Hamburg WTS

July 22, 2015 gwen jorgensen

The 2015 Hamburg WTS was the first WTS since London six weeks ago. I have been training in Vitoria, Spain, for the biggest race of my season: the Rio test event which is on August 2nd. The Rio course is hilly on the bike, so I have been doing lots of riding to prepare for the race. However, before Rio, I had one final test in Hamburg.

I knew my competitors put in a big block of training to prepare for the second half of the season and were going to be getting faster. However, I didn’t think about the others going into the race as I knew there was only one thing I could control: my own race.

Hamburg was a sprint distance race (750m swim, 20km bike, 5km run). It started off with a non wetsuit swim in the lake. It’s an amazing swim venue where fans are literally sitting on the edge of the water cheering on athletes who are a few feet away. I exited the water in fifth and a group of 12 quickly formed on the bike. The chase pack could see us the entire race, and ended up catching us with one lap to go. The bike course is completely flat, but has a lot of turns, making the ride more difficult than it seems on paper. As I ran out of transition, I saw the leaders up the road. They seemed to get further away from me for a little bit before I caught the leaders with 2.5km to go. From there, I put in a few surges, leaving only me and Vicky Holland (WTS winner in Cape Town 2015). It was going to come down to a tactical sprint. I knew Vicky had a great kick from watching her win medals at the Commonwealth Games and in Cape Town this year. With a couple hundred meters to go, I started my kick and somehow managed to come across the line in first. It was an incredible feeling and I was extremely happy.

After the race, I had a lovely German dinner with two friends (Stephanie and Erik) who drove to my race from Gouda. Stephanie is a former Wisconsin Badger, and also a former colleague of mine at Ernst & Young, LLP. It was great to catch up with them and enjoy German beer, sausage, sauerkraut, herring, and potato salad.

I am now back in Vitoria for one more week of training and fine tuning before Rio. The Rio test event is the first opportunity for Americans to earn a spot on the 2016 Olympic Team. The first and second American in the top eight at Rio will earn an Olympic spot. It is what I have been aspiring to achieve since the London 2012 Olympics.

Pure Joy

The podium. Vicky Holland and Non Stanford

In Hamburg there are beer showers

Focus before others are called to the pontoon for lineup

Transition details

Pre race thoughts

This was my first race on my new custom Amira - isn't it pretty?!? I love it. It has many details that I love including my name, "Gwen Jorgensen" and my married last name Lemieux and a Wollongong Wizard hat.

This is what I do before a race: computer, legs up, chocolate.

My friend Stephanie Reed and her fiancé Erik came to watch the race!

This is Gavin Noble taking his picture with a cutout me. He should have just asked for a real picture in person :)

And this was the pre race hotel dinner.

Two bouquets of flowers. The one on the right was from winning the race, but the one on the left means so much more to me. The roses were a surprise from Patrick. The night before the race he came back with groceries and flowers :)

London WTS 2015

June 5, 2015 gwen jorgensen

Race morning I wrote in my journal that I felt “good enough to compete, but not well enough to be confident…Remember this is good practice for performing under any circumstance. Enjoy the challenge, push yourself, focus on the controllables.” I wasn’t excited to race like I normally am. I had doubts and I didn’t know what to expect. But, when race time arrived, I dove in giving it my all. I had a great start, exiting the water in 4th position which put me in the lead pack of seven on the bike. The women worked well together, taking turns on the front to keep a 25 second lead coming into T2. As I started the run, I was uncertain of what my legs could produce. I ran with compatriots Sarah True and Katie Zaferes, trying to hold on, until I was able to make a break and cross the line in first. It was an incredibly hard race for me, but I am proud of my effort and happy with the result. Team USA had a podium sweep for the second time this year! It is incredible to be part of such a strong USA contingency. Thank you, USAT, for all of your help and support; the results show how much work you do.

When the race ended, I couldn’t believe it was time to head back to Vitoria. It seemed like such a short trip to London. I arrived late on Thursday evening and flew out Monday morning, but I got a lot done in the hours I was in London. Patrick’s parents, Jane and Craig Lemieux, flew from the USA to watch me race and to visit with us for the first time since Christmas. Mark Holowesko (who sponsors me through his incredible boutique hotel: The Island House) also flew to London from the USA with his wife Nancy to watch the race. Nancy took a flight to London from the USA for only two days to watch the race—now that’s dedication! After the race, Mark treated me, the Lemieuxs, and Coach Jamie and his partner Esti to dinner. It was a fun-filled night, and the perfect way to end a successful race weekend. Thank you, Mark, Nancy, Craig, Jane, and Heather for flying over and for your continued support.

I want to thank all of the fans that came out to Hyde Park to cheer on the triathletes. It’s motivating to see and hear so many people. I must apologize to some fans, however. After races, I like to spend time taking selfies and signing autographs; however, after the race in London, I was taken straight to drug testing. Usually, I am in and out in about a half an hour. In London, I was in there for over three hours. First, I gave blood. Then I produced a urine sample that was too dilute. By the time I was able to produce a sample that was concentrated enough, the venue was dissembled and no fans were left. I want to give my sincere apologies, especially to those who I Tweeted I’d get a photo with you.

