IN THE ARENA WITH SARAH

Lovely Lausanne

2011-08-28T08:55:00.001-07:00

After 10 race starts, I’m starting to resemble my race flats: smelly, icky, a bit worn, and yet remain functional. While I don’t have the nice bounce of a brand-new pair of flats, I am pretty comfortable just plodding along, not causing any nasty blisters or raws spots. Like my shoes, I needed a few days of airing out after my last race in Lausanne (although thankfully I wasn’t stuffed into a plastic bag due to the odors I emanate) but I’ve since returned, dear readers, to give an overview of my latest WCS racing endeavors.

Davos to Lausanne involved a 4 1/2 hour train ride across Switzerland with a small bag, bike and parents in tow. This year I’ve managed to travel to 3 of the WCS races without flying: traveling without a bike bag is a joy. Once in Lausanne, I jetted off to leave my vacationing parents to run rampant around the lakeside city and I settled into my pre-race routine. Given the high cost of food in Switzerland, however, I was certain to reconvene with the ‘rents at mealtimes: a very convenient arrangement for me, but a raw deal for them, as they ended up with my paltry company in exchange.

After high-pressure London (test event/ selection race for many countries), the race atmosphere of Lausanne was markedly different, resembling more of a triathlon party amongst friends. Although the racing was still as fast and furious as one might expect at this level, there was a relaxed air permeating the venue. Perhaps it was the heat or the lakeside setting that lulled us into submission. Maybe it was the addition of the Team Relay that created a greater sense of community.

Saturday’s sprint distance race went by in a flash. Before I knew it, I had crossed the finish line in a solid 7th place and was celebrating Barbara Riveros Diaz’s victory alongside Coach Daz and my other training partners. Our Chilean chiquita had a brilliant race: she was a pit bull to my Golden Retriever on that day. Hopefully some of her fighting spirit will transfer over to me in the next couple of weeks.

As short as Saturday’s race felt, the team relay was even speedier. As the lead-off, I had the longest leg for Team USA: a paltry 20 minutes. My head was still in T1 by the time that I handed off to Barrett Brandon, who gutted out a minor crash and road rash to hand off in a good position to our running superstar, Gwen Jorgensen. While we all had solid legs, the relay hero of the day was our anchor, Mark Fretta. Through his huge final effort, we managed to squeak into a 6th place finish. Probably the best moment of the weekend for me was witnessing Mark’s elation upon crossing the finish line. He described the experience as “the most fun [he’s] had racing in years”. ITU is trying to push the inclusion of the team relay for the 2016 Olympic Games; we should have plenty of team relay opportunities in the next few years. I just need to get a few more speed sessions in the interim!

The next morning, I hopped on the train, bid adieu to my wonderfully supportive parents and headed back to our little Alpine town. In a couple of months, I will get a much-needed off-season break and my well-worn, well-travelled shoes will be relegated to the trash bin. With a few races to go, however, I still have to remain focused and with my race flats nearby. As long as they remain in their plastic bag quarantine, I should be just fine.

I ♥ you, Santa Claus

2011-08-11T12:28:00.000-07:00

Dear Santa,

I know that it has been a couple of decades since I’ve written, but I hope that you know that I’ve always been a super-duper huge fan of your work. While I am a decent multi-tasker, you put me to shame, Mr. Kringle! And all of the smiles that you deliver across the planet? Amazing! Although I probably have more naughty days than nice ones, I hope that you know that I still try really really hard to make your good list. I really do!

Over the years, you got me some seriously awesome presents (although I still am waiting on that African Grey! :-), but I think that you really outdid yourself this time. Back in December, when I asked you for an Olympic spot, you were so funny when you acted all startled and stuff. Thankfully I knew better and didn’t lose faith in your ability to deliver my first Christmas request in years. Sure, I trained hard and everything, but it really was just an insurance policy in case you dropped the ball. You understand, right? But soooo glad you came through!

When I was out on the race course in London this past weekend, I totally could sense you pushing me along on the run with your magic North Pole skillz. In the last kilometer, I swear that I heard sleigh bells and looked behind me a few times to check. Whoops- I forgot that you know when I’m lying! I didn’t really check for you; I was actually fading on the run and doing the shoulder check to make sure that I wouldn’t get passed and lose my Olympic spot. But I promise that I was thinking of you; I even had a pic of the two of us as my Facebook profile pic as a reminder of my Xmas wish in the lead up to the race. I’m sure that you saw it. BTW, why aren’t we Facebook friends?! Did you ever get that friend request? I sent it like a million years ago.

Anyway, I am super stoked that I got my automatic qualification and get to represent my country at the Olympic Games next year. You should totally come and hang out with Gwen and me (she also qualified- did she ask you too?). It is going to be the sweetest party ever!!! Thanks again, Kris. This definitely makes up for any lame presents you ever gave me. I can’t wait to catch up in December over some hot chocolate, buddy. Don’t worry- I’ll bring something special for yours. It will be our little secret; I know how upset the Mrs. gets when you take a nip on the job. Just don’t be surprised if I ask for something again this year! A little hint: I wouldn’t mind something shiny and metal & I don’t mean jewelry. LOL!!!

XOXO,

Saucey

P.S. Sorry to make this totally awkward, but I hope that I’m not misreading your gift. Just in case, however, I think you are super cool and all, but I’m in a relationship and you just aren’t my type. I won’t even get into the fact that you have been married like forever. That being said, if I wanted to date a bearded mythical man you’d be #1 on my list. Oh man, I’m totally busted lying again to Mr. Know-It-All! Okay, you’d be #2 after Zeus ( C’mon, can you blame me? Have you seen him in a toga recently? Who knew high-carb nectar & ambrosia would make for washboard abs?!). But you’d totally be ahead of leprechauns and elves since a girl likes to wear heels on occasion. Hope that I didn’t make things weird between us, S.C. I’m sure you understand; you have to get into trouble on occasion with the whole lap-sitting move, right? :-)

Report of a Hamburglary

2011-07-24T09:29:00.000-07:00

Last week I travelled to Deutschland for the ultimate Euro-tri experience: the Hamburg WCS race. While we knew that I wouldn’t be firing on all cylinders for the race, given how it fell in relation to our prep for August, I simply couldn’t pass up the opportunity to take part in this great race. We had two objectives for the race: secure my spot for the Pan-American Games team and get more race practice under my belt. With a solid 13th place finish, I was successful on both accounts. I’ve also managed to stay in 7th place in the WCS rankings.

The racing was fast and furious, as we knew that it would be, and my skills were tested on the technical course. Although I would have loved to feel a bit sharper in the race, especially on the run, I’m pleased to have been able to play triathlon with some of my international friends. The Aussie Emmas were absolutely brilliant on the run; they’ve definitely set the bar high in regards to the run standard. Wowzers! Hopefully the work that we are doing right now will get me a bit closer to them the next time when I toe the start line in London.

On a completely unrelated note, I had a short pre-race interview with Universal Sports where I was given the opportunity to share some of my lame cow jokes (or should I say “cheesy”). Here’s a new cow joke for you: “What do you call an unproductive dairy cow?” Answer: “A Milkdud!” or, if you don’t know what a Milkdud is, “And utter failure”. Oh man, too funny...

36 hours later...

2011-07-09T22:19:00.000-07:00

8am train departure from Davos Dorf. 8 hrs of travel: three trains, one plane and a traffic jam through Montmartre and down Champs-Elysees. Drop off the bags and search for a pool begins. 2 hilarious kilometers of swimming playing Frogger with slow-moving Frenchies. Thankfully avoid making a face plant into the breaststroking, hairy-legged, Speedo-clad lane mates, despite ~10 close calls. Back to the hotel, build the bike and wait for dinner. Late, long and lovely meal with my Charleville-Ardennes team. Realize that my knowledge of French vocab is 8 food words for every 1 non-food words. Helpful for reading a menu, but that is about it... 5am wake up with the tv alarm. End up totally mesmerized by a French hunting show for about 15 minutes. Quick breakfast and off to the race site, in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower. Quick warmup followed by long cooling down on the pontoon, aided by the wind and chilly air temps. Race is off! Super short, fast and over before I know it. Bad T2 means that I end up running by myself, trying to catch the leaders to no avail. C’est la vie! But finish in a solid 6th and, more importantly, my team ends up 1st with strong races by Moffy (1st) and Anja (9th). First win ever for Charleville-Ardennes and team manager Eric couldn’t be more excited. Sample the post-race noshes and then off to cool down while the men race. Total Brownlee brother domination. Awards ceremony, followed by quick stop at the bakery for a heavenly almond croissant (when in France...) and back to the hotel. Best multitasking ever in packing while catching up with former training partner, the incredible Dave Matthews. In the lobby for a champagne toast with the team. Load up the van, reverse journey and back at home by 8pm. Successful trip, but now too tired to write properly. Sister will be horrified. Too tired to care, so I’m off to bed...

Making my Pops proud

2011-06-23T11:53:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday was both the Kitzbühel WCS race and Father’s Day in the U.S. I was able to give my dad (self-proclaimed #1 fan- he actually signs emails with that) a pretty special Father’s Day present by finishing 3rd- my first major podium finish and the first WCS podium by a U.S. woman. I know that he watched the race from start to finish, as he does with every race. When I crossed the finish line, I couldn’t help but imagine him, along with my other loved ones, in the early-morning glow of their computer screens. They’ve been there all along, over the years that I’ve been racing and through all of the tough times (and there have been many). I’m just pleased that they could share something special like this with me, albeit with an ocean separating us.

To be honest, I went into the race thinking that the best present that my dad would get from me this year would be to (grudgingly) fulfill his request for one of the Groffy-bumcentric race posters. I didn’t feel especially great going into the race and had only questionable confidence about my fitness. I had a decent swim and tried to have fun on the winding, scenic bike course, even when the hail started to pummel us. Once I was able to pull my flats on with my cold-numbed fingers, I had to bridge a fair gap to the front group, but the second that I found myself there, I was determined to hang on as long as possible. I was able to sit behind super-athletes (and super-nice) Paula Findley and Helen Jenkins and watched as girls were popped from the group one by one. Going into the last lap, I was a bit shocked to find that I was the last one still running behind the two leaders. When Helen and Paula surged and left me in their dust, I had to redirect my focus to maintaining my form and speed for the rest of the lap. By the time that I reached the blue carpet of the finishing straight, I had enough time over the 4th place finisher, the speedy Emma Moffett, that I was able to enjoy my moment. And yes, a few happy tears were shed in the process.

While my #1 fan wasn’t able to be there with me in person, he has been there all along, from my very first triathlon. Thank you, Dad, for teaching me patience and the value of hard work. Thanks for never pressuring me to get a “real job” and for believing in me. Thanks for giving me your cheesy sense of humor and showing me that you should always be able to laugh at yourself. And, finally, thanks for your genetic contribution. Who knew the Groffy hay bale-lifting genes might translate decently to triathlon? Seriously, Dad, I couldn’t ask for a better father than you.

Thanks to everyone for their kind messages after the race! And thanks for not teasing me too much for my post-race tears. Feel free to tease my coach for getting teary-eyed, however. He pretends to really tough, but he is actually a fairly sensitive dude. (Sorry, Daz- your cover is blown.)

This blog brought to you by the number 7

2011-06-13T00:07:00.000-07:00

It has been 7 days since I raced in the Madrid WCS race, where I finished 7th, and I have 7 days to go until the WCS race in Kitzbuhel, Austria. That means two things: 1) I’m a very lazy blogger and 2) two weeks between races means that I’m the midst of that odd inter-race phase where you somehow have to get the mix between recovery and prep. Do too much and you show up to the race and feel flat. Do too little and you also feel flat. Hopefully we get the balance right.

Back to my race in España... After crashing out in Sydney, I was keen to get in a solid WCS result, but was skeptical that my fitness was adequate enough. We haven’t done much quality training yet and have been conservative with our training for the past few weeks (acclimatization to altitude is tricky), so I wasn’t feeling super confident in my fitness. Once the gun went off, however, I just tried focus on “keeping my nose clean” (Coach’s words) in the swim and bike and to try to survive the run. I was fortunate enough to come out of the water in a good position and to thus be part of the front pack on the bike. Between the heat heat and hills, the bike course in Madrid is pretty tough and it took its toll on a number of athletes. Since it tends to lead to more interesting racing, I wish we had more courses like it (minus the heat, perhaps!). While I was definitely outclassed by the likes of supergirls Findlay and Jenkins, I was able to put together a solid enough run to finish 7th place, right ahead of a fast-charging Laura Bennett (I definitely dropped pace the last few ks= room for improvement). With two of us in the top-8, it was a good day for the U.S. women. The only thing that completely ruined my day was that I had to spend an eternity in the drug testing tent, unable to chow down on the delicious post-race feast provided by the race organizers. Oh comida española, tan sabrosa... garrrrr.

As I type, I realize that I wrote an incredibly lame post-race report. I blame the cold temperatures in Davos for constricting the blood vessels in my brain and thus hampering my thought process. Hopefully my next one after the race in Kitz will be a bit more thrilling. Or maybe I’ll just include more exclamation marks to try to trick my readers into thinking that I wrote a super exciting account of my race. Everyone loves enthusiastic punctuation, right?!

I wish you sweet dreams of paella and jamón serrano. Although salty might be a more apt adjective...

Until next time,

Oink, oink!*

2011-05-24T12:52:00.000-07:00

When I asked my vivacious Charlesville-Ardennes teammate (also training partner, travel buddy and current roommate- good thing we get along!) Vicky Holland how she would describe the French Grand Prix races, she used three adjectives: fun, fast and furious. After doing my first Grand Prix this past weekend in Dunkerque, I can definitely vouch for her enthusiastic assessment of these sprint races. While the over 20 hours of travel, requiring buses, trains, planes and vans, in two days was pretty exhausting (all for a sprint distance race), I finally understand what the fuss is all about.

For those who are unfamiliar with the Grand Prix, the series consists of multiple sprint races around France. When you race, you do so for a team, which means that you receive assistance with travel, housing, uniforms and help at the race. The race itself becomes a team endeavor since your three highest ranked athletes score points. To have your team finish well in the race and in the overall series is of extreme pride to the club, so they have turned to recruiting foreign athletes over the years. My team, Charleville-Ardennes, had five girls racing this weekend: Brit Vicky, Aussie Emma Moffett, Frenchie Delphine Py-Bilot, German Anja Dittmer and me.

The race itself was very professionally done and required a high level of skill and ability to be able to be competitive. The field was strong and the short distance means that there is little margin for error. The Grand Prix has essentially served as a developmental training grounds for European, Australian and Kiwi triathletes for years. After doing one of these races, I can see why athletes from those countries tend to be the most skilled in ITU racing. Personally, I wish that I had done these races from the start of my triathlon career, as I am just now catching up on those aspects of triathlon. While there is growing support for draft-legal racing in the U.S., we are decades away from having races of this level in terms of professionalism and field strength.

As for my performance, I was pretty pleased to walk away with a 5th place finish behind some pretty stellar triathletes at my first Grand Prix. It felt incredibly short after years without doing any sprint races, but this sluggish Yank was able to hang in with the speedsters. I am really pleased that I was able to contribute to our team’s 2nd place finish (Charleville’s first ever podium finish!) behind powerhouse Poissy. While I’m not sure which Grand Prix races will fit into my schedule, I really hope that I’ll be able to don the Charleville uniform again! While it is too late for me to do these race for development, I can certainly use them to become a more refined triathlete. On that note, it is back to work in Davos. With some big races looming in the horizon, I have serious training to accomplish!

Au revoir,

Sarah

* The Charleville-Ardennes symbol is a wild boar- something that was a good source of entertainment for us. We briefly considered a porcine-themed team cheer. Originally I was going to title this post “Groin, groin!”, the sound that French pigs make, but I thought that it might get misconstrued.

And so it begins again...

2011-03-30T23:03:00.001-07:00

Over a month ago, Darren and I decided that I would submit my name to race in the Mooloolaba ITU World Cup. Since we had only gotten a couple of weeks of training under my belt at that point, it was a bit of a gamble. At most, I would be entering the race with 6 weeks of training- less than ideal, given the fact that the race would be very competitive. With so many of the world’s top athletes using the race as a tune-up for the WCS in Sydney on April 10th and knowing that the course is among the hardest in the sport, I would have my work cut out for me.

Fortunately for me, I trust my coach and his decision-making skills. We managed to put together a solid block of training without incident (given the roller-coaster of a season that I had last year, that is saying something!) and we decided to go ahead with the race in Mooloolaba. The first race of the year is always tough, but you have to take the plunge eventually, even if you don’t feel ready! The race was tough- serious headwinds, fast and fit girls, choppy surf swim, driving rain and a super hilly course- and I felt as good as can be expected, given my lack of training (ie pretty terrible!). Somehow, I managed to find myself in the right place going into the run and held it together to finish a surprising 8th.

My training partners had pretty great races, with Barbara, Vendula and Lauren finishing 3rd, 5th and 9th respectively. A special acknowledgement has to be made of Lauren “Gunzy” Campbell’s race, as it represents her first World Cup back following an extremely difficult year of injury and rehab in 2010. Welcome back, GG! As a friend, I am delighted to have you healthy and back on the circuit. As a competitor, however, the prospect of you toeing the line makes me tremble like an over-caffeinated chihuahua in a hailstorm. Watch out in Sydney- my training partners will be ready to tear it up! As for me, I’m just grateful to be healthy, racing months sooner than I expected and looking forward to be ready with pistols blazin’ this summer!

My One Year Anniversary

2011-03-18T20:48:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow I will celebrate the one year anniversary of my sacral fracture. It is hard to believe that one little spill on my bike last year could have derailed my training and racing to the extent that it did, but luck (or poor luck, in this case) unfortunately has an important role in the profession that I have chosen.

To be honest, things were starting to become a bit “pear-shaped”, in the words of my coach, before I fractured my pelvis. Vicky Holland asserts that former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd stole my mojo (so is it back now that he is out of office?) and I seem to think that it stemmed from bad karma following involuntary pigeon slaughter on the bike path. Either way, March 2010 was a training low-point involving a sinus infection, overtraining, a broken bike, a fracture and almost getting kicked out of the squad following a heated tug-of-war with Darren. Thankfully I’m still in the squad, my body has healed and everything is falling into place at last. It took a year, but better late than never...

Tomorrow I will celebrate my one-year anniversary with a toast to my drama-filled 2010 season and be grateful for every day that I can train without injury, illness, squabbles with coaches and lost mojo/ dead pigeons. It was a tough year, but I’d like to think that I’ve grown through the process and am a better athlete for it. Thanks to everyone for your support through the rough patches! I hope to make you proud this year!

