One pot hole..one sweaty hand and so ended my season...

It's hard to believe that my season is over....I have put so much energy, commitment and hard work into this year and deciding to try qualify for Hawaii.


After Steelhead I had picked friend Pedro Gomes up and we returned back to NJ where I would spend the next few days deciding what my next step in racing would be.
With being so close to qualifying for Kona all season...although I was iin the Top 30...it seemed like all the girls were going to make the push and race another IM to secure or try get the last remaining spots.
I knew if I did not race I would either be the last girl to qualify or I would just miss it.
So Coach Jesse Kropelnicki and I agreed that I would race IM Canada.
So I went back into a 30 hour training week. This was going to be one quick build and taper.
It was great having Pedro here and I got through the week and was on my last big ride. I had done a 6 hour ride the day before and decided to head up the coast for a 4 hour steady ride.
I was definitely running on empty when we hit the Atlantic Highlands Hills. We had done the hills and were almost about to head home. I turned a corner headed down a steep hill and hit a pothole...my hand slipped off the bar as it was so humid and I had not worn gloves. I was going fast and fishtailing. I tried so hard to stay up but I hit hard and blacked out! From this point I don't remember anything until I was in the ambulance.
Apparently I fell and kept rolling down the hill and landed in a nice ditch of water. My beautiful Kestrel cracked in a few places showed just how hard my body hit the ground.

I knew my shoulder/collarbone was broken ...I was in severe pain which the guys at the trauma ward never really care about because they have seen so much worse. In seconds my clothes were cut off and the morphine was flowing and my reality was setting in. I don't remember them doing a cat scan or x rays but soon they reported that I had broken my clavicle. By that point Hank and the kids were there and the position I was in was feeling way to familiar....I had been in a similar crash two years ago.

I immediately called friend and orthopedic surgeon extraordinaire Dr Goldberger from Advanced Orthopedics in Freehold who kindly came over to see me... I am so thankful to him for immediately putting me at ease. He looked at my x-rays and gave me the options. Surgery for me was going to be the best option.

We planned on surgery Mon which meant a two day wait. This gave me time to realize how the rest of my body was doing. I was very thankful to have no other breaks....
I had X-Rays done on my knee/hip and hand....not sure if they did my ankle but the whole left side of my body was a big swollen mess of abrasions.


I got to go home for a night before heading to Centra State hospital for surgery. Surgery was a blur of anasthesia and then the next week has been a blur of discomfort and pain!
It is very hard to go from athlete with 20-30 hour training weeks to being totally immobile dealing with the reality that my season is officially over. There is a deep sadness that comes when you cannot do what you love to do, but you have to remain positive and see the light at the end of the tunnel!


I am so thankful to all those who reached out to help....To Dr Goldberger who went above and beyond in his surgery, nurse and friend Liz Donahue who answered my endless questions, all the beautiful flowers, the dinner friends brought over. My husband and kids who have been at my beck and call and who have seen me through some very frustrating painful moments.

So happy to be off the Percocet and on the upswing!!


Also thanks to my Trakkers teammates for all yout good wishes and cards, and to all of you the reached out to me. Us athletes all know how devastating crashes can be....

Steelhead 70.3/Duathlon

St Joseph is a quaint little shore town on the banks of Lake Michigan. Lake Michigan never ceases to amaze me. At 307 miles in length and 118 miles wide it looks and acts like an ocean.
My first few days there I enjoyed calm waters but that was all about to change race day!





The day before the race I made my way down to the pro meeting where we were informed that despite the deceiving blue skies a storm was headed our way and the once quiet waters of Lake Michigan were about to become narly 3-5 foot swells, a mosh pit of angry whitecaps and that our 70.3 was probably going to become a duathlon. We then went on to vote in what order we would like to start out TT race on the bike. The vote was unanimous that the highest numbers would go first. I knew immediately that this was not going to work in my favor as those registered last would start at the front and the fastest girls would all start last. I was going to be starting in the front and I would have no idea where anybody was in the race until the end. It was going to be a cat and mouse game and I was the mouse…






Race morning ...



We all sat around the start for what seemed like a long time…over 2 hours to be exact. There was a lot of friendly bantering going on and a fairly cheerful atmosphere. The wind was howling and the skies threatening to rain and I was happy they made the decision to cancel the swim. All of us pro's can swim in rough water if we have to...but the added anxiety of not being able to site and swallowing tons of water every tome you try raise your head to breathe is never fun!

So we just sat and waited....We were not allowed to take our bikes out so we would be starting the race cold with no warmup.

