Placed 2nd in Virginia Duathlon

The start of the racing season is better than I could have hoped for. I placed second overall at the Virginia Duathlon yesterday, improving my bike and run time significantly.

Dave Smith, my coach, recommended I start training in December instead of waiting until January and I think it was a great move. I was a bit nervous about this race season, I am going back to my favorite distance, 70.3, which increases my time overall time a bit.

With Steven being deployed again, I have to continuously find ways to fit in my workouts around the kids and work. I find it a fun challenge to work them into some of my training. We go to the track at the navy base and they run, race me on their bikes and chase butterflies around the field.

Dave has incorporated shorter intense bike workouts which I do on my Computrainer. I benefit greatly from these which is proven by my increased sustained power on the bike. 

This is such a rapidly changing sport and new training techniques seem to be evolving quickly. Having a coach like Dave who is on the cutting edge has not only helped me produce greater gains but by cutting out the “garbage miles”, I am less likely to get injured or burned out from overtraining.

My next race is Mallorca 70.3 in May and I feel very confident that I will be ready!

2 1/2 Weeks Since USAT AG Nationals

It has been 2 1/2 weeks since USAT AG Nationals and i am finding
"taking a break" from training to be challenging but necessary. We
devote so much physical and mental energy to this sport throughout the
season and when the last race concludes it is like having the rug
swept from underneath you.


Dave Smith, my coach, reminded me that I need to rest and change gears
until December in order to make gains next year.

This is the first year that I did not feel burned out and I attribute
that to smarter training. I look forward to start up with planned
training on December 1 and until then I will go back to weight
training and other sports that I also enjoy.  I will resume masters swimming with Tidewater Aquatic Club (TAC) sooner since that is my weakness.

The Recovery Sock

Recently I gave a new brand of recovery sock a try and loved it. The
science behind it makes good sense and after doing a 5 k last weekend
I was amazed at how great my legs felt afterwords.


I also wear them to work where I spend numerous hours on my feet and am amazed at the
difference in how I feel.  Check them out at:
http://www.recoverysock.com/graduated-compression

Age Group Nationals

Placing 23 in my age group at the Age Group Nationals was a great way to close out the season.


It was in the low 90's throughout the day.  The swim was against the current but mild. The bike was hot and and hilly, same with the run. I felt good throughout but I tend to tolerate the heat better than the cold.  Below are the course maps provided by the race organizers:

Swim Course

Bike Course

Run Course

I was fortunate enough to have a friend there and we watched the Elite
Nationals in the afternoon, then enjoyed beer and pizza with some of
the Elite competitors.

I am feeling now that the only thing worse then tapering is taking
time off after an intense year of balancing training, work and
spending time with my kids. I thought that I would be relieved but the
early morning workouts and long training has helped fill a void, get
me through tough days.

I look forward to next season and planning my race schedule with my
coach Dave Smith and some friends. Luckily, I signed up for Eagleman
just in time! This weekend I hope to start back with Nick at Range of
Motion and participate in a few 5 k and 10 k races.

Some Race Details

We had an amazing trip and race! I could not have asked for a better venue. I am still unsure how I finished as the results are still unofficial but somewhere between 26-th and 23-rd, regardless I am

thrilled. 

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I shaved almost 1 minute per mile off of my 10 k time in spite of the hills. 

The course began with a 10 k run which was four loops heading up the side of a hill. The bike was 41.5 k and again was 5 loops starting at the bottom of a long steep winding hill. What goes up must come down! The downhill was also narrow and winding.

Like many endurance athletes, I played mind games especially on the uphills, my legs were on fire during the last 2 hills so I had to dig deep to distract my awareness of this feeling. 

The second run was like a dream, my legs were numb and I just knew that I was not only going to finish but that I had a PR.  

While on the bike course I was thinking how thankful I am for my health and the support of all of the people who have made this race possible. I have spent the majority of the past ear in particular as a

single working mom. I always say that it took a small strong village to help me train for these exciting races. 

Stephen Brooks, our closest friend, made it all possible by helping with our children while I train and just being there and helping when I was so overwhelmed and tired from everything on my plate. He loves my children like they are his own and rarely questioned when I would set out for my second or

third workout for the day. 

Cathy Absher, another great friend, always there for me when I need help with the kids, need to vent or just need to hear the voice of reason. Our families live more than 500 miles away but always willing to jump in the car and drive down if I needed anything.

There are many others that I could mention, I am a very lucky person.

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I look for to USAT NAtional Championships on September 25 in Tuscaloosa Alabama.

Arrival in Scotland

Ready in Scotland

Incredibly, not only did Steven manage to travel nearly unscathed from some dark corner of the universe; he managed to do so while I was granted the misfortune of spending an additional unplanned evening in lovely New Jersey due to mechanical issues with the plane. While I was upset with the delay, I certainly appreciate the fine folks fixing the aircraft while it was safely on the ground.


In my efforts to stick to the training schedule that Dave Smith has laid out for me, I was forced to descend into the bowels of the fine accommodations in Edison to get in a quick run on a treadmill, and some quality time on a recumbent trainer (it was almost the same geometry as my Cervelo). 

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When I finally arrived in Scotland, my much anticipated reunion with my husband was again delayed by the realization that the bikes decided that we didn't have enough angst yet, so they decided to take a slower route.  After arranging for delivery of the bikes when they finally did manage to show up, Steven and I headed back to the hotel.  Now, just to ratchet up the anxiety another notch or two, we inspected the race wheels and noted the careful manner in which they were treated, resulting in a large crack in my wheel cover.  


We decided that a bit of unwinding was in order before attempting to tackle our list of unfortunate events, and took a quiet walk around the beautiful city and had a delicious meal of local fare before returning to the hotel where I was joyously reunited with my missing bikebox (which got a much more enthusiastic greeting than I gave Steven.)  

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Following the detailed reassembly instructions provided by Dani from Final Kick, we were able to quickly get the bikes back into nearly full working order.  Amazingly, Steven was able to find the Scottish equivalent of the "Home Depot", and with the application of some super-glue and tape, the wheel is practically good as new.  On the 31st, we took our first ride in Scotland under gorgeous conditions (sunny skies, 70 deg, and low humidity) with absolutely breathtaking backdrop of the city and countryside to add to the pleasure of the ride.

8 Days to World Championships

As I prepare to leave for the World Championships in Scotland I find that I need to keep reminding myself that the work is done. I have a few intense workouts prior to the race but I have put in the time and the biggest mistake I can make now is over training. We read about it in many triathlete magazines and blogs but it is easy to second guess your training and be tempted to throw in that extra bit of speed work.

I have been fortunate to have an excellent coach, Dave Smith. He has guided me through this season and I will follow his taper plan closely. He suggested I concentrate on speeding my recovery with compression clothes, massages and warm baths.

The next obstacle is packing the bikes and gear which Dani at Final Kick will help me with most of. In spite of working and taking care of the kids, it will all come together by Saturday.

ITU Duathlon World Championship

I am a 39-year-old AG triathlete, mother of two, veterinarian and wife of a Navy SEAL. My husband and I have been competing in triathlons and duathlons for 8 years, finished one Ironman and qualified for USAT nationals in 2009, 2010. I we are both on TEAM USA and will compete in Scotland at the Duathlon World Championships. In addition to competeing I volunteer with a youth running group and a member of Final Kick Triathlon club, Tidewater Aquatic masters swim club and Tidewater Striders Running Club. 


Edinburgh Castle

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