....for all further updates. Goto to www.lisamensink.com. I'll be posting recent races/updates on that site from now on. Special thanks to Adam at Rev 3 and Trakkers for setting up the new site for me!!
Cheers,
Lisa
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Tour de Europa Stop #3
Race # 3: Hamburg World Champs Series. By far the most competitive race that I've been in this year. The swim was interesting, got stuck in the battle, got covered in green (the algae was rampant in the 26 degree water!), came out farther back than I should (coach so not happy with this!). Didn't panic, hammered on the bike , suffered real bad the first couple laps, we caught the leaders, I found my biking legs and moved my way to the front of the pack, so much nicer through the corners. Good T2, came out in the front of the race again, hamstrings and back not happy with me, lost contact with the lead runners, felt better the back half of the run, finished off in 17th place, a solid day in a strong field. Still a little frustrated since I know I can swim & run better than that!
Also check this out: I'm currently ranked #1 for the ITU World Champs Series Best Cyclist Ranking!! There is some extra prize $ up for grabs at the end of the season if I stay in the top 3!
Couple pics from Coach Bjoern who, with wife Stephanie were shouting at me the whole race:
Now back in the south of Holland. Road all the way to Germany today (boarder is only 5km away). Feeling pretty good today. London on Thursday. Race on Saturday. Again check out: www.triathlon.org/tv for coverage.
Below: A modern windmill overshadowing a classic one on the right:
One last thing: Check out my new website: http://www.lisamensink.com/. I'll be posting my blogs from there from now on, so change your bookmarks! I can't believe that domain name was free...what are the chances?
Til London.
Lisa
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Race Day...tomorrow...
Well, it's finally getting close! The men's race in Hamburg was today and we are on Sunday. Sometimes I like to watch the men's race before ours, you get to scope the course, see how the race plays out, it gets me focused on my day to come. But sometimes, it's pure torture, I wish it was me out there racing, not waiting another 26 hours to race! Today, it was fun to watch and Bjoern, Lifesport coach extraordinaire, and his wife were out, so I had some company while spectating (although, I left them early once I decided my legs had enough standing). Now I'm ready for my turn!
Tomorrow's start time is precisely 3:16pm local time. Why 3:16 you ask, I have no idea, but when the German's say 3:16, you start at 3:16 and I like it! Except for the fact that I have to wait all day to race! So you can check out the action on: www.triathlon.org/tv
Back to reading my book and waiting for 3:16 to arrive.
Cheers,
Lisa
Tomorrow's start time is precisely 3:16pm local time. Why 3:16 you ask, I have no idea, but when the German's say 3:16, you start at 3:16 and I like it! Except for the fact that I have to wait all day to race! So you can check out the action on: www.triathlon.org/tv
Back to reading my book and waiting for 3:16 to arrive.
Cheers,
Lisa
Monday, July 12, 2010
Seeing black...and Orange....
Race #2 completed. Let me tell you, it was easier said than done in the "European heat wave"! With temperatures soaring into the mid-30's it made for a HOT run! I had an excellent start in the swim, a solid bike where not much happened and then was first out of T2....I knew it was going to be a hot one, so I figured it was an all or nothing type deal...either I went for it and felt like a million bucks in the heat or I went for it and blew up in the heat. Well, it ended up being somewhere in the middle, not a great run but not a bad run for the conditions and how I felt (the run course was apparently ~10.5k). I hung on, just as I started seeing stars and things were about to fade to black, for an 8th place finish! I also missed out on being Dutch Champion (a feat I have yet to conquer!), a young Dutch girl had a great day and ran up from the second pack to finish 5th overall. Things are looking great for the Dutch women this season!
After the race I was driven down to the south of country to stay and train with the young Dutch team. On sunday night we all went to the town center to watch the football game.....here is the sea of Orange....
It was too bad about the outcome, otherwise there would have been quite a party around the country!
Up Next: The Hamburg ITU World Championship race series event on July 18th. This one is at a decent time and should be covered live, click here.
After the race I was driven down to the south of country to stay and train with the young Dutch team. On sunday night we all went to the town center to watch the football game.....here is the sea of Orange....
Up Next: The Hamburg ITU World Championship race series event on July 18th. This one is at a decent time and should be covered live, click here.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Euro Week 1 & 1/2...the Cole's Notes version...
I've been a bad blogger lately! My apologies! Here is a summary of the last week and a bit.