Snail walking

2011-02-07T23:58:00.000-08:00

While watching t.v. with my housemates in the evenings, I’ll sometimes use the opportunity to multi-task and do some of my rehab exercises. One of my exercises, a slow side-to-side walk with resistance, invariably elicits a giggle from the Kiwi, who deems it the “snail walk”.

My training these days has a lot in common with the snail walk, involving gradual progression with a focus on technique, definitely not on speed. Although I’m moving somewhere, my trajectory is more of a linear one. Not necessarily a bad thing in the long run, but an approach that requires patience...

I’m two weeks into my camp in Canberra and I’m just starting to feel settled. It helps returning to a familiar training plan and group in a town that I know well. To go from freezing temperatures and solo rehab to a searing heat and a structured group training environment is challenging enough! I’m gradually doing training that resembles “real” work and am starting to think that I might actually be fit enough at some point in 2011. While a snail walk is a bit tedious, I know that I’ll get to my destination eventually. Plus, I’m running with a huge grin on my face and that can’t be a bad thing! After months of no running, my short jaunts make me feel like a kid on Christmas.

As a totally unrelated aside, we saw a wombat that was the size of a small bear, about double the size of any wombat that I’d ever seen previously. Granted, it was dead in the middle of the road and may have been a bit bloated, but is was still huuuuuge. I was impressed.

Happy training!

Groffy

Running on air

2011-01-14T14:22:00.000-08:00

Hubris, it turns out, has a way of catching up with you.

When I fractured my sacrum last spring, I thought that I could continue racing and training and that the bone would heal. Even though the pain abated over time, I never healed completely and a minor trauma caused the bone to refracture. This time around, however, my body is ensuring that I keep my need to train (and ego) in check by permitting only the most gradual progression of training. After weeks of water running, I’ve progressed to the point where I can run on the Alter-G (seen above). My rate of increase of body weight has been slow, but I am pretty excited to be running again. Plus, it gives me insight into how much easier it is to run at 70% of your body weight (oh, Barbara Riveros and Emma Snowsill- it is so much easier for you pixies!).

While I’m trying to be patient and gradually build back fitness, my training partners are getting in some great training in Canberra, Australia. Among their ranks is my buddy, Lauren Campbell, who is returning to racing after a difficult, injury-fraught 2010. While the road to recovery is at times frustrating and disheartening, athletes like Lauren prove that you can come back. When you do, it is that much sweeter.

Before too long, I’ll be healthy enough to handle “real” running and hard riding. I’ll show up in Australia as the palest person on the continent (until fellow gimp Bryan Keane shows up), but I’ll also be armed with a bit more gratitude and little less hubris concerning injury. It has been a tough lesson to learn, but one that almost all successful athletes learn at some point.

Whether at 50 or 100% body weight, I wish you happy training!

Sarah

African Adventures (Part 3): Training Campus interruptus

2010-12-19T10:28:00.000-08:00

A training camp where you can’t train is like a long-awaited beach vacation where it rains the entire time. Sure, it is nice to get away and relax, but it is disappointing nonetheless. You make the most of it, staying busy playing scrabble and watching movies, but you can’t help but dwell on what could (should?) have been.

My time at Kenya, while a nice life experience, didn’t quite pan out as the training camp for which we had hoped. Instead of logging in some great miles in Iten, I spent my time trying to minimize pain and trying to stay busy. In the end, coach and I decided that I was probably better off heading home early to get medical treatment. And so I packed up my gear, said goodbye to training partners and new friends alike and made the 36 hour trek home to Hanover. My search for a diagnosis has most recently brought me to the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Fingers crossed!

While it was a bit disheartening to travel so far to get injured and head home early, this is part of the job that chose. At the very worst, I had the opportunity to go to an amazing country, meet some inspiring people, spend time with my lovely training partners and have an incredible life experience. Sure, I didn’t get much training in (and didn’t see any critters beyond livestock!), but I feel fortunate that my job allows me to travel to and spend time in Kenya. I guess that it is best to have the perspective that, when it rains on your beach vacation, at least you aren’t at the office and stuck to your desk!

African Adventures (Part 2): Polépolé

2010-12-05T01:38:00.000-08:00

In Kenya, I’ve had to embrace the concept of Polépolé, Swahili for “take it easy”. We joke about things happening on Kenyan time: relaxed, late (according to us), and predictably unpredictable. After a series of injuries, illnesses and mishaps, 2010 has been a year of learning patience; a lesson that is being reinforced by my experience thus far in Kenya. Like a good little student, I’m trying to learn from the relaxed culture here and let things happen in their own time.

The latest lesson in patience has been dealing with a glute injury sustained last Sunday, our first full day in Iten. Part of me appreciates the irony in being unable to run (or even bike *sigh*) in one of the most famous running towns in the world. For the time being, I can only watch runners instead of running myself. Although I can’t do much on land, I have picked up some running tips and am getting to be a pretty good water runner, perfecting the worst tan lines of all time in the process! I’m also trying to be supportive to my training partners Andi, Vicky and Lisa, who are getting in some seriously good training. Watch out for these three in 2011!

My injury is taking a while to heal (at least far longer than the two or three days that I would have preferred), but it is happening on its own time. Polépolé. Until then, I’m just trying to stay relaxed, I’m meeting some cool runners and I’m unsuccessfully avoiding having my swimsuit lines permanently etched into my skin. Hopefully my next post will have me back running side-by-side with some fast runners!

Kwa herini!

African Adventures (Part 1): New York to Nairobi

2010-11-16T14:18:00.000-08:00

I’m one lucky chick. Sometimes I lose sight of the incredible opportunities that I have by being an athlete. This morning, however, I spent 30 minutes chatting with NBA legend Bill Walton in the NYAC hot tub after getting in a nice swim workout. Life doesn’t get much better than that.

Last night, Bill served as keynote speaker for the New York Athletic Club’s All Sports Dinner, where I was fortunate enough to rub elbows with some of the best athletes in the country. NYAC has a tremendous tradition of supporting athletes in Olympic sports and Jarrod Shoemaker, Kevin Collington and I are fortunate members of their triathlon team. The club is an incredible place, located next to Central Park, with a rich and impressive history of Olympic athlete support. I hope to represent the club well for years to come.

I’m still scratching my head about how I can be so fortunate. I sat and talked with one of the greatest basketball players of all time in one of the most prestigious clubs in the world. These experiences just don’t seem as though they should happen to a goofball triathlete from New Hampshire. While they last, however, I’m just enjoying the ride. I think that my new buddy Bill, with his big heart and infectious passion for life, would approve.

I’m off to Kenya tonight (currently in the lounge- hence the rushed blog post) for a month of running in the Rift Valley. Like I said, I’m pretty darn lucky. From New Hampshire to New York, New York to Nairobi, this is one crazy journey... I can’t wait to see what comes next!

Down(ward Dog)time

2010-10-22T06:02:00.000-07:00

After a tough season of training, racing and travel, some athletes opt for a beach holiday to relax on the sand. Other athletes may jet off to Vegas for a few days of debauchery. I, on the other hand, embraced my inner granola-eating hippie and tried to be a Zen Master at the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health.

Following a few days of paperwork, hanging out with friends and family and one bike ride with Lance (Yes, that Lance. Good namedrop, right? Am I cooler now?), I headed down to Kripalu. Situated in Lenox, Massachusetts, the Kripalu property (summer estate turned Jesuit novitiate turned ashram) overlooks Laurel Lake and the Berkshire Mountains. My initial impression, shaped by the perfectly-coiffed New Jersey suburbanite stepping out of her Land Rover in front of reception, was that this would be more of a yoga-light, spa experience than a hard-core hippie retreat. While there were some yuppie elements, I was pleasantly pleased to find out that my initial impression was incomplete and that guests could tailor their experience in whatever fashion they wanted.

Personally, I wanted my experience to be an active, energizing one. That entailed 3 yoga sessions a day, multiple lectures, hikes and runs and meditation; all achieved on a caffeine-free, macrobiotic diet (No coffee= big deal for SG). I very possibly overextended myself. By the end of my stay, I felt sore in different places, but relaxed and really happy. After being put through the meat grinder a few times this season, I needed a clean start and Kripalu was exactly the place to seek it. I’m ready to move onto the 2011 season, armed with a few more tools to keep me healthy, grounded and feelin’ the prana, baby. That being said, delicious, wonderful coffee will definitely be reintegrated into my life at some point.

Deep-fried Dallas

2010-10-13T05:16:00.000-07:00

For a couple of months, I have been eagerly anticipating my last race of the year, the U.S. Open Triathlon in Dallas, for one reason: the Texas State Fair. I have a borderline unhealthy obsession with the State Fair and its crazy assortment of fried foods (plus the added bonus of livestock!). For the most part, I view the fried food fiesta as entertainment (Who the heck would fry flavored butter? And, more puzzling, who would eat it?!). This year, however, I was looking forward to actually trying this year’s winner, fried beer. How can fried beer NOT be good? Unfortunately, fried beer, an insipid ravioli like pocket filled with lukewarm, beer-flavored liquid, is pretty awful. So awful, in fact, that the fried beer ended up in the garbage. Considering I was with my brother (in photo), who happened to be in town for business, and my Dallas-buddy, my dad, this is saying something; Groffs will pretty much eat anything.

So what does fried beer have to do with triathlon? I guess that I see the whole fried-beer experience as a reflection of my season this year. I went into the season with high hopes and expectations, hoping to find a new level of awesomeness. I took a calculated risk and while I was immersed in the right environment and surrounded by great people, things didn’t turn out as I had hoped. For the most part, my results, while not inedible, certainly weren’t the nuggets of deliciousness for which I had hoped. I’ve grown through the experience, however, and I’m now armed with knowledge and experience that I didn’t have in the past.

After the disappointment of the deep-fried beer, Adam and I waited in a 30-minute line in order to try the “Elvis”, a deep-fried peanut butter, jelly and banana sandwich. It required patience, but I was pleasantly surprised by the final outcome. In the past, I would have passed by the line and merely been entertained by the idea of this calorie-bomb treat. After trying and failing with the beer, however, I was more willing to take a risk and invest the time into a potentially positive outcome. The long wait and the nastiness of the fried beer only made the “Elvis” taste even better. At some point, I will be have the breakthrough that I desire as a triathlete and it will be even more rewarding after the frustrations of seasons like this past one.

[This was intended as a race report and ended up being something else entirely. As for the race itself, I ended up 5th- a good result that isn’t reflective of how mentally and physically difficult it was for me. It has been a long, draining season that has taken its toll on me and that was glaringly obvious on Sunday. Phew. Thank goodness the 2010 season is over!]

Sizzlin' in the South: U.S. Nationals wrap-up

2010-10-01T06:06:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, I popped over to Tuscaloosa, AL for our Elite National Championships. Being a full-fledged Northerner who prefers arctic conditions over sauna-like ones, it was a pretty rough race in the 94℉ (34.4℃), mid-day sun. After a strong swim and and effective pack ride on the bike, the run was a survival death march. Fortunately, I kept the “Prancing Pony” in the stable and was able to cross the finish line in second (albeit a very distant second!) place to the always-impressive Laura Bennett. It is always an honor to finish on the podium, but to do so at a National Championships in anti-Groffy conditions is even more special.

So what nuggets of knowledge did I gleam from the race? What lessons were reinforced? Like with every race, I walked away with some good (but random) material:

My family is amazing. They covered race support from every angle: lead-up to the race where my Gainesville-based family (and my visiting mom) helped me recharge, care in Tuscaloosa by my dad, Aunt Denise and Uncle Howie (who took me to the airport at 3:45 AM!!), and my post-race support back at home in Hanover.
Getting administered 2 I.V.s makes you a source of envy. I’d rather not have needed them, but at least I made some of the other girls jealous. Mwaa haa haa.
Based on my limited experience, there are no giant, man-eating catfish in the Black Warrior River. I was a bit nervous about this, as the water was so turbid that one would have attacked me and I wouldn’t have known until its barbels were wrapped around my leg.
Even in the midst of strip-mall chain stores, you can still find little natural foods gems.
After a couple years of huge packs in the WCS races, I had forgotten how much I’ve missed having the small groups out front on the bike. At one point, I looked around to see Sara McLarty, Sarah Haskins, Annabel Luxford and Laura Bennett and felt the pangs of nostalgia. (Thank goodness we had an effective pack, by the way- I needed as big of a time buffer as possible!).
You know that it is going to be a rough day when you run out of water with 20 minutes left in the bike and you are already feeling the effects of the heat. At this point, your best tactic is to ignore the voice that tells you that you may spontaneously combust about 5k into the race and to think instead about management skills to get you across the finish line.
There are two Dreamland BBQs in the Tuscaloosa area. If Jarrod Shoemaker tries to steer you astray to the wrong one, don’t listen to him. He is probably still in the midst of the post-National Champ title elation.
Avoid the La Quinta Inn in Tuscaloosa at all costs. Unless you like midnight visits to scary 24 hr grocery stores for mold-battling antihistamines, that is... (8a. Avoid visiting sketchy 24 hr grocery stores in Tuscaloosa at midnight)
If you want to race well in the heat, I’d advise against the following: weighing more than 120 pounds, growing up in the Northeast and training all summer in Switzerland.
Laura Bennett is a total animal. Based on how she destroyed us on the run, I’m convinced that she doesn’t actually feel heat. A true champion in every sense, I couldn’t be more awed by her performance. For years, she has set the standard for U.S. women’s ITU racing and only continues to raise the bar for the rest of us. While I would have loved to finished closer to her, I was honored to stand next to Laura on the podium!

So that happened...

2010-09-17T10:58:00.000-07:00

Last year, one of my heroes in the sport, Simon Whitfield (but don’t tell him that- I don’t want him to hold that over me) had a pretty shocking race in Washington D.C. where things didn’t fall into place. Sometimes that just happens in racing. He blogged about the race under the same heading that I lifted from him, “So that happened”, and it was this phrase that stuck in my head when I crossed the finish line in the Budapest WCS Final on Sunday. Encapsulated in those three words are the feelings that rose to the surface: disappointment, shock, resignation and frustration.

No matter how you feel about a disappointing race, there is nothing that you can do about it but move on and try to learn something from the experience. In the case of SImon, he went on to win $200k the following weekend at the HyVee Triathlon. For me, my post-Budapest goal is a bit less results focused. I need to become an excellent technical rider. My race didn’t turn out the way that I had hoped for one very big reason: my bike handling skills were simply not adequate for a highly technical bike course with a pack of 40 women. I used up my legs needlessly covering gaps or trying to move up from the back of the pack to an easier position. By the time that I got to the run, I was so mentally exhausted that I had lost count of the bike laps and had to slam on my brakes at the dismount line. While I focused on maintaining a good run form and tried to move up through the field, I was simply too tired to put together anything beyond a heavy plod and finished in 28th place. Amazingly, I managed to squeak into 20th place overall in the series, thanks to the “Get out of Jail Free” cards that I cashed in at Hamburg, KItzbuhel and London. I could have used another one this past weekend, but I guess that it was too much to ask!

Although I have worked on my handling skills, I still have a long way to go. Even though I am disappointed that it had to occur at the most important race of the season, the wake-up call that I received on Sunday will only make me a better triathlete in the future. Until this year, I always assumed that the fittest triathlete won races. This weekend’s lesson reinforced that there is a skill component that I can no longer overlook. The fit athlete will only succeed if the mental, technical and tactical skill level is high. Fortunately, I have a squad of training partners who are highly adept at these skills. How else can you explain the fantastic racing by Andreas Giglmayr (breakthrough top-15!), Barbara Riveros, Kate Roberts, Vicky Holland, Lisa Norden and our junior, Michael Gossman?! I would have loved to live up to the D-Squad level of excellence this weekend in Budapest, but it just wasn’t to be. Sure, “that happened” and I would have loved if it hadn’t, but that is part of the sport. On to the next training session, next race and next season!

Home, sweet suitcase

2010-09-04T10:01:00.001-07:00

Before heading out to Australia to join up with Darren this winter, one of the best pieces of advice that I received was from the wise Bobby McGee. He told me that I need to make a home wherever I find myself, even if I am living out of a suitcase. My guess is that, after years of working with international runners and triathletes, he has witnessed some athletes be more at peace with the itinerant lifestyle than others. Those who are able to adapt to their surroundings and feel at home will invariably be happier than the homesick, angst-ridden athletes. Not surprisingly, a happy athlete will train and race better than an unhappy one.

I’ve certainly taken Bobby’s advice to heart, as I’ve been out of the U.S. for 7 out of the past 8 months. I’ll be leaving my latest “home” of Davos, Switzerland in a few days and have been surprised how mixed my emotions are about this prospect. Sure, I’ll be glad to get out of Davos before the snow falls in earnest (we woke up to blanket of snow on August 31st!) and to finally meet my niece, Ingrid. It will also be nice to pay a reasonable amount for a coffee, as $5 seems a bit steep for a latte, and to be able to order it without amusing the cashier with my attempts at broken German. I have so much to look forward to when I return to the U.S., but I’m returning with the knowledge that I will miss this little Alp town.

Athletes who have a particularly successful training camp will occasionally attribute their success to their training location, imbuing it with a quasi mystical power (the same thing happens with success at particular race venues too). While I’ve managed to get in some really good training days in Davos, I’ve spend far too much time in my nun flat at Spinnelenweg 2, trying to keep insanity at bay while trying to wait out injury, sickness and overtraining (yes, it has been a rough summer). If anything, I should be grateful to leave Davos and any negative training-related associations! No matter how rough it has been for me, however, my feelings about this place have remained as warm and fuzzy as a braunvieh’s ear.

My happiness in Davos goes beyond triathlon to something much bigger. When I wake up in the morning, I hear the bells of the cows being lead out of the barn and open my window to see the day breaking on the Alps. It doesn’t take much for me to realize how incredibly lucky I am to be able to live in a town like this and to be able to call these trails and roads my “office” (to say nothing of the ridiculously good Davoser bakeries). I think that it is this gratitude that allows me to see past the frustrations of training and the distance from my family and to be able to make a happy home out of a suitcase and a humble flat in a beautiful, yet unfamiliar, country. Either that, or I’m experiencing the draw of my true calling as a Swiss cowherd... I guess that if the triathlon thing doesn’t work out, I can always start practicing my yodeling and invest in a sweet Alpenhorn!

Oh to be a Braunvieh!

