Questionnaire

1)       Mindful use of Energy Tips: Please share your training and racing nutrition plans?  Do you have any tips for age groupers out there about fueling and using energy? 

a.       Favorite pre race meals, post race indulgences

b.      Training nutrition plan

c.       Race Fuel plan

d.      Do you follow any special routine on the morning of a race?

Over the last few years as an elite triathlete, I have learned an incredible amount about the importance of nutrition and how proper fueling can improve my training and racing.  One key tip about nutrition: it is just as important when you are eating as it is important to what you are eating.  Once you have completed a training session, you have a window of 30-60 minutes your body is at the optimal state to refuel.  If you miss this critical window to refuel your body, you will not be able to recover as well for the following workout either later in the day or the following day.  It is especially important to refuel after a longer session (90 min or longer) or a session with intensity.  If you are not going to be able to eat a meal following a workout, plan ahead and bring along a sports bar, piece of fruit, and/or recovery drink.  Something with a mixture of carbohydrates and protein will refuel your body properly and help you to keep your metabolism and blood sugars at a constant level.  If you think of your body like a gas tank, you want to make sure your level never dips below � of a tank or go above � of a tank, but try and maintain your fuel levels with smaller dips above and below the half-way mark.  It is also important to be properly hydrated before and during the workout.  If you are going to be working out longer than 90 min, it is important to have calories to keep you fueled during the workout.  I know I have experienced the �bonk� during longer workouts, and I definitely have learned from experience how to avoid bonking (meaning your body is depleted of nutrients and training is greatly inhibited).  A good marker in the amount of nutrition during workouts is to try and consume 100 calories every hour.  Remember that everyone is different and some athletes may need more, some may need less; so it is important to experiment and see what works for you.  Also----if you are working out first thing in the morning, make sure you eat or drink something with calories before you start.  While you slept, your body was in a slight state of fasting�so you need calories to jump start your body and get your metabolism going before the workout.  Eating a banana or drinking a Gatorade will do if it is a short run or swim, but eat more if you will be having a longer workout.

My favorite pre race meals usually consist of pasta and some type of lean meat (most likely chicken).  I am not too picky with what I eat for my pre race meals; however, sometimes when you are traveling across the world you want to make sure it is something you have eaten before!!  I would not recommend trying out a new sea food dish the night before the race�stick to what you know best.  Post race however, if you want to indulge, that is the time to do it!!  I am always HUNGRY after races and my favorite post race indulgence is pizza and ice cream!!  Treat yourself after a race and enjoy a nice meal with your friends and family�.you worked hard and it�s time to celebrate!

My race fuel plan can vary depending on the temperature of the race.  If the race is going to take place in warm weather, I really focus on my hydration levels and increase my salt intake.  I always make sure to drink two full water bottles on the bike (usually Gatorade Endurance) and have a PowerGel before heading out on the run.  If the race is during cooler weather, I may only drink one bottle.  Race morning I have a peanut butter and banana bagel, usually around three hours before the start of the race.  I may drink Gatorade and water during warm-up and about 45 min before the start of the race, I may have a gel, or a bit of a PowerBar.

I will go through a typical day of training/nutrition:

7:15AM Oatmeal (made by my husband!)  His special blend of oats, peanut butter, brown sugar, and milk really keeps me fueled during my swim workout

8:00-9:15AM Swim

9:15AM  Breakfast: cereal, skim milk, water, yogurt, banana, hard boiled egg white

11:00AM Second workout (either bike or run)

1:30PM Lunch:  peanut butter and jelly sandwich, piece of fruit

3:30PM  (Run or strength)

6:00PM dinner:  usually consisting of lean meat (chicken, pork, beef) rice, salad with veggies (carrots, peppers, cucumbers, broccoli, flax seed), tea, piece of fruit, maybe a piece of dark chocolate

I usually have a snack around 8:00PM (piece of fruit)

10:00PM�.hit the sack!

