Superseal/Du Nationals

After my back to back to back racing weekend including a duathlon (or half of one), a running race and a bike race I decided it is time to start the travelling races. My buddy "Buddy" (yep, that is his name) and I started our drive to San Diego for the SuperSeal Triathlon. I wanted a 4th paddle!!! On our way there ther weather started to get bad and all of the sudden it looked like this:

I am glad I wasn't driving...but then Buddy told me that he can't see because he forgot his glasses...and then I tought: a.) I wish I would be driving and b.) I wish I would have some carrots that I could feed him to improve his eye sight.

We finally made it to San Diego safely :-) Saturday we spend picking up packets, checking the weather and eating fish tacos!!! The weather got more and more stormy and by the end of the day the swim was cancelled. YES!!! A duathlon!!! I love duathlons!!!

Unfortunatelly the next morning was super windy and wet with wind up to 35 mph. Bike = cancelled :-( But it was the only right thing to do for the race organizers as there would have been sooo many accidents in this crazy wind. They made the best out of the situation and we ended up doing a 5 k beach run.

Just a little windy :-)

Everyone ran really close together. I had absolutely no idea how to run in sand but it seemed like the harder you go the more you dig yourself in the sand, so nothing really happened in the race, except for a lot of giggling. I would take a stpe forward just to end up sliding half a step back. Amy and I bumped into each other a bit, just because we were sliding all over the sand. I ended up 2nd to Amy Marsh. I will be back in 2013 for this race for sure!!!

On our way back from San Diego we even went through some snow in the Mountains and it turned out that Buddy and I brought the rain back to Phoenix. And even a little bit of snow...yes, snow in Phoenix (while Minneapolis had 75 degrees and sun).

The weekend was still really fun. The volunteers were amazing, being out in the wet, cold wind for many many hours!!!

I took the week easy, got some riding and running in and on Thursday I was off to Duathlon Nationals in Alabama. We had a great and competitive field with many great Duathletes. It rained the two days leading up to the race (I think I brought the weather with me), lucky for me my homestay had EVERYTHING an athlete could wish for!!! Thank you guys so much!!! I ran on the treadmill, they had rollers, a trainer, and they took such good care of me!!! I even got to eat some fried pickles and learned some Alabamian slang :-)

Race morning was beautiful and the race went by way to fast. 2 loop run, 2 loop bike, 1 loop run. Hills hills and hills. And did I mention hills? The first run was great. D'Ann (the eventual winner) took off and was out of sight within the first lap. She is an amazing runner!!! I came into T2 in second and felt great. I had a great first run which put me in a great position, with a little bit of a gap to the rest of the field.

Onto the bike: the bike felt Ok, but not at my best. I rode by myself, which is good so that I don't have to worry about the rules, but bad since I had no sense of how fast everyone else was going. Turns out D'Ann, me and Amy (eventual third place) all went within seconds of each other.

The secon run felt really bad at first, coming off the bike, but that was to expect in a duathlon. I just kept reminding myself to push and that everyone most likely feels like that. It was an out and back which was nice. The turnaround came up and I knew D'Ann had a good gap to me but I also saw that I had a good gap to Amy. It was a great race and I finished 2nd with over a minute to first and a minute to third.

Team Magic did a great job putting on the race making it challenging, safe and fair!!! Duathlons are great. Team Arizona did a fantastic job of representing with Matt Russell in 2nd on the mens side, Amy Kloner 3rd on the womens side and me, we took 3 out of the 6 podium spots!!!

This weekend I am off to Oceanside 70.3. No racing, but a lot of cheering and our ZOOT TEAM CAMP. So excited to get to know my teammates and all the peeps behind the scenes!!!

And I am not bringing rain with me :-)

Spring time racing

Spring is great. The temperatures here in Phoenix are perfect, racing is starting and there is so much excitement for 2012 in the air.

Since I was not able to do Panama I changed my plans for 2012 slightly. No Panama means no points towards worlds. Which means that I would need at least 5 70.3 races between now and July. Which is pretty much impossible for me, since I also have other racing plans. Instead I will be focusing on Olympic Distance racing for the first half of the year and then go longer towards the end. I will compete at 70.3 Hawaii for sure since everything is already booked...and it is Hawaii...and there are beaches...and boogieboards. And I love boogieboards.

