Chisago Lakes Half Iron RR

After the fat tire bonanza in Colorado, it was time to get back into Triathlon mode. Considering we enjoyed 14 hrs of High Country training in three days, we tried our best to recover quickly and get ready for the Chisago Half. Although considered a ‘local race’ it felt far from that on race morning with so many new faces in transition.

Unfortunately I wasn’t feeling very confident come race morning, nonetheless I was excited to race my first half of the year. This would be career half #6 for me, yet I still feel like such a rookie out there. As a prolific short course racer, I typically don’t have to think much about strategy and plan- I go all out from the start and drink a bottle of something on the bike- Simple!! Well, considering that’s not recommended for longer races, this would be an opportunity to learn more about how it’s done.

Swim: Straight out and back. After last year’s super short swim course, I was hoping it would be closer to the 1.2 miles this time around. It certainly didn’t look like it from shore, but I was happy when I saw 27:xx on my watch when I excited the water- Seemed reasonable to me. Although the simplicity of having an out and back course is nice for the event staff, it can be a problem for the racers. What quickly became two-way swim traffic on the course, as swimmers started drifting to the opposite side of the buoys, led to one painful collision for me. I was close to someone’s feet for about 100m when all of a sudden WHAM-I went head to head with someone from a later wave who had found themselves in the wrong ‘lane”. All I could think about was Mary’s concussion from IMLP a few years ago, and started to question if I was ok. It hurt, but thankfully the race adrenaline kicked back in and I was back on my way. I decided to veer further to the right of the buoy line and swim by myself., and amazingly I felt stronger from there and led a pack of swimmers into T1 including Jackie Arendt from Madison.

Bike: I knew this was make or break time for me. Knowing Jackie is a much faster runner, I figured I would need 5+ minutes off the bike just to have a shot. I also had no idea how the other girls compared, and at the time I assumed Heather and Marnie were racing (both strong bikers and better runners). I started off and I felt pretty good (although I had a ton of blood all over my hands from my swim crash). I read that there would be an Aid station at mile 29, and I planned my hydration accordingly. Well that was a mistake. I wized through the Aid station at mile 20 (still ok there) thinking It would be best to hold off putting a “heavy” bottle on my bike early…. Well, with no aid station until about mile 35, I had let myself go too long without fluids. With just two bottle holders on my bike (and one is my 450cal Carbo Pro), I kept holding off on taking in more calories as I knew I needed water to wash it down. Finally I saw an aid station at about mile 35, and I slowed down to nurse myself back. I really didn’t feel bad, but I knew I still had a LOT of racing left and letting yourself get depleted early is recipe for disaster. I finally got myself together and started peddling hard again.

I’m not sure where it was on the course, but eventually Jackie passed me (maybe Mile 45). I knew I was in trouble at that point, but I got my head together and moved back ahead. I tried to peddle strong, but we went back and forth one more time before I took the lead for the final 5-6 miles. We ended up coming into t2 together and it didn’t take her long to zoom by and get off in front on the run course. She took off with her long strides, but I knew I had to stay within myself this early in the race. I haven’t been doing much run training, but I had a goal to hold 7min/mile pace. The first few miles trickled by at 6:55ish, and I felt very controlled and comfortable (I figured I could hold it). Jackie had made up huge ground on me already, so catching her was not on my mind. I was however VERY concerned for what was happening behind me. I really wasn’t sure who was on the course and what was happening so I tried looking back a few times, but thankfully didn’t see anyone. It’s an out an back course with a little ‘lolly pop’ on the top. I started to fade towards the 7 mile mark (this is when I’m typically finishing my race), and noticed my pace had slipped closer to 7:20s. Ugh. I wasn’t feeling great and tried to take as much ice and water as I could in an attempt to keep myself together. I was thrilled to make it back to the finish line in one piece, and pick up an decent paycheck in the process.

It was a great day with a lot of fun people. So many fun cheers from spectators and racers alike. Sorry if I couldn’t return the favor of cheering on my return leg back to town. I was in a world of hurt at that point.

As I look back on the results, I’m pleased with the numbers. There’s not much I could have done to hold off the talented Jackie Arendt out there. At only 25years of age, she has incredible potential- having the legs to race back to back half Ironman’s, and a top 10 OA at Ironman St George (super hard course) is extremely impressive. She’ll has a great triathlon career in her future. It will be fun to watch her kick butt on her 'home course" at Ironman Wisconsin in a few weeks. If the weather is right, I predict she'll pick up an amateur CR.

