Long over due
So after some abuse from some of my local followers I am finally getting around to an update! Apologies for the delay. Since the last update, I had a hard hard race at the Boise 70.3. I won, but it was one of the hardest races I have ever done. Mainly due to only having 5 days to recover after my meltdown at the Rev3 half. On reflection, I really think I had over cooked things leading into these 2 races. This is often the risk leading into some key races. You want to push so hard to get the most out of yourself, that you ignore all the signs that are telling you to back off. I always knew that the Rev3 half was going to be one of my most competitive races of the year so I had a super hard block of training leading in! Obviously something didn't work, and while it was frustrating, in a way it was a blessing in disguise. Up until then, in 2010 everything had gone swimmingly. WHen this happens, sometimes I think you become complacent as you think everything is tickadeeboo! These hard dissappointing races really made me re-evalutate things and look into my training and preparation in more depth.
Since then what else have I been up to:
- I had a slight flare up of an old knee injury. It scared the beejesus out of me, and reminded me of how lucky I am to still be doing this as a profession. Those that have been following me for many years will know only too well that my career has not always smelled of roses! There have been some major injuries along the way where I have seriously wondered if I would be able to continue on in the sport of triathlon. Thankfully I have, and this flare up just reminded me of this, and how important it is for me to stay on top of all aspects of training - not just the swim/bike/run! It only set me back 2-3 weeks so thankfully it ended up being no biggie.
- I went on "operation Recon" to Kona. It was a bit last minute, but ended up being invaluable. Crowie "the King", his crew (Frank and Mat from Retul), and TJ Tolakson "the Cannon Ball" kindly invited me along for the week to check out the course, and test out a few things. I think it really calmed the nerves a little, because if I am being honest before I went I think I was a little intimated by it all. Now that I have seen it, and checked it all, I feel a lot happier about things. I also learnt some top info in some of the key sessions over there. But I think the thing I valued the most about being out there was seeing The King in full action. I always new he was a total professional, but I had no idea as to how much so. I found it so impressive to not only see his approach to training, but all the other aspects that go along with being the best you can be. Diligent in his recovery, gym work, dealing with sponsor/media requests etc etc, and probably most of all his attention to detail. I almost found it refreshing in away.....that his wins haven't just come down to genetics or hard work, but also because he takes care of every aspect of being a triathlete. AND he has fun doing it...which is huge! My week out in Kona also happened to be my biggest week of training ever by quite a way!
I then returned home in a basket to my parents who were over to visit from England. It was great to see them, and for them to get to enjoy Boulder and Colorado in the summer. Our garden/yard is now immaculate, and my belly is fully loaded after some yummy dinners, and we will be sad to see them go soon. But they will be back to see the snow in November.
- During this week I also had a fun day doing a photo shoot for the new triathlon magazine Lava. Lava are running a piece on Mirinda "the rinsta" carfrae and myself, and so they did the photo shoot of us together. It's always fun hanging out with the Rinsta, as there is always a good bit of banter between the two of us. It looks like Uber photographer Don Miralle got some cracking shots too. So keep you eyes out for LAVA when the next issues comes out. Above is a pic of the Rinsta and I goofing around between shots. We were doing a "where's Waldo" shot :)
- And lastly, just a few days ago I raced in the Boulder 70.3. I love racing so close to home, and you really can't get much closer with the start taking place about 2-3km from our house. It is so nice not having to travel, and to be able to sleep in your own bed the night before and after the race is great too. Despite feeling still somewhat trapped in the basket that I flew home in from Kona, I raced well winning the race. On a scale of 1-10 with 1 being like poo on a stick, and 10 being a million and one doll-hairs, in the swim I felt like a 2, the bike a 7 and the run a 5. Of course I am delighted to win another race but know once again that there is still lots of work to be done before my busy end to the season. I am still planning on racing the world champ triple Kona/Maui/Clearwater....but I think only time will tell if that is a realistic goal.
Anyway that's all for now before I get writers cramp. Thanks for reading, and if you keep hassling me it wont be as long til the next update.
4th Place in Quassy
The last few months for me have been pretty consistently good, and everything has been falling into place nicely. Training has been going well, not great, but well enough. I've definitly had alot worse, but I have also had better. "Solid" sessions day in day out rather than setting the world on fire. ALso in the last few weeks I also had a bit of a niggle in my foot which is never ideal leading into a big race, but no biggy. It just stopped me running much at all leading into this race. I think it is now behind me, as it didn't bother me at all during the race yesterday which is great.
I had always targeted this race, the Rev3 Half in Quassy, as a big race. I knew that the field would be stacked with some great athletes racing for the huge prize purse on offer. Reports from last year also told that the course was super super tough, and so I was itching to get stuck in. I always new that the biggest competition would come from "the rinsta" Mirinda Carfrae, I was just hoping I could at least make her work for it :).
Anyone that has followed me racing knows that I like to race hard from the gun, and leave everything out there. It is rare that I hold back, and just pretty much go full throttle from the start. Yesterday was no different, and I exited the swim right with Joanna Zeiger, Mb Ellis, and Kelly Williamson. I felt good on the swim and relaxed, and then headed out on to the bike. I seemed to open up a gap pretty quickly from the other girls, and just set about riding at a hard but sustainable pace. With the Rinsta riding strongly behind me, I knew that I would have to try to open up a big gap if I wanted a chance at holding her off. Even though I rode hard, on reflection I dont think I rode too hard. In fact I believe there have been races where I have biked harder. The thing I think I underestimated was the humidity, and I neglected to drink enough. Those that have seen me train, know I have the sweat rate of a monster trapped in a sauna! By the end of the ride I was already starting to cramp in my adductor, but I have had this before so wasn't too too concerned.
