Trista Francis Triathlete

Training Camp March 6-11, 2012

2012-01-08T18:16:00.009-07:00

Fun in the Sun!

Oro Valley, Arizona

Escape the cold and come join Coach Trista in beautiful Arizona!

This training camp will be the perfect blend and balance for those coming from colder climates and indoor training.

TRAINING HIGHLIGHTS

Swim

Oro Valley Pool

Bike

Gates Pass

Oracle to Biosphere

Famous Mt. Lemmon

Run

Catalina State Park

Saguaro East

Sabino Canyon

Come take advantage of Expert Coach Trista's knowledge and the speed and support of solid training leaders for all levels!

Camp Packages

Packages include Hotel and Buffet Breakfast, Transportation and Gas, Training Nutrition, Bike Support, Pool Fees, and Camp Shwag.

Each room has 1 King Bed or 2 Queen Beds, Refrigerator and Microwave.

Triple Occupancy: $1,020/pp

Double Occupancy: $1,145/pp

Single Occupancy: $1,520/na

Local rate: $775

Airfare and meals not included.

Please arrive Tuesday afternoon, March 6

Camp begins Wednesday, March 7 and breaks at Noon Sunday, March 11

Reserve your spot by Jan 31: $375

Payable by check or Paypal Account Transfer.

Camp is limited to 12. Reserve your spot today!

Trista Francis, ATC

iTz Multisport Endurance Coaching

USAT Level II Certified Coach

USA Cycling Level II Certified Coach

Bachelor of Science in Sports Medicine

Certified and Licensed Athletic Trainer

Timex Multisport Team

We reserve the right to cancel a camp if minimum is not met. We will do so 30 days prior to camp and a full refund will be issued. We are not responsible for airline fees or other fees associated with planning your trip.

Contact Coach Trista at tristaf@yahoo.com for more information.

Check out www.itzmultisport.com for Coach Trista's Bio and information!

See you at camp!

Trigger Point Dry Needling

2011-10-13T14:50:00.002-06:00

As I have been getting back up to speed with my hammy, there are still a few kinks that need to be worked out. I have been waiting specifically for the Off Season to take care of them. Today I had my first TPDN session with BF. I didn't really know how it was going to feel and how I would respond. I do know, that when BF felt my hammy and I pointed out what areas were bothersome, he was a bit surprised at how tight they were!! He was more aggressive with me on my first session than he typically is with patients, and this is not the first time I've heard this. I guess when they know you are an athlete and you tell them you think you have a pretty high pain tolerance; they trust you! ;) I am grateful that he was, no need to waste time or money on pussy footin around.

I believe he needled about 10-12 areas on my hammy. I had some sweaty palms but hung tough. A few bled, but that is not typical. Post treatment, the area that has been the biggest issue, the lateral distal side, is quite achy! WOW! Some people can experience a day of down time. We don't know how I will respond, but will know very soon. They way it feels, I would anticipate some bruising, but I will keep you posted. Enjoy your training =)

ITU World Championships; Beijing, China

2011-09-14T03:39:00.002-06:00

I never in a million years, thought I would travel to Beijing, China. When I qualified last year at USAT Age Group Nationals, I knew it was an opportunity I couldn't pass up. I was excited to represent the USA, race on the 2008 Olympic Course and fortunate enough to be able to travel with my great friend, Julie Lyons. We travel together very well and always have a real good time.

The pollution was a big concern for me. I had met with Dr. Adinoff to medicate me appropriately so my asthma would have the best chance in such conditions. The smog the first part of the week was almost unbearable. The grey sky, no sun, black boogies, was very concerning to me. The weather took a change for the better and rained. It rained! The morning after, I saw a blue sky. I had no idea how much I had missed a blue sky. At this point, I prayed for rain on race day. I know that adverse conditions separate the weak from the strong and it would also keep the air clear.

Well, it rained on race day! I seemed to be the only one excited about this and I didn't dare tell anyone that I was the one responsible for it! The bike was technically challenging and many corners already had padded trees for protection, so I knew I would have to dial the bike back a bit to make sure I didn't go down. My swim had a little to be desired, but with it being as cold as it was with no swim warm up, I guess it was good enough. The bike was a bit sketchy and I almost went down in one of the first turns, but fortunately, my mountain biking skills came to the rescue and with a little luck, I pulled out okay.

I hit the run and felt great! It was so awesome running in the collosium. It was a 3 lap run. On my last lap, I noticed that a girl from Mexico in front of me and was in my age category. In the last stretch, I tried to catch her and began making gains. As she turned to head to the shoot, she looked for me. I had pulled up right behind her. I decided to make a move to pass her and she quickly caught back up to me and we were running neck and neck.

As we got within 100 meters of the finish, I was worried she might kick it. I thought to myself, "My children are watching.. GOOOO!" I knew I had to dig deep and find one more notch! I dug.... praying there was something in there... and pulled just ahead... and held... and WON!

What I didn't know, is that effort pulled me in for a top 10 finish! I had only dreamed of this and it now was reality. I ran solid off the bike for the first time in 2 and 1/2 years post injury. My A race came together and even though I had some muff ups, like frozen hands that wouldn't allow me to take off my helmet in a speedy fashion and a few other things due to the cold rain... I had an amazing day, and most importantly, I had fun!

During my time in Beijing, I also was able to tour the Forbidden City with other Team USA athletes as well as the Great Wall! While I was walking the Great Wall, it really hit me where I was. I yelled to Julie and said.. "Julie, I'M IN CHINA!" Many looked at my as if I were crazy, but at that moment, I had gone back into time and was in a history book. As a young girl, I remember looking at pictures of the Great Wall of China; and there I was.

I met other amazing athletes from around the world, many of which I will see next year in Auckland, New Zealand. As awesome as the adventure was; I will say, I patted the ground when I landed in Washington, DC. I love America. Did you hear that... I LOVE AMERICA! A big thank you to TIMEX, KSWISS and MIX 1 for all the support this season and for the amazing support getting me to Beijing, China: ITU World Championships. I am supported by the best! Enjoy your training =) www.tristafrancis.com

USAT Sprint Nationals-Auckland Bound!

2011-08-26T07:37:00.006-06:00

Sprint Nationals was an interesting race for me, I switched from the Age Group Olympic distance race about 10 days out. It was a noon start which was also interesting for me as well and the first time for this. I anticipated a really great race, as you can tell by the video below, but it didn't turn out as well as I had hoped. This photo here was taken by Paul Phillips owner of Competitive Image. Great shot!

The bike I considered to be a technically hilly course. It was very difficult for me to find a rhythm on this course and was mentally challenging. I pushed through but did not average what I believe I am capable of. It was a little toasty at 1pm too. The run was a steep hill out of transistion which really was a challenge right off the bike and then a gradual downhill to the finish. That was quite the doozy on the legs, I'm not going to lie. I placed 15th on a really off day. ( Thanks to Client, Brian Nath, for the bike photo!) Below is Timex TV #6 with Bo Parrish prior to the race. I didn't quite have the race of my life, but I left Burlington, Vermont with what I went to get; A ticket for Team USA 2012 in Auckland, New Zealand! Enjoy your training =) www.tristafrancis.com

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DealerCamp / TriAmerica 2012

2011-07-28T11:40:00.007-06:00

This year since I will be racing the ITU Age Group World Championships in Beijing, China during Interbike, I decided to take a trip West and check out DealerCamp. I must say, I was quite impressed. There were many of the top players in the industry there and a very solid retailer turn out. The venue in Park City, UT is more than ideal for such a show and bike demo.

TIMEX was my first stop of the day. No surprise here =). I had been out running earlier that morning and ran past Robin Barsante, the Tech Rep for the Southwest Region in the Timex Ford Flex. He b,b,b,beeped at me as I ran past him and just made my run! So fun seeing family in the middle of some random street in Utah! TIMEX had a prime stop at the front of the expo and it was great to listen to Robin tell all about the new TIMEX RUN TRAINER soft launching in October!

ORBEA was my next stop. It was so exciting speaking with Tony Karklins about the new Ordu launch for 2012. It sounds like we might get a preview in about 6 weeks. I am really anxious to see what the Orbea team has come up with after being a part of the Ordu Focus group a year ago. I have a feeling its going to be SWEET!

SHIMANO/PRO was up next. It was great speaking with the Shimano Sales Representative and good friend Matt Thompson about the HOT Ultegra Di2 that is hitting the market and will retail for $2283. They also have a NEW XT and Cyclocross Groupo on the mountain side.

ORCA Wetsuits and SwimSkins have to be the best I've swam in, hands down. John here is demonstrating how their new Breakaway Zip System works. When you flip the zipper up, the zipper pulls apart with with a tug on the fabric. So fantastic for fast removal of the Skin during transition! Awesome Orca, I'm loving it!

The TRISHOP.com owner, Scott Par was there taking care of business as usual and I was so excited to run into him at the site. He has a great online model and there has been good growth since he launched it in partnership with the TIMEX MULTISPORT TEAM in February. Be sure to check them out for all you online Triathlon needs.

POWERBAR was there with ours truly, Tim Hola. Always good seeing my peep and Team mate everywhere! Powerbar has GreenTea Power Gel for 2012 and will bring their Power Gel flavors to 1o now! I love this stuff as it keeps me moving during my training. Note: Tim and I both sporting our amazing NATIVE EYEWEAR!

I finished up my visit at the Tri America Event hosted at the St. Regis. I enjoyed this time catching up with friends in the industry and discussing somethings that are up and coming. Power Tap is launching a synched HR strap that will reflect watts based off HR feedback through any ant+ device for only $200! I should be getting my hands on one soon, so keep posted! Also, Contour is a new Sports Camera that has GPS and Bluetooth capabilities and a lower profile than others on the market. Lastly, I spent a lot of time with John Cobb, the founder of the new Cobb Saddles. I am very excited to be mounting the V Flow on my Ordu to give it a ride as well as getting the brand new SHC Dirt saddle on a Clients MTB 29'er who is at the top of the Amateur Xterra Field. Stay tuned...

Thanks DealerCamp, I will be back in 2012. Enjoy your training =) www.tristafrancis.com

“You need a good butt whooping every now and again:)”

2011-06-06T20:42:00.008-06:00

Yep, that's what he said after I finished the hardest half of my life. My K-Swiss sponsor rocks, he supports me, not only with awesome shoes, but with ongoing, never waivering, strength and encouragement. I consider him as tight as I am with my Timex Family. He ALWAYS checks in on me after my races. I know my phone will be blinking with an alert from him when I get back into transition as well as good luck wishes the day before. Yes, I am a lucky girl.

The Rev3 Quassy Half was amazingly brutal. I was lucky enough to be there with my Client/Friend, David Schultz (above). I have never been scared for a race, then I drove the course the day before. I had sketchy training coming into this race due to illness after St. Anthony's. I had lost a lot of volume I was trying to carry to be ready for a half; which can be challenging for this short distance girl. I didn't really know what I was up against until 12 hours before I would awake and head over to the race start. I call this course the 70.3 Xterra. Unrelenting hill after hill. I swore I would never race this again, but now I would love to go out being totally prepared for such a course and just crush it! That's my fire inside...

I will proudly say that I was 1:10:00 off my best half time. My swim had hills too I think at a 38:52 ;) Bike was a 3:27, Run was a 2:17 (and yes, I ran the whole thing). BRUTAL! I am grateful for optimal weather conditions because I believe I may not have seen the finishline had it been otherwise.

"Sounds like a brutal race, but congrats on finishing! You need a good butt whooping every now and again:)" So there you have it, straight from the mouth of JMS. Enjoy your training =) www.tristafrancis.com

Summer Open Tri Turned DU/ 2nd Place

2011-05-23T07:54:00.027-06:00

Let me first start off by saying, I am so lucky to be blessed with so many great supporters. I love going to races and hearing "Go Trista!" or "Go Timex!" from unfamiliar faces; or receiving a "Great race today!" as I walk through the crowd. I appreciate the incredible support from the communities I race in and always feel very welcomed. Yesterday was my first real go at a Duathlon. The Summer Open Sprint is my favorite Colorado race and this year, the recent rain made e-coli levels too high to swim in. I was okay with this as the water temps were hovering around 56 two days before the race. It was great to have so many of my clients racing here as well. I have had sketchy training since I returned from St. Anthony's as I've been fighting a cold, so I was unsure what to expect. When I hit 1 mile left in the run, I turned around to see if anyone was closing in on me. If not, I was going to cut the engine and just cruise in. Well, that didn't happen and I had to work really hard to maintain my position. As you can see from the photos it was a tight finish. But I was happy to have had enough kick to do it! I have to give a huge shout out to Tim Galbraith and his wife for these amazing photos! They were taking these unbeknown st to me! Its awesome to travel to races and be surrounded by my Timex peeps and crew. Yesterday it was awesome to be home and be surrounded by Jared Runyon: Kompetitive Edge and crew. It was great being able to be with them pre and post race and have that support.

Enjoy your training =)

It's not the critic who counts,

2011-05-18T07:20:00.003-06:00

not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man actually in the arena, whose face is marred with dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and come short again and again, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause, who at best knows achievement, and who at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly so that his place will never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat. ~Theodore Roosevelt

A big "Thanks" to Gretchen and Wayde.

