June 22. 2008
Hy-Vee World Cup ~ Des Moines
8th place
** US OLYMPIC TEAM ALTERNATE **

As of 2 days before the Hy-Vee Triathlon this past weekend, the race was actually going to be made into a duathlon due to the severe flooding in Iowa. Thankfully, the race director Bill Burke was able to pull it off and change the entire race venue so that it could indeed be a triathlon and an Olympic qualifier for the US Olympic Team.  I was so relieved, as I was debating even going if it wasn’t a triathlon.  

Going into the race, I knew my only chance to make the team was to get the alternate spot by beating a few girls who were close to me in the standings.  I was very relaxed about it all, as there was really no pressure on me and if I made it that would be a huge bonus! After all I have been through these last 6 months, just being there, feeling fit and able to race was the real accomplishment.

The 1:30pm start time worried me a bit since it’s known to get very hot and humid in Iowa, but luckily the conditions weren’t too bad… about 80 degrees, sunny  and windy.  I started the swim in very good position, felt great (the best I’ve felt in a swim so far this year!) and I was in second place toward the end of the first lap of 2. By the end of the second lap a few women had passed me and I was at the tail end of the lead group of about 8-10 women. I had a smooth transition and hopped on my bike just behind most of the group. There was a 3 mile section before we got to the start of the 8 lap bike and this is where I was in a ‘make or break’ situation… I was gapped by about :10-:15 from the lead pack that quickly formed and I had to hammer with my feet on top of my shoes for about a mile and a half. I thought to myself, “this is the race, I have to go now!”… and that’s what I did, managing to get on the group just before the short climb to the loops.  I felt really good the on the bike too and ended up taking quite a few pulls as many of the women weren’t interested in working together much.  That frustrated me, but I also thought that at least I might tire them out so they don’t run as fast! I was able to win the second lap bike prime and after a few unsuccessful breakaways, I came into T2 in about second or third position.  I have been feeling great in my run workouts so I was really looking forward to the run to see what I could do…unfortunately the first 2 laps of 4 I felt a little sluggish and I couldn’t quite close the gap of about :15 on the girl in front of me who I needed to beat for the alternate spot.   I gradually started feeling better and better though, and I started picking up the pace. Halfway through the third lap I passed the woman in front of me and never looked back… I got goose bumps during the last half mile knowing I had done it… I qualified for the alternate spot on the US Olympic Team and finished the race in a solid 8^th place. 

I had a lot of thoughts going through my mind during this race… the most motivating one was the feeling that Jenny & Graham were angels on my shoulder pushing me along, helping me dig deep… and telling me “just run a little faster and pass her!” (as she always told me!).  She would be so excited to know I reached this goal, and I know I made her proud. J 

I still have to find out exactly what I will be involved in with the games, and will keep you posted. Triathlon is on August 18^th. In the meantime, I have Life Time Fitness in just over 2 weeks and New York City Triathlon the week after that.  It’s back to training for now.

Thank you again so much for your support throughout all of this… it’s amazing to think that after 8 years and 2 missed Olympic Trials due to injury, I finally did it!

I must also thank my husband Brian for always being there for me... he has given me constant support and encouragement through all of this and I could not have done it without him!

June 8 . 2008
Escape from Alcatraz ~ San Francisco
2nd place

I felt really good going into this race… I knew I was much more fit than I had been in April (last time I raced) and I had put in some really good training sessions over the past 5 weeks. I felt rested and ready to go, and I was even more relaxed than usual going into it. The conditions couldn’t have been more perfect… sunny, a slight breeze, and not too much chop, although the water was about 54 degrees!  I had a great swim start and was able to get on the feet of the leaders pretty quickly… it was the smoothest swim I can remember in the 6 years I’ve done this race. I came out in third and was on my bike in third after the long run to transition. I felt okay on the bike, but not great… I found it hard to get into a rhythm, which is tough to do on that course anyway because of the all the hills, turns, and pot holes! I struggled a little on the climbs and was fairly conservative on the descents, but felt great on the flats… too bad there wasn’t more of that. I came off the bike in second, about :45 down from Leanda Cave. I was pretty excited about the run and felt great right off the bat…I was slowly closing the gap on her and came within about :10 of her at the turnaround on the beach… at which point she saw me. We stayed about that distance until the top of the last climb after the sand ladder. Then there is about a ½ mile or so of some very tricky downhill with stairs, trails, switchbacks, rocks, etc and lots of runners coming straight at us that we had to dodge around…this is where I thought I was going pretty good, but I lost some ground. By the time we hit the flat section with about 2 miles to go, Leanda had put about :20 on me… I gave it everything I had to catch her but I just couldn’t quite close the gap. I finished in 2^nd, only :15 down, and had the second fastest run of the day!  It was so close and I would have loved the win, but I was extremely pleased with my race and how I felt the whole day. It gave me a big boost of confidence for the races coming up… AND I just had a lot of fun racing out there!