I will be racing in part of the Lifetime Fitness series, which will include Texas, Minneapolis, Chicago, LA and Dallas for me. I will also jump into the Xterra Las Vegas next month. It is within driving distance and I always wanted to try it out.

Last weekend was a crazy weekend of racing which left me pooped (and it is Friday now). On Saturday I got up at 5:30 am to drive to the DESERT DUATHLON. I felt great and had a fantastic day. The competition was great, the weather was perfect. I ran the first run at a comfortably hard (hahahaha) pace, which ment getting to T1 20 sec behind Linsey Corbin. I jumped on my bike and rode the legal distance behind her. I thought that since she has been in the sport for a while, I could learn from her by staying behind her. It was fun to compare RPM, position,... ABout 8 miles into the race my front tire felt a little flat, so I had to take it easy on the downhills (because I did not want to kiss the pavement). By the time I got to mile 17 my front tire was completely flat and I got to cheer from the sidelines. Still I got a good effort in and am happy with what I did in the 1/2 race.

After the race I went to the Grand opening of IRON GEAR SPORTS. The store is about 4 times as big as before, which means 4 times the fun and equipment in there :-)

Then I was off to South Mountain to watch bike races until about 6 pm (yep, still unshowered...but I did change clothing!!!) JR did great in his 3 races, looking strong and powerful despite minimal training. Unfortunately our good friend Eric crashed. Poor guy is in a sling. We hope he recovers fast!!!

Sunday was even more crazy. Endurance Rehab had an entry to do the Mountain to Fountain 15 k. ME ME ME!!! 5:30 am wake up call. 7 am start. McDowell Mountain park again :-) This time I got to run the Duathlon Bike part, which means I couldn't get a flat :-) The first 5 k were mostly downhill, bad for my short legs, but good practice. I went through the 10 k in 36:40 which was surprising to me, after being on my feet all day the day before. The last 5 k are hilly. VERY HILLY. I am talking half a mile uphill steep followed by half a mile downhill steep. I finished in 56 min, which gave me 11th place and 1st amateur female (there were some crazy fast elite racers. Really cool!!!). After the race we drove home to get our bikes and then we were off to the FOCUS CRITERIUM.

JR and I both had great races with really hard efforts. I ended up 2nd in the Cat 1/2. So fun.

This weekend I am off to my favorite race: SUPERSEAL SAN DIEGO. I love the race and the organization...and the beach off course :-) Californiaaaaaaaaa here we come!!!

What a start to 2012

PF Changs 13.1

Trying to decide which Halfmarathon to run in AZ can be tough. Not because of a lack of races...it is more the opposite: there are SO MANY RACES!!! This state is great for running and cycling (I haven't explored the swimming side yet)...race race race :-)

We picked PF Changs because there were a lot of runners (around 20.000 in the half) and we had lots of friends running it. To me, I thought it would be entertaining to have music every mile :-)

The race was so much fun. I had no real plan, and after a long week of working I didn't know what to expect. Just running and having fun...and making it hurt. I went out with the pack, which ment way too fast. But I am a big believer in going with the feel and at the moment it felt right. The first mile was around 5:30...ooops. I tried to run with people, but for some reason we spread out really quick and I had absolutely noone to talk to for 13.1 miles!!! Unbelievable.
I have to admit that I struggled with not having anyone to talk to between miles 6-9. :-( We were so spread out that it was tough to catch people...so instead I focused on the people on the side, the one's who cheered and I once again realized how incredible the Pheonix endurance sports community is. Cheers EVERYWHERE.
I finished the race in 1:21, which is a 3 min PR for me. To be honest this was only my 3rd 13.1 race in my life. My first one was the Berlin 13.1 (I went there to do the 5 k but it was sold out), then the Payson 13.1 (which takes you 6 miles up and then 6 miles doown...ouch) and now PF Changs.

I can only recommend this race. Great organization, great motivation on the course and tons of friendly people!!! And where else in the country can you run a 13.1 race in shorts?

And then the week after the race...

My legs felt surprisingly good after the race and I just continued with training. Tuesday morning: 1.5 hr bike ride. I went outside in shorts but it was cold so I went back to get knee and arm warmes. Good call!!!

