2010 the start of a new decade....So I probably should begin by saying Happy New Year and Happy New Decade.
The last 10 years has flown by so fast. It is almost hard to believe all that has happened over the last 10 years.

So 2010 began for me with some intervals this morning followed by Pablo's PHIT class. I had the opportunity to yell at everyone and tell them to go harder. Pretty sure they really love me even more now. Then a spin on my bike followed by a granny nap while the TV announces blurted out all the football jargon for the Rose Bowl. Two of my neighbours are at the game cheering for the Oregon. But I have not seen them yet.

The holidays were awesome. I celebrated Christmas with some really wonderful people. Pablo cooked a wonderful dinner although I am pretty sure \everyone would be devasted if the knew exactly what ingredients were used. One of the dishes was called Heart Attack mash potatoes if you get more drift. But it was very yummy and so was all the left overs we finalled finished off today. I must have been really good as I recived lots of wonderful gifts.

Darlene and Dick(Pablo's father) or better known as the Double D's also joined our Merry Xmas.

My twin sister Gabby came over for a visit so I made sure I cracked the whip and had her training everyday she was here. As Paula asked..."here to be a Pro?". I was sad when she had to leave but maybe she wasn't so much because she did complain a few times when we were riding... I was going easy...I promise I was.:)I was nice enough to let Gabby use my Compex everyday after all the training.

Can't forget to mention the Encinitas Beer Mile. My excuse for not doing it was what would I have to look forward to when I eventually retire....Although a little birdie may tell you I was part of the Team 3 Chicks and possibily a Dude....but another little birdie could say it was Gabby...really it was.:)

New Year Eve was a little mellow which was great. I am such a party animal...NOT! 

Since I was not training I had to take full advantage of heading out to the barn and riding almost everyday. Plus I need all the practice for the horse show which took place at the beginning of December. Thanks to Massage Dave for coming to cheer and Nancy and GR from Sportsquest as well. Our best ribbon was Reserve Champion which basically means we were second and you get a bigger ribbon and a chance to parade by yourself before you leave the arena.

Thanksgiving was also during my time off from training so that was a great excuse to sign out for the local Turkey Trot. I happen to be in Connecticut visiting with Pablo's Family so it was a lot of fun racing against all the locals. I even won some money for my 2nd place finish. Of course I tried to catch the first place female but my legs were having none of that after 2 weeks off. I can not believe how out of shape I feel after only two weeks.

While we were back east we could not skip a visit to New York especially when out room mate Neels has never been. She also won her division at the Turkey trot so she came home with a nice trophy. Did I mention I beat Pablo....Heheeee.

The day after Thanksgiving I stopped by Target Training for a little chat and get together. Thanks to everyone who came you guys were a lot of fun and I loved all the questions.
 
So tomorrow after a 4 week break from training by the way time fly's when you are having fun its time to begin training for the 2010 season... Bring it ON!
Tinki all ready for Halloween.

Photo Credits Steve Toll-ISM Seat.


A big Thank You to Steve and Laura Toll for hosting us over the weekend.



 

Photo Credit Steve Toll ISM Seat
Ironman 70.3 World Championships
The DNF Monkey is off my back!

In a perfect  world my plan was to have a great race in Hawaii and finish the season. Knowing that a null racing can throw many obstacles in your path I had a back up plan to race 4 weeks later the null 70.3 world Championships if things did not unfold they way I had planned. So after a null at Mile 8 on the run and after a few days of R&R I decided to see how the body was recovering.

I decided to race the week after null at the local edition of the Women's Triathlon in San Diego. Along with 1200 other women I sprinted away all of my disappointment demons my null the week before. Plus it was also lots of fun going from racing null to a flat out sprint.

I knew I would need a lot more speed going in to the 70.3 Worlds as I had done plenty of distance so that was training focus. 

Race day could not have been more than perfect a little wind and the temperature ideal. Especially considering the area was hit with the aftermath of a down graded hurricane.

At 6.45am all my nerves disappeared as the cannon was fired. I exited the swim in the second pack and quickly got into my rhythm on the bike. Usually the Pro Men lead the way but the organizers decided to change it up and have us go first which did play a little havoc on us during the bike when the eventually caught us. Once the train of male Pro's passed me it was back to grinding out the gears.

My legs were feeling pretty good as I exited the transition in the top 10 along two other athlete's Magali and Laura. I was not quite as speedie as these two girls over the first Mile but with some patience I caught and passed Magali. At Mile 5 I was back up to Laura but so was Magali. Once again they kicked in a little more speed and bridged me once again on the run. Within a few miles I was up to 6th position and saw Laura being to fade. But she did not fade quite enough for me to make up a top 5 position. 

No complaints here for a 6th place at a World Championships. A really nice way to end the season especially after  Hawaii. The Monkey is gone!

Photo Credit Steve Toll ISM Seat
Results

1 3:59:33 103 Dibens, Julie Boulder CO GBR

2 4:03:49 4:16 101 Ellis, Mary Beth Boulder CO USA

3 4:05:27 5:54 118 Tisseyre, Magali St-Sauveur QC CAN

4 4:05:33 6:01 124 Steffen, Caroline Cham CHE

5 4:07:39 8:07 149 Bennett, Laura North Palm Beac FL USA

6 4:08:17 8:44 136 Jones, Michellie Carlsbad CA AUS

7 4:09:34 10:01 119 Groff, Sarah Colorado Spring CO USA

8 4:13:16 13:43 109 Stevens, Amanda Colorado Spring CO USA

9 4:15:04 15:31 127 Thuerig, Karin Retschwil CHE

10 4:17:57 18:25 143 Gianinni, Vanessa Campinas BRA

Wow! What a great course and the spectalors on the run were awesome. The course was a lot tougher that a lot of athletes expected. Two loops of a hilly bike followed by a rolling run added to the difficulty.

Race morning we were greeted with chilly conditions and the Lake temperature being in the 70's created a pretty specular fog. Any other race it would not have been possible to swim but this course was unique in the fact there was an unwater cable that made navigation a breeze. Althougth it took a little while for me to find it on the way back. Luckily I swim straight...well I think I do anyway. I did have a few thoughts going through my head that this could be the longest 1.2mile swim ever if I did not find the cable or land at some point.

I exited the swim in 3rd place and while I was enduring the morning crispness and my feet were pretty much number at least there were plenty of hills on the bike to warm me up a little. It took we a little while to get up to speed maybe from the cold or the slight fatigue I had in my legs from training pretty hard leading into this event. I caught one competitor and got passed by one so as I transition from the bike to the run I was still in 3rd.

I found my legs pretty quickly on the run but my feet remained numb for a few miles before they actually thawed out. My main concern apart from catching the leaders was to see how much time Pablo had pput on me during the bike as his wave started 10mins after mine. At around 8km I got to see the two leaders running side by side. Which actually spurred me on to try to pick up my pace. Then I was motivated even more when I saw Pablo at around the same point I had seen the leaders. Darn he had a great bike and made up a chunk of change on me. So now I was really motivated to push even harder.

The next chance I saw the leader was with about 3km to go and we where around the same time gap but I had definetly closed the gap on 2nd. But I did not quite get the opportunity to catch 2nd as the finishline loomed a little too quickly.

So all in all I was happy how I felt and very excited to be back on the Podium. Even though Pablo cruched me on the bike I did out swim and run him.:)

A few weeks ago I tagged along with fellow Pro Trathlete Luke Bell and his wife Lucy to Cedar City, Utah for a training camp at Altitude. We were lucky enough to stay at Paula Newby-Fraser and Paul Huddle's wonderful very spectular home above the city of Cedar City.

Cedar City sits at 6000ft while the P's home was 8000ft and we got to climb up over 10,000ft. Yes, there is not as much oxygen compared to sea level just in case anyone out there wants to know.

Our first run we were given verbal instruction on how to find a nice 40mins loop. Apart from the face we were running at 8000ft plus we found a trail but definetly not he one we were suppose to be on. My heart was beating so loud as Luke and I climbed up this very rocky and steep section. Although going up it was extremely hard I was hoping we were not going to be going back down the same way. But luckily we found the road at the top of the trail so having gone throught that fleeting moment of "oh my god we are lost" to thank goodness we don't have to back track.

