Triathlon Parents | Race Day, Training, Nutrition, Lifestyle, Gear

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Survey Results: IRONMAN North America

After pouring a lot of time and energy into helping readers qualify the best race for themselves and their family, we ran a small survey on IRONMAN North America races for additional input. Based on the results, we found a few races varied based on athlete, his or her respective families, and event preferences. The...

IRONMAN Maryland: Our next challenge, 8 weeks after Lake Placid

New to the Ironman circuit, the Cambridge, Maryland event has been around for years under a different name. Given its unique challenges, its official induction has generated enough buzz to make this race one of the most popular in coming years. Add that to this location’s list of events, accommodations, and historic personality makes this...

IMLP Race Report: I saw the lightning & heard “all swimmers to shore”

This was my second Ironman race — and finish — at Lake Placid. The first was in 2006, just two weeks before Greg and I were married. Then, I can remember thinking two things: (1) don’t fall off the bike, and (2) don’t get bad tan lines for your wedding dress. This time around, all...

What a Sherpa (or Spectator) needs to know

This year’s Ironman adventure marks an interesting turn for our family – it’s the first time that Greg and I are racing the distance together, which means that after nearly 15 years of triathlon racing history, our parents will be unaccompanied spectators. And at an Ironman. For triathletes, understanding how to spectate at this kind...

Watering Down Ironman – the Rolling Swim Start

I’ve been out of the IM racing circuit for 6 years, and a lot has changed. Some things are good, some not so good. The one change that has me the most irked (thus far) is the Rolling Swim start. For those who aren’t familiar with the concept, here’s the background. That was Then Historically,...

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