Abu Dhabi WTS Race Report

Calm. That’s how I would describe my experience in Abu Dhabi. It was my first time in the Middle East, a surreal place.  The buildings were magnificent, the water was clear but super salty, and the day we left, it was so hot there was a heat haze. Hummus, baba ghanoush, and dates were plentiful and delish. Alcohol, on the other hand, was not common. In fact, our hotel was a “dry” hotel. 

As race day approached, I wasn’t as nervous as I’ve been in the past. I was relieved to be relaxed; it was a nice alternative to my last WTS (Edmonton 2014).

During my week in Abu Dhabi I was invited to a local’s house for dinner. Being able to get out of the hotel and eat a home cooked meal when I’m at a race is refreshing. I was able to catch up with an old friend Omar Nour (who I hadn’t seen in over two years) and a few others from the triathlon scene. Our hosts, Marc and Mary Carol, were incredibly generous. They welcomed us with wine, water, cheese, and nuts, followed by a healthy dinner of chicken, fish, salads, quinoa, and desserts. I left full, happy, and at peace. Maybe this is the reason I was so calm leading into the race.

The Abu Dhabi WTS sprint distance triathlon started at 3:06pm for the women. It was a beautiful day for a triathlon and I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of triathlon fans there to cheer us on. This was the first ITU race Abu Dhabi hosted, and they knocked it out of the park. Everything was on time, ready, and safe.

The swim was a beach start where we ran into the calm, salty, buoyant water. As I approached the first buoy, I wasn’t in the top five and paid the price. It was brutal as I struggled to stay above water around the buoys. I came out of the water in the middle of the field and had some work to do. I never panicked. I remained in the moment and focused on the task at handing: getting to the finish line as quick as possible. Over the course of the 20km bike ride, I was in the second chase pack. Before I knew it, I was in T2 putting on my running shoes. I exited transition on a mission to test myself on the run. By the end of the first (of two) laps, I saw the current leader: Flora Duffy. I was shocked I was making up so much time on the run and before I knew it I was in the lead. As I crossed the finished line and looked over my shoulder, I couldn’t have been happier to see USA teammate Katie (Hursey) Zaferes cross the line in second for her first ever WTS podium. Team USA had five women in the top ten! I’m proud of our country and proud to be a part of triathlon history with the other USA women.

I’m now back in Wollongong. The main goal of the year is the Rio test event in August. Thank you to Coach Jamie, Patrick, Heather, USAT, my family, and my sponsors. It’s going to be a challenging season and there is still a lot of work to do. I’m excited and ready.

Up next is round two of the WTS in Auckland, NZ on Sunday, March 29th.  

Pre race warm up on the bike. Photo thanks to Specialized

My bike waiting in transition...Photo thanks to Specialized

Abu Dhabi WTS bike. Photo thanks to Specialized

Thank you to everyone who helped to get me across the finish line in first. Picture thanks to Janos Schmidt.

Two Island House athletes post race: Lisa Norden and me.

I was hungry post race and apparently I didn't want Jamie taking my photo :)

A ride in Abu Dhabi before the race.

A run in Abu Dhabi.

Hummus, hummus, hummus. Where to start?

My wonderful grandma watching me race all the way back in WI!

February 2015 Update

I am currently in Wollongong, Australia, training with Coach Jamie Turner and our training group, the Wollongong Wizards. The Wollongong Wizards grew this year, and it’s great to have more people to push me daily. Canadian Amelie Kretz, a few Hungarians, and special guest Anne Haug have been challenging me up hills, on the roads, and through the water. At least once a week, we train in the Pacific Ocean. Last week, a friend of the Wizards, Trevor Kemper, filmed one of our open water sessions. You can watch a video of it here: http://youtu.be/MIsIP0hq4_U In my mind, with every stroke we take we move forward, but Trevor’s video proves otherwise as I watch us helplessly get sucked backwards.

One of my favorite rides we have been doing is a weekly 100km bike ride, which includes many Queen of the Mountains (QOMs), some hard pace lines, and a little recovery. The ride is enjoyable, but leaves my legs feeling heavy for days. We have also started to do some bike workouts on fixed gear bikes at the Velodrome. I love it! It gives training a new dynamic. (A fixed gear bike has one gear and no brakes. You cannot coast. In order to stop, you must use your leg/butt muscles to slow the bike). Our run training has been ramping up as well with a new run workout this year: track workouts. I’ve been coached by Jamie for over three years, and this is the first year we have tested ourselves on the Beaton Park track. It’s enjoyable to be back on the track running in a controlled environment that is the same every week.

