Journal

Mar 4. 2010

Week 26...Sorry for the delay in updates, time slipped away from me! These past few weeks I’ve been working a lot on getting things organized for the 2^nd Annual Jenny’s Light 5K & Kids Fun Run I’m putting on this Sunday March 7^th. It shaping up to be a great event with over 400 people already entered!

On the pregnancy front I’m still feeling pretty good and the baby is still as active as ever! I’m starting to get used to having a belly and having it get in my way from time to time. ;) Putting on socks and pants is not as easy as it used to be, I need to sit down for that! I took a blood glucose test yesterday to check for gestational diabetes…keeping my fingers crossed that I don’t have that…it would be tough to give up sweets!
Sleeping has been a bit of a challenge lately… at least ‘falling’ asleep. I’ve had ‘restless leg syndrome’ the past few nights where I constantly have to move my legs and it’s hard to get comfortable (20% of pregnant women experience this). I even wear SLS3 compression socks, which feel great, and I rub peppermint lotion on my feet and legs to relax them. I’ve found that going to sleep on the couch also helps so I can elevate my legs on a pillow. Then I move back to bed after my first of 2-3 pee breaks in the night. ;) Hopefully this is just a phase and it soon will pass. Although I remember a similar feeling when I was in heavy training… maybe my body feels like it IS in heavy training!

February 11 . 2010
Week 23... It's a girl, it's a boy... actually we don't know since we're waiting to find out but we have mostly been referring to our little 1.5 lb baby as he or little guy for some reason, or most recently little jumping bean! It's been SO active the last couple of weeks... lots of kicking and maybe even swimming in there! ;)

I am really starting to embrace my growing belly and I feel really good lately. My appetite seems pretty much back to normal, although I get 'full' much quicker! My energy levels are good and I'm able to do some sort of workout every day, even if it is slow.

We are also working on picking out a name... girls names are coming easily, boys names not so easily. We'll be keeping that as a surprise too.

Our friends keep telling us to go on litttle trips while we can... so a babymoon may be in store for us this weekend.

February 1 . 2010
The kicking has begun! We felt our little baby move for the first time last week and it was amazing, almost surreal...to think a little person is growing inside of me! Now I can't stop putting my hand on my belly. :)

I am also officially out of my 'pre-pregnancy' pants/skirts/jeans and even many of my girl fit running tops. I'm not really into crop tops so I think I'll switch to my longer tops. ;) I will need to go up one or two sizes in my swim suit too... still can't find a nice training maternity suit. I will have to get on TYR about that one. ;)

I'm still managing about 3 runs at week, 30-45 min or so at about 9-9:30/mile pace. It feels okay and not too uncomfortable yet, I just have to pee every 15 min! I really enjoy hiking in the hills near my house too. Besides having to wake up at 5:30am, swimming is still great and I think I will continue to do it through my whole pregnancy. Nothing beats the feeling of weightlessness!

Here's to more kicking and growing!

January 25 . 2010
Week 21...it's so nice to be past the halfway point of my pregnancy! In some ways it's going by fairly quickly, but in other ways June seems like it's still a long way away. A couple of weeks ago we had our 20 week ultrasound and everything looked good and the baby looks healthy. We're waiting to find out the sex, as hard as that will be, but it will be a nice surprise when baby Lavelle is born.

I've been pretty lucky in that my nausea seems to be getting better over the past few weeks. I had a rough patch for about 3 months before Christmas that made eating dinner very difficult! Nothing tasted good and I just felt like I had a bad hangover for weeks on end! I feel like I have a little more energy now and I'm trying to run 2-3 times a week and swim 2-3 times a week as well. I've started walking the hills which has been a nice change of pace. ;) No more biking though... i've been off the bike since October!

My belly is also starting to expand, sweatpants are my new best friend! I'm hoping to feel the baby move soon... should be any day now.

January 17 . 2010
I have some exciting news to share... I am pregnant! Brian & I are very excited and can hardly wait for parenthood! It's something we have both always wanted and we feel that this is the perfect time for us to start a family.

I will really miss competing this year but I plan to still be very involved in the sport with the help of my amazing sponsor TYR (as well as ISM saddles and Oakley). I plan to come back to racing in 2011 with a new purpose and a new focus!

In the meantime, I will continue to 'blog' about my pregnancy, the changes I'm experiencing and how I'm staying active. We are at the halfway mark now, 20 weeks, and due the first week of June.

To the adventure of a lifetime...wishing you all a very happy & successful 2010!

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oct 27 . 2009
The season is winding down...

