Doc Amanda Stevens

Schlegel Bicycle Event: Meet & Greet and 5K Run

2012-01-26T14:13:00.003-07:00

TRI OKC EXPO: Devon Boathouse Jan 30th

2012-01-26T14:10:00.000-07:00

Swim Clinic in OKC: Jan 28th!

2012-01-26T14:07:00.001-07:00

Coffe Talk: S2E1-Coming to Oklahoma!

2012-01-26T14:06:00.000-07:00

2011 you were good to me! Here are some of the highlights!

2012-01-01T14:17:00.001-07:00

Coffee Talk: End of 2011 Race Season

2011-12-09T23:25:00.001-07:00

Randy and Amanda Star in Oklahoma Sports and Fitness

2011-11-13T13:42:00.001-07:00

Recently, Amanda and Randy were featured in the November/December issue of Oklahoma Sports and Fitness Magazine . The article tells of Amanda's success at Kona being the first woman out of the water, while Randy's photography illustrates the story. Follow the link below to see for yourself!

http://www.oksportsandfitness-digital.com/publication/?i=86389&p=14

Thank YOU!

2011-10-17T11:43:00.000-06:00

Thank You for all your love and support Randy!!!

You're the BEST husband ever!

Kona 2011

2011-10-17T11:37:00.000-06:00

As athletes we dream big, we set our sights high, and we pursue our goals with heart and passion. I have been on an amazing journey for the past 3 months as I prepared for my first trip to the Ironman World Championships in Kona. They always say, “It’s about the journey, not the destination.” Oh, how true these words are. With the outcome of Kona being my ‘destination’, yes, I am disappointed. I had a tough day out there swimming, biking, and running on an empty tank. But I wouldn’t change the result if I could. The journey that brought me to the start line and the journey I went through on race day have made me a stronger and better athlete…an athlete that will show up to the next race with full confidence that I can conquer the day and do what I am capable of, an athlete that is mentally tougher since I have battled and defeated the demons during a tough nine hour race, an athlete that will know how to fight hard even when things are going smoothly and according to plan, an athlete that is so lucky to be able to do what I do, and most importantly an athlete that is proud of who I am. There were times during the race that it would have been very easy to throw the towel in and walk away saying, “it just wasn’t my day.” But those thoughts were fleeting and kept in check by my deep desire to be my best and give it my all. While my best on that day is by far no means my ‘best’ as an athlete, I dug deep and made it happen. What more can we ask of ourselves?!

Most of you are probably interested in how my day played out…so here is a short recap:

Being a goof-ball race morning!

Race-Morning: I woke up calm and excited. Calm knowing I’d done everything I thought I needed to leading up to the race and excited to go out and celebrate the end of this year’s Kona journey. Things were going smoothly until about 1hr to race start, when I suddenly felt the urge to throw-up. No time to even try to coax it back down…before I knew it all of my breakfast was on the ground…hmmm not so good to start the day on an empty stomach!! But what can ya do? I modified my pre-race nutrition, had Randy run grab me an extra gel and bottle of Ironman perform…at least I could get a few calories in. Then I headed into the tent to get body marked and off to transition. I left transition and as I walked up to Randy, he looked at my arm and said, ‘That’s not your number!’ I looked down and sure enough they had stamped ‘124’ on my arm instead of ‘125’. Opps! Went and got that fixed then it was time to head down to the water. I got in the water and was happy to do my warm-up with the fish swimming below me, very calming! Then off to the start-line.

The swim: pretty uneventful. I started off strong and found a good rhythm early and was in the mix of the first pack of guys. I was on Matt Reed’s feet, with Dirk Bockel on one side and Timmy O’donnell on the other, quite the nice pocket to swim in. The water was a bit choppy so having good feet to swim on made my effort feel quite easy. As we approached the exit, I ran up the steps and into the change tent. The volunteers in the change tent went crazy cheering, a few seconds later Julie Dibens came in, and that is when I realized I was the first woman out of the water, how cool is that?! I made it to my bike and for the life of me could not get my helmet buckled. I stayed calm, but it still took me like 45 seconds to get the darn thing on…my longest transition, ever!

The bike: I was ready to put my head down and work hard. The streets were lined as we rode through town, which was awesome, I tried to pull some energy from the crowd as I realized my legs were not feeling so great. I reminded myself that there was a long day ahead and to settle in, do what I could, and I would be able to back-half the race. About 30min in and my stomach was feeling very unsettled, I thought I was going to have to pull over for a pit-stop! I kept telling myself, just make it to the next aid station and there you can make a quick trip into the Port-a-Pottie. Of course, right as I was approaching my much needed Port-a-Pottie, Miranda and Mary Beth came by. I knew I couldn’t let them go without a fight, so no pit-stop for me. My legs came around a bit and I was able to stay in contact with them, but as we turned up towards Hawi, my stomach started to bubble again…this time wanting to come out the top end…and there was nothing I could do to stop it. At this point, I decided to manage the stomach by stopping the calories for a bit and just going with water. I climbed at a what felt like a steady effort up to Hawi, but glancing at my lower than normal watts, and watching girl after girl pass me, made it that much tougher. I hung strong and kept my head in the game, I was falling backwards, but things could turn around and anything was still possible so I kept pushing along. Something was rubbing on my back wheel, so annoying to hear the ‘swish, swish’ with every revolution, knowing I was working harder than normal to be going so slow. I hoped off my bike to try to fix it, not once, but twice…and never figured out what it was. My calories kept coming up in random pukes…would have made for some great pics as it was flying out of me into the crosswinds!!! I managed my stomach and the heat the best I could, and rode my way back into T2.

The run: The run along Kuikini and Ali’I was amazing, so many people cheering and calling my name, that definitely helped push me along…so thanks to everyone out there supporting!! The 10miles out and back on Ali’I were okay, I was ticking miles off, trying to get back on top of some nutrition, but just didn’t feel fluid and smooth like I had leading up to the race. The run up Palani was tough and then out on the Queen K. It’s funny looking back at the race, because usually, I can tell you exactly what was happening, how I was feeling, throughout the entire race. But, as I look back at this race, once I was on the Queen K, the race became a blur. My head was fuzzy and my body felt foreign. I was on a mission to get to the next aid station and get fluids, ice, and lots of sponges. Between aid stations, it was full focus on moving forward. During the race, my mind was still in race mode and my competitiveness never let down, expectations were modified, and I just kept pushing forward. The energy lab=a blur. Back on the Queen K=a blur. Turning onto Ali’i=a blur. The finishing chute=a blur. I don’t have a memory of any of it! Just random bits of pieces of myself telling myself, I was strong and I could do it. Randy said he has never seen me dig so deep or fight so hard to just finish. He actually didn’t think I was going to make it to the finish line when he saw me at mile 23. But even in my blur, deep down, my desires and passions kept pushing me to the finish. I guess it’s a part of who I am, its in my heart, its in my soul, its in my blood: NEVER GIVE UP!

Kona Results: 18th Pro Woman

Swim: 51:54 ****Fastest Swim Split***

Bike: 5:20.15

Run: 3:32.47

Total: 9:50.11

Hy-Vee Triathlon Coming Up!

2011-08-30T09:19:00.005-06:00

September 4th, 2011 I will be racing in the Hy-Vee 5150 U.S. Championship in Des Moines, Iowa. This is a HUGE race leading up to the World Championship in Kona later this year.

To keep up with the race you can follow @HyVeeTri and @DrAmandaStevens

or go to the Hy-Vee website: http://www.hy-veetriathlon.com

Looking forward to the race! See you there. :)

AMANDA STEVENS WINS LADIES DIVISION AT SUBARU SOOKE TRIATHLON

2011-08-11T05:03:00.003-06:00

The scene was set - the professional women would be given a 15 minute head start over the men at the Subaru Sooke Triathlon in the beautiful ocean-side community on Vancouver Island's west coast. As the women dove from the pontoon in to the water and quickly disappeared in the morning fog, the men anxiously awaited their start time. The race drew the largest Pro field ever assembled on Vancouver Island with 40 Pro triathletes including representing Canada, US, Mexico, and Australia. The athletes included a wide variety of different distance specialists competing in "The Chase", a non-drafting Olympic distance event where the women are given a head-start time on the Men - first athletes across the line win $15 000 in cash & prizes.

Taking the early lead out of the water was Ironman 70.3 US Champion, Amanda Stevens of Colorado Springs in 18:46 followed closely by local rising star Christine Ridenour. Next out were a tight group of 3 swimmers including Tenille Hoogland (Courtenay BC), who is coming off an Ironman 70.3 win in Calgary last weekend, local young triathlete Alison Hooper, and Vancouver's Martina Wan. As the men exited the water, they were led by Andrew McCartney, one of the premier swimmers in triathlon, in 17:18, erasing 1 minute 28 seconds from the deficit to the women. Closely following were Olympian Brent McMahon, and local young National Training Center athlete's Aaron Thomas and Cole Stewart.

As Steven's established herself as the class of the field on the new closed bike course up the scenic Pacific Marine Circle Route with its unique coastal communities and ocean views, she became the sole race leader never to be caught by the women again. But would the men catch her? Brent McMahon also established a sizeable lead on the bike with the other men and began catching and riding through the trailing women. Other athletes that had come out of the water a ways behind began catching athletes with strong rides included Jeff Symonds (Penticton), Stephen Kilshaw (Victoria), Rachel McBride (Vancouver), and Victoria's Lucy Smith. When the bike was finished just 3 women had avoided being caught by the men; Stevens, McBride, and Hoogland. Stevens, who was first off the bike, had a 2 minute lead

on McBride in the women's race, and now only a 3:31 lead to a hard charging McMahon in the "Chase". Stevens put up a good fight but could not prevent the inevitable with the run speed of McMahon as he caught her on "Whiffin Spit", approximately half way through the run course on the famous 1km narrow peninsula that extends to protect the Sooke Basin from the ocean. McMahon finished off the run at the same torrid pace, while Stevens held on for second with a fast approaching Symonds who finished 23 seconds back for 3rd overall.

The race will be produced into a one hour feature and aired nationally on TSN and TSN 2 networks this September.
"I held him (Brent) off as long as I could " said Chase Runner Up, Amanda Stevens , " I tried to go with Brent when he passed me but he was flying"
The last stop on the Subaru Western Triathlon Series will take place in Banff on September 10th.

Pro Chase Overall Results - Subaru Sooke Triathlon, August 7th, 2011
1 Brent McMahon, (M), Victoria, BC 1:54:40
2 Amanda Stevens, (F), Colorado Springs,- 4:08 (1st Female)
3 Jeff Symonds, (M), Penticton, BC, -4:31 (2nd Male)
4 Stephen Kilshaw, (M), Victoria, BC, -5:06 (3rd Male)
5 Rachel McBride, (F), Vancouver, BC, -6:18 (2nd Female)
6 Andrew McCartney, (M), Victoria, BC, -6:47 (4th Male)
7 Jeff Phillips, (M), Victoria, BC, - 8:43 (5th Male)
8 Damian Hill, (M), Portland, OR, -9:39 (6th Male)
9 Lucy Smith, (F), Sidney, BC, -10:29 (3rd Female)
10 Alison Hooper, (F), Victoria, BC, -10:46 (4th Female)

Full results and information on the Subaru Western Triathlon Series available at www.triseries.ca;

For athlete interviews and other information please contact: Shantel Cordeiro, Communications Manager, Subaru Western Triathlon Series. Photos available upon requests;

Tel: 250-858-0174, or email: shantel@triseries.ca

Coffee Talk with Amanda Episode 8: New Bath Tub

2011-07-21T08:12:00.000-06:00

Amanda Qualifies for 70.3 World Championship

2011-07-19T07:56:00.002-06:00

Yesterday, Monday July 18, LAVA Magazine released the 2011 qualifiers for the 70.3 World Championship in Vegas! 24th on the list is Mrs. Amanda Stevens-Sadler :)

The race will be held on Sunday, September 11, 2011, appearing for the first time in Las Vegas. The race has been held in Clearwater, Florida for the previous 5 years, which was when it was established. Ironman estimates over 60,000 athletes will participate in the 2011 event.

To find out more information check out the following sites:

www.lavamagazine.com

www.ironmanllv.com

Contest Winner!

2011-07-08T09:27:00.007-06:00

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR CONTEST WINNER: FRANCISCO VILLEGAS!!

Francisco will be receiving a PowerBar Prize Pack from my sponsor PowerBar!

We loved your story because it is very inspiring and shows that anyone at any age level can start

something new. We also thought it was very cool that you use your time and energy to help other people

in the sport now too. Rock on Francisco!! Impossible is nothing!

Here is Francisco's story:

Francisco Villegas..Marathoner/Triathlete said...

