 80s. Some of my teammates and I were lost heading to the race meeting and missed the first two minutes, so as a penalty we were moved to the last start swim spot. I have to say, it was nice not worrying about where to go on the pontoon, but instead immediately going to the open spot. I was second out of the water, behind Laura Bennett.
Once out on the bike course, I followed my plan to push the pace to try and separate the packs even more after the swim. This race however, the swim was strung very close together and the course was difficult to get away due to a long downhill and many strong cyclists in the large pack. Early on a few attacks were attempted and quickly swallowed up…and due to the high wind, no one wanted to be up front. Needless to say, all the groups merged and it can down to the run. On the bike I always made sure to stay near the front in case a break occurred and also stay towards the front heading in to the technical transition to avoid any possible crashes as much as possible. I feel the best moment in my race is tactically setting myself up into T2. I rode up to the front on the last downhill and pushed the pace into transition. This allowed me to get off the bike at the front of group and start at the front rather than having to spend energy to run up to the group.
The run was challenging, windy and warm with a long hill on each of the four laps. I worked the first 5k to hang on to the leaders. Just before halfway, I was gapped by a group of four leaders and found myself running in sixth position right behind Kate Roberts. The biggest mistake I made in this race was settling behind Kate Roberts into the headwind and not surging to try and get closer to the leaders. Unfortunately, this allowed two other women I had previously passed (Norden and Harrison) to catch back up to me. On a positive, I felt much stronger on my new running form and felt like I had a faster kick at the end, although I got beat out by a lean! I finished 8th overall and hope to improve on the rest of my WCS races the rest of the year.
After a long travel day or (days), I got back home last night and was very happy to sleep in my bed...and not try to sleep on an airplane. I finally had a full night of sleep last night as well after consecutive nights of waking up at 2-3AM due to jet lag. In a couple of days, I should be back at it with training hard and getting ready for my next race. Next up on the schedule, I am racing the St. Anthony Triathlon on April 25th. Since I have another World Championship Race at the beginning of May, I am going to use this race as a tough training day in the middle of my training block preparation for the WCS race in Seoul.
Best Wishes...

10 Days in Florida

Miami Triathlon and USAT Sprint Development Race-Clermont, Florida
My trip to Florida began at Disney resort, where I was representing Mission Skincare and working at the Lady Foot Locker booth. In addition, I was able to speak to athletes of all running levels about nutrition and sign autograph cards for several hours. I met so many great people and although it was a running race, I was excited to meet so many triathletes! Nate and I had a great time and hopefully next year will have some more time to hang out at Disney resort.
This past week, I have officially begun my start to the 2010 racing season. On March 7th, I raced in Clermont, Florida in a draft-legal sprint triathlon. This race was very unique in that developmental athletes, who have not yet obtained a pro card, were permitted to race and gain experience and a feel for what draft-legal racing is all about. I have not competed in a sprint race since my first year of racing back in 2003! The race went by very quickly and I can’t complain about my result finishing up on top of the podium. The entire race was in Lake Louisa State Park and was a wetsuit legal swim, since Florida has been experiencing a colder than average winter. The swim was especially short, because we had a long run in and out of the water. The bike was four laps on a smoothly paved, flat road and the run was a two loop flat, fast course. I exited the swim just behind Sara McLarty and ended up cycling with her as well as Alicia Kaye. I felt good on the swim and bike, but needed to brush up on my transitions, as they were quite rusty! I felt strong on my run and thought about my new run form I have been working on since January. I spend the following week training in Clermont, Florida while I was preparing for the Miami Triathlon.
I wanted to still get in some quality training this week, but this past week was also scheduled as a recovery week, so I was able to go into Miami with some rest after my big build up in training in Arizona. Clermont had some gorgeous days, but also had days wih complete downpours and tornado warnings that we don’t see in Colorado. On Friday, I drove down to West Palm Beach and was able to see friend and team USA chiropractor Alex Keith. Nate and I enjoyed his kind hospitality and got to hang out with his family before we finished the drive down to Miami on Saturday morning.
Late morning on Saturday for a couple of hours, Team Fuji (Matt Reed, Sara Mclarty and Omar Nour and myself), got together for an autograph signing at Mack cycles. We were welcomed by the University of Miami Triathlon Team and helped the young athletes with questions about getting into the sport, training, racing, etc. Nate and I did our best to get to bed early (we were in bed by nine); however; we had a very early rising with the time change happening on race day. I had my alarm for 4:30AM, but was up much earlier worrying I was going to miss my alarm (4:30AM was really 3:30AM!). Often times, I may have a restless night of sleep before a race, especially when the race start is early morning so I know it does not really affect my race outcome.
I raced Miami back in 2008 and finished in first, so the goal was to defend the title from a couple of years ago. The water was a cool, 69 degrees, but fortunately, I had my TYR’s Sayonara Swimskin. which kept me a little warmer. I had a great swim and exited just 15 seconds back from the super star swimmers McLarty and Piersol. I had much better transitions this race and got onto my bike working hard to catch the leaders, but feeling strong on my new Fuji D-6 with Oval concept bars! Unfortunately, I went slightly off course about 7 miles into the bike course and lost a little bit of time, but kept my head in it to get right back on course and back into my riding rhythm. I ended up exiting the bike about 15 seconds behind McLarty, with Peterson about 40 seconds behind me. I started off the run at a good pace; not quite sure what was going on behind me. The run was a two loop out and back, so we were able to see our competition. I noticed that I was gaining time on the other athletes and was able to back off the pace a little towards the end of the run. The faster I can recover from a race; the faster I can get back into serious training for Sydney, my first big race of the year!
I am currently in St. Louis for a couple days and getting a chance to see the family and celebrate birthday’s with my nieces (Sarah turned three on the `14th and Anna one on the 17th). I have another tough training block approaching the next couple of weeks (and an altitude adjustment since I have been away from home for six weeks!)