It’s hard to believe the ’09 racing season is winding down…where did the time go?! My last race in LA didn’t go as well as I had hoped it would and I ended up out of the top-10. It just seemed to be a very off day for me and I found myself struggling in all 3 disciplines. After that race I had to make the decision on whether or not I would finish the Toyota Cup Series and race Dallas or go to Hawaii to watch Brian race in his last Ironman. It was unfortunate that those races fell on the same weekend but it was more important for me to be in Kona to support Brian. It was a brutal day in Kona but Brian toughed it out despite not having much in his legs to really push (he did IM Canada just 6 weeks prior!). I was still so proud of him! J

I have decided to end my season a bit earlier than I originally planned and I will not be racing 70.3 Worlds. I have a pain in my left knee that has kept me from running for the past week or so and I’ve also lost some motivation for training and racing. I think a break (both physical and mental) is in order for now and I plan to be back full strength and recharged for 2010! I can still look back at this year and feel very pleased with my performances…

Alcatraz . 3^rd

San Jose Pro Challenge . 1^st

Hy-Vee Elite Cup . 2^nd American (12^th overall)

LTF Mpls . 3^rd

LTF Nyc . 2^nd

Lake Stevens 70.3 . 1^st

LTF Chicago . 3^rd

Malibu Tri . 2^nd

On Nov 1st (what would be the 2nd birthday of my nephew Graham) I will be attending the Marin Country Triathlon. www.marintriathlon.com
An amazing eco-friendly event that is graciously donating proceeds to Jenny's Light for the second year in a row. I will be swimming on a "Team Jenny's Light" relay with Olympic Gold Medal cyclist Kristin Armstrong and good friend/mother of 2/multiple top-10 Kona finisher Gina Kehr. I will also have a Jenny's Light booth set up at the expo on Sat and Sun. It will be a great way to finish up another triathlon season racing in honor of Jenny & Graham.

A huge thank you to my sponsors, family, friends and fans for supporting me and believing in me. Until next year...

sept 12 . 2009
Malibu Triathlon ~ 2nd
I had a great time in Malibu this past weekend… racing the Olympic Distance Pro race on Saturday and the swim on a Celebrity Relay on Sunday. I felt pretty good going into this race. I felt like I had some speed back after training for the 70.3 race in August and I was ready to race hard. I had a great swim, caught a couple of waves coming in, and exited in about third close to a few other women. It took me a little while to warm-up on the bike (seems to be a recurring thing!) but once I found my rhythm I felt strong and built up a 1:10 margin over second place coming off the bike. I was hoping this would be enough to hold off Olympian Laura Bennett with a solid run, but unfortunately she passed me with a mile to go and I couldn’t quite hold her pace. I finished in second, just 12 seconds back! I felt great all day and gave it everything I had… it’s nice to add another podium finish to my results this year. J

Sunday was a fun day mingling with the ‘stars’. I was put on a celebrity relay, Team LOST, that included Carlton Cuse (executive producer of LOST) and Mike Benson (top marketing/advertising guy for ABC)… both really nice guys AND they were fast. We won the coed relay division! It was also cool seeing Jeremy Piven, Teri Hatcher, Toby from The Office, Mario Lopez, Felicity Huffman and William Macy. I hope to go back next year to defend our title!

(carlton cuse, mike benson, me & jeremy piven)

Back to training for a few weeks with my next race being LA Triathlon on October 4^th.

august 30 . 2009
Chicago Triathlon ~ 3rd
Whew, the last 10 days were a blast! I spent time in New Hampshire, Minnesota and Chicago. I was in New Hampshire for 4 days doing a photo shoot/product review for TYR's 2010 line. I had so much fun hanging out with all of the great people that work for TYR as well as Andy Potts, Chrissie Wellington, TJ Tollakson and Magli Tisseyre. We stayed at a cabin on a beautiful lake in the middle of New Hampshire with no cell coverage, which was actually really nice. :) The days were filled with different photo shoots, testing out new TYR products, helping design future TYR products, going for swims in the lake and runs along the country roads, doing beach relay TYR Olympics (I was sore for 3 days after doing the wheel barrel race on sand!), picking fresh blueberries and eating great food. They took good care of us!

From there I went to my hometown of Minnetonka, MN to visit my family and friends. We also had a Jenny's Light board meeting and talked about our latest project... reviewing grant applications for postpartum depression awareness initiatives that we will be funding. Saturday morning I drove from Minneapolis to Chicago with my parents. What should have been a 6 hour drive turned into a 8+ hour drive! Gotta love Chicago traffic! I made it just in time for the pro meeting.

Chicago is definitely one of my favorite cities... if not my favorite city to visit! The weather was perfect all weekend (65-70 degrees & sunny and windy of course too!) and I stayed with my parents and brother in an amazing condo right off Lakeshore Dr near Millenium Park. I believe this was my 12th time racing in Chicago and I've enjoy it each and every time. I got off to a pretty good start on the feet of the leaders during the swim. Unfortunately I lost contact about halfway through and came out of the water in 4th, about :20 down. The first lap of the bike was tough as I had a hard time finding my rhythm. The second lap felt much better and I picked up the pace a bit. I came off the bike in 2nd, about :30 down from Sarah Haskins. I felt okay on the run but I seemed to be stuck in my half Ironman pace and couldn't go much faster. I think it's time to work on some more speed! Anyway, I was really happy with a podium finish. I am also still in the running for the Toyota Cup Series.

