Toughman NM- You better be tough

Toughman NM was one of the most mentally challenging races I have ever done. I felt like quitting so many times and the only reason I didn't was because my Grandma told me "You better win Lauren".  I guess the competitive spirit runs in the family. I suffered a flat tire as well as another more complicated bike mechanical(that was fixed with a pink hair tie) on the bike course.  The run was challenging especially with some cactus stuck in my foot but the feeling of finally making it down that ridiculous boat ramp is so rewarding.  Each race becomes just another training day after it is over with and this was one that was character building as well as physically challenging.  This race will hopefully make my next one seem a little less hilly,windy, and grueling.





My dad is such a good photographer he can make even
Cochiti Lake look serene and lovely.

I had the pleasure of meeting Angie Kandalaft at the beginning of my triathlon training days 4.5 years ago.  For some strange reason she believed in me and continued to encourage and provide me resources to continue training and racing triathlons in New Mexico.  She was also the person who suggested that I begin working with my coach Jaime who has also for some strange reason believed in me this whole time.  So when Angie told me she was producing a long distance race at Cochiti lake I was beyond excited.  I love an opportunity to race in New Mexico especially if it is a Chasing 3 race.  Thank you Angie for believing in me for almost 5 years now. I am so honored to be the champion of the Inaugural Toughman NM and am excited to be traveling to NYC this weekend representing Angie, Jaime, and everyone who raced Toughman NM. It was so truly inspiring to watch every single person cross that finish line.

So cool to break the tape!!!!

Beginning of season racing/training

So the beginning of my season didn't start out too well... I had stress fractures at the end of the season last year followed by a long bout of flu/sinus infection crap and before I knew it Christmas had come and went and it was January and I had done zero tri-specific training.  I had originally planned to go to Oceanside 70.3 in March when I decided I wasn't in very good shape and then suffered a pretty bad fall on the mountain bike that left me unable to train for 4-5 weeks.  I decided to do St. George 70.3 on very little training and just see how it went.  It didn't go very well.  It was the slowest time I have ever had at a 70.3 distance but the good news was I didn't have any pain from running and I was so pumped to start training again!!!

Finally, some motivation to train and race and do what I love to do had returned.  All it took was a proper ass kicking.  I spent so much time dwelling on how scared I was to race in the pro division and questioning my decision to move up and accept my pro card that I had forgotten how much I loved to race.  I had been racing locally and winning for so long that the jump up to a pro status seemed enormous and something I wasn't capable of.  The reality is you will never get faster if you don't race people faster than you.  So now I am a very small fish in a big pond of pros who are all my idols.  I know who they all are and I am so honored to toe the line with them at the start of these races even if they have no idea who I am. 

Off Season Shenanigans and Injury Rehab.

It took me a while after My last race in September to start doing any tri training again. I had to wait 7 weeks to heal the stress fractures in my foot and I had to spend a few weeks longer working on the injury/pain I was getting in my hip while running for the past 6 months.  Although I was not doing anything tri specific I have been having fun on bikes and have spent some time in the weight room at Elevate which was greatly needed. 

Elevate-
After not much running August through November I knew it was time to get the wheels turning again.  My first run back was extremely slow and painful.  I ran 3 miles at an 11 min mile pace and I was DYING!!!!! It made me understand why most people hate running.  If you are out of shape it is miserable.  I have been going to Elevate to see Lawrence twice a week since my race in September.  I had some inconsistencies and weaknesses that I really needed to work on to get my hip feeling better. I have been increasing my running miles since and for the past 3 months I have been running pain free and it is making me feel a million times more confident!

Cyclocross-
Yes, the sport where grown people in lycra jump on and off their bikes in the yucky weather for beer and Little Debbie handups.  I have never fallen down so many times in one day as when I rode a cyclocross bike.  Now, if you knew me a few years ago you would really laugh because yes, I was one of those triathletes that ate shit while running through transition or sees a shiny penny in the road and flips 5 times over the handlebars.  Now, I have come a long ways since but I still unclip during U-turns (yes in every race even on the road).  The New Mexico CX community got to see me perpetuate the stereotype of triathletes being horrible cyclists but I don't care because I had fun.  I also rode up a hill and then rolled all the way down still connected to my bike. Yes, I still have my front teeth.

Mountain Biking-

My sweet loving boyfriend took me mountain biking on our second date... Well lets just say it took another year before I rode a mountain bike again. My goal the last 2 years has been to do an Xterra. I hope this will finally happen.... I am still pretty bad at turning corners and really anything technical but I am having a blast.  I have left a lot of type O and skin in the foothills this winter. 

IM 70.3 World Championship Recap

I know that lots of time has passed but I needed some time to think about the race I had in Mont Tremblant.  This was definitely a world class event and because it was the event's first time outside of the US there was a faster and more competitive field than ever before.  All of these racers were truly world class athletes and I am so honored to have shared this experience with them.  This race was a very humbling experience and because I have only ever raced in the Southwestern US area it turns out I was missing out on A LOT.