At 7.15 the guys lined up and started there 30 second take offs….I would be the second women to start. 3,2,1 and I was off…legs felt a lot better than I thought they would..actually better than after a swim. I was surprisingly warm despite being freezing for 2 hours waiting in the wind. My legs were cooperating and the watts Coach Jesse and I had spoken about were coming fairly easy….Always a good sign.
I was quickly passed by the third place girl and decided to pick up my watts and stay with her. I was now working a little harder than I would normally and was enjoying having someone to ride with. With the lead cyclists in front of us it was easy to believe that we were really in the lead group…sadly this was deceiving as the Heather Jacksons and Melissa Rollinson were working there way up through the 22 pro girls that were ahead of them.
By the half way mark I was feeling the harder effort especially two weeks post Ironman Lake Placid so I made the decision to ride on my own at the pace I knew I could handle on that day. Nobody was in sight either in front or behind me and that is the way the bike would stay for the next 90 minutes. When you are on your own you have to stay present and focused 100% otherwise the time slips by and you can easily lose valuable minutes. I think i did a good job at this yesterday and kept the focus and was happy that by the time I headed into T2 my power would be a little above where I needed to be. Therefore I was on track and with a 2.24 bike one of my fastest 70.3 splits and my highest power numbers I had pushed.

T2 was a long run and then I was happy to head out onto the run course feeling pretty good. The first mile is a long slight uphill and I reminded myself not to panic as my mile time was slow. Sadly I could n't seem to push my heart rate up where it needed to be either….I was worried I might have put out too much on the bike.
By mile 2 Heather and then Mellisa came flying by me. I could not believe that they had caught me so soon. I started doing the maths and panicking a little. I had lost ten minutes to them. I assumed all the rest of the girls were right behind them too. I tried to stay positive but the added stress just worked on my stomach and I then spent the next 2 miles battling the need to hit a portojohn with none in sight. That too puts further stress on me and my focus is no longer on running and pushing the pace but on a search for an emergency stop. I finally could not hold it in anymore and darted for some bushes. My timing was impeccable as all the guys started to run by me at that time which made me laugh and the go find a deeper section into the woods. Now I was losing some serious time….

Here is where I fall short in races….I definitely spend way to much time thinking instead of just focusing on the task at hand which is run faster. Jessica Jacobs had now made her way past me and I was feeling quite distraught. My only saving grace was then seeing a few girls that were still a couple miles behind me which pumped me up and with a stomach that was now feeling a little better I started to work on refocusing and pushing the last 6 miles. My miles were looking significantly better and by the last three miles I was really able to push hard and finish strong. I was happy to negative split the marathon and bike.
I definitely think the lack of speedwork since IMLP played a big part in me not being able to make the adjustment to push hard in the beginning. Racing is such a mindset and I will continue to work on staying present!!!

Coming in to the finish I was told I was 4th and had to wait for a drug test. I was pleasantly surprised to be 4th and happy to see them drug testing girls. Later I found out that two girls that started near the back were indeed 50 seconds ahead of me which moved me to 6th place. Ahhh my immediate thought was that was a $1000 dollar bathroom stop…Ouch that hurt!!!!

I really need to figure out my stomach issues one day….

So all in all I was really happy with the effort 3 weeks after IMLP. I had been feeling really fatigued a couple days before so it was nice to be able to race and have my times be right there with my best half Ironman paces so soon after Ironman.

Next up IM Canada!

Wow! What a hectic 2 weeks!

Well I can't believe it is only 2 weeks since Ironman Lake Placid.
I was lucky enough not to feel too bad after the race, as I knew I was going to get right back into a training as I need another race or two under my belt this August. I got a day or two of rest, a few lighter days and then I went back to a full training schedule. Last week I had 26 hours of training, with a long ride and a couple 10-13 mile runs and some good strength work.

It's been an interesting week, as after some heavier training and little rest I started to feel a bit beat up. I was such a big baby a few days ago and was whining and a bit cranky!!! Sometimes I really just need to think less and just do the work!!

Life with kids does not stop if you are tired or training a lot.
The kids have their own busy schedules with drama, singing,piano,football, summer baseball,field hockey, soccer camps and of course fun beach days...Last week we had friends stay over, friends came to visit us from out of town, and we had a fun night in the city ...
I too had to my daughters 9th birthday party and a fun day at a water park.....so it's been a hectic two weeks.








So now this week I shall continue to train and then I head out to Michigan on Thursday for Steelhead 70.3.
Looks like there will be a large group of pro women racing so it should be a fun race!!!