These race results also remind me of how much I must improve to compete at that level - I’m super excited to keep learning and gaining more experience with the longer distance races. Fun Stuff.

LTF Leadville Training Camp

I love Colorado - What a beautiful place! This past weekend, Lifetime Fitness hosted a High Country training camp in preparation for the Leadville 100 MTB race. As many of you know, I’ve been very excited about the opportunity to race in Leadville, however without having done anything like it, I’ve also been very nervous. Needless to say, having the opportunity to attend camp would be HUGE for us.

Kerry and I flew out Thursday afternoon, and arrived in Leadville around 8pm. Thankfully a fellow camper (Bill in the photo below) from MN provided bike transport services, so the travel was a breeze.
Thursday night included a quick camp kick-off meeting, but the real fun started early Friday morning when we rolled through town just after 8am. Our two day ride plan included covering the entire 100 mile course: Day 1 was 25miles out (down Powerline to Fish Hatchery) and back. Day two started near the Fish Hatchery (also known as the Pipeline) and lead us up to the famous Columbine mine (at 12,600ft) and back.


Although clearly some riders were all business, I was on total casual mode heading out of town. The race starts with a ~3 mile downhill (pavement) section, and from there we turn onto a dirt trail which leads to the first real climb (St. Kevin’s). This is where the group separated in a hurry. With over 35 riders of various riding abilities we simply had to split into small groups. I felt pretty good on the climb and was able to ride St Kevin’s without much trouble. I expect this section of the course will be VERY different on race day as 1500 riders jockey for position early in the race.

The next fun section included 3+ miles of fast downhill known as Sugarloaf. We were flying down that thing. Although I loved the speed, that little voice upstairs was reminding me that I would be climbing all the way back up later (which is about mile 90 in the race)!

I was expecting the impact of the altitude to knock me down in a hurry, but thankfully I was feeling OK. Of course I was breathing like a chain smoker, but I wasn’t feeling nauseous- Huge plus! As we climbed up Hagerman’s Pass I was smiling ear to ear while admiring the beautiful views- It was unreal. Although I loved the climb up, knowing the infamous Powerline descent was just around the corner, was a little nerve wreaking. I had no idea what to expect, but as the stories go, this is the most technical and steepest section of the course. There were a few sketchy sections making my hair stand on end, but I managed to keep the wheels rolling. Not sure how that will be with hundreds of other riders around me- It was tricky enough when I had the liberty of choosing MY own line. Once down Powerline it was a simple road section to the day's turnaround point (and aid station).

Then it was back up Powerline….
I took off behind Cole, and tried my best to keep him in sight as we started upward. The bottom section is the worst, and although many people had already started walking, I tried to stay close and follow Cole's line. I was quickly out of gears and out of lungs, but our videocrew was mid way up the steep section and I didn’t want to dismount in front of them. I pushed myself harder than I think I ever have, and thankfully I saw Cole stop not too far ahead. That was my destination...

Well I made it up to Cole, but to this day, I’m pretty sure I left half my lung in that area. [my breathing has been impaired ever since] My breathing was louder than I think I’ve ever heard it, and I can guarantee that I’ve never pushed myself like that before. From there, it was hike-a-bike for about 10 minutes to the first of 3 (maybe 4) false summits. Once I hopped back on the bike I was thankfully able to keep riding to the top. I believe the climb took over 45minutes (maybe 3 miles). It will be interesting to see how that feels at mile 80 of the race…. Epic indeed.

I felt great the rest of the way back to town, including the long climb back up Sugarloaf. After about 6 hours of riding (we also got lost a few times so ended up riding closer to 58 miles), I was ready to be off the bike.