Swim-29:29
The water in Lac Tremblant was the cleanest and clearest water I have ever swam in.  It didn't even taste bad and you could see all the way to the bottom of the lake for the entire swim which is not something I am used to for sure!  I came out of the water in 10th place and about 3 minutes back from the leader.  Marcos job is to always tell me what place I am in and how far back I am because I know I will always have to chase. I was probably easy to spot because I was one of the only people there in a sleeveless wetsuit. My Xterra Sleeveless Volt suit is my favorite suit of all time and I have been racing in it for 4 seasons.  The buoys were easy to sight and I had a pretty good swim for me.  In a normal tri I am swimming alone somewhere between the crazy fast swimmers but ahead of the rest of my wave but at this race I was never alone and the swim was no exception.

T1- This was the second leg of the race because this transition was so long! .7 kilometer to the transition tent where we had to grab our bag and run to another place to open it and put on helmet while putting our wetsuit and goggles into the bag and handing it to a volunteer and a run out to our bikes before running out of transition to the mount line.

Bike- 2:36
This is the part of the race that I really keep kicking myself for.  Because I have Marco telling me how many girls I have to pass I usually just pick them off and this is usually done in the first few miles of the bike portion of the race. Well.... I tried to do this but the field was so crowded and there were so many people on the roads it was hard to even make a pass.  In the first mile I hit a cone because some guy wouldn't let me pass!!!!! I was so scared and pissed but I did not fall which was nice. I continued to pass at a steady rate heading out on the climb to the main highway and turned onto the road. Now, what I saw surprised me and really aggravated me: there were drafting pelotons forty to fifty people large on the main highways. There were officials jumping in the street and waving red cards at these large packs but none of them even got penalties.  My wave was one of the last to start and so I was continuously passing people on the bike but there was no way I was going to catch some of the larger/faster pelotons to catch a good ride.   I was trying my best just to ride legally and pass as fast as I could but as you passed people they would hang on to your wheel and use you to sling shot forward just so you could pass them again. I am used to racing in the southwest and the races here are small and hot and hilly and hard.  Usually I am racing alone with nobody in sight so this style of racing just shocked the heck out of me.  Behind me a group of girls in my AG kept hanging onto my wheel and I knew they were working together.  My hope was that on the last out and back in the extreme hills I could get away and that is exactly what happened. It was really frustrating but I just kept sticking to my number because that was my plan in the first place!!!  I had 3 Powergels and 2 bottles with Skratch (matcha tea yum!) and 2 endurolytes broken into each and a bottle of Powerbar Perform. Praise Jesus for sea level my heart rate was it's usual 160 but I was riding 40 watts higher!!!! YIIIIPPPP!!!!

Run- 1:38:06 (7:30 mile)
Transition into run was much faster and smaller than the first thank god!!!  The first loop of the run I felt great and had passed a few girls that were ahead of me.  I had a gel about half way through and sipped on the Perform and Coke at aid stations.  I was making good time for me and knew I would be under 1:40.  It wasn't until mid second-loop that the group of girls working together on the bike passed me one by one.  It was sort of frustrating to see but I know that running is my weakness and also what I need to work on for next year.  I had also taken a 3 week break from running due to a hip and foot injury that was very painful and I was not sure how it was going to hold up.  I was in pain on the downhill and cobble sections but it was as good as I could have hoped for.  My plan was to just tell my self "shut up legs" if they started hurting.  I was going to finish strong no matter what!!!!! 

Altogether I had a successful race for me but yes I am a bit unhappy with how I placed.  I have never placed this low at a race and it is definitely humbling and some fuel for the fire as I go into next year.  My entire race I just kept remembering how grateful I was for the amazing community I have around me in Albuquerque and how I am so thankful for all the supportive people I have had around me throughout  the season.  Cheers.

THANK YOU!!!!

A few weeks ago I was feeling pretty bummed out and unmotivated in my training.  I was qualified and signed up for the World Championship 70.3 in Mont Tremblant, Quebec, Canada but I could no longer afford to go.  This was supposed to be the one year I was going to be able to go but the winds had changed direction and I was no longer going.  Feeling discouraged I was telling a friend about my dilemma when she suggested to set up a Gofundme.com account and raise some money for my trip from friends and family.  Originally I told her it would never work because nobody would donate.  I was getting ready to start washing some cars in my bikini or  to start making cookies and have a bake sale.  I would have to sell a few truck loads full of cookies to make $3000.00 and I have never washed a car so I set up the website.  Man was I wrong!!!  I emailed out the link and the first day it was up on Facebook I had raised $1500.00. 

Words cannot begin to explain how happy and special and wonderful and loved this makes me feel.  People are still writing me the  kindest words of encouragement and are donating far more than I could have ever hoped for.  People I have never met have also donated.  I was losing motivation to train or race again this year and this has given me renewed excitement for my end of the season race.  For those of you who know me, you know that I am the biggest cry-baby and cry during anything happy or sad or during any ASPCA commercial or Disney movie. Heck, I am crying writing this. With each donation I tear up a little bit and I am not ashamed!!!!