My very first Triathlon was way back in July of 2007, and OMG what a sight it was, what an overwhelming feeling it was to be a part of such event. It all started a few months back while I was sitting on the hot tub over at the gym I used to go....Well one night I was watching the Master Swim class doing their thing and it hit me " I should learn how to swim well" so I approached the instructor and he just said " Sign up for a sprint Triathlon so you can have something to look forward to" That same night I went home and signed up for the NJ state Triathlon. I had 4 months to learn the basics of lake swimming, and also to sharpen my swimming skills so I joined the master's class. The day of the Tri came and I had probably the best time of my life and the scariest to say the least but I did it and I accomplished something no one in my family ever even dream of. Nowadays I'm still the same guy who has run 16 road races, done quite a few Tri's but I dedicate myself to help others onto the sport.

Special thanks to everyone who participated, keep an eye out for the next contest! :)

Fun Times in Philly!

2011-07-06T13:12:00.002-06:00

New Contest!

2011-06-30T12:00:00.002-06:00

New Contest! Tell us about your first TRIATHLON! Was it horrible? Awkward? Easy? Hilarious?

Post your story to Facebook or the blog for a chance to win something cool! :)

Contest ends July 7th!

Photos are encouraged as well!!

My New Blue Triad SL!!

2011-06-17T20:59:00.000-06:00

(from bicycletherapy.com)

Philly Tri Q&A with Pro Triathlete Amanda Stevens: Be There!

Posted: June 16th, 2011 | Filed under: Blue, Featured, Race, Video | Tags: amanda stevens, blue, philly tri, philly triathlon, tri, triathlete, triathlon | No Comments »

Pro Triathlete, medical doctor, Ironman 70.3 Champion, motivational speaker, Blue Cycles sponsored rider, and all around awesome person Amanda Stevens will be in town next week for the Philly Tri.

She’s got a little time in her busy schedule, so if any of you have tri questions, she’ll be at the shop next Tuesday (the 21st) from 6:30 – 7:15 for a Tri Q&A. Please note, space may be limited, so please email (info@bicyctherapy.com) to RSVP. Thanks!

Whether you’re a seasoned athlete looking for an edge or you’re getting ready for your first event and you’ve got some basic questions, or you just want to get a little pumped up for the Philly Tri, Dr. Stevens is here for you

Eagleman Race Coming Up!!

2011-06-05T18:17:00.000-06:00

Exactly one week from today Amanda Stevens-Sadler will be competing in the 2011 Ironman 70.3 Eagleman in Cambridge, Maryland. Amanda will be competing against some of the world’s top triathletes such as the 2010 Ironman World Champion, Mirinda Carfrae and the Eagleman 2010 Champion, Samantha Warriner. The competitors will not only be racing for a $50,000 prize purse, but also a qualifying spot for either the Ford Ironman World Championship in Kona (28 slots) or the Ironman 70.3 Championship in Lake Las Vegas (50 slots).

To keep up with Amanda from pre to post race follow her on Twitter @dramandastevens or become a fan of her Facebook page by going to www.facebook.com/docamanda. For more information on Ironman 70.3 Eagleman go to http://www.tricolumbia.org/events/?eid=2.

Coffee Talk Episode 7: How to change a flat tire

2011-05-28T10:54:00.002-06:00

DR. AMANDA STEVENS DOMINATES AT MEMPHIS IN MAY 5150 TRIATHLON

2011-05-24T19:08:00.002-06:00

MEMPHIS, TN-- Pro-triathlete, Dr. Amanda Stevens won the Pro Title at the 2011 Memphis in May 5150 Olympic Triathlon on Saturday, May 22. The amateur race kicked off at 7am with over 1,000 competitors. The Pros were set to start at 10:30am, but lightening and threatening weather delayed the start. The race finally got underway at 11:20 with the pros lined up and ready to race. Memphis in May is a unique race format: rather than a mass start, it is a Time Trial start, each athlete starts 10sec apart, alternating male/female in alphabetical order.

Being an "S", Stevens started at the back of the field and chased down the other competitors one by one. She pulled hard all day long, setting the bar high for the other professional female athletes. By the end of the bike, she had caught all the other women and reached T2 first. There were several girls hot on her heals and she successfully held them off to cross the line as the Memphis in May Champion. Both her swim and bike times were the fastest of the day with times of 19:48 and 57:57 respectively. She crossed the finish line in 2:00:28.

When asked about her results, Stevens replied, “This race was a bit of a 'shock to the system' since it was so short and fast! (My last two races were Ironman disance. ) It was fun to mix it up with the short course athletes and to see how much I could push myself in the Time Trial format."

The 5150 triathlon series consists of a 1.5k swim, 40k bike, and 10k run. According to the Memphis in May website, the 2011 5150 Triathlon Series will be the largest international distance triathlon series in the world and will also be the first non-drafting international race series of its kind. Information on the race can be found at http://www.mimtri.racesonline.com/.

Stevens next race with take place on June 12 in Cambridge, Maryland. For more information on this race and Amanda Stevens-Sadler’s other upcoming events please visit http://www.dramandastevens.com/ or follow her on Twitter @dramandastevens and on Facebook Fan Page: facebook.com/docamanda

My First Road Race

2011-05-18T19:57:00.000-06:00

Cooking with Amanda: Episode 2-Butternut Mash

2011-05-13T17:20:00.001-06:00

Coffee Talk Episode #6: Installing Bar Tape

2011-05-06T17:07:00.002-06:00

Fun Appearance This Weekend!

2011-04-27T16:44:00.003-06:00

Cooking with Amanda Episode 1: Yummy Broccoli

2011-04-22T09:42:00.000-06:00

South African Safari

2011-04-20T16:32:00.002-06:00

So here are the pics of the rest of the animals. I gotta say the Giraffes are my favorite! So in South Africa, the "Big 5" refers to Africa's greatest wildlife: lion, leopard, buffalo, rhinocerous, and elephant. While we didn't see all five of the big 5, we got to see 3 of them (elephant, lion, buffalo) and plenty of other interesting animals!

Congrats!

2011-04-20T16:27:00.000-06:00

HUGE Shout Out to my athletes....what a way to kick off the 2011 season!

Ironman 70.3 Galveston: John=1st place AG, Going to Las Vegas!!!

Ironman 70.3 New Orleans: Traci=1st place AG, Going to Las Vegas!!!
Marilyn=7th place AG

Caveman Triathon: Talbot=1st AG

Lions!

2011-04-19T10:17:00.015-06:00

Click on the Lion to see Slideshow.

While in South Africa, Randy and I visited a Lion Park. It was amazing to see these huge animals in their natural environment. They were pretty much laying around being lazy in the afternoon sun, however Randy coaxed one to stand up. While he was doing that, I was on the other side of the park befriending a female lion. All but one of the females were hiding back in some shade, but there was one off to the side, right in front of the electrical wire separating us. I decided to lay down on the ground directly in front of her to get a good pic. Now remember, this was the day after Ironman....so my legs were not working properly... Anyways, I am looking this lion straight in the eye, thinking, "Wow, this is awesome!" Then I decide since she's being so friendly, maybe I could get her to stand up for me. As I'm talking to her, I noticed she tucked her hind legs up behind her. Sweet, she's gonna stand up! Then before I knew it, she was lunging straight towards me! I have never been so scared in my life!!!! I was scrambling all around since the electircal wire had become invisible to my eyes...and I couldn't manage to stand up on my legs because they hurt so bad. I am sure it was quite the site, hopefully Miss Lion got a good laugh out of it. I quickly got over my fear and within 20min, Randy and I were in with the 1yr old Lion Cubs!!! We got to pet them and see them up close and personal. They didn't seem too interested in us though! What an awesome adventure!!!

Amanda's Ironman South Africa Race Recap

2011-04-18T09:52:00.000-06:00

Coffee Talk with Amanda Episode 5: How Big Was That Swim Bag?

2011-04-14T10:36:00.001-06:00

STEVENS PLACES FIFTH IN IRONMAN SOUTH AFRICA

2011-04-11T07:15:00.000-06:00

PORT ELIZABETH, SOUTH AFRICA—Professional triathlete Amanda Stevens placed 5^th in the Spec-Saver’s Ironman South Africa triathlon on Sunday April 10, 2011. Beginning at 7 a.m. South African time, Amanda finished in 9 hours, 24 minutes, and 17 seconds.

The race consisted of a 3.8km swim around Hobie Beach, a 180km cycle, and a 42.2km run. Amanda led the women in the swimming portion of the event. She was first out of the water with a time of 48:55 and first to transition onto the bike. During the bike sequence Amanda held close within the top 3 spots. Amanda started the running sequence in 3^rd place but later fell to 5^th, where she finished behind Chrissie Wellington, Rachael Joyce, Diana Riesler, and Sylvia Felt

When asked about the race, Amanda said, “What a fantastic day! To be able to race in South Africa in such a phenomenally supported race was like non-other. The crowds were lining the entire course and cheering all day long. The competition was outstanding and the girls really made me work hard today! It was fun to mix it up with the top women in the sport and finish in the top 5. I am looking forward to visiting the lion and elephant parks before heading back home to the good ole USA!”

Amanda’s competitor Chrissie Wellington broke the course record by 42 minutes and 36 seconds with a time of 8:33:56. Champion of the men’s division, Raynard Tissinks, also broke the course record by approximately 12 minutes.

For more information check out http://live.ironmanlive.com/Event/Spec-Savers_Ironman_South_Africa.

It's Race Time!

2011-04-09T23:08:00.000-06:00

Follow Amanda @dramandastevens on Twitter to see live updates of today's race!!

The Bike...

2011-04-09T07:47:00.002-06:00

For those of you wondering, here it is! My pride and joy and my best friend for 1/3 of the race: MY BIKE!!

This year I am riding the wonderful BLUE Triad SL! Blue improved the aerodynamics with the utilization of SFT2 tube shapes, added a new front end design, and helped improve my time on the biking portion of the race! I can't wait to see how this baby performs in Ironman South Africa, which is only 15 hours away! Better go get ready!

Interested in more BLUE bikes? http://www.rideblue.com/index.php

Preparation for Ironman South Africa

2011-04-08T15:48:00.001-06:00

Hey guys!

It's bedtime here in South Africa, but I thought I would give a shout out to my favorite people before I get some much needed rest! Today I had the honor of joining some of the top triathletes in the world for a press conference at The Beach Hotel.

There was lots of talk about how exciting this race will be because of all the competition! There are 1,745 athletes competing for the top 30 places in order to go to Kona later this year for the world championships. I am going to compete to my fullest potential and give this race everything I've got. After months of training I am more than ready to compete Sunday.

I hope you all will join me as a race this Sunday at 4 a.m. (American CST time) in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

To get up-to date information, follow me on Twitter @dramandastevens or on my Facebook fanpage at www.facebook.com/docamanda. For other info on the race check out http://www.triangle.cc/event/default.asp?MicroSiteID=2

Amanda Talks South Africa

2011-04-06T07:11:00.002-06:00

Ironman South Africa- April 10th!

For more information on my upcoming race follow us on Twitter @DrAmandaStevens or on my Facebook fan page at www.facebook.com/docamanda.

Also check out http://www.triangle.cc/event/default.asp?MicroSiteID=2 for other race information. :)

Contest Results/ Coffee Talk with Amanda Episode 4: PowerBar Favorites

2011-04-04T07:27:00.000-06:00

A HUGE thank you to all of you who voted, retweeted, and shared for me last week!! I placed 6th so I will not be going to the next round, but I am confident now that I do have the BEST fans! :)
Instead of posting another link for voting this morning, I am going to share a new video with you!
Here is Coffee Talk with Amanda Episode 4. Enjoy!

Last day of the contest!!

2011-04-03T11:26:00.000-06:00

The polls for the Face of Fitness Contest close tonight at midnight! I fell again to fifth place so let's vote as much as possible! Here's the last link: http://photos.fitnessmagazine.com/face-of-fitness-contest/13/2011/5

Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and Facebook to keep up with the updates! :) Thanks guys!

Coffee Talk with Amanda Episode 3: Quick Questions

2011-04-02T16:25:00.000-06:00

4th Place with 2 Days Left!

2011-04-02T07:02:00.000-06:00

HELP! I fell another place...now #4. Please vote and Share. Remember you can vote once per day per each browser (yep that's right, each browser on your computer...Mozilla, Explorer, ect) and each device (smartphone, cell phone, tablet, laptop...) THANKS so much for all the votes this far! Here is Saturday's link.
http://photos.fitnessmagazine.com/face-of-fitness-contest/13/2011/4

I Need Your Help!