It started off in the Dublin airport waiting 3 hours for a ride that never came, then a ride on the local bus (the milk run to Athlone) and a taxi ride to the hotel, with bike and bags in tow! There was a bag that was lost, a chat with local police and a lovely Irish couple who had rescued my bag! Then there was a race which didn't go so well. My mind & body still seemed to be somewhere in a time zone over the Atlantic. This lead to a missed bike pack, a transition penalty of 15 seconds for not putting my wetsuit in my box, and a run that felt like Leprecons were hanging onto my legs! Needless to say, the coaches and I made the decision to stop since I was well back and had 3 more races to come! Not a easy decision, since I hate having a DNF beside my name, but a professional one.
Now I am staying with my parents and niece in a little town north of Holten (the site of my next race). We are visiting my relatives who live out here and have come watch me race in Holten before. I'm feeling pretty excited for the race on Saturday, start #3 and I got a mention on the ITU race preview article.
That's all for now! After the race it's off to the south of Holland and the BIG GAME is on Sunday, should be fun!!
Hup Holland Hup!
Cheers,
Lisa
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
and.....she's off....
Just a quick post from the YYC AC lounge! After a couple months at home, with only a trip to Des Moines, I'm off on my next adventure.
This one includes a tour of western Europe. First up: European Championships in Athlone, Ireland this weekend. I fly into Dublin today. From there, I meet up with my parents & niece in Holland and race there. Should be fun to have the family there to watch! After that, Hamburg, London, a stop in the Swiss Alps and finally my favourite, Kitzbuhel!
I'll try to keep the updates frequent and with photos!! Check out http://www.triathlon.org/ for results and live feeds.
Enjoy the summer!
Lisa
This one includes a tour of western Europe. First up: European Championships in Athlone, Ireland this weekend. I fly into Dublin today. From there, I meet up with my parents & niece in Holland and race there. Should be fun to have the family there to watch! After that, Hamburg, London, a stop in the Swiss Alps and finally my favourite, Kitzbuhel!
I'll try to keep the updates frequent and with photos!! Check out http://www.triathlon.org/ for results and live feeds.
Enjoy the summer!
Lisa
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Grey, Red & Green
In sticking with the colour theme of my last post, I'll use grey, red & green to describe my last week or so.....
GREY: The colour of the sky everywhere I go these days. A rain cloud seems to be stalking me. Rain & clouds from the past few weeks in Calgary even followed me all the way to Des Moines, Iowa for the ITU World Cup event. I landed in a storm and took off in a storm. It poured pretty much continuously for 3 days, so much they had to cancel the kids race the day before ours due to lightening and flooding! Then race morning, I opened the curtains only to see this:
That's the only picture I took in Des Moines! I was certain that they would cancel the swim due to the lightening in the area but the rain fortunately stopped for the ITU races.
RED: The colour of my back. Since it was still raining when I left the hotel for the race, sunscreen didn't even cross my mind! The sun did manage to pop out just long enough for the last part of the bike and the run. Since my skin has not seen the sun since I returned from Australia, I was a little crispy after the race. Made for an uncomfortable plane ride home!
The race went something like this: In the water, I rolled with the punches, literally, had my suit pulled around a buoy, made up some lost ground on the second lap, excited front pack (minus the 2 ex-swimmers vying for the swim prime out front). On the wheels, my legs were lacking a bit of snappiness but I stayed out of trouble and in the mix. On the first lap of the run, my legs had forgotten the shock of running that hard off the bike, was passed by Emma Snowsill (the eventual race winner and superstar runner) like I was in the 'Fun Run', fell back a few spots but then found my legs and moved back up 5 spots. Finishing off in 14th place. Good hit out before the next round of races and a decent finish for a stacked World Cup field earning me a solid pay-cheque.
Up next: a few more weeks in Calgary to sharpen my racing skills and then the Tour de Europa begins....more on that next post!
GREY: The colour of the sky everywhere I go these days. A rain cloud seems to be stalking me. Rain & clouds from the past few weeks in Calgary even followed me all the way to Des Moines, Iowa for the ITU World Cup event. I landed in a storm and took off in a storm. It poured pretty much continuously for 3 days, so much they had to cancel the kids race the day before ours due to lightening and flooding! Then race morning, I opened the curtains only to see this:
That's the only picture I took in Des Moines! I was certain that they would cancel the swim due to the lightening in the area but the rain fortunately stopped for the ITU races.RED: The colour of my back. Since it was still raining when I left the hotel for the race, sunscreen didn't even cross my mind! The sun did manage to pop out just long enough for the last part of the bike and the run. Since my skin has not seen the sun since I returned from Australia, I was a little crispy after the race. Made for an uncomfortable plane ride home!
GREEN: The colour of our grass after all this rain (still not as nice as our neighbours lawn!)...and the colour of a payday at the races! Hy Vee in Des Moines puts on a great race, takes care of the athletes and has the biggest prize purse in Triathlon. The $ went 50 deep, so it was nice to see 100 athletes lined up at the end of the race to get paid!!
