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Thursday, March 20, 2014
Automated External Defibrillators (AED)-life saving devices!
I just wanted to give a shout out to Northstar AED for their support! More than 300,000 people in the US experience sudden cardiac arrest-mostly from the electrical system of the heart becoming chaotic. Have you ever considered the importance of having an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) device readily available? They can save lives! CPR is important, but it cannot restore normal rhythm. Northstar AED can answer questions and help supply any AED needs you or your facility may have. Having an AED on site at triathlons is something I will definitely ask about-especially at newly established events.
Visit northstarmed.com
Visit northstarmed.com
Saturday, February 15, 2014
Life Time TRI Series 2014
Hello! It's been awhile since I have updated my blog.
Well, it has been one crazy winter in Michigan! I have had several snow days (for work) that I got out of the deal though...haha. But, training sure has been interesting. It has been non-stop indoors with the nasty cold temperatures and snow covered roads. I guess the new shirt I got for Christmas that says, "Michigan isn't for sissies" is very fitting! It's been good for the mental toughness development at least.
Anyway, I am excited to be kicking off my race season with New Orleans 5150 on March 30, then gearing up for South Beach Tri as part of the Lifetime Tri Series the weekend after in Miami. I am excited to race in Miami for year #3! You can join me at South Beach Tri...get your spot here! http://bit.ly/1g0zAJg It is really a fun race (you run right along the ocean!) and it supports St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital at the same time.
Check out the Life Time TRI Series here: www.lifetimetri.com. The races are run very well and you won't be disappointed!
Now back to talking about cold Michigan. Below is a picture of Ross and I's set up in our garage for our multiple brick workout last Saturday morning. Keep in mind it was 15 degrees out, but we were just excited that our neighborhood had some dry pavement AND the sun was shining so we took advantage of this! It was cold, but we made it work and enjoyed ourselves. Good bonding for us. :) Praising God for the chance to have some normal running and sun!
More updates later!
Well, it has been one crazy winter in Michigan! I have had several snow days (for work) that I got out of the deal though...haha. But, training sure has been interesting. It has been non-stop indoors with the nasty cold temperatures and snow covered roads. I guess the new shirt I got for Christmas that says, "Michigan isn't for sissies" is very fitting! It's been good for the mental toughness development at least.
Anyway, I am excited to be kicking off my race season with New Orleans 5150 on March 30, then gearing up for South Beach Tri as part of the Lifetime Tri Series the weekend after in Miami. I am excited to race in Miami for year #3! You can join me at South Beach Tri...get your spot here! http://bit.ly/1g0zAJg It is really a fun race (you run right along the ocean!) and it supports St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital at the same time.
Check out the Life Time TRI Series here: www.lifetimetri.com. The races are run very well and you won't be disappointed!
Now back to talking about cold Michigan. Below is a picture of Ross and I's set up in our garage for our multiple brick workout last Saturday morning. Keep in mind it was 15 degrees out, but we were just excited that our neighborhood had some dry pavement AND the sun was shining so we took advantage of this! It was cold, but we made it work and enjoyed ourselves. Good bonding for us. :) Praising God for the chance to have some normal running and sun!
More updates later!
Sunday, December 8, 2013
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Lifetime Tri Oceanside
I had my grand finale race last Sunday in Oceanside, CA. First of all, GREAT venue! Lifetime Fitness did a great job with another well run race. I loved it. I had never been to southern CA so it was neat to see mountains, then the ocean, and all the palm trees! 3 of my favorite things. Oceanside was also the final stop for the Toyota Triple Crown, which Alicia Kaye ended up winning!
Before the race, Ross and I met up with college friends Laura and Tyrus who live east of LA. It was so fun to catch up! Then Meghan from grad school who also moved out to CA was able to come a cheer at the race with her husband, Ron. It was so fun to see them and what great friends to arrange their weekend to come see Ross and I. Thanks so much!!
Anyway, the race! Well, I had been going after the Lifetime Fitness series all season to try and get top 5. Top 5 in the series earn bonus money. I had a really good chance, but my races in Tempe, AZ and Dallas didn't go so well. I wasn't myself and just had off races. Not sure what happened there. Coming into Oceanside I was 2 points out of 5th place so I had to beat Jillian Peterson. We had been going back and forth at several of the races, but she moved just ahead of me in points after Tempe and Dallas. I had a really calm and clear mind going into Oceanside as I gave anything I couldn't control over to God. It was seriously a really freeing feeling. I had been holding onto issues from my previous races, but when I finally let it go, wow, it felt amazing!
