XTERRA Long Distance- Sardegna, Italy, 16 October 2022

2 km swim, 60 km mountain bike, 12 km trail run

This was the longest race I have ever competed in.  Finishing in 5 hours and 50 minutes.  Even the Half Ironman races I have done, I was able to complete them in roughly 5 hours.

This was a beautiful race and well organized and completed, but I do have criticism as I was disqualified in the run because I was told that I cut the course on the first of 3 laps.  Which I don’t remember.   My lap times were- 14min, 30min, 31min which I did not know.  Somewhere I cut across on the course and so instead of giving me a penalty of even 25 min they disqualified me from the race.  So I finished in 3rd place, and even with a penalty of 25min I still would have maintained 3rd place.  I am quite disappointing in this.  But I still feel that I finished 3rd and this was an enormous situation from where I learned so much!!

XTERRA World Championships- Molveno, Italy, 1 October 2022

I’ve been in Italy 2 weeks, and now in Molveno ready to race this Saturday!!  In the mountains so the bike and run courses are challenging and will be even more of a test if it rains.  This is the 2nd time I race the Xterra World Championships, last year they were in Maui, Hawaii.

Update– RACE COMPLETE– Yesterday I raced against some of the top triathletes in the world.  I wanted to have a good race, but am just happy to have finished with no injuries or major bike mechanicals.
I felt good on the first quarter of the bike with all steep uphill, but because it rained continuous two days previous to the race, the course ended up having more mud than I have ever raced or experienced.  I was off my bike and fixing it countless times and so far behind that at a certain point I just went to survival mode to complete the race without hurting myself.  So I completed the bike section, and then into the run.  No big issues here, but I was just working to complete it.  I’m sorry to not be announcing a win or large achievements, but small steps toward a larger goal.

And So it Begins… Triathlon 2022

After the long winter and off-season training between Santa Fe and Tucson I was ready for a big start and trial race.  Lots of snow miles in Santa Fe battling the winter, and outside bike workouts in Tucson.  I had a solid base going into April, and I was ready to get in a great first race!!

Oceanside 70.3 Half-Ironman

2 April 2022

Arriving to California I was so excited to be near the ocean in warm weather and so excited for the upcoming race ahead, Half-Ironman Oceanside.  The ocean was already rough and angry upon arrival, but it sounded like the course would remain in the ocean and calmer on race morning.  Which it was, but still a challenge to pass the high morning surf.  The bike was long and rolling hills to make it a strong time trial challenge for terrain.  Into the 2 lap run, this was such a fun and great run with people all along the way and different terrain of rolling hills and flat along the sea.

I loved this race for the test and challenge it put in front of me.  All aspects of this race were harder than the first Half-Ironman I did last year in Waco, Texas.  But I’m proud to have completed it and can’t wait for the next one to go after.

Xterra Greece, Vouliagmeni

16 April 2022

This race had a larger array of difficulties that I was not used to.  First it was huge travel overseas just to be there for 1 week, which I had never done before. And racing just 4 days after arriving! Plus being in a country I had never been to before was new.  My mountain bike, I had only trained on 1 day over the past 3 months, as I had been on my road and time trial bikes so much this winter.  So I wasn’t as accustomed to dirt and rocks just yet.

I was eager to see this new place, new race, and new challenge.  As I previewed the courses, I couldn’t believe how it felt like I was in paradise for how beautiful it all was.  The swim was in the Mediterranean sea and an amazing harbor just off the coast.  The bike was 2 laps of some tough uphill leading to open wider dirt roads overlooking the landscape, then to technical downhills like nothing I have ever raced for Xterra in the US.  The run was another difficult uphill along the side of the rocky steep hill, then fun downhill along the open dirt road.

In the race, I went through the swim with my usual anxiety to stay with the group, then coming out new the back and then happy on the bike I attacked the hills.  Only thing is that about ¾ through the lap I got a flat tire, I used my 1 sealer for this flat and continued.  But then shortly after I got another flat on the other tire.  I had no more sealer so I ran with my bike to the finish area.  Since I was so far back,  I put up my bike and continued into the run.  I did both laps of the run mostly for experience.  So then if I decide to go back next year to race again I know the run and the general feeling.  Will see.  Both the bike and the run were true Xterra challenges in the race.  They were technical and difficult to challenge not only your endurance, but your ability on trails.