2011-04-01T08:06:00.000-06:00

Yikes! Yesterday after the polls closed we found out we moved back into 3rd place, this is not the desired outcome! Perhaps you all could do me a favor and vote from all your electronics today as well as share the link with all your friends! Just 2 days left, we got this ya'll! :)

Vote here: http://photos.fitnessmagazine.com/face-of-fitness-contest/13/2011/3

Twitter: @DrAmandaStevens
Facebook: www.facebook.com/DocAmanda

Thanks! :)

Day #4=2nd place :)

2011-03-31T06:29:00.002-06:00

A BIG thanks to everyone and the continuous votes! We moved up to the #2 spot yesterday!! Yay! :)
Don't forget we have 4 more days to keep voting (polls close on 4/3 at Midnight.) Remind your friends they can vote daily and from both their laptop and their smart phone. Thank you all so much! Have a great day!

Here's today's new link: http://bit.ly/dU5JIR

Face of Fitness: Day 3, Position 3!

2011-03-30T07:24:00.001-06:00

Woo-hoo! I am currently in the #3 spot with 3 days to go! Don't forget to vote from your computer and your smart phone, the more the merrier! Thanks to everyone who is voting, retweeting, and sharing!
Here is today's new link: http://bit.ly/eKsjrx.

If your not already, follow me on Twitter @dramandastevens and on my Facebook fan page: facebook.com/docamanda for updates about the contest! Also, below on the left is a link to follow my blog! :)

Thanks again! Have a great day :)

New Bike from BLUE!!!

2011-03-29T11:08:00.000-06:00

RIDE BLUE BABY!!!

Day #2: Face of Fitness Magazine Cover Contest

2011-03-29T09:57:00.000-06:00

Hey everybody!
As of yesterday's results I am in 9th place to go on to the next round of the cover contest! Woo-hoo, thanks for everyone who voted yesterday, but don't forget to vote everyday for the rest of this week. Also, if you have a smart phone and a computer you can vote once from each place. :) Thanks again!

I have the best fans!! :)

Here is the new link for today :http://photos.fitnessmagazine.com/face-of-fitness-contest/13/2011/9

Fitness Magazine cover contest!

2011-03-28T15:49:00.001-06:00

Hey guys!

Hope everyone is having a fantastic Monday afternoon! I have a HUGE favor to ask all of you wonderful fans out there. I am in a contest to be on the next cover of Fitness Magazine! This week only you can help me out by voting on my picture.

To vote go to: http://photos.fitnessmagazine.com/face-of-fitness-contest/13/2011/9 and click "Vote." Then share the link with your friends on Facebook and Twitter! Everyone is allowed to vote once per day starting today and ending Sunday, April 3rd at 11:59 p.m. Thanks for helping out!

Have a great day! :)

Coffee Talk with Amanda Episode 2: What's in Your Swim Bag?

2011-03-24T17:26:00.001-06:00

A day with 2010 US Ironman 70.3 Pro Champion, Doc-Amanda!

2011-03-22T21:48:00.000-06:00

Click on the photo for a photo gallery. Hope you enjoy spending a day with the Doc!

Coffee talk with Amanda, but Amanda doesn't drink coffee?!

2011-03-15T18:05:00.001-06:00

Welcome to Coffee Talks with Amanda. Hope you enjoy episode #1.

Want to join me on Saturday's Adventure, join me here!

2011-03-06T10:09:00.000-07:00

Rev3 Costa Rica Race Report

2011-02-25T16:16:00.000-07:00

Race day got off to a very EARLY start! I was up and at 'em at 3:37am, did some quick stretching, got some food down, race tattoos on, and was out the door to catch the 4am shuttle. I plugged myself into my Ipod (with my coolio Yurbuds of course!) The morning's tunes included Katy Perry, Eminem, Luke Kauffman, Wiz Khalifa and Bruno Mars. The 45min shuttle ride when by relatively quickly, but I must say, that is the earliest I've ever arrived at a race site!!! I got my transition area set up, a quick ride in on my bike to check the gears, a short run with some drills and pickups, and before I knew it, it was time to head down to the water. I jumped in and out of the water then got the downlow on how the course/buoys worked. It was a 2-loop swim, where we came out of the water and ran around a red buoy on the beach between laps. The loop was basically a triangle with RED buoys for the turn buoy and some randomly placed YELLOW buoys for sighting (they werent' lined up with the Red ones) and an extra RED buoy for the 1/2 IM racers. Okay, pretty simple, right?!

The gun goes off and I am immediately in the lead and swimming toward the first Red buoy, all is good. I usually don't have to sight too often, so my head went back down for about 20 strokes and then, I looked up and could not see the red buoy. Nothing new, but the next time I sighted, and the next, and the next, I could never find the Red buoy. Uh oh! So I ended up taking everyone off course. Finally I saw some splashing up ahead and was relieved, thinking it was the guys and I was on track. But then the splashing was getting closer and closer, opps, they were headed towards us after already going around the first buoy! (they had a 3min head start.) So, all of a sudden, I took a hard 90' left turn and eventually got around the first buoy. I guess the spectators on the beach were getting a kick out of this...they said we totally looked like a 'school of fish' suddenly changing direction in unison. Rounded the buoy, now find the next one. Again, for the life of me, I could not find the buoy. I was blindly swimming towards who knows where?? I even stopped and did a few breastrokes and cleared my googles (on several occasions), I never have to do that, what was wrong with me????!!! Eventually, a boat comes up and hollars, 'derecho', which means right, so I veer to the right. Totally off course, again, they finally come catch up to me, and then I see the Red buoy, way off to my left, argh! Finally make it around there, and YAY, I can see the red buoy on the beach. Finally, I took a straight line to a buoy and ran around it on the beach. Dove back in and was ready for lap #2. I was much more efficient and swam a decently straight line to all the buoys. Coming around the last one, I passed Kelly, and finally took the lead on the swim, to pop up on beach as the first swimmer. For the first time in my life, I was actually glad the swim was over :)

Here's a look at how I swam...Lap #1 I swam the black line. Lap #2 = much better!

Time to get on my bike! My speedy Blue Triad SL was ready to go. I hoped on, manuvered across the gravel section and started climbing. The start of the course was pretty darn tough and definitely a wake-up call for the legs. Kelly passed me within a few minutes and Annie Warner came by too, I was going to have my work cut out for me. After climbing some steep grades, there was some fun (and a bit scary!) decending. I was able to re-pass Annie, and headed out of the resort onto the main road in second. I could see Kelly up ahead and just tried to keep her in sight. My legs weren't responding too well and felt pretty flat, but I kept on pushing. We did two laps out on the road. Each lap had some false flats, winds, and 3x180 turns. Then there was also the herd of cows and random skeleton of some strange but freaky looking animal in the middle of the road. At the 180 turns I was able to see a group of girls coming up on me which included Bree, Annie, and Kate. Kelly was having an awesome ride and had put a good gap on me and was riding strong up the road. As we hit the climbs on the way back to the resort, the group caught me and we all entered T2 together.

Time for an 'off-road' adventure! The run was pretty cool, but also tough! We ran along the beach, then through a small 'town' that was outside cheering like crazy, awesome! Around a soccer field, and then back on the road for some uphill running, through the resort, then we hoped onto the cart path of the golf course, which brought us back to transition and then did it all again. I had some trouble getting my legs under me, but just kept saying, "it's only a 10K amanda, Go!" About 10min in and my stomach started cramping and rumbling...uh oh! (I think I'd drank some bad water a few days before because I'd had some cyclical rumbling/pain...but was hoping it would stay away during the race...no such luck.) I tried to suck it up and keep running, as Annie and Kate were just right there and I wanted to keep them in sight. About 10min later, and no improvement, only worse. I ended up making a very quick pit-stop and then was on my way. The gap to Kate and Annie had opened up and I was running in no-man's land. I kept pushing, reminding myself of the fitness I could gain from the hard effort. Unfortunatley my legs never came around and my flat legs carried me across the finish line in 4th.

A huge congrats to all the other girls out there and to Kelly, Kate, and Annie for finishing on the podium. It was a tough day all around and a great way for us all to kick off our 2011 Season! Thanks to Rev3 for putting on such an awesome event at a great destination!

Adventure: Costa Rica

2011-02-23T13:23:00.003-07:00

What a great way to kick off my 2011 season: Costa Rica style! After being stuck in the cold and snow all winter, it was great to step off the airplane in Costa Rica and feel the heat! As I made my way out of customs, I was greeted by the Rev3 Media Crew. I hung out with them for a bit and then watched them do the paparazzi thing when Matt Reed arrived. We were then shuttled to the Casa de Golf, where several pros were staying. A few others were staying on the same 'plantation' in condo/villas. Basically, our 'Casa' was a mix between a house and a hotel. We each had our individual rooms then there was a common area with TV/computer, a dining area/kitchen (although nothing worked except the microwave), and our very own pool! A great way to hang out with the other pros.

On Friday we headed over to the race site and got the first look at how tough the course was going to be. There was a huge climb coming out of transition with some steep grades of 8-12%, a speedy decent, and then another bit of a climb out of the resort. Once out of the resort we had two loops on the bike then back up and over the climbs into transition. The run was going to be a two loop run, more like an off-road course: beach, dirt road, hills, golf course, you name it. And to top it all off--it was HOT!

I did some tune up workouts with Kate and then had a Pro Panel and Athlete Meeting. Saturday was a low-key day. Some of us headed to the beach to get an open water swim in. The shuttle dropped us off and we swam one direction down the beach, then got out and walked back along the beach looking for shells. Bree's

collection was much bigger than

mine...Then, our shuttle never showed up to pick us back up. After sitting around for a bit, we decided to start making the trek back home. Luckily the shortcut we took dumped us out on a road and wahla, out of nowhere our shuttle driver appeared! Sunday was race day! (more about that in my race report, coming soon)

Then after the race we hung out, did a little shopping (at these booths right on the beach were we swam and ran during the race), then headed back to the Casa. I stretched out by the pool with a good book in hand: The Lincoln Lawyer. I hear the movie will be out soon :) We were somewhat 'stuck' at our Casa on Sunday night, so I got creative and made microwave pancakes for everyone. Yep, you read that right, pancakes made in the microwave. They ended up tasting decent and were the perfect compliment to our chick flick: 27 Dresses (Randy I know how much you would have loved to have watched that one again!!)

Our Monday adventure started early, 4am. We were supposed to have a shuttle to the airport that was 1:20 away. Due to some confusion and logistical obstacles, we did not secure a shuttle until 5:30. Bree had a 6:50 flight...but we were optimistic we would get her there in time. We told our driver, "muy rapido" and let's just say he obeyed. We were flying down these dirt roads, going off-road a bit, passing cars with on-coming traffic flying straight at us. We were scared for our lifes! Bree and I were white knuckling our seat handles. Got some good video....but doesn't do the situation justice!!!

Unfortunately, Bree missed her flight...but we made it alive. I ended up flying all day long and was so excited to touch down in Colorado Springs. I was even more excited to find my husband waiting for me at the airport with my own personalized sign! Until the next adventure....

Rev3 Costa Rica Results

2011-02-20T12:28:00.000-07:00

AMANDA STEVENS AT Rev3 Costa Rica

Thank you to all the fans who got up early to watch the race! However, we apologize for the Rev 3 live video footage not working properly. Rev3 stated they were trying to repair it, but hopefully you all followed us on Facebook or Twitter and got to catch a piece of the action. For clarity's sake, and in case you missed it, here is a summary of Amanda's race.

Dr. Amanda Stevens-Sadler raced in the Rev 3 Costa Rica triathlon this morning at 6:15 a.m. (Central Standard Time.) Sadler competed in the Pro-Athlete Olympic Rev. The first sequence was swimming, and after 30 minutes and 16 seconds she arrived on land as the first woman competitor out of the water. (Thanks TYR!) A video of the first transition can be found at: http://vimeo.com/20161285.

Throughout the biking and running Amanda stayed ahead, second only to competitor Kelly Williamson. Around this time the Rev3 website lost connection, therefore causing an information gap.

Towards the last stretch, Sadler fell behind Williamson, Kate Major, and Annie Warner, putting her in 4th place for the finish.

For more information about the race check out http://rev3tri.com/live/.

Watch the race LIVE from Costa Rica!!

2011-02-20T05:04:00.000-07:00

Live feed from Rev3tri.com:

Online video chat by Ustream

Pre-Race Info!

2011-02-18T16:44:00.001-07:00

Hello Fans!

Amanda is in Guanacaste, Costa Rica this weekend, getting read for Rev3 Costa Rica! The race begins in less than 36 hours, which will be very early morning February 19th in American time.

Follow @DrAmandaStevens (http://twitter.com/#!/DrAmandaStevens) on Twitter, or (http://www.facebook.com/DocAmanda) on Facebook for immediate updates.