2010-08-23T11:36:00.001-07:00

Since coming to Davos, I’ve suspected that, if I were a cow, I would want to be one of the Braunvieh, or Brown Swiss, cows that I see lounging in the pastures. Over the past couple of months, I’ve become well acquainted with my bovine neighbors and my initial positive impression has been confirmed. Between having a cushy lifestyle and possessing key attributes characteristic of their breed, there is no doubt in my mind that these girls have it made.

As I see it, here are the top reasons to envy the Swiss Braunvieh:

Scenery: Pastures in the Alps= blue skies, wildflowers and a killer mountain view. It can be a bit snowy, but the winter accommodations are pretty cozy.
Cuisine: Succulent grasses and flowers in the warmer months and seriously tasty hay in the winter. The farmers have been doing some serious haying since we’ve been here, stockpiling delicious meals for the winter. The ladies pity their corn and antibiotic stuffed American counterparts.
Hotness factor: With svelte yet shapely figures, these dairy cows are the Gisele Bundchens of the bovine world. Long lashes, fuzzy ears and soft, yet distinctive, facial features ensure that Braunvieh have little competition in the looks department.
Craftsmanship: Their primary purpose is to supply milk for some of the world’s best yogurts, cheeses and chocolate. They take great pride in their excellent milking abilities and withstand their daily exertions with the calmness and self-possession of champions.
Language: Like most Swiss, they are multi-lingual. They slip facilely between French (“meuh”), German (“mmuuuhh”) and Italian (“muuuuu”), as well as what appears to be their regional dialect of Swiss German (“grüüüüüch”).
Bling: Every cow gets her own Trychel (the egalitarianism keeps the jealousy in check). Half musical instrument, half jewelry, the bells helps them make their presence known and serves as the perfect accessory for any occasion.
Partytime!: When you get festivals in your honor, most notably the Alpabzug, where you are adorned with pretty hats and flowered necklaces and paraded down from the pastures, life is pretty good. B-list celebrities could only dream of this kind of attention.
The Laissez-Faire lifestyle: Unlike their European counterparts, Swiss cows aren’t hampered by the strict (and occasionally silly) regulations imposed by the E.U. dairy industry. Fewer rules means fewer headaches!

So what do the ladies think of themselves? Officially, they take the stance of neutrality and remained mum on the matter. Off the record, however, many cows indicated very favorable impressions of their breed and nationality. A few, however, expressed jealousy of their Indian counterparts and their revered status. Regardless of species, it appears that, for some, the grass appears greener in the other pasture.

Post Kitzbuhel: The Little Mermaid & me

2010-08-19T05:46:00.000-07:00

Like most kids, I went through a pretty serious Disney phase in elementary school. To this day, a depressing amount of my brain is occupied by the song lyrics of Aladdin, The Little Mermaid and Beauty & the Beast*. The other day, I was reminded of The Little Mermaid upon reflecting on my race at the Kitzbühel WCS, where I finished a surprising 10th place after yet another disastrous pre-race lead-up. More specifically, I thought of Ariel and the advice that Ursula, the evil sea witch, gave her after taking away her voice in exchange for legs. How ever would poor Ariel seduce the prince without her best attribute, her beautiful singing voice?! Ursula reminded little Ariel that she had other qualities that might be appealing to that hottie prince. I believe that the actual lyrics are “Don’t forget about your looks, your pretty face/ And don’t forget about the meaning of the body language”. Amazingly, Ariel almost gets away with snagging the prince despite her limited means and only through Ursula’s use of magic is her marriage to the prince thwarted. (If you want to know the ending, you’ll have to watch the movie yourself.)

So what exactly does this have to do with triathlon? Not much, other than it reinforces the lesson that you can sometimes get away with more than you think with less than 100% of your ability. For a week and a half leading into the race in Kitzbühel, my training was seriously impacted by a knee injury. I had to lay off of running, ride no harder than an easy spin and use all of the sports medicine and physiotherapy I could to decrease the pain to a manageable level. Fortunately the USAT staff and DIrk, the German team physiotherapist, were thorough and generous with their time. (Thanks!) However, the knee injury was yet another setback in a season of setbacks, making me incredibly cranky and physically underprepared. The stress alone forced Coach Daz to binge on Swiss chocolate and to contemplate sending me back over the Atlantic. An injured Groffy is a handful, needless to say. Fortunately my training partners are nonplussed by my antics at this point, as was evidenced by their performances in Kitzbühel. That being said, I owe them big time for putting up with me this season...

If I was injured, stressed out and underprepared leading into the race, how was I able to finish 10th in a world-class field? Honestly, I was shocked that I managed a good result. Not as shocked as after my post-Death Spiral Hamburg result, but still very, very surprised. Instead of relying on my fitness (i.e. racing like a meat head), as I would have in the past, I raced as calmly and intelligently as could, focusing on racing efficiently and with minimal impact on my knee. While I would have loved to feel fitter and less flat, especially in the second 5k of the run, I couldn’t have hoped for a better result given my lead up to the race. It is probably safe to say that I am gradually becoming a more skilled racer, making me optimistic for when I can race with both skills AND have a greater level of fitness. After all, while the prince was enamored of mute Ariel, he was even more psyched when she had her voice as well.

* I’m sure that this is a confession that I should be embarrassed about, but I really have no shame. I run around in public in my swim togs, after all.

Extreme swimming with a message

2010-08-11T08:37:00.001-07:00

While warming up from a chilly afternoon swim in the Davoser See (photo above) the other day, I watched the latest of the TED Talks, a lecture by cold water swimmer Lewis Pugh. In a nutshell, he is a publicity seeker with a message on climate change. A few years after a pioneering (NON-WETSUIT!!!) swim across the North Pole, Lewis travelled to the Himalayas to swim across a lake situated in the shadow of Mt. Everest. The conditions were undoubtably insane for a plunge (1k at 5300m and 2 degrees C), but his choice of swimming location was important in the context of climate change. The glaciers in the region are melting at an alarming rate and are the source of water for nearly a THIRD of the world’s population. As the water supplies dwindle, there is an even greater risk of instability in the region.

Although some cynics might dismiss Lewis’ feat as a publicity stunt that will do little to stem the tide of global climate change, we all can take away an important message from his talk. In order to complete his swim across the glacial lake, Lewis had to completely alter his approach to the task. After a failed practice swim a couple of days before that led to his near drowning, Lewis and his team realized that his old methods of coping with the extreme cold wouldn’t work. Instead of an aggressive struggle through the water, he had to swim in a calmer, more transcendental manner. While Lewis links the need for a change in swimming mindset to the need for a change of mindset in regards to our approach for climate change, we can apply this lesson to any type of struggle. Sometimes we have to completely abandon old patterns and adopt a new mindset. While it can be difficult to go about things in a different way, the rewards potentially outweigh the risks. And this, my friends, is a lesson that has been reinforced this year. I’m still waiting for the rewards, but I know that my change in approach will pay off!

A week in London

2010-07-29T05:06:00.001-07:00

After two weeks in Hamburg and London, it is a bit of a relief to be back in quiet Davos. While it was wonderful to see family (my sister Lauren, who came in for the London race), friends and sponsors, I was excited to hop on the train to Davos and weave my way up the Alps to our training base. Spending so much time in two beautiful, exciting cities, surrounded by people and distractions, was a bit of a sensory overload for me. I much prefer waking up to the sound of cowbells over the noise of traffic. I’m a country girl at heart!

With a couple of races that were both disappointing and encouraging, I am returning to Davos on a mission. An 8th place finish at Hamburg was a surprise, given my pre-race “preparation”. Once the race was over, we had to reshift focus to being as recovered as possible for the London WCS race 6 days later (the lucky boys had 8 days between races!). Thankfully, the USA Triathlon staff did a great job in helping the athletes with this task. As the race unfolded, however, I soon realized that I was pretty flat and couldn’t quite find that next gear. After a strong swim and solid bike, I put in a good effort on the run, but struggled to find my running legs and ended up finishing a respectable 12th place. Sometimes you can recover easily after a race and other times it is a strain. All you can do is set yourself up as well as possible to be able to go fast!

After trying to compete the first two WCS races of the year in Sydney and Seoul with an injury, being able to race in Hamburg and London without pain was a far more pleasurable experience. That being said, we made some mistakes leading up into the race that lead to a compromised pre-race preparation and I still wasn’t able to race at 100%. The longer that I do this sport, however, I realize that these highs and lows are just part of the process. On the whole, I am improving and becoming a better triathlete, even if my results don’t yet reflect those changes. Fortunately, I have two more opportunities at the WCS level to prove that my trajectory is pointing in the right direction. If I can get in some good training in Davos, avoid bovine (or other) collisions on the bike and go into the races with a solid preparation phase, I should be able to produce a result that will make me proud.

Yes, I had to wear a bathing suit in front of the Big Ben. Fortunately, a photo shoot involving triathletes in bathing suits was overshadowed by the protester walking around with a box on his head, a megaphone and cardboard “armor”.

Hamburg in review

2010-07-22T13:31:00.000-07:00

In sport, miracles simply don’t occur. That being said, sometimes events unfold in a way that can shock the bejeezus out of you. Somehow, despite having the least ideal pre-race prep possible, I eked out enough energy to manage an 8th place finish at the Hamburg World Championship Series race.

After two weeks of being stuck in the Death Spiral, we weren’t sure whether I’d be able to race in Hamburg. I tried to remain optimistic, however, that somehow I might be able to avoid drowning, push more than 100 watts on the bike and manage more than a shuffle on the run (the sad part is that I’m only mildly exaggerating). The pre-race instruction that I received from Daz was literally, “Give me a thumbs down after the first lap of the bike if you are going to pull out of the race and, if you do, don’t be too hard on yourself”. Since we had reached red on the Terrorist threat level a few times in the previous two weeks, this seemed like reasonable advice.

My race was pretty straightforward: I managed to stay relaxed and move my way to the front of the swim pack, tried to stay out of trouble on the technical bike course and focused on running efficiently. Somehow, I picked off girls one by one and ran my way into 8th place. Needless to say, I was totally shocked. It just goes to show that, with an open mind and a relaxed body, you can sometimes race well when overly tired, poorly primed for racing and emotionally exhausted. Let’s just hope that I can do even better when properly prepared! It was a great day for the D-Squad, with 4 of the women finishing in the top-8 and some strong racing from our boys. Fingers crossed that we repeat the domination in London! As for me, I wouldn’t mind surprising myself again :-)

Scaredypants Groffy and the Tunnel of Doom

2010-07-12T05:54:00.000-07:00

I don’t hate many things. There are some critters, namely venomous spiders, snakes and sharks, for whom I have a healthy respect. Heights don’t bother me too much and public speaking just makes me uncomfortable. And after years of loathing cilantro and brussel sprouts, I have found that I actually quite like both when prepared properly (i.e. not boiled to death and smelling of feet, in the case of brussel sprouts). The closest that I have come to hatred in recent years is my ongoing disdain for clowns. The closest, that is, until I came to Davos and rode through the 2.7 km long Landwasser Tunnel.

I can safely say that I hate the Landwasser Tunnel with the burning passion of a thousand suns. The first time that I went into the tunnel I was worried that I wouldn’t come out alive and, despite having successfully passed through it a number of times since, I still enter with a sinking feeling of dread. Among its many charming characteristics you’ll find: almost total darkness, seriously confined space, a significant temperature drop, the distortion of automotive noise that both amplifies and makes the vehicle’s direction unknown (one scooter can sound like a fleet of tanks, ready to surround you), recycled auto emission-laden air and trolls*.

Not surprisingly, when I safely pop out the other side of the tunnel, I have a white-knuckle grip on my handlebars and it requires a few kilometers of riding before my shoulders drop from ear level. The most startling part of reaching the end of the tunnel, however, is the contrast that meets you. From a dark, scary and confined space, you emerge into the bright, dazzling open Swiss countryside. And while I hate the feeling that consumes me while inside, it is this contrast helps me see the world with a different perspective. In other words, the hatred of the tunnel, really just my fear resulting from a skewed perception of danger, allows me to appreciate the non-tunnel riding that much more. Yes, I hate the tunnel, but I will continue to ride through it, mostly because I have no other option to reach my destination. I ride though that terrifying, potentially troll-filled tunnel with the hopes that I’ll reach the other end safely. Somehow, I always do.

Okay, I haven’t actually seen a troll in there, but it always reminds me of the descent into the mines of Moria from the Lord of the Rings. Like with the orc drumming, I expect the car noises to be followed by trolls, orcs and the Balrog. (And, yes, referencing the Lord of the RIngs officially makes me a dork.)

P.S. Yeah, I know... the tunnel is a completely overworked metaphor. In my defense, I’m an athlete, not a writer. If you want real writing, my amazing sister is the Groff with the writing chops. If you want blog posts from the endorphine addled brain of a triathlete, however, you are in the right place!

Why Chris Solinsky is my hero

2010-06-27T04:11:00.001-07:00

On May 1st, in his first attempt at the distance, 25 year old Chris Solinsky broke the American record in the 10,000 meter, running a whopping 26:59. In doing so, he became the first non-African to break the 27 minute barrier and is only 1 of 31 men to ever accomplish this feat. While all of this is undoubtably impressive, I am most in awe of how fast he is in spite of his size.

At 185 cm and 73 kilos, Chris is substantially larger than the other members of the sub-27 club, who average 169 cm and 55.6 kilos. To watch him run, however, you realize that he manages, through perfect mechanics and a massive engine, Chris is able to run as fast as he does. His large frame is durable, allowing him to pursue years of hard running without breaking down with injury, and he trains with relentless tenacity.

So why is Chris Solinksky my hero? This phenomenal runner is an inspiration to me because he proves how someone without a conventional runner’s build can still run quickly. Naysayers may say that a taller, stronger athlete (like me!) can never run as quickly as the little runner-types, but Chris proves that with hard work, a perfect run form and tenacity, anything can be possible.

Davos-Dorf= Perfekt (minus the Schnee!)

2010-06-20T21:36:00.000-07:00

On Monday, I took three flights and three different trains to arrive in the middle of the Swiss Alps. Amazingly, my bike and bag managed to make the entire trip with me, despite some tight connections! My final stop was Davos-Dorf, my training base with the D-Squad for the next few months. Despite overcast skies and incessant rain (and snow this morning!), I’ve been blown away by how lovely the area is. Imagine alpine meadows filled with wildflowers and bell-toting Swiss cows and you might get an idea...

While I would love to spend time lolling about in fields with the aforementioned cows and eating fondue, my reason for being here is simple: I need to get in serious race shape. I quite a bit of work to do, as the first half of my season, both in terms of training and racing, was profoundly impacted by my injury. This season is a building year and the work that we put in this year will pay off at some point. Maybe towards the end of this year, maybe next year... All I know is that I’m surrounded by the right training partners, I’m under the guidance of the right coach and I’m in the right training location to put in the hard work that I need in order to improve. Davos was not the easiest training grounds to get to, but I’m finding out that sometimes the hardest and most time-consuming destinations to reach are the most worthwhile ones.

Goodness gracious, great balls of... tar?!

2010-06-06T18:46:00.001-07:00

When you start a triathlon, you expect to encounter certain obstacles over the course of the race. The challenges could be personal, as you come face to face with the discomfort of physical strain or with your doubts and uncertainty. Depending on the terrain or weather conditions, the difficulties can be forced upon you.

What you don’t expect, however, is the risk of swimming into balls of tar. At this weekend’s Grandman Triathlon in Alabama, a fundraiser for a local environmental group, triathletes racers dove into the waters of Mobile Bay, uncertain of whether their race would be affected by the oil spill following the Deepwater Horizon rig explosion. Despite the strong petroleum smell and dead fish in the bay, the triathletes hazarded a swim around the 1/3 mile course. Fortunately, no tar balls were encountered in the race.

While the 2010 Grandman Triathlon was able to be run, other triathlons will probably be cancelled due to adverse environmental conditions following the oil spill. I’m not an expert in marine ecosystems or in economics. I can’t speak to the potential economic impact of the rig explosion on the fishing and tourism trades in the Gulf or the deleterious effect of the oil on wildlife. What I do know, however, is that when the water is too unsafe to be able to run a triathlon, something is seriously wrong.

Home!

2010-05-18T12:08:00.001-07:00

A week ago, I rolled off the Dartmouth Coach in the midst of a trans-Pacific, jet-lag stupor and the post-DNF funk. WIthin 24 hours, however, I was already feeling revived and looking forward to getting back to training in Hanover. The Upper Valley is, without a doubt, one of the best places in the world to train this time of year. Cool, but not cold, temperatures, and the springtime reawakening of the landscape make this hilly, rural area an invigorating training base. Add the favorable conditions to the incredible network of seemingly endless trails and backroads and you can see why I was so excited to return home for a training block!

I freely admit that I am a bit biased in thinking that New Hampshire surpasses Colorado and Australia, two places I’ve been fortunate enough to live and train, for a training environment. As a small-town girl from the day I was born (in Hanover!), rural, close-knit Northeastern communities will always resonate with me in a more profound way. Quite simply, I feel more settled and complete here than I do anywhere else in the world. As someone who spends most of the year on the road, this sense of belonging is incredibly important. When you live out of a suitcase in a high-pressure environment, you need to stay grounded in some way. For me, having a strong sense of where I am from and knowing that I have a solid, supportive network keeps me on track.

Over the next month, I have a lot of work to do. In a sense, I have to play catch-up, trying to gain back some of the fitness that I lost with my injury. As long as I can resist the siren song of Vermont cheese and ice cream, I can’t imagine a better place to regroup and move forward into part 2 of my season.

Looking forward (and not behind... too much)

2010-05-07T23:49:00.000-07:00

In triathlon racing and training, like in life, you have good periods where everything is going well and the pieces just fall into place. Naturally, you also have "bad" periods where it feels as though you are fighting the current to no avail. The past couple of months I've been in a bit of a rough patch, but rather than feel too sorry for myself or bemoan my bad luck, I'm looking forward and ahead and hoping that these challenges will make me a stronger athlete and person. After all, what choice do you have? Either you: a) wallow in self-pity or b) be proactive and "get on with it", as Coach Daz would say.

I'm currently writing from Seoul, South Korea, where I experienced the most disappointing of a series of three disappointing races (Mooloolaba World Cup, Sydney WCS and Seoul WCS). Starting the race, we knew that it was a crapshoot as to whether or not I'd be able to race well. The odds were stacked against me, but there was a chance that I might be able to pull out something special. It was a "big ask" , as they say in Australia, as I had fractured my sacrum 7 weeks ago in a little bike crash (only a couple of weeks after a sinus infection and unintentionally running over an innocent pigeon on the bike path- all bad things come in threes!) and have since had to deal with serious back pain. Considering the fact the bike course was highly technical and accelerations on the bike tend to cause my back to painfully spasm, essentially locking it down, it was a gamble. Unfortunately, I did spasm on the bike and had to pull out- a DNF result is always a bummer, but this one was particularly so.

