Blog

8 Tips to Making it Work

Just about every day, someone says to me “I don’t know how you do it.” And, on the surface, I get it. My husband, Greg, and I both work full-time. We have 2 young children (ages 6 and 2.5). And, we’re both training for an Ironman this summer – actually, for the second year in...
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Managing Heat and Humidity in a Marathon: Key Takeaways from the Marine Corps Marathon

Marathon running is not just about endurance; it’s about understanding and respecting external factors that can impact a runner’s health and performance. One of the significant challenges marathoners face is coping with fluctuating weather conditions, particularly heat and humidity. The recent changes made during the Marine Corps Marathon serve as a timely reminder of the...
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Incorporating Family Time into Your Triathlon Training Routine

Triathlon training is demanding, and so is family life. But who says they have to be mutually exclusive? With a dash of creativity and a sprinkle of fun, you can seamlessly blend both, ensuring that neither gets left behind. Here’s how: Family Bike Rides: Got a long bike session on the agenda? Why not make...
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From the Boardroom to the Bike: Managing Stress in Work and Workouts

The boardroom’s high-pressure decisions and the bike’s relentless climbs have one thing in common: stress. In the demanding world of career-driven triathletes, it’s crucial to strike a balance, ensuring that stress doesn’t overpower productivity or passion. Here’s how to manage and channel that stress positively: Transitional Rituals: Develop a ritual to bridge your work and...
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Lady Luck was on my side – Challenge Roth 2017

I am a true believer that luck is the combination of preparation and opportunity.  And avoiding bad luck is as fortunate as receiving good luck.  Long distance triathlons are a haven for both. It happened to me at Lake Placid in 2014 when the on course bike mechanic arrived seconds after my inner tube punctured for the...
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My day with Chrissie – Challenge Roth 2017

The Challenge Roth triathlon is like no other I have experienced.  In fact, thousands of competitors make this claim, including the top professionals.  Chrissie’s Blog.  The fast course, crowds of over 200,000 people, the Tour de France feeling at Solar Hill, and the large number of participants, are some of the reasons this is the...
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The Courage to Start, Again

Burnout. Yep. I’ve got it. After completing 3 Ironman races in 2 years, and following that up with a Fall marathon, I gave myself the green light in October to take some time off from serious training. It wasn’t really that my body needed a break (thankfully), but mentally I needed to remove the constant,...
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How my Garmin insults me, even after a marathon PR

A few weeks ago, I ran the Marine Corp Marathon, with a PR best in that race. Sounds great right? My trusty new Garmin watch didn’t think so. It even called me lazy. Here’s the story. Unlike Greg, I’m not really a gadget junky. I’ll consider myself old school when it comes to Triathlon gear. For...
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Open-water swimming: how to practice sighting in an indoor pool

Open-water swimming is stressful, no question. We spend 90 percent of our swim training between two lane lines and following the black line on the bottom of the pool. Then we are elbow to elbow with 2,000 other athletes chasing a buoy you can barely see over the chop of open water. Good sighting techniques are...
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IRONMAN Mont-Tremblant

Congratulations to all those who finished IRONMAN Mont-Tremblant yesterday. Mary Beth Ellis was especially impressive as this was her second IRONMAN race in 4 weeks.  Ellis toed the line with Monique and I at IRONMAN Switzerland – finishing second among the Pro women with a time of 9:26:38.  Then went wire to wire at IRONMAN...
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Hot, Humid, and Humbling

  That’s the only way I know how to describe July 19th, my birthday and the day I battled against myself as I competed in IRONMAN Switzerland. With my family camped out race-side, and my friends cheering me on digitally via (an athlete tracker/race tracker/webcam?), I felt unstoppable. Combine that excitement and my adrenaline with...
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The impact of heat on IRONMAN Switzerland 2015

Nothing impacts performance quite like the heat. As with Austria and Frankfurt temperatures in Zurich were high and consequently age group times were slow.  The 2015 median splits for swim, bike and run are almost universally slower than for the previous 10 years of racing. High temperatures impair performance right from the start when it’s...
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medal

IM Switzerland — When finishing is victory (Race Report)

“When someone can turn around their personal worst and make it a win, this is the true test of character.” — AJ Morrison (coach) Ironman Switzerland is a fantastic race with a breathtaking course that can test the limits of any athlete. It’s no surprise that it’s one of the oldest IM races. But this...
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Open-Water Swimming Preparation

Open-water swimming is its own animal.  We never experience the wind, waves, currents, and crowds during our training sessions in the pool.  Which makes it very important to be able to adopt your swim stoke to the condition you face during your open-water swims. Here are a few helpful tips to get you through some...
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Hydration

Hydration Nutrition Plan For Race Day

Here is some great advice to building the proper nutrition plan for race day. As Doctor Bob Salis says “One plan does not fit everybody… you need to develop your own personal plan.” Build your plan, train with your plan, and then make adjustments as you need. Your plan should be final well before you...
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Ironman Maryland (Part 2): Getting a PR (Race Report)

Race morning, we left Simone and my mother at the hotel (it was 4:30, so a wise decision all around), and Greg (my husband), Sasha (oldest daughter), and I drove to the race site. Ironman Maryland seemed to be smaller than other IM races, and we easily found a parking spot within a few blocks...
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ironman maryland

Ironman Maryland (Part 1): The Inaugural Race

Ironman Maryland was my Ironman mulligan. The do-over that typically takes years to pull off. And I did it in just 8 weeks. And, I had a PR in Cambridge. Even months later, it’s hard to fathom. Here’s how it happened. The Background Greg and I were fit from Ironman Lake Placid training, and eager...
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