A Mother's Greatest Gift Received at St. Anthony's

2011-05-07T20:19:00.013-06:00

I headed to St. Anthony’s to race for the second year in a row. I was ready to have a great race and hit my goal of top 10 in this large competitive race. Sometimes things happen that are out of your control, like a mechanical on the bike. I was excited about the shortened swim and ‘thought’ I was set up for a perfect day. At mile 12, I noticed my handle bars had shifted to the left. After some time, I figured I was going to be okay if I pushed on the straights and took the corners VERY easy. I definitely lost time but was optimistic for my run. Well, the bottom line is, my run wasn’t so hot. After my client had looked at my bike when back in transition, he couldn’t believe I didn’t go down on the bike and suggested that my run suffered from the awkward position I had to ride in. There is probably some truth to this, but regardless, it was what it was. I’m convinced if you race long enough, you will get to experience it all. This is just one more thing I can add to the list! When I look back at the weekend and the race; I am happy I still managed a 13th/178 finish… but I’m even more thrilled with the love and support my daughters gave me. I opened my phone to see this when I was headed to the race. There is nothing more fulfilling in my life than being a “Mommy” as my 15 yr old still calls me. My three daughters, 15, 13, 11 are the best; They support me, encourage me. We run together, we have fun together and are there for each other in success as well as our less successful moments. The greatest decision I ever made, was to become a Mom and I’ve grown 3 new hearts since. Happy Mother’s Day to all, its the best job in the world! Enjoy your training =) http://www.tristafrancis.com/

Nautica SB 3rd Place AG!

2011-04-18T21:18:00.005-06:00

My season opener was the Nautica South Beach Olympic Triathlon; The first race in the Toyota Cup Series. Now that my hammy mechanical dysfunction is becoming a thing of the past, I had really dialed up my training over the winter months. I was very anxious to see if all the hard work was going to pay off. I set three goals for the day; in hopes that at least one would be met. Well, one was met and that was to podium and bring home a little hardware. This was my first Toyota Cup Race and I was very impressed. They did a top notch job from packet pick-up to awards. I definately blew out some cobwebs and I am ready to hit it again May 1st at St. Anthony's. A big thanks to Catalina Pines for the photo, Teammate Daniel for his support, TIMEX (namely TRISTAN) for getting me the gear I needed in time, Justin's for the travel pack Nut Butters, and Ryan at www.kompetitiveedge.com for getting my Orbea Ordu race ready! Btw, that was my first race with the new Race Trainer Pro and I can't believe how much I love that watch on the side of my wrist. BOOM! Enjoy your training =)

Pura Vida : Costa Rica

2011-03-27T17:55:00.018-06:00

Spring Break brought a fun trip to Tamarindo, Costa Rica. I spent a few days heading north to the Rain Forest which brought as much fun and entertainment as surfing in one of the best spots on earth. Zip lining and mud baths where definitely the highlight and I thank Roy at http://www.costaricaforeveryone.com/ for the personal attention and private tour. One beach day was spent on the Marlin Del Ray Catamaran with big props to Ken, Alex Jr. and Blacky for making it the best sailing I've experienced. The Casada's where out of this world at FT's and so was the mahi mahi taco's with jalapeno salsa at Taco Stop on the way to Langosta.. and I can't forget the Tres Leche. Oh my, that was heaven. The best part of the trip was being disconnected from all technology. I can't remember the last time my life was that simple... it was probably about 10 years ago. Morning runs were amazing and I'm grateful to the locals that lit up when I would run past them with a "Hola"... I love the people there; humble, grateful, simple.

Recent Press

2011-03-17T21:48:00.010-06:00

Below are photos and links to press I received at Slowtwitch, Ironman.com, Lava Magazine, Timex Sports, ESPNW, and Tri-magazine.net Timex Multisport Team Camp 2011 kicked off with Ronnie Barnes, the head Sports Medicine Doctor for the New York Giants camparing Endurance athletes to Football players. I was a little taken back when I saw this pop up at the beginning of his Welcome Presentation! Camp is always full of surprises... and so was the amount of press I received this year!

http://ironman.com/training/jennifer-ward-reports-from-the-timex-multisport-training-camp-in-meadowlands-new-jersey#axzz1ELO4xOxc

http://lavamagazine.com/features/gallery-let-the-timex-10th-anniversary-camp-commence#axzz1Gv578Duc

http://www.facebook.com/pages/iTz-Multisport-Endurance-Coaching/186791633271?ref=ts#!/video/video.php?v=648325169249&oid=101416801784&comments

http://espn.go.com/espnw/blog/_/post/6144833/inside-team-timex-training-camp-10-year-anniversary

http://tri-magazine.net/?p=1357

Enjoy your training =)

Less Than 70 Days...

2011-02-01T11:10:00.001-07:00

It seems like I was just writing about my last race of the season, posting all my "Thank you's" for 2010 and announcing my 2011 schedule. In just a blink of an eye, I am anxiously awaiting my first race to kick off the 2011 season. April 10th might be a little early for some to start their season, but not for me! I love racing. I have approached this year a little differently and my volume has been about as high as I can handle with coaching 25 athletes, being a GOOD Mom, and keeping life in order. Things are ticking... and I'm really excited about it! Well, except for having the time to get my girlie side on. I have to laugh, I came across this photo that was taken Dec 31. It has been about 32 days since I've had time to get all dolled up. It's all about priorities.... Enjoy your training =)

New Sponsors for 2011.. woot WOOT!!

2011-01-23T20:42:00.008-07:00

I had been contacted last August by a KOMPETITIVE EDGE about coming by and checking out the store. My fall was so busy, I just couldn't seem to squeak over there between training and travel and family and.... well you know! I had met Ryan Stedeford on a few occasions and was graciously greeted by Jared Runyon, the KE owner. I appreciate the two of them being diligent about getting me into their shop.

WOW! I had no idea it was going to be such a top notch shop! It's a swim shop gone Tri and I can't think of a better way to do it after being apart of the industry for over 7 years now. They have brought in the best brands and get straight to the point. I felt quite at home when I saw a display full of chilled Mix 1's and KSwiss shoes dressing the wall; and I might have even heard rumor that they are interested in bringing in the big "T" brand... if you know what I mean ;) They are so supportive of my Team Timex sponsorship and Im excited and honored to be apart of the KE TEAM for 2011! In addition to all my wonderful Timex Sponsors, look for me to be sporting TYR Swimsuits, bags & luggage, Swiftwick running socks, and CEP compression. Here's to a great 2011 season filled with wonderful relationships!! Enjoy your training =) www.kompetitiveedge.com

What Was That?

2011-01-05T15:42:00.003-07:00

I’m a little delayed to getting to this post because of the holidays. The week before Christmas I was up in Summit County, Colorado, at my Cabin. I was anxiously looking forward to my first snow shoe run of the season before we hit the slopes at Vail. I headed out in the morning and it was absolutely wonderful! As I headed down the trail, I passed a guy with his two dogs and continued down Wildernest Trail. No one else was out and I was hitting fresh untouched snow. I was about 20 minutes into my hour run when I glanced over through the trees and saw a big black hairy thing. I thought to myself “Hmmm. The hair is too long on that animal to be a deer.” As I continued on, this “Thing” heard me and moved and I saw short stubby ears off a real big head. I thought to myself again “I really should turn around, but I’m not ready to, it hasn’t been long enough”. Then I got a feeling… “You really should turn around!” I followed my gut and did just that. As I headed back in the direction I had just come from, I turned around probably 10 times to make sure there wasn’t anything hunting me down. My heart was racing a bit and I continued to think… “was that a moose or a bear, was that a moose or a bear? Was that a moose or a bear!!” I’m not sure I will ever figure it out, unless bears really do hibernate; then it was a moose. Regardless, from what I’ve heard, they both have mean streaks ;)

2010 Recap and a Big Thank you!

2010-12-07T16:25:00.008-07:00

Feb 18-21 Timex Team Camp: Timex Performance Center, New Jersey
April 25 St. Anthony's: St. Petersburg, Florida
May 23 Summer Open Sprint: Longmont, Colorado
May 28-31 Timex Team Camp #2: Winter Park, Colorado
June 6 Ironman 70.3 Kansas: Lawrence, Kansas
July 11 Boulder Peak: Boulder, Colorado
July 26-31 Training on Isolation Island
August 1 Huntington's Disease Olympic: Miami, FL
August 14 Rattlesnake Olympic: Aurora, Colorado
August 29 Steamboat Triathlon: Steamboat, Colorado
September 25 Age Group Nationals: Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Sept 26 Sprint Nationals: Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Nov 13 Ironman 70.3 World Championships: Clearwater, FL

Well folks, here it is, another one in the books. This year was awesome! I was able to race a full season and reaped a little success a long the way during this year of rebuilding. I am excited to announce that I feel that I am about 100% healed. After Clearwater, I have had significant improvement in my run paces and watts on the bike. It is an incredible place to be. I owe a lot of people a big "THANK YOU". Here it goes....

My girls: your sympathy and encouragement you gave your Mamma was well beyond your years.
My Clients: for your ongoing support through the process.
My Teammates: thank you for always checking up on my progress.
My Sister Thia : for telling me I wasn't fat when I was!
My Masseuse Jo: for your diligent weekly deep tissue treatments as my body went through so much adaptation.
My Therapist Pete: you fixed me, you made me whole when everyone else told me I couldn't be fixed. Thank you for the radical treatments and your "out of the box" thinking.
Kerry Sullivan: for showing me a side to training I had not yet experienced
Bikesource, KSwiss, Mix1, TriSwim: for supporting me, supporting me, supporting me!
Timex: for providing me with all the support, love, compassion and understanding any athlete could ever imagine

And to my coach Melissa Mantak: Thank you so much. Its been one long bumpy road. I will pat myself on the back, I'm not sure too many would have endured. From day one I tried to remain positive for healing and was constant in my search of what needed to be done. I am grateful for you; your attentiveness to my needs, your encouragement, sympathy, compassion, love, support and desire to seek out methods to lift me, if only slightly, in a forward direction. There really was never the next 'level' as the progress was too slow and miniscual for that. I kept the story of the little chicks you sent me as the center of my beliefs.. Its incredible the amount of knowledge I have gained through this process. Some days I didn't care about being a better coach, I just wanted to be the athlete I was... but in the end, I might just get both. There is absolutely no way I could have endured this without you. I am strong, but you were strong when I was weak and its during those weak times that critical decisions were made and words were said to keep me patient and believing that I could become whole again. I could have NEVER done this with out you. NEVER. Thank you for staying by my side through this hard time, I know that wasn't easy for you and I recognize this victory is just as big, if not bigger, for you than it is for me. Here is to many more years of the Melissa/Trista duo... watch out world!!

Rock Canyon Half Marathon; a tradition

2010-12-05T19:02:00.002-07:00

The first week of December is the annual Rock Canyon Half Marathon in my hometown. Pueblo, Colorado lays on the edge of the Banana Belt and can typically have warmer weather during the winter months. That, unfortunately hasn’t been the case the past two years. What I love about this race, is that my two sisters and I always run it and our Dad comes out and cheers us on! Sometimes we wrap in a spouse or bro-in-law to run it as well and it fun to see everyone out on the out and back course.

This year was super special. We asked special permission for my two older daughters to be able to split the course and race it as a team. We were granted our wish and I ran side by side my oldest daughter, Daphnie (15) for the first 8 miles. This was a blast! Then when I dropped her off and picked up my daughter number 2, Darbie (13), she quickly was pushing the pace and I told her, “Go! See what you can do, Baby!” She quickly dropped out of sight and I was really hoping she remembered she was running 5 miles and not a 5k!

As for my race, this always proves to be interesting. I always finish up Ironman 70.3 World Championships the first part of November and then take two weeks off. I run two short runs the week before the half marathon and am always a little nervous for the day because it seems so long since I’d covered that distance! I had a pretty solid run. I was actually 5 min faster than Clearwater this year which is kind of a big deal for me. Usually I’m within a minute on this course for two reasons 1) my body is completely shutting down after a long season 2) this is a slow course! This year, however, I’ve been feeling super strong with my hamstring/knee and I ran 5min faster than Clearwater going 1:55. I really lost a lot of time the last two miles, but I have not been able to run that hard for 17 months! Legs really hurt; OUCH! I had kind of forgotten that feeling.. but I am so glad to be getting healthy and strong! I will continue to build that speed into my endurance. Strength doesn’t happen overnight! I’m in a really good place going into 2011.

As for my daughters, they peeled out a 1:43 finish. Pretty impressive, at least to me, their mamma! I had several clients that raced as well which made for a very fun day! I also ran into my neighbor, Tim Hola. I believe he placed 4th. A big shout out to him! It is always to fun to see a Timex mate on the courses in the off season and Tim and I seem to get around and pop up at the same place! Enjoy your training =) www.tristafrancis.com

Ironman 70.3 World Championships; a Huge Victory

2010-11-15T19:30:00.004-07:00

Clearwater, Florida is one of my favorite race venues. I know many would disagree because of the flat bike course, but I absolutely love it there. Swimming along the Pier, riding and running over the bridge to the most breath taking views is not something you can find anywhere. This was my third year racing the World Championships there and it was just as beautiful as the first time I saw it.