2)       Would you talk a little bit about how you manage your energy? 

a.       Throughout a full season of training? 

b.      Leading up to a specific big race?  (i.e. trials or the Olympics)? 

c.       How much time do you spend training?

d.      Do you peak and taper? 

e.       Do you have base building weeks and recovery weeks?

f.        Do you have a specific mental preparation for racing or training?

g.      Do you do any guided meditation, or relaxation tips?

h.       Any other mental preparation techniques?

Part of being an elite athlete is learning how to manage your energy and having balance in your life between racing, training, family, friends, and whatever life throws at you!  But I feel managing energy is important in everyone�s life, not just an elite athlete.  Energy can be conserved through planning, preparation, relaxation and reducing stress. 

My racing season is quite long, so it is important to properly plan the season to figure out what are my goals, which races are key races to taper for, when will I recover, etc.  All of these questions are planned at the beginning of the year; however, many changes will be made along the way. 

I begin the training season with longer aerobic training sessions, in order to build my aerobic base for the season.  Once March rolls around, I will incorporate speed and lactate threshold workouts into my sessions in order to prepare for the upcoming spring races.  Once I am in race season, I like to build my training for three weeks with each week involving a little more intensity and by the fourth week I will back off the volume in preparation for a race at the end of the fourth week.  As important as it is to work hard, it is also very important for the body to recovery.  After a tough race, I usually take 4-5 days of aerobic training and active recovery.  In order for the body to be able to fully absorb the training later in the season, you have to be able to let the muscles and mind recover after the intensity of a race.  I know some athletes feel bad taking a day off (as many triathletes have TypeAA), however, just remember that taking a day off will help in the long run.  Also remember that you may not feel good after a day off training�your body will feel stiff, muscles unresponsive, but know that this is normal!

Throughout the season, I try and taper and peak for a few key races throughout the year.  This year, I will be peaking for the Olympic Trials and the Olympics in Beijing, China (if I reach my goal of qualifying).  I usually always rest before a race (5-6 days beforehand).  When I say rest, I don�t mean catching up on a season of 24 all week on the couch, but I will cut my training volume while keeping high intensity in my workouts.  I want my muscles to be sharp and rested, but ready to race on race day!  For taper weeks and the bigger races, I may start to taper 7-10 days before the race.  Remember that tapers are very individual and it is important to experiment and find how long a taper works best for you!

After the season is over, I enjoy taking the time to spend with my family and friends and get other things done that have been neglected over a busy season.  As with anything you do, I feel it is very important to have balance in your life.  I truly believe that part of managing your energy is learning to have balance in training/racing/family/friends/time for you, etc.

Relaxation is key in being able to obtain optimal training and racing performance.  During a hard training week, I like to relax by reading a book or watching a movie.  Many athletes like to add yoga into their training routine.  Find something that works for you to relax your mind and body----you deserve it!

Many experts agree that a positive race experience is based on 75-90% mental ability.  Looking at those numbers are astounding and it is important to realize how you can improve your race performances just by tapping into your mental abilities.  There are many ways of improving mental skills and some of my favorite techniques are visualization, and deep relaxation breathing. 

Visualization is a technique that many athletes use to achieve their goals.  It is important to begin visualization with a deep breathing exercise in order to fully relax and get your mind and body ready.  Before I visualize, I take three to five deep breaths (5 second inhale and 7 second exhale) and think about a certain aspect of the race.  It is important to think about your body physically going through the motions, but also to be thinking about your surroundings and how you are FEELING.  You can begin visualization sessions for a few minutes and build up to longer segments.  One area I always try and visualize is the transition area of a race.  As a triathlete, you know that the transition areas can be chaotic and it can help so much to know exactly where you are going so that you don�t lose time and get lost in transition. 

Other mental skills that can be worked on are focusing on staying stress free during races (and in all areas of life!!).  With so many things going on during races, it is very easy to get flustered.  However, the added stress and anxiety can negatively affect your performance.  Ways to limit stress are to be prepared�make a check list for your gear and check over before you leave race morning.  Try to get everything organized for your race the night before.  If you feel like you are getting flustered during the race, do some deep breathing techniques.  Not only will the deep breathing calm you down, but it will also carry oxygen to your muscles.  When you get stressed, your breathing becomes shallow and you are cutting your oxygen supply to your body.  In addition, deep breathing can be used to control those normal pre-race nerves.  It is good to have the butterflies before the race; however, it is not normal to be so nervous you become physically ill at the race start.  Using some of these techniques can greatly reduce race anxiety.