Also, check out the race course and today's photos straight from Costa Rica by going to Revolution3's website: http://rev3tri.com/live/. The website will also feature live footage of the race when it begins. :)

Blue Announces...

2011-02-02T21:32:00.003-07:00

02.01.11 Ironman 70.3 Pro Champion Dr. Amanda Stevens & Blue set for 2011

Dr. Amanda Stevens, the reigning Ironman 70.3 U.S. Pro champion, will be riding Blue again when defending her title this coming April in Galveston Island, Texas.   Blue Competition Cycles Inc., the official bike of USA Triathlon, today announced that Stevens has agreed to ride the all-new Blue Triad SL as she sets out to build on her success during the 2011 season.  Along with being the first American woman to cross the line at the inaugural Ironman 70.3 U.S. Pro Championship, Stevens captured the Ironman 70.3 Cancun event with a wire-to-wire performance in the oppressive Mexican heat and humidity. The victory came just three months after Stevens underwent gallbladder surgery. Stevens also finished fourth at the Foster Grant Ironman World Championships 70.3, just 28 seconds off the podium.
When Stevens takes to the bike course this year, she'll be even better equipped to improve on her times aboard the 2011 Triad SL, the same ride Germany's Andreas Raelert debuted to a second-place finish at the 2010 Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii.

About the 2011 Triad SL: Built using T800 and T1000 high modulus carbon fiber, the state-of-the-art Triad SL, like all Blue bikes, is "Built to Win." By incorporating breakthrough innovations from previous Triad models as well as our AC1 road frames, we have created our fastest, lightest and best-performing Triathlon/TT bike yet. Along with increasing the surface area of the bike's head tube for improved aerodynamics, the new Triad SL also features Super Flow Tube Technology (SFT2) first used on AC1 and AC1SL road frames. To improve adjustability, the 2011 Triad SL features an Aero seat post instead of the previous fixed seat mast as well as wider chains to incorporate the use of many wider wheel models now being introduced.

More on the Triad SL is right here.

Also, Amanda was kind enough to send us this great vid clip to express her excitement about riding Blue for 2011!

Hmm..perhaps I should think about going into advertising?

2011-02-02T11:45:00.000-07:00

Yurbuds just sent me this, enjoy! :)

Look what just arrived...

2011-01-21T17:12:00.001-07:00

Just another Saturday afternoon....

2011-01-15T16:47:00.000-07:00

What did you do this Saturday? "I just love when a plan comes together!"

YURBUDS

2011-01-08T10:16:00.000-07:00

If you don't have a pair of these, you should! I was lucky enough to be able to join Yurbuds at the Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas. I was there on media-only night, which means the Yurbuds booth was flooded with tons of different media outlets (TV stations (abc, nbc...), radio stations, websites, newpapers, magazines, bloggers, you name it!) that were excited to find out about the 'earphones that are guarunteed not to fall out!' Here's a sneak peak of what all the media people saw...

My Ironman Debut..Ironman Cozumel

2011-01-04T14:12:00.000-07:00

2010: The year in Pictures!

2011-01-02T17:52:00.000-07:00

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T19:33:00.002-07:00

Amanda's Top 5

2010-12-21T14:53:00.000-07:00

Holiday procrastination? Haven't finished (or even started!) your Christmas shoppping? Usually, that is me running around in the holiday madness trying to find gifts at the last minute, so I thought I'd help out...

Amanda's Top 5 Last Minute Gift Ideas!

1. Looking for quality earphones that don't fall out? You need Yurbuds. The best sport earphones ever (trust me I've been through alot of em). Custom fit earbuds that don't fall out and are actually comfortable. Plus they are sweatproof and sound great, you can totally blare your workout music!
-Where to get them: In store at BestBuy or online at Amazon and Yurbuds

2. Want to show up at the pool with the coolest suit ever? Check out TYR's suit ever with skulls in disguise. I also have to mention TYR's awesome new Convoy Bag Collection. My favorite is the Convoy Rucksak: perfect for a transition bag and stuffs into itself for easy travel.

3. Need some yummy and healthy food? Check out the gift boxes at Ranch Foods Direct. My favorite is the New York Strip, delicious! True story: after eating these, Randy and I stopped in a steakhouse on the drive home for the holidays and were so disappointed. I couldn't even finish my steak and that's a first!

4. Want to go all out and get a new bike plus time in the wind tunnel? Then head to Blue's website and they will get you hooked up. And you'll definitely want to be comfy in the saddle, so go ahead and throw in an ISM saddle too.

5. Already looking ahead to your new year's resolutions and goals? Best thing to get you on the right track is a great coach at Lifesport!

If you have additional ideas for gifts...let me know!

Happy Shopping,
amanda :)

Corpus Christi Training Camp

2010-12-10T15:09:00.000-07:00

Freddy & Dorian

Before I get into all the awesome details about my Corpus Christi Training Camp, HUGE shout outs to...
-Freddy & Dorian: You all were fantastic. You spoiled me rotten and I can't wait to come back again!
-Jon: My Lifesport teammate and the best training partner, thanks for suffering with me!
-Jason and his grandparents: Thanks for taking me in. I miss y'all already!
-Bay Area Bicycles: Thanks to Tom, Junior and the rest of my crew for keeping my bike running smooth and race ready!
-Giancarlo and Dr. Erik: Thanks for looking out for me and getting me well quickly!
-Randy: my wonderful husband for letting me 'skip town' for 51days to train, love you!

Jon, my lifesport teammate

So the biggest question you probably have is: Why did you go to Corpus to train? Well, being the nerd that I am, I did a weather and terrain 'study' and Corpus was the most similar place I could find in the US to Cozumel (that I could afford.) When my good friend Jason moved down there in Septemeber, he told me, "It's so hot out that I can't run" I was like, perfect, sign me up! I headed down to the hot, humid, flat, windy city of Corpus in mid-October. Wow, what a rude awakening those first few training days were, I though I was going to die! Corpus definitely lived up to its reputation of being hot and humid. Jon and I also quickly learned about the WIND. The wind humbled us on a several rides...but what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger, right?

I will admit, I was a little skeptical before heading down South. You never know what you are going to get in a new training environment. After a few days there, I knew I'd made the right choice. The local triathlon community took me in and took care of me. After 'house/dog-sitting' for Jason's Grandparents in Padre, we moved to an ocean side condo. Sweetness! Everyone that I came in contact with was so welcoming and hospitable, such a refreshing feeling.

As for training...it was perfect. I was happy a a kid in a candy store because I got to swim outside everyday. Either open water in the ocean, in the canals, or at Collier pool. Biking was flat and windy. Most of the roads have texas sized shoulders so we covered lots of miles in Padre, Port Aransas, Portland, and Corpus. The bulk of my running was done along Ocean Blvd with its spectacular views. Recovery meant lots of stretching, to the sound of crashing waves, and ice baths. Lots of trips to the Ice House to get pounds and pounds of ice.

This was my first time to escape the cold fall weather and I totally loved the hot weather and the sunshine. I kinda laughed the first time a 'cold front' came through and dropped the temps into the upper 60s and everyone pulled out their winter coats. Are you serious? I'll admit though, after being there for a few weeks and 60 did feel cold. I was so worried about coming back to Colorado, I just knew I was going to freeze to death. At least I've been lucky and the weather has been pretty mild since I've been back.

While I was down there KRISTv did a news segment featuring me and the local newspaper did an article too. THANK YOU! Check them out:
KRISTV 10 o'clock news (longer segment)
KRISTV 6 o'clock news

Caller Times Article

Hope to be back training in Corpus sometime soon!

I am an IRONMAN!!

2010-12-07T14:21:00.001-07:00

Said I would never do it...but I DID IT! Last weekend I crossed the finish line at Ironman Cozumel and got to hear those, oh so special words: "Amanda, YOU are and IRONMAN!" Way cool!

So many people have been asking for a race report...which has been a bit overwhelming, because it seems like so much went on before, during, and after the race. Also hard to put all the emotion and excitement into words! Thank goodness Randy has some great pics that can fill in some of the gaps :) I'm never one to enjoy a long blog or race report...WARNING, this is LONG!

THE RACE!
The plan going into this race was to gain some experience at the Ironman distance, to see if Ironman 'was in my blood', and to challenge myself and abilities. The results: I learned ALOT out there and it took a few days post-race to realize it, but IM is in my blood!

THE SWIM

Potts head 2nd from bottom, mine 3rd!

After a less than stellar swim in Clearwater, I was ready to put down a great swim. I'd swam on the course the days leading up to the race...it was gorgeous! The clearest, bluest water I've ever swam in...and so much to look at: fish, stingrays, coral, and more. Good thing I got to enjoy it before the race, because it was 'game on' once the gun sounded and I don't recall seeing anything during the race! My plan was to start next to Potts and stay with him as long as possible. About 4min before the start, there was some confusion about one of the bouys. We were already semi-lined up to start and when this happened, Potts moved to the complete other side. Since I was stuck like glue, I went too...along with the entire field. Some dude tried to wiggle his way between me and Potts, um excuse me?! So I swam underneath him and popped up right next to Andy! I was a bit worried as they were counting down the time to start, because a lifeguard was paddling in front of us, I didn't want to get stuck in a mess. No worries though, clear water in front of us and BOOM! We were off!

Since I haven't raced an ITU race in quite sometime, I wasn't fully prepared for the rough start. I was pretty much in the mix with all the guys. After a slap to the head, an elbow, and a yank on my foot, I was momentarily shocked. A split second later I told myself to "Man Up and Put your Big Girl Boots on!". That's what it was going to take if I wanted to maintain my position. It started to thin out a bit around 150mtr and then at 300mtr the group seemed much smaller. We were swimming against the current and the effort felt pretty easy, so I knew Potts was going to make a break soon. I was ready, but when he went, a small gap opened and with the current, it slowly grew. With Potts now off the front, I was now with a small group of guys. We made our way around the far bouys. Holy Moly! As we made the turn to go down-current, it was amazing how strong the current really was! This was gonna be a fun stretch of swimming :) The swim was pretty uneventful, I just cruised along and felt good. I was tempted to break away from the group a few times...but reminded myself that I had a long day of 'training' ahead! There was a bit of confusion coming into the exit. There was a shorter line to the stairs and I started to veer off that way, but a kayaker stopped me. We ended up swimming around a bouy and then making a sharp turn to the stairs. I guess they removed the bouy right after I came out of the water?! I came out of the water and was only 1:30 down from Potts. The crowd was going crazy!!! They couldn't believe that A GIRL had swum that fast! I ran into the change tent to the chanting and screaming of the crowd, amazing energy!

THE BIKE

I was out on my bike in no time. The streets were lined with spectators cheering...I did my best to take in all their energy and excitement in anticipation of spending some time alone out on the course. My legs felt good from the get go. I immediately found a good rhythm, my watts were totally under control: right where Lance and I wanted them to be. I got in some early nutrition and then put my head down. Just like the swim course, the bike course was spectacular. Totally closed off to traffic, huge aid stations every 10km, stunning views. I've never had to rely on the aid stations before...so I was a bit scared of being able to grab all the water I'd need. I missed the first bottle, but then thought of Freddy and Dorian practicing hand-ups with me in Texas...never missed another bottle! A few of the guys zoomed by me like I was standing still! Was I going too slow?! I checked my watts and effort, right were I was supposed to be. Back into my zone I went. Since I was off the front, riding solo, I had no idea what was happening behind me with the other girls. I never heard any splits, zip, zilch, nada. Towards the end of lap one we started to come back into town and the streets were lined with people cheering, chanting, running all over, it was a mad house! When I passed the swim start to begin lap 2, I saw age-groupers up the road. Pick em off one by one! So for the next lap, I pretended like I was pac-man, gobbling up the dots up the road. Amazingly, there were no 'packs' of age-groupers...they were all spread out=good spread out targets. My watts on lap 2 bumped up a bit, yah, feeling good. Kept it steady and got the calories and water in. I hit the back side of the island and that was the first time I really felt the heat! Boy, it was going to be a hot day...let the water dumping begin! Lap 2 done and I'm still riding solo. I was right on pace to ride 5:00, I knew last year's fastest split was a 5:03, sweet! I'd been warned before the race that there would be good patches and bad patches...and a bad spot was quickly approaching. As I started lap 3 (around 80miles) my watts plumeted, my legs felt crampy, I had no energy. OH NO! A brief second of worry...did I go out to fast, was my nutrition off, I've never raced this far, what do I do? My anxiety only lasted briefly as I quickly reminded myself of all the training and preparation I'd done. I was prepared for the bad spots, so lets deal with it and get on. I took in extra calories, salt, and focues on keeping my cadence up. I kept cruising along and that is when I found out there were 2 women within a minute of me. Alright: just keep it steady, get through the next aid station to top off all your bottles, let you legs come around, and be ready when they get here. Well, my legs didn't come around and unfortunately when Tyler and Yvonne came whizzing by, me legs felt the worst they'd felt all day! Those girls are animals on the bike! Before I knew it they were small specs way up the road. Alrighty, re-focus, keep on the nutrition, trust that your legs will come around. Then Dede passed me, whosh, and she was up the road. Its okay, we still have a marathon to run, get yourself to T2 in good shape. I made the turn back into town and all of a sudden my legs came around. About the same time, Luke and Meg came by...great energy there! I started to reel Dede back in...slowly but surely. It felt so good to have my legs back under me...I got through my first really bad Ironman patch! Going into transition the crowds were amazing once again, excitement all around! Came into T2 a few seconds behind Dede, but got out on the run before her. Yippee, time to run 26.2!