I was excited to race as I was the fittest I have been since my injury in July 2009. I had logged my biggest training week ever prior to this race at 22 hours which really boosted my confidence. The race started out with a bang as the ocean swim was pretty intense. A very strong current was towing everyone in each wave out so much that it took a long time for the group to separate and after I got kicked in the jaw and chomped on my tongue, I decided to quickly end this nonsense and get inside the buoy line to swim. It was a tough swim with the wakes and currents at the turn buoys and on the return. I was very pleased with my swim time as I exited and even more excited to note that this is the first time EVER my swim has ranked higher than the bike and run. I handled the conditions well and swam strong relative to my peers!

The bike was the windiest of the three years and I averaged about the same watts as previous years. My time was a little slow at 2:46:00 but I was fine with it given the day and the wind and congestion on the course. The run is always where truth is revealed. I ran a good run with the first and last splits being the strongest. 9:11 wasn’t my ideal pace for the day as I was shooting super high for a 9 min avg. But of course, I over shoot always and need my coach to keep me in check. I finished at 5:31 which is almost a 30 minute improvement from last year and only 10 minutes off my best time on this course.

After good discussion with Melissa, I realized that the day was a HUGE VICTORY from a coaches perspective. 70.3 is a long race and I ran solid. The whole day was solid. This was the first time in 16 months. We are excited for the off season as we are optimistic we will be able to get good improvements with being able to train consistently as the ailments are becoming a thing of the past and strength is returning. It’s been a long hard road, but Saturdays race showed me I’m closer than I’ve been and Victory will be a more common occurrence again.

I need to make a huge shout out to TIMEX. It was so awesome to get to the run turn around and be greeted by the TIMEX TRUCK!.. I said to the man running next to me “Well, I didn’t know I was going to be shown this kind of love on the course?!” He said, “That’s some serious love!” And I responded with “The thing is, Timex is showing everyone the love by being here!” and my new friend couldn’t have agreed more!

Another shout out to those of you who supported me on my final push to this race and over the weekend. You know who you are and I appreciate it more than you know. Your support has been amazing.

Thank you to TIMEX, BikeSource, ORBEA, SHIMANO, SUGOI, KSwiss, Mix 1, Tri Swim and so many other sponsors listed to the right. Your support for 2010 has made all the difference. Also to DJBerner for being the best there is when it comes to bikes!

Seven months and 10 races later, my 2010 season comes to a close. I’m so excited to work hard in the off season, I can’t even stand it. Probably not what you were expecting to hear…. ;0)

Enjoy your training =) www.tristafrancis.com

Double Header at USAT AG NATIONALS

2010-09-28T07:53:00.001-06:00

I've never been to Alabama, so it took me awhile to figure out what "Roll Tide" actually meant. When I arrived to the airport, I suspected there would be many athletes on the only direct flight into Birmingham that day. Well, that was an understatement. Mark Fretta, Sara Haskins, Matt Reed, Cameron Dye and I could go on and on and on. There were also many National Team coaches and USAT Staff including Melissa Mantak, Barb Lindquist and Scott Schnitzpahn. It was really good to catch up with everyone and I knew it was going to be a fun weekend.

After being in bed for 3 weeks with pneumonia, I was just happy to be in Tuscaloosa, but had dropped any kind of expectation for performance. My plan was to use it as a solid training weekend racing the Olympic on Saturday and the Sprint on Sunday with Clearwater Ironman 70.3 World Championships next on the schedule.

: Client Betsy and Coach Trista

With only one interval session on the bike and run earlier in the week, I knew Saturday was going to be bad. I just didn't realize how bad! I got out of the water and headed out on the bike and after about 5 miles, I knew I needed to take it down a notch. I was really struggling and the body wasn't shifting into my top gear. After about 1.5miles of riding easier, I was able to then dial it back up and felt pretty darn good. Then mile 17 came and I was tired! Kind of hit the wall a bit. I thought to myself this is all okay, let's just make the run a training day. I headed out into the 90 degree temps and high humidity and oddly enough, did not feel like the heat was limiting me. My training on Isolation Island in Florida had really made me resistant to such conditions =) Regardless, it was a long day on the run course for me, even though I ran the whole 10k. I was just tired and was wondering how on earth I was going to race in the morning.

Sunday morning came and we had rain, rain, and more rain! I felt tired and stiff but figured it's just a little over an hour training session today. Let's just do this. I felt great in the swim and thought, well, maybe I've blown out some cobwebs. Well, I had done just that. I felt like a Rockstar on the bike and held off a few on the run. Fortunately, the clouds really let down only the last mile on the bike, so I high tailed it back as quick as I could to get off the bike and onto the run. The run was solid for where I was at not running for weeks and I even held off a few the last stretch to the finish. I ended up with a smile on my face and an okay finish of 8th place. I felt good and really that is what I was grateful for after being down for weeks.

: Running in the Rain: Photo Courtesy of Brian Nath

I will probably take my Team USA slot and race the World Championships in Beijing 2011 for the Sprint race.

A BIG SHOUT OUT TO:

-My client Betsy for placing 16th at AG Nats and qualifying for Team USA

-Coach Melissa for getting me to the race healthy

-Kerry for perspective

-TIMEX Cindi Bannink for coming out to cheer me on in the rain! Your trash bag looked FAB!!

-My family for taking care of me when I was laid FLAT!!!!

-Photos by Brian Nath -Grasky Endurance Coaching and Dick Quinn

What Did You Say About My Butt??

2010-08-18T06:10:00.010-06:00

Last week I had another appointment with P.E. After some more progressive testing, as I was feeling that the hamstring was still not as strong as it should be at this point, he discovered a significant weakness in my Glut. I thought to myself... "Really?" But then I thought "Yay! We can fix this!" After some discussion with Melissa, we were going to move in the direction of getting the Gluteus Medius firing with the hamstring and strengthening it. Well, P.E. corrected us and said.. "it's not the Medius that is the issue, it is the Maximus." WOW.. was my first reaction. With all my experience in Sports Medicine, very rarely is the Maximus the culprit. It is such a big muscle and it just does what it is supposed to do =).

I will focus strengthening this area primarily when my season is over in November, but we started with some light body weight exercises and I CAN'T BELIEVE how weak that side is. My run times are dropping even though I still have many imbalances in that leg. It fuels me like gasoline, knowing I am going to get back to where I want to be!

Enjoy your training =) ~T

2nd at Rattlesnake!

2010-08-15T08:56:00.002-06:00

: I race most of my races with my sister, Thia =) Wouldn't be the same without her!

Rattlesnake Olympic Triathlon has been around for awhile, but I have never raced it. It is held at Aurora Reservoir and can be a challenging bike course with the rollers and the wind out on the East plains of Denver. My day started off with a solid swim for myself, and I could tell as I was running up to transition; it was going to be another "training" race. My legs were not very fresh from the ongoing training that has been carried on from FL. It is difficult for me to race under these conditions of fatigue, but I must say... I'm starting to get used to it. It will be a happy day in Tuscaloosa when I have had a strong taper!

: One of my Faster Swims of the Season!

: Very Happy to be Done with the 12 miles of Headwind!

: Running in to the Finish!

With the women starting first today, I was able to manage to get way ahead of many on the bike and I think I came in as one of the first 10 off the bike. This was very fun! I have never had such HUGE cheers from the crowds and it totally fueled my run! The run was challenging for about the first half as I was still a little frozen from the bike. I pulled out a decent run split for the rolling hill course and finished on a good note. Now this is Colorado and I new I would be hard pressed to place... BUT! It is well understood that wind on the bike will put a huge separation between the strong riders and the weaker ones.... and my strength prevailed! It was enough to make up where I still lack on the run and I finished 2nd in my Age Group! Wahooooo! Enjoy your training =) www.tristafrancis.com

: 2nd Place Age Group!

Training on Isolation Island/Huntingtons Disease Triathlon

2010-08-06T20:06:00.000-06:00

Well, I think I have experienced paradise. I had the opportunity to go down to a remote Island off Florida and train for a week in the extreme heat and humidity that abounds there this time of year. My friend who is a budding Pro Triathlete, has lived and trained there for a year and a half now.

As we got onto the island and arrived to his dwelling, I immediately was taken back that he had both of his bikes just sitting there outside his house. In the open, for anyone to see. He proclaims they have been there for a year and a half and they were just fine. Guess I’m not in suburbia anymore?! It was a very difficult thing for me to wrap my head around. Shortly, thereafter, my Orbea Ordu got plopped right next to the other two and I hesitantly went inside feeling like I was completely abandoning one of my most prized possessions!

I couldn’t get inside fast enough to remove a few layers of clothing. I’ve been to Kona several times and this heat index didn’t even touch it. I began learning about my new training facility for the week and was completely excited to get the training rolling. First of all, training nutrition: mango’s are unlimited here. I could hardly believe it, I LOVE MANGO’S… I knew it was going to be a great week!

Next we headed out for my first bike ride and island tour. There is one road that goes from one end to the other but we didn’t ride on the road, we rode on the “path”. Yes, this was crazy. Residents here drive golf carts around the island to get around, it was actually kind of hilarious! Some have custom painted golf carts and I even saw one with bigger tires and painted flames on it. I don’t think most of them even golf! You just have a golf cart to get around. My first ride was a very interesting experience, as I learned how to share the path with the golf carts and most often was riding faster than them and “passing on the left” was a common occurrence. On another note, I have NEVER sweat so profusely in my life. Within a minute or two of getting back out into the heat, my body was pouring sweat from every single pore. I had sweat just constantly dripping off my chin and running down my legs into my shoes. This was all while riding! I consumed 80 fluid ounces of water and PowerBar Electrolyte drink during my short 2 hour ride! The island is about 7 miles long, so, yes, we looped back and forth. It was so beautiful, and so fun to be in a new environment, it never got old. I would go back in a heartbeat.

The swimming pool was fantastic and turned into my favorite workout everyday as it was the coolest of them all! It was fun increasing my yardage significantly this week and giving/getting stroke feedback. Every evening we jumped on the Vasa Trainer and had another workout. My upper body definitely reaped some rewards from the multiple training sessions daily. One day we decided to swim in the ocean. I quickly got overheated in the 90 degree water and almost hurled. It was quite interesting. But if I had hurled, there would’ve been no one there to witness it… as we were always the only ones on the white sand beach!! =)

We would run on the same path that we biked on… I did a lot of loops so I could refill water at the house. I did notice by Thursday my water needs had been reduced significantly. I love adaptation!

I finished up my last training day with around 5 and a half hours and then we packed up and headed to Miami to race Huntington’s Disease Olympic Triathlon. It was sad to say goodbye to my ‘training facility’ I had instantly bonded with. We traveled through Alligator Alley and dropped into downtown Miami and as we pulled into the Hyatt, I quickly realized what two extremes I was going to experience this week. A remote retreat to the flashiest of cities out there.

After a solid nights sleep, I awoke and headed over to the race. It was a balmy 85 at about 5am. At this point, the decision was made. I was going commando, no speedsuit for me. I just needed to make sure I made it through the swim without overheating. This was my first non-wetsuit swim and I was excited. After pacing conservatively for the first half of the swim, I put the hammer down the last half when I knew I was in the clear for making it through the swim. I hopped on the bike and low and behold, began experiencing the biggest sufferfest I have ever known! I felt every hour of training in my legs and couldn’t ever seem to pull the effort out of tempo watts. I chuckled a little as I got passed by a few that I know normally I could hold off. My goal for the run was a big goal… I wanted to come in just 6 secs faster than my run at Boulder Peak 3 weeks prior regardless of the big run/training week I was coming off of. Well, I did just that and then some. When I came across the finish line with another 1:21 off my 10k time… I was STOKED!!!! Couldn’t have been happier! BAM!!! It even got me a 5th place age group finish and was like the cherry on top of an awesome week! A shout out to my training partner in crime for pulling off a 2nd overall finish among the Elite competitors.

I will return to Isolation Island. I am drawn to the extremes that exist there… pain and pleasure.

Enjoy your training =) www.tristafrancis.com

Crazy T1 at the Peak

2010-07-11T18:46:00.003-06:00

I couldn't have been more excited to race this morning!! After my Kansas episode, I was ready to put the hammer down and see what improvements I was going to get at the Olympic distance since St. Anthony's back in April. It was a great morning and my swim got off to a great start. It was very fun swimming next to a client of mine Gretchen Bruno for half of the swim. It was hard not to smile at each other each time we took a breath =0).

As I exited the water, I ran up into Transition, peeled off my wetsuit, dropped my goggles and cap, then put on the helmet and optics. As I pulled my bike off the rack, and started running forward with it, I looked down, as I must've rolled over my goggles and low and behold; they had rolled up and were stuck between my brake, frame, and wheel. I quickly tried to joggle them loosed as they were completely wedged in there! I pulled and pulled and finally the nose piece flew off, but now I had one goggle on each side of the brake! After pulling them to one side, discovered that the goggle was much bigger than the hole. I'm quite sure I yelled out, "You've got to be kidding me!!" So I start pulling as hard as I can to break that darn strap... after about 6 pulls, I was set free!!!

So I'm off! I race through Transition, wave to all my fans (okay, just my coach who was cheering for me and a couple random "Go Timex" cheers) and I leap onto my bike. Don't ask me what happened, but I missed my shoe, landed back on the ground, and thought... "Wow, that hurt." No biggie, I just did it again and was off. Well, I felt my foot a little on the bike, and then a little on the run. When I had crossed the finish line and had finally stopped moving, MY TOE REALLY HURT! I couldn't hardly walk. "I broke my toe, I really think I broke my toe". Well, when I removed my shoe, it wasn't looking so hot. Now I am getting yellowing over the top of my foot as well and it's pretty obvious which one is the unhappy piggy.

