Time Management

I wish I could train, but I don't have time. How often have we heard that before? How often have we said that before? We all have responsibilities between jobs, school, family, or whatever random chores need to be done. How do we balance it all?

In reality, taking care of our bodies is essential for doing any of those other things well. It is a priority. We will be more successful in whatever we choose to do with our lives if we focus on our health and well-being. Plan time in your day to exercise. Plan time in the 24-hour period for sleep. Both of those are important.

This past semester, between taking care of a neck injury at physical therapy, and a heavy course load, I will admit that I am not training as much as I want to be. School is the number one priority, but I know that I won't be as successful with school if I don't take the time to exercise or take care of the nagging pain. Instead of 3+ hours of training, I will sometimes have to cut training down to 1-2 hours. Your brain is going to wander naturally if you sit and stare at a computer screen or paper all day. Schedule that wandering time and use it in a productive manner. Recharge yourself between tasks. If you don't think you have 1-2 hours, go for a 30 minute run. That's still a good workout.

If you are having difficulties with planning the workouts, make a schedule. It is a lot easier to hold yourself accountable if it's written down. If you are shortening your workout, you can maximize the time by increasing the intensity.

Happy Training!

Motivation to Tri

Motivation is one of the aspects of training and racing that can be difficult to find. I want to talk about this subject and how I stay motivated. Hopefully it will be helpful for anyone who is dealing with the "I don't want tos" (trust me, we all feel it at some point...) With the days getting shorter and the weather getting colder this is even more difficult. I will be the first to admit that I have an extreme dislike for being cold. But, the training still needs to be done.

1. Find something that you enjoy doing. I happen to love triathlon. If I didn't, I wouldn't do it. This is the number one motivating factor for me. I encourage anyone who is trying to become active to first and foremost find something that is enjoyable. I love racing, the atmosphere at triathlons, and the camaraderie that is unique to this sport. One of the things that drives me during the winter is knowing that the hard work in the off-season is going to eventually pay off during the triathlon season.

2. Train with friends. It's more fun to workout with friends. It also holds you accountable since other people are depending on your support as well. To be completely honest, there are some days that I would try to talk myself out of training if not for having a group training session. I don't like the cold or the rain, but I will go if my friends are there.

3. Follow a Training Schedule. It is a lot easier to do something with a plan. Having a great coach takes out all of the guess work. It is so much easier to get to the gym when it's on the calendar.

4. Make training a habit. If working out is part of your everyday routine, there are fewer opportunities to talk yourself out of going because your mind is set to just go automatically.

5. Set goals. This is one of the most important steps. You should have both short term and long term goals to see how much progress you can make. I make goal times every year. Sometimes I hit them and sometimes I don't. But it is fun to see how far I have come since my very first race when my goal was to just finish. My long term goals are racing in the Ironman World Championships and earning my pro card. Whenever I have a case of the "I don't want tos," I just think about what I want to accomplish and get going.

6. Visualize. When you're having a hard time pushing yourself during a workout, think about what you're going to do during a race. When you're in the pool, imagine that you're at the swim start getting pumped up. One of the most important methods for me has been preparing myself for speed work. It is difficult to push yourself to an all-out pace while doing speed work. I think about the finish line and ask myself, "What is it going to feel like when I'm in a race to the finish and sprinting the last mile?" Those are the conditions that I try to simulate.

7. Go indoors if necessary. This one is for less than ideal weather conditions. Don't train outside if it's not safe to do so (i.e. snow, thunderstorms, etc.) Find an alternate workout. Use a trainer for the bike, treadmill, indoor pool, weights. There are plenty of ways to be active indoors, so be flexible.

8. If all else fails, bribery always works. I had a hard time a couple years ago finding motivation in the off-season. I kept thinking "My race is so long from now, I don't really need to go to the gym today..." Don't do that. You can't cram for a race. Ideally, you want to find something that is a meaningful motivator and will help you reach your goals (Eating a gallon of ice cream every day for working out probably isn't conducive to achieving fitness goals...) I started a "Kona jar" where I give myself a quarter for every workout that I complete. This helps me save money for eventually going to Kona and hopefully help me qualify one day.

Happy training!

Any tips that you would like to add?

Maintaining Fitness with an Injury

Thank you, Mark, for this week's topic suggestion. If anyone has any questions, or topics , let me know! You can ask on here, Facebook, Twitter, or just ask me in person.

Being injured as an athlete is tough. It's hard to think about all of the fun training that you're missing, and to worry about getting behind when you have a race on your schedule. Get those thoughts out of your head. Focus on getting better and what you're going to do when you are back in the game. I know that's easier said than done, but try it anyway.

First evaluate the injury. For some injuries, you are be better off resting. You don't want to prolong an injury or cause lasting damage from not allowing something to heal properly. No one is going to look down on you for taking a break. They won't take that Ironman tattoo away or rip that bumper sticker off of your car. If you need to rest, then rest. If you can, talk to a physical therapist, athletic trainer, or doctor to make a plan. If you are given rehabilitation exercises or stretches, make sure to do them.

Figure out what you CAN do. This part is extremely difficult because it's very easy to get stuck in the mindset of not wanting to exercise when you are unable to complete your normal routine. It is far more productive to focus on the positives. I have personally had a difficult time with this, but it is something that I am working on. I'm still treating a neck injury right now, but I am allowed to do some workouts. Although it's not my normal pace or distance, it is still exercise. While only being permitted to swim slowly, I have been thinking about my form and trying to perfect my technique.

Find alternative exercises. The nice thing about triathlon is that if you are unable to do one sport because of an injury, it is often possible to stay in shape with the other two. If you have an injury that wipes out all three sports as an option, try something else (stationary or reclining bike, strength training, walking, etc.)

Adjust your training and possibly race schedule. Talk to your coach so he or she can help make necessary changes. You might have to lighten the workout load for a while, but it's better to make the adjustments than risk exacerbating a problem.

Finally, don't overdo it when you start adding the mileage and intensity. Ease back in so you don't re-injure yourself.

Happy healing!

It's the end of the season. What do I do now???

I know a lot of you still have big races coming up, so save this for later. For those of you who have finished your season, I know it's hard to figure out what to do next. Here are my post-season recommendations:

1) Celebrate. You have spent a long time training and working hard to reach your goals. Be proud of what you have accomplished.

2) Take a break. Use this time to re-group. You can still exercise during this time, but spend some time without a training schedule. Try new sports. Have some fun. This means that it's time to have a different kind of fun (not that triathlon isn't fun because it is an awesome sport). It's just a good idea to switch things up from time to time. Once you get really tired of all of the other fun (plus a couple extra weeks just to make sure), it's time to start off-season again!

3) This is an extension of the re-grouping phase. Take care of any nagging injuries. Don't carry over aches and strains into your training plan for next year. Take some time to get the necessary rest and treatment that you need in order to have a strong off-season.