I rode my bike to the first 4 way stop from my house, a full 10 seconds!!! Car coming from the right, I stop, they stop, they go, I go. As I enter the intersection I looked to the right and to my surprise the lady coming from the right...stepped on the gas pedal!!! WHA... WHA...WHAT? I remember looking into the windshield and she did look to the left, just too far to the left. She didn't see me at all. I tried to sprint out of her way, but we all know how good a triathlete's cycling sprint abilities are. I don't remember much except for landing on the ground. Witnesses said I did a full 360 in the air (one guy said it would have made a cool Youtube video). The ambulance, firetruck and the police were there within seconds. I got up and moved every bone...nothing broken...I think. Just skin. Luckily I put on those leg warmers. It all happened so fast. It was just crazy and scary.

I had sooooo much luck. The thought of looking at the car while it hit me still scares me. I got T-boned by an SUV. I didn't want to go to the hospital, instead I went to Endurance Rehab. They know me and my body and I knew they could help. And I was in good hands and they made me giggle.

I think the shock was the worst. 20 min after I got hit I remember the cop's voice going far away and then I was on the ground. The lady got cited.
Again, I am so thankful that I came out of this with minor injuries (scrapes, hurting ribcage for a while, some bruises). I was soooo lucky.

I went back on the bike the next day. Mountainbike since my Roadbike was cracked.

My long ride on the following Saturday was tough. My motivation was down the drain and I was scared of every car. I thought the only way to get rid of this fear is: off course...RACING!!!

Bike Haus Crit

I went to Firebird race track the following Sunday to race my bike. Criteriums are the best way to get rid of fear. It was a great workout. 2 girls got off the front and I chased for 25 min :-) Unfortunatelly I wasn't able to catch them and I finished 3rd in the Pro-1-2 field.

McDowell Circuit race

This weekend I did the McDowell circuit race. 40 min of racing. It was so much fun. We had some really good girls come out. My one person team, consisting of...me...haha...just stayed calm until we had 20 min to go. I attacked to try to get the field to break up but didn't get any help. As I sat up again I noticed that 4 girls went off (we did get a gap, but I didn't know). Grrr...I initiated it and now I wasn't in it. Oh well. I decided to bridge the gap by myself and after half a lap I was in the break. 5 girls. Every team represented. As we came closer to the finish I tried to get off on the right side. Alisha Welsh came with me on my left and she outsprinted me by a tire (so close). But hey, getting beaten by a professional cyclist is OK I think. I am only a Cat 2 afterall. And I have no idea how to sprint.

Xterra AZ Trail Run

7 k trail run. I guess I love racing. Today I went out to do a trail race. I thought it would fit perfect since I was supposed to do a long run with a 20 min up tempo. The trail was beautiful and I am glad I didn't know the course before. Because that trail was HILLY!!! 2 miles of uphill. AHHH. I started in the back not thinking...obviousely. Trails are narrow (as I know now), which means no room to move up unless you do some steeplechasing. I steeplechased my way into 3rd overall (men and women) before the hill and that is where I satyed. The race was great and I still had a 6:10 pace. So much fun.

Panama 70.3 - or not

Next week I was going to race the Panama 70.3. Flight booked, hotel booked, and then I got a letter from immigrations. No trip to Panama for me. Instead an interview with an immigration officer in Phoenix. Hopefully after this interview I will get my permanent green card, which will last much longer then the one I had. It is just a bummer that I only got a one week notice and that I have to cancel my trip to Panama. I will be there someday. Instead I will race the Valley of the Sun stage race. Road racing...ahhh...makes me nervous already :-)

2012 Sponsors

First of all I have to say a HUGE thank you to my support team for 2011. Every single one has been a huge part of my season, whether it was during training, racing or in my "normal" time. I am looking forward to 2012 and am excited to work with the following companies again:

http://www.durapulseperformance.com/

Nick has helped me get through my year injury free despite the long season, many races and all the travelling. Durapulse is a great company - my trainingplan allowed me to race a long season and have many PR's in 2011. Nick is great about adjusting my training quick, which is important when you realize for example that there is no open pool in Aviano, Italy (like when I was there). Durapulse also has a great team in Phoenix; my teammates always put a smile on my face and help me push myself during our "friendly" battles on the track.