Since I made the decision to race DM only 2 weeks out, I wasn't expecting too much on the day, especially since my last triathlon was in April in Sydney. Coach & I made the decision to use this race as part of my prep for my 'tour de Europa' coming up in July.
The race went something like this: In the water, I rolled with the punches, literally, had my suit pulled around a buoy, made up some lost ground on the second lap, excited front pack (minus the 2 ex-swimmers vying for the swim prime out front). On the wheels, my legs were lacking a bit of snappiness but I stayed out of trouble and in the mix. On the first lap of the run, my legs had forgotten the shock of running that hard off the bike, was passed by Emma Snowsill (the eventual race winner and superstar runner) like I was in the 'Fun Run', fell back a few spots but then found my legs and moved back up 5 spots. Finishing off in 14th place. Good hit out before the next round of races and a decent finish for a stacked World Cup field earning me a solid pay-cheque.
Up next: a few more weeks in Calgary to sharpen my racing skills and then the Tour de Europa begins....more on that next post!
Cheers,
Lisa
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Blue
Blue is the my favourite colour. It's a colour that makes me feel warm, calm and relaxed. I like to think about "blue" when things get uncomfortable....like during a massage (unlike what most people think, my massages are anything but relaxing!), or a particularly though session with my athletic therapist (Wendy @ Riverside Sports Therapy, she's the best), or when I really want to stop during a intervals with Coach Paul on the track....think blue, blue ocean, blue sky, Noosa blue, warm blue, relax....
Ahhh....doesn't that make you feel relaxed??
Getting into this frame of mind has been a challenge for me the last few days. I'm not going to sugar coat it, I've been downright blue about this:
The weather in Calgary has made me feel like this:
Ahhh....doesn't that make you feel relaxed??
Getting into this frame of mind has been a challenge for me the last few days. I'm not going to sugar coat it, I've been downright blue about this:
The weather in Calgary has made me feel like this:
They promise me some blue skies tomorrow....hopefully that tames my springtime-in-Calgary blues! In the meantime, I'll keep thinking blue and keep the angry blue monster at bay....blue skies, warm blue oceans, yummy blueberries.....
Lisa
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
I love monday's!
I've had my head down and been getting some great training in since I got back in Calgary. Monday's have become my 'legs off day' or 'recovery' day, so after this last 2 weeks of high volume training, Monday was a day off training!! Although, it seemed to get filled with all sorts of house 'chores'!
Spring WAS here in Calgary, at least for a few days. With the warmer weather came beautiful blooms that made my allergies flare up....I can deal with a week or two of sneezing if it means that the warmer weather is coming!!
A beautiful day riding below. Although my next ride was in full winter gear this past weekend....brrr....it was chilly!!! Summer, please come soon!!
I also got my new Team Timex Orbea Ordu (& my road bike!) fit right! Thanks to Luke Way for the fit, we made some good changes and I feel more comfortable, powerful & faster on my bikes already!! Check out www.triway.ca to read more about Luke and his bike fitting talents.
Now I am organizing my trip to Europe, it's an action packed few weeks over there this year!! 5 races, a stop in the Swiss mountains and some visiting with family in the Netherlands. More on that trip later.....up next: Des Moines ITU World Cup race on June 13th.
Back to training....1km repeats tonight at the track!!!
Lisa
Spring WAS here in Calgary, at least for a few days. With the warmer weather came beautiful blooms that made my allergies flare up....I can deal with a week or two of sneezing if it means that the warmer weather is coming!!
A beautiful day riding below. Although my next ride was in full winter gear this past weekend....brrr....it was chilly!!! Summer, please come soon!!
I also got my new Team Timex Orbea Ordu (& my road bike!) fit right! Thanks to Luke Way for the fit, we made some good changes and I feel more comfortable, powerful & faster on my bikes already!! Check out www.triway.ca to read more about Luke and his bike fitting talents.
Now I am organizing my trip to Europe, it's an action packed few weeks over there this year!! 5 races, a stop in the Swiss mountains and some visiting with family in the Netherlands. More on that trip later.....up next: Des Moines ITU World Cup race on June 13th.Back to training....1km repeats tonight at the track!!!
Lisa
Thursday, May 13, 2010
More St G Photos
More random pics from St George.....Thanks to Lifesport Coach Bjoern for the photos!
The Lifesport Ironman St George Camp crew:
On the new mountain bike, enjoying the sun!
My kind of Ironman Aid-station!!
Richard and coach Paul enjoy a little draft....it was a WINDY ride!!
Descending through Snow Canyon Park....my favourite road in all of St. George!
Good news....it's finally starting to warm up in Calgary!!!
The Lifesport Ironman St George Camp crew:
On the new mountain bike, enjoying the sun!
My kind of Ironman Aid-station!!