4) Reflect on your season and talk to your coach! Try to take an objective look at your last season. What went well? Where can you improve?

5) Start forming your race schedule and goals for next year.

6) Time to start off-season training! Start building at a reasonable pace. Don't jump back in and expect to be at race-pace your first week of off-season. This is the time for building strength.

7) Have fun and good luck on your next season!

Tri for Real #3- the 2:20:00 club

I've had my sights set on getting my Olympic Distance time under 2:20:00 for over a year. It finally happened on 8/3/14. This was the third and final race of the Tri for Real series at Rancho Seco for the year. I was coming off a 1st overall at Tri for Real #2 with a PR of 2:21:57 from three weeks earlier. When I saw my friend, Robin before the start of the race, I knew that I was going for 2nd, because she is an amazing athlete. But my main priority was still beating that darned 2:20:00.

Everything went smoothly prior to the race start. I got my usual breakfast and second breakfast in before setting up my transition area and did my usual warm-up. I felt great and was really ready to go.

I liked that we had a mass start with all of the females in the same wave for the start of the swim. It's easier to know where everyone is if we all start at the same time and there weren't too many people as to cause chaos at the beginning. It also gives us a chance to try to catch a draft, which isn't possible with really small waves. At the start of the swim, I sprinted my usual approximately 100 yds out and actually was able to draft a bit off of an aquabiker. I was able to stay on until the first buoy, but then it looked as if he was off course, so I stayed on the buoys. I saw someone else ahead with my cap color, but she was also off course, so I opted to not lose my line and did not draft. The rest was all solo. I finished my swim in about my usual time. I honestly haven't been very thrilled at my lack of improvement on the swim, because I need to knock off a few minutes, but it is what it is for now. My 1.5 K swim split was 24:58. (I don't wear a watch at all when I race, so I didn't know my splits until after). Oh, and I had another first of knocking the rack over while I was getting my bike off. Ooops.

I knew that there were a few women ahead of me and I had some catching up to do. I had a Gu Energy Gel right after the train track going out. I saw Robin pass on her way in as I was headed out. I didn't see any other women coming the other direction until about 30 seconds to the turnaround. Elise was ahead of me. I knew that I would be able to catch her if I pushed hard for a bit on the bike. Unfortunately, that plan came screeching to a halt by a train. Yes, a train. It wasn't even a full train that we were waiting for. It was just the engine rolling back and fourth right in the middle of the road while someone was doing something on the track. There were about 5 athletes or so stopped on each side of the train waiting for it to get out of the way and wondering why they couldn't see that we were in the middle of a race! 2nd place was no longer in eye-sight. I had some more catching up to do. I pushed harder on the bike than I planned, but I was finally able to see Elise way off in the distance turning on to the park road, which is about 2.5 miles to transition. I had a second Gu Energy Gel in the last mile of the bike to get ready for the run. My 40 K bike split was not bad, considering the train delay. It was 1:09:22 combined bike plus both transition times.

Right after the turnaround (photo credit to Mark Davis)

The dismount (photo credit to Deborah Adair aka Mommy)

This had to be the run of my life. I really wanted to make up for lost time. This is the absolute strongest that I have felt coming off the bike and I was ready. I kept replaying everything that coach told me about the run in my head. I was closing the gap between me and 2nd. I was really trying to plan this strategically, though, because I knew that when I passed, I had to go.The fist part of the run is challenging because it is deceptively hilly with loose gravel. I didn't want to pass on a hill because I knew that I was not going to sprint on hills in the first mile of the race. In my mind, I was planning on making my move just past the second aid station right after the course flattens out and right before heading onto the short bit of pavement. That didn't happen. I was gaining momentum at that final hill right before the aid station and Elise slowed down just a bit. It was go time. I now had 4 miles to hold on to that lead and I knew it was not going to be easy.

Every time I tried to push myself harder, thinking to myself  "okay, time to go harder for a bit and get some distance," Elise went with me. She did an amazing job of pushing me. Every part of the trail, I could hear Elise right behind me matching my pace. At the last mile, I knew that really had to be my last ditch effort to get some distance. I turned it on to an all-out run. I still heard the footsteps. About 1/2 mile left, there were still footsteps. I finally turned to a sprint because I was not about to stop here. There were still footsteps. I kept my pace going the entire last bit of the race and the footsteps were there to the finish line. I didn't find out until then (because I never looked behind me) that the footsteps during the last mile belonged to a guy. I had no idea I had finally gained some ground and kept going thinking I had not. It was such a great race and I'm really glad we were able to experience pushing ourselves to the max. That's what racing is all about! Thank you for such a great race, Elise. I'm glad we were both able to reach new PR's! My final 10 K run was a run PR for me with a time of 44:07.

I was a bit tired here (photo credit Mommy)

My total Olympic Distance for the day was 2:18:27. Good for 2nd overall, 2nd age group, and 1st for the Tri for Real Series Championship.

As always, thank you to TBF Racing for putting on another great race! Thank you to my sponsor Gu Energy Labs. And to my coach , John Pottebaum, and teammates at Total Intensity Sports. And my parents for always supporting me and cheering me on.

25-29 podium!

Series Champ shirt

Season update

Just wanted to share my season update:

I'm ending this season earlier than I would have liked. Tri for Real #3 this weekend is going to be my last race of 2014. As many of you know, I wanted to see where my times were to see if I could try to earn my pro card at the end of this month. I really don't want to seem as if I'm giving up, because that's not at all what is going on. I simply don't have extra funds for traveling to races and need to plan my races strategically to get the most out of them. Due to the cost of racing (travel, entry fee, etc.), and my times not being quite where I want them, I have opted to skip Nationals and a pro qualification race for this year and save for next year. I am disappointed about not going to Nationals this year, despite having qualified four times. If anyone knows of any airlines and/or hotels that need athletes to sponsor, let them know I'm available and I still have room on my jersey lol. But anyway, all my focus right now is on this weekend and getting in a final PR for the year because improvement is always important.

I'm planning on starting my off season training earlier this year since I'm ending my season earlier, and I'm going to spend a lot of time focusing on my run form since that is my biggest weakness at the moment. My swimming could also stand a few minutes of improvement, so I need to work on that as well.

This year I was trying to get to a qualification race. This is qualification Criteria F: Finish top-3 overall in the amateur field at an Elite Qualifying Race. "All triathlons on US (including territories) and Canadian soil that have a corresponding elite race in the same distance with $20,000 or more in elite prize money shall be Elite Qualifying Races." I couldn't find any races near me in the time frame that I was aiming for this year.