Self-talk is something that can be an athlete�s best friend or an athlete�s worst enemy!  So many athletes have damaged their race before it has even physically started and it is important to be aware of what you are saying to yourself in the days and minutes leading up to the race.  For example you could tell yourself, �I felt so sluggish in warm-up, I�m going to race awful�.  A positive self talk example you could replay in your mind, �I have been training so hard and I am fast and ready to race.�  Make sure you keep your self talk positive before and during the race! 

Finally make sure that you set goals!! Goals give you guidance and direction over the course of the season and help give you that extra boost when you want to hit the alarm clock and sleep through a swim workout. 

All of these techniques take practice, just like physically training your body.  Over time these techniques become habit and part of your daily lifestyle.  Good luck!

3)       Performance Tips: please share some performance tips? 

a.       How do you gear your bike for a tough hilly race?

b.      Thoughts on turning

c.       Swim and running technique and form

d.      Do you use cross-training?

e.       Do you surge past competitors on the run, or steadily run your own race?

f.        Anything you�d like to share about your race psychology?

If you know you are going to be racing on a hilly course make sure you have the correct gearing.  You don�t want to be stuck on a hill about to fall over because you can�t turn over the cranks.  Make sure you know that steepest grade of the hill and know if you would need a 12/25 or a 12/27 cassette.  Also think about which wheel set you would like to use.  If it is going to be hilly, you may not want to have a disc wheel (they are heavier and may not help you out as much aerodynamically on the hills).

The technical side of the bike has always been a weakness for myself, as I came from a swim/run background.  It is so important to know which lines to choose riding into a turn and how to approach a corner from a fast descend.  I highly recommend driving or riding parts of the race course so that you know where you are going, you can mentally visualize, and you can be prepared for sharp technical sections.  Don�t forget to look out for pot holes or other obtrusions on the road that you need to be aware of on race day! 

Swimming is an extremely technical sport and if you have good technique on the swim, you are able to swim much faster with much less energy.  Fortunately, I swam many miles at a young age and was able to learn the swim technique.  Once you learn swim technique, it will always come back to you�.that is why you may see a guy 40 pounds overweight (who has not swam in years) beat a guy who is in great physical condition, but who does not have proper technique.  If you are learning how to swim as an adult, I would recommend swimming with a local master�s team so that you are able to learn from a coach and he/she can correct your stroke and teach you drills to help improve your form.  I would also recommend swimming frequently (4-5/week) in order to learn to get the �feel� of the water. 

In addition to swimming technique, running technique is just as important.   I began running in high school and went on to run cross country and track at the University of Tulsa.  I did not concentrate and focus on my running form until I became an elite athlete.  Over the past few years, I have learned running drills and focused on my run form.  This has lead me to run more technically sound.  Running is a high impact sport, and if you have improper form, you may be more prone to injuries.  I highly recommend incorporating run drills either before or after your run a couple of times per week.

One of my loves for triathlon is the variety of the three sports, and in a way, I feel that we are always cross training.  Coming from a single sport (like swimming 18 hours a week in the pool in high school), it is refreshing to have a variety of disciplines to train.  I truly feel this is why triathlon is such a growing and popular sport.  Cross training is great if you are injured and are not able to train in one of the disciplines.  For instance, if you are injured running, it is important to be able to keep the motion of running by aqua jogging�.or you may increase the volume in cycling and swimming until you are healthy to return to running.  Stretching and strength training are key to help improve performance and to keep your body healthy from getting injured.  This year I have really focused on routinely completing a strength routine.

