Off season training!

While I have had a little break from the regular grind of training, I haven't stopped completely. Recently, I revisited with the TRX for some core work. Let me tell you what, for just 10 minutes of core work using the TRX, I was feeling it for the next two days! It really is amazing how good of a workout you can get when you are forced to balance your body weight. I like to do core exercises such as pikes, plank work, and knee to chest tucks. These are great for swim strength as you work on the connection between the shoulders and core. These are exercises my coach had me do on a physio ball, but then transferred them to the TRX. Ooo wee! If you only have a few minutes-these will let you feel the burn quickly!

Thank You!

Thank you to my sponsors for your support through another successful season of racing (Pioneer Construction, Strider's, Village Bike, Rolf Prima Wheels, Tifosi, Sugoi, Specialized, TRX). Your support helps me to be able to compete successfully at the elite level! I know that having a team of supporters is crucial to helping me reach my potential. I appreciate the partnership developed through triathlon!

In addition, I want to thank Ryan Tanis and Shorline Sport and Spine Physical Therapy, Jason Ross, from Train Out Pain, and Dr. Kornoelje at Metro Health for their guidance through my injuries and extensive knowledge on how to help me strengthen my weak areas. 

And of course I can't forget to thank my amazing husband for his continual support and encouragment. Couldn't do this without you! Thank you to my family as well. You show your support in so many ways-thanks for traveling to many of my races!

Last, but not least, thank you coach Barb for guiding me through another season! Your knowledge is so fun to tap into!

Wow, what a team!!

2012 Seaston wrap up

Hello! It is that time in the year again where the intensity of training backs down, I get to rest the mind and body, and dream about the next season! 2012 certainly had its challenges, but it offered plenty of learning opportunities as well. I had several solid races to the start of my season, but did suffer an injury in the middle of the summer. I developed some serious tendonitis in my glute of all places! Literally--a pain in the butt! Anyway, this injury prevented me from being able to run, bike intensly, and do glute strength work, which was tough to endure patience through. I had to be okay with going through the motions for awhile with light training. While this injury was a setback (reflecting back over the season), I can still be thankful for the many races I was able to compete in and for the improvements I made despite the setback. I belive my 2012 season was where I made significant gains in my swim, allowing me to come out of the water with the main chase pack at elite nationals and put me in a solid position for non-drafting races at the start of the bike leg.
I learned the importance of balance in life and training (well, I am still learning about this and what this looks like!). I realized it can be so easy to just go go go and get stuck going through the motions forgetting to step back and reflect on how I am enduring the workload (in and out of training). I am finding when I am out of balance, I don't recognize when I need more rest and/or if I am on the verge of injury. It is like symptoms almost get masked. Anyone else know what I am talking about? On that note, it is important to remember to pay attention to my life outside of training too!

Anyway, I ended my season with the Race to the Toyota Cup Championship race in Dallas, TX on October 7th. Ross and I were pumped to be leaving MI since it was supposed to 50s and rainy--the Fall weather was moving in. Well...Dallas was not offering any warmth and sunshine. Shocking really! Race morning it was in the 40s, cloudy, and not warming up or getting sunny (the day before was the same). I was thinking I wouldn't be too affected by this since I am from MI- and usually when I race Reed's Lake in September it is in the 50s. No big deal! Well, it was a challenge, but you can't focus on what you can't control. I did my best with that, but coming off the bike with cold, numb feet was something different to experience...ha! I had gotten sick the weekend before the race and while I tried to ignore the symptoms and any effect it might have on my race, I still felt under the weather. the cold weather didn't help that either. Boo. Eventhough, I put together a solid race, not what I had hoped for, but ended up 8th in a very solid field of pros. It was definitly a bitter-sweet end to the season, but again, I am so thankful for the many race experiences I did have. It was challenging to not let doubts creep in at times knowing I hadn't been able to put intense training and solid strength work for a good period of time. Good mental toughness training though!

At this point, I am fully healed and working on my weakness to be even stronger for 2013! I look forward with great anticipation. I will be working on my schedule as dates come out. Exciting to look foward (all while having some good off season reflection)!!

Thank you to all of you who follow and cheer me on! I appreciate the support so much!