So where does that leave me? Obviously I am a bit frustrated and sad. When you picture your season, you never take setbacks like this into account. All I can do is look forward, get in a good block of training to catch up a bit after losing fitness and persist. It won't be easy, but nobody ever said that the occupation that I chose was an easy one. Actually, to be more accurate, the good periods are easy and the bad period stink, but it is our reaction to the hard ones that define us.

Off to get some kimchi and bulgogi. Maybe chili, garlic and fermented cabbage is the secret cure for an aching back...

A bad day at the office?

2010-04-10T22:39:00.000-07:00

If I had a real job, a bad day at the office would probably entail endless meetings, looming deadlines and an incompetent boss. For me, a bad day at the office is a disappointing result in a race that takes place in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, Sydney, surrounded by friends and family. My life is pretty darn good.

While I would have loved to share in the great results of some of my fellow Americans and my amazing training partners, today's race at the Sydney WCS just wasn't meant to be. I tried the best that I could today, fought against some pain that has been hampering me for a few weeks and ended up pretty flat. Some days you can give 100% and you still fall short.

A special shout out to Barbara Riveros Diaz, today's winner and my training partner in the D Squad. Barbara, my "little sister", is one of the kindest, toughest girls I've ever met. I'm so proud of her! She has worked so hard and her efforts have paid off, serving as a reminder to keep plugging away and, someday, it will all pay off. Until then, I'll just try to remember how blessed I am to be able to lead the life that I do. Racing in the Sydney Harbor, around the gorgeous Opera house, being cheered on by Canberra pals and Oz and US Groffs? And meeting Edwin Moses after the race? Man, am I lucky!

Apprenticeship: Week 10

2010-03-14T01:33:00.000-08:00

I have been in Canberra for just over ten weeks and, over the course of this time, I've had to learn how to be a world-class triathlete. It has been pretty surprising how little I actually know and how much "upskilling" I have to do of late. I've always known that I was a bit raw as a triathlete and I'm finally addressing the glaring holes in my skills and knowledge. From biking handling to nutrition to injury and illness prevention, I have had a LOT to learn. Needless to say, this has been a process that is both frustrating and overwhelming at times.

Prior to joining Darren's squad, I had always operated with a bit of a meathead mindset: just put your head down and get the work done. The problem with this approach is that it doesn't address efficiency or skill. In order to be able to develop my engine, we've had to first break apart the different components and try to address them individually. Once I have reached a certain level of competency, I've been allowed to increasingly apply my new skills.

For example, in order to fix my horrendously inefficient run form, Darren started me off with easy running, constantly giving me cues for good form. We also have used drills and hill repeats to reinforce a correct lean, foot plant, arm carriage etc. in conjunction with a full physio screening to identify and address muscle inbalances. Once I was able to maintain a basic level of competency, Darren loosened up the reins, tightening them if I revert to old habits. At some point, I'll be able to run smoothly and efficiently in a race. I'm just hoping that it will be sooner rather than later!

The question remains: how did I get so far with such poor skills? I think that the problem is a common one in the sport, as athletes who are improperly developed are thrown into races above their skill level. I just think back to my first World Cup in 2005, when I was in over my head, barely able to ride a bike. Because I was a strong swimmer and reasonably talented athlete, however, I "faked" my way to a top-20 finish. My NGB and coach must have thought that, because I could handle the race and perform decently, I was ready to compete at that level. Nothing could have been further than the truth, as I was basically an amateur with poor knowledge of the sport. Years later, I am finally addressing the basic development that I should have received when I started the sport. I certainly wish that I could have gone through a proper, thorough apprenticeship earlier, but better late than never, right?

The snowboarder and the grocers

2010-02-25T15:32:00.000-08:00

In the pursuit of their dreams, sometimes athletes get help help from unexpected places. With the help of Kin Grocers, Canadian snowboarder Alexa Loo was able to continue her Olympic pursuit. In describing the decision to help Alexa, Kim Hun Leung said that “When we come to Canada, we’ve got nothing. But we have a dream. With Alexa, same thing. She has a dream. So that’s why we support her.”
Stories like this reinforce the fact that sport is more than just a physical endeavor. Through sport, we can bind together as communities in surprising and heartwarming ways.

2010-02-09T17:22:00.001-08:00

Granted, I'll never get rich doing triathlon, but I feel extraordinarily grateful that I am able to afford to pursue my sporting dreams. While some triathletes may complain that we will never make enough as tennis players or golfers, I prefer the glass-half-full view that, as a woman, I can actually be a full-time athlete in the sport. Athletes in other sports, such as speedskating, struggle financially, despite reaching the highest level of the sport. Knowing that there are athletes out there willing to sacrifice so much to pursue their dreams is pretty awe-inspiring. Man, am I lucky!

Oh, how hard we can fall...

2010-01-31T01:43:00.000-08:00

The McDonalds corporation is pretty much everything that I chose to reject in my life. Rather than risk a lawsuit for libel (heck, you never know), it is suffice to say that I have selected to avoid patronizing the franchise for many years. Today marks a very significant day in my life, as I have freely entered a door bearing the golden arches. While I have done so in order to access free wireless internet, something rather hard to find in Australia, I am ashamed to admit that my need to check my email has driven me to this low point. The worst part is that I will probably return in the future. Free wireless is tough to beat, but the shame...

To focus on the positives, it might mean that I will now write a REAL blog post, talking about my adventures in training in Canberra. Unfortunately, the muzak, florescent lighting and smell of D grade beef in making thought almost impossible. I wonder if that is part of McD's plan...

Congrats, Emily and Scott!

2010-01-16T20:03:00.000-08:00

New ITA athlete, bobsledder and all-around awesome person, Emily Azevedo, has made the 2010 Olympic team, along with her equally awesome (but not yet ITA-affiliated) partner, Bree Schaaf. I've been fortunate enough to get to know Emily through our training at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. I was able to see the bobsledders training in the weight room (I'd be doing my wimpy core routine) and was pretty flabbergasted by their box jumps. Man, do they have power! These girls have worked HARD to get this spot. It is great to see their dedication pay off.

In other ITA news, Scott Blackmun, a great friend of the organization and Colorado Springs resident, was recently named to lead the USOC. I had the opportunity to have dinner with him but was detained in Boulder by a longer-than-expected training session. Man, am I regretting that!

Sneaky SG?!

2009-12-25T18:21:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago, a good friend made the comment, "You know, sometimes you can be a very sneaky sausage". While I can neither confirm nor deny that I am a sausage (if I am, by the way, I hope that I am a spicy chorizo), I shamefacedly will admit to my occasional sneakiness. This buddy was speaking about the news of some huge changes in my life that I had "forgotten" to share with her and that had instead reached her via gossip. I hadn't intended to be devious, but rather keep developments to myself until I knew that I was definitely going to follow through with my plans. This probably also helps to explain my absence from the blogosphere!

Since the likelihood is about .01% that I will now change my plans, I suppose that I can publicly divulge my "secrets". Considering the wildfire speed with which gossip spreads through the triathlon community, however, this is old news for most... A couple of weeks ago, I packed up my belongings, bid adieu to my friends in Colorado and trekked across the U.S. with my dad, reversing the trip that we had made together almost five years ago when I moved out to Boulder as a tri newbie. After dropping my exhausted pops off in NY, I continued on to Hanover, New Hampshire. My shipping pod joined me soon after and I deposited my belongings with Adam & Tricia and with super-agent/ buddy Mike. While most people may not understand why I would move from Colorado to New Hampshire, I am really happy about my decision. I've missed the Northeast and my family greatly (we will all be on the same coast!) and feel at home in the Upper Valley. It will also make more sense when I've divulged the second part of "Sarah's Top Secret Plan".

Part #2: In addition to moving, I'll be starting up with coach Darren Smith and his squad of athletes in just a few days (Illustrious Coach Smith & the Mysterious Squad of International Superathletes- Potential comic book?). Joining the group is no small commitment, requiring that I live in Australia until May and in Switzerland this summer, but I genuinely feel that this is the type of change that I need in order to perform at my best. This is also the part of the plan that I was most scared about sharing, as I felt that I might somehow jinx myself. He has assured me that he won't change his mind at this point and this is fortunate, considering that I'll be touching down in Oz on the 31st of this month. Heaven forbid that he looks at my post-season poundage (oh, cookies...) and send me back. If that happens, I may be absent from my blog for months. Just a fair warning.

So am I sneaky for not sharing this information with the world? Perhaps, but that wasn't my intention! I always have operated with the thought that if greatly anticipated plans fall through they are disappointing if held privately. If these plans are prematurely shared publicly, however, the repercussions can be so much greater. At this point, however, there will be no turning back!

I'm off to Victoria tomorrow for a very, very special wedding and on to Canberra from there. The next time that I blog, it will be from a new place and possibly in a new year! I welcome the change, even if I'm not forthright about it!

Best,

Sarah "Sneaky Sausage" Groff

Sayonara, Colorado

2009-12-20T21:05:00.001-08:00

More on this to follow, but a new stage of my life has started, as I
recently relocated from Colorado Springs to NH. I'm back to being an
East Coast girl!

One week later...

2009-11-23T07:13:00.000-08:00

For the past week, I've been motivated to do the following things, possibly in excess: eat my roommate's cookies, sleep, give myself the coffee jitters, hang out with my crew of elementary school kids, pack my belongings (more on that later...) and hike. What I haven't been motivated to do is anything triathlon related- an impulse that is probably pretty healthy, given the long, draining season that I've just wrapped up. Now that I've recharged the batteries a bit, I'm ready to tackle my final race report of the year.

After a good training block in Clermont, I headed over to Clearwater to meet Team Groff (Mom, Dad, Lauren, Clay, Adam, Mike, Beckett and Cooper, the dog) for the 70.3 World Championships. In the lead-up to the race, I was able to spend some time with my family and my sponsors and to scope out the course. Going into the race, I was feeling fairly confident about my fitness, as I had just come off my best training block of the year, but nervous about tackling an unfamiliar distance. Bobby and I did our best in preparing me for the race in the time that we had, but I had a pretty daunting task in trying to play "catch-up" for my lack of bike fitness going into the training block.

The conditions were pretty perfect for the race- sunny, calm and warm. Due to the chop, the race organizers had changed the swim venue to more protected waters and changed the start times, having the women begin 8 minutes before the men. I was a bit disappointed by the change in swim course, as a rougher swim benefits me and it would have been easier to break away. I lead out of the water with a line of women behind me (the swim exit was next to a pirate ship. Argh!). I have to admit that I was pretty overwhelmed by the WTC transition and floundered a bit with the concept of gear bags, people trying to peel my wetsuit off of me and trying to take my bike from me in T2!

Heading out onto the bike, I found myself exactly where I had hoped, settling into a comfortable pace in a group of women. When the tight pack of 30-40 men went by, however, the tone of my race changed drastically, however. Instead of letting the men pass, as I had assumed, the other girls tucked into the men's group and were out of sight before I could process what had happened. Needless to say, the officials didn't enforce drafting rules as strictly as I would have hoped. For the remainder of the bike, I had to put my head down and ride solo, managing my effort and trying not to get too worked up.

By the time that I entered T2, I was more emotionally and physically exhausted than I had anticipated. I was still hopeful that I could put together a strong 13.1 miles and settled into a steady pace. Going into the race, we planned to build through the run, gradually increasing pace each 5k. At the 5k mark, I realized that the plan wasn't exactly going to match up with the race as it was unfolding! I pushed through the run in a pretty ugly fashion, having to take a walk break with 5k to go. Ouch! While I was disappointed to have run 5-6 minutes slower than I had trained to run, I am proud that I gave the race everything that I had. When I crossed the line, I was completely spent, having given every ounce of energy to finish in 7th place. Julie Dibens, the super-cyclist (and really nice chick), dominated the women's race. She has set the bar really high for next year!

While I may have wanted to finish off the season in a slightly stronger fashion, I had a really great experience in Clearwater with my family, friends and sponsors. I was also overjoyed for the victory for my good friend, Michael Raelert, who ran away from the men's field, posting an incredible 1:09 half-marathon. We had spent the previous 4 weeks together in Clermont and I was able to see how incredibly hard he had trained in the lead-up to the race. It was gratifying to see his hard work pay off and feel that I may have had a very small part in his win, having forced healthy dinners on him!

Thanks to my family and friends for supporting me in Clearwater! The experience was far more fun, having shared it with you. I look forward to returning next year (a top-10 qualifies me for 2010), armed with this year's experience. At the very least, I won't panic when the volunteers try to take my bike from me in T2 next year!

Okay, back to the cookies, coffee and naps...

Giving Thanks

2009-11-22T07:54:00.001-08:00

Earlier this week, I had the kids make a Thanksgiving poster. Instead of the typical hand-shaped turkey, they traced their hands and wrote one thing that they are grateful for on each finger. If you couldn't guess, mine is the big one on the bottom left. Yes, I have massive paws.

Lessons about triathlon from a Phillies fan

2009-11-08T16:41:00.000-08:00

When I was a kid growing up in Cooperstown, home of the Baseball Hall of Fame, I played Little League baseball for a few years. I was a pretty mediocre baseball player, more interested in practicing my pirouettes in the outfield than in catching fly balls and in perfecting the art of the grass whistle than in learning to hit. While I had a great time, my career as a baseball player was short-lived and undistinguished, to say the least.

Although I am a pretty bad baseball player, however, I am a pretty good fan of the sport to this day. Through the years, my interest in watching post-season baseball has increased, especially when the Philadelphia Phillies are playing well. For the second year in a row, the Phillies have clinched the National League title and earned their way to the World Series. Although the Phillies ultimately lost to the Yankees, my least favorite team in baseball, I really enjoyed watching their post-season play. Maybe it is because I'm in the midst of a hard training block in the lead up to next weekend's 70.3 World Championships, but watching the Phillies actually reinforced some lessons about triathlon...

1) Even old guys can bring it. While 38 year old Pedro Martinez may lack some of the speed and power that he once had, he used his experience and skill to do a pretty solid job on the mound (okay, they kept him in a bit long, but still...). In triathlon, athletes can still kick some serious booty into their late 30s. At 27, I'm just middle aged as a pro!

2) It takes a team. It doesn't matter how many home runs Utley hits. If the pitching is off, you don't stand a chance and vice versa. From Charlie Manuel to the under appreciated Carlos Ruiz, the Phillies were a pretty solid unit. Likewise, it takes a team to produce a successful triathlete. From a great coach to support staff to family and friends, nobody can make it to the top entirely on their own.

3) It is always more fun in the company of others. I enjoyed watching the Series by myself (for some reason, my German roommate wasn't interested), but I would have had more fun watching with other Phillies fans. Or Yankee fans with a sense of humor. Likewise, I've realized how much I miss training with other people this season. I am getting a bit tired of conversing with myself on long rides.

4) Some people will just never understand your interest. The aforementioned roommate just didn't grasp why I was excited about each hit or disappointed by each run scored against us. No matter how much you explain it, not everyone will understand why you care about baseball, triathlon, pinochle, scrapbooking or whatever else you love.

5) Sometimes it just isn't pretty. Baseball involves frequent "adjustments" and spitting- not terribly flattering ways to be caught on camera. Racing in triathlons frequently leads to photos of anguished expressions, snot and sweat covered faces and some horrendous running forms. I like to say that the day that I have a great run photo from a race is the day that I retire.

6) Pace, pace, build, race. I admit that I am a bit of a fair weather fan. I start to get interested in the Phillies when we are doing well and a have a chance at winning our division. Even then, I don't watch games until the post-season. The way that I see it, I only have so much emotional energy to expend as a fan. I would risk serious mid-season burn out if I were emotionally invested in every in-season game. In triathlon, you are best off starting the season strong and trying to build throughout the year. Every year, there are athletes that have amazing early season results and fizzle out by July. I prefer the simmer method, personally!

7) MVP to LVP. Cole Hamels was the MVP in 2008. 2009 was an "off" season, shall we say. In sport, you can have good plays followed by bad ones, great games (or races) followed by disappointing ones and amazing seasons followed by a mediocre one. There will always be ebbs and flows, but you have to keep looking ahead to the future without being held back by your past, good or bad.

8) Facial hair is awesome. Chan Ho Park was rocking a pretty killer beard. If I were a guy, I'd race with facial hair like that. Kinda like Fair Al-Sultan, but cleaner-looking. Okay, that had nothing to do with triathlon.

On the road again

2009-10-25T18:14:00.000-07:00

Since leaving for the WCS Finale in Australia on September 4th, I think that I've been home in Colorado Springs for a grand total of 6 days. After a couple of weeks in NH, a weekend in TX, and a couple of days in Colorado Springs, I jetted off to Florida for my final training camp of the year. In order to prepare for the 70.3 World Championships next month, I decided to head down to my old stomping grounds of Clermont, Florida for some warm weather training. I'm in good company down here, as I've run across a motley crew of triathletes, both domestic (inc. Sara McLarty, Jarrod Shoemaker, Nic Tautiva) and international (Michael Raelert, Stuart Hayes and Marko Albert, among others). Some of us are avoiding the cold weather back home (snow in CO!) and others just realize what a great area Clermont is for training. Minus the snakes and alligators, of course...

While the place where I am staying is a bit rough, it is perfect for the task at hand. As long as I have a basic kitchen, a clean bed and a shower (in addition to great roads and training facilities), I am happy as a clam. It also helps knowing that my fabulous sister and her family are just up the road in Gainesville. Living out of a suitcase may have its downsides, but I feel fortunate that I am able to just pick up and head anywhere with minimal fuss. It is a good thing that I don't mind the nomadic lifestyle, as my 2010 season will be partly defined by prolonged globetrotting. That, however, is a subject for another post.

Happy training!

Sarah

Why I like Dallas

2009-10-11T21:01:00.001-07:00

In Dallas for the US Open, where I finished 4th (again!) in a competitive field under tough conditions. I will come back year after year, partly because of the race, but mostly due to the Texas State Fair, which is held the same week as the race. How can you not love "Tex" the big cowboy or every fried food you can imagine?!