I talked before about the importance of mental skills during races, and the psychological side of racing.  When you are racing a non-drafting race verses a draft legal race (like the Olympics) your mind set is completely different.  When I am competing in a non-drafting race, like Lifetime Fitness, I am in the mind set of racing, but also staying within myself and going my own pace.  The races that many age groupers compete in are the non-drafting race style.  Draft-legal races are very different in that you have to go out of your 40K pace on the bike and perhaps faster than your 10k pace on the run during certain points throughout the race. For instance, in a draft-legal race, you many exit the water just 5 seconds off the lead bike pack; however, you have to do everything in your power to catch up  to the pack, even if you are way faster than your pace.  Once you catch up to the pack; however, you can slow back down to your 40K pace.  Also, when you exit off the bike in a draft-legal race, there may be 2 or 40 people exiting with you, so I often surge ahead the first 1k just to be in the front of the group and then settle into pace.  I also feel it is mentally easier to stick running behind someone, even if the pace is slightly fast than your 10k pace.  It can also be to your advantage to run behind someone because they can block the wind.  Towards the end of the run (around 7K) I like to try and surge ahead of someone I am running with and not save the race to the final sprint.  Once you have broken away from someone, it is so much harder mentally for them to come back to you�.especially if the course is winding----if you are out of sight you are out of mind!  The run in a non-draft race is much different because you are usually coming off the bike by yourself, so you can run the race more steadily at your own pace.

4)       Advanced Technology / Gear

a.       What is your very favorite piece of Tri gear?

b.       

My favorite piece of Tri gear are my ZippVuca aerobars!  I know that triathletes were the first to invent the aerobars (not cyclists) and I feel it was one of the most innovative, simple inventions to help improve time trial speed.  I love the powerful, yet comfortable position when I get down in my bars and get �aero�.

c.       What gear you use?

                                                               i.      Bikes and Gear:

For the past several years, I have been riding Blue (www.rideblue.com).  This year I will be riding the BlueRC8 in my draft-legal race.  This bike will be equipped with the following products from Zipp:  ZedTech 404s, (or 808s), handlebars are SLC2�s, Vuca Aeroclips, 145 Carbon Stem, VumaQuad Cranks. You can find more gear at:  www.zipp.com. In addition, I use SRAM Red components.

On my time trial bike for all the non-drafting races, I ride Blue T16.  It is equipped with SRAM Red components and cranks.  The following products from Zipp:  ZedTech 808�s or SubNine Disc, Carbon 145Stem, and VucaAeroBars. 

I have finally found comfort on a bike seat with my ISM Adamo racing saddle.  This saddle is light enough to race in, but yet provides comfort for me while I am racing and training.

On both of my bikes I use Sampson pedals and cleats (www.sampsonsports.com).

 I also use Shimano TR50 tri shoes.

For eye and head protection, I use Rudy Project Contact Road Helmet and Syton Comp TT Helmet.  While riding, I use the Rudy Project Rydon II and you can find much more variety in product at: www.rudyprojectusa.com

                                                             ii.      Running (shoes, etc)

I train and race in Newton Stability racers and trainers.  �Newton Running shoes were developed to make your feet think they're barefoot and increase your performance.� You can find more information at their website: www.newtonrunning.com.

I also like to wear visors from Newton and Colorado Running Company, shorts, tanks, and dri-fit clothing from PowerBar and Speedo.

I prefer the Rudy Project Kybo�s for shielding my eyes from the sun comfortably while running.

                                                            iii.      Swimming (wetsuit, etc)

I have always worn BlueSeventy brand wetsuits (formally know as Ironman).  I have never tried out a wetsuit that provides as much flexibility in the shoulders, but yet is snug enough not to let excess water enter the suit.  I feel fast, yet comfortable in my BlueSeventy (www.blueseventy.com)

From the start of my triathlon career (and the start of my swim career), I have always trusted the Speedo brand product.  Speedo is the innovator of swimming technology and their gear is always number one for fit, speed and comfort.  I have been racing the past several years in the Speedo FSII triathlon suit.  The suit is very fast through the water, with minimal drag and also provides me comfort while I am biking and running.  I train in Speedo Endurance Lycra suits, paddles, pull buoy, and fins. 