  I am so stoked to represent all of you who have donated by racing on a World stage.  Your donation and support means I get to represent all my Burquenas y Burquenos and my home town of Albuquerque NM. Previously I have just gone to races within driving distance that I could hitch a ride to.  Your donation really means the world to me.   Thank you Thank you Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Reflections on hard races and lessons learned.

It is a fact that you learn way more from your bad races than your good races. Here are some lessons that I have learned from my last few races.  Some of the mistakes I made seem like common sense but I suppose I had to make the mistake myself in order to learn from it.
Captex Olympic tri-
After St. George 70.3 I was signed up to compete in Captex tri in Austin Texas 2.5 weeks later.  I felt that this would be a fair amount of time to recover and gain a little speed for an olympic distance.  Well, I was wrong. I was completely wrong.  I had been doing my workouts and recovering as best as I could during the 2.5 week span but it was not enough time for me to recover properly. During the race I felt very sluggish and couldn't even get my legs moving, My heart rate was at a resting rate and I couldn't push it up and my power was so low my legs were burning and I was at a resting power number.  I felt like a complete dud that day and like I was letting people down by not performing at my best level.  I still came out as 5th overall female but was 5 minutes slower than last year at this race and was hurting a lot more.  

Lesson learned: You can do a shorter race before a longer race as a tune up but you cannot gain speed and recover at the same time after a long hard effort like a half Ironman.  Also, I have a difficult time racing at sea level. I feel sluggish and feel as if I can barely breathe every time!  I thought being born and raised at 5800ft was supposed to give you an advantage?!  Will probably stick to higher elevation races and avoid the humid/sea level climates. 

Deuces Wild Olympic Triathlon
This was my favorite race last year so I made sure I returned to do this fun race this year.  It was the weekend before an  "A" race so I trained right through it and felt great.  I had done some open water practice and was feeling comfortable in the water and came out of the water in 2nd place! I was able to summon some power from my legs on the hilly bike course and passed the lead girl around mile 10(she had a bad ass swim time).  Coach Jaime and I had agreed it would be best to just chill out and rest my legs on the run if I had a decent lead so I was able to cruise the run comfortably and finish as the 1st female finisher.  The run course on this race was marked really long so everyone ran a little extra which was challenging in the heat but it was fun and challenging.

Lesson learned:  Don't panic and race super hard to catch the girls in front of you!!! Its not worth the effort it will cost your legs.  I maintained composure and made sure my power was smooth and even the entire ride.

Buffalo Springs 70.3

Black beauty and I before the sufferfest at 70.3 Buff Springs.

The only place hotter than Lubbock Texas is probably Hell.  It was hot, humid and very windy all weekend which makes the tough course that much tougher.  I made so many rookie mistakes for this race I pretty much set my self up for failure.  Long gone are the days I can do a race on a package of  Hostess Donuts.  The fitter I get the more I need to eat all the time. I didn't eat enough the day before the race or the morning of the race to even partly cover the calories I was going to burn.  I spent the day before the race on my feet doing hair for a wedding in high heeled sandals.  I skipped lunch because I was busy.  I then did my final workout on an empty tank the night before the race in 100 degree weather.  Then the morning of the race all I ate was a PB&J. Yeah..... I know.... I'm an idiot. I had come off the bike in 3rd place but began getting passed by so many people I had no idea where I stood int he rankings. I get so emotional at these races that even though I felt terrible I felt compelled to finish.  After all, there are people out there with no legs and 100 other problems worse than mine! Who am I to drop out of the race just because I am hungry and tired and way to hot.  I spent the longest 13.1 miles of my life shuffling, walking,and dry heaving but hey I finished!! I ended up winning my age group and coming in 7th overall so not bad but definitely not what I am capable of. 

Lessons Learned: EAT!!! EAT A LOT!!!!! I needed to be filling my tank with better food and a lot more of it.  It just seems hard when you're busy with 2 jobs and trying to train and do 100 other things.  I am trying to make my nutrition a bit more of a priority. It's not OK to spend my day hungry because I am so busy.  It makes me evil and cranky and leads to poor performance.  Also, Drink more water.  Coffee and Diet Coke are not OK substitutes.  Lastly, race nutrition. It was too hot to be only having a few gels and 2 bottles with Osmo.  Osmo is great and I like it for hydration but it does not have enough calories and it was so windy and the roads were too crappy to be letting go of your handle bars to drink and eat enough (aero position was out of the question in the 35 mph winds).  I should have had more calories in my bottles as well as eaten more food at the beginning of the bike.

Hopefully, I can put it all together for the 70.3 World Championships in 5 weeks.  I have not had the most successful past few races but I have learned a ton from them.