While I was racing in Chicago my husband Brian was racing IM Canada. He finished 8th and earned a coveted Kona slot! I'm so proud of him. He had a great race in some tough conditions... hot, windy and hilly! Now he gets to do it all over again in just over 5 weeks! ;)

Next up is the Malibu Triathlon on Sept 12th.

august 16 . 2009
Lake Stevens 70.3 ~ 1st
Coming into this racing season I wanted to do a few more half ironmans since I was stepping away from world cup racing. I had a few in mind for the year but wasn't able to squeeze one into my schedule until this month. Washington is one of my favorite states, the Seattle area in particular, so Lake Stevens seemed like a perfect first 70.3 race of the year.
It was a chilly morning, low 50's and overcast, and they actually had to delay the start because of fog over the lake. Once we started I settled into the lead on the swim and thankfully the course was marked by a rowing line that we could follow underwater so we didn't have to sight too much. I exited the water a little over a minute up on the next woman.
I have to say I was pretty 'numb' the first loop of the 2 loop bike course... I could barely feel my hands, my toes or my quads! I gradually warmed up and felt better as I went but my lead slipped away as I came into T2 about :15 down from the leader.
I left T2 on her heels and took the lead back within the first mile of the run. She stayed right with me though for the next 6 miles or so. At around 7 miles I was feeling pretty good so I decided to start picking up the pace. In the past those last 3-4 miles have hurt pretty bad so I wasn't sure I'd be able to keep up my speed but I was amazed at how strong I felt as the race went on. I definitely didn't want a sprint finish so I just kept the pressure on and felt great all the way to the end, crossing in 1st, about 1:10 up from second place. I ended up running my fastest 13.1 miles in a half ironman, 1:24.29.
What a fun race to win... the crowd support was great and the venue was beautiful!
Next up is LTF- Chicago on August 30th.

July 26 . 2009
Life Time Fitness . New York City . 2nd
NYC is a fun place to race, but logistically it can be a nightmare. I still don’t know how the race directors manage to pull it off! My mom joined me on this trip and it was really nice to have her there for support. We woke up to pouring rain but it managed to stop just before I had to ride the 2 miles or so from the middle of Times Square to transition by the Hudson River at 4:30am! The rain stayed at bay for the whole race but it made for very humid conditions and wet roads. The swim here is a point to point ‘with’ the current so my 13 minute 1.5k swim was not really a world record ;), but I did manage to come out of the swim first and after the long (almost ½ mile) run to T1 I was on the bike in a close second. I felt strong along the rolling hills of the West Side Hwy and I was able to take the lead about halfway through the ride entering T2 about :20 ahead of the next woman. I took the run out pretty fast and just tried to maintain my speed through the hilly Central Park loop. Unfortunately I was passed at mile 1, but I held on for 2nd place and was really pleased with it! I am now tied for first in the Life Time Fitness Series… next stop in the Series is Chicago on August 30th.

Before that I have a couple of other races planned… Santa Cruz Sprint Triathlon (benefiting Jenny's Light) on August 9th and Lake Stevens 70.3 on August 16th.

I also made an interesting discovery last week. After the race in Mpls I knew something just wasn’t right with the way my new bike was set up. I had never felt so tense and uncomfortable racing on both the bike and run leg of a race (I felt the same way at Alcatraz) . I just felt like I was having to put forth much more effort than I normally do and my legs ached the entire time. I’ve been trying all season to get my new bike set up to match my set up from last year and I finally found the problem… the saddle on my new bike is set an inch further back than my old bike! This makes a huge difference in terms of power output and the fatigue it can cause. I was amazed at how much better I felt in NYC racing on my old bike again (it was the first race this year on my old bike). I am going to get everything dialed in now the way it should be and hopefully be on my new custom frame in the right set up.

July 11 . 2009
Life Time Fitness . Minneapolis . 3rd
It was fun to go 'home' again and race on familiar territority with my family & friends cheering me on. We lucked out with perfect weather this year... sunny, low humidity and a light breeze. I got off to a great start by staying on the feet of the 2 leaders on the swim so I was on the bike in third. I worked my way into second for most of the ride, but was passed toward the end so I went into T2 in third. I was hoping to feel a bit better on the bike and run but just found it hard get into a comfortable rhythm. I pushed through and finished in third. I was still really happy to get on the podium and earn some points for the Toyota Cup Series. Next up is NYC this weekend!

June 2009 Update
Alcatraz ~ 3rd
San Jose Pro Challenge ~ 1st
Hy-Vee ~ 12th (2nd American)
My last string of 3 races in a row started with Escape from Alcatraz on the 14^th… this was a race I had been focusing on and really looking forward to since it IS my favorite race and having won it in 2006 makes it extra special. I also love the fact that there are always a lot of friends and people I know racing… including my father-in-law, sister-in-law and aunt-in-law! Unfortunately Brian wasn’t there as he raced at Boise 70.3 the day prior (and finished a very respectable 6^th!) It was a perfect San Francisco Day with clear skies and a light breeze, even the water was balmy at 59 degrees! I ended up having a great swim and was the lead woman exiting the water. I was able to keep my lead until about halfway through the bike. I felt okay riding, but was definitely conservative on the descents and probably lost a little time on those. I still came of the bike in second, third was close behind and passed me in transition. I kept her in sight for the first few miles but slowly lost contact. I was hoping to feel a bit better on the run, but I gave it everything I had on that day and finished in a satisfying 3^rd place. I can’t complain about a podium finish! J

Just a week later I did another local race in San Jose, it was the return of the “Pro Challenge”. It’s a very unique and fun format that was last held here in 2002. I won that year and was really looking forward to doing it again! It starts with a 40K bike time trial (racers left 1:30 apart). Then we wait/rest until all the age-groupers finish (about 3-3.5 hours) and come back to do a 800swim/2.5mile run/800swim/2.5mile run continuously, starting in the order we finished the bike so that the first one across the line wins. I had a strong ride and ended up with about a 2 min lead starting the swim/run/swim/run. I was then able to build some more on that with a solid swim/run segment and came away with my first win of the season! I again had a lot of support at this race with many friends, family and athletes I coach there cheering me on. It also gave me some great confidence going into the Hy-Vee Elite Cup just 6 days later.