One of our rides was just as memorable..it started off nice and early with a 60mins ride to the base of a 12mile mile climb. No problem it's only 12miles and I have a 25 cog on my rear wheel and Luke had a 23. An hour and half later wishing I had an even easier gear I made it to the top and well worth it as the view of the red rock canyons was amazing. I did find out later that the following week after I had left Luke decided to borrow my wheel as the 23 cog was not so much fun.:)

I also did get lost on another run and hyad to ask for directions. Funny this was that I took look a similar run a few days later and made a right turn instead of the left from the last time and I somehow mangaged to be in the same spot as where I got lost the last time...go figure.

 

It had been quite a while since I had competed in a 70.3 Ironman distance so I was definetly looking forward to seeing how it would turn out. It would also be interesting to see if all the short course racing I had been doing over the last few months would help.

Race morning the biggest challenge apart from having to get up at midnight California time for a 6am race start was that the swim course bouys had been blown all over the water because of the storm the night before. It also meant a very choppy swim was ahead.

Also the prospect of getting up so early almost made me wish I was a coffee drinker...No not really.:) I always find it quite amusing to watch other athletes the morning of the race frantically looking for there morning coffee fix.

The swim start was delayed a little as the life guards straightened out the course. Which just meant being nervous a little more longer.

Once the start gun finally fired I pretty much did not see anyone until the first turn around on the run as I had a pretty decent swim in the choppy waters and lead out of the water.

Once on the point to point 56mile bike I was passed by a few Pro Men early as I had past them in the swim even though they had a 2 minute head start on the women. I had "Eye of The Tiger" in my head entire bike route. I had absoluetly no idea where anyone else was during the bike.

So as I transitioned from the bike to the run I had to wait another 7 miles on the run before I knew where anyone else was. Finally I got a split as the first turn around and I had over 3 minutes and was feeling strong. The run course was a pretty tough 2 lap course which had a 7% climb each lap. Navigating the 7% climb seemed a lot easier than the pounding your quads got on the way back down.

With the steps of the Rocky movie as the back drop of the finish line I had grand thoughts of running straight through and up the stairs Rocky Balboa style but my legs had other ideas so I settled for just the finishline tape. As they say winner are grinners and I was very happy to take the victory. Desiree Flicker had a strong run to finish 2nd while Heather Jackson rounded out the podium

Top five professional women’s results are as follows:
1. Michellie Jones, 4:23:56
2. Desiree Ficker, 4:27:21
3. Heather Jackson, 4:33:39
4. Kim Loeffler, 4:36:53
5. Suzanne Zelazo, 4:40:57

A special Thanks to BrandyB's Mum Patti for looking after us all weekend.:)
 

Jones, an Ironman World Champion, dominated the women’s field today. Leading out of the swim and bike, Jones held off second place finisher, Desiree Ficker, who posted the fastest women’s run split of the day, and Heather Jackson, today’s third place female.

Top five professional women’s results are as follows:
1. Michellie Jones, 4:23:56
2. Desiree Ficker, 4:27:21
3. Heather Jackson, 4:33:39
4. Kim Loeffler, 4:36:53
5. Suzanne Zelazo, 4:40:57

2010 the start of a new decade....So I probably should begin by saying Happy New Year and Happy New Decade.
The last 10 years has flown by so fast. It is almost hard to believe all that has happened over the last 10 years.

So 2010 began for me with some intervals this morning followed by Pablo's PHIT class. I had the opportunity to yell at everyone and tell them to go harder. Pretty sure they really love me even more now. Then a spin on my bike followed by a granny nap while the TV announces blurted out all the football jargon for the Rose Bowl. Two of my neighbours are at the game cheering for the Oregon. But I have not seen them yet.

The holidays were awesome. I celebrated Christmas with some really wonderful people. Pablo cooked a wonderful dinner although I am pretty sure \everyone would be devasted if the knew exactly what ingredients were used. One of the dishes was called Heart Attack mash potatoes if you get more drift. But it was very yummy and so was all the left overs we finalled finished off today. I must have been really good as I recived lots of wonderful gifts.

Darlene and Dick(Pablo's father) or better known as the Double D's also joined our Merry Xmas.

My twin sister Gabby came over for a visit so I made sure I cracked the whip and had her training everyday she was here. As Paula asked..."here to be a Pro?". I was sad when she had to leave but maybe she wasn't so much because she did complain a few times when we were riding... I was going easy...I promise I was.:)I was nice enough to let Gabby use my Compex everyday after all the training.

Can't forget to mention the Encinitas Beer Mile. My excuse for not doing it was what would I have to look forward to when I eventually retire....Although a little birdie may tell you I was part of the Team 3 Chicks and possibily a Dude....but another little birdie could say it was Gabby...really it was.:)

New Year Eve was a little mellow which was great. I am such a party animal...NOT! 

Since I was not training I had to take full advantage of heading out to the barn and riding almost everyday. Plus I need all the practice for the horse show which took place at the beginning of December. Thanks to Massage Dave for coming to cheer and Nancy and GR from Sportsquest as well. Our best ribbon was Reserve Champion which basically means we were second and you get a bigger ribbon and a chance to parade by yourself before you leave the arena.

Thanksgiving was also during my time off from training so that was a great excuse to sign out for the local Turkey Trot. I happen to be in Connecticut visiting with Pablo's Family so it was a lot of fun racing against all the locals. I even won some money for my 2nd place finish. Of course I tried to catch the first place female but my legs were having none of that after 2 weeks off. I can not believe how out of shape I feel after only two weeks.

While we were back east we could not skip a visit to New York especially when out room mate Neels has never been. She also won her division at the Turkey trot so she came home with a nice trophy. Did I mention I beat Pablo....Heheeee.

The day after Thanksgiving I stopped by Target Training for a little chat and get together. Thanks to everyone who came you guys were a lot of fun and I loved all the questions.
 
So tomorrow after a 4 week break from training by the way time fly's when you are having fun its time to begin training for the 2010 season... Bring it ON!
Tinki all ready for Halloween.

Photo Credits Steve Toll-ISM Seat.


A big Thank You to Steve and Laura Toll for hosting us over the weekend.



 

Photo Credit Steve Toll ISM Seat
Ironman 70.3 World Championships
The DNF Monkey is off my back!

In a perfect  world my plan was to have a great race in Hawaii and finish the season. Knowing that a null racing can throw many obstacles in your path I had a back up plan to race 4 weeks later the null 70.3 world Championships if things did not unfold they way I had planned. So after a null at Mile 8 on the run and after a few days of R&R I decided to see how the body was recovering.

I decided to race the week after null at the local edition of the Women's Triathlon in San Diego. Along with 1200 other women I sprinted away all of my disappointment demons my null the week before. Plus it was also lots of fun going from racing null to a flat out sprint.

I knew I would need a lot more speed going in to the 70.3 Worlds as I had done plenty of distance so that was training focus. 

Race day could not have been more than perfect a little wind and the temperature ideal. Especially considering the area was hit with the aftermath of a down graded hurricane.

At 6.45am all my nerves disappeared as the cannon was fired. I exited the swim in the second pack and quickly got into my rhythm on the bike. Usually the Pro Men lead the way but the organizers decided to change it up and have us go first which did play a little havoc on us during the bike when the eventually caught us. Once the train of male Pro's passed me it was back to grinding out the gears.

My legs were feeling pretty good as I exited the transition in the top 10 along two other athlete's Magali and Laura. I was not quite as speedie as these two girls over the first Mile but with some patience I caught and passed Magali. At Mile 5 I was back up to Laura but so was Magali. Once again they kicked in a little more speed and bridged me once again on the run. Within a few miles I was up to 6th position and saw Laura being to fade. But she did not fade quite enough for me to make up a top 5 position. 

No complaints here for a 6th place at a World Championships. A really nice way to end the season especially after  Hawaii. The Monkey is gone!

Photo Credit Steve Toll ISM Seat
Results

1 3:59:33 103 Dibens, Julie Boulder CO GBR

2 4:03:49 4:16 101 Ellis, Mary Beth Boulder CO USA

3 4:05:27 5:54 118 Tisseyre, Magali St-Sauveur QC CAN

4 4:05:33 6:01 124 Steffen, Caroline Cham CHE

5 4:07:39 8:07 149 Bennett, Laura North Palm Beac FL USA

6 4:08:17 8:44 136 Jones, Michellie Carlsbad CA AUS

7 4:09:34 10:01 119 Groff, Sarah Colorado Spring CO USA

8 4:13:16 13:43 109 Stevens, Amanda Colorado Spring CO USA

9 4:15:04 15:31 127 Thuerig, Karin Retschwil CHE

10 4:17:57 18:25 143 Gianinni, Vanessa Campinas BRA

Wow! What a great course and the spectalors on the run were awesome. The course was a lot tougher that a lot of athletes expected. Two loops of a hilly bike followed by a rolling run added to the difficulty.