A long overdue race report

2009-09-27T19:39:00.000-07:00

In my last post, I promised that I would write a post-WCS finale race report ASAP. I lied, so please accept my most sincere apology. Truthfully, I suppose that I have been a bit reluctant to write about my race, as the experience was somewhat mixed.

My goal was to finish top-15 in the race and I accomplished that with a 13th place, a result that landed me in 17th place in the series. The windy conditions worked in my favor, as the choppy water helped break up the field on the swim. 7 of us headed out onto the bike together, working well enough to gain a 45 second lead on the chasing athletes going into transition 2. After the bike, however, I was pretty flat, however, and my race became more of a struggle to hang onto a top-15 placement on the run.

While I am by no means unhappy with my results, I do find myself a bit unsatisfied with my ITU season. I went into the season with high expectations, but realized after the first WCS race that my preparation, especially on the bike (leading to lackluster runs), was insufficient. While I had hoped that I would be able to fix the shortcomings in my training as the season progressed, I was only able to address a couple of the oversights in my program and not all. Thankfully, this is 2009 and I still have time before 2012 to turn myself into a finely tuned triathlon machine!

Overall, I had a great experience in Australia. One of the best parts of the race was that I was able to spend some time with my Uncle Richard, who volunteered at the various races in the lead-up to the women's event. I was also fortunate to have additional family member fans at the race, as my cousin Mike made the trip up from Adelaide with Cass and their insanely cute kids, Cosmo and Argyle (I still get a kick out of the fact that there are red-headed Groffs with Aussie accents!). My family is incredibly supportive of my career- I am really lucky. It was also a pleasure to get to know some of our talented Junior and U23 racers better throughout the course of the week, as well as meet some of Team USA, our athletes who competed in the ITU Age Group World Championships. I look forward to seeing all of these folks compete again in the World Champs next year in Budapest.

Currently, I am in New Hampshire at Adam and Tricia's house (remember what I said about my supportive family?) getting ready for the last two races for the year: the US Open in Dallas and th 70.3 World Championships in Clearwater. I've been putting in some good saddle time with Mugatu, my TT bike, and have been enjoying New England in the fall. More to follow...

Report from Goldie

2009-09-11T21:41:00.000-07:00

Back when I booked my flight to the Gold Coast for the World Championships Finale, I decided to come a week out from the race in order to adjust to the time change and weather. After I did so, I half dreaded my decision, envisioning a week where I have too much time on my hands and end up watching bad Australian TV, eating out at overpriced restaurants in Surfers Paradise and getting stir crazy while waiting for Sunday’s race. Fortunately (but unfortunately, if you were hoping for regular blog updates), I have found myself surprisingly busy.

In addition to the normal activities that shape my day (training, massage, chiro, meetings, grocery chopping and cooking- we have a kitchenette!), I have been occupied with the ITU Athlete’s Committee. Jarrod Shoemaker and I are the PATCO regional representatives and were thrown into a contentious debate soon after joining the Committee. In a nutshell, a resolution was proposed that could permit a National Federation to exert control over their athletes’ uniform logos. Needless to say, this was a divisive resolution pitting athletes and athlete-supportive NFs against pro-resolution NFs. In response, our committee fought hard, involving the athletes to encourage the members of Congress, which met on Thursday, to table the vote and to form an ad hoc committee to further discuss this matter. Fortunately, we won! Let’s hope that the ad hoc committee will recognize that athletes need to be able to keep control over their uniforms to maximize our income-earning potential through sponsors.

I am looking forward to tomorrow’s race, the last stop on the WCS circuit for the year. In lieu of a World Championships, the ITU decided to have a World Championships Series, so while this is the World Champs for the Age Groupers, U23s and Juniors, this is just the “Finale” for the elites. That being said, with every athlete present, minus an injured Emma Snowsill, this is the most competitive field that has convened all year. I find myself wishing that I were a bit fitter, faster, stronger etc., but I have to remind myself that this is just another race and yet another step in a long, multi-year process. The race will be tough, but FUN! And the best part is that I get to share the experience with some Groffs (Uncle Richard and Mike, Cass, Argyle and Cosmo- aka the Aussie Groffs).

Race update will follow ASAP (or within a week or two, in Sarah time :-) along with some great pics, I hope!

2009-09-04T21:30:00.000-07:00

Ultimate Dodgeball. Never heard of it? That's because the game, a
product of Mr. Marcus' (the Tutt club director) evil genius mind, has
yet to sweep the nation. The rules are simple: it is every man/ woman/
child out for him/herself. You try to peg as many people as can you
with balls. Once you are hit, you sit down. If the person who hit you,
however, is tagged, you may stand up and resume play. The game is
pretty brilliant: it is fair (ie equal opportunity for play) and the
kids can run around for hours because it is almost impossible to have
just one player standing. The photo doesn't do the game justice, as it
makes the gym seem massive (it isn't) and devoid of kids (an
inaccurate representation of the afterschool madhouse that is the Boys
and Girls Club). If I hadn't strained my shoulder the last time that
we played regular dodgeball (sad but true), I might have joined in!
Instead, I just sit at the sidelines and am completely entertained.

A Quick Update

2009-08-27T21:07:00.000-07:00

I see that it has been 25 days since my last posting. Yikes. Since I have about 50 emails waiting for responses in my inbox and I have only a 1 hour attention span/ week for all things computer related, here's just a quick update.

Since Hamburg/ last blog posting, I have done the following: started up with a new coach, was the lead cyclist for the run leg (and embarrassingly loud cheerer) at the Triathlon Youth National Championships, saw the transition from the summer program to the after school program at the Boys and Girls Club, jetted off to London for the WCS race, finished 10th with my best run of the year (need to improve my run tactics, however), toured London on a double decker, chilled with new & old friends on Lake George, went rafting, put my training on the back burner to be a good maid of honor, got my nails painted girly pink (swimming destroys manicures, fyi), saw my bff get married, danced the night away, returned to COS with the realization that I had packed on a couple of pounds and need to turn up the dial to 11 to get ready for the WCS finale on the Gold Coast, and am now packing for a whirlwind trip to the Windy City for a big training session (aka Chicago Triathlon) this weekend.

Whew. Forget the emails- they can wait another week. I need to catch some ZZZZs.

(Travel makes me cranky. I have pity on my seatmates.)

Hamburg- one week later

2009-08-02T17:17:00.000-07:00

Now that I am back training hard in Colorado Springs, have caught up on my sleep, licked my wounds and felt sufficiently sorry for myself, I am prepared to gloss over the WCS race in Hamburg.

Here's how the race went: carnage on the swim (imagine this times 10), ended up 2nd pack out of the water (still figuring that one out), large pack with lots of scary corners, total downpour, rode 1/2 a technical lap on cobblestones with a flat to the wheel pit, rode alone for 2 more laps, disappointing run to finish (gulp) 26th. If my man ran away with my best friend in my truck with my dog, I'd have some serious fodder for a great tearjerker of a country song. As I have no truck, dog, or man, I'm just left with a bummer race story.

Here's the good stuff: I finished, awesome fans, some good camera time, two friends having GREAT races (Jarrod WON the men's race in pretty epic fashion, Lauren "Gigi" Groves tore up the run to finish 4th), an incredible birthday party for Brad "Sticksy" Kahlefeldt at the ice bar, nutella crepe with new buddy Hayley while watching the men's race. Obviously, I'd rather avoid the flat next time and start the run in the mix, but I tried to make the best of an inauspicious day.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I've used up my bad luck! With only 5 races left in the season, I have to make the most of each one.

Happy training,
Sarah

Hallo from Hamburg!

2009-07-23T09:15:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Germany! I am currently sitting at a Starbucks (oh, globalization. *sigh*), trying to avoid both the rain and the smoking old lady and waiting for our post-race briefing ITU dinner. I'm hoping for vast quantities of sausage-y like meats and bier. Okay, maybe after the race would be better for a German gut bomb...

I am competing Saturday at the 5th stop on the ITU World Championships Series (my third, after Madrid and DC) and am pretty excited for a fun race. This is one of my favorite places to race, after having been here in 2007 for the World Championships. To be honest, the course is hardly ideal for me, as the bike is flat and technical. With 100s of thousands of spectators lining the downtown Hamburg course, the energy of the crowd is exceptional. If only there were more races like this one!

I am accompanied by a different companion on this trip, however, as my new Ceepo road bike, Mamba, was built up by the very capable hands of Mindy at CS West prior to my departure. Between her mechanical skills and the hard efforts of super agent Mike and my pals at Ceepo, I am decked out with one sweeeeet ride. Mugatu, the TT bike, is a bit jealous of the new addition to the family, but I'm sure he'll get used to Mamba. Besides, he'll get more love later in the season... Thanks for everything, guys. I can't wait to show her off this weekend!

2009-07-18T05:27:00.001-07:00

Just call me Sisyphus

2009-07-12T20:58:00.000-07:00

Going into yesterday’s Lifetime Fitness race in Minneapolis, I knew that my race would be challenging. I was racing tired, as Justin and I had decided to “train through” the race, keeping our volume and intensity high until Thursday before the race. I anticipated that I might feel a bit sluggish, but thought that I could still crank out a pretty good performance. What I hadn’t anticipated, however, was exactly how challenging it would be just to finish*.
After a strong first leg, leading out the swim in one of Minneapolis’ many lakes, I headed out onto the bike course behind Sarah Haskins, the eventual winner. Within the first few minutes of the race, however, I was busted with a inadvertent drafting penalty (moved back but not over far enough when Becky passed me) and had a two minute stand down, watching in stationary frustration as girls passed by. Soon after remounting my bike, I had the realization that something was seriously wrong with my bike. At first I thought that the squeaky resistance was the result of a brake pad rubbing against my wheel. After hopping off my bike to inspect, I realized that this wasn’t the problem and determined, in my very, mechanically disinclined way, that I had a problem with my bottom bracket. Either that or a tortured mouse was stuck somewhere in my bike and the course, despite looking seeming completely flat, was actually an Alpe d’Huez-like climb… After the race, I discovered that the tubular tire that I had replaced the day before was a bit too tall for the wheel well, rubbing against the carbon of my frame. I’m not sure how I missed that in my pre-race warmup. Maybe my alertness at 5am has something to be desired! I suppose that a temperature increase may have also altered the tire pressure, but I digress...
Needless to say, the bike leg of yesterday’s race was, without doubt, the squeakiest, more frustrating 40k ride of my life. It took a fairly Herculean effort to put my pre-race hopes on hold and look at the race as an opportunity to have a great workout. I channeled some of my frustrations into my run, hitting the first 5k hard. Once I caught the two girls ahead of me, moving me into 5th place, I found myself in a no-man’s land where I couldn’t see 4th place (minutes ahead of me) and settled into a strong pace for the remainder of the run. When I crossed the finish line, I was, above all, relieved that I had pushed through to finish and that it was over. While I’m sure that the race was “character building”, I feel as though I’ve had enough of those experiences of late. Frankly, I have enough character. I just wanted to really race! Luckily, there are more opportunities for that this season, the next being the Hamburg WCS race in two weeks.
Lifetime Fitness really did a tremendous job of putting on the race and I certainly look forward to returning next year. I had heard from other athletes how great this race is and the hype is certainly warranted. Hopefully I’ll be a bit more attentive with my gear, avoid drafting penalties and have a bit better luck next time around. While I enjoy a good challenge on race day, I normally prefer challenges brought on by hard courses and conditions and by fast fellow competitors than by my own bad luck/ inattentiveness!

*Warning: This blog entry may read like a litany of complaints. It pretty much is. If this will annoy you, read no further. It is my blog and I can whine if I want to, but nobody is forcing you to read :-)

Back in Colorado Springs

2009-07-03T20:35:00.001-07:00

After a whirlwind tour of the Northeast (Cooperstown to DC for the ITU World Championship Series race to Aunt and Uncle's place in NJ to Des Moines for the Hy Vee World Cup), I'm back in Colorado Springs to get ready for tri season part 2. My two weeks back east were both exhausting and reinvigorating at the same time, providing some unexpected "down time" from training and a chance to catch up with family.

As for the racing in DC and HyVee, I ended up with a 9th place finish in DC against a world-caliber field and a DNF at Des Moines (yes, the Des Moines racing curse continues, 3 years counting!). I was pretty happy with my finish in DC, considering the strength of my competition. It was an amazing experience racing past some of the most iconic buildings in the world. We also had the honor of meeting and riding with Mayor Fenty, an accomplished triathlete, as well as meeting some young triathletes through the DC's Achieve program. As for my race in Des Moines, it is suffice to say that it just wasn't my day. Sometimes it happens, but hopefully next year I'll have an "on day" there! HyVee certainly didn't disappoint,as the quality of the event was the highest I've ever experienced with a triathlon. I certainly look forward to returning for years to come.

That's my update for now! More to come, I promise.

2009-06-14T10:36:00.000-07:00

Quick Post-Madrid Update

2009-06-01T20:19:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post, as I'm not sure how long my post-flight cankles and I can resist the siren song of my bed. The best sleep that I've had since leaving Colorado last Tuesday was on my flight over- not a good sign (Spanish early morning tv is not recommended, by the way).

After a lot of travel, too many refined carbs and jamon serrano, too little sleep and a disappointing first ITU World Championship Series race of the year, I am excited to wake up tomorrow and resume hard training. With only three weeks until the WCS race in Washington DC and four weeks until the Hy Vee World Cup, I have some serious work to do!

First, however, I should mention my race in Madrid. I finished 9th in a field with the best athletes in Europe- a pretty solid achievement. I was, however, disappointed with my race itself, as I had a fair swim, decent bike and sluggish run. After putting in some great training in the past few weeks, I was surprised how flat and slow I felt on race day. After examining why my race unfolded as it did and avoid whatever mistakes we might have made, Justin and I will try to put this race behind us and look forward to the season ahead. Hopefully this was the worst that I will feel all season and have gotten my "bad race" out of the way!

Despite my race and lack of sleep, I had a great time in Madrid and really enjoyed the American squad (athletes and support staff) that was assembled. I also love any opportunity to return to Spain- I just wish that I could spend more time there! I've had pretty mixed experiences racing in Madrid, but I'll continue competing there until I have a fantastic race on the Casa de Campo course. Since Madrid is a candidate city for the 2016 Olympics, maybe my best race will occur in that capital city in 7 years time. One can always dream!

Speaking of dreaming, I'm off to finally get a good night of sleep!

27 going on 8

2009-05-26T06:15:00.000-07:00

I've recently puzzled over why I get along so well with kids. Considering my age and gender, could it possibly be due a misplaced maternal instinct?! Possible, but the more likely reason is that I am actually a kid trapped in the body of a 27 year old.

Here is my evidence:
-Wardrobe of a kindergartner (omnipresent ponytail, a predilection for graphic t-shirts, flip-flops), according to Lauren and Clay
-Love of arts & crafts. The messier, the better!
-Piggy bank on my dresser
-A overactive sweet tooth
-Mid-session temper tantrums (just ask my poor coach!)
-Overwhelming urges to splash in mud puddles (I do, but save it for the end of a run to avoid shoe slop)
-Occasional "fights" with Mark Fretta (another big kid), involving chucking objects at one another
-Indisputable need for naps, snacks and frequent exercise
-What I do for a "job" is what other people do for fun

On that note, I am off today to play in Madrid in the first WCS race. Unfortunately, the aforementioned Fretta is my travel partner. Hopefully we won't get thrown off the plane for juvenile antics!

The Case of the Cranky Pants

2009-05-17T17:06:00.000-07:00

As Robby, my massage therapist in Colorado Springs, puts it, I have been frequently wearing my cranky pants of late. While there are many reasons for me to be in a slightly sour mood*, I've realized that I am slightly crankier on the weekends. Why the weekends? Well, the weekends, dear reader, are when triathlons take place. Triathlons that I am not competing in and am instead at home, feeling sorry for myself. I could have raced at PATCOs in Oklahoma City this past weekend (US swept men's and women's podium- woohoo!) or in the first WCS race in Teongyong a few weeks ago, but alas, I did not.

To be more specific, I feel like the kid who is sitting at the sidelines in gym class, watching everyone else play dodge ball and having a grand ole' time chucking rubber balls at one another. I'm not in the game, however, because I have a note from the school nurse, exempting me from play, or because nobody wanted me on their team (I wouldn't blame them for that- I have terrible hand-eye coordination). No, I am watching, not participating, by choice. I actually am choosing to sit at home with ants in my cranky pants, building up a bit more fitness and getting ready for the loooong season ahead. My next race, and first ITU race of the year, is the WCS race in Madrid in two weeks. While I am admittedly a bit nervous, I can't WAIT to be actually participating and not just supporting my racing friends from afar!

*Recent reasons may include, but are not limited to: overcast days, lack of nap and/or snack, a hermetic lifestyle that doesn't really suit me, an overly tight left IT band (fixed, thankfully!), too many lentils combined with hard running, the realization that I am a terrible basketball player and reading Jeffrey Sachs' brilliant, but depressing, Common Wealth: Economics for a Crowded Planet.

Salt dough

2009-05-16T21:10:00.000-07:00

Salt dough: a bit messy, requires anti-ballistic vigilance, but very easy to make and always a crowd pleaser. Here's the basic recipe:

4 cups flour

1 cup salt

warm water

-Combine the flour and salt. Add warm water in small increments, mixing thoroughly all the while, until the dough is the consistency of Playdough. Make sure the dough is completely dry before attempting to paint. For drying purposes, it helps if the dough is rolled thin but larger objects can be dried in the oven at a low temperature)

Sping art class

2009-05-06T20:45:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week, I had the kids draw and color flowers that I brought in to the club. I thought that it would be a great way to incorporate a spring theme into a basic drawing lesson, creating art from observation. I was a bit surprised how difficult this was for some of the kids. Hopefully we will improve on this skill as time progresses!

Exercising my Character in Des Moines

2009-04-30T21:16:00.000-07:00

I just got back from a whirlwind trip to Des Moines for Hy Vee's Exercising Your Character event. Hy Vee, the corporate sponsor for the ITU World Cup in Des Moines, makes a tremendous effort to promote the triathlon and to encourage a healthy lifestyle. The Exercising Your Character event is just one part of their ongoing community involvement.