Overcoming Adversity.....Ironman Lake Placid Race Report!

The Ironman distance race is in my opinion is a mixture of your current fitness and your mental strength...

Going into this race I felt like I was more prepared than ever in both of these aspects. This allowed me to go into race week feeling confident and ready!

My build up into Lake Placid had gone really well and the weeks before I had played over different scenarios of things that might happen while racing that would throw me off and how to address them.

I was excited and genuinely so pumped to race and was really enjoying all the well wishes and support I was getting from all of you!!! There is no better feeling when you feel ready and in control and know you have the ability to perform well!

I love Lake Placid, I know every part of the course, and how I knew how I wanted to race it!

The night before the race I went to bed and like a few Ironman before, I had a 100% sleepless night. Unfortunately this you cannot control. I guess my nerves were kicking in... So I rolled out of bed at 3.20 am and started my usual am prerace routine.
My breakfast however was not going down well...I was feeling very nauseous .I continued to get ready but by the time I was about to leave I had thrown up twice. My husband reaction was one of quietness for fear of saying the wrong thing...Normally if you wake up not feeling good and having no sleep you can just get back into bed....I had to go RACE!!! Not only finish but really PERFORM!! MY self imposed pressure to do well was now playing on my mind!

So with out any nutrition in my stomach I headed out....I was now going through the motions and trying to stay positive. This was a situation that I had not rehearsed in my head...The worst case scenarios only are meant to happen while you are racing.
I tried to sip on my trusty EFS sports drink and eat a power bar but that was making me feel more queazy!



Once in transition I got all my gear ready. They had made the call for no wetsuits which I did not mind as the water was pretty warm (around 77 degree's) and I headed down to the beach with my TYR speed suit in hand! I was early and I sat on a bench just trying to regroup. Ironman is such a long day that I knew that this feeling of nausea HAD to pass!!! I reminded myself to just stay positive!!

This picture I have a very anxious look on my face which depicted exactly how I was feeling going into the water!

6.50 The swim start of an Ironman is always so daunting...(even after 19/20 Ironman). The pro's, would have a ten minute head start on the age groupers. I did a few quick warmups sprints in the water and calmly lined up on the front of the start line.

Here's a photo of the pro start!


Ten minutes later the age group start...a mass of 2500 people!




The start consisted of the usual getting hit a few times in the head but all in all it was quite manageable and I quickly found someone's feet to swim on. Just before the first turn around buoy I swam right into one of the giant buoys and my goggle quickly filled with water. I swam until I could no longer see a thing and then stopped to re-adjust them, thus losing the feet of the couple girls I was with.
Luckily I found the the feet of 2 pro guys that were on my feet. They pulled me back to the girls so I was happy about that. Coming into the beach I missed my 1st loop time as I was so focused on staying with the group! So I had no idea where I was time wise.

Running up the beach!



My heart rate is always the highest in the race right here!



On the second loop, I settled into a comfortable pace and stopped siteing as we were swimming right on the lane line and I was getting some nice bubbles and pull off of this guys feet.
But at the last turn around I looked up and noticed that we had been dropped from the girls ahead. I knew the pace felt too easy and I charged ahead. Just in time to start hitting and weaving through all the slowest age groupers.

I came out of the water in 1.01..a minute off my IMTX no wetsuit swim....but not to bothered by it...as the effort was significantly easier which would ultimately help my bike! The crowd cheering on the run to the change tents is always an amazing feeling...a blur of people yelling your name and me wandering who it was!!!

I blasted through the change tents and once on the bike quickly caught up quickly to two of the girls that were ahead of me on the swim. Once on the bike I settled in to the power and watts that I was ready to ride at . I pushed the downhills hard...but noticed early on into the ride that my stomach still was not feeling good. My nutrition was not going down well and my stomach was getting really bloated.



Here's where "Rookie Mistake" number 1 happened...I always tell people...don't try anything new race week" Well what did I do...I broke that rule. I was so excited to try my new Torhan's Aero Hydration System out that they had specially sent me for IMLP that I set it up the day before the race and did a quick check on the set up! I had filled the bottle up and had noticed the straw was way to long and had snipped it twice to the perfect height. Little did I know that due to the yellow gauze that I had placed in the bottle, that did not belong there,I failed to push the straw all the way to the bottom. Hence now that I was on my bike in the middle of an important race, with an upset stomach. I further was distressing it by sipping up huge mouthfuls of air and just not reaching my sports drink! Big problem!!! So I had to rely on my single bottle in the down tube and had to make sure I slowed down at all the aid stations and got a drink for fear of running low on fluid!