I would like to say after today, I've seen it all. But as soon as I do, I'm setting myself up for something else. In my racing, I have been stung by a jellyfish, hit by a car, stepped on a staple, passed out on my bike with hypothermia, screamed at during the swim, called bad names for passing someone on the bike, rescued a panicking swimmer, listened to my CO2 cartridge "ping, ping, ping" behind me as it fell off my bike. I'm sure there are more and I'm sure you have some of your own to share. It's all apart of the racing experience!

Aside from all the drama, I had a good day out there. Although there wasn't significant improvement on my swim and bike for this course, I ran 37 seconds faster per mile than I did at St. Anthony's. YAY!!!! The leg is getting stronger. I don't plan on being "FRESH" for a race, until my speed is back. I will continue to train, train, race, train and enjoy the journey of rebuilding.

A big congrats to all my TIMEX Peeps for outstanding performances on the course today... and to all my athletes for spectacular finishes and big PR's!!!

Enjoy your training =) www.tristafrancis.com

A Happy Anniversary

2010-07-07T10:08:00.002-06:00

This evening proved to be eventful. I was ready for my Aquaman #2 and was shooting to run 3 sec faster than last week out of the water. With multiple lightening delays, I was really hoping they would still keep the 5k run on as I figured the swim was going to be cancelled. Well, it was and only a handful of people stuck around to run the 5k. I was okay with this as I would have been running it by myself regardless if they had cancelled the whole event.

Today was also an emotional day for me. It is the one year anniversary to my fall. I can say, I was a bit nervous to run. My mind starting running away from me and I was thinking that I hope I am not jinxed. Maybe I shouldn't run at all today. Well, I pushed the thoughts out and said, "Let's let it rip!".

I took off with about 10 others on the 5k course and I was more comfortable this week as I knew the course now. I just ran my little heart out trying not to worry about my time. "Just do what your body can do...today." I really pushed to the turn around as knew now that the out is MUCH harder than the back. I held on and tried to continue to push to break 24:00 as last week was a 24:02. When I crossed the finish at 23:17, I got really, REALLY excited to say the least. YES!!! 45 sec PR!

Now, I know I didn't swim, but I don't think a swim would cost me 45 seconds either. AND, its a new PR for me since the injury. Chipping away, Baby, I'm chipping away. Watch out folks, I'm hungry. I'm ready to be a runner again and it's coming...

5th at Aquaman

2010-07-01T11:43:00.000-06:00

It's been a long time since I have been super nervous for a race. I got signed up to do a local swim/run race which is the first time I have raced this combination. 1 mile swim & 5k run. As I was setting up my "transition" I started to think about how much I was REALLY missing my bike at this point. Two things were running through my mind. The first was.. this run is really going to hurt! The second was... I miss my bike! The bike is my Baby. I am not the fastest swimmer out there, but what I lack in the swim I can make up on the bike. So now, I am left with just a 5k to do that with... UGH! Totally out of my element! Especially as I am trying to regain run speed as the one year anniversary of my injury approaches July 6th. I ended up having a blast and yes, the run hurt as much as I thought it would but I am excited to continue with the series over the next 5 weeks and see if I can continue to reset my 5k PR post injury. Its going to be great for getting the speed back. Without Limits will take each athletes top 4 finishes and award to those with the highest standing at the end. Let's see if I can move up a little. Enjoy your training =)

Racing On Empty : Kansas 70.3

2010-06-08T10:21:00.000-06:00

What does racing on empty mean? Does that mean physically? Emotionally? Well, for me, it was both. My drive to Kansas on Friday morning started off with a funeral. My Step sister passed away suddenly a few days prior and the family was devastated. Funerals can be healing and help with the process, but by the time I got on the road to Kansas, I was emotionally spent.

After a very short 5 hours of sleep, I met some clients for a short swim, bike, run which is my usual workout the day before a race. As I was finishing up my run, my stomach started to feel sour. I figured I just needed to get some more food and I would be fine. By the time I had parked the Flex at the Expo and picked up my packet; I knew I needed to get back to the hotel quickly. I figured, its been a rough couple of days and I just need some good sleep. After laying in bed until 4pm, I was getting super concerned as I could not even drink Sprite, let a lone, water or sports drink or eat a darn thing. I mustered up the energy to get back to the Clinton State Park to check in my bike and pick up the Flex. At that point, I made a call to coach to discuss the game plan for the morning as I had not consumed any liquids or calories all day!

I tossed and turned until 3am with stomach pain and then it finally stopped. But then, I got a bad headache, which I’m sure was from dehydration at that point. I had decided… I’M NOT RACING. The clock kept ticking, and ticking, and ticking. I got into the last minutes of when it would be TOO LATE to get to the race and I said… “I’ve got to try. If I’m standing on the sidelines and feel fine all day and didn’t try, I will be so mad!” I quickly pulled all my gear together, threw on my racesuit and headed out the door with a Sprite and a Bagel (not my typical pre-race meal for a Half IM!).

On the drive over, I keep thinking of the wise words I was told… “Stay in the moment”. This was so hard for me as my thoughts kept going to “If I make it out of the water, how on earth can I ride 56 miles on such an empty tank!” I would stop my self, back up and say, “just get yourself to the swim start”.

After a very conservative swim, (honestly, I was so tired and had no energy) I still didn’t think I could do 56 miles on the bike. I decided to listen to the words of advice about STAYING IN THE MOMENT and JUST GET ON THE BIKE. Then if I wanted to turn around after 2miles… so be it. Well, I got 10miles under my belt and said “Okay, we are just going for a ride, no big deal”. I tried to up my hydration and nutrition now to try and make up for the deficit but wasn’t too successful.. I took in some good calories, but couldn’t really take in more than I typically do for that distance. As I was about 45 miles into the bike, I kept thinking once again. “How on earth am I going to be able to truly run 13 miles.” I really had to work my mental muscle and just stop thinking about it and STAY IN THE MOMENT.

I finished the bike 12 minutes slower than last year and was pleased that is wasn’t any worse! I headed out for the run and put together a strategy. First of all, GET SOME SUNSCREEN! With the crazy, unprepared morning I had, the only thing I forgot was to apply sunscreen. I yelled to my family so they could be prepared for me when I looped back past them in about 10 minutes. The second thing was HYDRATE!!! I could tell my HR was elevating quickly due to my dehydrated state and it was hot. I decided if I was going to actually finish the race, I needed to walk the aid stations and get a full glass of water and a full glass of gatorade in me every mile.

My run was slow, but my goal was to finish. I had to find that very sensitive balance so I could use the only fumes I had left as efficiently as possible. It was a combination of running the downhills fast (it’s a relative term), walking the uphills, drinking and eating what my body would take in and not being out there on the course too long… as I really just needed a FRICKEN STEAK by this point. Miles 6-9 felt the best of the whole race as I felt the most hydrated I had been in two days, but miles 10-13 were the most challenging. My body just wanted to drop to the ground, curl up in a ball, and go to sleep. I fought this every step the last 3m and I was getting nervous because the finish was so close, but I was in a real bad way by this point.

I could not believe it when I was actually running down that finishing shoot on the yellow carpet to Dorothy and the Scarecrow. I really could not believe that putting each MOMENT together, would have got me there. If I would have bet on the day, I would have lost. I didn’t believe I was was capable of RACING ON EMPTY.

I am darn proud of my 6:17:00 Finish… actually, I’m just proud of my finish! One of those races that put more in your bag of experience, than any other.

3rd Place at the Summer Open Sprint

2010-05-24T15:42:00.000-06:00

Well, one month after St. Anthony’s, I raced close to home in Longmont, Colorado. The Summer Open is probably become my favorite Sprint race locally. This is the second year I raced it and Race Director Lance Panigutti with Without Limits Productions once again put on a fantastic race. I love the venue, course and post race festivities. At the finish I had a Mix 1 waiting for me as well as a bread choices and sandwiches from Great Harvest. In my book, it doesn’t get any better than this!

I always love to race, but was super excited for this race to see what improvements I’ve had in a month since my last race. Right now, my expectations are low as I have to be patient with the leg. Well, it turned out to be a pretty darn good day! I didn’t have the most flawless swim; still some kinks with swimming a straight arrow for me this early in the season. I was still a minute faster than last year. The bike was a touch windier than last year and I pulled out just about a minute or two slower than last year. What I was very happy about was the run! My leg felt relatively good coming off the bike! At St. Anthony’s it felt like… well… pooh. I clipped along swallowing hard as I got passed by a few but reminded myself, ‘it is a season for rebuilding’. I continued to run as fast as my leg would let me and came in about 3 minutes slower than last year. I was ok with this because my leg is FEELING so much better! After glancing over at the results, I was delighted to see after winning my age group last year… I still squeaked out a third place finish. WAHOO! Wasn’t expecting that one!

It was a great day as I was surrounded by some of my extended family or in other words, Clients =) that had great races as well. It was great to be greeted by the Timex Ford Flex at the finishline; an extension of my Timex family and to race with Tim Hola, Timex Team mate. A big thanks my client Gary Netherland for the photos.

Enjoy your training =) www.tristafrancis.com

St. Anthony’s, Race Directors and Parking Garages…

2010-05-24T10:12:00.001-06:00

(note: repost from Timex Blog)

I headed to Florida for my season opener. I was excited to do St. Anthony’s as it is a race I have wanted to do for several years now. I traveled with my Assistant, athlete, and sister, Thia to this race as she has become a great travel partner for such events.

: Thia and Trista

When we arrived, we had just barely enough time to get from Tampa Airport to Vinoy Park for packet pick up before 7pm. After parking and walking around for awhile… we couldn’t find where we needed to go! Pressed for time, we stopped a gentleman who was stacking water cups for the race and he said… “I’ll take ya over on the golf cart!” Well, I couldn’t have been more flattered as time was drawing near that 7pm mark. We hopped on and were escorted to the expo. After I had finished getting my packet and goodies.. I thought, “How are we going to get all the way back to our car?!” Right then, I saw our chauffeur waiting for us. =) I thought, Geez! I should get to know this kind man. We hopped back on the cart and I asked him his name. He answered “Phil”. I said “Philip Lahaye?” and he replied, “yes”. I thought to myself.. OH MY GOSH! The race director of St. Anthony’s Triathlon just took time out of his busy day to drive ME around in his golf cart. I was so impressed with this and decided this is an early season race I will do again, and again.

Race day was fun and eventful as they delayed the swim half way through the waves due to the water conditions. Fortunately it didn’t affect my wave and with some hard work in the water, I made it through the crazy surf. The winds continued to be relentless on the bike tossing many of the athletes off their bikes, but I was very pleased that the Colorado Winds had prepared me well for such a ride. As I hopped off my bike for the run, my hammy was VERY fatigued after my first 40k Bike Race Effort since my injury last July and I just muscled through the run.. Man! That 10k seemed long! I was excited to finish my first race of the season and am looking forward to continued strength and improvement with my run throughout the season.

: Trista and Philip Lahaye

After getting all our gear and bike checked in to TriBike Transport, we began walking back to the parking garage to drive back to the hotel. This sounded like a great plan until the first, second, and third garaged we went to; could not find our car! After walking around for over an hour.. we were gettin desperate! We were so tired and hot and could hardly think straight and honestly… just wanted to CRY! I thought to call up my good friend and Rockstar Kerry Sullivan who had raced to see if he was still in the area. At this point, I would have paid ANYONE to drive me around to find my car so I didn’t have to walk anymore. Kerry answered and once he heard of our situation… he said “Don’t you worry! I’ll come search you out!” and that is exactly what he did. Now if you are wondering if this is THE KERRY SULLIVAN… it is. He is a dear friend of mine who had a great race that day despite having to ditch his wetsuit seconds before the swim due to a broken zipper. He had a fantastic run and ran down most of the field!.. Yes, we located the car and were finally able to get back to a hot shower and some food. That will NEVER happen again…

: Trista and Kerry Sullivan

A great time, fun people, good event and yummy food. Race season has begun! Enjoy your training =) www.tristafrancis.com

The Hammy is Healing, the Hammy is Healing!

2010-05-24T09:57:00.006-06:00

Well, it has been about 6 weeks since my last post and I am excited to say, I have seen huge changes in my hamstring. This radical treatment thing is working. We have good mechanical function back into the hamstring and continue to work on the neural innervation. The nerve takes longer to heal and to "catch up" to the mechanical function. I have found a PT that is an expert in "fixing" issues that other PT's have created. If I had earlier intervention in my hamstring healing by P.E, I would be racing close to 100% right now... but the fact of the matter is.. I didn't. BUT, I have seen incredible changes in my leg. They way my leg is functioning and now I am seeing run paces drop... YAY!!! I honestly had forgotten what a normal leg feels like. Now I remember and am thrilled to be on the road to being a competitive athlete again. If it weren't for P.E., I would have been stuck where I was forever. Blessings in my life, I count daily; P.E. is one of them. Love ya man! =)

How Radical....?