Richard and coach Paul enjoy a little draft....it was a WINDY ride!!
Descending through Snow Canyon Park....my favourite road in all of St. George!
Good news....it's finally starting to warm up in Calgary!!! Nothing like a 10k road race (so-so time), some swimming with 'chutes' & a short time trail on the new Orbea Ordu (love it!!!) to get my focus & fitness back on track for Europe in July!!
Cross your fingers & hope we have seen the last of the snow for the spring!!
Cross your fingers & hope we have seen the last of the snow for the spring!!
Lisa
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Rippin' it up in St G & the return of winter...
Last week Richard and I packed up the car and headed 1900km south for a little fun in the sun on our mountain bikes & to watch the Ironman in St George Utah! Here's some pics of our mountain biking adventures:
Miles & miles of singletrack to cycle on...
The 'Acid Drops': fun to play in:
We returned this week, after a drive home so windy it pushed my roof rack back a foot, to the lovely spring weather of Calgary.....ahhh back on trainer as the snow is still flying!!! Boo hoo!!
Miles & miles of singletrack to cycle on...
The 'Acid Drops': fun to play in:Richard demonstrating how it's done:
Me dropping down.....Xterra here I come!!
Enjoying the blue sky & vista views of the surrounding rocks.... 
Still love the geology...perified wood in the Navajo sandstone....
We returned this week, after a drive home so windy it pushed my roof rack back a foot, to the lovely spring weather of Calgary.....ahhh back on trainer as the snow is still flying!!! Boo hoo!!Lisa
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Spring Fever
After returning home & a long chat with the coach, I've been on a 10-day mini-break. Meaning, unstructured on-my-own training sessions. It's been good chance to clear my head and rest the body. Luckily the weather in Calgary has been cooperating! It's been 18-23 degrees and sunny for the past week and I've taken full advantage of the early spring weather!
I've cleaned the garage, done loads of laundry, BBQ'd up a storm, steam cleaned the floors, pulled out the deck furniture, started my taxes (got bored part way through) & raked the lawn....this turned out to be a 2 person job....below is a pile of pine cones from 1/4 of our front lawn.....
I guess our 50+ year old pine trees decided it was time to drop ALL their cones at once! That and it's been a dry year in Calgary....
I have been doing some 'training' too. The weekend involved heading to the mountains to cycle Elbow Valley--one of the roads closed during the winter--makes for some great early spring cycling. This one is on highway 66 west of Bragg Creek (closed until May 15th)...how often do you get to ride in the mountains on a paved hilly 2 lane road with NO CARS??
The view from the back of my helmet on one of the climbs, still pockets of snow on the sides but the road was clear all the way up & over the pass! It's a fast decent!
I had such a good time on the weekend that I headed out solo today to do some hill repeats. Blue skies, 23 degrees, no cars, just me, the road, and nature! Seriously, I didn't see anyone out there until my way back to the car!
Up next: Round 2: Summer racing prep-training. I'm feeling refreshed (except for the sore back from raking!), motivated and eager to get back at it! Bring on round 2!
Lisa
I've cleaned the garage, done loads of laundry, BBQ'd up a storm, steam cleaned the floors, pulled out the deck furniture, started my taxes (got bored part way through) & raked the lawn....this turned out to be a 2 person job....below is a pile of pine cones from 1/4 of our front lawn.....
I guess our 50+ year old pine trees decided it was time to drop ALL their cones at once! That and it's been a dry year in Calgary....I have been doing some 'training' too. The weekend involved heading to the mountains to cycle Elbow Valley--one of the roads closed during the winter--makes for some great early spring cycling. This one is on highway 66 west of Bragg Creek (closed until May 15th)...how often do you get to ride in the mountains on a paved hilly 2 lane road with NO CARS??The view from the back of my helmet on one of the climbs, still pockets of snow on the sides but the road was clear all the way up & over the pass! It's a fast decent!I had such a good time on the weekend that I headed out solo today to do some hill repeats. Blue skies, 23 degrees, no cars, just me, the road, and nature! Seriously, I didn't see anyone out there until my way back to the car!One more shot of the view....ahhh....love those mountains!!!
Up next: Round 2: Summer racing prep-training. I'm feeling refreshed (except for the sore back from raking!), motivated and eager to get back at it! Bring on round 2!Lisa
Saturday, April 10, 2010
A rough day at the office...
I'll make this one a quick one, cause I need a shower!