Coming into race morning, I remained calm, but focused. I knew what I needed to do. It was a wetsuit swim so I wore my full sleeve Xterra wetsuit. I was really glad I had it as the air temp was 50 and water temp was 65. It was chilly even for a Michigander! I had a really strong swim. I came out with Lauren Goss and Helle Fredricksen who are very strong. I came out right where I wanted to. I settled into the coldest bike I have ever had! It was foggy so we were never able to dry off. I had water dripping from my helmet too. My bare arms and legs were so numb! Taking my UCAN flask on the bike got a little tricky too since I could hardly squeeze it since my hands were so cold. Yikes! Despite the cold, I was able to settle into a good groove and was able to build throughout just like I had wanted! I was also ahead of Jill, but not by a ton...about a minute. I knew she was there, but remained calm and stuck to my targets. I knew I was going to have to go for it on the run to keep my distance. It was hard to not get a little scared...haha. Once I dismounted, it was quite the experience to run on numb feet. I found them back pretty quickly though. :) I felt really good starting the run, but saw Jill creeping up on me. Ahh. I continued to stick to my race targets and built through the run. I knew I wasn't the strongest at sprint finishes so I kept trying to keep distance on Jill. However, coming into the last mile she was getting closer. My gap was closing and I was trying to push a little more as she crept closer. I rolled down the hills and tried to get my heart rate down a couple beats to get ready to push again. Then I saw Ross about 1-2' before the finish and he yelled to keep pushing! Keep pushing! I was breathing really hard and I could tell my legs were nearing their end. It was getting harder to get speech changes. I did my best to keep pushing and I chose not to look back as I knew Jill was there (maybe I should have looked back to see if it would have helped me anticipate exactly when to put the kick in). AND here's the kicker...coming down the finish shoot it came to a sprint finish and she reeled me in. I gave it what I had (can't wait to see the race photos as my face will explain the fight!) and she got me by 3 seconds. 3 seconds!! It was unreal. She had a really great run as she made up about a minute. But I didn't quite know how to react as I lost the $5,000 for being 5th in the series right there in the finish shoot. I was like crying and laughing. It was surreal. So in the end I have to say it was bittersweet as I did have a good race. I felt so happy that I was myself again after my previous 2 races, but just couldn't believe that I had it and boom-it was gone! I guess that is how racing goes! God always has a plan. :) So I have a lot I will take from this race experience. It makes me want to race one more yet this season. Hmm...
If you find yourself reading this--have you ever been in a sprint finish before? Comment about it! They can be exciting!
Anyway, to conclude a great day of racing, Lifetime put together a pro after party so I got to get to know some of the competitors in a relaxed setting. Fun to see pro athletes let loose. :) It was a great weekend and I would highly recommend this race if you like to travel for races. It is going to be the championship race again next year for the Lifetime Fitness Series.
Thanks for reading!!
Before the race, Ross and I met up with college friends Laura and Tyrus who live east of LA. It was so fun to catch up! Then Meghan from grad school who also moved out to CA was able to come a cheer at the race with her husband, Ron. It was so fun to see them and what great friends to arrange their weekend to come see Ross and I. Thanks so much!!
Anyway, the race! Well, I had been going after the Lifetime Fitness series all season to try and get top 5. Top 5 in the series earn bonus money. I had a really good chance, but my races in Tempe, AZ and Dallas didn't go so well. I wasn't myself and just had off races. Not sure what happened there. Coming into Oceanside I was 2 points out of 5th place so I had to beat Jillian Peterson. We had been going back and forth at several of the races, but she moved just ahead of me in points after Tempe and Dallas. I had a really calm and clear mind going into Oceanside as I gave anything I couldn't control over to God. It was seriously a really freeing feeling. I had been holding onto issues from my previous races, but when I finally let it go, wow, it felt amazing!