Next year, however, I think I'm going to spread out my racing and start going for the pro card earlier. I'm going to look at Criteria A for 2015: "Finish within 8% of the winning elite time on the same course as the elites (distance and format) in three USAT sanctioned events that offered a prize purse of $5,000 or greater. All three results must be from the same calendar year." Hopefully that will give me more race options closer to home so I won't have to spend as much money on travel. If there are any Criteria F in California, that would be helpful, too! And I also won't be leaving the season to ride on the end. This means I'm going to have to have a killer off-season and really be ready to go hard from the start of 2015.

I am excited that I have been able to make some improvements in my time this year, but I know that I am still capable of improving even more. Thank you to my coach, John Pottebaum, with Total Intensity Sports, my teammates, my sponsor, Gu Energy Labs, my family and friends, and that includes all of you who are reading and sharing in these experiences. :)

See you at Rancho Seco on August 3rd! I also owe you a race report from Tri for Real #2, so I'll combine those at the end.

Tri For Real #1 Done

I went into this race ready to crush my PR. I had high expectations of myself- sub 2:20:00 in June and 2:15:00 by the end of the season. My PR prior to the race was 2:24:09 on the same course. Unfortunately, I didn't quite have the race I wanted. BUT, I'm still not ruling out meeting my overall season goal time, so stay tuned!! We're not done yet.

We got to the race about an hour and a half before the race start, racked our bikes, and checked in. I had my second breakfast and relaxed for a few minutes. After setting up my transition, I started my warm-up and was ready to go.

I decided to wear my wetsuit this race because I need to get practice wearing it during races for when I really need it. The water would have been perfectly comfortable without it.Coming from a swimming background, I'm used to having the extra mobility in my stroke sans wetsuit, so I'm just not 100% comfortable yet. And since this is an expensive sport, I've only sprung for the full wetsuit, no sleeveless or speedsuits (If anyone is looking for triathletes to sponsor, I'm available...)

At race start, I sprinted out about the first 100 yards or so and then settled into a comfortable rhythm. I thought I did pretty well at sighting and staying on the course and finished the 1.5 K swim in 24:56. I still want to shave a few minutes off my swim time, but that will have to wait for the next race. Unfortunately, I've been having really bad allergy induced asthma over the past few weeks due to a combination of inflamed lungs from pets and a bad allergy season in general. Throw exercising in on top of that and it doesn't feel so great. I didn't have any emergency issues, but I felt as if I wasn't able to get normal breaths in almost instantly during the swim. It lasted the entire rest of the race. It was not very comfortable and it definitely doesn't help the speed situation.

I don't know my transition time (I think transitions are combined in the overall bike time). I had my shoes on my bike already, so after taking off the wetsuit, putting on my helmet and sunglasses, I was ready to run to the bike out and hop onto my bike. I knew there were two women ahead of me thanks to all of the amazing people at TBF who told me as I headed out.

I caught up to the one woman about 10-15 minutes into the bike. I still had no idea where the first place woman was. I forgot how rough part of the road is out there, causing my legs to vibrate as I pedaled quickly. It definitely adds an extra element of fatigue to the muscles. I had one Gu Energy Gel about 1/4 way through the bike and one within the last mile of the bike to get ready for the run. There were a couple men who kept trading off with me. I was trying to get ahead of them because USAT rules say you have to back off out of the draft zone of the person who passes you before you can pass, which means slowing down every time if they aren't able to hold the pace after passing. Overall, I felt pretty strong on the bike. I came out with a decent time 1:11:03 for 40 K.

I took my feet out of my shoes between speed bumps coming back into the park, dismounted, and threw my bike back onto the rack to put on my running shoes. 10 K run left. I kept a steady-hard pace during the run, but this is where the breathing caused the most difficulty since proper breathing technique is very important for running fast. I saw the first place woman a few minutes ahead of me right before the 3 mile mark. She really had a killer time in those last few miles since she put several more minutes on me with only 3 miles left! The run course is a fairly challenging trail. The heat is known to be brutal on the red clay parts, but luckily the weather was great, so I did not feel the heat at all. I tried to give it a final push in my last few miles, but didn't quite get what I wanted out of my run. My 10 K PR is almost 3 minutes faster than I was able to do during the race (47:51 race time), so I was honestly disappointed in that.

My overall time was 2:23:51, which was still an overall PR by 18 seconds, so I can't complain about that! I was 2nd in my age group and 3rd overall female. Great job to all of the athletes out there for getting it done!

Thank you to TBF for putting on another great race, Coach John at Total Intensity Sports, and Gu Energy Gels, and of course all of my family, friends, and teammates. Tri for Real #2 is coming soon with a PR that still needs to be crushed.

Getting Ready to Tri for Real #1

I love racing at Rancho Seco with TBF. It's so much fun to be out there with my friends in such a supportive environment. It's also a great way to gauge my improvement each year since I can race on the same course. I finished my first Tri for Real in 3:18:28 in 2008. My times have improved on this same course every year since then: 3:09:31, 2:48:36, 2:38:40. My current PR was last year at 2:24:09.

The race this weekend is important to me because I can use my time to see if I think I would have a good chance at earning my pro card this year or if I think it would be better to try next year. If Nationals and pro qualification races weren't so darned expensive, I would go for it now regardless, but I  have to think about this in a practical manner. I know that puts a lot of pressure on this weekend, but that's okay! I actually do better under pressure, so the more the merrier. My goal is knock off 9 more minutes by the end of this season. If I think I'm on track for that, then I will go for it this year. :)




This is also the first year that I am planning on doing the full Tri for Real series. Usually one weekend is our family vacation weekend, but that's not an issue this year since we don't have enough water at Shasta Lake. Hopefully I can improve my times each month. We shall see.

I also need to learn to wear my wetsuit. This has been an issue for me at other races since I just don't wear it. But I need to practice actually using it during race conditions. And I need to swim straight. I keep getting lost during races. I've been practicing since Wildflower, though! Let's sight well this time!

I'm looking forward to seeing my TBF friends this weekend!

Thank you to my coach, John, with Total Intensity Sports for getting me ready, and Gu Energy Labs for keeping me well fueled.

American River Bike Trail

I just wanted to take a moment to recognize how lucky we are in Sacramento to have access to such a beautiful place to ride our bikes. 32 miles from Discovery Park to Folsom Lake. Even though we're in a city, we have a place that is close (only a mile from me!) to ride and run away from the craziness of life. While I was gone, we even got these awesome bike stations for any emergency repairs. My bike is modeling this really cool service station.

I love being outside and seeing nature. Coyote, deer, rattle snakes, turtles, etc. are always around on the trails. I enjoy seeing creatures in their natural habitat (including the athletes).

I love being able to go for a weekend ride and seeing my teammates and friends out on random parts of the trail. We're all out their working hard and it's always great to see a smiling face.

And of course there's the cyclist dude who is always out cheering everyone on and ringing his cowbell! He always dresses up for holidays-Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. I think it's awesome that he loves being out there.

Don't forget about safety: bikes on the right (pass on the left and always let the person know), pedestrians on the left.

I'm glad to be back on the trail. See you out there!

