Merry Christmas! XOXO!

It twas the night before Christmas.......

Ironman Florida on TV!

Just watched IMFL on tv....thought they did a pretty good job with the coverage of the race and top pro's that day. I'm glad they once again mentioned Nina Krafts bad drug habits...her decision to use drugs shall haunt her forever...
Was really happy to see Sergio looking fantastic...which they showed him more! What a great run he had!
Listened to my kids saying every two minutes...is that you..is that you!!!!
I need to work hard on my swim this winter so I can get out on the bike and get some film coverage. My kids are starting to think I don't really do these races!

I'm in Florida for a few days...just hanging out with some friends. Went out last night,and stayed out way to late. I now know that I can't really balance the two as when I got a wake up call this morning to go swim...I desperately wanted to ignore it. Dragged myself out of bed and got the work done...but was not easy.
Home tomorrow...I need to get back on my schedule!

Whats up with the airlines????

I just opened up my bike case. It had been sitting in my garage since IMFL and I decided I really needed to do some trainer work. Well I am furious as once again the airlines are just totally out of hand. They really do not care that you are travelling with a 5000 dollar bike. They had obviously taken my bike out of the box to check for CO2's and never clamped my bike down again. I have one of those large travel cases from Multisports. My bike was just sitting there flopping all around. Well the whole one side of it has had its paint all taken off and it has 3 big chips in the frame. I had covered the bike with a towel and put padding in...it was all taken off. It is bad enough that we now have to pay $300 per flight to travel with our bikes but they treat your bike like S**T. The last time I flew with Delta they charged me over weight. The new rules are 50 pounds...the bike box almost ways that!) They then charged me over size too and another 50 for travelling with a bike! Ridiculous!I am going to have to start shipping my bike.
Well I sent them a letter today...we'll see what they have to say!

18 weeks and counting down!

Well I've been working on my projected race plan for 2008. I am definitely planning on an early season Ironman, as I feel I would like to get a jump start on the season. I have strong thoughts of going back to South Africa and racing in my home country where I was born. I did this race two years ago and I loved it,despite the fact that it was super windy. It was an extremely long choppy one loop swim course. It poured with rain as I entered T1. I stood in the rain 5 miles into my bike and tried for 20 minutes to change a brand new zipp tubular as hundreds of people road by me. I then rode with only half a co2 in my tire for 110 miles. I loved the 3 loop run course although the whole way people were braiing. The smell of boerewors
(South African sausage)cooking was a bit overwhelming after 10 hours of racing,especially when I was start to really feel the lack of nutrition and you craving salt. Instead I was salivating over the thought of eating a boerewors roll which I hadn't had in a few years! My mom and sister had flown in from Durbs to support me andhelp me with Sydney, my daughter who travelled with me. They had never seen me race, so it was an amazing experience to be there. It was special to me as it was my first pro race too and I qualified there for Hawaii!!!!So as I have not been back home to visit my family and friends since then, it sounds like a great excuse to go home. Another thing that is tough about this race is the time change. They are seven hours ahead of the USA so you really start the race around midnight if you don't have enough time to get adjusted to the time difference. This too can be rather draining I definitely recommend at least being there 10 days prior ifyouare thinking of doing this race.
My other option is Ironman Arizona which is also April 15th. This race would be a much easier option for me. I have never done but I hear it can be hot and windy. I've seen the course and it does not look very exciting but I do have a few friends from the Jersey Shore doing it,(Chris,Tom,Big Mike,Jamie) so it would be fun. The whole HTFU team(Paulo,Jonnyo,Mariana, Will Ronco,Zach Ruble and Miranda) will probably be there too....double fun! I do not need to make up my mind yet so I shall see how the next few months go. This shall be a tough decision!
No matter what I decide it is never easy training for an early Ironman in New Jersey. The cold icy snowy rainy days are never inspiring. I shall do my best to get out on my road bike whenever it is sunny and 40 degrees. I shall ride my mountain bike when its 39 and below and I shall ride the trainer when its icy,snowing or raining. I too shall make two winter training trips to Las Cruces New Mexico to try get some solid warm training days in before Ironman.
Well I am yet to unpack my bike from Ironman Florida so it is time to get motivated and do so. Here goes I have 18 weeks and counting....to Ironman!

Goodbye Team Timex!