http://www.irongearsports.com/

My triathlon store in Phoenix. Iron Gear has not only supported me for 2011, but also the entire AZ Triathlon community by sponsoring many AZ Triathlon events. Also Iron Gear made it possible for me to race the relay event at the Duathlon World Championships (I had to change my ticket by 24 hrs to be able to do the relay and Iron Gear took care of the changing fee) - THANK YOU. I am very thankful for all their support and look forward to an even better 2012. Stop by their store in Mesa and check out all their equipment for swimming, biking and running.

http://www.skinstrong.com/

Skinstrong is an incredible company. Not only do they help me transform any bike seat into what feels like a pillow (thanks to SLATHER), they also help me prevent blisters from my shoes and friction from my uniform or wetsuit (thanks to SLIK DUST and SLIK). The people behind Skinstrong are so friendly and helpful. Their products are affordable and are a great addition to any endurance atheletes equipment. Skinstrong is very important to me because with back to back racing I cannot afford having hot spots on my skin or blisters on my feet!!! Thanks for the support in 2011 and the future!!!

www.lazerhelmets.com

The Belgian Headcase that has keept my head safe and comfi for the last 2 years. The technology that Lazer uses allows the helmet to tighten evenly around my head. I had a lot of trouble finding a fitting helmet before I discovered Lazer. Their helmets are comfortable and most important they fit. My choices: Genesis and Tardiz!!! Looking forward to year 3 and more to come.

http://www.endurancerehab.com/

Endurance Rehab helps me recover faster and stay injury free. Their therapists KNOW athletes, not only because they have worked with many athletes from all sports, but also because they are athletes. I am looking forward to another year of their support, wether it is hands on or in the recovery boots. Check them out!!!

I am very excited to add on some new sponsors in 2011:

http://www.zootsports.com/

I am very honored to become part of the Tribe. In 2012 I will be part of the Zoot Ultra Team, consisting of a great group of companies (Garmin, GU, PR Bar, Zipp and, off course ZOOT). Zoot has me covered from Wetsuit to Recovery Products, from Shoes to Arm Warmers. I am really looking forward to working with them and being part of the Zoot Ultra Team.

http://www.bhbikes-us.com/

I am really excited to be working with BH as my bike company. I will be riding the GC Aero TT bike and the RC1 as my Road Racing Machine. The company originated in Spain and the US headquarters are right here in Phoenix. The bikes are not only top quality but they also look fantastic!!!

http://www.bicyclehaus.com/

Bike Haus will be my Road Team for the 2012 season. I am really excited to be the female Bike Haus representative on the AZ road circuit. And they carry BH bikes :-) Brilliant!!!

http://www.tptherapy.com/

Trigger Point Therapy will also help me stay healthy in 2012. Their products are great quality and easy to take on any trip. The TP Massage Ball is perfect for airplane - foot massages or glute releases.

Thanks for your support!!!

Off course I also wouldn't be able to compete and train at this level without the support of my husband JR, my family in Germany and my friends (PAM, wanna go do a race in Texas?) :-)

2011 in review

2011 was not only a very eventful year, a very busy year, but also (to me) a successful year. Off course there are always things that could have gone better but I like to look at the entire picture.
I stayed injury free, I learned to sleep on command on airplanes and I am able to pack my bike box in 5 min (in a hotel lobby).

January

JR leaves for Germany (for work) while I stay in the US. 8 weeks without my hubby :-( Since I cannot sleep alone in a house I...well...just don't sleep at night. Instead I sleep during the day. The first 2 weeks turned me into a zombie but then I learned to live with it. Best part is that he is in the same city as my family and I am not :-(

February

Cycling season in AZ starts. After spending most of my time on the TT bike I entered the Avondale crit and broke off the front in the first corner and managed to lap the field by myself...LUCKY :-)

Ragnar Relay - I got to spend 30 hrs (or a total of 200 running miles) with 6 other people in one car. I had no idea who they were before the trip. The race was so much fun, we didn't sleep the enitre time, the van was most likely very stinky (Kelly and I did shower!!! Unlike the others :-) and we ran many many fast miles!!! And, the most important part: we are now friends and are looking forward to Ragnar 2012!!!

March

MIAMI here I come. My frist trip to Miami. I had a lovely homestay that showed my all of Miami. What a great city. I raced the 5150: after an OK swim (not last) I had a great ride and a great run (36:XX). 7th place in a very strong field. Great start to the season.