Training Camp

Training Camp
The past three and a half weeks I have reached my goal of making strides in my fitness gains, especially in the bike and run disciplines. Despite a few unseasonable rainy days in Tucson, I enjoyed many outdoor rides away from the snow and ice that keep me on the trainer in Colorado! The location in Oro Valley where Nate and I were staying was beautiful. We had a fantastic view of the mountains just behind our condo and could see the peak of Mount Lemmon not too far off in the distance.
Not only did I get in quality training sessions, but also go to meet some great people. I want to thank Sean Bechtal, Nat "Dream Crusher" Faulkner and Dave "Dragon" Sharratt for pushing me in my training session, helping me to improve my bike handling skills and creating a great training atmosphere. While I was not training, I spent as much time as I could watching the winter Olympics in Vancouver. I was very impressed with the performances of the American team and I have to say the athletes inspired me to focus on London. It was exciting watching some athletes I have personally gotten to know over the years while training in Colorado! The games could not have ended with much more excitement in the overtime game against Canada. Althought the team came up just short, both the US and Canada played extremely well, with immense heart and gave it their all….the true definition of sport.
My trip away from home is not quite over yet, as I am headed to Florida this weekend for the Disney Princess Half Marathon Event on Saturday, March 6th. I will be speaking about nutrition at the expo and afterwards signing cards for a few hours. On the 7th, I am competing in my first competition of the year at Lake Louisa State Park in Clermont, Florida. The race is a draft-legal development race and is a sprint distance (750m swim, 20k bike and 5k run). It has been a long time since I have competed at this distance (I think I have only raced this distance once before back in 2003!). I will be staying in Clermont the following week in preparation for the Miami International Triathlon on the 14th. Although I am ending a tough block of training, I am excited to be starting my race season for 2010 and get some of the race cobwebs out of my system before the bigger races to come in April.
Best of luck to all of you who are starting to ramp up your training intensity and getting prepared for the 2010 season….spring has sprung!

Headed to Warmer Weather...