2010-03-29T19:59:00.006-06:00

So, here I am. Less than one month out to my first race for 2010. Yet tomorrow, I have an appointment with a Manual Therapist to receive the most radical/painful treatment he says exists... to fix my hammy. But, it WILL fix my hammy. Boy, could it really be true?

Yes, here I am, 9 months post injury running/biking in such discomfort, STILL. And, still running slooooowwww. Today during a threshold bike... I thought; my foot injury might be the best thing that could have ever happened at this point. Okay, so now you are saying... "I thought it was a hamstring injury". Well, a month ago, my foot became very painful and crippling after runs. I decided to go see this Manual Therapist. Because of all the overcompensation from the weak hammy, my ankle was freezing up on me. We are starting to get some results from his manipulations and I decided to ask him his opinion on my hammy. After some testing that elicited EXTREME pain... he had some answers for me. But first, I thought... this baby should not still hurt like this 9 months later! Tissues are healed! Well this is true... but

He told me I have neural entrapment and he can do neural glides to correct this. This is good. He also said my hamstring is NOT functioning normal as it is bound with scar tissue. Apparently, it continues to lay down collagen and when my hamstring contracts, instead of fanning like a normal muscle, it is bound and can't splay. Its like a brick. If you saw the back of my leg during a contraction, it looks like a brick. One straight line from my glut down... and its square. No joke. No attractive curvature that hammys and gluts make together.

So tomorrow I go to the Torture Chamber... willingly. I will put on my 'tough girl' while my leg is bound; literally tied down, and maximum repeated contractions are forced to start breaking up all this scar tissue that has developed and forcing it to lengthen in hopes that we can start getting some normal function of my hamstring. He looked me straight in the eyes and said.. I can make you 100% again... and I have to believe him.

Radical? I will know tomorrow how Radical... stay tuned...

Quick trip to Miami

2010-03-09T16:51:00.007-07:00

Shortly after arriving home from camp, I was contacted by a Team Timex sponsor; Nathan Sports. They sponsor triathlons around the country and occasionally do hydration presentations for the athletes. I had done this previously in Tempe, AZ last September and Nathan was looking to get me to Miami to do one down there. Well, the calender was open.. and I've never been to Miami, so I jumped at the opportunity.

When I arrived into Miami yesterday afternoon, I thought how funny that the day before I was snowshoe racing above 11,000 feet and now I'm about ready to combust in my jeans with the heat and humidity. I didn't know if I was going to make it to the hotel alive with the way my taxi driver was driving... but I was hoping I would so I could get those jeans off!

I arrived at Footworks for the event and met a lot of really nice people. They called on me to lead the 60+ runners in a warm-up... that was fun; and then headed out for a run. THIS WAS CRAZY... I thought the taxi ride was bad?! I truly feel it is a hazard to ones health.. or LIFE to run in Miami. I think drivers try to hit runners... it was the craziest thing I have ever experienced in my life!

Upon our return to the shop, I presented on hydration to a lot of great people with great questions. It was a good time and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Watch for the podcast of the presentation to arrive soon!

TIMEX MULTISPORT TEAM 2010

2010-02-28T16:04:00.010-07:00

Timex Camp this year was at the Timex Performance Center. In June, Timex and the New York Giants created a 15 year partnership. I have to admit, I was a little curious as to how a bunch of skinny triathletes would be welcomed at the home of the New York Giants as the TPC was to just be a temporary place for our team for the duration of the camp. After all the introductions were made, a very warm welcome came from the Giants as they concluded with, "this is your home."

I had the opportunity with my other mates, to have my VO2Max done. I was able to get some good information regardless of the lack of speed work in the last 8 months. It was great to run on the Woodward treadmills (fantastic! Best in the industry!) and enjoy the other amenities at the TPC.

This year with us spending all of our time at the TPC, it really created the perfect opportunity for Team bonding and relationship building! I have developed solid relationships with each of the 48 members at the camp. We have a solid number of international athletes which really has added to the presence of Team Timex world wide. Kirill (Estonia), Jerzy (Netherlands), Victor (Russia), Tamara(Ukraine), Luis(Mexico), Anu(India), Toby(London; pictured above), Stu & Ali (Austrailia) and many mates from Canada =)

Timex put on a Top Class Camp and the details were incredible. I am excited to move into 2010 with my mates and share the passion of the sport and the passion of the products with others.

A Big Thanks to:
Herbie Calves
Keith Meyer
Tom Schuler
Tristan Brown
Doug Berner

All the Marketing and Sponsorship partners at the Giants!

Frosty's Frozen 10 Miler

2010-01-16T21:35:00.004-07:00

Today I peeled off a 10 miler in hopes to see some improvements in my run times. I have been running without any feedback over the past month as I was starting to get frustrated with the numbers. Today was a beautiful day in Denver! A high of 64 degrees made for an awesome day to race!

I have not done this course before and it was a little hillier than I expected. There were several areas covered with snow and ice which caused me to slow. I am a chicken now about going down! I did not look at my average pace until I finished... simply because I was running as hard as I could on a tired leg. I did watch my heart rate as it was lower than typical for a race of this distance. The bottom line is, my leg will only allow me to run so fast.. So often I can't tap into what my central system is capable of still.

I finished with an 8:40 pace and a 1:26:50 finish, 7th age group. I am pleased with this time as the pace continues to drop, little by little. That is all I'm asking for.. and it's happening :-).

I finished up the day with an 1.5 hour ride. I was actually very surprised with the way I rode. It wasn't fantastic, but much stronger than I had anticipated. I am starting to feel like an athlete again.... and it feels good!

Enjoy your training! =)

10k = 7.25 miles

2010-01-11T17:00:00.005-07:00

I am so excited to write about my first ever snow shoe race! For the past couple of years, I have wanted to try this but didn't have snow shoes to just drop in whenever. So for Christmas, the big box under the tree... was a pair of running snow shoes!
I registered for the Beaver Creek Snow Shoe Series which is the largest snow shoe series in the world! It is about a 2 hour drive from Denver. Well, registering was the easy part. I needed to get my running shoes mounted and the person I found to do this was at Pedal Power in Vail. So I treked up there 5 days before the race to get my shoes mounted. I had planned on trying them out afterward, but I wasn't able too because of the mounting process. I thought oh well, I guess I'll be trying them out on race day!

Race day came and as I was packing up to head out, I mentioned to my Sister and Bro-in-law, "Don't try anything new on race day!" as I chuckled. I had yet to be on these snow shoes let alone attempt running in them. After heading over to Beaver Creek, I got my number and got over to the start. I started about 1/3 of the way back as to not get in the way of anyone "more experienced"! The gun blew and we were off. It took me about 2 miles to get comfortable in my shoes... to the point where at some times, I looked down just to make sure they were still on my feet! These Northern Lites Elite Racers are amazing! The thought kept crossing my mind.. this is like the mountain biking of running! I loved it!!! My lungs felt like they were going to explode then my legs would feel like they were going to collapse, just a darn good workout!!
I was about 4 miles into the race when a 13 yr veteran of the series, Tom Moorhead, turned around and yelled at me.. "Is anyone behind you?" I said that I thought so... and he said "Nope, I think we took a wrong turn... we are heading back in". I thought, there is no way! I saw the blue flags and arrows. He stopped came back past me and was confident we had headed the wrong direction. Well, honestly, at this point, having never been to this resort, I had NO IDEA where I was or even where I needed to go. I figured I better follow! Sure enough, Tom had figured out where we had made the error and we were back on track. I must say, the wind was taking out of my sails a bit. I couldn't eat my frozen power bar and for my first time out... it was turning into a long adventure.

When I finally crossed the finishline, I had logged 7.25 miles running in snow shoes with 1,864 elevation gain for my first Snow Shoe race.. (yes, they had a 5k race too but I didn't feel that was long enough). I was sooo happy to be finished and am so excited to PR my next race!! ;-)
I am hooked! Get out there and try something new!

Enjoy your training =)

A Run In The Snow...

2010-01-03T21:09:00.005-07:00

I have been waiting for the snow here in the Denver area to melt off so I could start getting back into trail running. I enjoy trail running but haven't been able to venture out much until recently due to the lack of responsiveness in my Hammy. On the morning of New Years Eve, I called up my friend Julie Lyons and said... "Let's hit the bluff, girl!" and she was game.

When we arrived, I could not believe how much snow was on this completely exposed trail. It has been weeks since it snowed, but the abnormally cold temps have kept a lot of snow around for a long time! We looked at eachother and said.. "Oh well, we are here, right?"

We headed out on a hilly 7 mile snowy trail run. Well, I can honestly say, I have never ran in so much snow, and it was probably one of the funnest runs I have done in awhile. Julie and I took turns chatting while catching up since the craziness of the holiday's had kept us from our frequent chats and before I knew it, we had about 10 minutes left. I also had realized how tired my legs were at this point! I thought to myself, this was probably some good prep for my first snow shoe race coming up on Jan 10. As those are more strength workouts than speed.. as proved to be true on the snowy bluff.

Get out there and do something different. You will smile more, get stronger, and have a renewed sense of accomplishment.

Enjoy your training =)

Looking Back...

2009-12-25T19:32:00.005-07:00

Race Schedule 2009
April 4-7 Timex Team Camp: Oceanside, California +
May 17 Longmont Summer Open Sprint: Colorado +
May 28 Pelican Fest Sprint: Colorado +
June 14 Ironman Kansas 70.3: Lawrence, Kansas +
July 12 Boulder Peak: Colorado -
July 26 Sprint Nationals Pacific Coast: Newport Beach, California -
August 22 Age Group Nationals: Tuscaloosa, Alabama -
November 14 Ironman 70.3 World Championships: Clearwater, Florida +

What an interesting year! From a serious head injury that took 3 months to heal to a serious Hamstring injury that I am still trying to heal from. Reflecting over the past season however, considering all that has happened, I did a darn good job at hitting my race schedule! The (-) above show the races I missed. I also find it interesting that my first year on Timex I am faced with the most challenging year regards to injury yet the most rewarding year in my career as a triathlete. As I have struggled to return to my regular run fitness, I have met some of the most amazing people in the Timex family. I am grateful for the opportunities that came my way this past year and am so excited to have been asked to return to the Times 2010 Team. The race schedule for next year is taking form so keep checking back.

Enjoy your training =)

Racing in the Off Season

2009-12-25T19:00:00.005-07:00

This year I am doing something I haven't ever done before. Race, race, race in my off season. I'll be honest, it's been kind of fun! I am dropping into as many running races as I can trying to boost my hammy healing or should I say, expedite getting my speeeeeeed back! I have suprised myself with a couple performances. My first 5k was at the Turkey Trot where I held a 7:57 on a relatively hilly course. YAY! I broke the 8 minute mark! =) Now only 1 minute to go...

Next I ran the Rock Canyon Half Marathon on Dec 6. This again, is not a fast course with a lot of dirt, but went 2:01 averaging a 9:12 pace. Considering I have only 2 long runs under my belt... this again is a good performance for me. It is, however, at least 1 minute off pace.

Lastly, I ran Rudolphs Revenge 10k. I knew I would break an hour, but I didn't know by how much. Well, ran a 51:28... an 8:13 pace. I was happy that for the first 30 minutes I averaged an 8:06 pace. Honestly, I was indifferent about this result, probaby because I had no expectations, but Melissa was VERY HAPPY with it... so I guess I am too. Still about a minute off pace. Suprise! ;-) Enjoy your training =)

Clearwater Comeback

2009-12-25T18:46:00.006-07:00

As most of you know, shortly after qualifying for the 70.3 World Championships in June, I went down during an easy run and tore my Hamstring. My first handful of races started out with a bang and I was set to have an awesome rest of the season… until. I spent the rest of the summer learning how to run again (literally) and doing drills until I couldn’t see straight. I would go out for runs with my girls and they would have to wait for ME, and encourage ME to keep going. It was a long road to Clearwater knowing that the odds were against me in being able to complete 70.3 only 4 months post tear. I would get really nervous for my run sessions, knowing I needed to have success building my mileage to be able to finish the day. I’ll be honest, this is the hardest challenge I have ever had to overcome in my training. There was one day where I thought… “I am working so hard, the progress is minimal if any, is this all worth it? I just might be done as a triathlete”. Well, some one was looking out for me as I had a huge breakthrough run the next day which encouraged me to keep plugging away and reminded me of the passion I have for the sport.

About two weeks out to the race, I was looking back at my training. I knew I had enough training under my belt to finish.. But considering the distance, and the volume/intensity I can tolerate for 70.3, the training was way down due to the responsiveness of my leg. With all this and knowing the goal was to just ‘finish’ not ‘race’, I set some goals for myself. 1. Have a great time… ‘you’re racing again!’ 2. Run the whole run; pay no attention to pace. 3. Please oh please, let my body be able to come in under the 6 hr mark!