 We also had a booth set up for Jenny’s Light that I had worked at all day Saturday. We had a number of people sign up to get our newsletter and we felt like we definitely reached a lot of people that will hopefully help us raise awareness about perinatal mood disorders.

There was a little clip on the CBS 5 evening news… go to http://cbs5.com/sports and click on the Alcatraz video on the right.

Thank you again for your support…I appreciate it more than you know.  Next up for me is the last Olympic Trials race in Des Moines on June 22^nd.

In other news... just last week I got my haircut...8 inches were taken off! I donated it to www.beautifullengths.com where they use the hair to make donated wigs for cancer patients.
These were photos taken for a Sunset Magazine photo shoot. (August issue)
 

May 1 . 2008
St. Anthony's Triathlon ~ St. Petersburg, FL
5th place

Happy May Day! I am finally back at home now after 3 weeks of traveling and racing all over the country.  This past weekend I was down in St. Petersburg, FL for St. Anthony’s Triathlon. I always love doing this race…I guess partly because I have won it twice! I felt pretty good going into it, and just wanted to do the best I could given my level of fitness right now. I came out of the water with a group of about 4-5 women, then got out strong on the bike to try to gain as much ground as I could and make up some time on Sarah Haskins who was out in front. I managed to come off the bike in second, but unfortunately was still a minute or so down on the leader. I held tough on the run, but was passed by a few others and ended up finishing in 5^th.  In comparing my finish times from the past 4 years, I was not that far off and was pleased with the result.  Looking ahead, I know I have a lot more fitness to gain and it will be nice to be able to put in some solid training volume between now and Escape from Alcatraz on
June 8^th.  

April 22 . 2008
US Olympic Trials ~ Tuscaloosa, AL
7th place
I am back from Tuscaloosa and I must say I am somewhat relieved to have the Olympic Trials race behind me. It was quite a journey just getting to the start line, but I am so glad I was there and I gave it my best shot. Unfortunately I came up a bit short of making the team and finished in 7th. But it was great having my family & friends there to support me and cheer me on...and I know I had two angels looking over me too.

I felt great in the swim but I took a wrong line in the river swim and ended up getting gapped going into T1. I was then forced to ride with the second pack of 4 other girls. We never really got organized and we were unable to catch the lead group of 4. I also didn't feel like I had that extra gear to try to break away so I came off the bike with the second pack. I felt pretty strong on the run and was able to pass a few girls at the very end. I think it would have taken a minor miracle to win on that day... as I'm just not running as fast as the top 3-4 girls! I am still in a position to make the alternate spot if I do well enough at Des Moines on June 22nd. So I plan to finish out the Trials process and hope for the best in Iowa!

Next up is St. Anthony's this Sunday.


April 15 . 2008
Iron Girl Las Vegas
3rd place
This past weekend was a great tune-up for the Olympic Trials coming up on Saturday the 19th. I felt pretty good, and put in a solid effort to finish 3rd among a small but talented field at Iron Girl Las Vegas. The race will air on NBC on July 26th.

Going into the Trials I am just thankful to be healthy and able to get to the start line.  I think that's half the battle, especially since I was injured in both 2000 and 2004.  I'm looking forward to racing my best!
There will be live webcast coverage at
http://www.slowtwitch.com/News/Slowtwitch_to_report_live_from_Olympic_Trials_318.html

April 6 . 2008
Less than 1 week to go until my first race of year... the Afflac Iron Girl at Lake Las Vegas. I have had a good few weeks of training since being sick and having my parents and brother-in-law in town visiting in March. I didn't exactly do the base training I had hoped for, but I focused more on quality and making each workout count. Brian has been a great training partner and has supported me fully in everything I'm trying to do.  

I definitely have a new perspective on things since losing Jenny & Graham. I have learned that life is so precious and you have to make the most of each day and everything that you have been given. I think about them all the time and I try to draw strength from knowing Jenny is looking down and helping me carry on and pursue my dreams.

Olympic Trials are on April 19th in Tuscaloosa, AL. It will be tough to go back to where Jenny & Graham lived, but I know I will have a ton of support there and I look forward to making her proud!

I recently planted a Memorial Garden at our house in honor of Jenny & Graham. She loved hydrangea and ivy and it's something beautiful I can see everytime I go up and down our stairs.