I came off the bike and headed out on the run I think with a 6-7min leaded on Rinny, and the other girls. The first mile, I felt ok but this was probably because it was down hill :). Then things started to go wrong. I still am not entirely sure what happened, but my guess would be dehydration. It wasn't long before I went from running to try to win the race, to trying to hold on for 2nd, to 100% survival mode.....and this was between mile 2 - 4. Hello....only 9-11miles to go...goodie. It was ugly out there, there's no bones about it. Rinny passed looking great and left me thinking I was like a turtle running through mud! Mile 5-8 then got even uglier as I stumbled my way through the aid stations. This is where I think both Kelly Williamson and Sam "i've learnt how to wear my helmet straight" Warriner passed me. Luckily for me, the last 4-5miles were flatish and I managed to get going again, and finished 4th just in front of good friend MB Ellis, who was chasing me down.
All in all, while it was without a doubt a tough day in the office, there are plenty of positives to go along with the negatives. My swimming is back to where it should be (this time last year I was losing 2mins to the girls I came out with), my biking with my new "prairie dog position" thanks to Mat at Retul and my new Adamo saddle feels awesome, and I managed to get through possibly the roughest patch I have ever had in a race and still finish in the money. On the negatives, the main ones being my lack of attention to hydration....yes I am a numptie, and my lack of any run ability whatsoever.
SO there is plenty for me to think on, and work on in the months to come, especially with the thought of Kona in the back of my mind. I'm not going to lie, I was thinking during the "ugliest part of my ugly run" ...Shit Dibens if you are struggling here...how are you going to expect to survive in the oven in Kona? A fair point, but one that I am still excited about trying to work on. It without a doubt will be the biggest challenge of my triathlon career, and one that I am now itching to get my teeth into.
Again well done to Rinny for a dominate performance, and to Kelly and Sam for a great 2nd and 3rd. A huge thanks goes out to the Rev3 crew for putting on a great race and a great series. Anyone looking for some really well put on, and thought out races should consider the Rev3 races in 2011....and rumour has it there will be plenty more to choose from.
Next up ....i think.... (still deciding) is the Boise 70.3 in 5 days. Yippee.
Nothing's changed....just finishing higher up the pecking order.
I just got back from having lunch with friend and now 'occasional' training buddy (when her coach Simon lets her!) Mary Beth Ellis. We had just finished racing the inaugural REV3 tri here in Knoxville, and with our bellies rumbling we went for a bite to eat. It is sometimes hard after a race, especially when one has a good race, and the other not so. But with MB being the champ that she is, it didn't take her long to get the giggle rolling and before we knew it we were laughing our way through lunch. As per usual she had her typical salad, and me....my usual plate of "filth", which today consisted of a chicken sandwich and some fries. They were at least sweet potato! If that wasn't enough I then went on to treat myself to some ice cream, with cookie dough mixed in to boot, for dessert. Joe Gambles, you would have been proud!
Anyway, midway through are romantic lunch for two, MB asked the question "so what do you think has changed to make you start off the year on such a roll?". My initial response was nothing really. And after thinking more about it, I stand by it. My training has been pretty similar to previous years. Those that know me, know that I am very much for routine. The weekly training schedule has not changed much at all. All the same elements are in there, and I wouldn't necessarily say I have been going any faster in training. I suppose the one big difference is in the consistency. Other than the bout of illness I had, and the invasion of my little unwanted friends after Abu Dhabi, training has been really consistent....probably all the way back to just before the 5430 (now to be Boulder 70.3) last August. I guess another small difference is that with Abu Dhabi being in March I did end up biking more than normal during the cold winter months. This probably allowed me to kick start the season with a real focus, and better form. Knock on wood, and hopefully this won’t come back to bite me in the ass later in the year.
Now don't get me wrong I am delighted to have won the races I have won recently. As any pro will tell you, it is a lot of fun when you win. But let’s not get carried away here. I have some big goals that I want to achieve this year, and even with these past results I know and feel that I have A LOT of work to do if I want to get anywhere near achieving these. So I’ll look to take them for what they are...early season wins...and move on.
I am now looking forward to heading back to Boulder tomorrow. My next race isn't until the Rev3 half ironman in early June, so I hope to have a good training block leading into that. Now that the masses are returning to boulder, I will be spoilt for choice for training partners which is great, and one of the things I really love about boulder. It keeps things interesting...as well as keeping me on my toes.
Thanks for reading, and train/be safe.
Julie
The Wonders of Wildflower
So, after many years of talking the talk about racing the Wildflower triathlon in California, I finally stepped up and did it. For whatever reason, the last few years I have either not been able to race due to injury, or ended up back at my favorite island of St Croix to race the 70.3 there. For as long as I can remember the two races have been held on the same weekend....which is fine by me as it means I can choose whichever race people like Mirinda Carfrae aka "the rinsta" decide not to do :).
Wildflower is really what triathlon should all be about. It is a fantastic festival weekend with music entertainment, food, a huge expo, and of course plenty of racing action throughout the weekend. It helps as well when the weather is gorgeous like it was this weekend, and of course the venue, Lake San Antonio which is stunning. Throughout the weekend I meet plenty of families who were there for the whole weekend, and were having a blast. Even the kids were loving it. I have said this before in a previous blog, but sometimes we triathletes can get so obsessed with the actual triathlon part of it, that we forget to have fun while we do it. So to be able to enjoy such a carnival atmosphere with friends and family makes all the hard work feel that much more worthwhile.