St. George 70.3 race report

I want to be corny for a minute and just say that I have been so extremely lucky in my short triathlon career to end up in such good hands.  My coach Jaime Dispenza (swtricoaching) needs to take all of the credit for all of my successes thus far.  Also Angie Kandalaft and her company Centerpoint Events for putting together an amazing team and giving me the opportunity to go to some great events over the years.  Without these two people I don't know where I would be.  Thanks for always believing in me guys.*tear gently rolling down cheek*

Now for the race report:
The 70.3 St. George race is the toughest triathlon course I have ever done.  Period.  The 4000 net ft of elevation on the bike is tough and the additional net of 2200 ft on the run was even tougher. I was hoping for a top 5 overall finish and a qualification to 70.3 worlds in Mont Tremblant in September.  Climbing is one of my strengths and one of the reasons I signed up for this race to begin with but I knew that in order to crush this race I had to climb during my workouts whenever I could.  I did all of my intervals up tramway and la luz and spent long rides in the saddle behind the mountain over the rollers on S-14, up Placitas, and even once in the Gila from outside Hillsboro where I climbed Emery pass twice(this was brutal).  I rode with some great training partners(thank you Mindy!) who helped motivate me and push me and also rode with the High Desert group ride occasionally to partake in the roadie test-fest and get my butt kicked several times. I did lots of base running and some race pace and tempo type stuff but didn't step onto the track or do too much speed work to prepare for this.  I knew that keeping a good solid effort on the bike without overdoing it would be key to having a strong run.

Swim-
The swim is just not my best event.  I have been working on it and have had some great coaching from Coach Tim and put in a few longer workouts over the winter and am definitely stronger than last year but still am not able to compete with top swimmers.  I came out of the water in 31:03 and in 3 place in my age group which is pretty typical for me but I was not fatigued at all from the swim.  I felt like it was a good warm up for the bike and I wasn't even winded.  This may mean that I need to swim harder while racing which is something I am working on but I kept a 1:36/100meter pace which is the same pace I swam in an Olympic distance race a few weeks ago. I felt relaxed and excited to catch the next 2 girls on the bike. Chasing after the swim is not a new thing to me.

Bike-
This course starts off with a little bit of climbing to open up the legs as you climb out of the Sand Hollow reservoir.  I immediately began to pay attention to my heart rate and power number so that I wouldn't over do it on the bike.  It was sort of hard to keep my power low because the wave of men that went after us was beginning to pass me and I hate being passed!!! However I just kept reminding myself of MY power number and passed these big guys at the end of the bike;)  I passed both girls in my age group about 15 miles into the bike and then knew I was in the lead and wanted to stay steady and strong and remember to drink both of my bottles as well as stay fed before the last big climb. I drank both bottles of Osmo hydration with 2 endurolytes broken into each as well as a vanilla crisp Power Bar and 3 Strawberry banana Power gels.    Snow Canyon is a tough climb toward the end of the bike around mile 45 that is about 5-8% grade and about 8 miles long.  On paper it doesn't sound too hard especially with all of the climbing here in New Mexico but it was harder than I expected and  I had to keep reminding myself of all the climbing I did to prepare for this race as I climbed because it was long and hard and extremely hot. I was happy to make it through the bike portion safely and with decent legs for the run. I went 2:40:28 and about 21 mph.  This was not a PR but I didn't expect a PR on this course.

Run-
I ran 13.1 miles on this day with the biggest cheesiest grin on my face ever. I just couldn't stop smiling and not just because I was in first place but I just felt amazing and I knew that I could flatten out those hills because I had trained hard and am in a great place in my life and in my training.  I just felt great!!!! It was blazing hot out there so I just kept dumping water over myself and putting ice in my sports bra trying to cool down. I drank 2 cups of the sports drink they had on course and ate 1 gel.  I sipped a tiny bit of water but most of it just went over my head.  After the turn around I was able to see the lead I had and run safely into the finish with sore cheeks from smiling so big.  Now, I was the first female to cross the finish line and the announcer announced it 3 times!!!! It felt so cool to hear him announce me as the amateur winner. I knew it was unofficial and may be short lived but I had 10 minutes of glory!!!!! I ran a 1:35:15 half marathon which is a PR for me. 2 more women from a later wave (35-39) eventually beat my time but I finished within my goal and qualified for professional status which is cool.

So I was 3rd overall and had won my age group by 9 minutes securing my spot for World Championships in Canada in September!!!! Nothing to complain about here.  I had solid splits throughout the race and felt strong and that is what matters.  I admit I was worried to be running such low power on the bike for this race but it payed off big time(my coach is always right). I know that I still have improvements to make this season but I look forward to my next race! I will be at Lifetime Captex in Austin, TX on Memorial Day and then Deuces Wild on June 21 in Show Low, AZ. 

Black Beauty!!!!!!!!

HERE HE IS!!!!!

Most importantly this post is about a wonderful new addition to my life.  I am still sometimes mourning the loss of my last boyfriend because we had become so close in the 1.5 years we spent together logging miles and climbing tramway but it was time to move on.  My new boyfriend has a ton of fun updates that I would like to share with you guys because what is more exciting than a new boyfriend!!!!??! AAAAAHHHH!!!!