Well I have not written in a few days as I got the very sad email from Ben that they had made the decision not to renew my contract with the Timex Team. Well as everyone knows in the triathlon world sponsorship deals close as of Dec 1st. Hence I have been scrambling to organize my future year. I was not totally surprised by this decision as my results have not been stellar this year due to all my injuries. But still I could not help but feel like I had just had my heart broken. My first reaction was but why? Well, I do understand it is a business and they need the best athletes to bring attention to their team. It is so tough when you are a dedicated athlete working so hard to get results and then you feel like you aren't good enough. Well this is only my second year as a professional in this sport and it is a learning curve for sure. I am realizing that this is not only a commitment to the training of the sport but you have to treat your sponsorship end as a business too. I am new to all this and I too shall learn from this.

I had a great time being a part of the Timex Team and I really enjoyed the friends I have made. They were a very supportive group that always got me what I needed. It was great to have the home base at all the races and a great mechanic Doug to work on my bike. This I will miss! I am working on my new sponsors for next year this week so I shall write soon.
So expect to see me in a new look for next year!

Back in training!

It's one month since Ironman Florida and I am back to a training schedule as of Monday. However last week in fear of the fact that I did very little at all for three weeks, I panicked and I actually got a solid 18 hours of fun training in with no real schedule.

My week of play included mountain biking 5 days...It always takes me a few days to get back into mountain bike shape. The guys that I ride with like to hammer in the woods, which for me means, biking all out,anaerobic for 2 hours. So last week was great as I either biked by myself or with my good friend Chris who had just got a fixed gear mountain bike. We spent some time jumping logs and just enjoying the woods and riding comfortably. Saterday was a great social ride with a few old friends coming out to join in the fun. It's been a grea week of mountain biking.
I too put in 4 days of swimming....My good friend and loyal swimming partner Maggie and I joined a friend who was preparing for a big meet. We jumped into her workouts. This put me straight back into the heart of swim training. My first swim day I was adamant that I was just going to take it nice and easy. After watching them for one day pushing all out in the lane next to me I was done. I had to join them. My new secret weapon for this winter was I wanted to work on my stroke. I am a retard when it comes to swimming anything other than free so I expressed this to my masters swim coach. He gave me a beautiful 10 x 100's IM set that almost killed me. After a week of fly sets my arms are exhausted but I am already feeling a little stronger.
Lastly I got a few good runs in. I shall be very weary of trail running this year as it was around January last year that I tripped on a root in the woods and all out football tackled a tree, dislocating my shoulder. It cost me 4 weeks in PT. So this week I gingerly ran in the woods a few times running with higher than usual knees. I too got a really solid 10 miles on Sunday...which I was not planning on doing. I had considered a local race down here called the reindeer romp that has a nice party after which I thought would be fun. The thought of trying to run all out for a 5 km was something I was not ready for. So instead my 7 mile run turned into a tempo ten miler that was quite enjoyable and I felt pretty strong.
So as Monday rolled along I was fully prepared for my first day back.

Its great to be back on a schedule. Every year my commitment to the sport grows. I am so ready to train as I want this year more than anything to succeed! I believe I can get the results I want and I am not afraid to work hard for it!

Enjoying my down time in Florida!

Am I ready to start training again?

Well I was asked the big question tonight. Am i ready to start training?
It kind of caught me off guard as I had just got in from Florida where I had spent all weekend in one long party. It was a eatathon, with continuous plans made around what brunch,lunch or dinner party we where going to. I did however manage to get one 7 mile run in along Bayshore in Tampa. I have run this route many times. It is a beautiful 10 mile run along the water where there are always people working out. It was an incredible 70 degree morning, blue sky and I was thrilled and just loving life. Running comes so easily to me. It is what makes me feel good and been able to pick the pace up when I saw some cute guys running towards me or slow it down and run on the grass if I felt like it, was just the way I wanted to run. I probably said hello,good morning,have a great day to 30 people and I know I couldn't wipe the smile off of my face. I came back to my sleeping family in the best mood and ready to take on the day.
I have quite enjoyed my time off. It is so much less pressure when your days are not all about how you are going to fit all your workouts in and keep some balance in your life. The last few weeks have been all about family and friends and enjoying every moment!
So I come back to the question. Am I ready to start training again?
No...not yet!
Maybe next week!

Ironman Florida '07

Ironman Canada '07

Wrap up the season...and move on to a New Year!

It's time to let this year end so I can move forth to what I am hoping is going to be a very good 2008. This post is my whole year condensed into one big story. Next year my blog will be filled with detailed posts on each race.


In life you have to pay your dues and this is what I feel my last two years have been about.


This was my second year competing as a professional triathlete in what seemed to be a more competitive womens field than ever. More girls, with faster times all vying for a few Hawaii spots at every Ironman race.