On a more selfish note, it was fantastic as a pro to actually feel welcome and wanted there. Some of you may find this a funny/weird thing for me to say, but Dixie and the whole tri cal team really go out of their way to make all the pro's feel welcome. And no I don't think it was just to boost our already humungous egos :). I think they genuinely like us being there! They try to house all of us either onsite in some cabins, or at some gorgeous houses on another lake nearby, they spend the time to introduce all the pro's no matter how big or small, and they even have a raffle prize thing for us during the pro meeting. I think the prize of the day went to Sam Mcglone who was delighted to win a pair of socks. I joke a little here, but it was fun and unique....and definitely a bit "out there" compared to your bog standard race briefing.
As for the race itself, it’s a cracker! I loved it. Hilly, slow roads on the bike, and up and down all day on the road and off, on the run. This all more often than not makes for a true race by scaring most of the dirty cheating drafters, and by splitting up the field early.
I went into this race very relaxed with where I was at. If you read my previous blogs you would have seen I struggled a little after Abu Dhabi. Things had turned around the last 2-3 weeks and I was delighted to feel normal again, and super excited to feel ready to be on the start line at one of the biggest races in the US. For some reason, even though I was unsure of where my fitness was, I went into the race really relaxed about things. I really wasn't nervous at all, and was just excited to check out this beast of a course.
The swim was pretty uneventful, I managed to build an early gap and kept it. I was excited to be racing in my new Hurricane TYR wetsuit for the first time. I tried to push on hard and make the most of my early race speed, and then settle into a rhythm and just get into my own race. As people know, the swim rarely will win you the race, but it can certainly set u up to win the race. And this was my whole goal on the swim. To get a lead big enough to put me hopefully out of sight for as long as possible.
Out on to the bike, and we hit the hills pretty early. I had a couple of pro guys that passed me early on, and I just let them go and do their own thing and just rode at a pace that I thought was about right. I worked the climbs hard, but never redlined it. Having never pre-ridden the course I wanted to make sure there was plenty left in the tank for the end of the bike, and the run. There were times out there where I did feel like I was going so so slowly....and that surely the other girls were catching me. Thankfully I don’t think they were....but it sure felt like it at times! Things start spice-ing up around mile 40-45, within which the infamous "Nasty grade" climb is. It was tough, but I have to say "The Beast" in St Croix is ALOT tougher, as are some of the climbs at the UK 70.3. It's still tough though. Thankfully I had a few other guys in my sights up here, and I used them to keep the focus. At some point after nasty grade there is a wicked fast decent. It was fun...short but fun, and I think I maxed out 81km's an hour...which I reckon is pretty fast.
I kept the pressure on back to transition, opted to put socks on (sssshhh don’t tell anyone), and headed out on to the run having not had a chance to check it out at all. I wouldn't normally recommend this, but I was actually weirdly excited to see what it was all about. It was a great run course. It has a bit of everything, off road, on road, gradual climbs and descents as well as steep energy sapping ones. The volunteers at the aid stations were fantastic, and gave out huge cheers whenever you ran by. They definitely help break up the 13mile run. I felt pretty strong throughout the run, which is quite unusual for me :). The one bad patch I had was up the last climb just before mile 12. I think this was probably due to my not sticking totally to my nutrition plan that I have been working on with Brian Shea at Personal Best Nutrition. It was a massive improvement from my nonexistent nutrition habits previously. Still room for improvements though for sure.
All in all I was delighted to put out a strong performance, and obviously delighted to win against a great field of women pro's. I have been in this sport long enough to know that you have to relish the wins and the good days, as I am sure there will be plenty of bad days to come....it just comes with the rollercoaster nature of the sport.....or is that just me!
Next up for me is the Rev3 Olympic distance race in Knoxville. Not only is the Rev3 series a great series, but now with Team Trakkers laying down the team challenge, I am going to have to rest up and recover quickly if I want to do my team K-Swiss/Trek proud.
Thanks to Rich Cruse for the photos and for reading. Check back again next week for more.
Driving the Porcelain Bus
It's now just over 3 weeks since I returned from Abu Dhabi, and I reckon its about time for a new update. Not much has been going on to be honest, both on the training front and the social front. As I reported on my twitter page, things got pretty ugly on our return from the UAE. Both Mike and I spent most of our first day back praying to the porcelain gods. After a good 12hrs of it, I think I mentioned to Mike that I actually thought I might die. At this point we jumped in the car and made a trip to our local dick doc. They put us both on IV's and gave us some anti vomiting medicine and sent us on our merry way. It took me a good week to start to feel like eating again, and I started to find some energy to think about training again too, which always helps.
2 weeks further down the line, and I still don't feel 100%. Each day is getting a little better, esp the last 2 or 3 days. I think one sign is that I feel like I might be starting to get my sense of humor back! To be on the safe side of things I have just recently got some tests done to check things. I am still awaiting the results, but hopefully all come back negative, and I just got the sheeeeet kicked out of me from racing, travelling and vomiting.
Outside of all this, one of my major highlights these last 3 weeks was getting to go in the Wind Tunnel in San Diego. Myself and 2 other Trek/Kswiss team members Chris Lieto and Michi Raelert got the opportunity to test and tweak or positions in the tunnel. It really was a unique experience, and it gives me some super confidence as I look to step up to longer distances.
Another highlight these last few weeks has been the return of one of our basement dwellers :) Mary Miller. Mary is a great person, and great friend to have in the house. She is extremely positive and fun, and Mike, Lucky and I enjoy having her around. On Easter Sunday Mary encouraged us to have a BBQ, and invite some friends round. The highlight of the evening was the Easter egg hunt. I don't think I have ever done one of these. In the UK we tend to just give and eat lots of chocolate eggs. Here I guess you have to work for your candy in that you have to find it first. I like their style!