This baby is a 2014 Specialized Shiv Pro with Specialized carbon aero bars,  SRAM red (except for s works chain rings) and clx 60 Roval wheels.  Nightrider right? but you know what they say... once you go black..... 
All of my bikes I have owned had all had Shimano so I felt partial and didn't want to try SRAM. I felt like it worked so why switch it? SRAM red is a HUGE upgrade. OMG!! This bad boy shifts beautifully and so quietly sometimes I look down just to make sure. Another sweet upgrade is the SRAM Return to Center(R2C) shifters.  Not only do they look cleaner but I can shift up or down 3 or 4 gears at once without reaching my wrist around. I didnt even know this existed!! So cool.  I switched from 170 to a 165mm crank arm length with Stages power meter in order to open up my hips a bit more and also am using the new Sitero saddle which allows for more hip opening as well.  After spending the latter half of last year spun out on my bike I had to switch to a mid-compact (52/36) chain ring up front.  This got me really excited and made me feel like a powerful woman! Look out boys!!!! (ha!) The SWAT technology from Specialized is pretty sweet.  I have hydration inside the frame as well as an aero fuel cell(bike tupperware) which stores my tubes, co2, and  has an easy to reach open pocket on top for quick-access nutrition. I also upgraded aero helmets and will be using an S-works evade this year instead of the Giro helmets I had used the last 2 years. I am over the moon excited about my new BF! This bike has so many sweet upgrades and features I feel like I cant even share them all!!!
None of this would have been possible without the help of my human boyfriend Marco and all of the boys at High Desert Bicycles. They put it all together and made sure that everything was perfect.  Johnny Bargeron from the east side location got me fit perfectly on this bike and made sure I was completely comfortable.  This guy is a pro! He did a whole body analysis and checked my flexibility and limitations to make sure my fit was comfortable and powerful and also conducive to triathlon.  I tried liking a ski-bend aero bar for a while but Johnny made the switch for me back to a flatter s-bend style as well as got me situated on the Sitero which I was unsure of at first. 
OK. So obviously the bike portion is my favorite part of triathlon racing.  I really love pushing my limits on the bike.  Nothing like a soggy chamois and the burn in your legs while the wind blows through your helmet:) 

A few other fun things have happened including the Black Dog Tri winter camp in which I got to go to Tucson and hang with teammates and my coach Jaime. I had a blast climbing Mt. Lemmon and escaping the freezing cold weather here in Abq. I also survived running the Phoenix Rock and Roll Marathon where I ran a 1:30:36 which is a good off season time for me. 

Campers at the run clinic. Beautiful Tucson!

A camper crushing Mt. Lemmon!

A lot to catch up on...

OK... so you could call my ability to blog a total fail for 2013.  Blogging was just sort of something I thought I would do you but then never kept up with... sort of sums up my life....weird.  The truth of the matter is I have had absolutely zero time to do anything and through the end of 2012 and into 2013 I was spread so thin between 2 jobs and school that I put triathlon in last place at times which makes me sad because it is my number 1 favorite thing to do.  So, I am ready for 2013 and a clean slate but first I want to take a minute to thank all the people who helped me have a fun and awesome season last year.
Number 1- My awesome coach Jaime Dispenza.  It was my second year working with him and the improvements I made especially on the bike were incredible.  He is one of the most laid back and generous people I know and I am so incredibly lucky to have him always putting up with my bullshit, whining, and anxiety.

Captex Olympic in Austin 2:16:00

Second I would like to thank my homegirl Angie Kandalaft and Chasing 3 for putting on an awesome season of open water races.  The races in my home state of New Mexico have been where I learned everything I know (which may or may not be much) and are some of my most treasured memories from triathlon. It breaks my heart to not be able to race in my home state in 2014 however I look forward to new adventures and successes.
 Lastly, I would like to send a huge special thank you to High Desert Bicycles. The staff here is knowledgeable, funny, kind, and super cute(I would totally date the manager at the Rio Rancho location).  I purchased a Specialized Amira from them this year and I LOVE IT.  Not to mention these guys kept my bikes in tip-top shape all year and they too put up with my bullshit, whining, and anxiety.
 So for this season...
First things first. I am breaking up with Menchies, Dairy Queen, and Frost after I am finished with this large bowl of chocolate caramel turtle with heath bar pieces.  I have somehow managed to sign up for a half marathon this weekend and felt that my glycogen stores needed topping off.  If I can survive through 13.1 miles this weekend then on Monday my serious training will start.  Man oh man. I cannot wait for 5:00am swim practices, 5x5's up tramway till I puke and calling a piece of  fruit a desert(can you hear the sarcasm?) Only a few races this year are set in stone for me but I will be at Desert Classic Duathlon, St. George 70.3, Deuces Wild, and Buffalo Springs 70.3 for sure and I will add more to my calendar eventually.  Also, I promise to blog more often.... for a while.