On Monday morning, I had an opportunity to visit the Columbia Threadneedle (CT) Headquarters and meet some of the employees who competed in the age group triathlon races. They treated Patrick, my agent Heather, and me to a proper English breakfast in a quaint London building. They called it the “city breakfast.” It consisted of scrambled eggs on toast, tomato, mushroom, sausage, bacon, and black pudding. After breakfast, we went to Bloomberg Business of Sport for an interview. The first thing I noticed when I walked in was fish tanks. Apparently Mr. Bloomberg thinks fish help relax you and clear your mind. The office is so big and they have so many fish tanks that there is a fulltime marine biologist at the office. The interview was conducted in the middle of the work area (a modern, open cubicle area). I watched as a broadcaster gave the news while I was being interviewed. She stood on a block of wood that had controls at her feet. She controlled the camera, gave the news, and looked amazing while doing it! After Bloomberg, we went back to the Columbia Threadneedle office for a meet and greet. Thank you, CT, for the wonderful day and for supporting our sport and encouraging others to get involved in a healthy lifestyle.

After London, Patrick and I went to San Sebastian, the food capital of the world. San Sebastian has the most Michelin stars per capita of anywhere in the world. We had a great time eating, drinking, relaxing, and not talking about or doing anything related to triathlon. My next race will be the Hamburg WTS on July 18th.

Photo thanks to triathlon.org

USA Podium Sweep! Photo thanks to triathlon.org

This is a photo a fan took that I love. Thanks for the photo and the cheers.

This isn't my prettiest picture. Picture thanks to Janos Schimdt.

Dinner with Mark, Nancy, Jamie, Esti, Jane, Craig, Pat and me at Bar Boulud.

Interview at Bloomberg Business of Sport.

This is where CT treated us to an English breakfast.

This is what I ate the night before the race.

WTS Yokohama 2015

May 20, 2015 gwen jorgensen

I always look forward to racing in Yokohama. Japan is one of the few countries where I don’t see a large American influence. It is crowed, but not congested. Rice is served for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. At the hotel breakfast buffet salads, rice, soups, and dim sums were plentiful. I opted for the rice porridge, which was delicious, but I’m looking forward to my normal bowl of oatmeal this week.

It was raining on race day. I wasn’t excited for the rain, but I was prepared. I knew the likelihood of a puncture or a crash was higher than normal so I wanted to ride near the front to try to avoid being behind any possible crashes. During the bike, my legs felt awful and I had to keep reminding myself that feelings don’t matter. I told myself that I can feel horrible and still produce. I made it through the bike course upright and in the front pack. Even though it was raining, I felt safe on the course, mainly because every ten meters there were volunteers guarding the course. Japanese fans lined the course in the pouring rain, cheering on the leaders; however, they roared with excitement when one of their own national athletes would go by. It was incredible! The fans in Japan are incredibly generous. I received a few gifts from fans who wanted an autograph or picture. I signed countless shirts, pictures, brochures, and hats post-race.

Yokohama was my last opportunity to run a fast 10k before the Rio test event in August later this year (which is USA’s first Olympic Qualifying race). Because of this I wanted to push my limits so I surged early on in the 10k and compatriot Renee Tomlin went with me. Renee is a USA College Recruitment Program athlete who has a killer run…and kick. I did not want to be in a sprint finish with her! Renee and Ashleigh Gentle kept the 10km honest with fast paces. I was in the lead, but nervous the girls behind were going to catch me. I ended up crossing the finish line in first, with two Australians behind me (Gentle and Emma Moffat) with Tomlin coming through in fourth.

You may have noticed I had a few new accessories at Yokohama, my favorite being a new helmet design. A few weeks ago, Red Bull mailed me a newly designed Specialized Evade helmet. It is one of the neatest things I own and means so much to me because it tells a story about where I come from. On one side of the helmet is Bucky Badger (Go UW Badgers!) catching monarch butterflies. The monarch butterfly is Minnesota’s state insect. On the other side is Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox. Paul Bunyan is American Folklore. He traveled around Minnesota, and each one of his footsteps is said to have created one of Minnesota’s 10,000 lakes. He is also known for eating huge stacks of pancakes. I couldn’t be happier to carry pieces of my Minnesota home with me everywhere I go, thanks to Red Bull. I also raced in new running flats: ASICS Tartherzeal 3. They are lighter than my previous race shoes and have more grip (which proved to be VERY useful in the rain!)

Thank you to the ASICS team for their support. A huge team showed up in Yokohama, showering me with ASICS gear and collecting my input on products. Thank you as well to Sandy from Specialized who made sure my bike was clean and ready on race day. I have so many people to thank for my performance. What you see on race day is such a small part of what my team and I do. Jamie and Patrick play daily roles in getting me ready to compete on race day. But they aren’t the only ones. I have physios, psychologists, nutritionists, sponsors, massage therapists, the Wizards, fans, and then, of course, family and friends who are supportive even when I’m away for eight months of the year. My support is world class. It motivates me to perform on race day. I am now back in Vitoria (Basque region of Spain) where I will base until the end of the season. Up next for me is a sprint WTS in London on May 31st.

Thank you for your support! Photo thanks to Delly Carr

I love this helmet! Thank you Red Bull for the design! To learn more about Paul Bunyan google him :) Photo thanks to witsup.com

So many things I love about this helmet! Photo thanks to witsup.com

Bucky Badger!!!! Enough said. Photo thanks to witsup.com

The Wizards riding in Yokohama

Sushi was inexpensive and delicious!

This was my favorite sushi roll I had while in Japan.

Because it was raining I warmed up on my SportCrafters trainer in my hotel room to stay dry and warm.

This fan had me sign the pink folder last year, and found me again this year to sign the white board. She also brought me a gift! So humbled by her generosity.