Hy-Vee was held in West Des Moines, IA. It’s the same race that served as our Olympic Trials last year where I qualified for the alternate spot, so I was really excited to go back! This was also my first world cup since this race last year. Of course it was very hot and humid in the low 90’s, windy, and it started at 12:30pm! I was stuffing my suit with ice, rubbing it on my neck and face, and also put a bunch in my swim cap right before the swim start, anything to try to keep my core body temp down as long as possible. The swim is always crazy at world cup races and unfortunately I wasn’t in the lead pack of about 8-10 exiting the water, but I found myself in the second pack about :30-:40 seconds down. I was hoping my group of about 8 (we dropped 3-4 women along the way) would work a little more to try to catch the lead group but that didn’t happen. There were about 4 of us doing most of the work and we stayed about the same distance back the whole time. I debating trying to break away but thought that probably wouldn’t be smart in the heat so I did what I could while still trying to conserve some for the run. I felt really strong on the run and the heat didn’t seem to bother me much. I just focused on staying steady and keeping my leg turnover high. I passed a few women and got out sprinted by another at the very end but still finished in 12^th place and 2^nd American. I was really happy with my performance!

It was especially rewarding because I knew this was going to be the last World Cup of my career. I have decided to focus solely on non-drafting Olympic distance and 70.3 races going forward. It was a tough decision to make since I’ve been on the US National team for 10 years and they have been a great support in my quest for the Olympics. Racing for the National Team has also allowed me to see so many amazing parts of the world, my favorites being New Zealand and Kitzbuhel, Austria. I will miss being a part of the team but I think my strength lies in non-drafting races and I need to make the most of this for the rest of my career.

may 28 . 2009
The racing has begun...

My thought going into this season was to start things a bit later and focus on key races in June, July, August and 70.3 Worlds in November, but I still wanted to test things and see where I was at by racing St. Anthony’s in April. I knew it would not be my best race by any stretch but it would be a good benchmark. Most of my training prior to that race was base (aerobic) work with very little speed so that is basically how I raced… steady but just not fast! I ended up 13^th (might be the first time I have been out of the top-10 in a non-drafting race since turning pro!). Needless to say I was pretty upset after this race, but just knew I had some work to do and I wasn’t quite fit enough to be competitive with the women that were there.

So it was back to work, focusing a lot more on quality & speed and that seemed to make all the difference just 3 weeks later when I raced at the ITU Pan American Championships in Oklahoma City (may 16). This was a draft legal race, not my favorite style of racing, but since I’m still a member of the US National Team I have certain obligations to race at ITU events and I wanted to get my ranking high enough to get into the Hy-Vee World Cup in June. Unfortunately my swim speed hasn’t come around quite yet and I was off the back exiting the water in 16^th place, by myself. That made for a tough ride on the extremely windy 4 loop bike course. I biked the first 2 laps solo working my way up to the second pack, coming off in 8^th. Once on the run I felt strong and relaxed… I slowly started making up ground on some women from the lead pack (who got off the bike almost 3:00 in front of me) and ended up finishing in 4^th place. I was really happy with my performance… it’s always fun passing people on the run and feeling stronger as I go. J

I wasn’t sure if that finish would get me the points I needed to get a start at Hy-Vee (june 27), but I just found out 2 that I was one of five athletes that the race organizers picked to represent the US at the race. They also sent a beautiful bouquet of flowers with my invitation! I’m excited to go back to the race where I qualified for the Olympic Alternate spot last year… and where there’s a $1,000,000 prize purse! Before that I have Alcatraz (june 14) and Silicon Valley Pro Challenge (june 21).

march 9 . 2009

The start of another season...

Where has the time gone? It’s hard to believe it’s already March AND daylight savings time! I am finally getting back into a structured training program after taking a nice long off-season. After 70.3 World Champs last year I went to IM Arizona to cheer on Brian… he did great & went 8:43, but unfortunately missed qualifying for Kona since the field was so stacked! He will try again this year. From Arizona we took a much anticipated vacation to Ireland… a real vacation… no bikes, no run shoes, just lots of relaxing, sightseeing, eating and drinking. We had a great time!

We spent Christmas in Tahoe, New Years in Napa Valley, and have been enjoying having my parents close by as they are living near Santa Cruz for the winter.

I also attended the ENDURANCE SPORTS AWARDS gala in San Diego on Jan 31st where I was awarded the
'Toyota Triatlete of the Year'...what an honor & a fun event!
Check out the May issue of Triathlete Magazine... cover shot & feature story!
USAT has also awarded me with
"Elite Non-ITU Athlete of the Year"
Thank you to USAT and the great support they have given me over the years!

I spent a big part of January & February organizing the Inaugural Jenny's Light 5K. It was on March 1st in Los Gatos CA and ended up being a huge success! All the time & energy I put in to it was defintely worthwhile and very rewarding. Thanks so much to my sponsors TYR & ZONE for donating the race bags and awards... they were a big hit!