MY PURSUIT TO FIND A COACH

I had a couple goals for this year some were met and some were not. My first mission at the end of 2006 was to find myself a coach. I had had a solid season in 2006 with a 7th place finish in Ironman South Africa and a personal best of 10hrs 8 min in Ironman Hawaii.

I knew I needed a coach to try take me to the next level for 2007.

I started my quest for the perfect coach. Someone who would put up with my calls and questions...someone who I could put my trust in ....someone whose training philosophies I believed in. I spoke with several coaches, two were impossible just to reach and just seemed way to busy and I just did not feel like a few of their training approaches were going to work for my lifestyle.. Then I remembered that I had got a great recommendation from a fellow Timex athlete, Jordan Rapp. He had suggested earlier in the year that I contact Paulo Sousa. I went onto his site www.pstriathlon.com and read his very brief bio. I liked his philosophies of more is more, although the less is more training system did sound very appealing. We spoke a few times and I was convinced. ....it was very apparant as the year progressed that I was truly lucky to have found such am amazing coach with such a passion for his athletes and for triathlon.

LIFT YOUR FEET WHEN YOU RUN IN THE WOODS.

Well, my year would not start until Febuary due to much time spent in Health South Physical Therapy under the relentless torture of Jimmy Smith. At one point he was treating me for 3 nagging injuries all caused by slipping on ice and tackling a tree after tripping over a root while running in the woods.
I eventually got the go ahead to train and started a slow build on a whole new training plan. I decided by choice to train with a srm and heart rate monitor which was another huge change for me. I received my new Trek TTX which is so sweet and I headed out to Las Cruces, New Mexico to meet my new coach and some really cool triathletes at Paulo' training camp. Most were gearing up for IM Arizona and I definitely felt way behind schedule. But I hung in there and came back to NJ with a really solid week of training and I was very fired up.
My first race of the season was going to be Disney 70.3. It turned out to be a bad start to the season, a true learning experience though. I neglected my nutrition on the bike and ended up really bonking on the run. I was extremely upset as I had big expectations and I really wanted a great race to start my year. I took a day off and then got back to training to prepare for Eagleman 70.3 two weeks later. A much better result this time with a top ten finish against a very tough field. I also had 3 PR's. A faster swim,run and overall time. I was alot happier as I felt like it was a confirmation to me that I was on the right track.

WHY ME?

I proceeded to get ready for IM Lake Placid. This is a race that I really enjoy and it was the womens pro race for the year. This I felt was going to be my defining race. Four weeks prior to Ironman, I was up in Lake Placid training and I was feeling so strong and ready. My swimming was so smooth and I felt so positive about my bike and run. A week later, 3 days before my taper I finished my last 20 mile run in 90 degree heat and I walked into the ocean to ice my legs. I jumped up over a wave, but my calf cramped up and I fell to the ground. My muscle was in a full spasm and when it released I knew I was injured. I could not walk. My calf swelled up and I was devastated when my physical therapist said he suspected I had torn my soleus. Without a confirmed MRI Paulo made the right decision to pull me from the race. I was truly crushed.
I spent 5 weeks back in physical therapy....knowing I had lost my chance of qualifying for Hawaii this year. I resumed training and did a short build for a late entry into Ironman Canada. I had only run for two solid weeks, all very slow and I was not sure how I was going to feel. I had a descent swim for me, a lot of mechanical bike issues.( Do not change your chain the day before your race ever!!!) It turns out I ran a PR too but I need to be running alot faster. It was the best I have felt in an ironman run and I finished strong. I got alot of confidence from that. I finished 12th with a 1.03 swim 5.39 bike and 3.39 run 10.29 overall time.

MY IRONMAN FLORIDA EXPERIENCE!

I decided I wanted to try race IM Florida 8 weeks later to see if I could try qualify for 2008 there. With thirty pro women already signed up I knew the competition was going to be fierce. I took off two weeks and then started a gradual build . The 30hour weeks leading into the race was more training than I put in before and my confidence started to grow. My build went perfectly and by my taper I started to see my swim times getting faster and my run times picking up. I was feeling very strong and almost back to how I was feeling prior to Lake Placid. I was excited to race.