Race morning we were greeted with chilly conditions and the Lake temperature being in the 70's created a pretty specular fog. Any other race it would not have been possible to swim but this course was unique in the fact there was an unwater cable that made navigation a breeze. Althougth it took a little while for me to find it on the way back. Luckily I swim straight...well I think I do anyway. I did have a few thoughts going through my head that this could be the longest 1.2mile swim ever if I did not find the cable or land at some point.

I exited the swim in 3rd place and while I was enduring the morning crispness and my feet were pretty much number at least there were plenty of hills on the bike to warm me up a little. It took we a little while to get up to speed maybe from the cold or the slight fatigue I had in my legs from training pretty hard leading into this event. I caught one competitor and got passed by one so as I transition from the bike to the run I was still in 3rd.

I found my legs pretty quickly on the run but my feet remained numb for a few miles before they actually thawed out. My main concern apart from catching the leaders was to see how much time Pablo had pput on me during the bike as his wave started 10mins after mine. At around 8km I got to see the two leaders running side by side. Which actually spurred me on to try to pick up my pace. Then I was motivated even more when I saw Pablo at around the same point I had seen the leaders. Darn he had a great bike and made up a chunk of change on me. So now I was really motivated to push even harder.

The next chance I saw the leader was with about 3km to go and we where around the same time gap but I had definetly closed the gap on 2nd. But I did not quite get the opportunity to catch 2nd as the finishline loomed a little too quickly.

So all in all I was happy how I felt and very excited to be back on the Podium. Even though Pablo cruched me on the bike I did out swim and run him.:)

A few weeks ago I tagged along with fellow Pro Trathlete Luke Bell and his wife Lucy to Cedar City, Utah for a training camp at Altitude. We were lucky enough to stay at Paula Newby-Fraser and Paul Huddle's wonderful very spectular home above the city of Cedar City.

Cedar City sits at 6000ft while the P's home was 8000ft and we got to climb up over 10,000ft. Yes, there is not as much oxygen compared to sea level just in case anyone out there wants to know.

Our first run we were given verbal instruction on how to find a nice 40mins loop. Apart from the face we were running at 8000ft plus we found a trail but definetly not he one we were suppose to be on. My heart was beating so loud as Luke and I climbed up this very rocky and steep section. Although going up it was extremely hard I was hoping we were not going to be going back down the same way. But luckily we found the road at the top of the trail so having gone throught that fleeting moment of "oh my god we are lost" to thank goodness we don't have to back track.

One of our rides was just as memorable..it started off nice and early with a 60mins ride to the base of a 12mile mile climb. No problem it's only 12miles and I have a 25 cog on my rear wheel and Luke had a 23. An hour and half later wishing I had an even easier gear I made it to the top and well worth it as the view of the red rock canyons was amazing. I did find out later that the following week after I had left Luke decided to borrow my wheel as the 23 cog was not so much fun.:)

I also did get lost on another run and hyad to ask for directions. Funny this was that I took look a similar run a few days later and made a right turn instead of the left from the last time and I somehow mangaged to be in the same spot as where I got lost the last time...go figure.

 

It had been quite a while since I had competed in a 70.3 Ironman distance so I was definetly looking forward to seeing how it would turn out. It would also be interesting to see if all the short course racing I had been doing over the last few months would help.

Race morning the biggest challenge apart from having to get up at midnight California time for a 6am race start was that the swim course bouys had been blown all over the water because of the storm the night before. It also meant a very choppy swim was ahead.

Also the prospect of getting up so early almost made me wish I was a coffee drinker...No not really.:) I always find it quite amusing to watch other athletes the morning of the race frantically looking for there morning coffee fix.

The swim start was delayed a little as the life guards straightened out the course. Which just meant being nervous a little more longer.

Once the start gun finally fired I pretty much did not see anyone until the first turn around on the run as I had a pretty decent swim in the choppy waters and lead out of the water.

Once on the point to point 56mile bike I was passed by a few Pro Men early as I had past them in the swim even though they had a 2 minute head start on the women. I had "Eye of The Tiger" in my head entire bike route. I had absoluetly no idea where anyone else was during the bike.

So as I transitioned from the bike to the run I had to wait another 7 miles on the run before I knew where anyone else was. Finally I got a split as the first turn around and I had over 3 minutes and was feeling strong. The run course was a pretty tough 2 lap course which had a 7% climb each lap. Navigating the 7% climb seemed a lot easier than the pounding your quads got on the way back down.

With the steps of the Rocky movie as the back drop of the finish line I had grand thoughts of running straight through and up the stairs Rocky Balboa style but my legs had other ideas so I settled for just the finishline tape. As they say winner are grinners and I was very happy to take the victory. Desiree Flicker had a strong run to finish 2nd while Heather Jackson rounded out the podium

Top five professional women’s results are as follows:
1. Michellie Jones, 4:23:56
2. Desiree Ficker, 4:27:21
3. Heather Jackson, 4:33:39
4. Kim Loeffler, 4:36:53
5. Suzanne Zelazo, 4:40:57

A special Thanks to BrandyB's Mum Patti for looking after us all weekend.:)
 

Jones, an Ironman World Champion, dominated the women’s field today. Leading out of the swim and bike, Jones held off second place finisher, Desiree Ficker, who posted the fastest women’s run split of the day, and Heather Jackson, today’s third place female.

Top five professional women’s results are as follows:
1. Michellie Jones, 4:23:56
2. Desiree Ficker, 4:27:21
3. Heather Jackson, 4:33:39
4. Kim Loeffler, 4:36:53
5. Suzanne Zelazo, 4:40:57

2010 the start of a new decade....So I probably should begin by saying Happy New Year and Happy New Decade.
The last 10 years has flown by so fast. It is almost hard to believe all that has happened over the last 10 years.

So 2010 began for me with some intervals this morning followed by Pablo's PHIT class. I had the opportunity to yell at everyone and tell them to go harder. Pretty sure they really love me even more now. Then a spin on my bike followed by a granny nap while the TV announces blurted out all the football jargon for the Rose Bowl. Two of my neighbours are at the game cheering for the Oregon. But I have not seen them yet.

The holidays were awesome. I celebrated Christmas with some really wonderful people. Pablo cooked a wonderful dinner although I am pretty sure \everyone would be devasted if the knew exactly what ingredients were used. One of the dishes was called Heart Attack mash potatoes if you get more drift. But it was very yummy and so was all the left overs we finalled finished off today. I must have been really good as I recived lots of wonderful gifts.

Darlene and Dick(Pablo's father) or better known as the Double D's also joined our Merry Xmas.

My twin sister Gabby came over for a visit so I made sure I cracked the whip and had her training everyday she was here. As Paula asked..."here to be a Pro?". I was sad when she had to leave but maybe she wasn't so much because she did complain a few times when we were riding... I was going easy...I promise I was.:)I was nice enough to let Gabby use my Compex everyday after all the training.

Can't forget to mention the Encinitas Beer Mile. My excuse for not doing it was what would I have to look forward to when I eventually retire....Although a little birdie may tell you I was part of the Team 3 Chicks and possibily a Dude....but another little birdie could say it was Gabby...really it was.:)

New Year Eve was a little mellow which was great. I am such a party animal...NOT! 

Since I was not training I had to take full advantage of heading out to the barn and riding almost everyday. Plus I need all the practice for the horse show which took place at the beginning of December. Thanks to Massage Dave for coming to cheer and Nancy and GR from Sportsquest as well. Our best ribbon was Reserve Champion which basically means we were second and you get a bigger ribbon and a chance to parade by yourself before you leave the arena.

Thanksgiving was also during my time off from training so that was a great excuse to sign out for the local Turkey Trot. I happen to be in Connecticut visiting with Pablo's Family so it was a lot of fun racing against all the locals. I even won some money for my 2nd place finish. Of course I tried to catch the first place female but my legs were having none of that after 2 weeks off. I can not believe how out of shape I feel after only two weeks.

While we were back east we could not skip a visit to New York especially when out room mate Neels has never been. She also won her division at the Turkey trot so she came home with a nice trophy. Did I mention I beat Pablo....Heheeee.

The day after Thanksgiving I stopped by Target Training for a little chat and get together. Thanks to everyone who came you guys were a lot of fun and I loved all the questions.
 
So tomorrow after a 4 week break from training by the way time fly's when you are having fun its time to begin training for the 2010 season... Bring it ON!
Tinki all ready for Halloween.