As part of the event, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to speak with 4000 4th and 5th graders who were bussed in from the greater Des Moines area (some even coming from 2 hrs away!) to the Hy Vee hall. The set-up was pretty incredible, as a elevated stage was placed in the middle of the hall and enhanced by state-of-the-art audio and visual effects. There were even pyrotechnics following the National Anthem! The event itself consisted of a couple hours of non-stop action and activity with plenty of dancing, led by the Iowa Dance & Drill Team. I did plenty of dancing, don't worry! Our Emcee, Jim Hallihan, did a great job of keeping us on schedule. Interspersed with the music and dancing, ISU Coach Fennelly (Girls Basketball), triathlete Hunter Kemper, former Blake basketball standout Leonard Houston and I had about 10 minutes apiece to talk to the kids and answer a couple of questions. I took the opportunity to get the kids excited about triathlon and told them about my mixed experiences racing in Des Moines, emphasizing how those challenges were character building. I hope that at least a few got something positive out of my talk! We finished up the event with having lunch with the lucky winning school, Windsor Heights Elementary. They are a really great, high-energy group of kids and I enjoyed chatting with them about school.

While pretty exhausting (maybe it was all of that dancing!), I feel really fortunate to have been given the opportunity to be part of the Exercising Your Character event in Des Moines. I continue to be very impressed by the organization and community involvement of Hy Vee's events. It was also a relief to go to Des Moines and have a completely positive, non-racing experience in that city. Hopefully it bodes well for my next trip to Des Moines in June for the World Cup! At the very least, I hope that Hunter and I convinced a few of those kids to either participate in the tri and/ or to cheer for us!

2nd (again) at St. Anthony's

2009-04-29T15:48:00.000-07:00

This past weekend. I headed down to St. Petersburg, FL to do the St Anthony's Triathlon, a race that I haven't done since 2005 when it was one of my very first pro races. It was also an opportunity to catch up with my parents, who came down for the weekend, my Gainesville-based sister Lauren, my brother-in-law Clay, his parents, Clayton and Linda, and my 8-month old nephew, Beckett (the star of the weekend). While racing is always fun, having family around always seems to make it that much more special. Thanks for cheering me on!

As for the race itself, the water conditions were so choppy that the race director had to cancel the swim leg for the amateur athletes. While I'm sure that there were many disappointed athletes, Philip definitely made the right decision. From the start, I was feeling really "flat" (certainly flatter than the water!) and realized that I might have to race a bit more conservatively than I might like. I let Jasmine Oenick dictate the pace of the swim and sat on her feet as we rounded the course. As we headed out on our bikes, I felt equally sluggish and made the decision to try to, as my coach says, "race smarter, not harder". Rather than push the pace from the start of the race, I sat back, hoping that I'd get my legs by the time we left T2. On the bike, we were met with windy conditions on the flat course. About halfway into the 40k ride, Bec Wassner, the eventual winner came storming by, and she was our new pace setter for the the remainder of the ride. By the time we entered T2, Sara McLarty had a 2 minute advantage on us after a blazing swim-bike combo. After the first 2 miles, Bec had a 20 sec advantage that I couldn't quite close. At least it didn't grow, I guess. Somehow I managed to catch Sara within 100m of the finish line to finish 2nd. I didn't think that I had a kick, but maybe I do! Although I didn't find that spark in my legs that I was hoping to find, I still managed to have a solid run (a good 90 sec faster than I had feared!). While I am a bit disappointed that I felt as flat as I did, coach assures me that, based on our training, it is no surprise that I wasn't as spunky as I might have liked to feel. Just as long as I find my groove by the end of the month, when I head to Madrid.

I am really looking forward to returning to St Petersburg next year. St Anthony's is an incredibly well run race and they treat the pros incredibly well, setting us up with great homestays and transporting us to and from the airport. Thanks, especially to my homestay, Lu and Norma!

Happy Earth Day/ Volunteer Week

2009-04-23T21:11:00.000-07:00

Happy Belated Earth Day and happy Volunteer Week! I'm fortunate enough to have two sponsors, Athletes for a Fit Planet and In the Arena, who help me integrate two passions of mine, the environment and community service, into my career as a professional triathlete. Before I came affiliated with these organizations, I struggled with how I could pursue sport full-time and be a contributing member of society at the same time. Now I can spread the green gospel in the triathlon world and try to make a positive impact on some kids when I'm not training!

This week we painted some terra cotta pots and planted some tomato seeds. Here's Lenai helping out...

I'm off to St. Anthony's Triathlon this weekend in St. Petersburg, FL. I've been looking forward to this race because I'll be able to see family and friends and get my first Olympic distance race of the year under my belt.

More pics of my kids...

2009-04-13T15:35:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my photographer friend, Brooklin, I was given the heads up on a few cool apps for the iPhone. As if I needed an excuse to take more photos of my spunky Boys & Girls clubbers!

2nd at Oceanside 70.3

2009-04-06T20:30:00.000-07:00

If someone had told me a few days ago that I would place second to my buddy and former World Champion Mirinda "Rinny" Carfrae at the Oceanside 70.3, I would probably have responded with a dramatic roll of the eyes. With no experience at the distance and using the competition as a "training race" to ascertain my fitness at this point in the season, I had some modest goals. I thought that a top-5 finish against such a strong field would be a best case scenario and that I'd be extremely lucky if I were to get a Clearwater slot through roll-down. I won't even acknowledge my imagined worst-case scenario, other than to state that my sister is not the only Groff with a flair for dramatic fiction!

The best part of the race? The experience was actually a lot of fun and a grin on my face most of the way. To be more exact, I had fun from mile 0, with a brief mid-bike period of boredom, until approximately mile 67, when the run turned into a death march worthy of a John Williams composition. Thankfully, the fun resumed the second that I crossed the finish line and could put my tender feet up and some real food in my stomach. While my 2XU Endurance Tri Suit had a great pocket in the back (a novel concept for short-course racers), I was unfortunately unable to bring anything more substantial than a couple of gels (sorry, Groves. The corndog wouldn't fit). The medical staff also did a great job of providing a lovely ice-filled kiddie pool and taking care of my blistered feet. Thanks, guys!

As for the race itself, here's the abridged version of how it unfolded: I lead the swim from the start, taking a small group with me. I paced the swim conservatively, knowing that an ITU effort would only produce lactic acid that I'd have to contend with for 4 more hours of racing. Once on the Ceepo bat bike, my strategy was simple: try to stay focused and use more experienced racers for pacing. Mary Beth Ellis, last year's silver medallist at the 70.3 World Champs, a strong cyclist and good friend, set the pace on the bike and Leanda Cave and I kept her within sight as we worked our way around Camp Pendleton. At around mile 30, Sam Warriner, a true BAMF for starting the race despite being stung by a stingray the day before, bridged up and made our group a foursome. I am incredibly grateful for the pace-setting of the other girls, as I know that I would have gone out too hard at the start! I was the third athlete out of T2 and soon caught Leanda and Sam. While part of me thought that I should once again defer to the pace-setting of these more experienced and accomplished athletes, I decided to make a break about a kilometer into the run. For the first 3/4 of the 13.1 mile run, I was surprised by how good I felt. With half a lap to go, however, I started to worry about whether or not I'd be able to finish the race. I knew that I was slowing down significantly, but I hoped that I wouldn't slow down to a shuffle. With less than a kilometer to go and the finish line in sight, Rinny came blazing by like a locomotive. At that point, however, I was more concerned about finishing than getting passed! I luckily held off Leanda, who was closing in quickly, to finish 2nd place. I was blown away by Matt Reed, who won the men's race in a dominating fashion with a smoking 1:11 run split. As both Matty and Rinny are good friends and all-around awesome people, I was really happy for both of them to be on top of the podium.

It is very tempting for athletes to dwell on what they could have done differently and I have certainly made a laundry list of things to improve upon. Don't worry- I'll spare my readers the details! I am buoyed, however, by the thought that I can iron out these rookie mistakes and maybe race better next time. That next time, however, will be in Clearwater at the 70.3 World Championships. Until then, I will be starting up some speed work and getting back to short-course racing!

While the actual race was pretty fun, I can't help but think that my experience was greatly improved by all of the support that I had in and leading up to the race. Representatives from two of my sponsors were there, 2XU and Ceepo, and I was fortunate enough to get some great help and care from the people behind the companies. While I truly believe in the quality and integrity of their products, I am incredibly lucky to work with such kind and caring people at 2XU and Ceepo, as well as at Saucony, Athletes for a Fit Planet, In the Arena and More Business Solutions. I have a great team behind me! Part of that team also includes my friends, some of whom were able to come to the race to cheer me on. A special thanks to Andy, for letting me crash at his place (sorry if I ate too many of your thin mints!). Thanks, guys! A final, huge "thank you" goes out to my coach, Justin Trolle. If this is my base, I can't wait to see how we build on it :-)

Mileage Club

2009-04-02T08:49:00.000-07:00

While I haven't been able to go into the Chula Vista Boys and Girls Club and help as much as I might have liked, I have been fortunate enough to pop in a few time. Yesterday I helped out with the Mileage Club, a weekly fitness program that a couple of the staff members started with the kids. The concept is this: the kids run or walk laps around the perimeter of the gym and for each lap that they complete, they get a popsicle stick. At the end of the session, the kids count their sticks and report their total. For every 40 laps (equivalent to 5 miles) that they complete, they get a foot token for their key chain. The cumulative mileage is tracked with the objective of reaching a geographic goal (for example, Grandma's house or Disney Land). If the goal is reached, the kid earns a top-secret prize. Cool program, right? I would love to get this started at the club in my club in Colorado Springs!

A Groff Victory!

2009-03-30T15:57:00.000-07:00

I would like to proudly announce that my nephew, Beckett, was recently the victor in the baby category of the March of Dimes fundraising run in Gainesville, FL. Admittedly, he was pushed in a stroller by my highly competitive sister and it wasn't technically a race. Nonetheless, Auntie Sbiggy is very proud of her little champion.

What I have in common with Jessica Simpson

2009-03-29T09:32:00.000-07:00

What do I, Sarah Groff, have in common with Jessica Simpson, the blond bombshell singer? Am I dating a NFL player? Nope. Have I recently made a switch from pop to country? No again. Dubious talent? Possible, but I hope not. I certainly don't have the same, ahem, physical attributes as the star. What we do have in common, however, is that we both have found ourselves judged by strangers for our size. While I am lucky that I haven't been publicly scrutinized by tabloids (no paparazzi shots in Triathlete Magazine, as far as I'm aware), I have received quite a bit of unsolicited feedback. Over the past six months, I have twice been mistaken as a bobsledder (lovely girls, but have about 30 lbs more muscle than me), compared to a linebacker, told that I have a high BMI for a triathlete by a total stranger over dinner (visual calipers?) and given the backhanded compliment that, despite how much bigger I look than my competitors, I am actually kind of thin in person. Luckily, I have a good head on my shoulders and haven't let these comments negatively affect me. That being said, I fully acknowledge that it is high time for this "linebacker" to get a bit scrawnier.

Before I delve any further into this topic, I would like to say that I am of a very normal, healthy weight for an athlete and am actually pretty lean. My "problem" lies in the fact, however, that ITU racing is not conducted by weight class. If it were, I'd clean up! I frequently toe the line with girls 20+ pounds lighter than I am. While this might be an advantage in some situations (ie super cold, rainy World Championships in Vancouver last year), it probably is far more of a performance inhibitor. At the high end of the sport, women tend to be on the cusp of their power to weight ratio. If they were to lose additional weight, their swim and bike performance would greatly diminish and the likelihood of injury increases. I haven't ever reached a weight, however, where we were concerned that my strength and power might be diminished. Only by toeing this line, however, will I get a true sense of my potential as a runner.

While I am acutely aware of the fact that I need to trim quite a bit of muscle off my frame, I struggle with the actual process. I tend to eat healthfully, but include some tasty treats because, quite frankly, I love food. This strategy has been effective for weight maintenance, but I finally realize that I will have to sacrifice in order to drop weight. While I have made sacrifices in other areas of my life, I recognize that I am loathe to shift to a weight-loss diet, fearing that I'll be hungry and cranky for the rest of my career. I realize that this is an extreme view of the process, but I struggle with the sentiments all the same.

For some reason, professional athletes tend to veer away from talking about issues such as these. Some athletes are lucky enough to not battle with their size (obviously they don't eat like Groffs), but I'm sure that others do. By writing about the need to lose weight in such a public format, I recognize that I am potentially opening myself up to further scrutiny. Luckily, I am okay with that. Perhaps by being open about the process, however, I will hold myself more accountable to my goal. While Jessica Simpson has the luxury of "embracing her new figure", I recognize that I will struggle to reach a new figure, but that the result could help push my career to the next level. If not, I may be pushing for weight classes in the pro ranks :-)

Captain Clueless takes on a challenge

2009-03-26T19:54:00.000-07:00

I am signed up for next weekend's California 70.3 in Oceanside and I am terrified. I am so nervous, in fact, that a couple of nights ago I was tossing and turning and only managed 3 measly hours of sleep. I feel like a jittery amateur triathlete again, with both excitement and fear of the unknown challenges that race day might present.

"Silly Sarah (/Sbiggy/ Saucy)", you are probably saying with a roll of the eyes. "Triathlon consists of swimming, biking and running. You know how to do that! It's your job, after all". True, true. Rational, logical Sarah agrees with you. Captain Clueless (aka 70.3 racing SG), however, fixates on the following:
1) I can barely focus for the duration of a non-drafting, Olympic distance bike (40k vs next weekend's 90k)
2) I have spent the past few days trying out the TT position and have to fight my deeply ingrained instinct to ride on the hoods
3) I am racing with girls WAAAAY more experienced in this distance and probably don't struggle about problems 1 & 2
4) Nutrition. I race Olympic distance with one bottle of very dilute drink and a gel. Somehow I don't think that'll cut it for a 4.5 hr race.
5) Ice cream headache-inducing cold water and sharks. 'Nuf said.
6) Pacing. I know that I shouldn't go as hard as I would if I were racing short course, but what pace am I supposed to go?!

Phew. What a relief to come clean about my 70.3 racing fears. Many professional athletes have a hard time publicly acknowledging that they are actually human, with human flaws, and not the stoic superheroes that they pretend to be. I evidently do not have that problem.

I realize that I am doing Oceanside as a training race, not as the start of a new career in long course (I love the fast pace of World Cups too much!) and that I need to just have fun with the race. I also know, however, that I just gave WTC a whopping $280 for race entry and that I need to finish in the top-8 to come out ahead (not including the moola that I've pumped into my Ceepo of late). While I doubt that it will be as terrible of an experience as my 2AM tossing and turning self might fear, I recognize that I will experience some highs and lows over the course of the 70.3 miles. Let's just hope that the highs outnumber the lows!

If you need a bike shop in San Diego...

2009-03-21T21:29:00.000-07:00

When my new bike sponsor, Ceepo, shipped my new Viper time trial bike to me, I knew that I'd have to find a pretty special bike shop to fit me and set me up on my new rig. I asked fellow triathlete Jordan Rapp (a certified bike-fitter himself) for a recommendation on someone in the area and he sent me to J.T. Lyons at Moment Cycle Sport. After a 2 1/2 hour bike fit, where J.T. methodically and patiently honed in on my best time trial position for triathlon (thankfully not as smooshed and awkward as a cyclist on a TT bike. We have to run off the bike, after all!), he and his team at the shop carefully assembled my new steed. When the bike was finished, J.T. even dropped off the bike at the OTC, a good 40 minutes away from the shop, as I have no reliable means of transportation. Needless to say, that is some pretty incredible customer service!

A triathlete himself, J.T. also gave me some great pointers on Oceanside 70.3, where the bat bike and I will make our 2009 season debut (more on that later). I am confident that I couldn't have had a better team to help me out with my Ceepo Viper, even if I did occasionally get teased by J.T. about looking like a tri geek with my set up! If you ever find yourself in San Diego and in need of a great bike shop, please head to Moment Cycle Sport. I was pretty blown away by the level of attention to detail, depth of knowledge and kindness of J.T. Lyons and his staff there. Thanks, guys!

Chula Sports Camp!

2009-03-15T21:27:00.000-07:00

I've been training hard for the past week at the OTC in Chula Vista and have been really enjoying my time here. I find that there is a greater sense of community among the athletes here than at the OTC in Colorado Springs. I think that this is because there is less personal space and we are a bit more isolated. In the Springs, the dorms are pretty spread out and segregated based on length of stay, with short-term campers pushed to the stark, shared-room barracks and the super-long term athletes in plush, spacious suites (I lived in the intermediary zone, a single room in renovated "barracks"). I also think that a far greater percentage of athletes live off campus in Colorado Springs than do here. Here, all of the rooms are the same: small, basic, four-person suites. I was a bit surprised to come here and find that I had a roommate, a college intern here for a semester. The rest of the campus is far more compact as well. From the dining hall to the sports medicine department, the smaller scale of the operations here allows for a greater sense of intimacy among athletes. With the removal of the omnipresent USOC and NGBs based in Colorado Springs, the result is that the OTC in Chula feels a summer camp without counselors, a feeling only enhanced by the sunny skies and neighboring Otay Lakes.

While here, I've been fortunate enough to meet a couple of fellow In the Arena athletes, Mike Hazle and Karl Erikson. These are the first ITA athletes that I've met since joining up with the volunteer organization last year (I went to Middlebury with Kate Whitcomb, but I haven't seen her since graduation). While we have had conference calls as members, it is entirely a different experience to meet another person face-to-face. Karl was also kind enough to give me a tour of the Boys and Girls Club where he volunteers. Half of the kids came running up to Karl to be picked up while I was there. To see tiny 8 year old kids mob a formidable thrower is quite an experience, to say the least. As Mike put it, "Karl is a teddy bear" and the children certainly respond well to him. I hope to join Karl as a volunteer at the Club, once I clear my background check. It is a BIG club with many, many kids, so I'm sure that an extra volunteer popping in on occasion will be appreciated!

RaisinHope

2009-03-08T17:31:00.000-07:00

When I rolled down to breakfast at the Olympic Training Center's cafeteria in Chula Vista this morning, I was fortunate enough to cross paths with Saul Raisin, a professional cyclist now pursuing triathlon after a traumatic brain injury derailed his cycling career. Once I built up my bike, we headed out for a great 3 hour ride on rolling hills and followed up with a nice, easy 30 minute jog. Throughout the course of the ride, Saul gave me some great pointers on bike handling (not my strength!), as well as recounted some fantastic stories about his pro riding career in Europe and the story of his crash and subsequent recovery (deemed a "miracle" by his doctors).

In addition to training to complete the Hawaii Ironman, Saul is highly active with RaisinHope, his foundation for survivors and supporters of Traumatic Brain Injury, and with the Wounded Warrior Project. Considering Saul's story and taking into account his outgoing, talkative personality and boundless energy, I can't imagine a better advocate for the cause. The most remarkable and telling statement that Saul made was that if he could chose between his life the way it was one month before the accident and the way his life is now, he would pick the present, mainly because of the positive influence that he has made on the lives of others.