It started with a punch in the face and ended with a needle (after 3 tries) in the arm. Not my best day out there. I salvaged a horrible swim with a strong bike to get myself (and a couple other girls) back on the lead pack. I decided to spot everyone a few seconds in T2 and started the run off the pack of girls at the front. I had some up & down moments running, feeling the heat and the liters of harbour water I decided to drink during the swim...it was sloshing around! Then I went too soon for the sprint for 20th and finished in 22nd spot. They grabbed me at the finish, strapped me in some Hannibal Lecter chair and wheeled me to the medic tent before I knew what was happening and stuck me with a needle....apparently I didn't look so good...
It started with a punch in the face and ended with a needle (after 3 tries) in the arm. Not my best day out there. I salvaged a horrible swim with a strong bike to get myself (and a couple other girls) back on the lead pack. I decided to spot everyone a few seconds in T2 and started the run off the pack of girls at the front. I had some up & down moments running, feeling the heat and the liters of harbour water I decided to drink during the swim...it was sloshing around! Then I went too soon for the sprint for 20th and finished in 22nd spot. They grabbed me at the finish, strapped me in some Hannibal Lecter chair and wheeled me to the medic tent before I knew what was happening and stuck me with a needle....apparently I didn't look so good...
Not the result I wanted but there were some positives, so I'll focus on those. Plus, the IV made me feel fantastic after! Guess I have to give them more local emergency contacts too...Richard couldn't make it to the medi tent in time...
Off to enjoy a few hours in Sydney. Home Monday. Back to the drawing board...
Lisa
Friday, April 9, 2010
Boomerang
Race time 5:50pm MST Saturday night. Watch live: www.triathlon.org/tvSydney is awesome, just wish I had an extra day after the race to tour around! That's alright, I'll be back. Peter's roommate gave me the nickname Boomerang, 'cause I just keep coming back!'
Til after the race!
Lisa
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
A Wise Old Blind Man Once Said....
My last full day in Noosa went like this:
Then it was back home for brekky and a quick rest beofre heading off to the track for some intervals. First I had to stop at the used book store to swap out the books I'd finished for one for the trip home. On my way out, I had my head down reading the back of my new book when I looked up and a smiling old blind guy (complete with white cane) was walking briskly towards me. I had to make a quick move to jump out of his way and he must have sensed me, cause he smiled and said "You have a happy day!" and walked on. I said "Thank you, I will!" With that positive greeting, I was off to the grass track for my intervals/steeple chase (the track was wet & full of obstacles like sand and thick grass!). Here's a pic of the sand trap in Lane 1:
Next, I finish off my last full day in Noosa with a massage. Ahhh, doesn't get better than that! Off to Sydney tomorrow and race day on Sunday!
An early wake up call and off to my last surf swim session. Since it is "fall" here, the days are getting shorter, so it was still a bit dark as we entered the water at 5:45. After watching an episode of my favourite Aussie show last night, Bondi Rescue, about a shark sighting (turned out to be a seal!), my imagination was in full swing this morning! We started doing some intervals in the water when the sun came up. The sunrise over Noosa National Park was amazing...I wish I had my camera. Then on the very last interval, I caught a nice wave and rode it all the way into the beach. I left my last surf swim satisfied!
Then it was back home for brekky and a quick rest beofre heading off to the track for some intervals. First I had to stop at the used book store to swap out the books I'd finished for one for the trip home. On my way out, I had my head down reading the back of my new book when I looked up and a smiling old blind guy (complete with white cane) was walking briskly towards me. I had to make a quick move to jump out of his way and he must have sensed me, cause he smiled and said "You have a happy day!" and walked on. I said "Thank you, I will!" With that positive greeting, I was off to the grass track for my intervals/steeple chase (the track was wet & full of obstacles like sand and thick grass!). Here's a pic of the sand trap in Lane 1:
My intervals went awesome, mainly because whenever it hurt, I just thought of the blind guy and it made me smile!
Then I had to say goodbye to Red. I was a little sad but he served me well. Till next year Red!
Next, I finish off my last full day in Noosa with a massage. Ahhh, doesn't get better than that! Off to Sydney tomorrow and race day on Sunday!In the words of a Wise-old-blind Man in Noosa:
You have a Happy day!
Lisa
Saturday, April 3, 2010
8 Days
I’ve finally started to feel like I’ve recovered from the Mooloolaba race. Think I was a little more dehydrated from the race than I thought. I had a rough couple days there but now feel like a million bucks. A couple hard training sessions and massage seemed to have done the job!
Here’s a pic from the ITU site: that’s me leading the bike pack:
Only 8 days left in Oz. The last week of a training camp is always the hardest. Usually your mind/head is ready to get back to home after 6 weeks. I miss Richard, my friends & my family (missed my nephews B-day AGAIN). On the other hand, I really love it here in Noosa, so I’ll be sad to leave. I’m onto my ‘lasts’….the last Saturday group ride, the last surf swim, the last Sunday trip to the market for tropical fruit, the last poisonous snake encounter, the last ‘bush rat’ living with me….