Now it's time to focus on my training and start building up for the 2009 race season. I will kick things off in Florida at St. Anthony's Triathlon on April 26th.

november 8 . 2008
Marin County Triathlon (10/26) ~ 1^st

Escape to Bermuda (11/02) ~ 3^rd

Ironman 70.3 World Champs (11/08) ~ 3^rd

10 months, 16 races, 11 podium finishes, 5 wins, a trip the Beijing Olympic Games, a Toyota Cup Series Win, a podium finish at the Ironman 70.3 World Championships and my 2008 triathlon racing season has come to an end. I could not be more pleased with my results this year… I exceeded all of my expectations, I stayed healthy, I coached myself, I found a strength inside I never knew I had and I felt the presence of two angels with me on the entire journey. I could not have had the year I did without the love, support and encouragement of my sponsors, family & friends, and especially my husband Brian.

I finished the year with a string of 3 races, the first one being local in Marin County just north of San Francisco. Race director Mark Liebert put on this first time event and was gracious enough to donate 1/3 of all proceeds to Jenny’s Light and also award the top male/female pros with $5,000 each to be donated to charity. Brian and I both won and earned $10,000 for Jenny’s Light! It was a very well-run race on an amazingly scenic course, AND it was 100% sustainable and eco-friendly. I look forward to racing there again next year.

Next we flew to the beautiful island of Bermuda… nothing beats pink sand, turquoise water and the laid-back friendly atmosphere of Bermuda. It’s definitely a race that should not be missed! Brian and I both had very solid days with Brian finishing in 6^th (in the middle of Ironman training!) and I finished in a close 3^rd place.

Last but not least, I finished the year in Clearwater Beach FL at the Ironman 70.3 World Championships. This was my first and only half Ironman of the year. I had qualified by being 7^th last year and I was hoping to squeeze in another 70.3 race this year but just couldn’t do it. I wasn’t sure what to expect but I knew I really liked the distance and have had some good results in the past so I was hoping for the best. I felt great on the swim and was first out of the water and first on the bike. A group of the top 4 women and about 4-5 pro men eventually formed somewhat of a pack (staying out of the ‘drafting zones’ as no one was penalized) and we all came into T2 virtually together. It took me a while to find my rhythm on the run… the first 3-4 miles were tough, I felt great from about mile 4-9, and then I quickly remembered how tough 13.1 miles is! Those last 3 miles were brutal, but I stayed focused and kept it steady, finishing in 3^rd place. I was really happy to get on the podium at a World Championships…my first time doing it!

Now it’s time for the off-season and I am really looking forward to taking it easy for a while… at least a few weeks off, a trip to Tempe to watch Brian race Ironman Arizona, then a much anticipated vacation to Ireland over Thanksgiving week. I can already taste the pints of Guinness! ;)

Until 2009… enjoy the holiday season, best wishes and thank you again for your support!

october 5 . 2008
Toyota US Open ~ Dallas
6th place
TOYOTA CUP SERIES CHAMPION!!
This past weekend was the last race of the Lifetime Fitness/Toyota Cup Series. I went into the race having already clinched the Series win with my win in LA, but there was still a lot of money on the line for my final finish at this race.
I felt pretty good in the swim and was able to keep in contact with the lead pack. Once we got through the first 3 technical miles on the bike I tried to assert my strength on the bike and make a push for the lead... Haskins was up the road about :30 and I finally caught her at about mile 12 (there were 3 others within about :15 as well). A couple miles later I hit a big bump on the course and my aerobars shifted down about 45 degrees... it made the rest of the ride slightly uncomfortable and I was a little nervous to stand and grab the handlebars, but I went into T2 with Haskins and Dibens (Norden was slightly in front of us). The run was tough... I didn't feel the same pep in my legs that I had felt in the previous few races and my breathing was pretty labored. I pushed as best I could and finished up in 6th.
I was really happy to get the overall Toyota Cup Series win... what an accomplishment and a nice paycheck too!
I am now going to take a little downtime (a few days off completely and an easy week of training) to try to recharge and get ready for the last few races of the season. I think all the travel and racing this year is starting to catch up with me and I could use a little rest.
The Marin County Triathlon, benefitting Jenny's Light, is next on Oct 26.

september 14 . 2008
LA & Malibu
2 wins!
I just got back from being in the LA area for 9 days... I drove down (5+hrs) on the 5th and met my brother Randy who stayed with me for a few days. We had a great time hanging out, going to a movie screening, an angels-yankees game, and hitting some LA hot spots too (the viper room, chaya, rodeo drive, santa monica, etc).

The race in LA went really well... I came out of the water in third just behind the leaders and made my way to the front within about 2 miles of the bike. I pushed the pace pretty good and came into T2 with Ellis close behind me, so I knew I had to work the first half of the run to try to build up a lead. I felt great the whole way and crossed the line in first solidifying my lead in the Life Time Fitness Series.

Just 6 days later I raced for the first time in the Nautica Malibu Triathlon at beautiful Zuma Beach. After coming out of the water in the lead, I went to work on the bike and was able to build up about 1:30 lead going into T2. Unfortunatley with about 5 miles to go, my chain fell off as I downshifted and it got jammed between the frame and the big chainring... not good! I had to get off and yank it out with my hand and put it back on! Then on the run I tried to push the pace early on and was able to finish 1st...making it 3 wins in a row!