Next up for me?....good question. The original plan was to race St Anthony’s at the end of April, then back it up with Wildflower, which is a tough half ironman the following weekend. At this rate I don't think I will be ready for St Ants, so may well have to pull the plug on that one, but hopefully if I can start to get some decent training in, rather than just going thru the motions, I will be back for Wildflower. One thing I know is that I won’t race unless I feel ready. Having been in the sport for just over a decade now, I have learnt this lesson many a time.....you can do more harm than good sometimes. SO it's not worth the risk. Especially when I think to Oct, and Nov when my big races for the year are. Plenty of time, plenty of time.
Race Report from Abu Dhabi
So for the most part with my updates I like to keep things pretty light hearted and fun. Every once in a while though I do like to throw in your typical bog standard race report. While it may bore some of you to death, others ....mostly the die hard tri fans (aka tri geeks), I believe find these reports interesting.
As some of you will now have heard, I won the Abu Dhabi International triathlon. It was my first “long Distance Event”, and I think was a great introduction to the “pleasures” of long distance racing. It was a first time event, and I believe the first triathlon of this magnitude to be held in the United Arab Emirates. The organisers managed to bring together a really top international field of athletes to race over the unique distances of a 3km swim/ 200km bike / 20km run. This was no doubt helped by the huge prize purse on offer.
After committing to the race back at the end of last year, it left me with about 10 weeks to step up my game and start spending more time on my bike. 200km for those of you that don’t know is a bloody long way to ride your bike, especially when you have never raced over 90km before.
Despite the cold weather in Boulder my 10 week training block went well. I increased my long rides up to 5hrs, and even stretched 1 or 2 up to 6. With the outside temps barely cracking 35-40F I found these rides where taking a lot out of me, and would end up passed out on the couch the rest of the afternoon. (Don’t tell James Hadley or Tim O Donnell that though....never show signs of weakness ?). I had planned on getting in at least 1 200km ride in training before the race, but never quite managed this. I think my longest ride was just shy of 185km. Which I figured was good enough. The pace of these rides I would say were steady rather than easy. Other than this long ride each week, the majority of my other rides where done indoors on my trusty Computrainer. They make you strong I tell ya!
On the swim and run side of things, I kept things pretty normal for this time of year, and kept things pretty aerobic keeping the intensity down. I was conscious that even though I wanted to get to Abu Dhabi in good shape, I didn’t want to be firing on all cylinders, as the season is long. My biggest races of the year won’t be until Oct/Nov, and I know I cannot hold top form anywhere near that long.
On the nutrition front over the winter I started working on perfecting my race nutrition with Brian Shea of Personal Best Nutrition. I know that my nutrition would play a very important role in dealing with stepping up to race the longer distances. Over a short period of time Brian helped me massively in this area, and I have gone from having the nutrition plan of a Gnat, to one of a proper athlete. I now have confidence in my plan, and to knowing that I am working with some of the most knowledgable people in nutrition in the sport is a big part of that.
Anyhow. So I arrived in Abu Dhabi, pretty happy with how things had gone. Yet I was still quite apprehensive about the prospect of racing so far. Ok, lets be honest.....i was shitting my self ?. But I was also excited about it too. It was going to be a new challenge, and lets face it I would much prefer a race with a abnormally long bike, than an abnormally long run!
Onto the race:
The swim started well, and I ended up leading the first lap. Well all until Lucie Zelenkova nipped by me just before the end of the lap. We then had a short run up the beach, before diving straight back in again for Lap 2. I felt good and very much in control and happy to sit near the front of the small group that had formed. I was starting to get frustrated with the helicopter which was hovering so close above us that at one point I thought they were coming to get us cos their were sharks in the water. Yes seriously that thought popped through my head at the time!
I survived the scare with the helicopters and exited water in 2nd place, had an unusually smooth transition for me, and zipped out onto the bike in the lead. The first 45km of the bike was then pretty uneventfully as I put my head down and tried to hold back a little....else it would get ugly later on. Leanda Cave was riding strongly in 2nd place behind me, and I believe Tereza Marcel in 3rd. At about the 45km we entered onto the Yaz Formula 1 race track. All I can say was WOW! It was absolutely awesome riding round there. I tried to imagine I was Jenson Button as I zipped around some of the hairpins. I could even feel the G-forces.......oh the power of mental imagery?. This was totally the highlight of my race.
It was short lived though, as it was then back onto the straight flat roads, which meant just time to tap tap away with the hammer on the bike as I tried to extend my lead. All was going swimmingly well. I was on top of my nutrition plan and feeling good, up until about the 75km mark, when I felt my back wheel go flat. Earlier in the race, after hitting a bump my rear bottle had flown off the bike. Along with it had gone my Pitstop (which helps fix a flat). Realising I had nothing to fix it I just kept riding on the rim. I was hoping that I would either miraculously see my Pitstop lying at the side of the road, another competitor would throw me a bone, or I would get some support from the sag vehicle that was somewhere out on the course. I ended up riding for just under 20km, and was seriously about to pull the plug when I saw my Saviour for the day, Wolfi. Wolfi, a local bike shop owner and the on site bike mechanic, was in the sag vehicle and had come back to help me. They handed me a new back wheel, and sent me away on my merry way.
With the time I had lost I now had to do some chasing. Which in hindsight was probably both a good and bad thing. Good in that it gave me something to think about and get angry about, and bad because I probably ended up pushing a little harder than I would liked to have. I also had totally lost track of my nutrition plan, so had to get back onto it ASAP.
The 2nd time round the race track was just as fun as the first, if not more. This time I was angry, and was taking more risks than normal. It was fun though! I caught Leanda on the way back, and then extended my lead into T2 to about 3-4mins. At this point I knew the race was definitely not won. It was hotting up, and with my lack of heat preparation I knew I might suffer like a dog out there.