Saul is, without a doubt, one of the most impressive people that I have met through triathlon. When in the midst of training, we athletes have the tendency to insulate ourselves from the outside world. Saul and his involvement with victims of brain trauma serves an incredible reminder that when our energy is harnessed, we have the ability to do more than perform athletically at a high level. We also have the potential to have a positive impact on others.

Why I do what I do

2009-03-01T21:34:00.000-08:00

Amory, from In the Arena, asked us to write a blog entry about achieving excellence or how to maximize one's potential. Ultimately, I think that it boils down to tapping into and exploiting one's motivating force. So why do I do this? Here's my slightly delirious with fatigue mind's free-verse answer:

I don't do triathlon for money or attention.
There is no fame that comes from triathlon (nor would I want it).
I don't do it because I think that it is what I am meant to do.
I'm sure that others are born for the sport, but that's not me.
I don't race to post a certain time or to beat a certain person.
Honestly, I don't even know if I race to win.
I put myself through this because I love the sport, but there is more to it.
If I just loved triathlon, I could do this as a hobby.
But, instead, I do triathlon as a fully-encompassing obsession.
So why?
I do this for me.
I train and race to test myself.
I pursue the sport to feel like I do right now, at the end of a hard training block,
Physically exhausted,
But also calm with the knowledge that, despite my doubts and fears,
I saw what I am made of,
And it made me smile.

Positivity, Sarah-style

2009-02-21T20:54:00.000-08:00

When I woke up this morning, I was scowling, mad-at-the-world cranky. I'm tired, two weeks into a training block, and when I woke up, it was 12 degrees out (-11C). Furthermore, I would have to somehow muster the energy to get a bike and run workout in before 12, when I have swim practice. At this juncture, I had three options: ride inside on the Computrainer, feeling sorry for myself the entire time, ride outside and feel sorry for myself, or turn my foul mood around and make the best of my day. Since nobody likes a whiner (decidedly un-BAMFy), I resolved to make the most of the situation. Starting with breakfast, I mentally catalogued reasons to get into a more upbeat mood (I hear it already: "Oh Saucy, you are so American!").

Here are my reasons for being positive today:
-My spiced pumpkin pancakes with real maple syrup (so expensive out in CO that I might as well put gold flakes on my breakfast). I had to pull out the big guns, pre-ride.
-Raven's Nest coffee, times two
-My SRM's temperature function, proving that I'm not as soft as I previously feared (negative degrees Celcius at the start!)
-Coach JT's understanding of my love-hate relationship with numbers, specifying that I just do my hill repeats and not look at my watts
-Joe's box of cycling clothes that he has held onto for the past 15 years, providing me with ear warmers and lined vest
-My complete lack of wardrobe shame. Star-spangled Groff with pink leg warmers? Not a good look.
- Living within 30 seconds of Monument Valley trail
-Planning tomorrow's dinner (and, yes, I pulled out cookbooks in transition)
-No wolf-like dogs spotted (I'm in the middle of Sharp Teeth). I did see a black standard poodle, however, which made me think of Grovesy's obsession- always a reason to smile.
- Getting swim, bike and run workouts in before 1pm.
-The Flobots' "Handlebars"- my new, I-can-conquer-the-world song
-The realization that, while I willingly head out on my bike in freezing temperatures, I am a pretty lucky person to be able to do this for a living.

Happy training,
Sarah

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T13:21:00.000-08:00

Many people dismiss Valentine's Day as being a creation of the card companies. If you are a kid (or quite a few adults), however, it is another opportunity to pump yourself full of sugar and run around like a tasmanian devil. And if you are me, you take advantage of the situation to mooch candy and a Cinderella pencil off the kids and to wind them up. They aren't coming home with me, after all...

A worthy mess

2009-02-12T20:06:00.000-08:00

Even though I was disheartened that I couldn't find doilies in the art room this afternoon, the kids and I made some Valentine's Day cards. I didn't get the chance to make one myself, as I was too busy cutting out hearts for them and cleaning up endless paper scraps and glitter (glitter, while fun and sparkly, is a disaster waiting to happen). The most amusing part was how many boys were in the room, making big hearts for their "girlfriends". Since a few claim to be juggling more than one girlfriend, their hands were full with card-making!

Back to blog-land

2009-02-11T20:56:00.000-08:00

The best part about jetting off to training camps is that you are able to completely absorb yourself in training to the exclusion of everything else. For three weeks in Maui, I was able to focus solely on swimming, biking and running (and eating and sleeping- the frequently unrecognized fourth and fifth sports that make up the triathlon) and actually checked my email daily. This singular focus that makes a training camp so wonderful, however, is also what makes a return from camp so difficult.

When I came back to Colorado Springs last week, I was inundated with tasks that I had pushed aside for at least three weeks (I'm an excellent procrastinator), the most engrossing entailing a move from the Olympic Training Center dorms to a house off-campus. Combine moving my stuff from Boulder, sorting through numerous boxes of clutter and setting up a house with utilities etc. with my training and re-acclimation to altitude and it should be pretty apparent why it has taken me a couple of weeks to return to the blogosphere. That being said, Lauren Groves/ Gunnison/ Gigi, knowing how much I normally avoid the computer, correctly predicted that the frequency of my blogging would drop off substantially upon leaving Maui, where everyone spent countless hours in the tubes (I still don't understand the appeal).

Anyway, I'm back in Colorado, busting out my cold weather clothes for training, and getting back into a regular routine, including hanging out with my kids at the Boys and Girls Club. I am happy to report that my skills at Connect Four have not diminished in my time away from the club. There is quite a few new members to the club, so I am presented with the daunting task of both remembering names and learning new ones- never a strength of mine.

As a side note, I've noticed that I have an overwhelming number of blankets and pillows. Our kitchen is also incredibly stocked with great cooking tools and utensils, especially considering the fact that we have no couch, kitchen table or chairs. Based on my possessions, sleeping and eating are extraordinarily high priority tasks for me (like I said before- they are the fourth and fifth sports in triathlon). Okay, back to packing. There will be more updates to come! Someday...

Sarah

Nature vs. Nuture

2009-01-30T23:05:00.000-08:00

This week, the athletes of In the Arena have been given a questionnaire dealing with Nature v. Nurture in the development of expertise. I'm very interested to see how the answers of my fellow athletes compare to the ones that I've given. My answers are as follows:

1. What is the athletic background of your parents and family?
My parents and siblings are, and have always been, pretty active people. My father was a collegiate lacrosse player and still runs and relishes physical labor (moving boulders, landscaping etc.). My mother was a majorette (baton twirler) in college who took up running at the age of 40 and runs regularly. My brother and sister were very athletic growing up, playing soccer, swimming and running. They both participated in sports (Nordic skiing and rowing) in college and continue to be active.

2. When did you begin participating in your sport?
While I did my first triathlon in 1998, I didn't participate regularly in triathlon until 2004. From the age of 7, I was a competitive swimmer and ran competitively throughout middle and high school. However, adding the bike and doing all three sports in a row took a few years.

3. What were your early experiences with sport like?

My family was very supportive of my participation in sport, taking me to whatever games or meets that I had. It was a no-pressure situation, as they were more concerned that I enjoyed myself than with victory. I also grew up in a small town, where a kid could compete in many different sports and not worry about focusing on one sport. It was also easy to be successful in your sport (the classic “big fish, small pond” syndrome).

4. How instrumental were parents and coaches in the early part of your development as an athlete?

I would say that my parents and coaches were more important in my development in the role of emotional supporters than technical supporters. By the time that I started triathlon, the lessons of dedication and persistence had long been instilled in me.

5. How were you introduced to your sport and how many other sports did you seriously participate in?
While I knew vaguely of triathlon as a result of televised Ironman Hawaii, I decided that I would try a triathlon in high school, as I could already swim and run. My father drove with me from Upstate NY to Massachusetts in order to participate, as there were no races closer to our home. Although I competed in swimming in college, I wasn't ever part of a “serious” swimming program, so I would say that triathlon is the first sport in which I have participated seriously.

6. Is your success a product of nature or nurture?

Although nature plays a role in my ability to train and compete at a high level, I believe that nurture is 90% of the reason why I am successful. I don’t have the “ideal” build for the sport, but my stubborn persistence has proven to outweigh my natural limitations.

7. Are you an expert in your field? (by your own definition)
I feel that I will never be an expert in my field, as the sport is always evolving. I have picked up quite a bit along the way, but I still have so much left to learn!

Training Camp Survival Tips: How to Endure Three Weeks in a Male- Dominated Training Group

2009-01-28T23:04:00.000-08:00

Prior to coming to Maui, my experience in training camps was limited to camps with Siri Lindley's all-girl squad. Here, however, Lauren Groves and I are the only women present at this camp. Needless to say, my introduction into the world of male triathlete training has been an eye-opening experience. While I've managed to survive the camp with body and spirits intact thus far, I've picked up some lessons on how to fit in with other testosterone-laden triathletes:

1. Eat lots of meat (aka “man food”), especially bacon. Vegetables are frowned upon and tofu is openly scorned.
2. Get a tattoo that reads “Don’t Worry- it is JANUARY”. Strangely enough, men get competitive with one another in workouts, even when said workouts take place in January. Since I’m not in a position to race anyone right now, let alone a dude, this phrase is very helpful to have on mental repeat.
3. Embrace your nickname. If I ever had any qualms about the nickname “Sausage”, I've learned to overcome them over the course of the camp. Even the coach, Notorious Joel Filliol (cue Biggie), hasn't slipped by on this one and is forced to listened to his new theme song on repeat.
4. On the bike, there are no photo-ops. Vistas normally are accompanied by hills. Use the opportunity to attack, not marvel at the view.
5. Show no weakness. If you complain, you will be subject to ridicule. While the boys have progressed beyond wedgies and swirlies (if only marginally), teasing is an acceptable form of abuse.
6. Don’t break the unspoken rules of conduct. For example, avoid sitting on and mistakenly tapping a training partner’s feet for the course of a 1.2 mile open water swim race. You may find yourself in an overly extended, heated debate with a strong-willed Olympic medalist.
7. Check the toilet seat. To avoid falling into the seat-less bowl and cracking your tailbone in the middle of the night, remember that some males (Dr. Jones!) frequently forget this small act of decency.
8. Non-training waking hours will be occupied with eating and the internets. I have no idea what they do online for hours, but I guess there are some cool forums and blogs out there that require constant vigilance. Maybe I’d understand if I had a hip Apple laptop like the rest of them, instead of my Toshiba tank.
9. Most importantly, bring your sense of humor. If you can’t laugh at yourself, you will be the target of increased jabs. Pre-emptive self-deprecation works quite well as a strategy.

In truth, I've really enjoyed training with this group in Maui and am a bit saddened by the prospect of returning to Colorado. While training with a group of guys has been very different from my previous training situations (alone or with all girls), I love the energy and intensity of the squad. That being said, I can’t wait to again have a bathroom that I don’t have to share with a herd of men!

Great article

2009-01-28T18:28:00.000-08:00

With some courage, a love of working with kids and some patience, it is pretty incredible what one person can do in even the most difficult environments. Check out this article on an Australian starting a skateboarding school for Afgan kids.

2009-01-24T22:31:00.000-08:00

Hanging out between sessions. Food, massage and email...

The Real Maui

2009-01-24T21:47:00.000-08:00

Oh Maui... Land of Mai Tais and big wave surfers, luaus and friendly islanders. Prior to coming here, these were the images that occupied my imagination- basically, Gauguin's Tahiti meets Gidget. Although the rational side of me knew better, I definitely had a romantic concept of what Maui would be like. Like everything else in life, the reality is far more complicated and far more interesting.

While out riding our bikes, we've been able to get a fairly good sense of the "real" Maui. From the angry driving locals (one of the guys was even spit on!) to seeing the variability of the landscape (the western part of the island is anything but lush- the dry, windswept terrain is what I imagine Rapa Nui, or Easter Island, to be like), my idea of Maui has been altered a bit.

Likewise, I'm sure that my experience has been shaped by the fact that we aren't experiencing Maui in the typical, tourist way. Since we are here to train, we've avoided the sweet, umbrella drinks and hokey hula dancing. Much to my chagrin, not yet had any Hawaiian food, either. No roast pig, poi, poke, lomi lomi, haupia... *sigh* Fortunately, we do have Chez Jordan Rapp providing us with culinary deliciousness every night. While here, we eat, sleep and stretch when we aren't training. That also means that we aren't spending time at the beach between sessions, in the futile attempt to even out tan lines (I'm currently sporting a tiered effect of five shades of brown from different training garments). I'm secretly hoping that tomorrow I'll get to lie down at the beach for the first time, once we are done with our open water swim race. And I still have another week to meet my cute surfer...

While the reality might not mesh with my preconceived notions of Maui, I can't imagine a better way to experience the island. My only real complaint is that the locals shout and honk at us on our bikes and, frankly, that happens everywhere. To be honest, Maui is pretty darn incredible, even when experienced with a crazy bunch of Canucks...

2009-01-21T20:11:00.000-08:00

Sometimes a picture says a thousand words...

Sarah's Complaint

2009-01-17T16:56:00.000-08:00

Every year, upon days of starting a training camp, I will call home and have a long, drawn-out whinging session about the fact that I've put on too much weight and gotten too unfit during the off-season. I always get the same response about my need for patience and am reminded of the terrible weather conditions back in Upstate NY. For me, this time in the season is torture and every year I vow that the following year will be different and that I'll start the season lean, fit and ready to train hard- a vow that I invariably break.

Naturally, this year is no exception, as I am in the midst of a 3-week training camp in Maui with coach Joel Filliol's group of Canadians (I know- Maui. Life is hard, eh?) and was struck with the feeling of deja vu about three days into the camp. The other athletes are fit, tough and ready to train hard. I, on the other hand, am a complete cream puff at the moment and find that the only thing that I have in common with Joel's athletes is my pale, pasty complexion. I'm trying my hardest to limit my complaints to Lauren Groves, who is well-accustomed to my early season kvetching, my parents and to my coach, whose response is : "Yeah, of course you are out of shape. You are at a training camp to get your butt in gear". Thanks for the sympathy, Justin.

When Joel invited me along to Maui, I don't think that he realized what he was getting into with early-season Sarah (a very different beast from a fit, mid-season me). In the fear that I will be sent back to the mainland in shame or publicly shunned in front of his group of thoroughbreds, this Clydesdale is trying her hardest to keep her mouth shut and pretend that everything is hunky-dory. Of course, Joel is a smart guy and probably figured out that I am unfit upon 30 seconds of our reunion on Monday. In case I'm still tricking him and he is waiting for me to bust out an incredible session one of these days, I've outed myself in this blog to Joel, an avid blog reader. Please don't send me back, Joel!

By the end of the camp, I'm hoping to turn my soft self into a something a bit more representative of an elite athlete. While this may seem like I'm intending to carve David out of marshmallow, I'll be a lot closer with a little more patience, some more discipline and a steady stream of workouts. And if that doesn't work out, at least I'll head back to Colorado with a nice bronze glow.

Aloha,
Sarah

Springs Ranch Elementary

2009-01-13T14:06:00.000-08:00

Last Friday, I had the honor and privilege to speak with the members of the Springs Ranch Elementary School (K-5) in Colorado Springs. A fellow triathlete, Tim O'Donnell were asked by the US Olympic Committee to speak about the "Golden Rule", respect, and how it plays a role in sport and in our lives. I was very impressed with how attentive and engaged the kids were during our talk, even when they were subject to some ad libbing on our part when we had technical difficulties. I always love being around kids, but working with children like the Springs Ranch Elementary group was a unique pleasure!

To Joe, on his 40th Birthday

2009-01-05T13:45:00.000-08:00

When I went to my first World Cup in Madrid a few years ago, I didn't know a single person at the race, American or otherwise. I had only done a couple of domestic pro races prior to going and was acutely aware that I was in over my head. I remember being incredibly nervous, intimidated and overwhelmed (not surprising, considering my complete lack of experience in the sport). Before long, however, I was fortunate enough to meet a cheerful, outgoing American triathlete named Joe Umphenour, who took me under his wing.

Over time, Joe has served the role of mentor and friend to me, as well as being a source of inspiration. Joe turned 40 today and continues to perform incredibly well. While he might occasionally complain about age-related aches and pains, he keeps on bouncing along like the source of his nickname, Tigger. He even managed to finish his 2008 season with a win at the Singapore Continental Cup, soundly beating men half his age! While Joe is undoubtedly blessed with some serious talent, I can't help but be amazed by his drive and dedication. There is no job in the world that Joe would rather do and he continues to bring this passion for triathlon to his training, year after year.

Joe and I are extraordinarily lucky to be in a sport where you can continue racing at a high level into your late 30s and early 40s. There are few sports where 38 year old women race competitively against women still in their teens. I look to older athletes such as a Joe and Samantha Warriner, ranked #1 in the World Cup series at the age of 37 (after taking up the sport at 30!), as an indication of how long I can pursue triathlon. While I doubt that I will be racing professionally into my 40s, older athletes prove time and time again that we are capable of improvement despite the progression of time, as long as we maintain a Joe-like enthusiasm for the sport.

So here's to Joe on his 40th birthday! Thank you for being my mentor, my friend and, most importantly, proving that "Age ain't nothin' but a number".

I've been everywhere, man

2008-12-17T20:00:00.000-08:00

With my suitcase once again packed up and Johnny Cash on repeat in my brain, I figure that it is high time for a blog update. After leaving Colorado Springs on November 26th, I headed to New Hampshire to spend time with my brother Adam, his wife Tricia and their awesome dog, Grete. Luckily, my parents were able to head over from Cooperstown to join in on the Thanksgiving/ Birthday festivities, as well as Tricia's sister's family. Fun fact: my 27th birthday was on the 27th day of November, celebrated in the same town where I was born, Hanover. Strange coincidence, right?

After a nice stay with Adam and Tricia, I headed to NYC for a couple of days to attend my sister's Marie Claire book event and to pick up my friend Kate to head to Puerto Rico for a week. I normally wouldn't think that travel would be the best way to unwind after a season of travelling and racing, but I found that our trip was exactly what I need. Maybe it was the crispy lechon and tostones...