It's good to be back home for a least a little while... Brian & I are off again in a few days for Portland, OR to race US Nationals.

august 24 . 2008
chicago triathlon
1st place!
It was a great day in the windy city this past Sunday... the city actually lived up to it's name as it was a beautiful sunny day, but the winds were strong! I came out of the swim in second with about 3 others right with me. I had about :20 to make up on the leader and managed to pass her around mile 5 on the bike. It was a stiff headwind for the first 6 miles of the 2 lap bike course on Lake Shore Drive... I felt okay the first lap but much better on the second lap so I tried to build as much of a lead as I could before the run. I knew I had to keep pushing on the run to secure a win so that's what I did and managed to win in 2:00.19... my fastest time on the course in the 10+ times I've raced there!
I couldn't have been happier, and it was great having Brian there racing as well (he finished a very respectable 11th even though he just started running again 3 weeks ago after being injured since june!), and my parents were cheering me on too. It was such a fun race to win again... and it puts me in the lead for the Life Time Fitness Series. On to LA in less than 2 weeks and Malibu Triathlon on September 13th.

aug 20 . 2008

It's nice to be back in CA now, but I had a great time in S. Korea & Beijing. My last night there I was able to see track & field and it was awesome! My seat was about 20 rows up for the corner of the track. I got to see... the USA sweep the men's 400m hurdles, a world record broken in the women's pole vault, a US woman win the discus, the men's 3000m steeplechase final, heats of the women's 100m hurdles & 400m hurdles, heats of the men's 200m (Jamaica's Bolt in action!) and men's long jump final. The stadium holds 91,000 people and is absolutely amazing both inside and out! What an experience... one I'm sure to never forget!

Usain Bolt in center of track before 200m...

aug 17 . 2008
Ni Hao from China!
I have been in Beijing now since Friday evening and it's been great... the weather couldn't be better! We arrived to sunny blue skies and fairly low humidity. The airport was a site to see in itself...it's absolutely massive... I hear it's the largest building in the world! The whole thing is brand new for the Olympics. We then took a shuttle bus to Changping and I noticed the highway was almost completely empty... no traffic at all at 5pm on a Friday evening! It has been said 1.5 million fewer people are driving each day, and it definitely showed. I also now have much more of an appreciation for China's beautiful landscape because I can actually see it! The triathlon venue is in and around the Shisanlin Reservoir (Ming Tomb Reservoir) surrounded by lush green mountains. Unfortunately it looks like I will be in the stands for the race, but I'm getting excited to watch the action unfold tomorrow morning at 10am here (Sunday 7pm PST).

I've had a pretty eventful couple of days. Saturday I went for a long run with Greg Bennett     on some trails behind the hotel that traversed across a bunch of rocky hills... there was a temple at the very top that we didn't quite make it to, but we could see tons of people hiking up to it. We then made our way to the race course and went about 3/4 of the way around it before we were turned around by security (everything is very tightly secured!)... it was more of an adventurous long run, but a nice one at that. I just missed a few other girls going into Beijing that day, so I decided to make the trek today instead with Hunter's wife and Matt Reed's wife. It was about an hour taxi ride into town and again there was very minimal traffic. We were dropped off at the USA House (a place for US athletes, families, and friends to hang out, relax, enjoy free food, internet and live coverage of the Games). From there we went to the USA store...I found some great USA/Beijing Olympic souvenirs and I got to meet Bob Beamon... he holds the Olympic Long Jump record (today is the 40th anniversary of the record jump from the 1968 Olympics!). Dara Torres' parents and Gary Hall were also there milling about. Then we walked about a mile to the Silk St. Market...it's a slightly smaller version of the Pearl Market I've been to in the past... lots of great knock-offs... coach, gucci, jimmy choos, diesel jeans, north face, lots of silkwear, etc, etc. We only stayed about an hour as it gets tiring real fast....it's hard work trying to bargain with the sellers! ;)

The hotel we are at, Auspicious Business Hotel, is very nice... big rooms with comfortable beds and a TV that has at least one channel in English. There are about 5 channels that have been showing all different events too. Each night the nutritionist that came with us goes to pick up cooked dinners that have been flown in from the US... just to be safe I guess.We also get to take boxes of cereal, oatmeal, fruit, granola bars, juices, etc to our room each day for breakfast. I have yet to try any authentic chinese food, but maybe I'll try something on my last day here. ;)

After the women's race tomorrow I'm going back to downtown Beijing to see track & field. I will also be able to check out the Olympic Green...National Stadium (Opening Ceremonies/Track & Field), Aquatic Bubble, Indoor Stadium and all the other big venues.
I will then be on my way back to the States at noon on Tuesday.... arriving at SFO before I leave, 9am on Tuesday!