Heading out onto the run, felt ok. Not great by any means, but I had felt a lot worse. I just focused on putting one step in front of the other, and not grabbing fluid at every aid station. After lap 1 my lead had extended up to 6mins which I was surprised at, so eased off the throttle a little. Which was a good thing, as by the turnaround I was starting to suffer. I pretty much then tried to just put it on auto pilot to get to the finish line. It was hot, and I was hurting! But I managed to hold on and win, which I was delighted about. I was in a whole world of pain though, and ended up having to then cut a few live interviews short due to some puking. Nice! And then spent a good hour or so in medical tent. So I would say I probably didn’t get to enjoy this win initially as much as I would have liked!
All in all, it I think it was a great taste of Long distance racing. I always knew it would be hard both physically and mentally, and it definitely was that! Right now I am wondering how I am going to manage running another 22km after doing all that! At least I have a good 6 months to work on it though!
Thanks to IMG and all the organizers of the race, in Particular Pip Davey the Elite Coordinator. Dealing with Elite triathletes and keeping us all happy is no easy task! Thanks for you patience Pip. Thanks to Faris Al Sultan, and Abu Dhabi triathlon for creating this race, and of course for the people Abu Dhabi for welcoming a new event onto your streets.
And lastly a huge thank you to Mike, my Mum, and Gail and Olivia for all the support pre, during and post race. It is always fun to have some friendly smiling faces out on the course.
Next up for me after a recovery week will be the St Anthonys triathlon in April, followed by the Wildflower triathlon in May.
Thanks for reading, and keep following me on Twitter....i am in a race with Mirinda Carfrae to 2000 followers! Help me get there first
Update from Trek/kswiss camp
Last weekend I got the chance to escape the snow and cold in Boulder and head over to California for a few days for the Trek/Kswiss team camp. It probably couldn't have come at a better time, as the week leading up to it I had been fighting a virus of sorts. It was great to head down to sea level for a bit, fill my lungs with oxygen, and have a few easier days on the swim/bike/run front.
Many of you that follow triathlon, may have seen reports of the camp on numerous triathlon websites (xtri.com, ironman.com, triathlon.competitor.com ) All of which can give you a great insight into what went on at the camp. From my perspective it was first and foremost - alot of fun. It really is a great group of people to be involved with. There are no big ego's to get past....minus my own of course, which is so important when you try to bring a small group of professional athletes together.
I thought I would give you my perspective of the group:
The Trek/Kswiss Smurfs:
- Pappa Smurf - has to go to Chris Lieto. The elder statesman of the group, and without a doubt the most experienced as well. Add on to that the fact that the man travelled with his own set of clippers, determined to make the rest of the team look like him! He also had an uncanny knack to make up the rules as we went along. All of a sudden we would see him sprint for an imaginary line here or there....an crown himself the victor! I caught him napping on the last one though! Obviously also a great guy, and so open and willing to help out everyone on the team byt sharing his experiences and knowledge. Feel honoured to be on the same team as such a legend. Not so sure about his hairdressing skills though!
- Baby Smurf - while Andrew is the "baby" of the group, there is a lot of respect for him amongst the team. He has a clear vision of where he wants to be in the sport, and I am not sure if anything will stop him. For someone so young..(and someone that looks even younger), he has a solid head on his shoulders. He is driven, yet smart with it. He is often the quiet one, but then perks up every now and then with a comment or two that has us all in stitches of laughter. A great addition to the team, if not for his speed on the bike, for his ability to keep the older guys honest and on their toes.
- Joe Gambles - a mix between Brainy smurf and Vanity smurf - Joe is the stat man amongst the group. He loves all the gadgets, he loves to know exactly how far or how fast we went, and how many feet we climbed. He will probably know every race split he has ever done, and exactly what he needs to do this year to win. He will be our go to guy for any statistics needed. He also was a most afraid of Pappa smurf with the clippers. After spending a reported $60 on a haircut, some might not be surprised! Best asset he brings to the team is his confidence in his own ability, as well as his smile and aussie/brit sense of humour.
- Fraser Cartmell -
Is Brainy Smurf's right hand man. If ever Joe is a little slow to answer, Frase will be right there backing him up. For the most part they agree :) which is a good thing. From my perspective Frase is a great addition to the team....and thats not only because he is another Brit. He has a sometimes firey personality, and likes to speak his mind...like most scots do! And most importantly he has no fear and loves to work hard. - Farmer Smurf - Paul "barney" Matthews - I went for Farmer smurf because after much harrassment Paul finally told us where he got his nickname Barney from. It's a long story, but has something to do with barns and farms. So I figured it was appropriate. Barney, while quiet at times, has a classic sense of humour that only brits and aussies truely appreciate. I know he had Heather stumped at least once or twice! With his strong aussie accent, at times he comes across a bit brash, but deep down I know he is a real softie at heart. I know he managed to put the fear of god into the Kid Yoder, who sleeping on the pull out couch was too scared to knock on the bedroom door to use the bathroom in fear of waking him up :).
- Giggler Smurfette - Heather Jackson - Everytime I saw Heather I think she was laughing/giggling/ or at very least smiling. She took the abuse I handed out about her swim talent well, and if it wasn't for a "high heels sore toe" I know would have handed out a big load of whoop ass to me on the bike ride on the sunday. Great to see her excitment to be part of the team, and made me feel good when she laughed at all my jokes.
- Matt Lieto - is a toss up between Grandpa Smurf (for his haircut...which was classic and had us all in seriously doubled over in pain from laughing so hard.), and Jokey Smurf.- Matt seems to have a contagious appetite for fun. He always seemed to have a smile on his face, and seemed to genuinely enjoy the whole experience. If given the opportunity I am sure he would have jumped on the chance to play some pranks on some of the other athletes. I think that he really brings a fresh and contagious attitidue to the team, in that he got into the sport from a different perspective than most of us. He even still puts a smiley face on his calf in races to remind people that he...and we all should have fun while we are racing.