Reed's Lake Tri

What a fun time! I just love doing this race because so many friends that I don't always get to race with participate too. It is also fun to have family there to watch! I like racing with Ross too-he always like to go after Reeds. Anyway, I was victorious on saturday for the women, which was exciting. I had to drop out last year after the bike (mostly by choice) since my injury was acting up and I didn't want to risk re-injury on the run. So to be back feeling healthy was just awesome!! Here is a link to an article about the race.
Pictures: http://photos.mlive.com/4469/gallery/reeds_lake_triathlon/index.html
Article: http://www.mlive.com/sports/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2012/09/rainbow_inspires_reeds_lake_tr.html

I am now prepping for Buffalo, NY this saturday. It is an ITU (draft-legal) race. Woo hoo! Should be fun. I haven't done an ITU race since March.

Chicago Triathlon

It was a fun weekend in Chicago! Ross and I's parents came down so that was great to have them around and their support. Our annual Chicago dinner tradition continued with Kattie, AD, and Eric Zane's family...except we went to the Cheesecake Factory 2 nights before the race insteady of Gino's. Man, Cheesecake Factory has something for everyone...ya know???? I did get some great Gino's deep dish pizza AFTER the race. That was so worth it! Anyway, how I about I tell about the race? It was a later starting race (11:30). Since there are so many people participating they have the pros go later in the day when the bike course is more clear. Ross raced first thing in the morning with the elite amateur group so he was gone early and I got to hang out in the hotel for hours later. That is hard to do sometimes by yourself when you have nerves! haha. Anyway, weather was looking good in the morning, but we knew they were calling for rain-it was just a matter of hours before it was supposed to roll through. Of course, at the start of our race came some rain. Well, the swim felt great for me this time. I got reved up in the warm up and felt confident in my plan. I was in the next pack of girls back behind the top 4. I felt like I could throw in surges when I needed to so that was great! There is a long run to transition...believe me...it is long. I lost some contact with people on that run to the bike. I just couldn't get my legs under me! I put shoes on (like many others) coming right out of the water for the long run and was glad I did. Once I got on my bike, I settled in and went for my targets. I know this bike course well (it is a simple out and back one-2 loops on Lakeshore Drive) so I knew when I wanted to build and put in any kind of surges. It did start to rain and got a little windy towards the end of the bike so that was challenging at some points, but I remained focused and looked at it as an adventure. I haven't done many big races in the rain! My Rolf Prima wheels seriously worked well. I didn't have any real big issues with the wind and rain, which was great. I think the rain decieved me as far as how hydrated I was. I didn't go through all my water on the bike, which was probably not a good idea. I was concerned I was going to be sloshy in the stomach on the run and I wasn't sweating (so I thought) so I cut back.  I think I needed more though. Anyway, I held my spot of 7th on the bike and set off for the run. I can't say I felt too peppy coming off the bike. I had to stick to my mantras and committ to my targets and surge where I planned to. I did stick to my targets, but it sure didn't feel like I was surging. The run just felt hard, but I stayed focused and committed. I am glad I was able to take some risks and see if I could dig a little beyond...it just gives fuel for upcoming races. My run training has been ramping up for about a month now since my latest hip injury. So I think I am still a little behind yet with my runnning gears. I am just looking foward to getting more run training under my belt so I can finish the season off strong. I kept my spot at 7th and was about 50" behind 6th place. I am happy with how I did considering the stacked field that was there. It was fun overall despite the painful run...haha! Again, it was so great to have family and friends at the finish line to hug afterwards. :) Thanks for all your support!

Lifetime Fitness Minneapolis

Here is a cool highlights video! I am in there a few times...woo! :)

http://www.slowtwitch.com/Features/Fast_Times_at_Minneapolis_Tri_2927.html

This event is seriously great. It is run so well! Fun area, twisty, turny fun bikecourse, and a lot of fast racers...awesome! I had a great experience. Most of the pros stayed in the host hotel, Best Western Dakota Ridge, thanks to Lifetime. The hotel experience was one of the highlights of the race as the regional hotel manager, Matt, went above and beyond to make sure the pros and racers were taken care of. I enjoyed meeting and talking to some of the pros that I don't usually get to interact with. That was fun. There was a pro dinner on Thursday before the race, which was also wonderful. Ross and I had fun visiting with race staff and other athletes. It sure takes a lot to put on a such a big race!