 It is super important to support your local bike and run shops. Check out my favorites!
High Desert Bicycles 
ABQ Running Shop

Leadman Race

ok ok. So I am not the best or most timely blogger but it is getting done.  I'm sure you were on the edge of your seat just dying to read another chapter in my life adventure!!! Well I have a ton to fill you in on.
Leadman Marquee

Don't look too excited Coach!!

My first race of the season. Sooooo much fun!! This race was long, hard, and hot(far different from my love life;)) 125 kilometers was definitely farther than I had originally thought.  This is the main reason they need to teach the metric system in schools I think.  The swim was the longest swim I have ever done in a race(1.7 miles) and I came out of the water in 2nd place for my wave which was all of the age group women age 0-39.  It was just me and one other girl out on the bike and I was excited and having fun when 30 minutes into the bike I heard the "thud thud thud" sound of my borrowed carbon wheels (thanks Tim!) against the asphalt.   Bummer huh? Good thing I have actually practiced for this scenario and am a decent tube changer.  This little hiccup in my race probably cost 5-10 minutes and a sweet sweet guy gave me some CO2.  By this time 8-10 girls had passed me and I could see them all during the entire bike portion because the 4 loops on the bike were so loopy you could see exactly were you were placed. I knew I didn't have a chance of winning but I could see I was keeping a steady pace and gaining on them a bit but I just couldn't catch them dang it!!! It was super hot and I was kind of getting a heat headache but all in all I felt great. I was so confident and happy just to be out there racing and having fun.  I always feel like the run is the happiest part of the race because it means you are almost done and are going to make it!!! I was able to catch a lot of people on the run and probably 8 or 9 were women but it was impossible to tell where I was with all of the different waves of people.  I didn't even care at this point what place I got.  It has been a long winter and it was so great to dust off the race gear and shake out my race legs and go to beautiful warm Arizona with friends and teammates.  


Special note to Steve Alschuler- you got chicked!!!!!!!!! Can't wait for our rematch at Deuces!!!! Bring it!!!!!

yummy!!!!

If I am going to be the number one Paleo Princess in this universe I have got to stop eating ice cream cones.  Seriously.  Walking around my apartment in my underwear and eating Nutella with my fingers is not Paleo Princess behavior and it must be stopped!!   I can give up cheese, bread, beans, or potatoes for the rest of my life and not care one bit but I just cannot live without at least one sweet a day.  In order to fix this I am trying to be better and have paleo sweets on hand just in case my sweet tooth kicks in.  So this is a recipe for paleo "granola" bars that is delish and has chocolate chips so it can satisfy a sweet craving.  enjoy:) 

yummy yummy!!! this batch has chopped dates and a chai tea bag

1.5 cups sliced almonds
2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
1/3 cup pepitas chopped
1/2 cup almond flour
3 tbsp chia seeds
3/4 cup mini choc chips
1/3 cup chopped nuts (any kind)
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup almond butter
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup water
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Add water to chia seeds and let sit 5 minutes or so. Add other wet ingredients to this and mix well.
Then add all dry ingredients making sure it is evenly mixed. I like to add a handful of cranberries to mine and you can add whatever just make sure that the wet to dry ratio stays about like this. I worked hard to perfect this dang recipe!! Next spread on a cookie sheet over foil and bake for 20 minutes at 325. When you take them out of the oven squish them flat with a spatula and put in the fridge to cool. Cut into bars and enjoy:)

what motivates me?? (besides wine and candy)

This doesn't pertain to the blog but it's Gus with his head
stuck in an ice cream container lol

Last year around this time I went to the Marquee Triathlon in Tempe, Az with some of my Black Dog teammates.  Marcos, Bryan, and Noelle are all amazing people as well as badass Ironman finishers but I had no idea just how badass they really were until after a 6 hour car ride and a few laps around the Dairy Queen in Winslow.  What is so amazing about Bryan and Marcos both is that they lost a ton of weight and are now top in their age groups and continue to inspire others everyday.  Bryan is a coach for Team in Training and is always either donating his time and abilities to them or his Black Dog Teammates.  Listening to Marcos tell his incredible life change/weightloss story is also super motivating.  The dynamic between us was fun and light and we joked around and talked crap to each other pretty much the whole way there but when I expressed that I was nervous to race especially because I was coming off an injury the whole mood in the car changed.  Both guys got serious on me and told me "Lauren, you can do it."  Man, these guys got deep on me!!! They told me I was young and had talent and could do whatever I wanted.  What fabulous compliments!!!!!  Noelle is another Black Dog teammate of mine who is an all around bad ass.  She is a mother, grandmother, occupational therapist, and Ironman triathlete who is probably the sweetest lady I have ever met.  I am always happy to see her and she is always too kind and offering to help with anything she can.  These guys are awesome and hilarious and I don't think they have any idea how much they affected me and really lit a fire under me for the season during this trip with their words of encouragement.