WOOT WOOT! I had a blast, I PR’d my swim and my Bike, and I ran the whole 13.1 miles which is the first time to cover that distance in 5 months (pre-injury). AND, I finished in 5:47:47. All goals accomplished and then some! I love Clearwater, and this race continues to be my favorite! This was the perfect comeback race for me. I have missed racing and getting out there again has fueled my motivation to continue to train hard through the winter months in regaining what was lost. http://www.tristafrancis.com/
Enjoy your training =)

My Trip to the Rock in the Middle of the Sea

2009-12-25T18:30:00.005-07:00

Photos:#1 Trista and Denise. #2 Tom Schuler, Timex Team Owner

This was my second trip to the Big Island for the Ironman World Championship race. Both times I have gone with clients who have qualified. This year, I had 6 additional athletes come with me to enjoy the training and the race. It was great fun to have a mini training camp in Kona! It’s a great place to test your run fitness in such heat and humidity! The highlights of my trip were swimming everyday with the fishies and spending time at the Timex Tent; I love the occasional Timex family reunions! A HUGE thanks to Tristan, Keith, Dave, Herbie and Tom for all they did for me while in Kona. Additional thanks to Jon with KSwiss, Brian with Sugoi, Justin with Aquasphere and Scott with Nuun. Ya’ll ROCK!
Congratulations to all the athletes that qualified this year and their finishes! Now, back on the bike for the final weeks of training for Clearwater. http://www.tristafrancis.com/

Trainer = Opportunity

2009-12-25T18:28:00.001-07:00

A few years back, I really needed to take my bike to the next level. Living in Colorado and heading into the winter months, the climate didn’t really provide the best cycling weather in the winter. Because of my commitment to becoming a better athlete, I decided I needed to mentally wrap myself around this idea of cycling indoors. Well, I did just that and committed to remaining diligent. After a couple of weeks, I made a few discoveries. First of all, I quickly realized that holding watts indoors seemed to be much harder than outdoors. Also, not a whole lot of opportunity for coasting or stop lights ;-) The biggest discovery I made… was how dang hard it was to stay on the bike for hours at a time! This is when I realized… that many won’t do what I was doing for sanity reasons. This is when I came up with my motto… Trainer = Opportunity. I had the opportunity to make great gains on the bike, when others wouldn’t be as diligent.
Well, this morning I had a another opportunity to put things in perspective. As I am well into my training for Clearwater, I woke up with two sick kiddo’s. Leaving for Kona in the morning, this would be my last chance for a long ride for over a week. Regardless, I just couldn’t bare to leave them, obviously. So as I pulled out the trainer, I got real grumpy. “I can’t believe I have to ride this thing for 3.5 hours today…” and even at some point, questioning my mental toughness if I could last that long. THEN, my mantra of Trainer = Opportunity came back into my mind. My thoughts turned completely around as I said to myself “I am so lucky I get to ride! My kids are sick and I need to be close by, and if it weren’t for this trainer… I would not get to ride at all!!!” It put a smile on my face as I plopped on the bike… and 3.5 hours later, I had one of my strongest most solid rides of the season! Yay! I love the trainer, and the opportunities it gives me to ride… WHENEVER! www.tristafrancis.com

Enjoy your training =)

4 down 9.1 To Go!

2009-09-06T17:18:00.001-06:00

Well, I am exactly 2 months post hamstring tear and I have to say, I am quite pleased with the recovery process. Considering NOW is when an individual with such an injury begins to run, I've been jogging/running for 4.5 weeks now =). My running days are very precious to me.. I have missed my long runs sooo much. My run days are like Christmas several times a week!

I am excited to begin my build to Clearwater. I had set this as a goal for recovery and had been unsure until recently if I was going to be able to get the miles on my leg. I am up to a solid 4 miles running now and am being patient with re-establishing strength and endurance in that hammy. It is a slow process! But I am now in a place where I know I will be able to get there. Yay! 9.1miles to go and can't wait! I am so excited to be on track and race again this season. I train because I love to race! ~T

Sprint Nationals... Swim cancelled!

2009-07-26T21:10:00.008-06:00

TEAM iTz!

THE MANTAK CREW!

Just returned from adventurous travels to Newport Beach for the USAT Sprint Nationals race. It was very fun to travel with my sister and athlete; Thia and see friends from all over. Jim and Tracy Aust from Ohio, Stan and Marti from Utah, and USAT friends. A big Congrats to Neal for winning the 50-54 age group! It was weird not being able to race this race as I'm partial to this race because I had my first age group win at Sprint Nats in New York last year.

It was unfortunate that a huge South swell had come in and caused the swim to be cancelled. It was extremely treacherous conditions as Stan and David Reed from Castle Pines are still alive to tell about. Whew! It became a 1/2 mile beach run to transition to begin the bike.

Thia and I had a grand ol time and the high from our pleasure side of the trip came from eating at Bandera's in Newport Beach and watching the 10 foot waves on Laguna Beach. Have you ever had a grilled artichoke? Let me tell ya, we are making a day trip back... just for lunch at Bandera's in the very near future. The best food ever at only $$. Yummy.

The above photos are 1) Thia and I whom I have coached for 4 years and 2) the Mantak crew; myself, Neal, Stan and Marti. Melissa has coached the four of us anywhere from 3-9 years. I'm lucky to have found a coach whose training philosophy blends with my training philosophy being a coach myself.

Speed Bumps: good or bad?

2009-07-24T08:27:00.006-06:00

What do you think? No, I did not crash on the bike… but I did take a silly little spill on a simple little 30 minute run going into taper. I was hauling, pace was great, and I was thinking how ready I was for my upcoming race at Boulder Peak until “SPLAT”!! A lip in the concrete jumped up and grabbed me and I was on the ground before I knew it.

Well, that was over two weeks ago when I strained my Hamstring as well as acquired a nice 5mm tear in my tendon attaching to the Ischium. After 8 days of around the clock pain killers, 9 days on crutches… I am now back into solid training hours and a lot of rehab. As athletes, there are many people we surround ourselves with to help us achieve success. So much of my success has come from support of family, friends, teammates and sponsors; my coach Melissa Mantak, my Deep Tissue Therapist, and my Physicians. Right now, I have to take my hat off to my Physical Therapist Mark Holmes, PT, DPT, CSCS, the owner of Cactus Sport and Spine http://www.cactussportandspine.com/ in the Denver Metro area.

I found Mark several years back after struggling with rehabbing a back injury for four years. He was the 8th PT I had been to and he was the one that finally got me pain free. This Hammy injury is the first acute injury I have sustained since I became a triathlete and I knew Mark would understand me as an athlete and the level I train at and be able to push me through the healing process when my body was ready and pull me back when it was not.
We have already seen some tremendous results. My ROM is super, my strength is showing progress and testing proves I’m going to be dry land running again very soon, way ahead of schedule! ;-) Mark pays attention to the details and that makes all the difference! He is amazing and I’m very grateful I have him apart of my support network. I am very optimistic that I will be ready to race Ironman 70.3 World Championships in November.

Obviously, there has been some emotion with this event. Initially, while I was expressing some frustration to a teammate, he made the comment.. “No worries, you just hit a little speed bump in your training, that’s all”. It really put things in perspective for me. I am an athlete, I coach 22 athletes, and I am a mother of three and that in itself can move life at the speed of light. This event has forced me to slow down a bit… and I’ve actually been able to enjoy some time by the pool with my daughters, creating some wonderful memories and having some good laughs… and when we are done, they want to sit on the edge of the deep water pool and watch me water run… and cheer me on. They are really the BEST.

When we hit that speed bump in the road we were not really expecting, we slow down and move forward with just a little more caution.. And I’ve decided, that is not such a bad thing . ~T

Enjoy your training. =)

Freak Fall #2

2009-07-17T07:14:00.004-06:00

Can you believe it? Yes, another crazy fall. Eleven days ago, I had just returned early Monday morning from a two hour bike and was doing a short 30min easy run after. I was heading into a very light week in my preps for Boulder Peak but ultimately Sprint Nationals. I was about 10minutes from home when a lip in the concrete got me and my leg straightened as the rest of my body thrust forward and down with the sudden halt in motion. I knew as I was falling, it was not good as I felt the stretch in the back of my leg from behind my knee to up in my glut. I kept thinking, "Oh this is not good, this is not good!" I had to hitch a ride home as I was unable to walk.

Upon arriving home, I quickly was dealing with intense pain and symptoms of shock and nausea. This truly concerned me as I down played it to just "pulling a muscle". I called Melissa seeking some advice and made an appt to get in to see a doctor. The first thing Dr. Papillion said to me was that acute hamstring pulls/tears are one of the most painful soft tissue injurys that can be sustained. I guess this made me feel a little better and I wasn't just being a wimp. =)

After being evaluated, xrays, and an MRI, the findings were a muscle strain with a 5mm tear in the tendon attaching to the ischium. This to me was relatively good news as I had not torn muscle which would require a much more difficult and lengthy rehab. I left with crutches for 8 days, a lot of pain killers, a 4 month recovery and a frown.

I have never sustained an acute injury in the middle of my season that pretty much ended it. Dr. Papilion is pretty optimistic that I can make it to Clearwater in November. I have remained optimistic but definately have shed my tears occasionally.

Stay tuned...

Ironman Kansas 70.3; Not so HOT

2009-06-16T08:29:00.009-06:00

This past weekend I raced in Kansas at my first 70.3 for the season. The day I arrived, it was WICKED HOT! I was a little concerned about the potential heat and humidity on race day, especially since Colorado has experienced such a cool spring. After getting settled into Lawrence, I double checked my nutrition to be sure I had all I needed for a hot day on the course. Sure enough though, the temps were much cooler Saturday and they were forcasting thunderstorms for race day. It seemed as though the weather had a mind of its own and so I really just decided to see what race day brought, and stop trying to figure out the forcast.

Race day morning brought high humidity but cloud cover and I was a bit relieved to see that it might not be a scorcher. I made sure I was stocked with electrolytes and Nuun tabs (http://www.nuun.com/) for the race. As the swim started, I had a very clean swim and was anxious to see my split as I exited the water. I was a bit dissappointed as it was just an average swim time for me... and I have been swimming very strong in the pool over the last 3-4 months. I put the swim behind me and headed out on the bike. I was looking forward to riding this challenging hilly bike. Watts were in check for the first 25-30 miles and then my stomach began giving me fits. This is very unsual for me. I cut back the nutrition a bit and cut back the effort on the bike a bit and never really seemed to perk up. I had a descent bike split for the course however and was optimistic for the run, even though after a few light showers on the bike, the sun was blazing now.

I headed out on the run, and my legs just did not feel right. I also had some cramping that was starting so I quickly aborted the traditional nutrition plan to focus on my sodium needs. After consuming 430mg of sodium and water, my stomach returned to normal and my hammy's were happy again. As I was doing pace checks though, my run was SLOW! I realized at that point, my race was not turning out the way I had anticipated. I started wondering if the heat was really the issue, if it was the sleepless night I had due to a bachelor party on my floor at the hotel, if it was the long drive to Kansas. The bottom line was... I didn't really know why I was so off. It could have been the combination of everything. I struggled in the run significantly the last 10k and my run time continued to drop. The tank was empty and I know now it wasn't full when I started the day for some reason. What I do know is, you race long enough, you are going to have bad days and Kansas was not so hot for me with a 5:42:13. I am happy I finished, I still enjoyed the day, and I'm looking forward to recovering and getting out there again!

Photos: My fans sand sculpture, Teammates Andrew Hodges and Tim Hola, my fans, finish with sister and bro-in-law; Thia and Brad

PS. CONGRATS TO MY DEAR FRIEND SUSAN LANGLEY FOR TAKING THE AG WIN WITH 4:40:23... you are smoking girl!

Trista's Training Camp; Timex, Trek, Trigger Point, and Tim!

2009-05-30T21:06:00.024-06:00

This camp for my Ironman Coeur d' Alene athletes had been 11 months in the making after my athlete Bob McRae proposed the idea to me. It was a 10 day camp located in Boulder, Colorado. The camp included two days with Gordo Byrn, Mental Skills from Bobby McGee and OURS Truly... Timex Team Member Tim Hola. We had 8 training days, 30 hours and endless fun. I broke away occasionally for my own training and rode with Brian Schaning and ran into Dennis Meeker at the pool.

It was such a great opportunity to spend some quality one on one time with some of my athletes. I was able to show them the benefits of the Trigger Point System vs. the traditional foam roller and each athlete is excited to purchase their own TP (http://www.tptherapy.com/). I also had my handy dandy Nathan Speed R3 hydration belt for our long runs as it has now become my running buddy. My athletes were also very impressed with the up close and personal views of the Orange Trek TTX SSL.... in fact, they were trying to negotiate with me all week as to if I didn't run a certain pace, or clean my plate... the bike was theirs. NOT A FAT CHANCE ;-) so instead we took a slight detour and I drove them past the new Trek store in Boulder.

It was great having Tim with us for a couple of days, to not only spread some more of the Timex love... but he also rode, ran, and ice bathed in the river with the athletes while he shared his experience and tips in the sport of triathlon...

Pelican Fest with Team iTz

2009-05-30T20:45:00.004-06:00

This race was so much fun because I had so many athletes of mine racing. I still had some fatigue from last weeks race and I felt a little flat. I still had a solid performance in a very stacked field. I placed 6th age group in a very stacked field and still ran 7:10's off the bike. It was an unmarked run course which ended up being a bit of a challenge for me. This was also my first experience in a Co-ed swim start... hmmm, not something I would recommend. It kinda throws off the "starting on the front line" philosophy. In the photo above, there is Gary, me, Heidi, Denise (3rd a.g.) Maria, Julie, Thia, and Brad.

The Greatest Part about my Season Opener was not about the WIN...