Coming into race morning, I remained calm, but focused. I knew what I needed to do. It was a wetsuit swim so I wore my full sleeve Xterra wetsuit. I was really glad I had it as the air temp was 50 and water temp was 65. It was chilly even for a Michigander! I had a really strong swim. I came out with Lauren Goss and Helle Fredricksen who are very strong. I came out right where I wanted to. I settled into the coldest bike I have ever had! It was foggy so we were never able to dry off. I had water dripping from my helmet too. My bare arms and legs were so numb! Taking my UCAN flask on the bike got a little tricky too since I could hardly squeeze it since my hands were so cold. Yikes! Despite the cold, I was able to settle into a good groove and was able to build throughout just like I had wanted! I was also ahead of Jill, but not by a ton...about a minute. I knew she was there, but remained calm and stuck to my targets. I knew I was going to have to go for it on the run to keep my distance. It was hard to not get a little scared...haha. Once I dismounted, it was quite the experience to run on numb feet. I found them back pretty quickly though. :) I felt really good starting the run, but saw Jill creeping up on me. Ahh. I continued to stick to my race targets and built through the run. I knew I wasn't the strongest at sprint finishes so I kept trying to keep distance on Jill. However, coming into the last mile she was getting closer. My gap was closing and I was trying to push a little more as she crept closer. I rolled down the hills and tried to get my heart rate down a couple beats to get ready to push again. Then I saw Ross about 1-2' before the finish and he yelled to keep pushing! Keep pushing! I was breathing really hard and I could tell my legs were nearing their end. It was getting harder to get speech changes. I did my best to keep pushing and I chose not to look back as I knew Jill was there (maybe I should have looked back to see if it would have helped me anticipate exactly when to put the kick in). AND here's the kicker...coming down the finish shoot it came to a sprint finish and she reeled me in. I gave it what I had (can't wait to see the race photos as my face will explain the fight!) and she got me by 3 seconds. 3 seconds!! It was unreal. She had a really great run as she made up about a minute. But I didn't quite know how to react as I lost the $5,000 for being 5th in the series right there in the finish shoot. I was like crying and laughing. It was surreal. So in the end I have to say it was bittersweet as I did have a good race. I felt so happy that I was myself again after my previous 2 races, but just couldn't believe that I had it and boom-it was gone! I guess that is how racing goes! God always has a plan. :) So I have a lot I will take from this race experience. It makes me want to race one more yet this season. Hmm...
If you find yourself reading this--have you ever been in a sprint finish before? Comment about it! They can be exciting!
Anyway, to conclude a great day of racing, Lifetime put together a pro after party so I got to get to know some of the competitors in a relaxed setting. Fun to see pro athletes let loose. :) It was a great weekend and I would highly recommend this race if you like to travel for races. It is going to be the championship race again next year for the Lifetime Fitness Series.
Thanks for reading!!
Monday, October 14, 2013
Lifetime Tri Oceanside
It is going to be a great weekend of racing in Oceanside, CA! This is the championship race for the Lifetime Tri Series and the Toyota Triple Crown Series. This race is worth double points for the Lifetime Series! I am excited to end my 2013 race season with a strong performance at this amazing looking venue. The Lifetime Tri Series has been fun to be a part of. The staff really takes care of their athletes to make sure they have a safe, fair, and fun race. I am also looking forward to hopefully catching up with friend, Meghan and Laura, who moved out to CA. I haven't been able to see either of them in quite awhile! California...here I come!
If you happen to see this post and are able and wanting to race in Oceanside-there is still time!!! Check out this promotion!
If you happen to see this post and are able and wanting to race in Oceanside-there is still time!!! Check out this promotion!
20% discount code: TriClub20 + the first 1000 registrants get a free backpack
#LifeTimeTri #Oceanside
Hope to see you there!
20% discount code: TriClub20 + the first 1000 registrants get a free backpack
Saturday, August 17, 2013
Lifetime Tri Chicago
This will be my 5th year doing Lifetime Tri Chicago! The first time I did the race was as an elite amateur in 2009. Then it was my first pro race in 2010. It is always fun to come back and it is nice that it is so close to home! I am looking forward to racing in the windy city again on August 25th. This will be my 3rd race in the Liftetime Fitness Race Series. This race will be in the equalizer format where the women get a head start from the males. (There is a pretty intricate process that happens to determine how far ahead the women get to start to make it fair between the genders). Then whoever crosses the finish line first (male or female) gets $50,000 and the Toyota Triple Crown Trophy. Pretty fun! Also, I love how spectators can walk along Monroe Harbor for the entire swim-so you can watch it all with a pretty good view! That is unique to this course. You can check out more about The Chicago Triathlon here: lifetimetri.com
And learn more about the Toyota Triple Crown here: http://www.chicagotriathlon.com/news_article/show/240534?referrer_id=647971
And learn more about the Toyota Triple Crown here: http://www.chicagotriathlon.com/news_article/show/240534?referrer_id=647971
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
The experience @ Frankenmuth
Last weekend I raced in Frankenmuth, MI that was put on by Tri for Life triathlon team and 3Disciplines. Tri for Life is founded by 3 brothers who race for the 4th brother who lost his life in a car accident. They put on triathlons to raise awareness for organ donation. Well, upon my arrival, I have to say that I was greeted by friendly staff from the team and race when I went to packet pick up. The staff at the event was very friendly and helpful, which added to my experience!