March 1 . 2008
I first want to say a huge THANK YOU to all of my friends, family, and even strangers who have already generously donated to Jenny's Light. I've been overwhelmed by the amount of love, support, and concern from so many people.  This foundation is so new, yet we can see that it has already made a big impact and we know it will continue to do so.

I have finally started to get into some consistent training and it's been feeling pretty good... until today when I came down with a nasty flu bug that has been going around. I'm now resting a lot and hoping it passes quickly. I guess it's my body's way of telling me to slow down a bit.

January 25 . 2008
It is with terrible sadness that I am writing about the very untimely passing of my twin sister Jenny and her baby boy Graham. I cannot even begin to tell you the deep amount of loss I am feeling and grief I am having to endure. Jenny was my best friend, my confidante, my #1 fan, my inspiration, and so much more. Her radiant smile, infectious laugh, natural beauty, amazing creativity, and uplifting positive attitude were envied by all who came in contact with her.  I looked up to her in so many ways and I will miss her more than anyone can ever imagine. I am still trying to come to terms with the fact that she is gone, and her beautiful baby boy has gone with her. It is going to be a very tough road ahead for me, but I know that she would want nothing more than for me to continue pursuing my dreams and to keep competing in triathlon. There is not a day that will go by when I don't think of Jenny & Graham, and I will live the rest of my life in honor of them. I hope to keep the bright light that Jenny was, burning forever.

Jenny was the one who encouraged me to get a website and she designed the logo and layout of this site. I plan to keep it up for a very long time to come.

I (along with many friends, family, and people just willing to help) am in the process of setting up JENNY'S LIGHT... a non-profit foundation dedicated to building awareness, detection, and treatment for postpartum disorders. Please visit the website and considering donating to:
JENNYSLIGHT.ORG
5021 Vernon Avenue . Suite 107
Minneapolis . MN  55436
Thank you.
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November . 10
70.3 World Championships
7th
For my last race of the year, I went down to Clearwater, FL to race in the Ironman 70.3 Worlds. It was my first time competing in it, and my seventh half ironman ever. I really like the distance though and was excited to compete against a tough international field. I felt ready to race and race well, but unfortunately I ended up having a very 'off day'. I came out of the water with 2 others, just :30 down from the lead. Once on the bike, I had a hard time finding my legs...I felt average, but I knew my legs weren't feeling the way I hoped they would. I just tried to be patient and hope that the run would feel better. I came off the bike in second, and felt pretty good for the first few miles, but I soon began feeling weak, my quads were cramping, my stomach was off, and my legs felt very heavy. I just did what I could to keep running and finish respectably. I can't be too disappointed with a 7th place finish and first American at a WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS event, but I just wished that I would have felt better doing it and been able to compete the way I know I'm capable of.  I am focusing on the great races I had this year, and looking ahead to an even better season in 2008!  Now it's time for some R&R...

October . 21
Escape to Bermuda
1st place
I just got back from the beautiful island of Bermuda where they held the inaugural ‘Escape to Bermuda’ Triathlon. IMG hosted it as a qualifier for age-groupers to get into Escape from Alcatraz next year. For a first time event, they did a fantastic job of putting on the race… the volunteers were amazing and the whole country (of only 65,000 people) really rallied around the event and helped make it a huge success. There was a ton of media attention as well, and it will be airing on Versus on Dec. 7^th.  I’m sure it will only get bigger and bigger each year!  I was also fortunate enough to be able to help out at a kid’s triathlon the day before… they were all so determined and enthusiastic, it was inspiring!  After the event I also had the privilege of meeting the Premier of Bermuda, Ewart Brown.

I have one race left this year… 70.3 World Championships in Clearwater, FL on Nov. 10^th. I’m really looking forward to having the chance to race there, since I missed out last year with a broken hand.

September . 29
Tinley's Triathlon
1st place
This was the fourth race in the Tri-Cal Series.I am currently in the lead to win the whole series, however I am not able to race Treasure Island on Nov 10th because it's the same day as 70.3 Worlds... and I will be doing that instead. I feel especially obligated to do 70.3 Worlds because I couldn't race last year after I broke my hand two days before the race! So unfortunately I will not be able to win the Tri-Cal Series for a third time... that will have to wait until another year. ;)  I was excited to race at Tinley's though... it's a great little event, much like Wildflower but much smaller. It's a beautiful rolling ride through the San Luis Obispo countryside and a hilly run. I came out of the water in third, and managed to take over the lead on the first climb of the bike. I pushed the bike pretty hard, but felt really good and comfortable. I had about 2 minutes up on second place starting the run and was able to just hold a steady pace to take the win. I am now looking forward to my last two races of the season...Escape to Bermuda on Oct 21st and 70.3 Worlds.

September . 15
Beijing World Cup ~ Olympic Trials
4th American