I made some amazing friends while at the race and hope to go back to race again next year just to see them and enjoy being around the wonderful Greek people, landscape and culture again.

Now onto new adventures!!!

New post coming soon about my triathlon racing in the summer 2021.

More about my 5th Place at Xterra Pro Nationals and soon to come Xterra World Championships in Maui, HI

I will soon have a new post about my coaching with pictures, advice, and experience.  It has been great to step over into a new world to help others reach new levels in their athletic ability.

Ciao Everyone!

Sorry for the extreme delay in posting. It’s been a bit of a whirlwind since my last post about the Tri event.

In the fall of last year, I went to Europe to work as a tour guide in France and Italy. That was fun and a step away from real life in the USA. When I came back I spent the winter with high hours of WORK. I was teaching spin classes, and working at the local ski area so that I could get on the mountain a little and feel the snow again.

I spent the winter doing high hours of training for triathlon. I used spin classes to build my riding hours, then going for a run and gym work and swim after spin. I built up over about 2 months to a VERY high level of physical volume, and then about mid March, COVID life hit. All gyms closed, classes were canceled, and life became staying at home, leading online spin classes, and doing some very small private hiking to keep myself going. Life has changed incredibly from what it was before, and now it’s about seclusion and inventing a new lifestyle that is still fun and finding a passion toward something. Training for triathlon will continue, just at a different level at the moment. I am ok with a different focus, hiking is great and as it gets warmer, outside activities are keeping me healthy and fit.

 
We shall see how things progress, and this will pass.

Watch out big dogs!!  here comes a clueless, fun loving, sports addicted runner turned cyclist!

Over the past couple months I’ve been in the super soul searching mode of my life.

I am intensely training; going swimming and running almost everyday and either biking or teaching spin classes almost everyday aswell. I love the volume and intensity of it and athletics is where my heart and soul are. It’s all I know and all I love to do. Pushing my body athletically is something I’ve done my whole life and going to train (even in multiple sports) is something I love to put my body through.

When I finish a workout and feel so hungry, and finish my day and feel so tired, this is the quality, productive, successful feeling I love to feel in my life.

I don’t want to go and work a 9-5 job and feel productive because I entered some data into a computer or filed some forms or assisted clients with certain needs, to me a productive life is pushing yourself to limits and achievements you never thought you could make.

So with this, training and pushing my body are the building blocks and steps to reach these limits.

So over the past couple months I’ve pushed myself and done the training necessary, and today (Saturday) I sit with my legs up and resting as tomorrow I’ll put myself in a new spot and go see what I can do in this Boulder Peak Triathlon. I’m excited for the opportunity to be here and so happy I could put my body through all I have to prepare for and really test it. I feel good going forward and am excited to see what tomorrow brings.

I feel comfortable with the bike and the run, but the swim is what scares me the most. I swim almost everyday, so the distance doesn’t bother me, but the people around me and being kicked in the face multiple times does scare me, I just have to get tough and take it as a learning experience to go out and try it and see how I feel and have fun. That’s the key, to have fun!! It really doesn’t matter how I do, I just want to go out and try it and push myself and see how it feels.

So here we go!!

It’s tri time!! Yeehaa

RESULT:

Boulder Peak Triathlon – Olympic Distance- 14 July 2019

3rd in category, 9th overall woman! time- 2:30

Boulder peak tri done and still alive!!

Thanks so much to my amazing sponsors and those that help me so much!!!    Vie ƐƖ Kustom Apparel for the awesome speedsuit! felt so smooth and so fast! Fit so well!!! MellowVelo for adjusting my bike LARABAR for keeping me fueled Santa Fe Brewing Co. for the beers I could give out Dentistry for Kids for my smile, so I could use that on the podium

Swim- 1600m, 1 mile- Wonderfully horrible, I was at the back from the beginning, I got through and didn’t panic, but really don’t have the top fitness to stay on the group.  I was also in a new world of sport and having to spot the direction and markers and see where to go and try to relax.  Also, my wetsuit is constricting and pulls down on my lungs so I have trouble breathing.  I got out of the water though and was so happy it was over that I ran so fast over to the bikes to get on and into my world.

Bike- 42k, 26miles- This was so fun, and even with a big hill in the middle of the course I was feeling strong and good and flew by people the whole time.  They seemed to just be out for a relaxed ride.  Even with a speed limit on the downhill I still rode hard and felt so good!!