I traveled solo to the race and met up with Sam and Todd Kennedy for a pre-race dinner (weird to not have Ross with me at a race!). I had a great time hanging out with Sam and Todd. We hung out the next day after the race and wandered around the town. We even got to see a dog show...haha...never been to one of those! Collie's are fast!
But back to the race...
The swim was in the Cass River and we were corralled onto a Ferry boat before the start-kinda fun and unique! The swim was out and back down the river-nice calm water. I like that! There were several fast pro men that came out to race so the swim start was movin! The swim hurt right off the bat today-just never felt like I could really get into a good groove-just had to keep pushing it. There was a pretty good run up to transition-my legs were not coming at this point--just had to ignore that! I stumbled a bit when I got into transition as I had an issue getting my wetsuit off my bulky timing chip. Oops-didn't account for that. I learned my lesson as it was a slow T1! I haven't had an issue getting my wetsuit off before.
I set off on the bike and was the lead female. I felt ok, but not great. The body was just kinda heavy feeling all around today. I reminded myself of my race process and stuck to the plan and got my mind off of the feel. I was enjoying my first race on my new Rolf Prima disc wheel. I loved the feel of a disc-never had one before! Anyway, I kept my lead on the bike. I headed out on the run and there were some great cheerleaders around transition-thanks!! My legs felt surprisingly peppy--well more peppy than I thought they were going to feel. The pep wore off though--haha. :) The run hurt more than than usual too. Sometimes you just never know how your body will respond! I had a couple men to try and keep in sight on the run so that was helpful to keep me from dropping off. The run course had some portions that were pretty turny (it was a 2 loop run course), but this kept it interesting. I ended up winning the race and got a nice big check-one of those giant ones! How fun! Ben Collins won for the males. Sam was 2nd female! Also, it was great having Tri4Him teammate, Ryan Rau, racing too. Again, everyone was so friendly around the race and the course was marked very well. It was a fun town to race in and I hope the race continues to grow. Great first time race!
I traveled solo to the race and met up with Sam and Todd Kennedy for a pre-race dinner (weird to not have Ross with me at a race!). I had a great time hanging out with Sam and Todd. We hung out the next day after the race and wandered around the town. We even got to see a dog show...haha...never been to one of those! Collie's are fast!
But back to the race...
The swim was in the Cass River and we were corralled onto a Ferry boat before the start-kinda fun and unique! The swim was out and back down the river-nice calm water. I like that! There were several fast pro men that came out to race so the swim start was movin! The swim hurt right off the bat today-just never felt like I could really get into a good groove-just had to keep pushing it. There was a pretty good run up to transition-my legs were not coming at this point--just had to ignore that! I stumbled a bit when I got into transition as I had an issue getting my wetsuit off my bulky timing chip. Oops-didn't account for that. I learned my lesson as it was a slow T1! I haven't had an issue getting my wetsuit off before.
I set off on the bike and was the lead female. I felt ok, but not great. The body was just kinda heavy feeling all around today. I reminded myself of my race process and stuck to the plan and got my mind off of the feel. I was enjoying my first race on my new Rolf Prima disc wheel. I loved the feel of a disc-never had one before! Anyway, I kept my lead on the bike. I headed out on the run and there were some great cheerleaders around transition-thanks!! My legs felt surprisingly peppy--well more peppy than I thought they were going to feel. The pep wore off though--haha. :) The run hurt more than than usual too. Sometimes you just never know how your body will respond! I had a couple men to try and keep in sight on the run so that was helpful to keep me from dropping off. The run course had some portions that were pretty turny (it was a 2 loop run course), but this kept it interesting. I ended up winning the race and got a nice big check-one of those giant ones! How fun! Ben Collins won for the males. Sam was 2nd female! Also, it was great having Tri4Him teammate, Ryan Rau, racing too. Again, everyone was so friendly around the race and the course was marked very well. It was a fun town to race in and I hope the race continues to grow. Great first time race!
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