I did a local Aquathon at the end of January, and a local non draft triathlon in Kurnell, Australia a week ago. It’s fun to start racing again, but it’s also a harsh reminder as to how painful it is and how much I still have to improve.

With my volume of training high there isn’t too much to report. I don’t do much besides train, sleep, eat, read, and watch TV. To check out some things I’ve been eating, you can follow my #FoodFriday tweets. I just finished reading Alberto Salazar’s book, 14 Minutes, and am currently hooked on Australia’s TV show My Kitchen Rules.

On an unrelated note, last September, I traveled to New Zealand to be a part of ASICS global campaign. It was a great experience, and one I will never forget. The directors were very patient with my lack of acting skills, and I was able to briefly experience the life of an actor/actress. The days were long, but enjoyable. We had hair and makeup followed by numerous takes. When the director was happy, we’d move to a new location and start another shot. We were immersed by scenic, iconic views, but we also had to start filming before sunrise and end after sunset to get the shots. It was incredible to see how hard these individuals worked to transform a perfect image they had on paper to a real life commercial. I’m thrilled with the result! It’s a great campaign that hopefully gets you excited and motivated to Go Run It. See if you can spot me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_B5X22YY0Q The commercial began airing on most major TV stations on February 23rd.

Up next, I will travel to Abu Dhabi to test myself against the best in the world at the first WTS race of 2015.

This is us on our 100km Saturday morning ride

Madeline Heiner running loops on the track with me. She's a local Australian runner who can drop me no problem on the track!

The lady Wizards after an early morning race in Kurnell (From L to R: Sarah Ann Brault, Barbara Riveros, Grace Musgrove, Anne Haug, me, Charlotte McShane)

Finishing a tempo run with the lady Wizards (Photo by Pat Lemieux)

The top of Mount Keira, overlooking Wollongong

Ellen Pennock and me riding our Langster track bikes

Jamie explaining the days training

January 2015

On New Year’s Eve, Patrick and I flew from Minnesota to Australia to join the Wollongong Wizards in Falls Creek, Australia. I am so happy to be back with the Wizards. I missed not only the people, but also the structure of training.

While at home over break, I got married and felt like I was constantly traveling for work/sponsors. Time flew by in Minnesota. Patrick and I were at our St Paul, MN home for 66 days in 2014. Travel can get tiring and it makes me miss the repetitiveness of training.

In Falls Creek, we build slowly into training and take the altitude into consideration (1600m). It’s enjoyable to have time to watch TV and catch up with the Wizards. Currently I’m watching Suits and some of ESPN’s 30 for 30 shows. It’s a slow paced life, and something I need after a busy year and busier off season.

In 2015 I will be focusing on the WTS series, but my main focus will be to qualify for the Olympic Games. I will target the test event in Rio. In order to achieve my goals, I have a lot of hard work ahead of me. It won’t be easy, but I’m motivated. In training, there are a few things I want to accomplish this year.

In my swim, I want to build strength and focus on technique and the process instead of outcomes and the time clock.

On the bike, I want to push the limits both physically and mentally. In the off season, I was determined to master cylcocross and mountain biking. I am no off road expert, but I’m learning. In 2014, I rode more than I ever have, and I loved it because I felt myself get stronger, faster, and gain new skills. However, there was one strength workout I never mastered. It was an uphill 15-22 minute effort where cadence was structured (i.e. first five minutes at cadence 50-60, five minutes at cadence 60-70, etc.). I had target power numbers to hit, but week after week, I never came close to the power outage Jamie wanted. The last time I attempted the workout I was riding up Urbassa in Vitoria. It was a beautiful day, but I got to the top of the hill, and started to break down. I was upset. I’ve failed workouts before, but I rarely fail the same workout over and over and over again. Hopefully this year I’ll get the opportunity to beat this workout.

In the run, I want to be consistent.

It will be a tough year. New players will be in the game, along with experienced ones. Everyone will have their eye on qualifying for the Olympics. Let the fun begin!

This was my first day in Australia: January 2nd. I was excited to see two Wizards: Grace Musgrove and Aaron Royle.

First run of 2015 with the Wollongong Wizards

This is a new addition to our Australian home in Wollongong thanks to the Allen Family. I love it!

A rainy walk back from the trails in Falls Creek with Ellen Pennock.