Photo Credits Steve Toll-ISM Seat.


A big Thank You to Steve and Laura Toll for hosting us over the weekend.



 

Photo Credit Steve Toll ISM Seat
Ironman 70.3 World Championships
The DNF Monkey is off my back!

In a perfect  world my plan was to have a great race in Hawaii and finish the season. Knowing that a null racing can throw many obstacles in your path I had a back up plan to race 4 weeks later the null 70.3 world Championships if things did not unfold they way I had planned. So after a null at Mile 8 on the run and after a few days of R&R I decided to see how the body was recovering.

I decided to race the week after null at the local edition of the Women's Triathlon in San Diego. Along with 1200 other women I sprinted away all of my disappointment demons my null the week before. Plus it was also lots of fun going from racing null to a flat out sprint.

I knew I would need a lot more speed going in to the 70.3 Worlds as I had done plenty of distance so that was training focus. 

Race day could not have been more than perfect a little wind and the temperature ideal. Especially considering the area was hit with the aftermath of a down graded hurricane.

At 6.45am all my nerves disappeared as the cannon was fired. I exited the swim in the second pack and quickly got into my rhythm on the bike. Usually the Pro Men lead the way but the organizers decided to change it up and have us go first which did play a little havoc on us during the bike when the eventually caught us. Once the train of male Pro's passed me it was back to grinding out the gears.

My legs were feeling pretty good as I exited the transition in the top 10 along two other athlete's Magali and Laura. I was not quite as speedie as these two girls over the first Mile but with some patience I caught and passed Magali. At Mile 5 I was back up to Laura but so was Magali. Once again they kicked in a little more speed and bridged me once again on the run. Within a few miles I was up to 6th position and saw Laura being to fade. But she did not fade quite enough for me to make up a top 5 position. 

No complaints here for a 6th place at a World Championships. A really nice way to end the season especially after  Hawaii. The Monkey is gone!

Photo Credit Steve Toll ISM Seat
Results

1 3:59:33 103 Dibens, Julie Boulder CO GBR

2 4:03:49 4:16 101 Ellis, Mary Beth Boulder CO USA

3 4:05:27 5:54 118 Tisseyre, Magali St-Sauveur QC CAN

4 4:05:33 6:01 124 Steffen, Caroline Cham CHE

5 4:07:39 8:07 149 Bennett, Laura North Palm Beac FL USA

6 4:08:17 8:44 136 Jones, Michellie Carlsbad CA AUS

7 4:09:34 10:01 119 Groff, Sarah Colorado Spring CO USA

8 4:13:16 13:43 109 Stevens, Amanda Colorado Spring CO USA

9 4:15:04 15:31 127 Thuerig, Karin Retschwil CHE

10 4:17:57 18:25 143 Gianinni, Vanessa Campinas BRA

Wow! What a great course and the spectalors on the run were awesome. The course was a lot tougher that a lot of athletes expected. Two loops of a hilly bike followed by a rolling run added to the difficulty.

Race morning we were greeted with chilly conditions and the Lake temperature being in the 70's created a pretty specular fog. Any other race it would not have been possible to swim but this course was unique in the fact there was an unwater cable that made navigation a breeze. Althougth it took a little while for me to find it on the way back. Luckily I swim straight...well I think I do anyway. I did have a few thoughts going through my head that this could be the longest 1.2mile swim ever if I did not find the cable or land at some point.

I exited the swim in 3rd place and while I was enduring the morning crispness and my feet were pretty much number at least there were plenty of hills on the bike to warm me up a little. It took we a little while to get up to speed maybe from the cold or the slight fatigue I had in my legs from training pretty hard leading into this event. I caught one competitor and got passed by one so as I transition from the bike to the run I was still in 3rd.

I found my legs pretty quickly on the run but my feet remained numb for a few miles before they actually thawed out. My main concern apart from catching the leaders was to see how much time Pablo had pput on me during the bike as his wave started 10mins after mine. At around 8km I got to see the two leaders running side by side. Which actually spurred me on to try to pick up my pace. Then I was motivated even more when I saw Pablo at around the same point I had seen the leaders. Darn he had a great bike and made up a chunk of change on me. So now I was really motivated to push even harder.

The next chance I saw the leader was with about 3km to go and we where around the same time gap but I had definetly closed the gap on 2nd. But I did not quite get the opportunity to catch 2nd as the finishline loomed a little too quickly.

So all in all I was happy how I felt and very excited to be back on the Podium. Even though Pablo cruched me on the bike I did out swim and run him.:)

A few weeks ago I tagged along with fellow Pro Trathlete Luke Bell and his wife Lucy to Cedar City, Utah for a training camp at Altitude. We were lucky enough to stay at Paula Newby-Fraser and Paul Huddle's wonderful very spectular home above the city of Cedar City.

Cedar City sits at 6000ft while the P's home was 8000ft and we got to climb up over 10,000ft. Yes, there is not as much oxygen compared to sea level just in case anyone out there wants to know.

Our first run we were given verbal instruction on how to find a nice 40mins loop. Apart from the face we were running at 8000ft plus we found a trail but definetly not he one we were suppose to be on. My heart was beating so loud as Luke and I climbed up this very rocky and steep section. Although going up it was extremely hard I was hoping we were not going to be going back down the same way. But luckily we found the road at the top of the trail so having gone throught that fleeting moment of "oh my god we are lost" to thank goodness we don't have to back track.

One of our rides was just as memorable..it started off nice and early with a 60mins ride to the base of a 12mile mile climb. No problem it's only 12miles and I have a 25 cog on my rear wheel and Luke had a 23. An hour and half later wishing I had an even easier gear I made it to the top and well worth it as the view of the red rock canyons was amazing. I did find out later that the following week after I had left Luke decided to borrow my wheel as the 23 cog was not so much fun.:)

I also did get lost on another run and hyad to ask for directions. Funny this was that I took look a similar run a few days later and made a right turn instead of the left from the last time and I somehow mangaged to be in the same spot as where I got lost the last time...go figure.

 

It had been quite a while since I had competed in a 70.3 Ironman distance so I was definetly looking forward to seeing how it would turn out. It would also be interesting to see if all the short course racing I had been doing over the last few months would help.

Race morning the biggest challenge apart from having to get up at midnight California time for a 6am race start was that the swim course bouys had been blown all over the water because of the storm the night before. It also meant a very choppy swim was ahead.

Also the prospect of getting up so early almost made me wish I was a coffee drinker...No not really.:) I always find it quite amusing to watch other athletes the morning of the race frantically looking for there morning coffee fix.

The swim start was delayed a little as the life guards straightened out the course. Which just meant being nervous a little more longer.

Once the start gun finally fired I pretty much did not see anyone until the first turn around on the run as I had a pretty decent swim in the choppy waters and lead out of the water.

Once on the point to point 56mile bike I was passed by a few Pro Men early as I had past them in the swim even though they had a 2 minute head start on the women. I had "Eye of The Tiger" in my head entire bike route. I had absoluetly no idea where anyone else was during the bike.

So as I transitioned from the bike to the run I had to wait another 7 miles on the run before I knew where anyone else was. Finally I got a split as the first turn around and I had over 3 minutes and was feeling strong. The run course was a pretty tough 2 lap course which had a 7% climb each lap. Navigating the 7% climb seemed a lot easier than the pounding your quads got on the way back down.

With the steps of the Rocky movie as the back drop of the finish line I had grand thoughts of running straight through and up the stairs Rocky Balboa style but my legs had other ideas so I settled for just the finishline tape. As they say winner are grinners and I was very happy to take the victory. Desiree Flicker had a strong run to finish 2nd while Heather Jackson rounded out the podium

Top five professional women’s results are as follows:
1. Michellie Jones, 4:23:56
2. Desiree Ficker, 4:27:21
3. Heather Jackson, 4:33:39
4. Kim Loeffler, 4:36:53
5. Suzanne Zelazo, 4:40:57

A special Thanks to BrandyB's Mum Patti for looking after us all weekend.:)
 

Jones, an Ironman World Champion, dominated the women’s field today. Leading out of the swim and bike, Jones held off second place finisher, Desiree Ficker, who posted the fastest women’s run split of the day, and Heather Jackson, today’s third place female.

Top five professional women’s results are as follows:
1. Michellie Jones, 4:23:56
2. Desiree Ficker, 4:27:21
3. Heather Jackson, 4:33:39
4. Kim Loeffler, 4:36:53
5. Suzanne Zelazo, 4:40:57

2010 the start of a new decade....So I probably should begin by saying Happy New Year and Happy New Decade.
The last 10 years has flown by so fast. It is almost hard to believe all that has happened over the last 10 years.