This will be the site of my last swim session on Thursday morning:
I’m determined to make all my ‘lasts’ the best yet. My last mile repeats were again epic, a little lonely without my training buddies, but I dedicated every repeat to them (this time it was hot & sunny and not a bush turkey in sight girls!). I can’t wait for my last surf swim session on Wednesday…watch out waves, here I come! Then it’s off to Sydney on the 8th, race on the 11th (evening of the 10th for NA), and then HOME on the 12th!
This time it they should have VIDEO coverage of the race: www.triathlon.org/tv
Til my next sporadic update…
Lisa
Here’s a pic from the ITU site: that’s me leading the bike pack:
Only 8 days left in Oz. The last week of a training camp is always the hardest. Usually your mind/head is ready to get back to home after 6 weeks. I miss Richard, my friends & my family (missed my nephews B-day AGAIN). On the other hand, I really love it here in Noosa, so I’ll be sad to leave. I’m onto my ‘lasts’….the last Saturday group ride, the last surf swim, the last Sunday trip to the market for tropical fruit, the last poisonous snake encounter, the last ‘bush rat’ living with me….
This will be the site of my last swim session on Thursday morning:
I’m determined to make all my ‘lasts’ the best yet. My last mile repeats were again epic, a little lonely without my training buddies, but I dedicated every repeat to them (this time it was hot & sunny and not a bush turkey in sight girls!). I can’t wait for my last surf swim session on Wednesday…watch out waves, here I come! Then it’s off to Sydney on the 8th, race on the 11th (evening of the 10th for NA), and then HOME on the 12th!This time it they should have VIDEO coverage of the race: www.triathlon.org/tv
Til my next sporadic update…
Lisa
Monday, March 29, 2010
Leader of the Pack...for 5.5km anyway...
The first race of the year done.
Here’s a quick summary of the race:
Swim: Awesome start, got through the surf unscathed and out front. Couple swimmers to my left that came to the first buoys first, so I tucked in behind. It was probably the most civilized World Cup swim I’ve ever been in. It’s so much nicer at the front of the pack! Only problem was around 1k, my swim cap came right off my head, so I had 500m of swimming with my hair swirling around my eyes and face. I screwed up my exit from the water (mainly due to the fact that I had a mat of hair blocking my view!) and it put me a bit farther back on the exit but still front pack.
Bike: I had to work a bit to make up the ground I lost coming out of the water but got on the lead pack fairly quickly. The ride was a bit disappointing, no one really willing to work. I tried to get the group going but the effort seemed not to work. This lead to the chase pack almost catching us in T2 and bringing along some strong runners with it (& the eventual winner).
Run: I came out of transition slightly behind and worked hard to run up to the girls ahead. I was running in a group of 5 women at the front of the race (!). I was feeling great, relaxed and positive—then around 5.5k I had a small lapse in concentration and a gap opened up between me and the other girls….I wasn’t able to close it after that. I managed to stumble my way around the course, the heat was having it’s way with me, tried to minimize the damage, but was passed by 4 girls in the last 1km, but I managed to steal a spot back at the line with a sprint to get in there for 9th.
Since this finish equals my best world cup finish, I’m happy with this result. Also, as my first race back post-stress fracture, I wasn’t expecting much, I also know that I can run faster and just need to tweak a few things before the next race.
I’m trying to find some photos that I can post, but if you go to http://triathlon.org/multimedia/slideshow/C495/ there a couple good pics in there.
Now, I have 10 more days in Noosa, a short flight to Sydney, and then the first World Championships Series race on April 11th. The competition is sure to be even fiercer but after last weekend, I know I’m ready for that step up!
More later,
Lisa
Here’s a quick summary of the race:
Swim: Awesome start, got through the surf unscathed and out front. Couple swimmers to my left that came to the first buoys first, so I tucked in behind. It was probably the most civilized World Cup swim I’ve ever been in. It’s so much nicer at the front of the pack! Only problem was around 1k, my swim cap came right off my head, so I had 500m of swimming with my hair swirling around my eyes and face. I screwed up my exit from the water (mainly due to the fact that I had a mat of hair blocking my view!) and it put me a bit farther back on the exit but still front pack.
Bike: I had to work a bit to make up the ground I lost coming out of the water but got on the lead pack fairly quickly. The ride was a bit disappointing, no one really willing to work. I tried to get the group going but the effort seemed not to work. This lead to the chase pack almost catching us in T2 and bringing along some strong runners with it (& the eventual winner).