Wild Weekend at Wildflower Triathlon

Wildflower has a reputation for being a brutal race. You never know what you're going to get from year to year. Last year during the long course, athletes were faced with 90+ degree temperatures and not enough water on the course for athletes. The Olympic Distance the very next day was 30 degrees colder with crazy winds, causing white-capping waves in the swim and a challenging bike. This year the weather was great over the weekend, but the drought in California lead to a modified race course. We had a 2.2 mile run between the swim and the bike and the final run was reduced by 2.2 miles to make it even.

I personally am not super comfortable with wetsuits. I got a new one, but I only wore it once before the race, so I decided not to wear one. The water temperature was comfortable, so I just went for it. It was kind of cool that they announced last year's podium finishers before the start of each wave, but also seemed like I had to live up to that, which I knew would be difficult since I just aged up. The swim had this weird inky looking, sulfur smelling black gunk near the shore, so the entrance and exit were gross. The middle of the swim was fine, but visibility was low since there was not a lot of water and it was all stirred up. I stayed close to the buoy line and  had a great swim going out, but I went off course a bit on the way back. Guess my sighting still needs some work! Overall, I had an okay swim time. I thought it was strong while I was swimming, but I must have gone further off than I though because my time was not quite what I was expecting. My swim time was 24:34.

We had to go up a crazy steep boat ramp for T1A. Our bags were all lined up to grab running shoes and sunglasses, etc. and to put our swim gear away. The run then continued up the crazy steep boat ramp. My legs felt like lead. They did not want to move. I told them they did not have a choice. I thought I was going to be ready for the alternate course, but I guess I was not ready for the swim to run transition. After the steep climb flattened out, my legs finally started to loosen up. I got water at the aid station, but for whatever reason, I couldn't drink it. I was worried briefly since that's not typically a good sign, but I was well hydrated before the start of the race, so I kept going. A majority of the 2.2 miles included running along a path in the actual lake bed. Parts of it were like sand traps as if you were running on the beach. It was tough, but I built up speed as I continued to the final steep boat ramp (where the swim usually takes place) to get to T1B.

I ran to my bike, this time making good speed. My legs were warmed up and I was ready to crush the rest of the course after a somewhat disappointing first run. I changed my shoes grabbed my Gu and my bike and left transition. Lynch Hill is the first major challenge out of transition. I was so pumped for this that I felt as if I flew up the hill like nobody's business. I got to the top, had my first Gu and hammered out the rest of the bike. This is a challenging bike course, but I never thought about the difficulty while I was riding. I was trained on hills and ready for it. The one frustrating part though was that people didn't seem to know that they were supposed to ride on the right. There were several occasions where I was going downhill at 30+ mph and had to scream "left!!!!" at people to let them know that I was trying to pass on the left hand side and to move over.My bike time was 1:26. No too shabby with those hills! Coming down Lynch Hill back to transition I knew that I only had 4 miles left until the finish. It was nice knowing that I had already completed 2.2 miles.

I threw my bike back on the rack and grabbed my running shoes. I had a pretty decent run pace for the first mile. It was relatively flat for that portion, but I knew that the hill was coming. There it was Beach Hill. I didn't see anyone else trying to run. But I did. One foot in front of the other. Just keep the feet moving. Concentrate on the turnover. The hill seemed as if it just kept going. Finally I could see the top. I was ready to go. The top of the hill meant 2 more miles. Time to turn it on. The run then went back from paved road to dirt trail. There was so much dirt kicked up from the previous runners that I had the sudden sensation that I was drowning. I couldn't breath. I wanted my albuterol. My legs and mind said go, but my lungs said no. I abdomen cramped up. The turn on didn't happen. It was all I could do to just keep my legs moving at that point. I kept going. I wanted to push myself while running downhill at Lynch, but I was just on autopilot and in pain. I came to the finish shoot, which was about 0.25 miles left. Someone tried to make a move to pass me. That's when my final effort kicked in and I was finally able to kick in a sprint to the finish. I made it. I couldn't move any further. My total 10 K run time was 54:05. It was several minutes slower than the run the year before and slower than I expected myself to go.

I have to admit, I was disappointed in my final time. I thought I had a great race and I honestly pushed myself as hard as I can go, which is all I can ask for in the end. I didn't have the run that I expected to have following my bike, but that's life. I didn't wear a watch during the race because I want to race based on how I feel, not based on the time. I don't have any gadgets with me on race day. The course was brutal and it was brutal for everyone. I did have a Wildflower PR of about 3 minutes though, so knowing that I am stronger this year is always a good thing, especially being in a faster and larger age group. I placed 7th in my age group and 21st out of all women. Not too shabby. Another Wildflower adventure is over. What do you think we'll have in store next year?

Thank you so much to my Daddy, who made sure that I was out of the sun and off my feet as much as possible before the race (even though he was doing the long course himself!) And to my coach getting me ready! And of course to all of my family and teammates and friends for the well wishes and cheering. And finally Gu Energy Labs for keeping me fueled. And congratulations to all of the finishers of the long course, Olympic distance, mountain bike and especially Wildflower squared. You conquered a grueling weekend.

Race Week

Race week is here! It's time to let the body rest and recover for race day. Let your mind focus on the upcoming task at hand. Knowing that you are capable of training longer or faster, but that you don't have to for this week is a great feeling.

Confidence. The training is done. Trust yourself. Wildflower is going to be an unpredictable race. You know what you have to do to get through the race, but be prepared for the curveballs. Remain calm. Keep going. Last year the air temperature dropped 20-30 degrees from the long course to the Olympic Distance. The water temperature went from 72 to 68 with the weather change. That's the nature of this race. You don't know what to expect. Just be ready for anything. Also, we already know that the course is changing due to the drought. We're getting out of the swim and starting a 2.2 mile run! Visualize what that involves. Know what gear to pack and which transition to take each item to.

This is my first race of the 2014 season and also my first race in the big kid age group (25-29). I'm excited to see what this race and what this season has in store. I didn't exactly have the training that I thought I was going to due to an injury, but I have recently had PR's during training, so I am ready to go!

See you at the lake!

Thank you to my sponsor Gu Energy Labs and my coach and teammates at Total Intensity Sports and my family and friends.

Running Safety

After seeing a woman wearing all dark clothing running in the street at night on the wrong side of the road a few weeks ago (I almost didn't see her), I felt that running safety would be a good topic to discuss. Running is a great way to exercise and it's probably the easiest form of working out since it requires little preparation time and you don't have to go to a gym to do it. Just put on clothes and shoes and go!

#1 Run during the day. The main purpose of daytime running is so you are easily visible to traffic. Obviously you don't want to be hit by a car or bike or anything else for that matter. You also want to be able to see where you are going. You don't want to hurt yourself because you can't see the crack or bump in uneven surfaces where there is limited or no light.