So 2010 began for me with some intervals this morning followed by Pablo's PHIT class. I had the opportunity to yell at everyone and tell them to go harder. Pretty sure they really love me even more now. Then a spin on my bike followed by a granny nap while the TV announces blurted out all the football jargon for the Rose Bowl. Two of my neighbours are at the game cheering for the Oregon. But I have not seen them yet.

The holidays were awesome. I celebrated Christmas with some really wonderful people. Pablo cooked a wonderful dinner although I am pretty sure \everyone would be devasted if the knew exactly what ingredients were used. One of the dishes was called Heart Attack mash potatoes if you get more drift. But it was very yummy and so was all the left overs we finalled finished off today. I must have been really good as I recived lots of wonderful gifts.

Darlene and Dick(Pablo's father) or better known as the Double D's also joined our Merry Xmas.

My twin sister Gabby came over for a visit so I made sure I cracked the whip and had her training everyday she was here. As Paula asked..."here to be a Pro?". I was sad when she had to leave but maybe she wasn't so much because she did complain a few times when we were riding... I was going easy...I promise I was.:)I was nice enough to let Gabby use my Compex everyday after all the training.

Can't forget to mention the Encinitas Beer Mile. My excuse for not doing it was what would I have to look forward to when I eventually retire....Although a little birdie may tell you I was part of the Team 3 Chicks and possibily a Dude....but another little birdie could say it was Gabby...really it was.:)

New Year Eve was a little mellow which was great. I am such a party animal...NOT! 

Since I was not training I had to take full advantage of heading out to the barn and riding almost everyday. Plus I need all the practice for the horse show which took place at the beginning of December. Thanks to Massage Dave for coming to cheer and Nancy and GR from Sportsquest as well. Our best ribbon was Reserve Champion which basically means we were second and you get a bigger ribbon and a chance to parade by yourself before you leave the arena.

Thanksgiving was also during my time off from training so that was a great excuse to sign out for the local Turkey Trot. I happen to be in Connecticut visiting with Pablo's Family so it was a lot of fun racing against all the locals. I even won some money for my 2nd place finish. Of course I tried to catch the first place female but my legs were having none of that after 2 weeks off. I can not believe how out of shape I feel after only two weeks.

While we were back east we could not skip a visit to New York especially when out room mate Neels has never been. She also won her division at the Turkey trot so she came home with a nice trophy. Did I mention I beat Pablo....Heheeee.

The day after Thanksgiving I stopped by Target Training for a little chat and get together. Thanks to everyone who came you guys were a lot of fun and I loved all the questions.
 
So tomorrow after a 4 week break from training by the way time fly's when you are having fun its time to begin training for the 2010 season... Bring it ON!
Tinki all ready for Halloween.

Photo Credits Steve Toll-ISM Seat.


A big Thank You to Steve and Laura Toll for hosting us over the weekend.



 

Photo Credit Steve Toll ISM Seat
Ironman 70.3 World Championships
The DNF Monkey is off my back!

In a perfect  world my plan was to have a great race in Hawaii and finish the season. Knowing that a null racing can throw many obstacles in your path I had a back up plan to race 4 weeks later the null 70.3 world Championships if things did not unfold they way I had planned. So after a null at Mile 8 on the run and after a few days of R&R I decided to see how the body was recovering.

I decided to race the week after null at the local edition of the Women's Triathlon in San Diego. Along with 1200 other women I sprinted away all of my disappointment demons my null the week before. Plus it was also lots of fun going from racing null to a flat out sprint.

I knew I would need a lot more speed going in to the 70.3 Worlds as I had done plenty of distance so that was training focus. 

Race day could not have been more than perfect a little wind and the temperature ideal. Especially considering the area was hit with the aftermath of a down graded hurricane.

At 6.45am all my nerves disappeared as the cannon was fired. I exited the swim in the second pack and quickly got into my rhythm on the bike. Usually the Pro Men lead the way but the organizers decided to change it up and have us go first which did play a little havoc on us during the bike when the eventually caught us. Once the train of male Pro's passed me it was back to grinding out the gears.

My legs were feeling pretty good as I exited the transition in the top 10 along two other athlete's Magali and Laura. I was not quite as speedie as these two girls over the first Mile but with some patience I caught and passed Magali. At Mile 5 I was back up to Laura but so was Magali. Once again they kicked in a little more speed and bridged me once again on the run. Within a few miles I was up to 6th position and saw Laura being to fade. But she did not fade quite enough for me to make up a top 5 position. 

No complaints here for a 6th place at a World Championships. A really nice way to end the season especially after  Hawaii. The Monkey is gone!

Photo Credit Steve Toll ISM Seat
Results

1 3:59:33 103 Dibens, Julie Boulder CO GBR

2 4:03:49 4:16 101 Ellis, Mary Beth Boulder CO USA

3 4:05:27 5:54 118 Tisseyre, Magali St-Sauveur QC CAN

4 4:05:33 6:01 124 Steffen, Caroline Cham CHE

5 4:07:39 8:07 149 Bennett, Laura North Palm Beac FL USA

6 4:08:17 8:44 136 Jones, Michellie Carlsbad CA AUS

7 4:09:34 10:01 119 Groff, Sarah Colorado Spring CO USA

8 4:13:16 13:43 109 Stevens, Amanda Colorado Spring CO USA

9 4:15:04 15:31 127 Thuerig, Karin Retschwil CHE

10 4:17:57 18:25 143 Gianinni, Vanessa Campinas BRA

Wow! What a great course and the spectalors on the run were awesome. The course was a lot tougher that a lot of athletes expected. Two loops of a hilly bike followed by a rolling run added to the difficulty.

Race morning we were greeted with chilly conditions and the Lake temperature being in the 70's created a pretty specular fog. Any other race it would not have been possible to swim but this course was unique in the fact there was an unwater cable that made navigation a breeze. Althougth it took a little while for me to find it on the way back. Luckily I swim straight...well I think I do anyway. I did have a few thoughts going through my head that this could be the longest 1.2mile swim ever if I did not find the cable or land at some point.

I exited the swim in 3rd place and while I was enduring the morning crispness and my feet were pretty much number at least there were plenty of hills on the bike to warm me up a little. It took we a little while to get up to speed maybe from the cold or the slight fatigue I had in my legs from training pretty hard leading into this event. I caught one competitor and got passed by one so as I transition from the bike to the run I was still in 3rd.

I found my legs pretty quickly on the run but my feet remained numb for a few miles before they actually thawed out. My main concern apart from catching the leaders was to see how much time Pablo had pput on me during the bike as his wave started 10mins after mine. At around 8km I got to see the two leaders running side by side. Which actually spurred me on to try to pick up my pace. Then I was motivated even more when I saw Pablo at around the same point I had seen the leaders. Darn he had a great bike and made up a chunk of change on me. So now I was really motivated to push even harder.

The next chance I saw the leader was with about 3km to go and we where around the same time gap but I had definetly closed the gap on 2nd. But I did not quite get the opportunity to catch 2nd as the finishline loomed a little too quickly.

So all in all I was happy how I felt and very excited to be back on the Podium. Even though Pablo cruched me on the bike I did out swim and run him.:)

A few weeks ago I tagged along with fellow Pro Trathlete Luke Bell and his wife Lucy to Cedar City, Utah for a training camp at Altitude. We were lucky enough to stay at Paula Newby-Fraser and Paul Huddle's wonderful very spectular home above the city of Cedar City.

Cedar City sits at 6000ft while the P's home was 8000ft and we got to climb up over 10,000ft. Yes, there is not as much oxygen compared to sea level just in case anyone out there wants to know.

Our first run we were given verbal instruction on how to find a nice 40mins loop. Apart from the face we were running at 8000ft plus we found a trail but definetly not he one we were suppose to be on. My heart was beating so loud as Luke and I climbed up this very rocky and steep section. Although going up it was extremely hard I was hoping we were not going to be going back down the same way. But luckily we found the road at the top of the trail so having gone throught that fleeting moment of "oh my god we are lost" to thank goodness we don't have to back track.