- Michael Raleart - Talker smurf - Ya...its like..Ya Ya I dunno...Ya... Just don't give the man a microphone - u might never get it back! Given the right opportunity the man loves to talk, which is kinda funny given his quiet demeanour. He comes across as having a heart of gold which makes you just want to hug him :).
- I guess that just leaves me :). Probably a mix between grouchy, greedy and clumsy :)....and thats just on a good day.
In all seriousness, this is exciting times for all of us. I know there is alot of sceptisism about whether we can really benefit from being a team....but the proof will be in the pudding as they say.
I believe next up for the team is Abu Dhabi for Myself, Brainy and his side kick, and Giggler. Miami for Papa and baby smurf, and Singapore 70.3 for the Farmer boy.
Thanks for reading and check back soon for more insight into the team.
My Top 10 favorite and least favorite things about winter training in Boulder.
Top 10 Favorite:
- 10 - When its cold u can ride for 100miles and not get passed by another cyclist....cos no one else is silly enough to ride. Hence you can ride slower than a slow snail with a food coma.
- 9 - It is stunning! U can't help but get motivated to get out the door when the sun is shining.
- 8 - U can actually swim when you go to masters at FAC. Anyone who has gone in the summer will know what I mean. Come on it's not really swimming when you have 150 people on the pool at the same time.
- 7 - Growing a winter coat is a benefit for sure!
- 6 - When dressed as a ninja, you can get your secret squirrel training in without anyone seeing...cos they are all in indoors.
- 5 - U can stalk your competitiors on FB rather than in person, cos most disappear to the other side of the world. It's a lot easier I can promise you, cos most are faster than the speed of light.
- 4 - I don't have to travel. This is a biggy, especially having to pack and un pack the bike.
- 3 - I get to take TFW (triathlon free weekends) and disappear up into the mountains for some proper winter sport action.
- 2 - We get our house to ourselves and have fewer pikey triathletes crash here. Andrew Yoder...you went and blew that one for us didn't you :)
- 1 - I get to spend more time with my hunny.
Top 10 least Favorite:
The last 10 minutes before you fall asleep.
I am currently reading Andre Agassi's autobiography "Open", and am really struggling to put it down. I have always been a big tennis fan, but was never really a big Agassi supporter. For some reason I always tended pull for Pete Sampras instead. But reading Agassi's book for some reason really hit home on how much really goes on behind the scenes of a professional athlete. It is crazy how the media can pretty much create an athlete’s persona out of nothing. And then once it's there...it's there for good. In this respect, we as pro triathletes are pretty fortunate, in that our sport is still so small that the media presence is still pretty remote. For the most part, even the best triathletes in the world (Olympic champions, Ironman world champions, etc) can get on with their everyday lives uninterrupted. This is probably one of the only benefits to triathlon being a "small sport", but one I think we are all probably glad for.
Anyway, on to the reason for my blog - " the last 10 minutes before you fall asleep". In Agassi's book, at some point he references these last 10 minutes before you sleep and how they can either be heaven or hell. He recalls how on the days that he gave 100% in training and in races, how those last 10minutes before he fell asleep were bliss. On the days that he fell short, those 10 minutes were hell, as he lay there listening to the booing inside his head, and nothing felt worse.
I think we can all totally relate to this. Not just as athletes, but as people in general. I know I certainly can. The days where I know that I haven't given 100% in training, or taken care of my nutrition and hydration in the best way possible, or not been the best friend I could to those around me, or the best wife, daughter, sister, I lie there kicking myself. Those nights I tend to sleep like shit as well, as my mind "ticker tickers" over what I should have done. After races where I know I haven't given a 100% effort this is usually taken a step further, beating myself up for a couple of weeks!
On the flip side when I know, deep within, that I have given everything I could (regardless of the outcome), I sleep like a baby, and once in a while might actually fall asleep before Mike - who tends to fall asleep as he is getting into bed.
Andre, in his book, references this point as he reflects back on a tournament in D.C. There is a heat wave going on, and everyone is complaining about the heat. After his final practice, on the drive back to the hotel he gets his friend Perry to drop him off, and he ends up running the last few miles home - all this despite the heat. He felt that he hadn't given his utmost in his final practice, and wanted to be able to sleep that night.
I think this time of year it is really important to think about giving a great effort. For most of us in the northern hemisphere, the weather has gone tits up, and it is colder than a cold person stuck in a freezer. There are many excuses that you can use to back out of this workout or that, or cut things short. Yes it is hard! Yes it is cold, but we can still get things done. I do think you have to be realistic with your goals and plans. Chances are that you may have to adjust our workouts a little, or move them indoors, but we can still give a great and honest effort. I think you just have to be realistic with what we can or cannot still get done when the weather is bad, and then get the job done. 
I am currently finding that my long rides are taking a lot more out of me than normal. I am convinced this is because of the cold. But with me stepping up and racing Abu Dhabi in March, I think it is important to still get outside for a long ride at least once a week if I can. I have cut many of my other rides shorter and moved them indoors on my faithful Computrainer. Hours of fun to be had there.
As we all know recovery is a huge part of being able to perform at the highest level. The best way to recover properly is to sleep well at night. So for me to be able to do this, I will be giving 100% during my days. Whether this is, doing a 30min easy jog....as an easy jog, or doing some TT repeats on the Computrainer. It's all about 100% baby! I want to sleep at night and be able to switch that brain off.
Hang tough people...spring and summer are just around the corner.... I promise.