Run: I came out of transition slightly behind and worked hard to run up to the girls ahead. I was running in a group of 5 women at the front of the race (!). I was feeling great, relaxed and positive—then around 5.5k I had a small lapse in concentration and a gap opened up between me and the other girls….I wasn’t able to close it after that. I managed to stumble my way around the course, the heat was having it’s way with me, tried to minimize the damage, but was passed by 4 girls in the last 1km, but I managed to steal a spot back at the line with a sprint to get in there for 9th.
Since this finish equals my best world cup finish, I’m happy with this result. Also, as my first race back post-stress fracture, I wasn’t expecting much, I also know that I can run faster and just need to tweak a few things before the next race.
I’m trying to find some photos that I can post, but if you go to http://triathlon.org/multimedia/slideshow/C495/ there a couple good pics in there.
Now, I have 10 more days in Noosa, a short flight to Sydney, and then the first World Championships Series race on April 11th. The competition is sure to be even fiercer but after last weekend, I know I’m ready for that step up!
More later,
Lisa
Monday, March 22, 2010
The Great Aussie BBQ
Ahhh....the rain has subsided for a the last few days...cross your fingers it stays away for the next fortnight (had to use that word, they use it here all the time!)!
Here is the beach where we jump in the water at 5:30am for our surf swims:
The gang also took advantage of the break in the hurricane winds to have a BBQ. Coach Paul trying to figure out the grill....
He got it sorted and grilled up a feast for all to enjoy:
Up next: Mooloolaba World Cup on Sunday (Saturday evening for North America). Check out www.triathlon.org for live coverage and details. Should be a good hit out...first big test of the season!!
Here is the beach where we jump in the water at 5:30am for our surf swims:
The gang also took advantage of the break in the hurricane winds to have a BBQ. Coach Paul trying to figure out the grill....
He got it sorted and grilled up a feast for all to enjoy:
Up next: Mooloolaba World Cup on Sunday (Saturday evening for North America). Check out www.triathlon.org for live coverage and details. Should be a good hit out...first big test of the season!!Hope everything is well back home!
Lisa
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Riding The Wave
Training camps are a bit like our surf swim sessions out here. You head out from the beach full of energy and optimism, working hard but feeling good, ducking under the waves as they roll towards you. Finally you emerge on the back side of the break in the open ocean, enjoying the swells as they roll by. Then it’s time to swim back to the beach. Sometimes your timing is perfect, you catch the best wave and ride it all the way into the beach, sometimes you try your hardest but just miss the good ones and have to swim it in without the help of a wave. Other times you go for a big one and realize, a moment too late, that you aren’t going to make it and have to let the power of the wave have it’s way. Sometimes you make it out with little damage, other times you get smashed hard into the sand and aren’t sure which way is up! No matter how you get back to the beach, you turn around and do it again.
My camp here in Noosa has been a bit like that. Ups & downs and a few smashings. I’ve had some epic days out here. One day, while doing hill repeats solo on my bike it started to pour. As soon as I finished my workout, the rain stopped, epic. The only other person out there was a local who I would pass going the opposite direction every 10’ or so and wave at. We ended up riding together a few days later, again in the rain, and bonded over our rain/hill riding day.
Corner 7 on Noosa Hill:
Then there are the epic workouts that you wish someone else, even a stranger, was there to witness. In the driving rain & wind I headed out on my scooter to a quiet dirt road to run my intervals on (I’m sticking to softer surfaces here, since my bones are prone to stress fractures!). I got there soaked, cold and not very motivated. I managed to pull myself together and had a fantastic workout witnessed only by Red, my scooter! Another epic one.
My legs covered in sand post run.
Then there was what I call the ‘Misery Loves Company’ workout. Mile repeats on a sandy track in the national park, complete with wild Turkey’s running around. We were all in this one together, in the pouring rain, slugging out mile after mile—but this time, no camera--I couldn’t have done it without my fellow training mates out there suffering too! I also had a chance to return to that gravel road, with Heather & coach Paul, and in the hot sun we toughed out a long tempo run while Paul provided the aid station, again epic.
Along with these epic days, there were also the smashings, a swim where I thought I might drown if I didn’t have a pull buoy, a 4 hour ride where I had to ingest way too many Power Gels just to keep the pedals turning in the gale force head wind that appeared the last few kms! These days make you stronger too, mentally & physically.
Anyway, training has been going well for this time of the year, and it looks like cyclone Ului that has been causing the torrential downpours is almost gone…I also finished my first race of the 2010 season…the Splash & Dash 4 Ca$h! Unfortunately, I finished second to a young Aussie whipper snapper, but it was good to get a short race in before Mooloolaba next weekend, I haven’t raced since September last year…almost forgot how! More on the upcoming races later.
That’s all for now!