One of our rides was just as memorable..it started off nice and early with a 60mins ride to the base of a 12mile mile climb. No problem it's only 12miles and I have a 25 cog on my rear wheel and Luke had a 23. An hour and half later wishing I had an even easier gear I made it to the top and well worth it as the view of the red rock canyons was amazing. I did find out later that the following week after I had left Luke decided to borrow my wheel as the 23 cog was not so much fun.:)

I also did get lost on another run and hyad to ask for directions. Funny this was that I took look a similar run a few days later and made a right turn instead of the left from the last time and I somehow mangaged to be in the same spot as where I got lost the last time...go figure.

 

It had been quite a while since I had competed in a 70.3 Ironman distance so I was definetly looking forward to seeing how it would turn out. It would also be interesting to see if all the short course racing I had been doing over the last few months would help.

Race morning the biggest challenge apart from having to get up at midnight California time for a 6am race start was that the swim course bouys had been blown all over the water because of the storm the night before. It also meant a very choppy swim was ahead.

Also the prospect of getting up so early almost made me wish I was a coffee drinker...No not really.:) I always find it quite amusing to watch other athletes the morning of the race frantically looking for there morning coffee fix.

The swim start was delayed a little as the life guards straightened out the course. Which just meant being nervous a little more longer.

Once the start gun finally fired I pretty much did not see anyone until the first turn around on the run as I had a pretty decent swim in the choppy waters and lead out of the water.

Once on the point to point 56mile bike I was passed by a few Pro Men early as I had past them in the swim even though they had a 2 minute head start on the women. I had "Eye of The Tiger" in my head entire bike route. I had absoluetly no idea where anyone else was during the bike.

So as I transitioned from the bike to the run I had to wait another 7 miles on the run before I knew where anyone else was. Finally I got a split as the first turn around and I had over 3 minutes and was feeling strong. The run course was a pretty tough 2 lap course which had a 7% climb each lap. Navigating the 7% climb seemed a lot easier than the pounding your quads got on the way back down.

With the steps of the Rocky movie as the back drop of the finish line I had grand thoughts of running straight through and up the stairs Rocky Balboa style but my legs had other ideas so I settled for just the finishline tape. As they say winner are grinners and I was very happy to take the victory. Desiree Flicker had a strong run to finish 2nd while Heather Jackson rounded out the podium

Top five professional women’s results are as follows:
1. Michellie Jones, 4:23:56
2. Desiree Ficker, 4:27:21
3. Heather Jackson, 4:33:39
4. Kim Loeffler, 4:36:53
5. Suzanne Zelazo, 4:40:57

A special Thanks to BrandyB's Mum Patti for looking after us all weekend.:)
 

Jones, an Ironman World Champion, dominated the women’s field today. Leading out of the swim and bike, Jones held off second place finisher, Desiree Ficker, who posted the fastest women’s run split of the day, and Heather Jackson, today’s third place female.

Top five professional women’s results are as follows:
1. Michellie Jones, 4:23:56
2. Desiree Ficker, 4:27:21
3. Heather Jackson, 4:33:39
4. Kim Loeffler, 4:36:53
5. Suzanne Zelazo, 4:40:57

2010 the start of a new decade....So I probably should begin by saying Happy New Year and Happy New Decade.
The last 10 years has flown by so fast. It is almost hard to believe all that has happened over the last 10 years.

So 2010 began for me with some intervals this morning followed by Pablo's PHIT class. I had the opportunity to yell at everyone and tell them to go harder. Pretty sure they really love me even more now. Then a spin on my bike followed by a granny nap while the TV announces blurted out all the football jargon for the Rose Bowl. Two of my neighbours are at the game cheering for the Oregon. But I have not seen them yet.

The holidays were awesome. I celebrated Christmas with some really wonderful people. Pablo cooked a wonderful dinner although I am pretty sure \everyone would be devasted if the knew exactly what ingredients were used. One of the dishes was called Heart Attack mash potatoes if you get more drift. But it was very yummy and so was all the left overs we finalled finished off today. I must have been really good as I recived lots of wonderful gifts.

Darlene and Dick(Pablo's father) or better known as the Double D's also joined our Merry Xmas.

My twin sister Gabby came over for a visit so I made sure I cracked the whip and had her training everyday she was here. As Paula asked..."here to be a Pro?". I was sad when she had to leave but maybe she wasn't so much because she did complain a few times when we were riding... I was going easy...I promise I was.:)I was nice enough to let Gabby use my Compex everyday after all the training.

Can't forget to mention the Encinitas Beer Mile. My excuse for not doing it was what would I have to look forward to when I eventually retire....Although a little birdie may tell you I was part of the Team 3 Chicks and possibily a Dude....but another little birdie could say it was Gabby...really it was.:)

New Year Eve was a little mellow which was great. I am such a party animal...NOT! 

Since I was not training I had to take full advantage of heading out to the barn and riding almost everyday. Plus I need all the practice for the horse show which took place at the beginning of December. Thanks to Massage Dave for coming to cheer and Nancy and GR from Sportsquest as well. Our best ribbon was Reserve Champion which basically means we were second and you get a bigger ribbon and a chance to parade by yourself before you leave the arena.

Thanksgiving was also during my time off from training so that was a great excuse to sign out for the local Turkey Trot. I happen to be in Connecticut visiting with Pablo's Family so it was a lot of fun racing against all the locals. I even won some money for my 2nd place finish. Of course I tried to catch the first place female but my legs were having none of that after 2 weeks off. I can not believe how out of shape I feel after only two weeks.

While we were back east we could not skip a visit to New York especially when out room mate Neels has never been. She also won her division at the Turkey trot so she came home with a nice trophy. Did I mention I beat Pablo....Heheeee.

The day after Thanksgiving I stopped by Target Training for a little chat and get together. Thanks to everyone who came you guys were a lot of fun and I loved all the questions.
 
So tomorrow after a 4 week break from training by the way time fly's when you are having fun its time to begin training for the 2010 season... Bring it ON!
Tinki all ready for Halloween.

Photo Credits Steve Toll-ISM Seat.


A big Thank You to Steve and Laura Toll for hosting us over the weekend.



 

Photo Credit Steve Toll ISM Seat
Ironman 70.3 World Championships
The DNF Monkey is off my back!

In a perfect  world my plan was to have a great race in Hawaii and finish the season. Knowing that a null racing can throw many obstacles in your path I had a back up plan to race 4 weeks later the null 70.3 world Championships if things did not unfold they way I had planned. So after a null at Mile 8 on the run and after a few days of R&R I decided to see how the body was recovering.

I decided to race the week after null at the local edition of the Women's Triathlon in San Diego. Along with 1200 other women I sprinted away all of my disappointment demons my null the week before. Plus it was also lots of fun going from racing null to a flat out sprint.

I knew I would need a lot more speed going in to the 70.3 Worlds as I had done plenty of distance so that was training focus. 

Race day could not have been more than perfect a little wind and the temperature ideal. Especially considering the area was hit with the aftermath of a down graded hurricane.

At 6.45am all my nerves disappeared as the cannon was fired. I exited the swim in the second pack and quickly got into my rhythm on the bike. Usually the Pro Men lead the way but the organizers decided to change it up and have us go first which did play a little havoc on us during the bike when the eventually caught us. Once the train of male Pro's passed me it was back to grinding out the gears.

My legs were feeling pretty good as I exited the transition in the top 10 along two other athlete's Magali and Laura. I was not quite as speedie as these two girls over the first Mile but with some patience I caught and passed Magali. At Mile 5 I was back up to Laura but so was Magali. Once again they kicked in a little more speed and bridged me once again on the run. Within a few miles I was up to 6th position and saw Laura being to fade. But she did not fade quite enough for me to make up a top 5 position. 

No complaints here for a 6th place at a World Championships. A really nice way to end the season especially after  Hawaii. The Monkey is gone!

Photo Credit Steve Toll ISM Seat
Results

1 3:59:33 103 Dibens, Julie Boulder CO GBR

2 4:03:49 4:16 101 Ellis, Mary Beth Boulder CO USA

3 4:05:27 5:54 118 Tisseyre, Magali St-Sauveur QC CAN

4 4:05:33 6:01 124 Steffen, Caroline Cham CHE

5 4:07:39 8:07 149 Bennett, Laura North Palm Beac FL USA

6 4:08:17 8:44 136 Jones, Michellie Carlsbad CA AUS

7 4:09:34 10:01 119 Groff, Sarah Colorado Spring CO USA

8 4:13:16 13:43 109 Stevens, Amanda Colorado Spring CO USA

9 4:15:04 15:31 127 Thuerig, Karin Retschwil CHE

10 4:17:57 18:25 143 Gianinni, Vanessa Campinas BRA

Wow! What a great course and the spectalors on the run were awesome. The course was a lot tougher that a lot of athletes expected. Two loops of a hilly bike followed by a rolling run added to the difficulty.