Headed to Warmer Weather…

January was a solid month of training in Colorado and I have to say that we lucked out with the weather conditions for the most part! I was able to complete almost all my scheduled runs outside, so that was a plus. I did spend a majority of cycling on the trainer, only because I am miserable on the bike unless the temps are close to 50!
I spent the last weekend in January in San Diego at the inaugural Tri-Expo and the annual ESA Awards show. In addition, I got to meet many reps with TYR and spend a day with them at a photo shoot at the beautiful La Jolla cove. The shoot started at 7:00AM with Andy Potts and me in the new Hurricane wetsuits. Little did I know that we were going to be standing at the edge of a rocky edge, with powerful waves crashing against us. I watched Andy fall over from the intensity of a wave, and I was hoping that he simply wasn’t paying attention---but, I soon found out standing on a slippery rock and cold, Pacific waves hurling at you kept us on our toes and a couple times were knocked off our toes!! This was the start of a great shoot and made for gorgeous pics (at least of the ones I saw!). The ESA awards show was a great experience to watch some amazing athletes and coaches accept their awards for their accomplishments for the year. One of the most touching awards, was an eight year old boy, Cody, a double amputee athlete overcoming many obstacles to become a successful swimmer and runner. His goal is to be on the Para-Olympic swim team…and I don’t doubt he will be there someday. His heart and drive was remarkable and put a huge smile on your face! Maybe I will see him training in the next couple of years with the Para Olympic Resident Team in Colorado Springs!!
When I returned back from San Diego, my parents and niece were in town for a few days to visit while Nate was skiing with friends and family in Utah. Nate’s 30th birthday is this June (during a big race weekend), so I figured I would surprise him with an early birthday present and spend four days skiing with his brothers and friends at Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah. Since Nate returned back in town a few days ago, we have been busy packing and getting ready for the next adventure: training trip in Oro Valley, Arizona!
I am currently on the plane, headed to LA for a visit with DISC before I depart for Tucson. It has been almost a year since I had surgery (hard to believe!). I am scheduled for a follow-up EMG test (this will test how my nerve is responding) and in addition, completing an interview with doctors at DISC and speaking about my surgery, recovery and results! I am very excited to see how my foot drop is healing and to see the progress of my nerve re-growth!! On Feb. 9th, I will arrive in Arizona and begin a training camp with Barrie Shepley and a few other athletes. I will spend the remainder of February in the warmer weather away from the snow (it was snowing in Colorado when I left, so it makes me that much more excited to get to warmer weather!!). I am excited to step up my training quality and volume even more in preparation for my 2010 season. Race season will begin before I know it and I want to be fully prepared to perform my best.

Holidays Are Over--- The 2010 Season is Here!

I always enjoy the holiday season, as I get to visit with family and relax a bit with my triathlon training. Although Christmas time I have to be a little more dedicated with my training than Thanksgiving, but the training is still pretty flexible and I can change my training around for family and friend activities. However, once that date changes over to the New Year, the priorities seem to change and training moves up the ladder to become a priority this time of year leading into the race season.
Over the holidays, I also had the opportunity to speak with around 300 students at Medford High School in Minnesota about setting goals and attaining those goals. I also spoke with a swim team in Webster Groves, Missouri about working hard, nutrition and my Olympic experience. The weather was much colder than usual in Missouri, so I spend much more time running on the treadmill. I trained at the Lifetime Fitness gym in West County (St. Louis). I was star struck when I walked in with Albert Pujols and later he was on the elliptical right behind me! On New Year’s, my family and extended family played a traditional game of Bingo and I played five games of monopoly in four days. I have to say that I am 5-0 in Monopoly right now, so the luck is rolling…is it all luck?? The game was a Christmas gift from my sister and I have to say I have not played in close to 15 years, but it brought back some nostalgic memories. By the way, there is a new “speed version” out that makes the game go much quicker!!
On January 5th, I headed back to Colorado to get back in the groove of altitude and training. I am planning on only being in Colorado for the next four weeks before I head to a training camp in Oro Valley, Arizona. I am going to be training with Barrie Shepley and some of his athletes and looking forward to a change in scenery and getting out of the potentially cold weather here in Colorado. Before I head to Arizona, I am going to be in San Diego Jan. 28th-30th for a wetsuit photo shoot with TYR, speaking at the Competitor Magazine Expo and attending the Endurance Sports Awards.
I am looking forward to the new season and all that is to come! I am changing around some of my training this year and adding a bit more power and strength training to the program. I truly believe in continuing to figure out what works best for you and accepting a change to improve your performance. I will have some reality TV entertainment while I am recovering in the evenings with a new series of the Bachelor and American Idol starting next week!
Stay warm and all the best for a healthy, successful and blessed 2010!