The weekend after I travel to the other coast: Superseal Triathlon. One of my MUST DO races. I went there to defend my title but also to go FASTER ;) Mission accomplished. I am now the proud owner of 3 Paddle Trophies with the Unit coins of the Navy Seals. I will be back and I really want a 4th paddle!!! 7 is the record ;-)

April

Marquee Triathlon...turned into a Duathlon. Oh well. Wave start with the boys in my age group. I managed to outrun them on the second run and finished 2 nd overall (one guy was 20 seconds in front in another wave). Probably the most nerve wrecking race, since I got chased by guys for 6 miles :-) Winning the female overall.

Phoenix Triathlon - cold water in Lake Pleasant. Great local race with a tough run. 1st place. Yippie.

USAT Duathlon National Championship - 1st place!!! The first 5 k was pretty uneventful, hilly, slow course. The bike went fantastic and I got into T2 in 1st place with a 2 min gap!!! It was super exciting to run through the finish and getting to hold up a banner!!! This race ment a lot to me: I got no sleep the night before the race thanks to a random midnight WADA Anti doping visit. I drove down to Tucson at 3 am, because I still had to register :-) Unfortunatelly I was not awarded the National Title because I was not released by Germany. I still got to stand on the podium as the winner of the rac and I got to represent the USA at Worlds in September. YEAH!!! Oh, and I am now released from Germany and only starting for the USA. If I decide to start at German CHampionships, I will be in the results as a foreign elite...that sounds strange ;)

May

Rio Salado Triathlon -...how many events have I done now? 1st place!!! Whohoo!!!

Tempe International Triathlon - this time Sprint Distance...to recover from the races :-) First place :-) It is always nice to have a travel time of 15 minutes to a race.

Memphis in May Triathlon - WOW, what a great race and what a great homestay. AND, what an eventful trip :-) Always something with me. I had the clever plan to do a 24 hr trip. Fly there, race, fly back. I never have the time to see a lot anyways, so I flew to Memphis the day before the race, arrived there just in time for the pro meeting, had a great dinner with my homestay and her friends. Damie (my homestay) was also racing so in the am we took off and went to the race. Her race was in this huge thunderstorm with lots of lightnig. She was so brave and finished very strong. By the time we raced the race was delayed for 2 hrs??? I think. It was still lightning and I almost peed my pants because the lightning was so close!!! The streets were flooded so I didn't see the dismount line (even though an official gave me the instructions to dismount before the curb, which I did) and I ended up getting a penalty :-( My first one EVER. The steet was flooded...the line was under water, invisible when you come charging at XX mph!!! Oh well. 8th place in a stacked field. I had a great race and flew back immediately after. Then I got to spend a night in the Chicago airport because of the same storm. Wonderful :-) Did you know that the Chicago airport closes from 12 until 5 am?

June

GERMANY - So exciting and a wonderful, uneventful trip. I raced 2 races with my family as my cheer-group. 5150 Germany and 5150 Austria. Both great races in great places. Germany went well and I ended up 5th, unfortunatelly I got sick right before Austria and had to race sick :-( 6th place in Austria - First time ever that I had to walk during the run because my head was hurting so bad. It was still fun. Great race and the location is absolutely fantastic!!!

For one week I led the 5150 World Ranking :-) YEAH!!! I have a print out as evidence. I am now qualified for Hy Vee, the 5150 Championship where the 30 best females in the world will battle each other for over 1.000.000 $ of price money.

July

I still wanted to race the Boulder 5150. ROADTRIP!!! A no pressure race (since I had already qualified). OK race (side ache on the run, probably from the shallow altitude breathing, oh well, that can happen to anyone). 8th place!!!

Mountainman Sprint Tri - 1st place. Local races are always fun.

August

The temps in Phoenix are getting rediculous and by now I am honestly sick of getting up at 5 am every day to get everything in before we hit 117 degrees.

JR goes to Italy for work and...what the heck...I am going for a week to escape the heat :-) It was supposed to be a swim/run training camp, unfortunatelly all the pools were closed in Italy due to a holiday and I wasn't allowed on the US base (because we didn't bring our marriage license :-(...German athlete starting for the USA in Italy unable to train due to not being allowed on US-Italian soil...makes sense, right? Oh well, I enjoyed being in Europe, ran 2 times a day, picked fresh fruit (figs, peaches,...off the trees after every run. PERFECT. The week went by way to fast and I was back in 117 degree Phoenix.