#2 Wear bright or reflective clothing. You can even get a reflective vest to put over your clothes. If you are starting or ending your run in limited light, make sure people can see you. You can attach a light to a hat or carry a flashlight if you have to.

#3 Pedestrians should always be on the left hand side in the absence of a sidewalk (this includes on trails!!!) As my mom always taught me, "you want to be able to see the expression on the driver's face before he hits you." But seriously, you want to be able to see on-coming traffic so you can avoid accidents. It helps to be able to make eye-contact with the other person, whether it's a driver or a cyclist, so you know what the other person is going to do.

#4 If you are running on a sidewalk and you end up crossing the street or over a driveway, make sure you look for cars. Not all drivers pay attention to pedestrians. Yes, they are in the wrong if they don't stop, but you would be the one who's hurt in that type of accident, so take precaution. Car v. Person is no contest. Make eye-contact with the driver before crossing, especially if the driver is turning. If the driver is not looking at you, he clearly does not see you, so stop and wait.

#5 Use the buddy system if you are running on a trail. Especially for women, but true for everyone, you should not run on a deserted trail by yourself. It's just not safe.

#6 If an old, shirtless man (or anyone for that matter) stops in front of you as you are getting ready to start your run and suggests that you run in the woods behind his house, please don't do it! (And yes, that actually happened to me when I was living in Boone, NC). But seriously, trust your instincts.

#7 Don't ramp up your mileage too quickly. This will lead to fatigue and injuries. If you are training for a marathon, doing 13.1 miles during training and calling it good is not safe. Yes, it is possible for some people to gut it out with only a few miles under their belts, but there's no reason to risk it. And besides, it's not fun to go to a race and feel as if you have to gut it out. You want to have the confidence that the finish line is within your grasp. Just build up the distances safely.

#8 If you are running long distances, bring the appropriate fuel and hydration, especially if it's hot.

#9 Wear sunblock.

#10 I don't always do this, but I really should and I do recommend it: Carry ID with you. Also, if you are running long distances, tell a family member or friend where you are going and about how long you plan to be gone. After the incident in #6, I started texting my parents whenever I went for a run to make sure that someone would always know where I was supposed to be.

#11 Have fun!

Let me know if you have any other running suggestions to add to the list!

Race Day Preparation

Race day is coming, but how do we prepare?! The training is done. Now all you have to do is get your mind ready. Visualize the finish line throughout the day and how you're going to get there. I emphasize visualization throughout training, but it is especially important the day before and morning of a race. Familiarize yourself with the athlete guide ahead of time so you know the expectations and layout of your race. Each race will be a little different.

My race day prep. for any distance starts two nights before the race. The most important day for sleeping is two nights before the race. Most people have trouble sleeping the night before they have to wake up early, so it's better to bank a few hours before. Get up in the morning and start doing a light workout. Loosen up the muscles and stretch. If you are able to get an open-water swim in, that is highly recommended.

For large races, there is going to be a really cool expo before the race. Yes, it is impossible to resist. But make sure that you are not fatiguing your legs by spending too much time there, especially if it's hot outside. I wanted to go watch Chrissie Wellington's talk during the Ironman Texas expo in 2012. For me that was an amazing part of the Ironman experience and I was not going to miss it. But I sat in the shade and waited rather than standing in the sun. Make it work. If there's time, skip the expo and go after the race. Also, a lot of larger races require bikes to be checked in the day before, so watch your time and do that accordingly. Earlier is better so you don't have to worry about it or stress late in the day. During a 70.3 or 140.6 I also like to jump in a pool to relax and stretch the night before, although that could be helpful for any distance, really.

For long course and Ironman triathlons, you have to start fueling the day before. This is not the time to "eat healthy." You should have been doing that during the rest of your training. The purpose of these meals is to get the calories in. Limit or eliminate fruits and vegetables. You don't want to be clearing that out of your digestive system during the race. This is purely carbo loading time! Well, you want some protein as well. This starts at least by lunchtime the day before the race. My personal preference is Italian food for lunch- pasta and bread. And lots of it. My dinner of choice is Fuddruckers-veggie burger, fries, and a milkshake. Yummm. You're going to be burning around 10,000 calories during an Ironman, so it's totally okay. Enjoy it.

You have to wake up early in the morning for  your race, so pack everything the night before. If you're a list person, make a checklist ahead of time to make sure you have everything. You're packing for three sports essentially, so it would be easy to leave something behind. Depending on your race, you may be packing in different bags. Ironman events and sometimes half-Ironmans will have special needs or transition bags  Each race will be a little different, so be prepared. Make sure you are packing everything into the appropriate bags and dropping them off at the appropriate time and location. Don't forget your nutrition! Try to get to sleep early once you have everything ready.

Race morning! Make sure you have a good breakfast (carbs and protein). Grab all of your gear that you prepared the night before and head over to the race. All of my race morning preparation for any distance is pretty much the same. The only thing that would change is the amount of calories I consume for breakfast. I like being at the race between 1.5-2 hours early to set up my transition area, double check that my bike is good to go, get my body marking, warm-up, etc. About an hour before the race, I will eat a bar, take my final bathroom trip and start warming up and stretching (I try to repeat my routine almost exactly at every race. It helps with the mental preparation so you know what you're doing. Once you get comfortable with your routine, it'll be easy to repeat). My personal warm-up preference is short jogs with stretching. You will see a lot of variations on warm-ups, so find what works for you, hopefully during training, and do that here. I like to get in the water 10 minutes before my wave start to get in a swim warm-up. Sometimes you will only be allowed 5 minutes, and sometimes you can't get in at all, so you need to be able to adapt to the race rules and conditions. Time to race!

Race Day Nutrition

I have learned a lot about nutrition during races over the past several years. When I started increasing my distances, I had no idea that this was even a thing. I found out the hard way that when you are burning this many calories, you have to replenish them. I experienced a "bonk" during my first Olympic distance race and eventually found help in this area. I didn't know anything about nutrition until my coach, John, with Total Intensity Sports, evaluated and refined my nutrition plan. There are two very important rules for race day nutrition.

 #1 Never try something new before a race.  So for the first point, DO NOT try free samples the day before or day of a race at the race expo or right in the middle of the race. I know it's tempting, but seriously, don't do it. You don't know how your body is going to react to it. Take a sample and try it on a non-race day. Look at what nutrition and electrolyte the race will be providing ahead of time. Train with it if you can. If you happen to try it and don't like it, you will know ahead of time to carry your own stuff. During my first half-Ironman, I did not do this. I personally did not like the taste of the electrolyte (I know that some people love it, this is just my personal taste preference). I knew already that I was not going to be able to rely on that electrolyte for my first full Ironman because I knew I would not drink enough since I didn't like it. I carried my own electrolyte during the bike and run. It can be annoying to have to carry your own stuff, but it's better than the alternative.