Lisa
My camp here in Noosa has been a bit like that. Ups & downs and a few smashings. I’ve had some epic days out here. One day, while doing hill repeats solo on my bike it started to pour. As soon as I finished my workout, the rain stopped, epic. The only other person out there was a local who I would pass going the opposite direction every 10’ or so and wave at. We ended up riding together a few days later, again in the rain, and bonded over our rain/hill riding day.
Corner 7 on Noosa Hill:
Then there are the epic workouts that you wish someone else, even a stranger, was there to witness. In the driving rain & wind I headed out on my scooter to a quiet dirt road to run my intervals on (I’m sticking to softer surfaces here, since my bones are prone to stress fractures!). I got there soaked, cold and not very motivated. I managed to pull myself together and had a fantastic workout witnessed only by Red, my scooter! Another epic one.
My legs covered in sand post run.
Then there was what I call the ‘Misery Loves Company’ workout. Mile repeats on a sandy track in the national park, complete with wild Turkey’s running around. We were all in this one together, in the pouring rain, slugging out mile after mile—but this time, no camera--I couldn’t have done it without my fellow training mates out there suffering too! I also had a chance to return to that gravel road, with Heather & coach Paul, and in the hot sun we toughed out a long tempo run while Paul provided the aid station, again epic.Along with these epic days, there were also the smashings, a swim where I thought I might drown if I didn’t have a pull buoy, a 4 hour ride where I had to ingest way too many Power Gels just to keep the pedals turning in the gale force head wind that appeared the last few kms! These days make you stronger too, mentally & physically.
Anyway, training has been going well for this time of the year, and it looks like cyclone Ului that has been causing the torrential downpours is almost gone…I also finished my first race of the 2010 season…the Splash & Dash 4 Ca$h! Unfortunately, I finished second to a young Aussie whipper snapper, but it was good to get a short race in before Mooloolaba next weekend, I haven’t raced since September last year…almost forgot how! More on the upcoming races later.That’s all for now!
Lisa
Lisa’s guide to Dealing with Australian Wildlife Encounters
What is it? Something like 9/10 poisonous snakes live here? Killer spiders, evil ants, & sharks…My rules for Australian wildlife are simple; never touch any animal/insect I come into close proximity to, never walk barefoot in the grass, never be the first one down a pathway in the morning, and always pretend that shadow you saw in the water was just a friendly dolphin.
Here is a pop quiz. When you see a strange animal in Australia, likely poisonous or just wants to eat you, how do you react? You:
a) Freeze in your tracks, stay as motionless as you can…maybe it will think you are a tree and go away.
b) Stop, whip out the camera, get as close to it as you can for the money shot and post the pic on your blog. Poking it with a stick & aggravating it to get a better photo is ideal.
c) Jump up & down, wave your arms, show your teeth and charge the animal. Use the “I’m bigger & louder than you are” technique to try to scare it off. Doesn’t that work for a Grizzly??
d) Scream like a girl, shout profanities, and run off faster than you ever have, never looking back!
If your answer is d) that is exactly what I did when I saw the snake start to slither beside my foot! Her name is Maggi and she lives just off the pathway (I had to return the same route and was on high alert, but only found the entrance to her den). Hopefully Maggi and I never meet again.
Till my next wildlife encounter...
Lisa
We named the giant spider that lives in the garden Charlie (see photo in last post). We thought this would make him seem less of a threat, more like a friend. My friend Charlie decided to try to trap me in his web the other morning…that’s what I get for being friendly I suppose. The wind and rain destroyed his normal garden entrapment during the night, so he decided to build a new one ACROSS the driveway and wait for me to walk into it in the morning! Luckily, my roommate, Birgit, was there to save me and took down the rest of the GIANT web with a stick! Thanks Charlie.
The next day, while running down the pathway deep in my own thoughts (well, more like in a world of pain since my legs were killing me that day!), I nearly stepped on a Brown snake…one of the most deadly snakes in all of Oz….I startled it and had trapped it between me and a steep sidewall…..
Here is a pop quiz. When you see a strange animal in Australia, likely poisonous or just wants to eat you, how do you react? You:a) Freeze in your tracks, stay as motionless as you can…maybe it will think you are a tree and go away.
b) Stop, whip out the camera, get as close to it as you can for the money shot and post the pic on your blog. Poking it with a stick & aggravating it to get a better photo is ideal.
c) Jump up & down, wave your arms, show your teeth and charge the animal. Use the “I’m bigger & louder than you are” technique to try to scare it off. Doesn’t that work for a Grizzly??
d) Scream like a girl, shout profanities, and run off faster than you ever have, never looking back!
If your answer is d) that is exactly what I did when I saw the snake start to slither beside my foot! Her name is Maggi and she lives just off the pathway (I had to return the same route and was on high alert, but only found the entrance to her den). Hopefully Maggi and I never meet again.
Till my next wildlife encounter...
Lisa
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