No racing!!!

September

Big month for racing:

Hy Vee and Worlds!!!

I was really excited but unfortunatelly my first full year living and training in Phoenix left me drained. My body was tired, we now had 50 + days of 110 plus degrees. So what to do...I decided to just enjoy the last 2 races and soak in all the excitement that comes with Championship races.
Positivity is key!!!

Hy Vee was a blast. We got spoiled. Our goodie bag was as big as my bikebox (kind of). We had our own little flag carrier that came with us to the start and the race was on. The flood gates were open and a lot (3050 cfs I heard) were pushing into our faces. Good for fish and fast swimmers, not so good for ... me. But, I made it here and all I had to do is enjoy. I had an amazing bike and a wonderful run soaking in the crowds and the great course. I finished 27th, NOT where I wanted to be. The swim just killed us "non-fish". But hey, I didn't sign up for an always-perfect triathlon!!!

Next up: Spain!!! Amazing Trip with a great friend. My family flew to Spain and we had an amazing time there. It was a ton of fun to represent the USA. AHHH!!! I ended up 16th on day one and our relay finished 8th on day 2 (where I had one of my fastest runs ever). It was a blast!!! I hope to be back in 2012!!!

October

No racing. I decided to take a good off season after racing much and for long. I am out cheering on people at Phoenix races, helping with clinics and just doing lots of stuff at home that I neglected during the season.

November

I did absolutely no racing but I started training again. Enjoying the nice temps in Phoenix.

Grand Canyon Hike for Thanksgiving - which was EPIC!!! Havasupai Falls to the Rapids at the Colorado. What a great trip. 5 days of sleeping bag, nature and drinking coffee out of a metal cup :-)

I also got to watch my first IM. IM AZ. Impressive to see all the people, all ages, all abilities, all smiles (almost). It got me thinking: when will be my first one?

December

Swim, Bike, Run - lots of it but no intensity. Enjoying the weather and looking forward to a visit from my family for Christmas!!!
We explore AZ and do a lot of sight seeing. Christmas was so much fun!!! Family here = Angi happy.

Maybe I should get back to racing:
New Years eve - 2 races? Why not?
Resolution 5 k in the am: A true cross country course (slow and hilly but awesome!!!). I finish 2nd overall behind JR, first female in a 18:30. Yeah. I haven't run this fast since college.
After a BIG New Years eve dinner of cheese, olives, bread and wine JR and I run the Midnight Madness Race. 3 miles in Phoenix. During the warm up we were wondering the following: why do 2 races in one day? And who had the clever idea to eat cheese and drink wine before a run?

I finish the 3 miles in 16:54, the fastest I have ever run a 3 miler. EVER!!! It felt great. That gave me a PR by a LOT. And I mean almost one full minute.

2011 is over and I am looking forward to 2012. I am so thankful and happy everything went the way it went and I can't wait to race my first race of 2012: PF Changs Halfmarathon followed by some 70.3, some 5150, some local running, cycling and triathlon events, Duathlons, trips to foreign countries and much more.

Grand Canyon 2011

Every Thanksgiving JR, me and our friends Pam and Shannon are going away...away from eating and eating and eating (even though that can be fun too). We try to escape to the Grand Canyon for 4 or 5 days. The first year we did it was epic. Last year was absolutely great and I wasn't sure if our adventures could get any better. But this year was FANTASTIC.We were 6 people, Pam, Shannon, Kris, Mindy, JR and me. We hiked from the rim of the Grand Canyon to Havasupai, slept there over night before the best hike I have ever been on started. We hiked down Mooney Falles...and I mean climbing with a 40 lbs backpack:

...then we entered no man's land (it actually belongs to the Havasu Tribe, but I mean no man's land as far as " no one is out there"). The hike takes you through vines in a narrow canyon. On our 12 mile hike we had to cross the river 8 times (that is so much fun). The water is abnormally blue due to the minerals. It looked so warm and inviting, but in reality it was cold. At least the outside temperature was nice.