Race morning we were greeted with chilly conditions and the Lake temperature being in the 70's created a pretty specular fog. Any other race it would not have been possible to swim but this course was unique in the fact there was an unwater cable that made navigation a breeze. Althougth it took a little while for me to find it on the way back. Luckily I swim straight...well I think I do anyway. I did have a few thoughts going through my head that this could be the longest 1.2mile swim ever if I did not find the cable or land at some point.

I exited the swim in 3rd place and while I was enduring the morning crispness and my feet were pretty much number at least there were plenty of hills on the bike to warm me up a little. It took we a little while to get up to speed maybe from the cold or the slight fatigue I had in my legs from training pretty hard leading into this event. I caught one competitor and got passed by one so as I transition from the bike to the run I was still in 3rd.

I found my legs pretty quickly on the run but my feet remained numb for a few miles before they actually thawed out. My main concern apart from catching the leaders was to see how much time Pablo had pput on me during the bike as his wave started 10mins after mine. At around 8km I got to see the two leaders running side by side. Which actually spurred me on to try to pick up my pace. Then I was motivated even more when I saw Pablo at around the same point I had seen the leaders. Darn he had a great bike and made up a chunk of change on me. So now I was really motivated to push even harder.

The next chance I saw the leader was with about 3km to go and we where around the same time gap but I had definetly closed the gap on 2nd. But I did not quite get the opportunity to catch 2nd as the finishline loomed a little too quickly.

So all in all I was happy how I felt and very excited to be back on the Podium. Even though Pablo cruched me on the bike I did out swim and run him.:)

A few weeks ago I tagged along with fellow Pro Trathlete Luke Bell and his wife Lucy to Cedar City, Utah for a training camp at Altitude. We were lucky enough to stay at Paula Newby-Fraser and Paul Huddle's wonderful very spectular home above the city of Cedar City.

Cedar City sits at 6000ft while the P's home was 8000ft and we got to climb up over 10,000ft. Yes, there is not as much oxygen compared to sea level just in case anyone out there wants to know.

Our first run we were given verbal instruction on how to find a nice 40mins loop. Apart from the face we were running at 8000ft plus we found a trail but definetly not he one we were suppose to be on. My heart was beating so loud as Luke and I climbed up this very rocky and steep section. Although going up it was extremely hard I was hoping we were not going to be going back down the same way. But luckily we found the road at the top of the trail so having gone throught that fleeting moment of "oh my god we are lost" to thank goodness we don't have to back track.

One of our rides was just as memorable..it started off nice and early with a 60mins ride to the base of a 12mile mile climb. No problem it's only 12miles and I have a 25 cog on my rear wheel and Luke had a 23. An hour and half later wishing I had an even easier gear I made it to the top and well worth it as the view of the red rock canyons was amazing. I did find out later that the following week after I had left Luke decided to borrow my wheel as the 23 cog was not so much fun.:)

I also did get lost on another run and hyad to ask for directions. Funny this was that I took look a similar run a few days later and made a right turn instead of the left from the last time and I somehow mangaged to be in the same spot as where I got lost the last time...go figure.

 

It had been quite a while since I had competed in a 70.3 Ironman distance so I was definetly looking forward to seeing how it would turn out. It would also be interesting to see if all the short course racing I had been doing over the last few months would help.

Race morning the biggest challenge apart from having to get up at midnight California time for a 6am race start was that the swim course bouys had been blown all over the water because of the storm the night before. It also meant a very choppy swim was ahead.

Also the prospect of getting up so early almost made me wish I was a coffee drinker...No not really.:) I always find it quite amusing to watch other athletes the morning of the race frantically looking for there morning coffee fix.

The swim start was delayed a little as the life guards straightened out the course. Which just meant being nervous a little more longer.

Once the start gun finally fired I pretty much did not see anyone until the first turn around on the run as I had a pretty decent swim in the choppy waters and lead out of the water.

Once on the point to point 56mile bike I was passed by a few Pro Men early as I had past them in the swim even though they had a 2 minute head start on the women. I had "Eye of The Tiger" in my head entire bike route. I had absoluetly no idea where anyone else was during the bike.

So as I transitioned from the bike to the run I had to wait another 7 miles on the run before I knew where anyone else was. Finally I got a split as the first turn around and I had over 3 minutes and was feeling strong. The run course was a pretty tough 2 lap course which had a 7% climb each lap. Navigating the 7% climb seemed a lot easier than the pounding your quads got on the way back down.

With the steps of the Rocky movie as the back drop of the finish line I had grand thoughts of running straight through and up the stairs Rocky Balboa style but my legs had other ideas so I settled for just the finishline tape. As they say winner are grinners and I was very happy to take the victory. Desiree Flicker had a strong run to finish 2nd while Heather Jackson rounded out the podium

Top five professional women’s results are as follows:
1. Michellie Jones, 4:23:56
2. Desiree Ficker, 4:27:21
3. Heather Jackson, 4:33:39
4. Kim Loeffler, 4:36:53
5. Suzanne Zelazo, 4:40:57

A special Thanks to BrandyB's Mum Patti for looking after us all weekend.:)
 

Jones, an Ironman World Champion, dominated the women’s field today. Leading out of the swim and bike, Jones held off second place finisher, Desiree Ficker, who posted the fastest women’s run split of the day, and Heather Jackson, today’s third place female.

Top five professional women’s results are as follows:
1. Michellie Jones, 4:23:56
2. Desiree Ficker, 4:27:21
3. Heather Jackson, 4:33:39
4. Kim Loeffler, 4:36:53
5. Suzanne Zelazo, 4:40:57

2010 the start of a new decade....So I probably should begin by saying Happy New Year and Happy New Decade.
The last 10 years has flown by so fast. It is almost hard to believe all that has happened over the last 10 years.

So 2010 began for me with some intervals this morning followed by Pablo's PHIT class. I had the opportunity to yell at everyone and tell them to go harder. Pretty sure they really love me even more now. Then a spin on my bike followed by a granny nap while the TV announces blurted out all the football jargon for the Rose Bowl. Two of my neighbours are at the game cheering for the Oregon. But I have not seen them yet.

The holidays were awesome. I celebrated Christmas with some really wonderful people. Pablo cooked a wonderful dinner although I am pretty sure \everyone would be devasted if the knew exactly what ingredients were used. One of the dishes was called Heart Attack mash potatoes if you get more drift. But it was very yummy and so was all the left overs we finalled finished off today. I must have been really good as I recived lots of wonderful gifts.

Darlene and Dick(Pablo's father) or better known as the Double D's also joined our Merry Xmas.

My twin sister Gabby came over for a visit so I made sure I cracked the whip and had her training everyday she was here. As Paula asked..."here to be a Pro?". I was sad when she had to leave but maybe she wasn't so much because she did complain a few times when we were riding... I was going easy...I promise I was.:)I was nice enough to let Gabby use my Compex everyday after all the training.

Can't forget to mention the Encinitas Beer Mile. My excuse for not doing it was what would I have to look forward to when I eventually retire....Although a little birdie may tell you I was part of the Team 3 Chicks and possibily a Dude....but another little birdie could say it was Gabby...really it was.:)

New Year Eve was a little mellow which was great. I am such a party animal...NOT! 

Since I was not training I had to take full advantage of heading out to the barn and riding almost everyday. Plus I need all the practice for the horse show which took place at the beginning of December. Thanks to Massage Dave for coming to cheer and Nancy and GR from Sportsquest as well. Our best ribbon was Reserve Champion which basically means we were second and you get a bigger ribbon and a chance to parade by yourself before you leave the arena.

Thanksgiving was also during my time off from training so that was a great excuse to sign out for the local Turkey Trot. I happen to be in Connecticut visiting with Pablo's Family so it was a lot of fun racing against all the locals. I even won some money for my 2nd place finish. Of course I tried to catch the first place female but my legs were having none of that after 2 weeks off. I can not believe how out of shape I feel after only two weeks.

While we were back east we could not skip a visit to New York especially when out room mate Neels has never been. She also won her division at the Turkey trot so she came home with a nice trophy. Did I mention I beat Pablo....Heheeee.

The day after Thanksgiving I stopped by Target Training for a little chat and get together. Thanks to everyone who came you guys were a lot of fun and I loved all the questions.
 
So tomorrow after a 4 week break from training by the way time fly's when you are having fun its time to begin training for the 2010 season... Bring it ON!
Tinki all ready for Halloween.