Anyway, the race itself was certainly not my best. I have been working through some inflammation in my hip, which has put a damper on my training. I wasn't sure how I was going to fare on the run, but did finish...what a blessing! Before the race, I decided to play it smart on the run and just pick a pace that felt safe where my hip wouldn't fatigue too soon. The goal was really to finish! Even though it is frustrating to be dealing with an injury, I am so thankful that I was able to race in a great atmosphere. I ended up taking 8th, which allowed me to get a few points for the Lifetime Race to the Toyota Cup series. So that is a positive. It was definitly a weekend where I had to seek out the positives. Another positive is that I had a solid swim and didn't feel the hip on the bike so was able to push (not 100% like normal), but to a solid effort. So as far as the race goes--we'll just put that one aside. :) I will look back on this trip as a great social venture as Ross and I hung out with a few other pros after the race from Australia and New Zealand (Katie, Maxine, Jimi, and Mitch). Fun times! Thanks to Matt and Mandi for having us all over for an amazing dinner.

Thanks to all those who followed the facebook posts from Ross and for the support!

Heading to Minneapolis!

Well, after a couple of weeks of dealing with a hip issue, I am planning to test the waters in Minneapolis this weekend (this race is also part of the Race to the Toyota Cup series). Ross is racing too! This is the race where I qualified for my pro card so it is fun to being going back. While my running training hasn't been what I have wanted, I am just excited to be out there racing!

Steamboat Springs, Colorado

Ross and I joined my family for a little vacation in Steamboat through the 4th of July. It was great to see Nate and Fran and their awesome set up! It was beautiful out there. We even went to a pro rodeo! Ross and I enjoyed some hikes with the family and a little bit of training in altitude. We also were informed about a mile open water race series happening while we were there so...how could we pass that up? I mean seriously... haha. It was fun to swim amongst the mountains. I even won a box of Honeystinger waffles from the raffle! ooo! So all in all...nice family get away. Here are a few photos:

 Peter, my cousin, Jenna, and me!

These guys are amazing! My back and neck hurt just watching them!

 The Van Baak's house where Nate and Fran are living. It overlooks the valley...so beautiful.

Gondola ride up a mountain!

Cap Tex Tri, Austin, TX

Here are a few race photos from the Cap Tex Tri (part of the race to the toyota cup series) that took place on Memorial Day. The venue was great and the race was run very well. It was also the Paratriathlon National Championship race so it was neat to share the course with wounded warriors and those overcoming physical challenges. Pretty inspirational! It was a great experience overall. I was very happy with my race performance (7th place). I had my best run ever and my swim was right where I wanted it.

Local Clinic with Barb Lindquist

Back in May, Barb came to Grand Rapids to put on a triathlon clinic. It was great! There is always something to learn even after working with her for 3 years now. It was fun to get to know other area triathletes too!

 Swimming Technique Work

 Running Drills

 Oh yeah for stairs and jump squats!

St. Anthony's Triathlon Photos

Nautica South Beach Triathlon

Doing the Nautica South Beach Tri-part of the Toyota Cup Race Series- was great! The event was run well and they even had Bob Saget announcing the awards…I mean how cool is that? I felt like I knew him so well from all my days of watching Full House…haha. Anyway, South Beach was quite the place to race. I thought the race venue was neat.( Ross and I took some vacation time to enjoy the Hollywood/ Ft. Lauderdale area after the race. Good times!)This was my first race in the ocean and it was nice and calm the morning of the race, which helped make my experience enjoyable. The bike course went all around town and over causeways. I made sure to look up for a second and enjoy-I was still focused of course.  The run was on a path that was right along the ocean, it was open to the public, which made it a little tricky at times as not everyone was watching out for the racers. I had to do a little dodging.
Well, to give play by play of the race, the pro men and women both started together. I lined up by myself behind a group of men, which seemed to work well. I was able to get right in there and found my groove after doing a few dolphin dives to get out of the shallow water. I was able to settle in nicely and kept doing some surges to see if I could hold a faster pace. I was pretty focused and didn’t see any ocean creatures…darn. Well, I ended up 5th out of the water for the women just seconds behind the 3rd person out. I was pretty happy about this!! I eased into my bike, maybe with a little too much ease. It can be tough sometimes to get that feel back right away since I haven’t raced in a while, but sure enough my body took over and knew what to do. I felt strong on the bike for the most part, but did wonder after I was done if I could have pushed it harder a little sooner. Hmm. I had to do some more dodging through the long and busy transition, but made it out onto the run in 6th. I went out conservatively with the plan to build into the second half. I had a little build, but didn’t seem to be able to find that extra gear to really get there. I got passed by two others and just didn’t have the gear to respond. I stayed strong, thought about my technique, and ended up with a solid 8th place. Overall I am happy with how the race went. I really enjoyed myself. It was fun to look up and see God’s creation through palm trees and the beautiful ocean. I loved it! Now I look forward to entering into a new phase of training and gearing up for St. Anthony’s in St. Petersburg, FL. at the end of April. FL here I come again!