The mixing of blue Kool aid and the chocolate milk of the Colorado. We made it!!!

Getting water. Don't fall in :-) There is no coming out unless your an Olympic swimmer!!!

JR enjoying the calmness of the Canyon :-)

The sun was teasing us. It was always close but we didn't get to touch the beams. So we searched for them.

And then it happened...PEOPLE. 5 rafting boats came. Canadians, they have really impressive boats, but floating for 20+ days would be really long...and how would you train?

Cooking one pot meals. I brought 1 lbs of spinach and 1lbs of broccoli and cauliflower. Broccoli made the cut, spinach made the cut...cauliflower NOT...that stuff smells bad (even if it is fresh).

And then the goatsheep...aeh I mean mountain goats aehhh mountain sheep came. They inspected our tent and left us some surprises. We were not sure if that means "welcome" or "get out of our territory".

Back to mooney falls.

This trip was sooo much fun. DO it if you ever have the chance.

Next up: Training starts back up. I was going to race a local triathlon and a halfmarathon last weekend, but got sick (not from the trip :-). On Wednesday I get to pick up my new bikes and I am so excited...but that deserves its own post!!!

Off season fun

After taking my mind off of triathlon for 1 day...I wanted to get back at it. Luckily for me I had many opportunities over the last few weeks to be an "I am training/racing...but I am really not" athlete.

Example number one: The Durapulse IMAZ clinic

Since JR and many of my Durapulse teammates are training for IMAZ, Durapulse offers clinics that include a long OW swim, a long bike and a transition run (and then some BBQ and laughs). I was so happy to be "helping out" at the clinic. It was great to see the pain of training for an IM (and secretly it made me want to do one :-)...

I skipped the 6 am OW swim at Roosevelt Lake (because I really do not enjoy swimming there...there are some very scary looking trees underneath the water) and watched our gear instead :-)





After their swim I jumped on my bike and rode with my teammates. It was a lot of fun to help them get through the 120 mile ride in 100 degree weather. I truely enjoyed helping them, no matter if it was getting ice for them at gas stations, riding with them to keep them entertained, teaching how to change a flat fast, ...it was a lot of fun.



At the end of the day I tried to help 2 of my teammates to get through their run...and since I only rode 70 miles I was a lot more cheerful than them.

All of them did very well, they are ready for IMAZ!!!

Next adventure: Run for Maggie's place

The day after the clinic JR and I decided to race the Run for Maggie's place. It was a no brainer: a race in town, only 10k, the entry money goes to a good cause and we get to see our friends.


Let me tell you: it is harder then I thought to try to run fast after taking some time off. Luckily I found a good rythm and finished in first place. JR won the men's race (after an epic day of training the day before)...very impressive!!! He is ready for anything from 70.3 to IM, from 5 k to 26 mile races :-)

Aaaaand onto the SOMA triathlon:

Well how can I not do this one.

Check out the sweet Lazer Helmets :-)

I entered SOMA with 2 of my Durapulse Teammates as a relay. Since I was the runner I got to cheer for 3+ hrs before I actually had to go run. It was a blast. The SOMA course is very spectator friendly and we watched and cheered the entire morning (we were really loud cheer-ers).

JR came off the bike only 15 SECONDS behind the male PRO leader!!! WOW. He had an amazing swim and bike (even though he has only been in the water...5 times this YEAR!!!) I wish I could do that. The run got hot. It was 104 out there. I started running and decided I would just cheer and not look at my watch. I felt great!!! And fast!!! At mile 6 I couldn't resist and looked at my watch, that was when I realized I was on pace for a sub 1:20 Half...and then my brain started telling me to take it easy...Maybe sometimes it is better not to know how fast you are running. The second lap I cheered even more, because a lot of people were walking. I tried to motivate everyone to at least shuffle or slow jog...I think it worked in most cases!!! I ended up running a 1:25 which made me very happy because I had not ran over an hour in 5 weeks.

It was the end of the season for my frineds Pam and Shannon (who both finished VER well at SOMA) and JR and I joined them for a great dinner.

I felt a little guilty, because all I had done all day was the 13 mile run. They were out there for 4+ hrs...

I am excited for the next few months. I will be entering bike races and running events in the Phoenix area. Phoenix in the winter is great. Perfect weather, lots of races = Happy Angi.