It was time for Ice Bath #1 and burrito #1… This shack kept us fueled all weekend :-)

DAY 2:
We rode 6 miles (all downhill) to get to our ‘official’ start point. We could see off in the distance (up in the mountains) our ultimate destination for the day, and although it was an extremely beautiful view, I knew it would be a real challenge climbing up there. The stories about that climb, about what it takes, the impact of minimal O2 @ 12,600ft got me fired up in a weird way. Bring it on!I rode with Bahram and Jeff to the Twin Lakes rest area. Just as we arrived, the lead group was starting to leave and head up the Mountain. I waited at the aid station for a few minutes, then Kerry and I then set off towards the summit together. From Twin Lakes, I wanted to break 2 hrs to the summit. I was super excited to start the journey, but I had to conserve-had to be patient - Had to fuel and hydrate. It was steady.…. Climbing is definitely the best part for me, as I think my years of high intensity tri training translates perfectly to this department. I just kept trucking along, and before I knew it, I could see the summit. I was able to ride most of the way, but with about one mile to go, there were multiple sections of hike a bike required. I think my Garmin announced a 23 min mile… but as a whole, the trip from Twin Lakes took around 1hr 40 minutes. I felt (relatively) great!

Anyhow once you summit, you get to ride across a flat section (aka, the 'Ride Across the Sky'), then descend down to the old mine shack. That feeling I expereinced while coming down the hill to reach the official turnaround point was unreal. I was so excited. I stayed up there for over 20 minutes taking in the sights. The descent was a little tricky at the top, but not too bad with limited uphill rider traffic…. Again, that will be another story on race day as the packs of riders will be making their way up the small rocky jeep road while riders are descending….

It didn’t take very long to get back down, but my hands cramped from riding the brakes the entire time (I'll be moving my brake levers a little closer to the grips for race day). Once at the bottom, I sort of hit a mental wall - The excitement was over for the day, but we still had to retrace our tracks back to the starting point. That sections seems to drag on forever, but we finally met up with the rest of the crew and called it a day at mile 56.




Time for Ice bath #2, and Burrito #2 of camp…. Then it was time for Burrito #3

I was feeling pretty smoked from the 12+ hrs of riding over the past two days, and was ready for bed.

Although I had plans to 'rest' on Sunday morning, I couldn't stay put... We had some free time to do our own thing, and as most campers left early or did another ride, Kerry and I decided to explore Turquoise Lake. I think the altitude was starting to affect me at this point, but I couldn't pass up the chance to run in such a beautiful area. It was a great opportunity to appreciate the amazing views. I LOVE IT there!

It was such a fun weekend. The Camp support and riders were great, and I can’t wait to head back out there in a few weeks. This time, I know what to expect, and have 35 new fiends to share the experience with.

22 days until race day!! YEAH

Lifetime Fitness Race Report

Earlier this year, when I had plans to cut back my racing, The Lifetime Fitness triathlon was NOT on the chopping block. As I mentioned before, this year would be the 9th edition of the race, and my 9th time racing. It the only race I’ve done every year, and I wanted to keep the string in tact. Originally my coach was reluctant to let me do it… He knows how much pressure can be placed on my for that race and with my focus on the long races, he thought it would freak me out…. In the past, I would get bent out of shape with all the pressure and expectations, but thankfully for many reasons it really does not faze me anymore.

With that said, I was not willing to do a real taper for this race, as this is prime Ironman training time. When a holiday long weekend rolls around, I need to maximize my training time. Sprint Race Sat morning -A tough 15 mile run on Sunday - 5 hours of climbing/30 min T run in Prescott WI on Monday. I was pretty smoked after those big days, so the remaining four days leading up to the race were all about maximizing recovery…. No shortage of ice baths, massage, High quality fuel , and rest. I did a few short workouts to keep the blood flowing, but that’s about it. I had NO idea what kind of legs would show up on race day, but regardless, I was SUPER excited. I just love that race.

It was a non-wetsuit swim for amateurs (hasn’t been that way in several years). Water was 81, so I’m so glad they did not find a ‘magic’ place in the lake to get a 78 reading- I would have roasted in my wetsuit. Instead I had my trusty blueseventy swimskin and I was ready to go. I love this swim start shot. I’m usually not this aggressive, but I guess I was excited! The elite Amateur women started with the elite masters (both men and women), so I was lined up next to the famous Spinervals founder Troy Jacobson. I had a good start, but it didn’t take long for several people to swim on by. I knew Tami would have a super fast swim, but I really had no idea what kind of swimmers the “out-of-towners” were. I knew I had to work hard, and just kept moving along. I didn’t find much of a draft out there, but ended up swimming next to Susan Willams and a girl from Ontario, Leanna Lee. We all excited the water together, but I was able to get out of T1 in front. I didn’t hear any updates on what was happening in front of me, but I assumed at minimum Tami was making her way around the bike course already. I think last year I passed her before hitting the Parkway, but I knew she was a much faster racer this year. My bike legs felt pretty good, but this race is all about being smart and being heads-up. These are urban city streets and with that comes nasty potholes (these roads are NOT bike roads- there are miles of bike trails along the side). If you’re not familiar with this course, it can bite you at any time. It’s pretty technical with a lot of corners and little climbs. It’s also just a tad long. This of course, has worked to my advantage over the years.