THE RUN:
Right off the bat, I felt good. The enthusiasm of the crowd, amazing again! Well, my good feeling only lasted about 800mtr. Funny story! I have never worn socks in a race. About 2 weeks before the race, Lance and I were going over logistics and he brought ups socks. I was like, um, I wasn't planning on using socks, never have. Then he reminded me that I'd be running 26.2 miles not 13.1 or a 10K. Okay, I'll wear socks. At that time, the search for race socks began. All of my training socks were either stretched out, had holes in them or annoyed me, I wasn't going to use any of them for the race. Randy showed up in Cozumel with brand new running socks for me. I picked the purple TCU colored ones for race day. Lance had also told me to put an extra pair of socks in my run special needs bag. I asked Randy, do I really need to? I did not want to put a brand new, nice pair of running socks in there, I'd never see them again!

Okay, so back to the race. About 800mtr down the road it felt like my sock was slipping down into my shoe. Darn it! I stopped, pulled up my sock and started to run again. Dede had caught up to me, so I took off a bit faster. A few minutes later, it felt like my sock had slipped down again. I knew I shouldn't have worn socks! It became so annoying that I stopped, again!, pulled my sock up, but also noticed that my sock hadn't really slipped down?! Wierd. Oh well, off I went again, with Dede closing again. A mile later and the same feeling in my shoe came back. What in the world?! I can't keep stopping to fix my socks. At that point, I decided, the socks are coming off. Well, as I reached down to fix them, I realized my insole was coming out of my shoe. No wonder it felt so strange! I assumed that happened in the hustle of transition, got it fixed and started to run once again, happy to have my 'sock' problem fixed. But....it didn't take long for it to happen again. A bit frustrated, I looked down, and my insole had worked its way out of my shoe again. At that point I decided to put an end to this maddness for good. Took my shoes off and whipped out the insoles, tossed them in the trash. Problem solved, now it was time to get moving! I found a good rhythm and started to focus on chasing the leaders down. The run course was 3 out and back loops. The far turn around was just past the Melia resort. This is where Randy and I got married this summer. When I ran past the Melia on the first lap my heart was filled with amazing positive vibes! I let that carry me back to transition. 1st lap done, steady pace, feeling relatively good. Then the long bad patch of my run decided to hit: miles ~9-15. My bladder started spasming, it had never seen so much and such a constant influx of caffiene! I tried to stop and pee several times, but nothing, no pee just intense pain. So annoying to keep having to re-pass the same people! Finally got that under control. Around mile 11, I realized minus insoles my shoes were a bit roomier. That plus all the water that I was dumping on me to stay cool, and I had blisters like never before! Thank goodness Randy had 'forced' me to put my extra socks in my special needs bag! Swaped my socks out and my feet felt like a million bucks. I focused on putting one foot in front of the other, getting nutrition in, and getting my energy back. I rouned the turn at the end of lap 2 and saw that the Soofie was closing in on me, she was less than 1min back! Okay, this is where you dig deep and make it happen. She hurts just as much as you...and she hasn't made 5 ga-jillion stops like you have. No more stops til the finish! My legs started to come around some-what and I ticked the miles off. At mile 19, I decided to walk for about 10mtr to get a salt pill in. Bad choice! My legs were ready to stop right then and there. Walking felt so nice...sitting down would be so much better...snapped myself out of those thoughts and forced my legs to run. Okay, no more stops and no more walking until the finish line! I got to the Melia for the thrid and final times, good vibes, good vibes, let them carry you home. I reached the 23mile marker and knew I was going to make it, I was going to be an Ironman! That thought fueled me to the finish line. About 800mtr out from the finish line, the streets were super crowed, there was barely enough space to run, madness! I rounded the corner and saw the finsh chute, yippee!!!!! Pure EUPHORIA! I crossed the finish line and was flooded with so many emotions...joy, relief, exhilaration, pride! A truly amazing expereince! Congrats to Andy and Yvonne for phenomenal preformances! Congrats to all my compeitors! And Good Job to all the Ironman Cozumel finishers!

An experience that wouldn't be possible with everyone's love, support, and encouragement.

THANK YOU!

MIA

2010-12-03T10:23:00.001-07:00

Yep, I know, I've been MIA for awhile! The cool thing about that is that now I have two months of adventures to share, race stories from my first FULL Ironman in Cozumel last weekend and from IM 70.3 World Champs, and lots of time to do catch up on my blog now that it's officially the off season!

First of All: THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to everyone for all of your support, encouragement, and love!!!!!!

I have been down in Corpus Christi, TX training for the past six weeks. THANK YOU CORPUS, y'all were AWESOME!!! Been making the drive back home to Colorado over the past few days with plenty of stops along the way. Headed home to good ole Enid tonight to spend the weekend with my parents, yeah! I will admit, I am scared to go back to Colorado...I have become the biggest COLD wimp ever! Seriously! My sister laughed at me last night when I said it was freezing and it was still 50 degrees...and she reminded me that the high temps are no where near that in Colorado. Hmmmm....maybe something will happen with my car and I'll be stuck in warm sunny Texas a bit longer!

Anyways...lots of blogs and pictures coming your way! Have a great weekend!

Cancun Ironman 70.3 Champion!

2010-09-22T14:05:00.007-06:00

Hallelujah! I did it, I won my first Ironman 70.3!! I can't explain how exciting it was to 'break the tape' and even better to be able to do it with Randy right there with me!

I went down to Cancun with confidence after a really good training block and finally starting to feel fully recovered from surgery. I knew it was going to be stinkin HOT and HUMID, so I had done some heat acclimazation in the weeks leading up to the race, thank goodness for that! In the days leading up to the race, more and more names started to appear on the startlist, the race line up was looking tough. Rather than focusing on who was going to be there, I shifted my focus to what I was capable of doing. If I went out and did what I was capable of, I could be in the mix.

Race morning started of dark and early. As we were setting up tranistion it was pretty windy and there was a bit of sprinkling rain. I hoped I'd made the right decision to use my disc. (Glad I did!) Since it was already pretty warm, I did a super light jog and then headed down to the water early. I wanted to do all of my warming up in the water to stay cooler and still get loose. Before I knew it, it was time to line up at the start. Let's get going!

I had a quick start: a mix of running, dolphin diving, and floundering around but quickly took the lead and got to the first bouy and started to find my rhythm. The water was warm and my swim felt a bit off...I just felt like I was slugging through mud. Tried to keep my focus and effort high so I could get a good gap on the girls that would be chasing. Out of the water, run on the beach, then run through Wet 'n Wild, then to transition. I totally took off in the wrong direction and the crow was yelling for me to turn around, opps! Finally go where I needed to go and on my bike. I just put my head down and trusted my legs would do their thing. The course seemed pretty shaddy and not too hot at the start, but it slowly warmed up like an oven. Then the wind picked up and I was pushing the pace solo. On the second lap we started to mix in with the age-grouper and it was great to have bikes to chase! I knew the other ladies were chasing hard so I tried to keep the pressure on the gas. What an exciting T2: the crowd was going crazy! I tried to carry all that energy out on the run course with me. The run was 2 out and back loops and thank goodness there were aid stations every kilometer! As I was coming out of transition the sky got really dark and I was like, sweet, its gonna rain! It rained for a little bit and then that was the end of that...it just sparked a wave of humidity and the heat was rising. I focused on running from aid station to aid station, trying to keep my cadence up and rhythm relaxed. I wanted ice so badly at the aid stations, I kept yelling, "Hielo, Hielo" and they would say "Agua, Agua"....they didn't have the ice there yet! Finally I went through one station and the bucket all the water bags were in was full of ice, so I made a quick stop to put a handful of ice in my hat and in my short...ya gotta stay cool out there!...and I think that shocked the kids working there! I finally got my method down and it was a relief to see the water/cooling oasis every little bit. I kept the pressure on all the way home because ya never know what will happen...but boy, it sure was fun to turn the corner and see the finishing shoot! I was so excited and had the hugest SMILE on my face...I had done it! What an awesome day!!!

Enjoy the slideshow....

Awards Ceremony

2010-09-22T13:47:00.000-06:00

Dang, they sure do get excited about triathlon in Mexico! Not only did we have a podium ceremony at the finish line, but there was also an awards ceremony at the host hotel that evening. It was pretty exciting to be able to stand on top and say a few words :) And I got a sweet trophy and triathlon painting, so cool!

Cancun!

2010-09-22T13:44:00.000-06:00

Randy and I just got back from quick but FUN trip to Cancun! We flew out on Friday and arrived to the hot and sticky weather of beautiful Cancun. We got checked into our hotel, the all inclusive Royal Solaris, and then jumped right into race stuff...packet pickup, driving the course, building my bike, getting a few workouts in... Randy enjoyed the delicious foods, while I would vicariously taste everything he tried while I munched on bland (non stomach irritating!) rice, pasta, and bread. But don't worry...after the race, I ate like a champ and tried everything!!! We didn't have alot of time to hang out, since this was a "business trip" afterall! Post-race we headed down to the beach and wouldn't ya know...the storms rolled in...those darn hurricane rains sure do seem to be following us this year! It cleared up a bit and we couldn't help but jump in the ocean and play in the waves, such a good time! Then on Monday before heading to the airport we decided to drive downtown in search of the plaza market. Well, we never actually found the market but did have a bit of an adventure...Randy was driving and I was navigating and I told him to take a left and before we know it we are in the middle of a riot/demonstration traffic jam! We look to our left and there are the local police in the back of a truck with thier humongous guns up and ready! Then some motorcycle cops go whizzing by us on the sidewalk. Thank goodness we only had to go about a block (at snails pace of course!) before we were able to turn off and get out of there. Such a relief to make it to the airport in one piece :)

First Amercican State Bank Fitness Festival

2010-09-11T14:00:00.000-06:00

Thanks for coming out and seeing me today at the First American State Bank Fitness Festival, it was awesome to see ya'll!

Congrats on your race!

Check out photos from today by clicking here: IMAGES from First American State Bank Fitness Festival

Have a SUPER DAY!

Fun in San Francisco

2010-09-09T11:55:00.000-06:00

ALCATRAZ!

2010-09-08T11:13:00.000-06:00

Wow! I got to swim Alcatraz, how cool is that? As a swimmer, it's something I've always wanted to do, and now I have, yeah! Race morning we were loaded up on a boat and taken out to Alcatraz island. As the pros got their 'swim instructions' to follow the lead boat, the lady told us the water was warm this morning...since when is 59 degree water warm? Anyways, due to currents and tides, we had to follow the lead boat...or we'd be swept away and most likely not make it to shore anywhere near the transition area. We jumped off the side of the boat and away we went. I did not sight for the first 30-40 strokes and then looked up and couldn't even see the lead boat, it was crazy, we'd moved so far with the current while swimming straight! Needless to say, this made for an adventurous swim that I loved!!! I came out of the water first and was met by the cool air temps. I'd worn arm warmers under my wetsuit, so I was good there. I also had gloves hooked to my bike to put on and then toe warmers inside my toe covers (and my feet were still cold!) Once on the bike, it was time to tackle the hilly and technical course. Towards the midway point of the 1st climb, Tenille and I engaged in our battle royale that would last until the finish line. I would pass her uphill and she would fly by my on the descents (guess I need some work there, especially on the tri bike!) There was a flat out and back portion and I put my head down and put a gap on Tenille. Back on the hills, I knew she was chasing hard as were all the other women out there. I came into T2 with about 20sec lead and took off running on numb feet. I didn't get a chance to check out the run course prior to the race, so I was running a bit blind. Around 2miles, Tenille came running up, passing me on a climb but then on the long downhill before reaching the sand ladder I flew past her (just the opposite of the bike :) ) We started the sand ladder together and man, she took off! It was my first ever encounter with the sand ladder, and hindsight tells me I might have taken the wrong approach by trying to use the rope?! Anyways, once I reached the top, Tenillle had a decent gap on me, so I charged on hoping I would close the gap by the finish line. I was reeling her in and had the gap down to about 10sec and was closing fast...but the finish line was also approaching fast. I tried to take it up another notch, and BOOM! I totally tripped over my own feet, instinctively did a somersault and then did a bit of a face plant right in front of millions of people. In the scramble, I lost ground and more importantly my momentum...but I jumped back up and gave it my all to the finish line. A close 2nd place finish! All in all, a great day out there, and a reminder that I am on track coming back from surgery and a crazy summer! Can't wait to break the tape though!!! Congrats to all the girls and guys who raced out there!

