Sponsors for 2008

So, I am pleased to report that I will be back racing for Zoot in 2008! Not only have I always loved the style of Zoot's tri clothing (and now cycling and running line as well), but the new Ultra Shoes are getting ready to debut this year and I can tell you from experience that they are "cutting edge". From the "drainage holes" in the soles (so that you can pour water over your head in a hot race and not feel like you are running with 10 lbs on each foot!), to the easy slip on of the shoes, to the super fast "lace-up system" that enables you to tighten them with the pull of a bungee. Not only are Zoot products (Ultra line is my favorite) cutting edge, but the company is like a small family. Being that the company started in Hawaii, Zoot made sure that they had a tent set up on Allii Drive during Ironman week, so that their athletes (such as myself) could drop by, as well as anyone else who was interested in testing out the Ultra shoes and checking out some sweet tri clothing, including the sleek "Ultra SpeetZoot" (which I swam in during ironman). So far, it looks like we will be riding Scott bicycles for 2008 as well as using GU products for our nutrition needs. Suunto watches will be a returning sponsor, and their watches and heart rate monitors are top of the line. I couldn't be happier for my 2008 season!

In addition to Zoot, Profile Design has taken great care of me and has agreed to do so for 2008 as well. Last year, in Kona and Placid, I raced with the Cobra Wing Base bars and T2+ Cobra aero bars from profile with the aero bottle set up. This year I will be using the same bars as well many other products from Profile, including the Elite Karbon Kage for my bottles. Profile Design has a great reputation for a reason.

Recovery and Bike Fits...

So, I am recovering from the accident in a VERY speedy fashion...I have been attending Don's PT sessions (along with Greg who is not only quite knowledgeable but extremely funny at the same time! Oh and he bought me a chocolate bar the other day too, so that bumps him up a notch on my list!)... I have also been continuing the water jogging (I use AQx Sports water jogging shoes and special flotation belt made for smaller women...FANTASTIC!!) The trainer workouts on the bike are getting better and better as I become more familiar with being inside and pushing the watts in one position. I also got an MRI, and just as Don suspected..."severe bone bruising", but that's about it! I escaped a major hit with a car with nothing but some bad bruising, and while that will take a while to heal, I am grateful that nothing is broken or torn!

So, back to the bike and the trainer. Usually I despise the trainer, but since I have no choice but to ride it right now (I may have my first outside ride in 2 1/2 weeks this weekend) I am beginning to really like it. It enables you to really focus on a steady effort and good form as well. I find it to be difficult, but I am becoming a fan the more I do it! I have also been able to focus on pushing in my new aero position. PLUS the weather in NY really sucks right now, so it's nice to put shorts and a jersey on, pop in a cycling video and do a quality session inside! Don't get me wrong, I've been known to ride in gnarley weather with wind chills in the single digits. Weather where your water bottle freezes after a half hour, but this is a NICE change to bundleing up and suffering in the cold!

After Hawaii, Mike, George and I decided that I was losing too many precious minutes on the bike due to an aero position that just isn't very aero! For my size, I am pushing high watts without a huge effort, so the decision was to lower the position and slip through the air a little easier.

About a month ago I went to Babylon Bike shop and Mike lowered the bars...a lot! The aero bars were lowered 3.5 cm, the saddle was moved forward 1.6 cm, while rising up 3 mm "to maintain nearly the same relationship between the femur and the hip". It felt CRAZY low for the maiden ride, but I seemed to adjust quite nicely. Just before my accident, I did a "marker workout" to test how responded so far to the new position. Two sets of 20 minutes as hard as you can maintain (somewhere around threshold) with 5 minutes easy between each effort (2x20's). I did this workout one week in the "old position", and the next week in the new aero position. While I didn't hold the same watts (that takes a few weeks), I was roughly 10 watts lower in the new position. I thought this was a VERY positive sign!!! The next day was the accident, but looking from a positive standpoint, I have since been able to push on the trainer in the aero position without being disturbed by lights, or other distractions. It has been a "blessing in disguise" and I'm sure I will be rocking the new position once I get back on the road!

Included are some pics at Babylon Bike Shop taken by Brian Fallon...Thanks Brian!