I passed Tami on the St Paul side of the Parkway shortly before crossing the Ford bridge, and I hammered hard to move ahead. Once I crossed over Cedar Ave (about 13 miles into the ride), KY told me that I was in second place. I had no clue who was up there, but I was in full pursuit mode. I ended up catching Abby on that short climb before crossing Lyndale. I was not feeling overly confident in my run legs, and having no clue what kind of runner she was, I just kept hammering knowing full well that I’d much rather work extra hard on the bike than endure a shoulder to shoulder 10K run. There’s no doubt my experience on this race course made ALL the difference this day as I was taking the corners aggressively and I knew exactly how to take the lines. I felt like I was having a smart and strong ride. I came into t2 in the lead, but I was very nervous for the girls coming behind me. It’s a two loop (around the lake) run course, and at about the 1 .25 mile mark there’s a ~500m out an back on the Cedar bridge. That’s always the moment of truth…. I could see Abby on that section, as she was looking much better than I was feeling. Someone rode up and told me that I had about a minute on her at that point. I was doing the math, and quickly realized that it was no gimme. At the pace I was running, and with extremely heavy legs, I was very nervous she’d be running me down. Then on the next loop on the same out and back section (~mile4.5) I noticed Tami had already passed Abby, and appeared to be running well. After not even seeing her on the first loop, her pace was obviously MUCH faster than mine. With less than 2 miles to go, I knew I had to dig. I was running very scared, and I was hurting. With about .5 miles to go, I looked back and I (thought I) saw Tami just 10 yds behind me. That was it…I thought it was over, but I did what I could to pick it up. When I came down the home stretch people kept telling me “You’ve got it” “nobody there” “you can cruise it on home.” I didn’t believe them and kept focusing on the finish line. Finally I arrived to the generous applause from the crowd and high praise from Jerry’s microphone. I was exhausted… I think Tami ended up finishing 30 seconds behind me.

I was greeted at the line by Kerry, Braham (Lifetime CEO) and many other friends. It was great to catch up with everyone. I enjoyed watching all the other finishers come across the line, but I quickly realized that something must have happened to Julie. She hadn’t crossed yet, and I was getting kind of nervous. Kerry then told me that she had crashed on the bike but is still running…. What a trouper- I saw her come down the finish chute with bandages all over her arms, scrapes all over her back and chin, and her first words...“I’m pretty sure my wrist is broken.” Well sure enough, she was right. Such a bummer- Here’s a little story on Minnesota tri news about the accident. I must add that the crash happened with about 20yds left (she was already out of her shoes) when a spectator decided to drag her family across the road right in front of Julie…. I get angry just thinking about it, but of course, Julie is in good spirits. We even celebrated Erik and Jen’s B-day the next day on the St Croix… She wasn’t about to miss the party boat!

Minnman Race Report

.3mile swim – 13mile bike – 3 mile run

I’m a little late with this report, but what can I say… There’s been a lot of stuff going on lately. I missed this race last year, so I was pretty excited to test my high end speed on this super fast sprint course. In an attempt to come up with specific goals for the race, I looked back at my results from 2008 when I set the course record, and was trying to figure out where I could make up time to break that mark. That year the swim seemed a tad long, my transitions were fast, I had a good bike, my run was marginal. I really couldn’t find much wiggle room to break that 1:02:30 record, but I was going to do my best. I knew that much of the outcome would rest on how the swim was measured. For such a sort race, it can make a huge difference….

And that it did. As it turns out, I’m pretty sure the swim was at least 150m short. Although that does not sound like much, as a percentage, it was probably 35% shorter than last year. To make it even ‘better’ you could pretty much dolphin dive the entire course. How the heck else would I be able to come out of the water with a BIG TEN champion/ All-American swimmer. When I came up from my 50th dolphin dive to exit Lake George, it felt like entire elite field was there with me. Many guys who typically pass me in the middle of the bike were coming out of the water with me… and then I looked at my watch and saw 5:10. OK, well that will help my quest to break the record, but this triathlon has basically become a Bike-Run Sprint with a little splash at the beginning. Again, I love numbers, so here’s a good stat for you…my combined transition time was 48% of my total swim time… and THAT’s why I practice my transitions!