Huge THANK YOUs to Terry Davis and his Tri-California crew for putting on a phenomenal event and to Bear and his girls for hosting Randy and I...we had a blast with ya'll!! Hope to be back again soon.

PLEASE be CAREFUL!!!

2010-08-19T17:15:00.000-06:00

On today's ride, I saw a cyclist slam into a car! I'm not exactly sure what happened, I think the car just stopped suddenly in the middle of the road and the cyclist had no where to go but into the backend. The cyclist ended up being okay, his ribs were killing him, so maybe a fracture there. His bike on the other hand, not so good. The top tube was completely severed from the headtube and the fork was crumbled! I've never seen anything like it. The rest of my ride I was hyper-sensitive to the cars and traffic. Do you know how many people I saw gabbing on the phone, not even paying attention to traffic, let alone someone on a bike, and a few people texting or messing with gadgets. People when you drive, drive! And for those of you out there on your bikes, ride safe and ride on the defensive.

Tough Course + Tough Competion =

2010-08-17T22:43:00.000-06:00

What a way to cap off my 3 week training camp (aka Introduction to Fitness 101)...a fifth place finish at Ironman 70.3 Lake Stevens. I took the ferry across from Sidney to Anacortes, gorgeousness! Then I got to pick up Randy at the airport, Yippee! I hadn't seen him in forever!!! Then it was time to settle in and get focused on the task at hand. I rode the bike course a few times and knew it was gonna be killer...then got to the race and taking it up a notch made it seem ALOT tougher! And speaking of tough: there was some stiff competion! Let's see, there was Melanie McQuaid (congrats girl!) 3 time Xterra World Champion; Tyler Stewart, Ironman Champion; Sam Warriner 2 time Aquathon World Champion, 7 time World Cup Champion; Sam McGlone Ironman 70.3 World Champion; Linsey Corbin, Ironman Champion; Joanna Zieger, Ironman 70.3 World Champion, and a slew of other great racers. So even though I got my butt kicked a bit...at least it was in good company.

The day started off with a stellar swim. I exited the water with over 1min on Joanna and it was over 3min until the other ladies started to chase me down. I tackled the hills right off the bat, hoping to stay 'out of sight, out of mind!' Melanie came flying by me around mile 25 and I did my best to keep her in sight. As we started lap 2, the bike course got a bit crazy and crowed with the age-groupers and traffic. I got caught behind a car twice and had no where to go...a bit frustrating, but what can ya do? Towards the end of lap 2, Tyler and Sam went by me too...so I entered T2 in fourth place. I had high expectations for my run and was hoping to run some of the girls in front of me down (now looking back on it, I've only done one speed workout since my last 70.3 race in Florida in May...so not sure what I was thinking?!) The run was tough and hilly, I did my best to hold off Sam and Linsey. Sam passed me at the final turn-around and at that point my hamstrings started cramping. I went into survival mode (thank goodness it was mostly downhill) and crossed the finish line in 5th. Happy and a good post-surgery starting point. The only way is UP from here!!!

Super job to everyone who raced!!!

Lake Stevens 70.3

2010-08-17T14:05:00.001-06:00

Peach City

2010-08-09T15:43:00.002-06:00

Penticton Training Camp

2010-08-09T12:28:00.000-06:00

Hmmm, it's Randy and I's one-month anniversary....what shall I do? I think I'll head up to Canada for a few weeks! Okay, not exactly the best scenario but that is what happened. I needed to go to training camp for my first round of hard-core training since surgery. Lance promised me some 'ugly-fun' in Penticton before I left, and well, he sure did deliver! I absolutely loved every minute of it though, I was back in training heaven. Not to mention, Penticton is a great little Ironman town and a fun place to train. I was there with three other Lifesport Athletes and our schedule was basically eat, train, nap, eat, train, train, eat, eat, eat, sleep. I did my largest bike and run volume weeks ever, who-hooo. Got to check out the IM Canada bike course, twice, and also run along some really spectacular trails. All of our swims were open water in a clear (and on one occasion extremely COLD lake) Made me totally wish I was doing IM Canada....but I'm still coming back from surgery and need to listen to my body and be smart, there is always 2011 though!

Sooke International Triathlon Press Conference

2010-08-08T18:18:00.000-06:00

1st post-surgery race TODAY! More details to come, but here is the press conference, enjoy!

I'm MARRIED!!!

2010-07-16T13:37:00.000-06:00

Wow! What a time we've had the last few weeks!!! Randy and I got married in Cozumel on June 26th! We had about 30 family and friends down there with us to celebrate all week long. Then, we were in Colorado Springs for less than 36hrs before heading to Oklahoma for a reception over July 4th weekend. It was so awesome to see so many people in Bricktown and to be able to share our special day with family and friends. Its been a bit of a whirlwind since being home...hopefully I'll get my blog updated with all of our adventures! But most importantly, I wanted to post some wedding pictures. Yep, they've been a long time coming...but with over 3,000 digital photos to sort through, its been a bit overwhelming to say the least. We had an awesome photographer in Cozumel, and we just got our 'official' wedding photos from her: yeah, the pics are great!

Our wedding ceremony ended up being perfect...mainly because I had my perfect guy standing at the end of the aisle...and because we got to say 'I do' to each other...ya got me for a LIFETIME baby!! About an hour before our ceremony, the rain became a torrential downpour! Hurricane Alex was named a tropical storm...and it looked like we were going to be doing option 'B' for the wedding. Option 'A' was down on the beach right at the ocean's edge...but there was no way that was happening. Especially with the dark sky and sheets of rain. However, option 'B' turned out to be perfect for us. We were under a thatched hut that sat up above the ocean...you could look out and see the ocean through the storm and could hear the waves crashing up on the beach. Tati, our photographer, has been photographing weddings in Cozumel and never had it rain during a wedding ceremony, let alone POUR down rain. We figured it would wor for us, after all I basically grew up in a pool and love being wet, so why not on our wedding day too??? And most importantly, we were more than happy to be getting married!!!! After the ceremony we took some pics in the lobby and then had our reception dinner. It was on a covered patio out on the beach and the food was delicious...followed that up with some dancing and fun! What a GREAT night!!!!

Enjoy the pics! First up, Randy and Amanda pics...but don't worry, more to come!!!

Training with Mr. Bailey

2010-06-15T22:17:00.000-06:00

Well, I'm one week post surgery, yeah! I'm slowly coming around and its amazing how much better I feel already....which made me realize how bad I was actually feeling the past few weeks. I was able to start walking last Friday and that means I acquired a new training partner: Mr. Bailey! Competitiveness must run in the family because yesterday he was pushing the pace like crazy. Then my competitiveness kicked in and we were walking faster and faster and faster...enough that my shins were sore today :) Who'd thought that I'd ever get sore from walking?! Then Mr. Bailey proceeded to show off for me in the pool. I think he knows I can't get in the water quite yet and enjoyed making me jealous! But since I am the treat giver, he knows not to get me too upset.

Mr. Bailey must have had the time of his life yesterday, because I woke up to a hyper lab puppy licking my face and not letting me get anything done until we went on our walk. And today we set a PR on our 'course'...yah, not an athlete at all?!

All in all, recovery is going smoothly. Had to get some internal stitches, so my recovery period will be a bit longer than originally expected. Hoping to be on the trainer tomorrow and maybe try out the pool too. Can't tell ya how excited I am to be swimming...I think this is the longest I've gone without swimming since I had a cast on my leg when I was 8 years old! Starting to feel like a beached whale :)

Well, I gotta get going, Mr. Bailey wants another treat!!! Better go spoil him some more so he'll be set to go in the morning.

Attack of the Gallbladder

2010-06-04T15:09:00.000-06:00

This weekend is a HUGE weekend of racing! With REV3, Kansas 70.3, Mooseman 70.3, Hawaii 70.3 and I’m sure a few other races too, it seems like everyone will be racing, and that is what I WANT to do too. But unfortunately, I won’t be able to. Instead I’ll be getting ready for surgery on Monday. Yep, you read that right: SURGERY!

I’ve been having trouble for the past 2 weeks with my gallbladder, kept hoping it would just resolve itself and I would wake up and the pain would be gone…no such luck! (found out that doctors make the absolute worst patients in the process :) ) Training has been hit or miss during this time which has been driving me nuts. Since it’s a huge part of my job as a professional athlete to deal with and manage pain…its been quite frustrating to not be able to do anything about this pain. And I am pretty sure I have a high pain tolerance, so when I am having 9 out of 10 pain, something is definitely wrong!! Another part of my job is listening to my body, and since its yelling at me now…I need to get this taken care of ASAP! I’ll get it out of the way so I can bounce back even stronger than before and back up my National Championship Title with an even better title…World Champion sounds good to me :) And since my SUPER-A Priority race of 2010 is coming up in just three weeks…my wedding!!! I don’t want any trouble down in Mexico.

Good LUCK to everyone racing this weekend!

A2 Wind Tunnel Video

2010-05-19T16:18:00.001-06:00

Here I am warming up for my Wind Tunnel Session! Pretty Darn COOL

Free Speed

2010-05-19T14:41:00.001-06:00

On Monday, I headed to the A2 wind tunnel in Charlotte, NC with Chance from Blue Bikes and my Lifesport teammate Magali. It was so awesome! Chance picked us up from the airport in the BlueMobile and we headed straight to the wind tunnel. We worked with Mike Giraud, who was amazing! Never knew there was so much to consider when it comes to aerodynamics. Magali got in the wind tunnel first and she ended up saving 15-25watts, wow! Next it was my turn, so we got set my Triad up on the platform and I did a bit of a spin to warm-up. Before each run we had to "hold still for a zero" which meant no moving...amazing how long 15sec can seem when you are alone in a wind tunnel and told not to move. Then after the zeroing the wind would start coming and I would start pedaling and Mike would get all sorts of measurements. Most of the runs we did at a zero degree yaw angle...but a few were at 10 and 20 degrees...dude the wind was crazy! I knew I was locked in on my bike but still felt like I was gonna get blown off. After each run Mike would analyze the data and then work some magic and make some changes. At the end of the day we found me almost 3min of time over a half IM bike...talk about some FREE SPEED, I love it!

Thanks to Blue for giving me this opportunity and thanks to Chance and Mike for making me faster!

Rhoto IM Florida 70.3

2010-05-19T13:29:00.000-06:00

Sweet! Another great race under my belt. 2010 is off to a great start!

The race this weekend was at DisneyWorld, that place is HUGE! There are some many different parks and resorts and things to do. I am amazed at how much of the roads they were able to have closed for the race! Funny thing about the roads is that you can end up driving and driving and the place you want to go is RIGHT THERE, but you just can't seem to get to the place. For example, my hotel was about 8min from the race start but it took me over 30min to get there race morning :) Anyways, on to the race...

The night before the race, I layed down around 8:00pm and felt pretty tired and was hopeful I'd fall right asleep, and I did. However at 10pm, I jolted awake and was up for the rest of the night! I think my body thought it was supposed to be nap time and wasn't ready for a full nights rest. With a 6:20 race start, I wanted to be up a little before 4:00am (yep, 2:00am in Colorado!)...so when I finally fell back asleep at 2:30, it wasn't too long before I heard my alarm. Despite the non-sleepage night, I woke up excited, energized and ready to race: Bring it ON!

I showed up at transition to find my Zipp Disc with a flat (we'd checked our bikes into transition the night before)...fun, fun. I was pretty calm and collected about the whole situation, found the race mechanic, and handed my wheel off to him...he got me all set up and race ready, THANK YOU! Did a bit of a run to loosed up the legs and then headed down to the swim start. We weren't able to do a swim warm-up, so I did a good dry-land warm-up for the swim and was ready to go!

The cannon went off and into the water the women went! I had a super fast start and was able to jump on Sara McLarty's feet for a little bit. I hung on for as long as I could and then settled into my own pace and rhythm. About half-way through the swim, I realized how warm the water was...man, if the water was this warm, it could turn into a hot day! I exited the water about 1min down from Sara and had a good lead on the rest of the girls thanks to my TYR Sayanora SpeedSuit!