2009-05-17T19:42:00.012-06:00

This race was thrown in my schedule very last minute; 6 days out. After finishing up last year at Clearwater World Championships, I had been watching the USAT standings very closely. I was well in the mid pack of the Honorable Mention All American category for my age group. As USAT continued to work on finalizing results, my standings continued to rise. Well about a week ago, they published the final and I was just skirted out of the top 10% of my age group. This wasn't too big of a deal for me, except now I was left needing to qualify for my A race which was Age Group Nationals this summer. So Melissa and I decided this would be a good race to blow out the cob webs.

This was by far the craziest swim I have ever experienced in all my racing... I thought I was in an IM start... I knew coming out of the water I was going to need to make up some serious time and so I just got to work..

Lets' start from the finish now. As I was already running my little heart out, I came upon one women in sight that I was attempting to reel in. I didn't think I was going to with only 3/4 mile left until I saw... 35 on her leg. I thought to myself, "oh crap" I didn't know if I had the juice to do it. I also knew that I couldn't pass too soon and I couldn't wait too long. My rationalization was as such... If I don't pass her, I'm second, If I do pass her and collapse before the finish, I'm still second. So if I try, I just might and could win~! So I did, and I won and secured my spot for AG Nats. But the better part of the whole day is the fact that I biked 23 MPH on the bike... and I ran 6:58 miles on the run!!! I broke the 7 minute barrier...first time ever! Off my FASTEST bike ever! That was the beauty of the day... and is a great way to start off my season! POW!

And I can't forget to mention... the LOVE FOR TIMEX people have out there. This was my first time racing for Timex... I got cheers and support from the crowd and race crew...like no other... =)

Sold on Nathan Hydration Belt!!

2009-05-11T21:02:00.002-06:00

After returning from a four hour bike session in the WIND, I knew I did not hydrate well enough during the ride to sustain my 1:15 run in the heat. I debated whether or not I was going to need water or not. The truth is… I can not stand to wear hydration belts or carry a bottle as I feel it disrupts my running efficiency. I was about to leave and decided… it really was going to be necessary if I was going to actually COMPLETE the run. I pulled out my new Speed 3R belt by Nathan as I was grumbling at how this was going to bug me my entire run.. I loaded it up with water and decided to really put it to the test and threw in a gel in the fancy pocket.. just in case.
It was AWESOME!!! I could not believe how this was so different from other belts I had tried in the past. I adjusted the belt ONCE the entire run and that was after I had climbed a steep hill. The bottles slipped in and out with such ease and I could do it one handed. I kept saying to myself.. this belt is the BOMB! I was really in awe… Thanks Nathan, for making hydrating a pleasure! http://www.tristafrancis.com/
http://www.nathansports.com/our_products/hydration_nutrition/race_speed.html

A PR day at the Time Trials!!!

2009-05-03T09:55:00.003-06:00

This is my third season at the KHMTT Series also known as the Cherry Creek Time Trials. I use this series every year to keep training exciting. It's also interesting to put myself in the 'road scene' for a short period. I'm sure as these cyclists see me out there running after I just completely blew my self up 2 minutes before the finish line, they question my sanity. Well, April 22 was a HUGE day for Ms. Trista. The thing that was so interesting about this day is that I didn't want to race. I had almost puked the day before in some interval run training trying to hold paces that just were about :30seconds too fast for me with all the fatigue I had been accumulating over the past couple weeks of training. I was exhausted. I wanted so badly to call my coach and just say... "Do I have to race tomorrow, because I am cooked." I debated and debated and finally just said, "suck it up and let's just see what you got."

When I headed out of the gate, I just had this feeling about 20 seconds into the race... my legs are here! Do it! The winds were calm and I felt on fire... How? I have no idea. I pushed this TT like no other in an attempt for a long awaited PR and low and behold... I did it! By :30secs! 27:51! I never dreamed of this big of a jump...

After arriving home and downloading my power file, I about fell off my chair, so I did it again. I began screaming literally. I had averaged 20 watts higher than I had ever in a the series and reset my ftp by 17 watts.... =)

TEAM TIMEX Training Camp

2009-05-03T07:29:00.012-06:00

WHAT A BLAST! I have to be honest. Going to this camp, was a big deal for me. I felt like I was in my kids shoes and a little voice in my head was telling me, "It's good to do things that stretch us... that's how we grow". For the first time in a REAL long time, I was very anxious. Being pulled out of my comfort zone...about meeting this group of people that I have now become apart of. Not really knowing a soul other than a few interactions with Tristan. My first encounter was with Bruce. Need I say more?! He greeted me, welcomed me and instantly I felt the "warmth potential" that the team had... Then sat at the table with Brian, Mike, and Ian... at that point, those are the only faces that I remember. I connected with Brian immediately as he is a PT about 60min south of me.. (yes, in Colorado) and Ian makes my favorite handbags (Dooney & Bourke). Adam really took me under his wing, and for that I will be forever grateful... He ran with me, shared his burger with me and was my go to guy with any questions. Cindi... had a great conversation with her at the end of a lunch run /photo shoot combo. She said, "Remember, you are here, because you have ALREADY proven yourself as an athlete, so just have fun and continue to give back to the sport just as you are doing." Anyway, I could go on... but the bottom line is simple; everyone is amazing, loving, welcoming and I am so honored that I am apart of the Timex Family... because that is what it is!

Altitude Training Session... March 20-29

2009-05-03T07:27:00.001-06:00

I just recently returned from a 10 day training session in the mountains. I took my girls Spring Break as an opportunity to break away from the normal routine and focus on getting some solid training under my belt with the much needed rest that now accompanies it. It was just what the doctor ordered as there is something very liberating about riding the trainer for 3 hours at 9200 feet. It allowed me to focus on one of my great passions and appreciate what my body is still capable of while dealing with a head injury.

Head Injury?

2009-05-03T07:02:00.003-06:00

Over Valentines weekend, I took a freak fall while on the slopes with the family. I was coasting while watching my Darbie take a jump (is that a cycling term? maybe I should use cruising), and caught an edge and went down. Now let me remind you that I have been skiing since 7th grade, so I don't consider my self a novice, even though with age, I find myself not as daring as in the past. I thought as I was going down, "oh gosh, oh gosh! Please don't hurt anything". Well, I hit my head pretty good and felt the whiplash in my neck and thought "whew" we are good. Well, little did I know I had sustained a concussion that would put me in bed for 11 days and out of training for 3 weeks. The CT scan showed good, so I knew it was just a matter of time before I would feel better. Really? I was concerned not knowing when training should resume and how to begin. Speaking with Allison Dunlap really was encouraging as she had sustained a head injury a few years back and we discussed her road to recovery and it seemed long... but promising. I began by walking; this was a novel concept. Everything moves so SLOW when you are walking! I kept thinking, "is my heart rate even registering that I'm alive?" It was good though, and progressed be to get on the bike (on the trainer) and continue to progress. Then it was in the pool. This was interesting, as I was still dealing with headaches daily, the pressure of the water and cap and goggles was just enough to about put me over the edge, but being determined, I removed the cap for a couple of weeks while the healing continued and would attempt to tie all my hair down and swim. I made a mental decision that I would not let all those little hairs floating around in my face BUG me.... and so they didn't. I focused on my ability to be back in the water again... and frankly, it made me very happy. Running was good and the last thing I got back into (and it suffered the most ;-) Once again, running felt good, as long as I avoided wearing a visor or a hat. It amazed me the sensitivity of my head! It took about 4 weeks before a had a day without a headache, then a couple more before I had 2 days consecutively without a headache.... now 11 weeks post injury, I am only having headaches 2-3 times a week. I am very happy!!! It was a challenge to work through those on a daily basis and made me a very crabby person dealing with pain like that on a regular basis. I tried not to be, but noises seemed magnified a 100 times and my children kept getting the, "shhh" Momma's head hurts again. I think my friend Sean had mentioned as well, "Boy, I can really tell when your head is hurting ;-)". It has made me empathetic to those that deal with daily pain and trauma... and hopefully has made be a better person, a better athlete, mother, wife and coach.

Rock Canyon Half Marathon 2008

2008-12-07T16:55:00.003-07:00

First Annual Battle of the Ages!

I headed out with my two sisters, their husbands and some special friends (yes Sean, that is you) to run a great off season Half in Pueblo, Co, our hometown. It was all for fun until my nephew Caleb and his friends wanted to beat all of us "older people". They were training the Death March in April and were using this as training. We decided to put in cross country team rules to go with the top four finishers times. Well needless to say, time does not only bring wisdom, but SPEED too! We won! Our top 4 were Nathan, Sean, Brad and myself. There only contender was Jared and I'm not really sure who came in after that; Kyle then Caleb maybe.

I had an interesting race as this is truly the first race I have ever done that I had not been "prepped" for. I didn't really like this feeling. I guess I like to race to compete... at least against me. I had no expectations but am glad I still came in well under the 2 hour mark. This is not a fast course and I definately won't wear the racing flats again on the rocky trail. I held a sub 8min/mile pace until about mile 6 and then began to slow. I came in at 1:51:32... just a few seconds slower than Clearwater. I placed 10th age group and was happy with this as I hadn't run much the last month, let alone anything longer than 5 miles.

Photos: 1. Sisters! 2. Running 3. Daddy and me!

2008 Recap

2008-12-04T12:03:00.002-07:00

Race Schedule 2008
June 7 Hrca Tune Up Sprint: Colorado
June 14 Battle at Midway: Midway, Utah
July 20 Vineman 70.3: Napa Valley, California
August 3 Sprint National Championships: Cayuga Lake, New York
August 24 Steamboat Triathlon: Colorado
September 20 National Age Group Championships: Portland, Oregon
November 8 Ironman 70.3 World Championships: Clearwater, Florida

Nationals Again!
My training, strength, and skills as an athlete took a big turn in the fall of 2006. I finally found a coach that believed in me and connected with me on every level. Melissa realized my mental strength as an athlete. Our goal was to qualify and race Nationals in 2007. We accomplished that. I quickly requalified for 2008 Nats at Jordanelle just 8 weeks later. My race schedule has been developed to help me have the best possible race this year on the hilly Haag Lake course in Portland, Oregon.

National Sponsoship!!! Yea, Baby!

2008-12-04T11:50:00.009-07:00

TIMEX MULTISPORT TEAM

Shortly after returning from Florida, I received a phone call from the Timex Team manager. He offered me a spot on their 09 Multisport Team. I was ecstatic to receive such a coveted sponsorship in the world of triathlon! After discussion with my local sponsorship with the BikeSource Team, I was thrilled to know I was going to be able to have dual sponsorship and race for Team Timex for National sponsorship. The team consists of 25 pros and 20-25 age groupers. Orange is no doubt, my favorite color!

Ironman 70.3 World Championships

2008-11-23T06:53:00.005-07:00

It has been an eventful fall, I must say! I am excited to have recently returned from the Ironman 70.3 World Championships. I had such an amazing time and a great race! Clearwater is a beautiful venue and the experience was next to flawless. From the Parade of Flags from Countries represented at the Welcome Dinner to the fireworks that topped off the Awards Banquet on the Beach, it was amazing. I feel lucky that I had the opportunity to experience such an awesome race. I raced very well accomplishing my goals by setting new PR's on the bike and run. The best part was having so much family support at the race! How fun to have my girls cheering me on, running around transition like Roadrunners to catch mom at every opportunity! At the finish, I was overwhelmed with emotion to have crossed the finish line at the World Championships racing with the best in the World. It was surreal. Reflecting back, there were many comments made by my daughters that were just precious, but the one that sticks out most in my mind was the first morning getting ready for the Gatorade Swim Practice, we were at the beautiful beach, with white sand, clear blue water, and athletes lingering here and there. Darbie says to me "I'm having so much fun! Thanks for qualifying Mom!" This was a very memorable moment for me, as I was sure the girls entire focus was set on the Disney World trip that followed the race.

Photos: 1. Emotional World Championship finish 2. Brooke Davison and Trista 3. Garotorade Swim Practice.

Nationals Bitter/Sweet!

2008-09-27T13:29:00.005-06:00

The Sweet!

I had an amazing race today! I had a solid swim and I Pr'd my bike on this course 5 min!! I went from 19.4 to 20.8mph on the bike and I PR'd my tri 10k!!! I could not believe that considering this is the hardest course I race. Hilly bike and HILLY RUN! I went 47:29(7:38) and negative split it (24:25/23:04)by a long shot with the return having more climbing. All those people that passed me in the first 5k I flew past during the second 5k! It was beautiful how strong I felt! It was almost surreal! I finished with a 2:31:00 which tells me I am sitting at about 2:21:00 on a 'normal' ;-) course. This was also my first International distance race of the season as I DNF'd at BAM as most of you know.

The Bitter...

I placed 35th. The goal was to hit top 16/20....and get to go to Worlds in Goldcoast Austrailia. My coach spectated today and was very pleased with my performance! When she found out how low I placed... her jaw dropped. Well, so did mine, actually.

I am so pleased with my performance... I can't control getting spanked by my competition. What I do know, is I'm strong enough to get here again. For that I am grateful as I feel lucky to race against the top age groupers in the US. Some will never get to experience this. USAT put on a top notch race/event this weekend. I walked away with 2 dry fit Tee's, a transition towel, a race belt, and a finishers jacket. A smooth race from arrival to awards!