Bike was good- I used a PowerTap wheel, which I’m learning is extremely valuable on flat bike courses. I tend to drift off into ‘comfort zone’ pretty easily when I’m flying down the road at 25mph, but then I look at my wattage, see 150 Watts and realize that the tail wind is doing most of the work. I picked it up and managed to post a faster bike split than I did back in 2008… Progress. Now off to my ‘favorite’ part… the out and back 3mile run that seems to drag on forever. Thankfully after making the turn at the halfway point I didn’t see any women in threatening position, but I was still working as hard as I could. My adjusted goal was to break the hour mark, but as I felt my feet dragging along the ground, I didn’t think it was possible. When I rounded the final corner, I could see the race clock at 59:54…. I tried to pick it up, but ended up crossing at 1:00:02.

It was a beautiful day, and it was so refreshing to have the whole weekend left to play… I love Saturday races!

And the man behind all the awesome photos...

The PRO card application has been submitted...

Well I pulled the trigger…Why the heck not. My PRO card application is in the hands of USAT. I have to admit, this is something I’ve considered for the last two years, but for many reasons I never really believed it was the right move for me.

Originally I was planning to do it after my first Ironman World Championship back in 2008. I had to check that KONA box, but after the race, I realized how much fun I had just being out there…not racing anyone, no pressure or expectations. I wanted more of that, so early in 2009 I had plans to step back from all the racing (I think I raced 16 times in 2008), to seek out new adventures and challenges.

Well my Love for the sport shined through, and I found myself on the start line weekend after weekend as soon as the season started. It was still one race at a time- I had no real goals aside from doing the best I could each week. I don’t think I even registered for AG Nationals until about 3 weeks before, and I ended up wrapping up the year as the 2009 USAT Amateur Triathlete of the year (although there were plenty of other amateurs whom I believe were more deserving).

So again, in 2010, I longed for something new. I barely swam all winter, and when I got my ticket into Leadville (100 Mile MTB), it was all about the bike. It was just the change I needed. Then I decided to enter a few early races just for the speed workouts. Everyone kept saying that although Leadville is a 12 hr race, you need to do LOTS of threshold work as the altitude (10,000+ft) induces threshold like feelings all day long! So the season rolled around - It was late May, and I decided to sign up for my first race of the season- The Gear West Duathlon. My goal was Top 5, but I ended up surprising myself and defended my win from the prior year. So one by one (and typically just days before each) I would register for another race. With my 2010 racing goals being “survive Leadville”, all self imposed pressure to perform at a high level was removed. I raced to give myself the best training day possible. I was much better off-Both physically and mentally. It was a completely different mindset from previous years and a very welcomed change.

Over the last few years, most of my hesitation with getting the Pro card was simply that I love my current lifestyle. Having a full time job enables me to do more of the things I love; such a travelling with friends, eating high quality organic food, frequent massage, buying new gear, supporting others etc. I love my current training buddies and my ‘whatever goes’ approach to group training/outings. I felt the only way I could do the Pro thing was to give all that up. Had to FOCUS AND BE DISCIPLINED! I’m very realistic (I’m no Olympian or World Champion athlete), and I just wasn’t ready to make that kind of sacrifice just to call myself a Pro triathlete.

So since early May, I’ve been focused on surviving Leadville, and all thoughts of getting my PRO card had disappeared- Well, that was until this past Saturday.

I was racing in my 9th Lifetime Fitness triathlon, and after finishing the race, I hear my biggest fan (he’s every triathletes biggest fan), Jerry MacNeil announce that I had won my 5th straight LTF race. Although I was running VERY scared (I’ll try to do a race report soon), and I never took it for granted, I felt sort of embarrassed by the announcement, and thought to myself-TIME TO MOVE ON.