Run- 10k – This too was so much fun and I flew!!  I was passing people here also the whole time, and only one guy passed me the whole run.  I ran a strong race and with just some small rolling hills I had so much fun and felt back in my element.

Overall, It was a great race and I am feeling super positive about my experience!  I raced strong, felt good, and pushed really hard and raced a quality race!!  I’m excited for the future and will see where triathlon takes me  🙂

Over these past few years… not weeks, in my life it’s been all bikes.  I’ve had my complete life focus on cycling for the past 7 years.

Recently, I left Arizona and went back to Santa Fe at the beginning of March, and then mid March I flew to Italy to begin my European adventure. I was excited to spend time racing and training with my team. But unfortunately this time got cut short. While out on a training ride with the team I hit a hole with sand and went down pretty hard. As a result, I was taken to the hospital and spent 12 days recovering from a TBI.

I am now back at home in Santa Fe, NM, USA, recovering and having doctors visits. It feels good as I am not a fan of hospitals. It feels good to go out for walks in the morning, go swimming or spend time on a spin bike and spend time with friends and family.

I wish I could just be free and do whatever I wanted and get back on the bike to race, but with a new TBI, I have to be careful and attentive of my head. So going forward I will be attentive of my head for concussions and go to see doctors.  Just yesterday I went to Denver and to Colorado Concussion Clinic for an app0intment and treatment where I saw doctors about this recent accident.  I also have to contemplate what direction that my life goes as far as sports are concerned.

After my Santa Fe Vacation for Christmas, Surgery and lots of trainer time, I am back in Tucson, and loving the warm weather (when it happens). It has been a weird winter. Usually I’m able to ride outside in just shorts and a shirt everyday except maybe 4 days. But this time, I’ve been wearing a jacket and leg warmers almost everyday. It sucks and isn’t so fun for training. I actually think it was warmer in December than it is now in February.

I have some great news!!! I can announce that I signed a contract with the Italian Team SERVETTO PIUMATE BELTRAMI TSA for this upcoming year!! I’m excited for the opportunity of racing in bigger UCI (international) races and to travel and really dive into European racing. In the past, I got a taste of it when I was racing there for about half the year and went to some bigger races with my team, SAS-macogep. But now, the team is fully Italian based and I’m happy to racing over there full time this year.  Below is a picture of me from the race today wearing my team uniform and holding my TT bike.

For this period of time training has been pretty difficult and demanding on me. High intensity and I am putting in lots of hours on the bike and lots of extra stuff when I am off the bike also. Like when I have some down time, the rest is taken up by making my recovery juice, meeting sponsors (which I am very happy about), updating online stuff, looking at plane tickets to Italy, and so much more. I like it, because it keeps me busy and my mind active, but it stacks up.

This weekend, (Friday, Saturday, Sunday), is the Valley of the Sun stage race in Phoenix! A Time Trial on Friday, Road Race on Saturday, and Criterium on Sunday. I’m excited to push myself and I feel like this is the really first bigger race and step of the year. I’m especially happy because I am actually trained for it and can push it too. Unlike last year where I was in Santa Fe at this time and just sitting on the trainer for exercises. And I struggled in races that I did later on and didn’t have the winter base that I needed. Now I am ready and can’t wait for the bigger races to come. This is just the first step forward.

Today, as it is Friday, I raced the 14 mile/ 22 km TT and didn’t like it one bit. I am not partial to Time Trials, and this out and back was not so fun for me. I placed 21^st out of 60 women, and it was a solid finish. Nothing amazing, but something solid to move forward with. I pushed myself and felt the intensity for all 34 minutes of it. I am happy with what I did and now onto my specialty , the road racing.

In mid December I went back to Santa Fe for 3 weeks.Cooking, training, and everything in between!!

I spent Christmas and New Years there which was nice to be with friends and family, but it was not so nice being confined to a trainer or the gym as it was so cold.

I also got sick like 3 time which didn’t feel so good. It snowed quite a bit while I was there, so no mountain biking and just a couple of outside runs for something different.

Other then that I was at the gym or stuck in front of Netflix. But my time there was overall good and spent well as I had a minor surgery on my face and arm. Hope fully it will be the last. I am happy with what the doctor did and my arm looks so much better!! Before the scar was very obvious and sticking out a lot. Now it is just a zig-zag line going down my arm.  Much more aerodynamic 😉

Before pictures of my arm from this summer are the first 2.