I jumped on my Blue Triad and my legs were feeling strong, yeah. Coach Lance and I had a good race plan in place and I knew if I went out and executed then I was going to have a good day. I was patient and consistent on the ride and focused on nutrition and hydration since it was hot and humid. I loved the ride...the best part was the few times we'd pass by huge Welcome signs that said: 'Where Dreams Come True'...those were my reminders to make my dreams come true on the race course :) Leanda caught me around 30miles and then I stayed with her into T2. I had fast transition and was out on the run first!

The run was 3 loops and almost half of it was on a grassy field. I took it out conservative but fast and my legs felt good. Leanda came by me right at the start and I just wanted to keep her in sight and hopefully reel her back in. She extended her lead to about 1:20 on lap one...and then I had it down to about 45sec towards the end of lap 2...and then the heat got to me! My legs felt good and wanted to keep running fast...but my body had a different idea! The last few miles I switched from race mode to survival mode...and boy was I happy to see the finish line! Another 2nd place finish (to another World Champion: Leanda Cave)....I think now its time for me to be on TOP of the podium!

Thanks to Rhoto, Ironman, Race Director Tom Zeibart, all of the wonderful volunteers out there on the course keeping us safe and cool, and everyone else who helped make the weekend a success! Also a huge THANK YOU to my sponsors: TYR, Blue Bikes, Lifesport, Powerbar, Oklahoma Spine Hospital, and Ranch Foods Direct. Congrats to everyone who raced this weekend! See ya at the next one!

Magail and I at the awards...not sure what I'm doing :)

My new BLUE Machine!

2010-04-23T17:35:00.000-06:00

I'm sitting here chillin' out at the SEA-TAC airport (yeah free wi-fi), headed down to Galveston to kick off my 2010 season. Once again have my wheel bag (loaded up with a speedy set of Zipps) and have been getting all sorts of weird looks as people try to figure out what I'm carrying...have been asked if they were large cymbals and even if it was a super-sized Frisbee!

My super wheels belong to my NEW racing machine ...a BLUE Triad!!!

I got the bike just before heading up to Canada for my training camp, so it's only been ridden in Canada...time for some riding in the USA! Many thanks to the crews at CS Bikes in Colorado Springs and the Trek Bike Shop in Victoria for getting me set up and dialed in...I am feeling FAST!!! And of course, thanks to Blue and Chance for making me part of the Blue Family. Can't wait to represent ya!

Check out this weekends race at Ironman.com and look for me and my BLUE!

BabaGanouj & Gardening

2010-04-19T18:52:00.001-06:00

Yes, I'm horrible for not updating by blog since, gasp, early February! So much has been going on I just don't know where to start :) So I'll just start with where I am right now...which is up in beautiful Victoria, BC. I've been up here for the past few weeks with my LifeSport teammates and Coach Lance. Training has been going so so so good...and with my first race coming up this weekend, Galveston 70.3, I am rip-roaring ready to go!

Today was a bit of a recovery day, so I ate some BabaGanouj (delicious!) and did some gardening with my homestay. John and Madeleine are the most wonderful couple ever, they have totally been spoiling me, THANK YOU! And their garden is amazing! Check out more pics here

And here are tons of PICTURES from Beacon Hill Park. Enjoy!

I'm a bit embarrassed....

2010-02-04T17:17:00.002-07:00

USADA (US Anti-doping) knocked on my door bright and early this morning. I'll admit I wasn't the happiest camper in the world, especially since I couldn't sleep last night and was up past 3am! So most of you probably know about my shy bladder...however today's embarrassment did not come in the form of a shy bladder (although my test still took over 2hrs, 2:09 to be exact!)...it was in the form a a disastrous apartment!

The whirlwind of my life recently has left me without much free time, so what gets shifted to the very bottom of the list? Yep, cleaning. Actually not even talking about cleaning here, more just picking up and straitening. I think Alex (her first time to visit) was in totally shock! I would be too if I walked into someone's place to be welcomed by this view:

I don't know how many times I apologized for the mess...
Anyways, thought I'd share with the world the current status of my apartment. As you can see, it does not resemble that of the typical obsessive-compulsive, Type A triathlete. If anyone knows of a cleaning lady that would love to sponsor me, send her my way!

The lovely kitchen....

I think I need another bike to drape some clothes on...

The washer has been broken for over 1mth...will they ever get us the part delivered in one piece, I hope so!

How do I get any work done?

Okay, now that I've embarrassed myself and my parents! to cyberspace and not just USADA...I better go start cleaning, oh wait, I've got to ride first :)

Oklahoma Speaking Tour

2010-01-20T21:47:00.000-07:00

I'm on my Oklahoma Speaking Tour!! So much fun, but keeping me BUSY!!! Here's where I've been and where I'll be headed...if I'm in your neighborhood, let me know!

Jan 12th: Northwest Classen Junior Class
Jan 13th: Northwest Classen Senior Class
Jan 14th: Coweta High School--2 presentations to Junior and Senior Classes
Jan 15-18: Enid
Jan 19: Jay High School--2 presentations to Junior and Senior Classes
Jan 20: Checotah High School--2 presentations to Junior and Senior Classes
Jan 21: Mclain High School Junior Class
Jan 21: Enid YMCA Grand Opening, 5:30pm
Jan 22: Northwest Academy of Health Science and Engineering, Junior and Senior Classes
Jan 22-25: OKC
Jan 25: Triathlon Clinic, Downtown YMCA in OKC
Jan 26: Okeene High School, Junior and Senior Classes
Jan 27: Skiatook High School--2 presentations to Junior and Senior Classes
Jan 28: Berryhill High School--2 presentations to Junior and Senior Classes
Jan 29: Booker T Washington Junior Class
Jan 29: Drive back Colorado Springs!!!!

It's been one of those days...

2010-01-20T21:39:00.000-07:00

Today was one of those days...we all have them and just have to find a way to keep on pushing through! Nothing major happened, thank goodness, but it seemed that everything that could have gone wrong did. I survived it and learned some valuable lessons along the way, given that, it ended up being a good day...but definitely time for some sleep!!!

1. Got woke up by my alarm a little before 6am to go on my first run of the day (today was a 2 run day!)...for those of you that know me, I love my sleep! And I like to sleep in...so getting up at 6am is a rare occasion, especially when I didn't get to bed until way past my bedtime!
2. Headed down to Checotah Oklahoma...and got lost on the way. Typed the wrong address into my GPS, oppsie. However, the school and students were awesome and I had a great time while there!
3. After speaking to the Junior and Senior classes, I hoped in my car and headed back to Jenks...and got lost 3 times along the way! I think my blondness was really shining through today :)
4. As I was driving, my computrainer went flying across the back of my car and hit my full length training mirror...pieces of glass were everywhere. Just what I needed not only a bad day, but seven years of bad luck to go along with it?!
5. Headed to the gym to swim and when I got out of my car, I was like dude my car smells like its burning....come to find out, I'd made the 30min trip (driving fast on the highway) with my emergency brake on. Another blond moment...
6. I got the key to a locker in the locker room, and what number did they give me, yep, you guessed it, #1-13.
7. As I left the gym, I figured I needed to reverse my luck quick! I figured 3 'bads' should make a good...so I stepped on every crack I could find. We'll find out soon, if I reversed my misfortune or if I prolonged my seven year sentence.
8. Got back to Kurt and Shelley's (Thanks guys!!!) and set my computrainer up, and totally hit my head on the slanted ceiling in the bike room, boy that felt good.
9. I had my second run of the day off my bike...made a quick transition and then realized I'd put my running pants on backwards, oh joy.
10. Out on the run and it started raining...what an end to my day!!!

Headed to bed now to get some serious zzzzz and hoping the sun will come up once again tomorrow :)

Triathlete Life Magazine

2010-01-06T19:24:00.003-07:00

Whohooo....just got my USAT Triathlete Life Magazine...and look what I found! (its page 112 if you are looking for it)

Ringing in the New Year!

2010-01-01T15:58:00.004-07:00

Click on the picture to enlarge!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Girls on the RUN

2009-12-20T23:43:00.002-07:00

Hello and Happy Holidays!

WOW! 2009 is about to come to an end!!! I truly hope that each and every one of you had a year full happiness and success. The end of the year is a great time to celebrate with family and friends and it’s also a great time to give! (Especially to a tax deductible charity!!!)
For the next few weeks, I'm going to be gong head-to-head with 60 other elite athletes in Who Gives? Racing for a Cause, a competition in partnership with Athletes for Hope and GlobalGiving.org , to see who can rais the most money for their favorite charity. The "Race" has already started and runs through January 15th.

I am raising money for Girls on the Run, which is an incredible organization that educates and prepares girls for a life time of self-respect and healthy living. The program culminates in a 5K race event which gives the girls a chance to shine and gives them an overwhelming sense of accomplishment. I have set up a scholarship fund for 6 low-income schools, so hopefully we can get some programs set up in their schools!

Girls on the Run is so awesome. I was lucky enough to be able to participate in their 5K race this past May. My experience was amazing as I got to see young girls inspired to run for FUN and to see the confidence and self-respect they had gained through the program. Their smiles were all shining so brightly! Hopefully, I can make a positive impact in their lives by working side-by-side with them through the 12-week program. I only wish such a program existed when I was younger!

No donation is too small, even a $10 donation can provide healthy snacks at a site. ($65 provides a pair of running shoes, $125 sponsors 1 girl for an entire semester.) Each donation also helps me get one step closer to winning the grand prize of $10,000 for GIRLS ON THE RUN!!! This would make a HUGE impact in the lives of so many girls. There are a lot of great competitors in the Race, so I'm going to need all the help I can get in order to win!!!!

Check out my donation page: http://www.globalgiving.com/4422

Thanks in advance for your support!

amanda :)

P.S. if you want to follow my progress, check out the competition, and see who's in the lead, visit: www.globalgiving.org/athletes-for-hope. Please help me spread the word!

Thanks STEVENS, RETUL, and OLD TOWN!

2009-12-18T08:55:00.004-07:00

Yippee--My brand new STEVENS bike arrived late last week, I rushed it down to Old Town where Brian built it up for me, then it was up to the Denver Retul Studio yesterday for the best bike fit in the world. I had a great time working with Todd Carver and the group of trainees he was teaching to use the Retul system. Retul is so amazing because you get your bike fit to your body size/type, while you are riding! They use motion capture technology to take quick precise measurements to get you dialed in to the best position for you. Love it, thanks guys!!!

So why am I so excited about getting another bike? Well, my VOLT is not just "another bike", it is a high-end, first-class time trial and triathlon racing machine!!!! Super light, aerodynamic (front and back brakes are hidden in frame), internal cable wiring...what more could a girl ask for?! Now that my new VOLT is ready to fly, that means it's time for me to get my booty whipped back into shape, fun fun. And I think the weather will be nice enough tomorrow for my "maiden journey", an easy aerobic 3hr ride with a high of 45F predicted and sunny.

Thanks to everyone who made my early Christmas possible!!!!

Clearwater!!!!

2009-11-20T11:37:00.007-07:00

8th Place at Ironman 70.3 World Championships!!!

Clearwater was AWESOME!!! I arrived on Monday (actually early early morning Tuesday, after an all day flight from Canada!) and got settled into my hotel. The hotel was awesome, fully equipped kitchen and a block from the transition area, so much better than last year. I hung out for a few days and got ready to race fast on Saturday. I helped out with the Lifesport swim clinic on Thursday morning...it was windy and cold, absolutely freezing...what was going on, I was in Florida for goodness sakes! But Randy flew in that afternoon and brought the sunshine and warm weather with him...so by race morning it was perfect. I was so excited to see Randy since I hadn't seen him in FOREVER! On Friday afternoon, I had a short interview and filming with the Ironman crew and then off to the race meeting, where we found out they had decided to move the swim from the ocean to the bay. Darn it! I was looking forward to some fun in the ocean on race morning. But it ended up turning out good anyways...and now the race start was literally outside of my hotel room.

I didn't sleep much the night before the race...it was weird, my mind wasn't racing or really thinking of anything...I just seemed to lay there and keep saying 'sleep!'. Oh well, I'd already gotten my solid 10hr of sleep the night before, so I'd be good to go. I got out of bed before the alarm went off and all of a sudden the adrenaline (and caffeine) started to pump into my system and I was ready to go!!!