Despite the distractions,I kept pushing the pace...and was riding where I had to be heart rate wise..but my legs were not feeling super and I was definitely distracted by moments where I was using me throwing up as an excuse for the way my legs were feeling. All in all my power levels dropped slightly throughout the ride making me lose some valuable time. Coach Jesse definitely thinks the lack of fueling before my race played a huge part in the way my bike went down.
I love the Placid bike course...and I really enjoyed all the crowd support and enthusiasm going through town.

When I rolled into T2 with a 5.30 bike split I knew I was already 10-15 minutes off where I wanted to be in the race.
But I am always happy to get off my bike and to start the run...especially not having any mechanical issues!


I saw Coach Jesse on the run and he assured me to hang in there and that I would start to feel better! I started the run with that in mind. But by mile 2 I was already having stomach distress and lost time at the porto potty. I actually felt much better and continued on my way all focused again. My pace dropped and I was running well....and feeling good... but by the time I hit the 8/9 mile mark I had to stop again. I had to keep pushing to bring my pace back to where I wanted it to be. By mile 11 I was still on pace but was feeling the lack of energy.


On the second loop when I passed Coach Jesse and all the QT2 guys I was pushing knowing that I had to pick things up if I was going to catch any of the girls in front of me. With all the great support through town it's so much easier but as you leave town and are left alone with your thoughts I tried over and over to regroup and refocus. I managed to catch friend and pro Suzanne Zelazo who had had a great race but who was battling on the run which now put me in 5th spot.
At the turn around I tried to time how far behind I was to fourth. I was 8- 9 minutes and I knew that it was not gong to be easy unless she totally fell apart.

Unfortunately my pace had now slowed to 8 minute miles and then a few slow miles heading into town. I knew I was not going to catch 4th so I basically cruised the last two miles to the finish! BTW those last two miles are the LONGEST ever!!!!

The finish is always great running through the Olympic Speedskating Oval!

It was a challenging mental and physical day....but thats Ironman for you! They are never easy!!!!! I really enjoyed the crowds and wish I felt better.

So another 5th place finish at IMLP in a 10.07...still a minute PR on that course. So lots to be happy about!!
Congrats goes to Heather Wurtele who had one incredible day!!

Big thanks to my fam who were there to cheer me on and all the support out on the course!!!! Also to Coach Jesse Kropelnicki from QT2 Systems who got me ready to race and was there to answer my hundred questions!




This race earned me another 1200 points on the KPR, the new professional points system that decides who races the Hawaii World Championships this year. So I am back to my 30th spot. I was hoping my Lake Placid race might give me enough points to make the Top 25 cutoff at the end of the month but unfortunately I will now have to choose another race or two to gather more points if I have any chance of qualifying.
So no rest for me...back to work!!!

Thanks always goes out to my sponsors Rev3/Trakkers...First Endurance, Kestrel, TYR, Avia, Oakley and Torhans Aero Systems.

Xtri posts a nice interview today ...On the Podium with Jacqui Gordon

Nice article posted on Xtri.com this am...


ON THE PODIUM WITH JACQUI GORDON
by Mary Eggers

Photo Credit: Eric Wynn

Professional triathlete Jacqui Gordon is in an interesting spot as she heads into this week's Ironman Lake Placid. She's just outside the top thirty in the Kona Pro rankings (currently around #40) with an Ironman on tap and some outstanding performances under her belt. At age 38 and recently under the guidance of Jesse Kropelnicki of Qt2 Systems, it seems like 2011 is the year it's all coming together for this wife and mother of two.

Gordon is no stranger to the professional scene, having turned professional in 2005, hitting multiple top five 70.3 and Ironman performances. Athletics however have always been part of her life. "In 1999 I wanted to do something epic for my birthday. So I talked my husband into driving to a local ski resort to race in a ski/mountain bike/trail run event. It was my first multi sport event. I led the whole way and won! The next week I found out I was 7 weeks pregnant with my son Tanner. So things were put on hold for a few years!"

So far this season Gordon has PR'd by 33 minutes over the 140.6 distance with her 8th place finish at Ironman Texas with a 9:27.20, among many other accomplishments. While one coult rattle off stats and PR's all day long, what is most captivating about Gordon is the passion she possesses for multisport.

What would you say is your "driving force?"

I have always had the desire to be the best triathlete I felt I could be. From my very first race I knew I had potential and I still feel like I have untapped potential..That's what keeps me coming back for more. As long as I am getting faster and feel like I can balance training/racing with my family life I will keep competing professionally and working hard to fulfill the goals I set for myself each year

Who has been your biggest source of inspiration as you have evolved through the sport?