Photo Credits Steve Toll-ISM Seat.


A big Thank You to Steve and Laura Toll for hosting us over the weekend.



 

Photo Credit Steve Toll ISM Seat
Ironman 70.3 World Championships
The DNF Monkey is off my back!

In a perfect  world my plan was to have a great race in Hawaii and finish the season. Knowing that a null racing can throw many obstacles in your path I had a back up plan to race 4 weeks later the null 70.3 world Championships if things did not unfold they way I had planned. So after a null at Mile 8 on the run and after a few days of R&R I decided to see how the body was recovering.

I decided to race the week after null at the local edition of the Women's Triathlon in San Diego. Along with 1200 other women I sprinted away all of my disappointment demons my null the week before. Plus it was also lots of fun going from racing null to a flat out sprint.

I knew I would need a lot more speed going in to the 70.3 Worlds as I had done plenty of distance so that was training focus. 

Race day could not have been more than perfect a little wind and the temperature ideal. Especially considering the area was hit with the aftermath of a down graded hurricane.

At 6.45am all my nerves disappeared as the cannon was fired. I exited the swim in the second pack and quickly got into my rhythm on the bike. Usually the Pro Men lead the way but the organizers decided to change it up and have us go first which did play a little havoc on us during the bike when the eventually caught us. Once the train of male Pro's passed me it was back to grinding out the gears.

My legs were feeling pretty good as I exited the transition in the top 10 along two other athlete's Magali and Laura. I was not quite as speedie as these two girls over the first Mile but with some patience I caught and passed Magali. At Mile 5 I was back up to Laura but so was Magali. Once again they kicked in a little more speed and bridged me once again on the run. Within a few miles I was up to 6th position and saw Laura being to fade. But she did not fade quite enough for me to make up a top 5 position. 

No complaints here for a 6th place at a World Championships. A really nice way to end the season especially after  Hawaii. The Monkey is gone!

Photo Credit Steve Toll ISM Seat
Results

1 3:59:33 103 Dibens, Julie Boulder CO GBR

2 4:03:49 4:16 101 Ellis, Mary Beth Boulder CO USA

3 4:05:27 5:54 118 Tisseyre, Magali St-Sauveur QC CAN

4 4:05:33 6:01 124 Steffen, Caroline Cham CHE

5 4:07:39 8:07 149 Bennett, Laura North Palm Beac FL USA

6 4:08:17 8:44 136 Jones, Michellie Carlsbad CA AUS

7 4:09:34 10:01 119 Groff, Sarah Colorado Spring CO USA

8 4:13:16 13:43 109 Stevens, Amanda Colorado Spring CO USA

9 4:15:04 15:31 127 Thuerig, Karin Retschwil CHE

10 4:17:57 18:25 143 Gianinni, Vanessa Campinas BRA

Wow! What a great course and the spectalors on the run were awesome. The course was a lot tougher that a lot of athletes expected. Two loops of a hilly bike followed by a rolling run added to the difficulty.

Race morning we were greeted with chilly conditions and the Lake temperature being in the 70's created a pretty specular fog. Any other race it would not have been possible to swim but this course was unique in the fact there was an unwater cable that made navigation a breeze. Althougth it took a little while for me to find it on the way back. Luckily I swim straight...well I think I do anyway. I did have a few thoughts going through my head that this could be the longest 1.2mile swim ever if I did not find the cable or land at some point.

I exited the swim in 3rd place and while I was enduring the morning crispness and my feet were pretty much number at least there were plenty of hills on the bike to warm me up a little. It took we a little while to get up to speed maybe from the cold or the slight fatigue I had in my legs from training pretty hard leading into this event. I caught one competitor and got passed by one so as I transition from the bike to the run I was still in 3rd.

I found my legs pretty quickly on the run but my feet remained numb for a few miles before they actually thawed out. My main concern apart from catching the leaders was to see how much time Pablo had pput on me during the bike as his wave started 10mins after mine. At around 8km I got to see the two leaders running side by side. Which actually spurred me on to try to pick up my pace. Then I was motivated even more when I saw Pablo at around the same point I had seen the leaders. Darn he had a great bike and made up a chunk of change on me. So now I was really motivated to push even harder.

The next chance I saw the leader was with about 3km to go and we where around the same time gap but I had definetly closed the gap on 2nd. But I did not quite get the opportunity to catch 2nd as the finishline loomed a little too quickly.

So all in all I was happy how I felt and very excited to be back on the Podium. Even though Pablo cruched me on the bike I did out swim and run him.:)

A few weeks ago I tagged along with fellow Pro Trathlete Luke Bell and his wife Lucy to Cedar City, Utah for a training camp at Altitude. We were lucky enough to stay at Paula Newby-Fraser and Paul Huddle's wonderful very spectular home above the city of Cedar City.

Cedar City sits at 6000ft while the P's home was 8000ft and we got to climb up over 10,000ft. Yes, there is not as much oxygen compared to sea level just in case anyone out there wants to know.

Our first run we were given verbal instruction on how to find a nice 40mins loop. Apart from the face we were running at 8000ft plus we found a trail but definetly not he one we were suppose to be on. My heart was beating so loud as Luke and I climbed up this very rocky and steep section. Although going up it was extremely hard I was hoping we were not going to be going back down the same way. But luckily we found the road at the top of the trail so having gone throught that fleeting moment of "oh my god we are lost" to thank goodness we don't have to back track.

One of our rides was just as memorable..it started off nice and early with a 60mins ride to the base of a 12mile mile climb. No problem it's only 12miles and I have a 25 cog on my rear wheel and Luke had a 23. An hour and half later wishing I had an even easier gear I made it to the top and well worth it as the view of the red rock canyons was amazing. I did find out later that the following week after I had left Luke decided to borrow my wheel as the 23 cog was not so much fun.:)

I also did get lost on another run and hyad to ask for directions. Funny this was that I took look a similar run a few days later and made a right turn instead of the left from the last time and I somehow mangaged to be in the same spot as where I got lost the last time...go figure.

 

It had been quite a while since I had competed in a 70.3 Ironman distance so I was definetly looking forward to seeing how it would turn out. It would also be interesting to see if all the short course racing I had been doing over the last few months would help.

Race morning the biggest challenge apart from having to get up at midnight California time for a 6am race start was that the swim course bouys had been blown all over the water because of the storm the night before. It also meant a very choppy swim was ahead.

Also the prospect of getting up so early almost made me wish I was a coffee drinker...No not really.:) I always find it quite amusing to watch other athletes the morning of the race frantically looking for there morning coffee fix.

The swim start was delayed a little as the life guards straightened out the course. Which just meant being nervous a little more longer.

Once the start gun finally fired I pretty much did not see anyone until the first turn around on the run as I had a pretty decent swim in the choppy waters and lead out of the water.

Once on the point to point 56mile bike I was passed by a few Pro Men early as I had past them in the swim even though they had a 2 minute head start on the women. I had "Eye of The Tiger" in my head entire bike route. I had absoluetly no idea where anyone else was during the bike.

So as I transitioned from the bike to the run I had to wait another 7 miles on the run before I knew where anyone else was. Finally I got a split as the first turn around and I had over 3 minutes and was feeling strong. The run course was a pretty tough 2 lap course which had a 7% climb each lap. Navigating the 7% climb seemed a lot easier than the pounding your quads got on the way back down.

With the steps of the Rocky movie as the back drop of the finish line I had grand thoughts of running straight through and up the stairs Rocky Balboa style but my legs had other ideas so I settled for just the finishline tape. As they say winner are grinners and I was very happy to take the victory. Desiree Flicker had a strong run to finish 2nd while Heather Jackson rounded out the podium

Top five professional women’s results are as follows:
1. Michellie Jones, 4:23:56
2. Desiree Ficker, 4:27:21
3. Heather Jackson, 4:33:39
4. Kim Loeffler, 4:36:53
5. Suzanne Zelazo, 4:40:57

A special Thanks to BrandyB's Mum Patti for looking after us all weekend.:)
 

Jones, an Ironman World Champion, dominated the women’s field today. Leading out of the swim and bike, Jones held off second place finisher, Desiree Ficker, who posted the fastest women’s run split of the day, and Heather Jackson, today’s third place female.

Top five professional women’s results are as follows:
1. Michellie Jones, 4:23:56
2. Desiree Ficker, 4:27:21
3. Heather Jackson, 4:33:39
4. Kim Loeffler, 4:36:53
5. Suzanne Zelazo, 4:40:57