Did all the pre-race stuff and then headed down to the swim start with my Ipod blaring Miley Cyrus :) Fun times! I felt loose, relaxed, and ready to go during my swim warm up. Met up with Mags for a pre-race hug and a wave to Coach Lance. Then it was time to focus and get ready for the sound of the gun! We were off and I had a pretty good swim. It was a bit hard to see the buoys and figure out exactly where we were going...but it was all good. Once we turned the a few buoys, it was a solid swim the the huge pirate ship next to the exit ramp. The ramp was pretty narrow...so we crowed up it and I bolted to the transition area. I ended up crossing the timing mat first...fastest swim split! I had a descent T1, a bit of a hiccup, but was out on the bike before I knew it. I just put my head down and trusted my new cycling legs! All the hard work and the epic sessions with Coach Lance in Victoria were going to pay off...and I was bound and determined to stay with the lead girls. Julie Dibens got away and was up the road but the rest of us hammered along together (legally!). The men had started 5min behind us...so before I knew it they started whizzing by...and they were one huge group, it was crazy!!! They swarmed around us...and were gone after not too long. The rest of the ride was pretty uneventful. I just tried to stay steady and keep on pushing home to T2. As I turned onto the main road before crossing back over the bridge...a car totally pulled out in front of me to cross the road, absolutely oblivious to me (or that the roads were blocked and a race was going on!) Thank goodness they had their window down, I was yelling at them and they finally saw me and braked just in time for me to swerve around them. I arrived in T2 in 5th place and was ready to go show off my new running legs. The crowd and support was amazing...I had so many people cheering for me!!! It was great to see Randy and Coach Paul about 1mile in...and then Coach Lance at the top of the bridge. I felt pretty good and just tried to get the legs moving forward. I was running so relaxed and felt like I was just floating. As I finished the first lap everyone was yelling that I was gaining on 4th place. I kept on pushing and passed her, sweetness, I was in 4th!!! and ready to run some more girls down. Well, unfortunately, my legs decided they were done and they blew up big time! Mags and Laura came running by and I knew it would be so good for me to go with them and be able to use their energy...so my mind was saying GO! and my legs NO! I did my best to keep it together...but oh I was hurtin. I have never blown up in a race before and let me just tell ya, it was not very fun. I went from steady 6:30miles to 8:00min miles, OUCH! At that point, it was time for survival management and just making sure I got myself across the finish line! I got passed by a few more girls and ended up finishing in 8th. So 2 spots ahead of last year and 7 min faster, I'll take that!!! Mags ended up sprinting into 3rd place, congrats girl!!!

Had some fun post race hanging with the Lifesport team and then a day and a half at the beach with Randy. It was so hard to leave the sunny beach knowing I was heading home to snow in Colorado! But oh so nice to be back home!!!

Thanks to everyone for all the support, couldn't do it without you! Thanks to Ramon Serrano for the race photos above. Fun photos to be added soon(don't have my memory card with me right now.)

Garage Sale!!!

2009-11-17T22:19:00.002-07:00

Thanks for all of your support and cheers this past weekend!!! I spent a few days hanging out at the beach with Randy...and am now back to the cold snow in Colorado: joy, joy!!! I'll get a race report, Clearwater adventures, and pictures posted soon. But first...I'm having a garage sale! Let me know if you are interested in anything!!!! triusa@gmail.com

Cervelo P3C 2008 Frame
Ridden for less than 3 months
Great Condition, Like New
51cm Frame
MSRP=$3,300
Asking=$2,800

Cannondale System Six Si Team
Cannondale Integrated Carbon Compact Crank
Dura Ace components
FSA carbon Handlebars
Great Condition
52cm Frame
Asking=$2,999

Xterra Vector Pro X2 Full Wetsuit
Brand New
Whatever size you need, Men’s or Women’s!!!!
MSRP=$600
Asking=$400

Aquaman Boink Wetsuit
Women's Size Small
Used 1 season
MSRP=$460
Asking=$150

Aquaman Metal Cell2 Wetsuit
Women's Size XS
Used for 5-6 races
MSRP=$530
Asking=$250

Profile Design Razor Aluminum Seatpost
Aerodynamic Competition Post
Brand New in Box
270mm
Asking=$40

Newton Sir Issac
Men's Size 11
Used 2-3 times each (2 pair available)
MSRP=$149
Asking=$70

Saucony FastTwitch2 Racing Flats
Women's Size 7
Worn for one race
MSRP=$90
Asking=$40

Spira Striker Running Shoe
Women's Size 6.5
Brand New in Box
MSRP=$175
Asking=$60

Newton Distance S Racer
Women's Size 7
Brand New in Box
MSRP=$155
Asking=$100

Newton Distance S Racer
Women's Size 7
Slightly Used: 1 yellow pair; 1 pink pair
MSRP=$155
Asking=$50

Olympic Torch Run!

2009-11-02T14:21:00.005-07:00

On Friday the Olympic torch arrived from Greece! It actually landed in Victoria (where I am) to start the torch run for the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver. I wasn't able to make it to the actual start of the relay (because I had swim practice!), but Simon Whitfield, 2000 Olympic Gold Medalist in Triathlon, from Canada, had the honors of starting it off, pretty darn cool!

I did manage to make it to one of the hand-off points along the route. I got to see an older Olympian run down the beach of Elk Lake and pass it off to the rowers, who then rowed across the lake with it. Fun Fun!

And speaking of the Olympics, Oct 31st was 1,000 days out from the start of the 2012 Olympics!!!

Camp Canada!

2009-10-29T21:39:00.004-06:00

WOW---hard to believe I've been up in Victoria for Camp Canada for 10 days already! Amazing how much I've accomplished and that I also survived the swine flu. Can't be 100% sure that is what I had...but whatever I had was not fun. I mean I usually get a cold/flu at some point during the year, and while its never fun to be sick, this took sickness to a new level. The good part, I'm almost back to 100%, just a bit of a lingering cough and fatigue left. Mags, my training partner in crime, was also sick...so we've been hacking up a lung together during our workouts. And coach Lance has miraculously not gotten sick (knock on wood for him!) as he's been there for almost all of our workouts, helping to push us to the next level! Thanks Lance!!!

My homestay, John and Madeleine, are wonderful! They have a beautiful place and have been so kind to open it up to me for 3 whole weeks! They are such wonderful people that have had some amazing adventures that I love hearing about. John has taken me on a few rides and Madeleine has kept me well-fueled with delicious meals. Thanks so much!!!

The weather here has been pretty good. Mainly in the 50s with some rain here and there...but I'll take that over the reports I'm getting from Colorado. Lots of snow and ice and its COLD, COLD, COLD!!! Brrrr....

About to do some self torturing massage and stretching then get a good nights sleep to gear up for another big weekend. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

CRASH

2009-10-29T21:31:00.002-06:00

(I actually wrote this right after the Dallas race...its just taken me awhile to post! Now 2 1/2 weeks later and my road rash is almost completely healed up, still a bit of a scab below my knee...that one was pretty deep!)

I’m on a plane again…headed back to Colorado. Not the most comfortable flight in my life, considering it is a full flight and I’ve got some major roadrash, whiplash, and muscle soreness going on! But I will survive and like most accidents, it could have been A LOT worse!

I spent the past week in Texas, visiting with family, recovering from the Kaiser Permante LA race, and getting geared up for the Toyota Dallas US Open, the final race of the Liftetime Fitness Series. On Thursday afternoon I headed out the door for a run and it was so HOT and HUMID…I came back dripping with sweat…it was just pouring on out. Well, that weather quickly changed, when I woke up Friday it was freezing! And that weather carried over to race morning. I woke up to 40 degree rain and sleet. We pulled up to transition and when I went to unload the car I discovered that my back wheel was flat. Nate, Sarah Haskins, husband was next to us, and offered me Sarah’s extra back wheel (THANKS so MUCH!!!) I had to make an adjustment to my brakes because our wheels were a different width…and the cable screw stipped out, Oh NO! The on-site mechanic did what he could…but I soon found out it wasn’t quite enough!

We swam in Joe Pool Lake and since the water temp was much much warmer than the air, the pros had a non-wetsuit swim…which really wasn’t that bad. When the gun went off, I had an okay start and just started swimming as fast as I could. Haskins and Groff had a bit of a gap going around the 1^st bouy, so I tried to reel them in, and ended up coming out of the water just behind them. I had a good transition and was ready for a solid race. I was feeling good and just knew that it was going to be my day. There was a gap between me and the girls behind me, so I took a few extra seconds to put on some gloves (and I had toe covers already on my shoes.) This ended up to be a lifesaver! Once on my bike, I put my head down and was ready to chase some people down. We got to the first corner and as I tried to apply my brakes, there was no slowing down…uh oh, my back brakes weren’t working! So I went into the turn at full-speed on wet-slick roads and went flying. I skidded across a lane and into the grass. I was so determined to have a good race, that I didn’t check my body or my bike…I just picked up my bike and got on and took off. While I’d gone down, a few girls had passed me so I was on a mission to catch them. I felt strong but the gap was growing and growing…something had to be wrong. That is when I realized my brakes had shifted and now one side was slammed up against my wheel. I hoped off my bike, fixed it as best I could, and was off once again. When I got to the first incline and got out of my saddle, I discovered my shifting was messed up. My gears were shifting all over the place and I was going nowhere! Great! But again, I was determined to have a good day…so I tried to avoid the slipping gears as much as possible and to just keep on moving forward. I was welcomed into T2 by my cheering family. It was so great to see them there!!! That gave me the energy to power out on the run despite my numb feet and cold muscles. I took off like a bullet…and tried to hang onto that pace. I dropped of my pace a bit at miles 2 & 3, but kept on pushing and had a good last 3 miles. I definitely negative split that run!!! I ended up 11^th, just out of the money…But it’s a day I’ll still take. Not the ultimate result I was looking for but learned to stay tough and focused when faced with not just one, not just two, but several obstacles and challenges!

Now its time to get healed up (Thanks for working me and getting my body back in alignment today, Camille!)

Hangin out with the Stars of Hollywood!!!

2009-09-18T20:24:00.001-06:00

Last weekend...I had the pleasure of spending the weekend in Malibu and brushing arms with the stars....now my primary reason to be there was to race! but on Sunday when Mr AC Slater showed up in Transition, I must admit, I was 'star-struck'...good thing my key race was on Saturday! But before I get to the juicy details of my time with him...A huge thank you to my AWESOME homestay: Craig and Laurie!!! You guys were great, thanks for your hospitality and all the fun...can't wait to come back in a few weeks for the LA Tri!

Race day was fun! A dark, early morning always gets me excited (I'm not always happy about he 4:30am wake up calls...but what can ya do?) After warming up and getting transition ready, we headed down to the start. The water was a bit choppy, which I was happy about! The gun sounded and we were off...unfortunately I got pummeled by a few waves and lost about 20 seconds getting to the first buoy! That only meant one thing, it was time to put my head down and GO! I swam my way back up to the front and exited in a good position. Then it was out on the bike. The course is deceivingly tough with a bit of wind and rolling hills. I came into T2 in 3rd and stayed there through the whole run. So I ended up on the podium...along with a great field, congrats to them: 1st-Laura Bennett, 2nd-Becky Lavelle, 4th-Alica Kaye, and 5th Taki.

So after the race...it was time for some fun. I got a tour of Hollywood and then off to the best sushi place in LA: K-ZO! Yum yum yum! And the best part was that Kari, one of my fellow TCU swimming alumni, and roommates knew i was in LA (thanks to Twitter!) and joined us for dinner. She brought along photo albums from all four years at TCU...I laughed so HARD! Good ole memories :) And after looking at all those pictures, we totally forgot to take one that night!!!

Then Sunday, it was back to Zuma Beach, for the celebrity and sprint triathlons! I was honored to be on a relay team with Sam Rubin (a local newscaster) and Avi. We had a blast...and it was cool to know that the event raised over $1million for Children's Hospital! Since I'm not a big TV watcher...I will admit, I didn't know a lot of the celebrities there...but I did know Mario Lopez aka AC Slater. Oh, I don't know how many days my sisters and I rushed home from school to catch 'Saved by the Bell' before heading off to swim practice, seems like we could never get enough of the gang!! Anyways, I swam on my relay, so I was standing next to his bike, when he cruised into transition and spent about 10min there...had to dry off, change clothes, tie up his shoes, and even dig in his gym bag to pull out a comb to fix his hair! His entourage was blocking the paparazzi...But, since I was in transition, I figured, what the heck, I'm gonna go get a picture with him. So I sat down next to him, asked him how his swim went, and wished him good luck out on the bike...and somewhere in there he called me 'Honey'!!! Yes, that is right, AC Slater himself called me Honey :) I also got a pic with Alan off of Two and 1/2 Men...then lots of snapshots of the others racing: Teri Hatcher, Cold Case guys, Jermey Piven, the producer of LOST, plus lots of big wigs from the studios! Had tons of fun...and can't wait to go back again next year!!!

And for those of you that didn't get enough...

2009-09-18T20:09:00.006-06:00

Here's all the pics of AC Slater!!! Enjoy :)