I am writing about this in my blog because this past week a friend who I have known a long time came into the salon to get her hair done.  She has been training to do some local sprint triathlons and is really enjoying it.  She seriously almost made me cry when she told me she read my blog and had it saved in her favorites on her iphone.  She told me she really enjoyed reading it and requested that I put a little more about what really motivates me in here.  Shoot, she just motivated the heck out of me!!!!!! But after thinking on it what really motivates me is hearing everyone else's stories.  I love hearing about everyone else's training and life goals and how they do what they do because the road is different for everybody and it is so fun hearing about other people's adventures!!

Spring Break with Coach Jaime and Sue Alschuler at Seven Falls

This past Spring break I spent in Tucson with awesome people and my coach Jaime training in the sunshine and relaxing by the pool!! Life. is. good.  It was the best week of 2013 yet!!! No distractions or school or work or horrible Spring winds and freezing Albuquerque weather.   I stayed with my girl Sue who can really cook too! You guys know how I love food and wine and we definitely put a dent into that wine stash! When I returned home I felt refreshed and excited to train by myself and get the ball rolling on this season already.  Marquee was my first race of last year and will be my first race for this year too.  I feel I have come a long way as an athlete since last Marquee and cant wait to race again. (19 days but who is counting) I have been feeling great and loving the speed workout and hill repeats that I missed so much over the Winter months.  Sorry this blog post was kinda sappy but sometimes you just gotta share the love. Next blog post will be more exciting I promise! More recipes and hopefully a stellar race report coming soon!!!!! any suggestions send me my way k:) happy training!

Chlorine Dreams and Another Paleo Recipe

swim/class/work/workout/class/sleep then do it all again the next day.   I am seriously so busy I leave my house at 5:00 am and don't get home until 9:00pm. No wonder I am super sick right now and didn't get to train all weekend:( ugh!!!! I really really hate missing my long bike ride and run and feel like it derails my workouts for the whole week!!! stress stress stress making my face look like a pizza!!!! ok. enough of that i just had to get it all out before I switched to positive thinking for the week.   After spending more than 36 hours sleeping from Friday night through Sunday and getting through the complete second season of Game of Thrones I am going to have a positive attitude about this and consider my body "rested and recovered".  ON ON!!!!

thought his was cute and had to share;)

After hours this winter in the pool I finally feel like I am actually breaking through and becoming a better swimmer!  If you would have told me 2 years ago that I would be waking up at 5:00am most mornings to  jump into a cold pool I would have told ya that you are ca-razzzyyy!!  Well I am just loving the water and am thinking that I am now officially a morning person.  Here's why- I have chemistry class immediately after masters practice and I am fairly sure that the chlorine in the pool seeps through my ears and into my brain and makes me better at chemistry.  I count and sing songs simultaneously and somehow the answers to chemistry problems just come to me! I call these chlorine dreams.  Life's answers immediately coming to you while swimming at zerodark:thirty.  This is probably due to the fact that I drink smart water and it is finally making me smarter!!! yay!!

Now, one more thing- another paleo recipe!! I got such great feedback from the first one and requests for another so here it is.  This paleo princess has been just wrecking it in the kitchen. So here is my version of Sweet Potato Hash which is foolproof and really anything can be substituted or added to. 
Ingredients:
2 regular sweet potatoes peeled and cubed
1 package of breakfast sausage (I used Trader Joes turkey breakfast sausage)
half onion chopped
1 jar roasted red pepper chopped (again I used Trader Joe's brand)
5 mushrooms chopped
eggs
salt and pepper to taste
Valentina Hot Sauce
eggs

Big Brecky time!!

First, in a large heated skillet cook the breakfast sausage until cooked well throughout and remove the sausage from the pan leaving enough oil to cook the rest of the ingredients.  Next, throw in the sweet potatoes, onions, and mushrooms and cook until the potatoes are soft and a bit browned and the onions are clear. Then add the Sausage and peppers and mix it all up! Season with salt and pepper and hot sauce to taste and top with some over easy eggs.  The best part about this dish is that the egg yolks and hot sauce make the most delicious gravy for the hash:) mmmm mmm fuel for the whole week!!!!

COOLEST CAMP EVER!!

The whole crew!

 I really have no idea where to even start about the past week I spent in Tucson for the SWtri winter camp.  This is partly because the 5 days I spent in Tucson went by lightning fast and partly because I am still letting everything completely soak in.  I am just in total awe of my BlackDog team mates and everything they have already accomplished and also their dreams they are working toward.  Over and over again I was inspired by the level of kindness, passion, and friendship I witnessed. 