#2 Just because a nutrition plan works for one person does not mean it is going to work for another. Your nutrition plan is going to be trial and error. Keep track of what you eat during training. Track how many calories you eat. Track your progress and how you feel during training. Having a good coach will definitely aid you in this.

I'm sharing my plan for anyone who is unsure of where to start. But remember rule #2. This is not going to work for everyone. Try it, modify it, and keep track of your progress. During long races, I will eat every twenty minutes. It's easy to overload your digestive system if you eat too much at once. I would eat about 60 calories of chewies (like Gu Chomps, for example) at the :20 and :40 and 100 calories with a Gu Energy Gel on the hour. I prefer to mix it up a little bit with flavors on a long race, but this is the general idea. I also had a bar during the middle of the bike ride, again splitting it into thirds and eating every 20 minutes. It's easier to eat solid foods on the bike than it is the run. During short races, I'm not going to be burning as many calories, so it is not as important to be constantly eating. I have a Gu Energy Gel every 45 minutes. I will also have water and Gu Electrolyte Brew throughout all training and racing sessions.

I have several other important nutrition tips to share, so stay tuned!

Memorial Hermann Ironman Texas 2012

It is hard to describe the feeling of crossing the finish line of an Ironman. It is an emotional experience when you hear Mike Reilly, the voice of Ironman, calling your name and announcing “You are an Ironman!” All of the work, the pain, the fun, is all behind you. You accomplished a feat that many people have never even dreamed of. You woke up at 4:00 A.M. after months and months of pushing your limits and testing your mental fortitude in order to swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles and run 26.2 miles. You did it.

I signed up for my first Ironman after I completed Florida 70.3 in 2011. Ironman Texas was going to be almost exactly a year later. What better way to spend college graduation money? I joined Total Intensity Sports and met a great group of athletes and friends with a coach who knew how to push me to be my best. Training was long. It was difficult. And there were several points in the day when I just didn’t feel like going. But, I knew that I was not going to have a good race without putting in the work. The workouts that you don’t want to do are the most important. Those are the days when you really test and build your mental toughness. On the actual course, there are going to be points where you don’t want to keep going, but you can draw from the difficult training sessions and know that you can do it.

I’m going to try to describe my race, but to get a better picture, watch the re-cap video that was played during the awards ceremony. My dad was racing with me. We were smack talking all the way up to the event to see who would be a faster Ironman, but really, the important part is being there with family and getting each other to the finish line. (Yes, he beat me…) My sister was finishing the Disney College Program right before the race, so she flew into Texas on the way home to California to join our cheer section with my uncles, aunt and cousins.

Race Day! I know a lot of people feel pre-race nerves, but I was honestly too excited to be nervous, although I needed to be calm in order to conserve the energy that I was going to need. Time to eat breakfast, get our bags (transition bags were all prepared the night before and bikes are already dropped off in transition the day before. There’s a lot of preparation involved and obviously no time to think about that stuff on race day…) We got to the parking area and dropped off our transition bags. Our day started with a mile long walk to the water from there. It was pitch dark. There were thousands of athletes and volunteers and spectators near the swim start. We got our body markings, sunblocked, stood in a really long line for the bathroom (part of the pre-race routine), warmed-up and waited. We were ready.

After the cannon goes off for the pros to start about ten minutes before the race start, athletes started funneling through the swim corral and into the water. The water was warm, so wetsuits were allowed if needed, but not allowed for anyone who wanted to try to qualify for awards or Kona. I went without, but I prefer swimming sans wetsuit (which is why I picked Texas). We treaded water for several minutes. If you have ever witnessed a mass swim start, you would understand why the nickname is “the blender.” You are in the water with approximately 2,000 of your new friends, all anxious to go. When the cannon went off, I immediately got pushed under water. I was honestly a bit scared from that, even though swimming was always my strength. I felt disoriented and didn’t want to be too close to anyone after that.

I was so happy when I saw the ladder and a volunteer pulled me out of the water at a time of 1:10:57. Time to grab the transition bag and run to the changing tent. Some people change completely, others just grab shoes and nutrition. Do whatever you have to do to finish the race. After the changing station is the sunblock station. The volunteers have giant vats full of sunblock that they smear all over. It was 90 degrees in May, so this was very much appreciated. Next I had to find my bike and started my 112 mile journey. There are a lot of thoughts that run through your mind in 112 miles. I tried to focus on enjoying it. I honestly loved the part where we rode through the Sam Houston National Forrest. And I waved to all of the spectators cheering us on. I do wear a watch with me while racing, but only to track my calorie intake. Everything else I go with how I feel. I just remembered all of the advice that coach gave me and thought about how great the finish line was going to be. And how all of my friends could track my progress online whenever I reached a timing matt. Dad passed me around mile 40-something. I knew I wouldn’t see him again until the run. It’s hard not to tick off the miles at the mile markers and think about how many miles you have left. And that you still have to run a marathon even when you get off your bike. I stopped to pee way to many times. A lot of people just go on their bikes, but I wasn’t that fancy, yet. I opted for porta-potties. When I hit mile 90, I thought I was almost there. But really, that’s 22 miles away. And mile 100 was still 12 miles left! The crowds were getting bigger as I got closer to transition. I saw my sister! 6:48:30 is a long time to be on a bike.

Time to give away my bike to the nice volunteers. I grabbed my running shoes from my next transition bag, had to pee again, and got more sunblock from the volunteers with the sunblock vats. 26.2 miles is a long way to go. I passed the rest of my family about a mile away. They were cheering and partying and enjoying the atmosphere. My uncle told me that my dad was way ahead of me and that I had two girls in my age group ahead of me. I wanted to go to Kona. Slow and steady. Just keep running. People are walking left and right. Several people did not look all that good, to be honest. I had to just keep going. I had a little bit of knee trouble leading up to the event. I promised coach that I would stop and stretch every hour just to avoid issues. It seemed to help, because I didn’t have to walk at all. There were spectators and volunteers all over the course, which really helped keep us going. High-fives to everyone. At the start of each lap, you can hear the finish line. It sounded like a party. I just had to get there. At the second lap of three laps, there were even more people walking. More people looking exhausted. My uncle told me that I was catching up to my dad. I wanted to find him. Finally, lap number three. It seems as if you’re almost there, but it’s still over 8 miles away. That’s a decent run even on fresh legs, let alone when you’re completely run down. This time I was only five minutes behind my dad. I was determined to catch him. We saw each other I think about halfway through the last leg. He was going one way, and I was on the opposite side. I pushed harder to catch him, and now that he knew where I was, he pushed harder as well because he didn’t want me to catch up.