Natasha Badmann was always my biggest inspiration. She always remained so composed and professional and raced with such passion. Now I get great inspiration from all the pro girls that I race against. Women's triathlon is just at a new level right now. The great results being produced at every race is inspiring! I look around at race start and see a lot of good friends who all share similar goals and passion for the sport like I do.

You have been competing professionally through the changes to the qualification process for Kona. What are your thoughts on the new qualification process?

It will be a very interesting year. Already the changes are apparent with the early season races being packed with girls all trying to nail down big points. The pressure is on at every single race to perform instead of focusing on one big Ironman race. Everyone wants to be at the big show in Kona this year! I personally wish that WTC would have kept things more even and given the girls the same amount of qualifying slots as the men. There are enough talented girls that all deserve to have a fair chance to race in Hawaii!

You changed coaches this season, a hard subject for many athletes to talk about. Is that akward for you to talk about?

Not awkward at all. I am so grateful to have had 4 good years with a great coach. Coach Paulo Sousa from PS Triathlon got me to many top 5 IM and 70.3 finishes. It is always a tough decision to switch coaches but I decided that I needed a change …a new approach. I am so thankful to him for his never ending support he gave me. He taught me about myself,triathlon and mental toughness. Constantly challenging me and keeping me coming back for more and more. He transitioned me from top age grouper to racing and competing well as a professional and I really enjoyed his constant drive for me to be better.

You have rearranged your race schedule a bit to include some of the Rev 3 events as you are part of Team Trakkers. As you have so much experience in the M dot world, how do you compare the Rev 3 series?

I am all about Rev 3 and what they are doing in triathlon. I think we all need to support them as they are offering a great race series that is focused around families and triathlon. Not only are their races first class, the race venues are well chosen to keep friends and family happy too which is so important. You want your family to come and see you race and have their own good memories about their trips. My kids have really enjoyed the amusement park venues and their race in Costa Rica was amazing. I am so happy to be a part of the Rev 3 family.

You race a lot, what's your secret to staying fresh for each event? Do you ever train through races?

I have had years where I have raced 3 or 4 Ironman in a year and other years where I only race 2 Ironman. Bottom line is that I love to race, so I like to take advantage of when I am feeling fit and healthy and race as much as I can. I have had races in the past that I definitely have trained through. I pick my top 2 races for the season and then I arrange my schedule around those.

What is your big focus for 2011?

I will continue my support for the Rev 3 race series. My race schedule has included Rev 3 Costa Rica, Texas 70.3, St Croix 70.3 and then IM Texas, Quassy and then IMLP. That's a full schedule right there!

I shall be working with Coach Jesse on fixing my weaknesses and really trying to improve on my Ironman run.

You have two children and it seems like the majority of your triathlon career has been after their birth. What's your secret to balancing being a mother and a professional athlete? What do you hope to teach them as you compete?

My children have only ever known me as mom and athlete. My life is very busy, just the way I like it! I am very lucky as I have a supportive husband who works from home so together we manage to keep everything going. I want my children to excel as athletes and we keep them very involved in all sports. I always remind them that if you want to be good at something….not only good but the best you can be…you need to put the work in. I have taught them to face your fears. To dream about your goals and to love what you do or find something else to pursue



We will be cheering you on at Ironman Lake Placid!

Enjoying the calmer side of Lake Placid before Ironman!

I have spent an amazing 12 days in Lake Placid training. I am here three days longer than I would have liked as my car was acting up and ended up being towed to Burlington Vermont on Saturday. I had hopes of it returning on Monday. Now it's Tuesday and I believe it won't be here until tomorrow. So after some heavy training I have some easier days which I would much rather have had at home but am spending them touring the town of lake Placid.
Of all places to be stuck this is not a bad place to be...
I decided to make a little photo collection of a few of my favorite places that I have frequented while here!

The Chapel on Mirror Lake...Whenever I see this church I know I am almost done with my swim!



My swimming pool for two weeks...those are some big lane lines!


High Peaks Cyclery for all your last minute bike repairs and needs!

Gordo's Mexican Food! Quick and easy! With some delicious sweet potatoes!




Sunshine Bagels has been around for a while...they have newer owners but their wraps and bagels are really good for a quick lunch!




For those with a sweet tooth they have some unbelievable cup cakes here. One mini mocha baby cup cake was my treat!


Ashley's Cafe for a delicious breakfast and a whey smoothie!


The wall of inspiration!