Discount code for Lifetime Fitness Toyota Cup Series Race Entry!

Race to the Toyota Cup- Life Time Triathlon series is asking professional triathletes to help promote its events. I have been given a discount code to share with athletes so they can save 10% off registration! You may have heard of some of their races such as The Chicago Triathlon, Minneapolis, and Dallas, Toyota U.S. Open. I have done each one of these and they are run very well. These races draw a lot of great athletes too! I would highly recommend the The Chicago Triathlon for those from the West Michigan area. If you are interested, please share and use the code below to sign up!

To sign up follow the links and use this code: LTTri907
Minneapolis
http://mplstri.com/
Chicago
www.chicagotriathlon.com
Dallas
http://www.toyotausopentriathlon.com/

Let me know if you have any questions about any of the races or the series!

Clermont Draft Legal Challenge

I raced my "season opener" on saturday in Clermont, FL. Overall, it was a fun trip! I got to meet a couple ironman professional triathletes that stopped by the house I was staying at down there (the lady I stayed with is TYR rep so she talks with a lot of pros). It is so normal to be a professional down there...crazy! Anyway, about the race...First, the race was delayed so instead of already starting crazy late in the afternoon (3:30) we started about 4:00. It was just a busy day full of races so things were a little delayed. That was quite different to have such a big race so late in the day. It was hard to sit around and have the race on my mind for so long. I really prefer to get up and get 'er done! But I managed to entertain myself.
The swim was in Lake Louisa, which was very shallow for a couple hundred meters out from the shore...this made for A LOT of dolphin diving and running in knee deep water (a little challenging for me as I am kinda short!). So the swim was pretty challenging in this way for me. I saw several people pass me as we neared the shore and started to run out of the water. I just had to stay in control and do my best to run fast to catch a bike group! Well, I came out with several girls, but it quickly got divided up into 3 solid packs of riders. I couldn't quite catch the group up the road so I actually ended up riding the race by myself with one other girl who stayed quite close to me the entire time. I was just stuck in a position where I couldn't time trial my way up to the next pack by myself as there were strong bikers in the pack. I managed to stay ahead of the group behind me until the very last stretch coming home. So, it was definately a challenging spot to be in especially since I am not as strong on the run. I also receieved my first penatly ever! Ugh, I made a rookie mistake by mounting before the mount line...I thought I crossed it, but it was a chalk line about 10 feet out of transition. Oops...I know to DOUBLE check that out for the next race...never assume you know where those lines are! So I had to stop for 15" in the run. I tried to use it to my advantage and tell myself I was more fresh for having to stop. :) I actually only got passed by one person so I guess you can say I held my spot, but it made it difficult to run others down of course. So, this race was a pretty big learning experience with the different kind of swim tactics that were needed, my silly bike mistake, and just learning how to manage a draft legal bike with out having the draft!! haha, it was fun though. I also got to attend a clinic with my coach, Barb, so that was great to be down there and see her and learn more about my technique! I know I will be even more ready for my next race...the Nautica South Beach Tri (Miami)-part of the Lifetime Fitness Series. I am excited to do my first olympic non-draft race for the season!

Let the racing begin!

I am getting pumped for my "season opener" next weekend in Clermont, FL. The race is called the Clermont Draft Legal Challege. This is a sprint distance, so it should be short and sweet! I will get to see coach Barb down there and attend her clinics, which is awesome! I always learn a ton from her. Last year I did this same race and had a great time, but unfortunatly I had my injury going into the race (not realizing it)and this was the only race I could do until July last year...boo. I am feeling healthly this time around and look forward to hammering! I get to stay with my best friend, Kattie, while down there so that is another bonus. I'll add a race update soon!

My "Rocky moment"

Ross and I have been going downtown Grand Rapids to use parking ramps to do some greuling stair workouts. What a date huh? Meeting up at the parking ramp to do stairs...so romantic! Anyway, my coach has me doing stairs about once a week to help build strength and power in the off season for running. Double stairs helps with my hip stability too. I have actually enjoyed the intensity stair workouts can offer. Not only does it spike the heart rate, but my legs get pretty shaky by the end! It's been fun and a mental break to mix in different types of workouts instead of straight running all the time. My picture below shows my "Rocky moment" as I ran to the top of the ramp in between stair repeats...gotta have a little fun out there!


Stretching and running