1) What brought you to the sport of triathlon?
I began running just as a way to stay in shape. Just because it got you 2 free beers at the beer garden after, and I ran a local 10K and ran okay. A friend who had done some triathlon in college urged me to try out triathlon and I am glad she did. I did a sprint race and was hooked.
2) What thoughts and influences contribute to making the decision to go Pro? Was this a difficult decision to make?
I had gotten to a point (and trust me I say this not to boast) where I was doing pretty well at most races and just figured the step up in the competition level would do me good. I had qualified for my professional license early in 2009, but I really didn't know it or even think about it. After racing Kona that year, it became much more of a reality to me, and I decided to give it a shot. It was not really that tough of a decision for me because I was still working full time as an attorney. So I didn't have the pressure to "make a living" from the sport. I thrived on the competition and loved racing so it was somewhat of a "no-brainer" for me. Making the leap to full time training and racing, and leaving the desk job behind (& steady paycheck) behind was a much weightier decision.
3) On average, what does your training week involve?
Some swimming, running and cycling. ;-) Hahaha... I would say that my training weeks are fairly common, no real secrets or crazy workouts. Consistency is the main theme. So on average my weeks usually contain 5-6 swims, 5-7 run sessions, and 4 to 5 cycling sessions. I am a member of the Triathlon Squad under Paulo Sousa (
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Triathlon-Squad/183206021698840) and we have month long training camps in different locales around the US throughout the year. During those camps training picks up a little, but not so much different than the rest of the year.
4) What is your favorite training session for each discipline?
The refueling after :-)!! In all honesty I have a real love/hate relationship with most of the really challenging sessions. That is, while I may dread the hour and forty minute run with a big chunk of tempo in it, I usually take the most satisfaction from that session. Likewise, a tough swim session with say 5x400 at a high effort may give me pause while on the deck, but walking out to the car after, I feel the most satisfaction from the good hard effort. The same goes for cycling, and it is usually the mid range (3-4hr) rides with some good hard efforts in them that I enjoy the most.
5) If we were to look in your fridge, what would we find?
Hahaha... well seeing as I am in between training locations right now, and staying with family, I don't really have a fridge I can call my own. But I do my best to try and eat halfway intelligently. I like a few certain veggies (sweet potatoes, squash, mushrooms, peppers, spinach) and always try to keep some good fruit around (bananas, apples, berries). Unfortunately I have a serious problem with cereal and thus I try not to buy it and stick to oatmeal. I also try to eat a fair amount of brown rice and quinoa. COFFEE is a big part of my life and most days don't start without it. I try to keep red meat to a minimum but grew up as quite a carnivore, so that is tough, so I typically eat it once or twice a week and get most of my protein from eggs, salmon and chicken.
6) Is there anything that you would prefer to eat the night before and the morning of a race?
The night before I always try to keep things pretty simple. Foods I know and trust and that have very low "risk" of causing problems. Typically that means a small portion of brown rice pasta with some tomato sauce, with some salmon or chicken and I will usually drink an Ensure or two.
Race morning I always eat a energy bar, banana and an Ensure. After that I sip on a sports drink and then have a gel and a Red Bull about 30mins pre race.
7) Do you have any tips for recovery?
Quickly getting in some recovery fuel with quality protein and carbs after hard workouts is key. Compression wear (Zoot makes the BEST!) along with foam rolling and SLEEP! Pretty simple when you look at it like that.
8) What would be your best advice for someone starting out in the sport?
Keep it FUN! If you take it too seriously, or you set lofty goals that you seek with unyielding dedication, the sport can become a job. If it is your job, then that is fine. If it is not your job, but a recreational activity, the fun factor is HUGE and can be greatly diminished if you take it too seriously. So keep it fun. Don't let it consume you.
9) What advice would you give an Age Grouper who is looking for sponsorship?
As an age grouper I would suggest seeking out the companies that produce products you actually use and really like. If you actually use it and like it, you will be that much better of a representative.