With about 3 miles left, my stomach was having no more of the food. I debated about forcing myself to eat, but it wasn’t going to happen. People were vomiting, walking, sitting, etc. I knew I could take on the last 3 miles. I skipped the food, stretched a final time and kept on running. As I reached the finish shoot, I high-fived everyone. 12:43:49 for my final time. It didn’t really matter though. What mattered was that I made it. To top it off, Chrissie Wellington, my idol, gave me my medal at the finish. I was sore, exhausted, surprisingly in that “not hungry” stage (don’t worry, I ate later!) We waddled over to the food area, eventually got our stuff to pack into the car. After showering and eating, we went back to the finish line so we could cheer on our fellow Ironman athletes to the finish line. They had until midnight. The finish line is like one big party. Everyone is excited. Everyone who finishes comes in to a hero’s welcome. It is an emotional journey, but well worth it.

A Race of Mistakes

The hardest race that I have ever done was my first Olympic distance triathlon, which consists of a 1.5 K swim, 40 K bike, and 10 K run (0.9 miles, 24.8 miles and 6.2 miles). I thought this would be a good time to point out huge mistakes in racing and how to avoid them.

I figured after I had completed a few sprint distance races that it was just time to try the next distance. I signed up for one of TBF’s Tri For Real events when I was eighteen (nineteen race day age). This brings me to my first piece of advice: Respect the course. I didn’t train enough- especially on the bike. I underestimated the bike ride. I bought my first road bike a few months before the race, but honestly didn’t ride much. When I trained, I primarily focused on running. During the race, I was so exhausted from the bike ride that there was not much running going on during the race.

After I rolled into transition, I had no energy, but still had a 6.2 mile run. I took an energy gel at the first aid station. And that leads to my next two issues. During a race of this distance, you should be prepared to take calories in. This was something that I was completely unaware of at the time. I will cover race-day nutrition in a couple weeks. And never, ever, ever, ever try something for the first time during a race. I did not digest that very well.

Now for the positive of the race: I finished it. Honestly crossing that finish line was a huge step for my triathlon journey. I was not going to stop no matter how difficult it was. I walked most of the run portion. I was out there literally yelling at my legs to keep moving. I was in pain. My finish time was 3:18:24. I was incredibly proud of the fact that I had finished this race. Even better, I got first place in my age group! (I was the only one in the 19 and under, but that’s not important…) I have worked hard over the past several years to improve, learned from my mistakes, and got a coach. It has definitely paid off. My current PR of 2:24:09 at Olympic distance was on the same course .

So for my last pieces of advice: 1) You have to start somewhere! 2) Get to the finish line. 3) Learn from and share your mistakes.

A Bump in the Road

I wasn’t sure if I was going to talk about this at all in my blog since it was a very personal struggle, but I decided that I really can’t be open and share my experiences without talking about it. Also, thank you to my parents for all of the time, energy, emotion, money, etc. that you spent in helping me stay on my feet, chase my dreams, and become a stronger person.  So, here goes:

During a Memorial Day weekend soccer tournament in 2005 at the age of 15, I felt a shooting pain in my heel at the end of our second game as we were walking off the field. I never imagined that this was going to completely change the course of my life. After going to a pediatrician, I was told that I had Achilles tendinitis and that I had to take it easy for a couple weeks. The pain never went away, so I was sent to a podiatrist and put in a walking boot. I missed state ODP tryouts (Olympic Development Program). Still no relief. Next was a cast and crutches.

Throughout the next year, the pain worsened. I missed out on my favorite sport. I missed spending time with my friends. I missed a lot of school. I felt guilty for abandoning my team without a goalkeeper as I was sidelined with pain, but didn’t know why. I was sent from podiatrist to orthopedist to rheumatologist and back. It eventually progressed to the point that I could not wear socks or shoes without pain. I could not tolerate anything touching my foot or ankle. I would scream in pain any time I tried to ice it. It felt like someone twisting a hot poker around my foot. I had muscle spasms. My foot and ankle turned blue and red.

Almost a year after the initial injury, I was diagnosed with Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD), although now it is more commonly known as Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). As the name indicates, there is no simple way to describe the disease. If you want to learn more about the actual condition, I encourage you to Google or just ask me later. This post would go on forever if I tried to describe it all here.

I spent my junior and senior years of high school going to physical therapy at 6:00 in the morning so I wouldn’t miss too much school and could try to control the pain and maintain function enough to go to soccer practice after school. Oftentimes I would just skip school after physical therapy because it was too painful and distracting to go to class. Since a lot of people didn’t understand what was going on, it felt as if I lost a lot of friends. This was also around the time that Paula Abdul admitted that she had RSD and seemed to receive a lot of negative attention for telling people about the pain that she experienced on a daily basis. Eventually, my rheumatologist wanted to make sure there were no underlying orthopedic issues going on, so he sent me back to an orthopedist who did find a tarsal coalition. Although risky with RSD, we were desperate for any potential for relief and decided to have the coalition excised after my senior soccer season. The pain continued for a few years, but I think that this was ultimately the right decision to prevent any future damage.

By the time I got to college, I decided to not mention having RSD to very many people so I wouldn’t feel alienated and broken, although there were many days when I just wanted to hide in a corner and cry. I didn’t want to let this define me.

One of the most difficult parts of dealing with RSD was maintaining and developing my identity. There were times when I wondered what I was if I couldn’t be an athlete. But honestly, that wasn’t an option for me. I love sports. I love working out. This wasn’t going to stop me. I kept playing soccer competitively and on my high school varsity team. I did a few sprint distance triathlons here and there over the next few years to try to keep being active, and when my soccer career came to an end (that’s a different story entirely), I increased my triathlon distances.

I am an athlete. I am an Ironman. Nothing is going to stop me.

Getting Started

This is Part 1 of how I became a triathlete. One of the things that I love about the sport is that it is a sport for anyone and everyone. Once you tri, you will be hooked! Hopefully my experiences will demonstrate that.

Triathlon is still a growing sport. The numbers of triathletes are on the rise, and thanks to all of the kids' triathlons, athletes are now starting at a younger age. In a sport that is still garnering support among the younger crowds, I decided to do an Ironman at the age of 22 (23 in race-day age). How did I get involved at a relatively young age?

I grew up as a soccer player. I was a goalkeeper pretty much my entire life. When I was 13, I saw a flier for this thing called a triathlon at our local Jamba Juice. I had never heard of a triathlon before that, but I thought that swimming, biking and running sounded like fun, so I told my dad that I wanted to do it. I figured since I had experience swimming from recreational swim team and I kind of ran at soccer practice (again, I was a goalkeeper, hence the "kind of"), I never had any doubts about being able to complete the race. My dad was skeptical and tried to tell me about how difficult a triathlon would be, but I'm a very persistent person so he signed us up.

I didn't own a bike at this time. I borrowed a bike from my dad's friend. I rode to swim practice and my dad and I rode to soccer practice as our triathlon training- probably pretty minimal training when we think about it now, but it was enough.