I must say I'm very glad I made the trip here and got to experience being a part of the Olympic Team. It's been fun hanging out with everyone too!
I hope you're all doing well. Enjoy the last week of the Olympic Games!

aug 13 . 2008
Just wanted to send another quick update from S. Korea. It's been a great few days here... I feel like I'm getting more acclimated to the heat and humidity. Yesterday I did a track workout from about 11am-noon and it had to be the highest temperature I've ever worked out in...heat index of 103 degrees! Running guru Bobby McGee was there watching Julie Ertel and I... he gave me some great tips to improve my running form and hopefully make me faster. :) I felt the differences pretty quickly and I'm excited to keep working on them. This morning I did a long ride and got rained on for about an hour in the middle of it! It was fun exploring the island though...I saw some waterfalls, a harbor, and a bunch of really nice resorts along the coast. All in all my training has been going really well and I've been able to do more than I thought I would.

The food has been pretty good too... although I'm getting a little burned out on rice! I've been enjoying some interesting combinations that I probably wouldn't think of at home... rice with strawberry yogurt, egg white sandwich with honey mustard dressing, and peanut butter banana sandwiches.

It looks like everyone is healthy so the chance of me racing is really slim...but it will still be fun to be in Beijing and take in all the hoopla of the Olympics. We leave tomorrow morning and we'll be staying in the Changping district about an hour outside of downtown Beijing.

I was really bummed yesterday when we were all together for a group picture and my camera stopped working!! UGH! I'm not sure what the deal is as the battery seems fully charged but I will keep working on it and hopefully get in sorted out before we get to Beijing.

I hope you are all well and enjoying all the Olympic events on TV... unfortunately the only events we've been able to watch are the ones that Korea is doing well in. ;)

08.08.08
It's the official start of the Beijing Olympic Games today! I leave on the 9th for a training camp in South Korea (Jeju Island) with the Olympic Triathlon Team. I will then fly to Beijing on the 15th, staying until the 19th. Be sure to check out the women's triathlon, Sunday August 17th at 7pm PST.

I want to say a huge THANK YOU to my friends Kris & Mike Savini who hosted an amazing 'send-off' party for me last week at their house. Everyone had such a great time and there was not a detail to be missed...delicious chinese food, cakes decorated with a USA flag and the Olympic rings, customized fortune cookies (congratulating me!), red/white/blue flowers & balloons, etc, etc. Thank you to all of my friends and family for your support and encouragement through this whole journey!

August 4 . 2008
Lifetime Fitness ~ NYC Tri ~ Zone Urban Epic
3rd ~ 2nd ~ 1st
I leave for Beijing in just a few days, but I have lots of races to give an update on... I recently got back from an almost 3 week trip to MN and New England. At the Life Time Fitness race I was very happy with my third place finish...and it put me in contention to place top-3 in the overall series. I was first off the bike and negative split the run as I felt much better on the last 3 miles of the run! It was so much fun racing in front of family and friends and just having the hometown support... thanks to all of you who cheered for me! I definitely missed having Jenny there cheering for me and holding up her big sparkly sign... but I could feel her giving me her strength.

The following weekend (july 20) I raced the second race of the Life Time Fitness Series in New York City. I was lucky enough to have my mom join me there too. After a very quick current-aided swim in the Hudson, I got on the bike in third or so and managed to push the pace at the front getting off tied for first. I had a very solid run in the heat and humidity and finished up in second...again very pleased with my effort.

From NYC, my mom and I drove throughout New England, making stops in Marblehead MA where we spent a couple of nights in a beautiful B&B on the harbor thanks to my very generous sponsor Zonediet.com. They really took care of us... taking us on a boat cruise and out to a great lobster dinner! I would love to go back to Marblehead! From there we drove up the coast, stopping in Kennebunkport for lunch, then on to Portland Maine.

Again Zonediet.com took great care of us there... excellent dinners, beautiful runs and rides, and a very nice B&B near the Eastern Promenade. At the end of this trip I raced in the Zone Urban Epic (july 26). It was a great race...we swam from an island in the bay to the shore of Portland (having to battle a crazy current just to get to the first buoy!), then we rode out of the city on some beautiful country roads, finishing with a run to Back Cove and back all along the water. I was leading for most of the race until I flatted with 1.5 miles to go on the bike. I didn't want to ride on my rear rim so I just walked the bike for about 1/2 mile until a nice guy on a bike came up to me and switched out the rear wheel for me. I was then able to ride into T2... but I had about 3 1/2 minutes to make up on the woman in front of me. I decided to push it from the start and just see what I could do... I managed to catch her about 4 miles into the run and broke the tape in 1st! I definitely had to work hard for this one and run out of my comfort zone, but it was fun and I felt great! Zone had a huge booth at the expo that we hung out in and we listened to some live 'Barefoot Truth' tunes... that were really good!

My mom and I had such a great time touring New England and we can't wait to go back. THANK YOU again to 'Zone'!

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://www.cbs5.com/sports and click on the Alcatraz video on the right.

Thank you again for your spport…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.

Early Sunday morning, we were dropped off from a ferry about a mile out from shore in the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean. It was an in water start and I ended up coming out with 3 other women. After a quick transition, I was first on to the bike and never looked back. It was probably the most scenic bike course I’ve ever done! It was point to point… from The Dockyards on the northwest side of the island to the quaint town of St. George’s on the northeast side of the island. It was also very challenging with strong winds and rolling, technical terrain. I felt great though and managed to build my lead to over 2.5 minutes by T2. I knew there were some quick runners behind me and the run was a 2 lap course with some very tough steep little climbs… it actually ended up being about a 10.5 K run. I ran strong and knew I had to keep the pressure on to stay away. I ran in for the win and had about 1.5 minutes up on second place. It was a great win and so much fun doing it on such an amazing course! It was also great having Brian there to share the experience with and to help support me. J I will definitely go back next year to try to defend my title!