The week before I was about to leave,my groin started to tighten on a bike ride. I immeadiatly cut the ride short and headed to ART. For the first time since my injury I was worried that something was going to happen prior to race day. I took the pre race week very easy and got alot of aggresive work done on it. I put it out of my mind. It was good to be in Florida with Paulo and the rest of the HTFU team, Will Ronco, Sergio and Jonnyo. It's always great to see the Timex Team and my friends from New Jersey,not to mention my friend,room mate and fellow pro Kathryn Bertine.
Race morning went smoothly and I got into the water before the sun had risen. It was little eerie....but I was glad the day had arrived and I felt good going into the water.
The gun goes off.
Its a big pro field and the group immeadietly divides in two. As per most of my races I get left swimming by myself. Good thing that that is how I always swim so I enjoy the fact that I am not getting beat up and settle into a rythm early on. I catch up with a group at the turn around and pull them to the beach. My first split is 28 min. I am very excited as this is fast for me. I enter the water and once again lead a group all the way to the turn around. I get tired of doing all the work so at the turn around I stay wide and swim alone back. I come out ahead of the group....almost making it under 1 hour ( another one of my goals for this year.) I see 59 minutes as I exit the water in 9th place. It is such a boost to come out of the water knowing you have had a solid swim. I had heard Florida was not the course to try get a PR swim time so I was chuffed. I executed my transition perfectly and got going on the bike and at the 5 mile mark I was in seventh place. Then came a slight turning point in my race. I had a very definite race plan that I struggled mentally with throughout the day as I watched pro women after pro women come from behind in little packs of age groupers and then eventually in big packs of age groupers. The drafting for some went from the beginning to the end of the bike. I was in total shock and disbelief. My first experience with this was the 70.3 World Championships last year. I could not believe how blatant it was and how so many people responsed,"It's not just me everyone is doing it!" I decided after the first girl went by that I was going to just stick to my race plan and try my best not to get caught up, but at times I had to sit up out of my aero bars ,slow down and wait for a group to pass. I was so distracted at times that I know the last two hours of my nutrition was not perfect. I felt cheated and very disheartened.
I came off the bike happy with my time and feeling like I was ready to get the run started. I left T2 feeling very good and started running with a good effort. My heart rate was around 150 which looking back was probably a bit too high. The first ten miles I had very nice leg turnover and I was feeling pretty good. I could see the pro women running towards me. It was obvious those who drafted had put alot of time on me. I was out of contention for even top ten. I started to feel the effects of probably not well executed nutrition and at mile thirteen I was at 1hr 38 minutes. I knew if I could hold 7.30 pace I would have an awesome run but my hamstrings were getting really tight and my stomach was not feeling very good. It is amazing how important your nutrition is in order to have the perfect race. By the last time I saw Paulo at mile 20 I was just hanging in there bringing it home with 9 minute miles. I crossed the finish line with very mixed emotions. My goal this year was to break 10 hours. I went 9.51 so how could I not be happy. I had a swim , and run PR despite all my difficulties. Yet, it was not a perfect day.

Next year I shall continue my mission to find the perfect storm.
"You miss a hundred percent of the shots you never take!" Wayne Gretzky
I shall continue my pursuit as I know I can be better!

Tough as nails.

Reflection!

Well, I have wanted to write a blog for some time...but I just never seem to have had the time and patience to try figure out how all this works. I read a quote last night that said "Don't say you don't have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours in a day that Helen Keller, Michaelangelo, Mother Theresa, Leonardo da Vinci and Albert Einstein all had." Therefore I stopped making excuses and started this blog.

While filling out my profile it gave me a chance to think about what made me the person I am today.
I was always addicted to exercise and staying fit...except at a young age it was just a way of life. Not like it is now where children have organized play and very little freedom.
My first hero was a South African runner Zola Budd who competed in the Olympics. I wanted to be her...she ran without shoes and so I ran barefoot too. My dream was to go to the Olympics!
My life was filled with lots of walking, running and swimming in the ocean. I had so much freedom to explore.
I was always a daredevil. My brother will tell stories of how I was not afraid of anything! I remember my mom walking in while I was in the middle of a dare. I was climbing from one window to another but I was three stories up. Boy, did we get into trouble for that! I was always up for A CHALLENGE. We would climb tall trees,crawl through mazes of drain pipes, spend hours running freely on sandy beaches digging for amazing marine life in giant rock pools. I remember clearly hanging on for dear life to the Brighton Beach salt water pool railings, with giant waves crashing over our heads trying to knock us into what we thought was shark infested waters. I was tough as nails...a saying we now use on my daughter who seems to be following in my footsteps. These wild days of freedom, the endless adventure, the South African heat and hills are all what make me who I am today. A strongly independent women, yet that same little girl still looking for excitement,adventure and a constant challenge.
We had a great saying growing up which I was never really fond of." We rough and tough and we come from the Bluff." Well thank you mom and dad for always letting me have that freedom, thank you Bluff for making me who I am today!