So I'll take 35th in the US at this distance, and maybe I'll go give Pacific Coast a shot to get a Worlds slot for Sprint Worlds...they've just added it to the Goldcoast Schedule :-)

The Trip...

I went on my first girls trip with my oldest daughter Daphnie. We had a blast! She was able to converse with the Olympians Jarod Shoemaker, Sara Haskins, and Laura Bennet while I was doing my pre-race training the day before. We also got lucky enough to get a convertible Mustang... as they had run out of cars. We had a blast sporting the ride!!!

2008-09-27T13:26:00.004-06:00

Big Week and Bob the Rabbit.

2008-09-05T18:55:00.013-06:00

Bob, a client of mine, offered to come be my rabbit during my biggest week of training for Age Group Nats. I was so honored that he would want to do this for me. He flew in from San Jose, CA Wednesday night and was on the road by 4:30am Thursday morning to come swim Masters with me. We were a little concerned as he had only been at altitude for 6 hours! He did great and did a good job supporting me in the water. We then headed up to the hills for a 1:30:00 hill run. Bob pulled me along, kept reminding me to check my cadence, and encouraging me to drink. Not only did he do all this, but he also carried my water bottle for me and continually asked me "are you suffering?"...Something between Melissa, Bob and I. I teased him I was going to call him my 'water boy' and threatened back to call me 'princess':-). But he was much more than a water boy on the mountain that day, he was love, support, dedication, determination, a cheerleader and a tear wiper. How lucky am I?

Friday we met at 9am and we rode Deer Creek. Bob loved being on a road bike again as he is always on the p2c and loved the climbing and change of scenery. I was pretty tired to say the least, but could not believe I pulled off my fastest time for that ride! I kept asking Bob, "how much time did I sit on your wheel?" He assured me less that 5min and I think he was right as I could not recall really ever being on his wheel. We jumped in the pool for a swim, that was a challenge for both of us, but we completed it and felt great sitting in the hot tub after a long day of training in some cool temps.

Today, when I walked outside after Bob had arrived, he looked at me and said "Wow, you look tired." I told him that I was trashed and it was going to be a long day. We got to the lake and headed out for our 1 hour swim... the last 20min Bob commented "You are swimming fast now!" I told him I think I was flushing some lactate and getting warmed up. My arms were so tired! I was glad at this point that my upper body workouts were done for the week. We headed out to do interval work on the bike and run. I lead out the first push on the bike and when I was done, Bob rode up behind me and said..."impressive!" I thought to myself, is he just being nice to make be feel good? But I learned he was serious and I definitely was able to search deep in my legs and find some hidden power that had not been spent yet in the grand week of training. We headed out for our first run interval and I was holding record paces for me! I couldn't believe it! As we continued to complete the workout for the day, I held consistent run paces... right on the targets set for me! It was amazing and I yelled to Bob halfway through the last one "BOB, I'm ROCkiNg thiS WOrKoUT!" He chuckled and smiled! Bob was perfect. He knew exactly how much to pull me. He never got too far out of my reach that left me flying off the back. He was PERFECT!. Could I have done all this on my own? Would I have pulled this off today regardless of my rabbit.. well, I'll never know the answer to that. What I do know, is my rabbit was there, helping me and celebrating with me. For that I am ever grateful.

First Place at Steamboat!

2008-09-05T18:24:00.003-06:00

This triathlon was a blast... I think it was because so many friends and clients were here! Also, I never imagined I could have a repeat from New York and WIN again!

The day started off with a strong swim, I felt slow initially, but I think it was due to the water temp being colder than my past races that have been borderline, non-wetsuit legal; and lack of opportunity to warm up. By the time I hit the first buoy, I felt like I was cruising and kicked it up a notch. Raced into transition and got my wetsuit stuck around one ankle. I need to cut my suit, I can't afford those seconds at Age Group Nats. The bike felt great and I was hauling, picking off everyone in sight. I could not believe how I flew up the last 2 mile hill that I thought would be a challenge. Getting out into the run, Ocky, a swimmate and friend yelled "Your in third, you've got plenty of time!" Well, I didn't exactly know what all that meant. Third overall, third age group, plenty of time to move up... or fall back ;-) I just clipped along on the unfamiliar run course. When I got to the turn around, I shortly saw a girl that I had passed on the bike in my age group. I knew I had to hold her off. I kept turning around to see if I could cut the pace just a bit as my legs felt awesome, but my lungs were in my throat with the higher elevation. I finally decided to stop worrying about her and run my best run. I focused at that moment on relaxing the shoulders, doing cadence checks and running my most effecient run. As I entered into the finish area and could hear the music playing, I said to myself "No way! This is MY race!" My song that I had picked for this race to help get me psyched... was playing for me at the finish. Blue by Eiffel 65. No Way!

When I called Melissa to tell her I had won AGAIN, she was so thrilled. When discussing the race, she was very pleased and said relative to my age group "Trista, you crushed the bike! Nice work!" That was very rewarding for me to hear that from her. Also, John Hughes and Paulo had commented to me "Trista, you looked so strong out there on the run. I couldn't believe how good you looked. You never had two feet on the ground! Nice work." This meant so much to me, it brought tears to my eyes with emotion. I have worked so hard... and its showing :-)

2008 Sprint National Champion F35-39!!!

2008-08-10T20:27:00.007-06:00

I left for New York with my Dad to compete in the 2008 Sprint National Championships. We stayed in Ithaca, about 15 minutes from the race sight which was at Taughanook Falls State Park. I had worked hard the past couple workouts to get my leg turnover back and peak watts on the bike. I was ready to put the hammer down and was just expecting my body to respond. Melissa had given me very specific things to focus on in my warm up and during the race. My main goal was to channel what I've done in the past at my sprint races. I seem to be quite strong at this distance.

I started the race hungry for a top 5 podium place, but knew the only thing in my control was MY RACE, and doing my best. I have no control over anything else. I had my first swim where I actually broke away from the group. This was an awesome feeling! I headed out on the bike and noticed a significant headwind even during the first 2mile 7% climb out of transition. I wasn't worried about it and continued with my plan on the bike. As I headed out on the run, I knew I had to be focused on this, all but fast, run course of grass and gravel (which it had rained the night before) and 4 non passing zones over wood bridges. I was a bit concerned as I hit the turn around at a slow 12:33 split. I thought, "Oh boy, you better pick it up girl!" What I quickly learned was it was more uphill than I had thought and knew I could really put my downhill run skills to work now. I pushed very hard and got within 400m of the finish and reached a calf that said "37". This was the first time all day that the nerves let loose and the heart started pattering! I was nervous! Do I pass her now? Will she pass me back? Is that my podium slot? Is there someone else to catch? I went for it and hung on with a hard and fast pass. I knew I was home free after I crossed the last bridge and didn't see her in the "near rear".

As I finished, I knew I had completed my best race, any result at this point was secondary. When I saw a #1 next to my name, I could hardly believe it. Tears errupted as I told my Dad. I couldn't hardly believe my first win ever was at SPRINT NATIONALS! A great place to do it!

Accepting slot to the IRONMAN 70.3 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS!

2008-07-23T18:27:00.000-06:00

Qualify for Clearwater at Vineman 70.3!

2008-07-23T17:53:00.013-06:00

I headed into Vineman with relatively conservative expectations. I had come off of the hypothermia/DNF at BAM slowly and it had wiped out a good chunk of training for this race. I hammered out a couple 20hr weeks and felt good so I remained optimistic. There were many reasons for putting this race on the schedule this season, but probably the biggest was I had not done a half IM in two years and had many demons to battle at this distance. Regardless of the time off I had going into this race, I felt better trained and prepared for this half than I had previously for my other two half IM's under a previous coach. I did have a new level of confidence in myself knowing I had been well trained and Melissa had spent some good time with me working on pacing for this distance.

It was rather cool in the morning but I believed I would be okay with the water temps hovering around 73 degrees. I was cold on the bike, but kept my head in the game and remained patient.

On this course, it is natural to negative split the bike by the nature of the terrain. When I hit 28miles at 1:27, I knew I was going to have a great bike split. But low and behold, a headwind picked up, and I found the second half of the bike was not going as fast as I had hoped targeting a sub 3 hour bike split. I decided at that point to up the watts and get myself in under the 3 hour mark. 2:59:11!!! Yea! As I hit the run, I could not believe how strong I felt on this rolling hill course. I was so grateful for Melissa at this point for getting me prepped so well! I started feeling the distance at around mile 10 but at that point I said "it's only a 5k left"! I sucked it up and kept my feet moving. I hit a 1:53 run which I am happy with for that course. Although, I did keep saying to myself "gosh, if it were flat, I'd be running faster." I had a dear client Bob supporting me throughout the day and I saw him at 1mile left. His encouraging presence helped me pick it up one more notch and I flew into the finish! 5:33:00!! A 45 min PR on a very challenging course! I felt great!

I went to the roll down to support clients that had received spots and I was flabbergasted to receive a slot myself. It was beyond my greatest expectations! Dave, my guardian angel (and Vineman race director) was there to present it to me and his sister was the one who I accepted it from. Needless to say, you can tell by the photo, I was a little overcome by emotion to think I will be racing with the best in the world representing the USA.

Orca RS1 Aero Race Suit

2008-07-14T21:42:00.005-06:00

Photos by Courtney Johnson

I was lucky enough to get my hands on one sample of 9 of the new suit from Orca. It will not be available until Jan 2009. It is an amazing suit! I loved the hydrophobic features of the front neoprene panels and the vent down the middle center while running. It is meant to take you from the swim through the run and the way the material channels, makes this very technical piece one that channels body heat and perspiration well. The back is low and the cut is flattering which makes it quite a sexy race piece (hard to tell in the photo). I had a photo shoot on the beach by a Triathlete Mag photographer Courtney Johnson It might be posted in their "new gear" section.

Battle at Midway

2008-06-17T00:58:00.005-06:00

Well, BAM was a couple of firsts for me. I had my first DNF and my first experience with Hypothermia. As I was arriving to the race site before the sunrise, I knew it was going to be a cold water swim at about 55 degrees. What I didn't know, was that the air temp by the lake was going to be only about 42 when I came out of the water. I headed into the start of this race optimistic and looking forward to racing a great, hilly and challenging course.

After the start, my face went numb quickly. My arms were stiff, but I worked with what I had and was carrying a strong pace. I was about 1300 meters into the swim, when all of the sudden, I felt something change in me. It was very hard to describe, I panicked a bit and talked my self into "just get yourself to shore and you'll be fine. You'll get on the bike and warm up."

As I exited the water and moved into T1, I felt very cold. My sister who was watching said she became very concerned as I was moving a lot less coordinated than the other athletes. As I got onto the bike, after layering on clothes and socks, I felt very unstable and couldn't get my feet into my shoes. To avoid wrecking, I pulled off to the side, stopped, and struggled to get my feet into my shoes. As I began riding again, I was yelling at myself "Come'on girl! Just ride and you'll warm up! YOU CAN DO THIS!" Shortly I began feeling my entire body shaking on the bike. I began looking for support on the course, knowing I was in trouble and realized there is no support only 2 miles into the bike! I began to slow down because my body was shaking the entire bike and I thought "I'm going to crash." Then I felt a curtain beginning to close, so I got off my bike immediately and leaned over my bike.

The next thing I know, I am wrapped in blankets in some ones car and my body is still shaking like crazy and my teeth are chattering. I guess I kept telling them "I just need to warm up and then I can go back out and finish the race!" The dear couple said to me "Sweetheart, you're not going anywhere!"

I was then taken back to my Hotel by my sister and was put in a hot bath. It took a total of 1:15:00 for my core to rewarm and the shakes to stop. At that point, I fell asleep. I was so exhausted.

I was so completely distraught that the day ended up in a DNF! I kept thinking I was a wimp or something. The longer the recovery took, the reality of what really happened became very apparent. It took me several days before I was not sleeping 12 hours a night and 3 naps a day. Then, when I began training again, my HR was so elevated it was scary. Running at Sea level (I had traveled to IMCDA then to Santa Cruz) at my endurance pace, my HR was averaging 175! It took about 18 days for this to normalize. I'm convinced had I been home in Colorado during this period, I would have been unable to train at all.

I am grateful for many things this day, mainly for the couple that stopped and literally, saved my life. Secondly for my Coach helping me put things in perspective. She said to me, "Trista, you're alive! It's just a dumb race!"

HRCA Tune Up Sprint

2008-06-17T00:50:00.003-06:00

I was skeptical of adding this race onto my schedule as I swore many years ago I would never do a pool swim again. I was not left with many options in trying to get a race in prior to BAM. This race ended up being just the perfect race to test transisition work, climbing abilities, and getting back in the racing groove. I ended up with great times all the way around, pulling out a 4th overall female and 2nd age group standing. This is a great way to kick off the season!

PelicanFest Cancelled

2008-06-16T23:03:00.002-06:00

After training throughout the winter months, I am tapered and ready to start the season off with a bang. It definitely did! My first race was cancelled two days prior due to a tornado disrupting the entire town of Windsor, CO. I have mixed emotions as I am left now scrambling as to what I should do for my season opener. Battle at Midway in Utah is right around the corner and I'm left without a tune up to blow out the cob webs at the moment. I opted for a night of bowling after a long day of workouts out at Chatfield with little miss Darbie and the family.