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

The Beijing World Cup was the first Olympic qualifying race for the USA. The top American finisher automatically qualified for the 2008 Olympic Team. Unfortunately the race in Beijing didn’t go as well as I had hoped, but I gave it a solid effort and did everything I could on that day. I just missed making the lead swim pack, which for me should have been a given to be with the leaders, but I was just off. My goal then was to bridge up to the lead pack which I managed to do by lap 3 of 6, but I also brought with me about 20 other women. Once we bridged, I was hoping to get some people to push the pace at the front, but I was really the only one doing that and to no avail. I did manage to win a bike prime on lap 5 for crossing the line in transition first. It’s frustrating for me though when I know I’m stronger on the bike than these women, but it’s hard to break away and no one wants to work on the bike… they don’t mind leaving it down to a 10K running race. That’s not really a ‘triathlon’ to me, but that seems to be the way these draft-legal races go. I was hoping to feel as good as I have the past few races on the run after a hard bike, but my legs just didn’t have it.The horrific smog probably didn’t help either! I ended up 4th American and 28th overall. I’m still in the running with 2 more qualifying races next year… Honolulu in April and Des Moines in June. It’s great to be back in CA... it sure makes you appreciate living in the US after being in a country like China!

September . 8
Pacific GroveTriathlon
1st place
I always love racing in Pacific Grove, and it probably helps that I’ve won the race there 5 times, but it’s a beautiful venue and a fun race! It’s a draft-legal race but I usually end up riding solo after getting out of the water first. I ended up leading from wire to wire with no real threat in sight, and made it my 6th win at the Tri-Cal event. I used this race as a good tune-up for the Olympic Trials race in Beijing on the 15th.

August . 26
Chicago Triathlon
2nd place
Brian and I both went up to race Chicago Triathlon this past weekend. It was fun to finally go to a race together again, and also to have my parents come in from MN and my friends from high school and college out there cheering for us. I wasn't sure what to expect going into this race... I was coming off about 3 weeks of tough training after my 4 week European racing trip, so I felt a little tired. It was a beautiful day in Chicago... 80 and sunny (where just 2 days earlier there were flash floods and tornadoes!). It was a wetsuit swim with water temp around 64 degrees.

Once the gun went off, I found myself in open water after only about 20 strokes... I either picked the right place to start or had an amazing deep water start! I held the lead for the entire swim and ended up getting the swim prime too! I was second getting out of T2 as there was about a 1/2 mile run to transition. It took my a while to find my biking legs, but by the second lap I was feeling pretty strong and was able to keep the leader within 30 seconds of me. The first few miles of the run didn't feel great, but I had a feeling I would come around... I was feeling better and stronger with each mile. I was passed by the speedy Snowsill at about mile 3.5 and was running in third place. By mile 4 I had second place in sight and I knew I was gaining on her. I moved in second place at mile 5 and never looked back! I felt great at the end and was really pleased with my overall effort. I have been focusing a little more on my swim and run and it seems to be paying off. :) I'm looking forward to going to Beijing in just 2 weeks, and may squeeze in a local race at Pacific Grove on Sept 8th.

August . 8
The past 4 weeks...
Drummondville . Quebec ITU Continental Cup (aug 5)
2nd place
Salford . England World Cup (july 29)
16th place
Kitzbuhel . Austria World Cup (july 22)
23rd place
Life Time Fitness (july 14)
4th place
The past 4 weeks have been quite a trip! I started things off with a 4th place finish at Life Time Fitness in my hometown of Minneapolis, MN. It was great to have a bunch of family and friends cheering me on the whole way. I came out with the lead group on the swim and worked my way up to 2nd getting off the bike. I was a little frustrated on the bike because I didn't feel like I had my biking legs until about mile 15! I was happy with my effort though.

From there I flew to Munich, Germany and drove to Kitzbuhel, Austria. It's a beautiful little alpine ski town at the base of the Alps. I was a bit off pace on the swim and ended up in a large chase pack but we managed to catch the lead group of 8 on lap 2. Toward the end of the bike I made a small breakaway so that I could get into T2 ahead of the 35 or so women in the bike pack. I felt descent on the run, but I didn't quite have the speed to place as high as I would have liked to. I came in 23rd and still earned some valuable ITU pts that improved my world ranking.

From Kitzbuhel, and friend and I took a train to Schaffhausen, Switzerland where we spent a week with another friend training in the Black Forest and swimming in Lake Constance... it was amazing! I love Switzerland! :) From there I flew to London and drove with another friend to Salford. I came out with the lead pack on the swim... a short way into the bike our lead pack turned into 40+ women! I wasn't able to break away as it was very windy and technical. I came off the bike with group and ended up having the run of my life! I have never felt so good in a race! I ran my fastest 10K in a triathlon ever... 35:51. It was just one of those days were it almost felt effortless... the feeling I hope for with every race! I managed to finish in 16th and again improved my world ranking to within the top-45.