When I think about why I race, it’s truly about the experience and doing the best that “I” can do. I’ve been very fortunate in my 9 year amateur career to have picked up a few wins and special awards, but that stuff is not as important or motivating to me anymore. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate it and it feels good, but it’s not what gets me fired up. Personally, I don’t feel like I have any unfinished business in amateur racing. In fact, I sort of feel like a schmuck staying in the amateur field. Although there will always be faster racers coming through the amateur ranks (I can easily name 10+ amateurs that could crush me), I still feel like I’m expected to win or else I’ve ‘LOST’. I remember last year after the 1/100 second come from behind photo finish at GW duathlon, someone (who I know didn’t mean any harm by it) said, “wow Cathy, I heard you almost lost…what happened?” HUN- I was pretty darn proud of that race… Now I realize that it will always be that way if I stay in the amateur ranks.

I race to be the best that I can be, and more importantly to enjoy new experiences. With that said, turning pro will provide more unique racing situations and new challenges. For instances, getting into closed WTC races, priority start times, priority transition locations, VIP treatment etc. and meeting the best athletes in the World. I know racing as a Pro is a whole different deal, especially at the long WTC races, when the AGs have the benefit of thousands of other athletes all around them on the bike course. I know where I stand (very scary) and I’m ready to thrown to the wolves in an attempt to get better, to learn, and to experience something that I have the unique privilege to do.

So yes, I’ve come to the conclusion that I can still race as a pro, AND keep my job and my lifestyle just the way it is. I have no concerns about finishing at the back of the pack as long as I have a good race, as long as I’m improving, and most importantly as long as I’m having fun. Life can be taken from us at any moment, and there’s been too may reminders of that lately-SO yeah, NO Regrets. Today I did something that was unexpected and a little scary…USAT now has my application.

I expect IM Wisconsin will be my first pro race…. 4 weeks after 'Racing Accross the Sky" in Leadville. YEEE HAWW!

My Tribute to Lifetime Fitness

In honor of the Lifetime Fitness Triathlon this weekend, I decided it was fitting to do a proper shout out to the great people behind the scenes of a company that’s had such a wonderful impact on my life. I know that sounds hokey, but just the other day I was thinking about all the opportunities that have come my way as a result of Lifetime Fitness, and I even surprised myself as to how significant it’s been.

First off, Lifetime Fitness was my first employer after I graduated from Iowa State in 2001. The sister of one of my teammates was a Personal Trainer at the Plymouth Lifetime Fitness club, and she loved it. I visited her during my spring semester and I fell in love with the club, the people and the location. I moved from Ames to Minneapolis for my first real job, and I thank Lifetime Fitness for that.

It goes without saying that the next part is the most important to me - I met my wonderful husband at Lifetime Fitness. It’s hard to believe that almost 9 years ago while swimming at the Plymouth LTF club, I found myself in a lane next to my soul mate. I vividly remember swimming a 400m set, and at each flip turn I would see this guy flipping at the same time. Sort of annoying really - I would speed up, he would speed up- Eventually I stopped and sure enough he stopped as well. I think the conversation stared when Kerry said something like “you’re a good swimmer, are you training for anything?” I think we’ve all heard that one before… but it was probably my response that piqued Kerry’s interest. “I’ve never done a Triathlon before, but I’m thinking about doing one someday…I’m a golfer! “ Sure enough a few weeks later, I get a voice mail from him asking if I wanted to join him and a few friends for 18 holes. Well as the cliché goes, the rest is history.

Although, I enjoyed my 2.5 year employment with Lifetime, I was at a point in my life that I desperately wanted standard work hours. There’s nothing I wanted more than to spend as much time as possible with Kerry, and it killed me to be working random/unpredictable hours. I would be training people VERY early in the morning, throughout the day and late in the evenings. I loved the work, but I needed more structure to my days. So from there I left the fitness industry and moved into the finance world…Big change I know. It was actually one of my loyal clients (now a great friend) who got me my next job, which is where I’ve been (same company-different positions) for the past 7 years.

This weekend’s event will be the 9th year for the Lifetime Fitness triathlon. It will also be the 9th time that I will be racing alongside the world’s best pros in the heart of Minneapolis. There’s something special about urban races, and Lifetime Fitness does it better than anyone. I think the first year, I managed a 3rd place AG finish (the girl who originally finished 3rd got a penalty) so I landed a little hardware. In 2004 I moved up into the Elite Age Group wave, and in 2006 I picked up my first triathlon pay check and my first Elite amateur win. Lifetime fitness was one of the very first triathlons to offer prize money to amateurs! I love how that’s caught on with many other local races.