I also took some personal time to visit sponsors and present a personalized picture to Dr. Bernitsky of Albuquerque, NM.  He supported me about 4 years ago by sponsoring my LASIK procedure.  I couldn’t be more grateful and he really has changed my life for the better!

Now that I’m back in Tucson it’s back to hard training and focusing on what I need to do to get stronger for the season ahead. Now that it is January too, it is roller season. So in the mornings I am on the rollers for some leg speed and then in the afternoon I go for my workout or ride.

It feels good to be back in warmer weather and I’m excited to do some local races in the next few weeks.

For future plans I’ll go back to Santa Fe in mid February to leave my stuff and pack up my bags.  Then off to the next destination and to meet my future team.  I can’t quite announce the team yet as they have the first serve of that.  But news coming soon.

Since November 17^th I’ve been in the USA!! First I arrived in Santa Fe, NM, and spent about a week and a half there for Thanksgiving and going to doctor’s appointments and getting everything settled so I could come to Tucson.

The past week I’ve been in Tucson, AZ and feeling the luxury of cycling paradise. It’s about 50-70 degrees on each ride and I’m enjoying the warmer weather so much. I’ll go back to Santa Fe next week for more doctor’s appointments and for Christmas. I’ll have my final dental work for putting crowns on my teeth by Dentistry for Kids, which is an amazing group and they have done so much for me during this time. I’ll have a minor face surgery and to reduce the scar on my arm. And more therapy on my hand, oh and with friends and family for the Christmas holiday. It will be nice to be back with family and friends again, I love Santa Fe for that.

It will be for a short time however, as I’ll head back to Tucson soon after. I will spend January, and February and possibly March here, training hard and getting ready for 2019. The March time depends on my plans for 2019 and team set up…. This means that big news coming soon, I can’t say just yet, but soon you’ll find out. I’m excited for the new year and my riding so far.

Training here has felt amazing and I am feeling good with the time on the bike and off the bike also. I use my days to do exercises and strength work aswell as miles on the bike. This will continue into Santa Fe as it won’t be so warm, and gym time will be at a top priority and mountain biking too. But my body feels good and I am feeling great on the bike.

On more of a dietary note, I’ve also been doing a juice cleanse since I’ve been here.

And after your shock settles, I feel that juice cleanses get a bad reputation for how they are negatively represented. They come across as being a “starve yourself”, “lose weight fast” kind of diet, that I really disagree with. I have done juice cleanses in the past, and just like those instances, I am doing this as a cleanse for my body and a reboot for my digestive system and intestines. We bombard our bodies constantly with food that is difficult to digest and put it through so much work, that I figure why not give it a break and let my body restart as I myself am also restarting with this season from now. This is also the perfect time to do it, because I am in a lower point of my season and just building up again for training. So no hard workouts, or even workouts at all. I am just going out and riding about 3 hours a day and I feel great!!

In this past week I have done 5 days of just juice, and then 2 days of raw food, and now I will go through another 5 days of just juice, and then some more days of raw food to finish it off.  Right now I am on day 2 of the second round of juice. Then on Monday I will finish and head back to New Mexico for some Christmas turkey dinners.

Throughout this period of juicing, I have been well nutritioned and with plenty of vitamins from my local supplement sponsor Health Product Distributors.

They are really amazing and have kept me going strong through this cleanse, even with just a juice based diet. I still feel like I am getting stronger and fitter everyday. And yes, there is the benefit of losing weight as well. I arrived at 158lbs. and my goal is to get to 145lb. Which is my ideal race weight. So I am doing it gradually and very smart and professionally. I am feeling great and this really is a great reboot for my overall system and body.

Going forward I am optimistic of the future. I feel great in training and look forward to coming back in January for harder training!! I know I will get stronger and be fast next season. So hold on as more news to come

A BIGGGG shout out to my sponsors who have helped get me here!! To David and Mellowvelo who have hooked me up with this AMAZING Orbea bike that I am using now and will be using this year to train and race. To Health Product Distributors who keep me alive during this training “camp” with all your amazing supplements. And to everyone out there that has been so supportive of my career and training and racing.  To Dentistry for Kids in Santa Fe, who has helped me smile again and feel confident!!  THANK YOU!!