Spin+run clinic with a view- Thanks for the dope pic Troy;)

This was a great opportunity to get to know my teammates a bit better.  Over the past year our team has grown so much that I didn't even know everyone's name at races and was just cheering every time I saw our kit.  Now I not only know everyone's name but also their quirky personalities to go along with them.  I could not think of a better way to start the season off.  I am in full on training mode for Leadman Tempe on April 14th where I know I will be seeing a number of the Black Doggies on the course.  It is great to know that If you doubt your self for just one second there is a Black Dog friend to lift you up and assure you that you can do anything you put your heart into.  Now, out to brave this cold weather! Happy training!!!!!

first sunburn of the year:( great.

Side note:  If anyone heard my interview at Jay Benson this last year; I caught a little flack for my beer drinking comment.  Well, I don't rescind that comment. It is also great to know that if you are in need of a drinking buddy there is a Blackdog teammate there to join you and show you how it's done;)

New Shoes!!!!!

January is over?!?!?! Are you kidding me? Man that month really blew by.  I have been completely consumed with studying, work, and training and I feel like I haven’t even had even one minute to chill out and just do nothing. On the positive side of being so busy I have gotten a ton accomplished.  I have been training extra hard, my house doesn't look like an episode of Hoarders for once, I have turned in all my homework on time, plus I had the opportunity to do a great yoga workshop. Who is this new Lauren and why is she so organized?  I even have time to make another blog entry and this bad boy has had 19 views!! wahoo!! ha! Way more than I thought it would.

            I don’t know about you guys but nothing gets me motivated to go running like a pair of new running shoes!  I have been excited to try the Saucony Kinvara3’s and after beating down my old ones I decided to finally upgrade.  I went running in them yesterday for the first time to do some fun-ervals on the bosque with my running friends.  These running friends are ride-or-die chicks who are training for the Boston Marathon and kick my butt every time we meet and I just love them;) So, maybe it wasn’t the best idea to do some fun-ervals in them the first time I wore them but they were just too damn cute I couldn’t help it!!!!! Today I am feeling a little regret as my shin and ankle area is a bit sore but I love the cushion and lightweight feel of these shoes so much I will have to update you later on these as I beat the crap out of them more. My favorite shoes so far are the Newton Distance U's so we shall see if these can match them...

Thanks ABQ Running Shop! Can't wait to put some miles on these:)

          Another thing I have just been loving in this life. PALEO DIET!!!!! I never ever ever thought I could love a diet where there wasn’t ice cream and bread but I was wrong and I love the heck outta this diet and I actually feel more energized than I did eating the seefood diet (I see it=I eat it).  I read a great book called Paleo diet for Athletes before I went full-blown paleo and I haven’t looked back it has been almost a year since I started(obviously a slight break over the holiday season;)) and I am so thankful I tried this because there are plenty of yummy foods you can still eat with in the paleo parameters so you are never hungry. So I am going to attach a yummy high protein, easy to make banana bread recipe to the bottom of this and encourage you to try it because you will not look back! 

        

Yummy Paleo Banana Bread 

3 ripe bananas mashed (about 1.5 cups)

3 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon honey

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/2 teaspoon seasalt

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups almond flour 

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

• mix together bananas, eggs, coconut oil, and vanilla extract together in a food processor.
• pulse in almond flour and dry ingredients
• bake in a greased bread pan at 350 degrees for 55-65 minutes and Voila!!

 -I like to put chopped walnuts and chia seeds in mine. I have also done chocolate chips which is delicious too but not so paleo.

Money in the pain bank!!!!

            I am totally channeling Carrie Bradshaw right now!!!!  I am at my laptop in my single-girl apartment with my glasses on drinking a glass of wine and trying to figure out how to make my usually offensive and vulgar language acceptable to put in a blog that will be on my coach’s website.  Well, I couldn’t think of a better way to kick off this blog and the year 2013 than with recounting a trip I recently got back from to Tucson where I trained with my coach Jaime and also had the opportunity to attend an elite development camp.

My week in Tucson was super challenging but a really fun and positive learning experience. My 2 days spent with my coach and his family were awesome.  We got to swim, bike, run, and plan out my entire season.  I just turned 26 but as it turns out I still belong at the kids table which is fine with me. The best part about hanging out with my coach was also hanging out with his 2 super cool daughters who are 10 and 6.  We jumped on the trampoline, played kitchen beautician and dyed purple streaks in our hair and gossiped about Taylor Swift and One Direction.  It was really fun to be away from work and school and just have fun and be goofy with these girls in between workouts.  The next 4 days spent at the camp were very demanding and humbling.  We trained hard 5-6 hours a day which was a wake up call for me! I must admit that I am the first one to slack on workouts once it starts getting cold outside so I needed a good kick in the pants to get the 2013 triathlon ball rolling. 

After planning out my entire season with Jaime and getting back into training I realize that I have a lot to work on.  I’ve got some lofty goals to reach!  Learning more about the sport and also about myself I feel more confident and better prepared to conquer this triathlon season. 

So next on the calendar is the Black Dog Tri camp in Tucson in February and I cant wait!! I have even been stepping outside into the cold weather for a little more training.  I just keep telling myself that much like my days at the camp in Tucson, my miserable arctic bike rides are just money in the pain bank.