In 2006, Lifetime Fitness continued its tradition of supporting Triathlon and producing BIG events, by creating the Lifetime Fitness Series (now known as the Race to the Toyota Cup). This new series links the NYC, Chicago and LA Triathlons (Philly was added this year) with an end of year series Championship at the US OPEN in Dallas. Lifetime’s support for amateur racing continued as they invited (and paid for) the top three amateurs from each of the series races to attend the US Open in Dallas. I’ve been fortunate to have raced in EVERY US OPEN Series Championships and each Lifetime Fitness Triathlon since the beginning (that’s 11 races), and I have no plans to deviate from that trend anytime soon. Even this year with my intentions to step back from mainstream racing to focus on Leadville and Ironman, I just couldn’t break my streak of consecutive LTF Triathlon events.

After the race this weekend, I’ll get my Leadville hat back on, and join the Lifetime Fitness Crew for a training camp in Leadville CO next weekend. We plan to preview/ride the course during our three day camp, but more importantly we’ll have an opportunity to meet fellow LTF team riders. Kerry and I owe our Leadville adventure opportunity to Lifetime Fitness, as they hosted a contest for their members to earn coveted Leadville 100MTB race entries. This will be an epic challenge for both of us and something we are so proud to be doing as part of the Lifetime Fitness team.

Aside from all the great events, it goes without saying that I frequent their top notch fitness centers on a regular basis. With convenient locations all over (and now in the AZ area) I’m always covered- MAC (LTF Minneapolis Athletic Club) and Target Center during the workday, and Eagan and Lakeville for everything else. At the risk of sounding too much like an advertisement, I better cut it off here… But again-THANKS Lifetime Fitness for doing everything FIRST Class!

Best of luck to all the racers this weekend and special thanks to all the volunteers and event staff that will undoubtedly produce another exceptional race.

No BarnBurner = Play day in Sedona

The Barn Burner 104mile MTB race that was originally scheduled for June 19th was postponed due to forest fires in the Flagstaff area. Thankfully race directors gave us plenty of warning, but Kerry and I still wanted to get out of town, so we took off to Arizona anyhow. It was unfortunate we didn’t get our pre-Leadville reality check, but we made the best of a weekend away. We started the weekend early with an 80 mile road ride in the East Mesa area- Even though it was 90+ degrees during our ride, we had plenty of fluids and the simple reality that we weren’t in the office on a Friday, was enough to survive the heat.

The next morning we loaded up our gear and took off for Sedona. If you’ve never been to Sedona, I highly recommend adding it to the bucket list. The new age vibe combined with endless hiking/riding trails and amazing red rock views makes it a wonderful getaway. We found a few new trails and set off on an adventure.
Here are a few photos from the day:


Just a dirt road climb- A great way to get the legs moving without trying to find trails etc. Took us about an hour to reach the top… On the way down we stopped on a fun single track section and played on the “cow pies”. I took my first digger of the day coming out of there, but thankfully it was nothing too debilitating - Just have a few funky bruises to show for it.







We made our way to the Jim Thompson trail which eventually lead us to this bridge. From the top, we could see people hanging out by the edge of Oak Creek below and decided we had to find a way down there. After some steep gnarly single track and a few river crossings, we found ourselves at waters edge.
We found our own little swimming hole, and set up camp for a while. After the refreshing dip in Oak Creek, we took the Oak Creek trail South back to town. This trail was pretty rocky and downright unrideable in many sections, and as a result there was no shortage of 'hike -a- bike' opportunities. Prep for the death march up Columbine at 12,500ft … Well no, nothing can really prepare us for that…



We stopped a lot, jumped in the river, had snacks etc. It was not a 'big' day as far as workout intensity goes, but we had a blast. Just two big kids playing on bikes… Refreshing.

After 6+ hours of 'riding', we had enough sun and it was time for REAL food. Powerbars can only go so far. We found a great Korean restaurant (Mago Cafe) in the heart of downtown Sedona. They had the most amazing FRESH spring rolls and my huge plate of veggies, chicken and rice was delicious!

The date for the Barn Burner ‘take 2” is still undecided. Although it was primarily on my schedule to prepare for Leadville, I still hope to participate if it gets rescheduled sometime this fall. Here’s the updated buckle photo… Who wouldn’t ride 10 hours for one of those…