Bike Accident Part II: Injury update

So, I spent the Thanksgiving weekend layed up on my boyfriends couch trying to recoup a knee injury from my bike accident instead of out riding and running. It was relaxing and cozy, but not exactly great for training...or maybe it was great for training, since I am getting better every day now. Seems the hardest part of being a profeesional athlete (or any athlete, for that matter) is resting when it is really necessary. Still, it wasnt so bad. When was the last time I chilled out by a fire, watched movies and took naps? Maybe the last time I was in a bike accident 6 years ago!

I went to the Orthopedic today (Thanks to my friend and incredible PT, Don Rourke) and it seems that I have some contusions to the knee, but nothing broken or torn. Don is working on getting me back as soon as possible (especially since he happens to be one of my training partners). We did some electric stim, ice, stretching and he had me doing some hip and "core" exercises. No mercy for Don...which is great! In the meantime, it's swimming with a pull buoy for me, with the hopes of getting on the trainer this week and hopefully water jogging as well.

George bounced back very quickly from being hit by an S.U.V. He was out riding the next day and ran an biked over the weekend. He was banged up and the muscles seem "beat up" and tight, but, in all he's pretty tough and feeling good. I am indebted to him for being so great this weekend. It isn't always easy dealing with an injured athlete who has to chill out and recover when she's used to training all day! Again, I must say that we are very lucky! Looks like the bikes may have gotten it worse than we did...

First Blog Entry...races, bike accidents, future plans...

Picture is me on the bike in my first pro race, Florida 70.3.

So this is the first entry of my new Blog. So far 2007 has been a great year. It was my first year racing triathlon as a pro, and the results were fantastic! I raced Florida70.3 (6th female pro), Buffalo Springs 70.3 (7th female pro), Pat Griskus Sprint Tri (1st Female Overall...love this race!), IM Lake Placid (7th Female Pro), Jarden Westchester Olympic Distance (3rd Female Pro) and most recently the Ironman World Championships in Kona! It was my 5th time racintg Kona, but first year in the pro ranks. I finished 23rd overall pro female there. The finish at Kona made me hungry for next year! It was a tight race between the women finishing 13th-25th place in Kona and I couldn't have been more happy with the way it went. I expect bigger and better results from the upcoming seasons! Kona race report is coming soon!

Right now, it is Thanksgiving and I wish I could say that I was out right now with my boyfriend, George; my coach, Mike and a group of friends doing a long ride in the mild NY weather, but I am not. I got into a bike accident with an S.U.V. yesterday and I guess you can say that I feel like I've been hit by a truck today! George and I were riding out East passing through South Hampton, when I woman in a truck made a left turn into us (didn't see us, of course). George rammed into the side of the truck and I hit the front and side of the truck, rolled onto the hood and crashed onto the ground in front of the truck. George had a "good hit" and managed to escape any major injury. He did get banged up and the experience was traumatic, but thankfully, he was OK and coherent right away.

The first thing I felt? My knee!!! It was pretty excruciating at the time and while other parts of my body hurt, the pain of the knee definitely overrode any other pain. I got rushed to South Hampton Hospital, an lucky me, no broken bones!!

I am worried about the knee, and plan on an MRI. So far it is swollen and I cannot put pressure on it, but I think I may be OK (fingers crossed). When I think about it...we are VERY lucky! Could have been much worse. So, I am sitting here on a beautiful day recuperating, instead of being out on my bike, but I think I should be back on the trainer and jogging in the pool in a matter of days. I'm getting the MRI for peace of mind. Again, it could have been MUCH WORSE!

So the first entry has some bad news, but nothing too terrible. I am still on track for an exciting 2008! I'm planning on going to train in Tuscon Arizona this February or March, plan on going to watch the Tour of California in February (Geo and I went last year and it was AWESOME to follow the race and ride out there), then I'll be racing California 70.3 on March 29th, followed by a trip with Geo (and hopefully our friends Jim and Danielle) to Gerona, Spain for some cycling in the Pyrenees Mts, and then comes Ironman Brazil on may 25th!! Busy beginning of the year for me and I'm psyched!