Winters reflections
Clearwater and Maui seem a decade ago by now. As they should! I like to celebrate and enjoy the moment, and then move on. Otherwise you can get caught napping and miss out on the world moving along around you. Yes, my success at both of those races gave me a wonderful sense of achievement, and I really feel lucky to have achieved my goals. I know I work hard, but as I have learnt this year it isn't just hard work that gets you the results. If it was due to hard work alone, then a lot of people here in Boulder would have the results they craved too. Boulder is a haven for hard work. A lot of top class athletes train their little socks off, and I only wish we could share out the success between us all.
Triathlon is still a minority sport, and possibly always will be. This makes it hard for us all to make a living from the sport. I have been really fortunate this year, in having a few doors and windows open up on the sponsorship front. I look forward to working with them, and using these opportunities to hopefully take me on to bigger and better things. Things haven't always been this positive though, and I really feel for some fellow pro athletes who are trying to make ends meet. But saying this, we have all chosen to do this for a living. No one pushed us into it, and I doubt anyone really went into it believing they would become a millionaire out of it. We choose to do it because we love the sport of triathlon. We love the challenges that it brings to us, and we crave the hard work and dedication that it takes, to achieve the lofty goals that we set.
I will continue to strive to not only be successful at what I do, but to also enjoy what I do. I believe my move to boulder has really helped me do that - stunning terrain and scenery, great weather, and a multitude of awesome training partners. It has now been 4 weeks since Clearwater, I am now anxious and excited about getting back into training for next year. I had a great time relaxing, and spending time with my parentals. It was great to show them around the Boulder area, and enjoy spending time with them when I am not 100% focused on triathlon. They may disagree though ;).
For next year I will have a new set of goals, and ones that without a doubt will be a challenge. The first of which will be racing the Abu Dhabi triathlon in March. Abu Dhabi will be my first real taste of Long course racing, and so no doubt will be a huge learning lesson for me. The race is unique and exciting in its format. It is a 3km swim, 200km bike, and 20km run, which on paper (with the long bike/short run) looks to suit my style of racing. The only downside, is that I have never raced over 90km on the bike (or even riding over 150km in training). So I will definitely be going in a bit apprehensive. But it is a new challenge, and one that will hopefully help me get out the door and on my bike throughout the winter months. I am excited about it for many reasons: the length of it; the opportunity to travel to the UAE...somewhere I have never been before; challenge of doing something very new...and something I have no idea if I will be good at ; and the opportunity to test out some new exciting equipment that I will be using later in the year.
After Abu Dhabi, I hope to get back to a similar type of schedule as to the last couple of years, where I will mix up racing Olympic distance non drafting races, with some 70.3's and some Xterras. And if all goes well in Abu Dhabi, I may even step up and join the other crazies at the Ironman distance. One step at a time though....my first step is to learn how to ride a fricking long way...and be able to run (or hobble) off it.
Hopefully the weather will now cooperate and warm up a little. I actually do enjoy having snow and cold weather a lot......But -10F might be testing me a bit much....especially if you have to bike and run in it. It certainly makes things a little more challenging and interesting though. Until then the treadmill and Computrainer will continue to be my best friend and worst enemy.
Thanks Mum and dad for a great few weeks in Boulder, and see you back here in the summertime!
Flippin-eck! I did it!
Anyone that has been following me the last few years, will know that I have been really focused on trying to win the 70.3 world champs in Clearwater. It really has been my motivation to get out of bed, and crank out some hard ass sessions day in day out, week in week out. I don't think I have wanted anything as much as this, since I first set my sights on qualifying for the Olympic games in both 2000 and 2004. So to actually win in Clearwater on saturday was unbelieveable. I can honestly say that running down that finish shoot was the best feeling ever. But I guess that is to be expected when you have come so close....and yet so far 2'ce before, and when you want it so much. Flippin-eck it was awesome, and a feeling that I will never forget.
Leading into the race things had pretty much gone to plan. I felt I had recovered well from my efforts in Maui, and also managed to get a good 10days of some solid training in, before the final taper of the year leading into the race. It was important for me to rest up after Maui, and then get out there and get some solid bike sessions done on my new Trek Speed Concept bike. The last 2 years, with there having been only 2 weeks in between Xterra and 70.3, there really hasn't been enough time for me to get any quality bike workouts in. I think you could then see this in my results in Clearwater. Even though I still felt strong on the bike in 2007 and 2008, my legs just were not used to the TT position due to me being on a mtb leading up to Xterra. In 07 and 08, by the time I got to the run, my legs were already cramping. Not a good sign! So this year, I very much focused on addressing this, and got some good work done. This was helped by the fact that every time I got on the bike, I felt strong, comfortable, and most importantly Fast. My running was still feeling good, a little up and down, but better than in past years, and with the help of my Florida training buddy, Fraser Cartmell, my swimming looked to be finally coming around too!
Despite all this, once all the pre race shenanagans was over (interviews, briefings, press confrences, chit chat etc etc), all of a sudden the nerves kicked in big times. The night before the race I was having serious doubts about my form, and was truely....."shitting myself" (excuse my french). Mike even noted after the race, that he had never seen me so nervous. I think basically all of sudden it hit me how much I wanted to win this race. I also knew that I was in great shape, and I think this made me even more nervous....as I guess I felt I had more to lose...more mistakes to make...and that if I didn't win it this year, that I was never gonna win it.
Once the gun went off though, the game face was on, and auto pilot kicked in. The swim went very much to plan. After having some shocking swims earlier in the year, where I came out about 2mins down on the fastest females, it was great to come out right with the leaders. This set me up for being able to try and put the hammer down early on the bike and get away from the rest of the girls. I was able to use some of my Olympic distance speed to ride away from the get go, and just set out to ride my own race, ride hard, and at worst case, make the other girls run their little socks off to chase me down.