Time for race day at Discovery Park in Sacramento, CA in September, 2002! The River City Triathlon was a sprint distance race consisting of a 500 yard swim in the American River, 11 mile bike ride and 3 mile run. I was excited. My family was all there to cheer us on. This was a wave start, so my dad started a few minutes before I did. We ended up getting out of the water at the same time, which was funny, but also good to know where he was! I honestly don't remember much about the bike ride, other than thinking that it was such a cool experience that I could wake up early in the morning and race.

Time to start the three mile run! The run is really what cemented my interest in triathlon. There were so many supportive athletes! With our ages written on our calves, everyone knew that I was one of the youngest competitors and everyone was very encouraging. I met a very nice woman during the run who seemed very excited about a young athlete. She is the one who told me about an Ironman race that she did in Hawaii. I thought that it sounded like fun, so I made it my goal to do it one day (thank you for planting the seed at such a young age- I'm sure my dad thanks you, too).

For anyone who has not done an endurance race, I'm sure the question on your mind is: what is the appeal? Honestly, what's not to love? 1) The community is always very supportive. Having people cheer you on is awesome. We're all trying to get each other to the finish line. 2) It's an amazing feeling when you accomplish a goal that you have worked hard to complete, especially when there are great announcers calling your name as you cross the finish line 3) The finish line is like a big party, and really, who doesn't like a good party?

I finished my first race in first place in the 19 and under age group. This, of course, made me even more excited about racing. I was very proud of my medal and even wore it to school the next Monday. I had so much fun and was ready for more racing with my dad. All I needed was a bike of my own.

Listen to Your Body

This was not my next intended topic, but considering that I'm currently out with whiplash, I thought it would be a good to cover injuries as my next topic while I work on recovery. Injuries suck. They are a part of life. Minimize the time spent recovering, so you can get back to quality training as quickly as possible. It's easy for athletes to want to train through the pain because of the mentality of not wanting to get behind. This can cause the injury to last longer! As coach always says, "Listen to your body." You know yourself better than anyone else. If any particular activity or exercise is worsening an injury, don't do it!

If you are hurt, remember RICE- Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate. The goal is to reduce inflammation as quickly as possible. Resting is absolutely key in this. It's better to miss a few training sessions and come back ready for training strong. Pushing through the pain not only leads to mediocre training sessions, but can also exacerbate the injury or extend the length of recovery time. Ice, compression and elevation are especially important in the first 48 hours to reduce inflammation.

Once the injury has had some time to heal, rehabilitation is the next step. If you have access to a physical therapist or athletic trainer, they can help teach you how to properly stretch and strengthen the affected area safely while monitoring your progress. If you're on your own, again, listen to your body. Increase the intensity as your body and pain levels allow.

Stay positive! This is one of the hardest parts, but definitely one of the most important. You will get through this. You will come back. You will be stronger for it. Use the time to visualize how you are going to race. Think about how it's going to feel when you are back in the gym, back on the bike, back on the track and crossing the finish line. Be smart about injuries and you will be training again in no time.

Bike Safety

I feel that this topic is very important to address. Cycling is a lot of fun, but there are risks, so it is imperative to be as safe as possible. A few weeks ago, as I was finishing up a long, hard ride on Santiago Canyon Road, I noticed several cars stopped in the bike lane. I thought something must be very wrong, so I slowed down. As I got closer, I saw that there was a cyclist down with several people around him to assist. I stopped and asked if I could help, but they had it as under control as possible and the paramedics were just seconds behind. I kept going and noticed that there was a car nearby with a smashed windshield. I don't know what happened, but it didn't look good. I couldn't help but think about how many cyclists were out there, since that's where most of the locals go for hill training, and that this could have happened to any one of us. Two weeks later, I was back on the hill and passed by a ghost bike- a memorial to a cyclist who was killed by a driver. I was not sure if this was a result of the previous accident or a more recent accident since it was a couple miles away from the first accident that I saw. I was very saddened and also very nervous to be on the road knowing that a cyclist had recently lost his life.

There are not a lot of areas in the area to get hill training in. Accidents happen. Whether it is the fault of the driver or the fault of the cyclist, unfortunately the result can be devastating. We can't eliminate accidents completely, but we can take easy precautions to reduce the number and severity of accidents while training on roads and bike trails.

#1 NEVER get on a bike without wearing a helmet properly. It doesn't matter if you're just going for an "easy" ride, just wear a helmet. You never know when something can happen, so make sure your head is protected. This means having a helmet that fits properly, and the chin strap is buckled. The helmet does not do any good whatsoever if it's strapped to your handlebars. Also, make sure your helmet is in good condition. Replace it any time you fall and the helmet contacts the ground (yes, even if there are no visible defects- a helmet is good for one fall only), or every 3-4 years.

#2 If you are riding on the road, you must adhere to traffic laws. Stay in your lane (preferably a bike lane). Stop at stop signs and red lights. You can't just run a red light and expect that cars are going to see you in time. Signal before  you turn or move to a turning lane. Drivers and other cyclists can't predict your movements. You have to tell them what you are going to do.

#3 Beware of riding in limited light. Yes, I know a lot of people ride as transportation to or from work and this often means riding near sunrise, sunset or in the dark. It is a lot more difficult for drivers to see cyclists during these times. If you are riding with limited or no natural light, make sure you are as visible as possible. You can put a blinking red light on the back of your bike, a spotlight on the front, wear reflective clothing and have reflectors on your bike.

#4 This goes along with the previous one, but is applicable during daylight hours as well. Make yourself visible! You want to ensure that drivers and other cyclists can see you. Wear bright and/or reflective clothing. You want to be seen. Ride in groups. It's easier to see a group of people than one solo rider. I know this isn't always possible, but when you can, it's definitely helpful.

#5 Do not ever wear headphones while riding your bike. I know a lot of people want music to exercise, but this is not the time or the place for that. You need to be able to hear what's going on around you. Listen to traffic. Listen for sirens. If you're on a bike trail, you need to be able to hear someone saying "passing left" so you know to hold your line and not turn suddenly.

#6 This one goes for drivers, cyclists, pedestrians, etc.: Always be aware of your surroundings. Look to see who is around you. You may be able to spot the potential for an accident and take precautions to avoid it.

#7 If you're getting ready to pass other cyclists on a road or trail, let them know. It's more safe and polite to simply let people know you're there.

Feel free to comment with any other safety tips that I may have missed!

My first blog

Hi everyone! I am new to blogging, but I wanted to start as a way to share my training and racing journey and encourage others who enjoy triathlon or want to try a new sport. Hopefully I can provide some good advice for anyone who is interested in swimming, biking, running or all three!

My ultimate goal for this year is to earn my elite card. I have qualified for 2014 Age Group USAT Nationals in Milwaukee, WI, in August and plan to race in Chicago, IL, two weeks later. The season is kicking off with Wildflower Triathlon on May 4th.

Thank you to my family, friends, coach and sponsor, Gu Energy Labs, for your support!