I am currently typing in my sister's house in Gainesville, Florida, where I've been catching up with her, her husband Clay and baby Beckett, as well as putting in some warm weather training before I head back to the cold. While I find Beckett extraordinarily cute, I haven't quite accepted the sour milk chunks that mysteriously show up on my sleeves when I hold him. That part? Not so cute. I'm off to Cooperstown tomorrow for a week of Christmas festivities (including a Groffian gathering in New Jersey) and fortunately the Florida crew will be coming north as well, giving me more opportunity to bond with the wee one. On the 27th, I'll head back to Colorado Springs, where some of my gear has taken over my coach's basement (the rest of my stuff occupies a storage locker in Boulder).

It is at times like these that I am fully aware of how free I am. Without a mortgage, pets, kids or a 9-5 job, I am fortunate enough to be able to pick up and visit family and friends in my off-season. Twenty years from now, with kids and a mortgage, I will undoubtedly think with fondness upon the time that I schlepped up and down the eastern seaboard, visiting friends and family. While I will concede that there is a certain charm in this lifestyle, I am starting to feel that it is getting harder as I age. Frankly, I am far too old to have never signed a yearly lease. Until I shed myself of my lingering Peter Pan complex, however, "Of travel I've had my share, man/ I've been everywhere" and I don't plan on applying the brakes quite yet.

Getting back in shape

2008-12-09T18:15:00.000-08:00

After a couple of weeks completely off training and two weeks of light training, I am back in "real" training mode and am finding myself to be surprisingly cranky as a result. Whether it is due to that fact that I finished this season less fit than in years past or because I am feeling the effects of age, I feel worse than I ever have before with my return to my swimming, biking and running. Other than questioning the "how" of my lack of fitness, I have been alternating between self-pity ("Woe is me! I will never get fit again!"), practicality ("This is necessary, both mentally and physically") and, finally, the realization that I am a big whiner with a very skewed perspective on fitness.

As professional athletes, we become accustomed to having an incredibly high level of fitness and, even at our most unfit, we are capable of training at distances and speeds beyond those of the average person [Before you assume this to be a boast about our physical superiority, please read on!]. This is less a testament to our athletic gifts than an indication of the poor conditioning of most people in this country. I fully admit that I haven't a clue on how difficult it must be to attempt to get into shape as an unfit adult. Based on how it feels to swim after getting "unfit", however, I can certainly assume that it must be a Sisiphysian task of a scope that I will never understand. To rewrite a lifetime of habits and physical patterning must seem an impossible demand.

With this realization in mind, I vow to redouble my efforts in promoting health and fitness at the Boys and Girls Club. By encouraging healthy activity and behaviour at a young age, we have the opportunity to ensure that kids will adopt practices that will keep them from ever experiencing what it means to be truly unfit as an adult.

Sock puppets!

2008-11-23T19:37:00.000-08:00

This past week, I made sock puppets with the kids. Even though I brought 20 socks, we ran out and there were a few disappointed kids. I had no idea that my project would be so popular!

Nearing the end of my busy break

2008-11-21T10:33:00.000-08:00

Contrary to popular belief, triathlon is not a summer sport, but rather a 50 week per year sport with races starting in the spring and ending in winter. This year, I started racing in April and ended in mid-November, only now getting a two-week hiatus. Every year, I think that my two week break will be an incredibly restful and rejuvenating tri-free respite. The truth is, while I don't train over these fourteen days, my world still revolves around sport.

As a product of equal parts procrastination, corporate timing and the fact that I actually have a block of free time, this becomes a hectic time where I try to line up sponsors for the next season, plan for the next season and catch up on everything that I've ignored (with the exception of email- I'm still terrible at that!). Throw in a bit of socializing, hiking, the occasional games of ultimate frisbee and afternoons at the Boys and Girls Club and I find that I never have the free time that I had anticipated! Would I have it any other way? Probably not! While I dislike the lack of training (and the subsequent 3+ lb weight gain!), I need this two-week break from training to refresh my mind and body. More importantly, however, my busy work would probably never be done if I didn't have this period of time. That being said, I return to light training on Sunday and I couldn't be more excited. Bring on the 2009 season!

Ending up with a win!

2008-11-10T19:21:00.000-08:00

This fall, my race finishes have been thus: 3rd, 4th, 4th, 2nd, 2nd and, finally, 1st. While it has been rewarding to race consistently well, I have to admit that there is a certain satisfaction in ending the season with a win the the ITU San Francisco Pan American Cup.

Leading into the race, I was a bit nervous about my fitness (I haven't had a good training block since, gulp, August!) and knew, having done this race before, that the conditions would be rough. With countless potholes on the bike course, freezing cold bay water and typically cool, drizzly weather, I knew that the race would prove to be challenging. I have to admit that I had a mental countdown of minutes until the conclusion of my season, starting one hour before the race! (Swim done? 20 min closer. Two laps left of the bike? Less than an hour to go! And so on...). After a strong swim and less than stellar bike, I pulled together my race with a solid run, putting a minute into Julie, the second place finisher. Needless to say, there was no post-race cool down! My finish also put me into 2nd place overall in the Haul to the Great Wall series behind Julie Ertel, leapfrogging me over Sarah Haskins in the rankings. While racing at Treasure Island was a last-minute decision, it was a decision that proved to be worthwhile!

Last Race of the Year Version 2.0

2008-11-06T21:03:00.001-08:00

When I went to Bermuda last week to participate in the Escape to Bermuda, I had planned it to be my last race of the year. I couldn't imagine a better place to wrap up the season than this beautiful island! I had a terrific time with a great homestay and was able to use the trip to reconnect with old friends and make new ones. After the race, however, I didn't have the satisfaction that I had been hoping for upon the conclusion of a long season. Leading into the race, I had such a nasty cold that I was able to only ride once and run once that week and was nervous about competing. I was able to scrape out a respectable race, finishing second after a strong swim, decent yet conservative bike and mediocre run on a hard course. Had I been healthy, however, I know that I would have been able to finish up with a race that would leave me more satisfied and confident in my run.

When I returned home on Tuesday, I decided to buy a ticket to San Francisco to compete in the Treasure Island Triathlon. While it is a bit of a last minute trip after a long season chock-full of racing, but I hope to squeek out one last strong performance. I look forward for one last chance to have a solid race! Starting on Sunday, my real 2008 break will begin!

A couple of pics from the club

2008-10-19T15:18:00.000-07:00

The Unforeseen Consequences of Working with Kids

2008-10-10T11:18:00.000-07:00

In a previous blog, I mentioned that the favorite part of my day is when I head off to the Tutt branch of the Boys & Girls Club to hang out with my kids for a couple of hours every afternoon. Like most things in life, however, nothing comes without cost.

In the past couple of months, I have gotten the stomach flu and two colds (I'm currently battling my latest cold). Since I normally get sick once every six months, I can't help but see a direct correlation between being around kids and illness! I'm starting to see my kids like Charles Schultz's Pigpen character, only surrounded by a cloud of viruses instead of dirt. Like Pigpen and the rest of the Peanuts gang (with the obvious exception of that bratty Lucy), however, my kids are so completely lovable that I can't help but return to them, despite the risk to my immune system.

In the meantime, I am keeping the training light and at a low intensity while I get rid of my delightfully phlegmy cough. I'm also getting a bit of a kick out of my new husky, laryngitis voice (though it is not so great for getting heard over rowdy children). With only a few weeks of training left until the end of the season, it is difficult to sit back and wait to be healthy before resuming my training. I do know from experience, however, that the easier that I take it, the sooner I get healthy and that the sooner that I am healthy, the sooner I can train. I do admit, however, that I find myself nostalgic for the days when I could take any old OTC medication to clear up my symptoms. Oh NyQuil and Robitussin, how I miss thee...

Dallas (the city, not the show)

2008-10-02T20:59:00.001-07:00

I'm headed off to Dallas tomorrow for the Lifetime Fitness US Open Triathlon. With a big prize purse up for grabs, many of the best triathletes in the world will be toeing the start line at this non-drafting, Olympic-distance race. Some might even say that the field is "stacked". Since I have been travelling and racing the past couple of weeks, I am admittedly a bit nervous about how I will perform. Since I felt better this past weekend than the weekend before, I'm hoping that the pattern continues and I feel phenomenal on Sunday!

In addition to having the opportunity to race against the best, I also get to go to Texas for the first time. I'm not sure what to expect other than cowboys, big trucks, big hair and oil rigs. I will be there in the company of my Dad, aka number one fan. As long as I remember ear plugs to counteract the snoring, he makes a great race buddy. He was there for me at the start of my career, driving me to my very first races, and I hope that he continues to follow my career with the same degree of support until the day I retire. As a team, we've come a pretty far way from watching everyone in transition, comparing notes and trying to copy what the experienced triathletes were doing!

Podium at National Championships!

2008-09-22T20:36:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I finished 3rd at the Elite National Championships in Hagg Lake, Oregon. At the the '06 Champs I finished 7th and last year I finished 5th. If my pattern continues, I should be on top of the podium next year! I was pretty happy with my race, as I had a solid performance on a difficult course. Julie Ertel, Sarah Haskins, Jasmine Oenick and I headed out of the water together, working as a group over the hilly 8-lap bike course. For the first lap of the run I was running with Sarah and Julie, but the girls continued to pull away on the downhills (downhill running is my kryptonite- something I'm trying to improve upon and there is a LOT of improvement to make!). While there is some work to be done, I see the race as an indication that I continue to make improvements. Little by little...

In addition to the race, I was able to spend some time in downtown Portland, eating some great food and stopping in Powell's Bookstore. Portland has an incredible, vibrant energy that I really enjoyed, as well being a bike-friendly town. The restaurant scene is pretty incredible, as a number of young chefs have put Portland on the foodie map for using local, sustainable products. Yum. After all of my pre-treat build-up, I found myself a bit disappointed by Voodoo Donuts. While a cool local joint with whimsical donut shapes and crazy toppings (I had the Old Dirty Bastard- chocolate frosting, peanut butter and crushed oreo), the donut itself wasn't as fresh and soft yet crunchy as a donut should be. Luckily, with all of the great food options in Portland, I'm sure I can find another joint to build up before my next visit to the city!

Tomorrow I am heading off to Lorient, France for the penultimate World Cup of the season. Travel to this town in Brittany is a bit challenging, requiring trains, planes and automobiles to get to my final destination. I will give an update as soon as I return to the States!

Busy... and happier that way!

2008-09-13T10:56:00.000-07:00

When I moved to the OTC, I soon discovered that I would have spare time on my hands. As practically everything that I need to train is on campus, from food to sports med, the time that I had spent shuttling around town, cooking and cleaning was freed for other pursuits. At first, I admit that I spent some my spare time watching tv somewhat obsessively (oh, the shame!), spending far too much time in the dining hall and reading. Before too long, I found myself struggling a bit, feeling unsatisfied and somewhat depressed.

Thankfully, I was cleared to volunteer at the Tutt branch of the Boys and Girls Club in Colorado Springs in mid-August and have since spent my weekday afternoons with the kids. I frequently find that playing with the kids is the highlight of my day and I anticipate the kinds of games and crafts that we can do together. No matter how tired I am after a day of training, I am instantly energized when walking in the club, drawing energy from the youthful exuberance of the members.

I am so grateful for my opportunity to volunteer through In the Arena. I am proud of the work that I do with the kids and hope to have a positive impact on them. I also am aware of the effect that the work has on me. The pursuit of sport as a profession is a selfish, a characteristic that I find draining. In the Arena and the Boys and Girls Club helps me be a contributing member of the community, something that I couldn't be if I remained sequestered on the OTC campus, and keeps me from useless hours of mindless tv!

Craft Time!

2008-09-13T10:01:00.000-07:00

A Welcome from the Boys and Girls Club

2008-09-03T14:00:00.000-07:00

A Week of Firsts

2008-08-31T20:00:00.000-07:00

This past week, I've had a number of first-time experiences:

1) First nephew: I was in Gainesville earlier this week for the birth of Lauren's, my big sister, and Clay's first child (also the first grandchild on both sides). Beckett is absolutely beautiful and, like his auntie, has big hands and feet. With tall parents, however, he will probably grow into his paws better than I did!

2) First trip to Chicago: I went to Chicago for the first time for the Chicago Triathlon last weekend and was impressed by how clean, modern and vibrant of a city it is. With great shopping, dining and cultural offerings, as well as really nice people, I look forward to going back. I also owe my dad a Cubs game! While I was a bit skeptical of the city's bid for the 2016 Olympic Games, I now can envision a Chicago Games and would certainly be keen to represent the US there.

3) First race of 8,700 people: I've never been to a race as large as the Chicago triathlon. I can't even imagine the amount of organization required in order to hold a race of that size. As a competitor, there is such an incredible energy to participating with thousands of other athletes. Having to run around the age group competitors was an unexpected challenge, however. What a difference with closed-course World Cups with no more than 80 women on the course at any given time!

4) First race on a TT bike: Until a few weeks ago, I'd never used a Time Trial frame. Blue gave me a fantastic frame that I built up with borrowed parts and rode this past weekend in Chicago. While I lost quite a bit of time on the second lap of the bike to Becky Lavelle, the winner of the race(non-drafting racing requires so much focus- more than I'm used to!), I had a strong bike leg and a solid swim and bike. When I crossed the line in second place, I was overjoyed and definitely look forward to improving as a non-drafting athlete!

Thanks for reminders from my readers to update my blog!
Sorry for the delay :-)
All the best,
Sarah

The Olympics

2008-08-11T07:40:00.000-07:00

A few days ago (on the 8th of August to be exact), I was extremely cranky. The Opening Ceremonies for the Beijing Olympics were here and I was in Colorado Springs and not in Beijing. Luckily for the people around me, I've gotten over the initial bitterness/ sadness and have instead embraced the Games wholeheartedly.

Living at the Olympic Training Center, it is impossible to avoid the Olypics, as you are constantly bombarded by images of the Games. From the Olympic rings on most of the doors to the tvs endlessly showing NBC to the photos of past Olympians in the hallways, you are ceaselessly reminded of the importance of the Games. If I were still in Boulder sans television and Olympic propaganda, it would be easy to avoid such reminders and to continue along my happy way. By being faced with my disappointment so directly, however, I've been forced to examine how I feel about not making the team.

The more that I watch the Olympics, the more I am aware of the fact that I simply wasn't ready to make the team. While I may have been physically capable of making the team, there was a certain motivational element missing from the process. Olympians make it a dream to represent the US, using their desire to fuel them for years leading up to the Games. A year ago, I simply wanted to make Olympic Trials. A few months ago, I found myself in the position of being on the cusp of making the team. At that point, however, it was too late for me to gain the experience and confidence necessary to become an Olympian. Now that I watch the Games take place, however, I realize that I have four years to both earn a spot on the team and to develop myself into a medal contender.

While I admit that I will watch the triathlon event with a bit of a heavy heart, I am convinced that we have the best team possible representing the US in Beijing (that's not to say that I wouldn't have loved to go!) and look forward to watching our athletes race. Laura Bennett, Sarah Haskins and Julie Ertel are highly accomplished women who will certainly do our country proud. I am also really excited to watch the men (Matt Reed, Hunter Kemper and Jarrod Shoemaker) mix things up. All of these athletes are people I admire as both athletes and people and I count them among my friends. To see them succeed at the Olympics would be almost as good as being there myself! In the meantime, back to training hard and looking forward to 2012!

Kitzbuhel: Wafers, slugs and expectations

2008-07-23T13:35:00.000-07:00

After my race (and subsequent visit to the med tent) in Tizsaujvaros, I was faced with two options: change my ticket to go home early and scrap the World Cup in Austria or stick with my plan and race. Once I found out that it would be vastly more expensive to go home than to spend a week in Kitzbuhel, Austria, I decided to stay and hope that I would feel dramatically better in a week’s time. Even if I had to pull out mid-race, I would be able to spend a week in a beautiful village in the Alps and gain some more World Cup experience. After surprising myself and finishing 11th in the race, I’m pretty happy that I stuck with the plan.

About an hour’s drive from Salzburg, Kitzbuhel is a scenic village of 8,000 residents nestled in the Tyrolean Alps. I was able to do a bit of sight-seeing in the lead-up to the race, taking a tram to the top of the Horn with Brian and Jun, the US coaches for the race. The view was incredible; a 360 degree view of 3000 meter peaks and green pastures complete with bell-wearing cows and wildflowers. Snipppets of songs from “The Sound of Music” had the annoying tendency to pop up spontaneously in my mind. The town of Kitzbuhel, with cobblestoned streets and well-tended, brightly colored buildings, was equally beautiful. Well-heeled tourists from Russia and Western Europe visit the town year-round, skiing, hiking and shopping. For athletes from countries with weak currency (oh, the poor dollar…), this made eating out difficult. Luckily housing was affordable, as the tremendous race organizers sent me to the Pension Erlenhaub, where the sweet proprietor took care of me. Unfortunately, her collection of taxidermied animals was not as charming, baring their teeth at me as I climbed the stairs.

Leading up the race, I was nervous about my ability to race well, as I felt exhausted and sluggish in training. The last time that I had raced soon after heat stroke, I had a terrible race, managing little more than a jog on the run portion of the race. With a start list packed with athletes using the race as a last tune-up before Beijing and taking into account how I was feeling, I took a more conservative approach to the race. Knowing that the field would most likely come into T2 together, my race strategy was simple: sit in on the swim and bike and use whatever I had on the bike.

For the race, the swim took place in the Schwartzsee (Black Lake), one of the most scenic venues that I’ve ever seen for a race. I tucked behind the Swiss Magali Di Marco Messmer and let her do the work of leading the swim (much to her dismay, as she told me after, as she counted on doing the same to me!). On the bike, it was cold and rainy (a far cry from the previous week’s race) and the front pack of 19 negotiated the course conservatively. Luckily, we entered the with a 2:30 advantage over the chase group, letting me feel a bit more comfortable about my ability to finish in the top-20. I started off strong, moving my way through the pack up after a poor transition, and held a comfortable pace. About halfway through the run, Andrea Whitcomb and Debbie Tanner passed me and I sat on their shoulders for the next 4+k. While they outran me in the end, I finished 11th, exceeding my low expectations going into the race. Throughout the run, I kept on waiting to feel bad and was surprised to find that I managed to pull off a good sub-36 minute 10k and feel comfortable doing so. It always feels good to exceed one’s expectations.

After too much bread and chocolate wafers and too little training recently, I am very excited to resume training. As my next race is in September, I should be able to get in a great block of training. The last big block that I had was in April, so I’m definitely keen to put my head down and train. I’ll keep you posted!

Unrelated tidbit: The slugs are massive is Austria, as thick as a big man’s thumb and as long as his thumb. Like slugs here, they also eat their own dead. Gross.