I think I opened up a sizeable gap early, up to 3 mins I think within the first 20miles. I got to the dead turn, at about 25miles in about 58mins, so I knew I was riding well. I was a little un nevered to then see about 30-40 pro guys only a couple of mins back. I have to be honest in that I was a little surprised and disappointed to see them so early.....and see so many of them still together. This I knew would make it pretty unavoidable for some of the other girls to get pulled along with the guys. Next thing I know, at about mile 35, the first guy passes me, and I hear my lead is down to 1min! I kept on just trying to ride my own race. It's not easy, when you have such a big group of guys passing. Jimmy R, the head referree came up and told me "julie, you need to let all these guys go, and ride your own race"...."all the girls behind you are riding alone". I think my response was something like " are you serious??? You want me to just sit up, for about 2mins to let these guys go....just tell these guys to speed up instead, and get out of my way! " I was getting frustrated for sure. The organisers really need to think about how the women can have a fair race. Last year, we got caught up in some of the slower guys, which also had an impact on our race. I actually believed that be sending us off first it would be fairer.....but I don't think we anticipated the front mens pack being quite so big.
Anyway back to the race. I entered T2 with about a 4min lead. Deja vu anyone! Thats what I had in 2007. The big difference was this year, my running legs felt ok. I headed out on the run, and was running a comfortable 6:15-6:20min mile pace. But I knew things were still early days. I really focused on just running smooth, and keeping the legs turning over. The support out there was awesome. Mike was literally doing jumping jacks...and I could see him from a good mile away! :). With him out there screaming his head off, and some other good friends cheering me hard too....i couldn't let them down again...could i? The whole run, I kept just saying to myself "run like the Rinsta" (aka Mirinda Carfrae). Some of Rinny's races this year have been so inspiring, and she seriously runs like the wind. I figured if I could at least feel like I was running like her, then I might have a chance. Now I know I didn't look anything like her running.....or that I didn't run anywhere near as fast as her....but in mind I was...OK! It was only til the last 2miles that I really started to hurt, but at that point I knew that as long as I kept a reasonable pace, this race was mine.
My run down the finish shoot, was all that you dream about, and one that I will seriously never forget. It was awesome. To top it off, training buddy, and good friend MB Ellis came in 2nd too! Nice one MB...and well deserved too!
The post race party that night on the other hand is one that I could forget for sure! I just wish people would stop posting incriminating pictures of me on FB! Thats just not fair!
A huge thank you to everyone that helped make this dream/goal achievable.
- Mike - you are the best ever. I love you to bits, and couldn't do this without your support, and your belief in me.
- Mum and Dad - you have always supported in me in all my endevours, and I love the thought of you sat at home in front of the laptop biting your finger nails. Sorry I make it so stressful for you.....but it makes it more enjoyable when I do occasionally win them right?
- My new training buddies/friends in Boulder - u know who you are
- All My sponsors - and in particular Trek and Bontrager, you guys are awesome!
Next up for me, some down time. Which will enclude minimal swimming, biking and running, Lots of chilling with friends and family, and L-dog, hitting the slopes, playing rockband...and a beer or margarita or two.
Thanks also to everyone for following, and for all the messages. They have been a joy to read.
Julie Wins the 70.3 World Championship
Julie and I are both over the moon with the win. This is just a quick update and some photos before a proper race update. Come back soon. Follow me on Twitter or click the register button to receive notification for all website updates.
More photos from Xterra World Champs
Xterra World champ 2009
Its funny how we are always quicker to update/blog about races that you do well in hey! So here I am a couple of hours after the race back in the hotel room firing off a quick email to mike to update the website. Get on it Mikey :)
The race went well and of course I am delighted to have won again here in Maui. People have been making a big deal about the possibility of me winning 3 in a row, but to be honest I am just delighted to have won TODAY. The races last year and the year before seem so far away. Yes it was great to have won them, but so much has happened between now and then. The race today showed me that all the work I have done this year is starting to pay off. I know I had a few setbacks along the way, but throughout it all I have managed to maintain some great training blocks. This win, and my form coming into it, has shown me that Mike and my move to Boulder was the right thing for my triathlon career. I have made some great new friends in Boulder (you all know who you are), and have found a new lease of life in my training. Of course I miss being so close to you Mum and Dad, but for right now, this has shown me this has been the right move.
As for the race itself - I felt strong throughout the day. Well, maybe til the last mile stretch along the lava rock. I hate that stuff! Compared to last year I felt in control on the bike. Last year, I was on the rivet all the time. A big part of this I am convinced was due to my swtich to the Trek Top Fuel bike. It seriously did half of the work for me. All I had to to was pedal a little bit, and point the bike in the right direction! Being in control on the bike, also alowed me to get off the bike and head out onto the run a lot fresher. Last year I suffered big time! This year I felt strong, and after seeing the lead I had coming into transition, knew that as long as I didn't blow (like I have done many a time before), this race was mine for the taking.
All in all GBR had a great day out here. The highlights were Darrelle "DAZ" Parker (who I have coached now for 2 years), who is believed to have been the fastest female Age grouper. Not bad for a 41??? yr old :), and to Graham Wadsworth who finished 18th Male Pro. Top racing guys.
On the flip side, I am gutted for Sammy G Gardner, who once again had mechanical problems out on the bike. Sammy G was romping it, and has improved his swim no end through guts and dedication. He deserved alot more today, and I know you will come out stronger for it.....maybe not right now...but after a few beers at least. And to Chris Leigh, who also had tyre trouble out on the course. Way to come back and run the fastest time of the day. A true champion Chris!
Next up for me, is the annual Halloween costume party here in Maui. Alot of fun to be had tonight. Tomorrow the last phase of Operation Clearwater begins. 
Read some archived news
Oct 2009 - Oct 2008.