I also wear the Speedo Vanquisher Plus goggles.  These goggles are great for racing and training because I can wear different tints based on the brightness of the sun (or lack there of if swimming indoors).  You can find more information about Speedo and their product at www.speedousa.com

                                                           iv.      Other:

For all my racing and training nutritional needs, I have always turned to PowerBar as my number one choice.  They have a variety of bars, gels, drinks that can help you fuel pre-during-post workouts and races.  My favorite bar is the PowerBar NutNaturals Trail Mix.  I also use the caffeinated PowerGels during races to help get me through that last mile.  My favorite snack is the Mint Chocolate Chip PriaBar.  You can find more information about PowerBar at www.PowerBar.com.

To protect myself from the sun, which is very important for triatletes who spend many hours training, I was recently introduced to product by Josh Shaw .  His unique sunscreen will last all day long and will not burn your eyes.  He is starting up an entire line of skin care products under his company called Mission.

Garmin 305 (for running and cycling) to gauge my speed, location and heart rate.

d.      How do you travel with all your triathlon gear?  Do you ship it? Bring it on the plane?  Ever worry about lost baggage?

                        I almost always travel by plane and fly with my bike.  Luggage getting lost is always a possibility; however, remember that it is not in your control.  I try not to stress about things that are not in my control, but try to be prepared if something were to happen.  My husband is always reminding me to make sure I have my race suit, racing flats, bike shoes and cleats in my carry-on bag.  This way I have some of my race essentials and if my bike is late, I can find a local bike shop and rent a bike for the day.

I also try to plan my travel a few days before the race begins, so that if my gear is lost, I have a few days to spare before race day.

5)       How do you use advanced technology in training/racing.  What is vital gear and what is hype?

Some of the most technologically advanced gear I use is my Garmin Forerunner 305.  This watch can map my routes; check my heart rate, and my speed, while I am training.  I have a GPS attached directly to my wrist.  I think this is vital to my run and bike training and helps my performance.

 Cycling has invested a lot of time and money into the science of creating bikesto be fast and light.  I have been riding Blue for the past couple of years and every year the company amazes me by their improvements in bike technology based on the design, weight and aerodynamics of the bike.  Zipp does a great job and creating fast, light (but strong) aerodynamic wheels.  In addition, I have to say the wetsuit design is vital for fast performance because an athlete needs to not only maintain some body heat in the cold water, but needs a suit that will allow you to have the best balance of buoyancy and natural body position in the water while swimming.  I know over the past few years, the technology in wetsuit design has really benefited the athletes and companies such as BlueSeventy and Speedo are constantly striving to create faster suits.

When it comes down to gear, you have to make sure that what you are using is comfortable on you, or else it will not work�no matter how great the technology is with the gear.  Racing at an elite level, it is vital to have top of the line equipment, however; I am a firm believe that it is not the top of the line bike that ultimately makes the athlete go fast, it is the engine within athlete that makes the bike go fast!

Advanced technology is a great tool in helping you achieve that extra step (that top % in elite racing), but it does not work unless you have the training, mindset and energy behind the equipment. 

6)       About You

a.       What are your professional goals?

b.      As an Athlete and when you retire?

c.       Do you have any favorite memories from your journey to where you are today?

d.      Would you describe yourself as an Engine of Change? How?

e.       What is your reason for racing?

f.        Who got you started in triathlon?

g.      Do you have a favorite cause or charity?

h.       Any other personal stories you can share with the fans?

i.         Do you have a favorite event?  Why?

j.         Where do you spend most of your time training?

My professional goals for the 2008 season are to qualify for the Olympics and represent the USA in Beijing, China this August.  In addition, I would like to place top 5 at the upcoming ITU World Championships in Vancouver, Canada and win several major non-drafting races in the United States that are part of the Lifetime Fitness/Toyota race series.  My goal is to also continue to promote the sport of triathlon and share with others the love I have for the sport and inform others about the importance of a healthy and active lifestyle.

My long-term goals for triathlon are to continue to improve in all three disciplines (four including transitions) and to become the top American in draft-legal and non-drafting racing.  I would also like to expand my racing distance and compete in a few 70.3 races in the coming years.  Ultimately, my goal is to be a World Champion and win a medal at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. 

It hard to say at this point when I will plan on retiring, but more than likely after the 2013 season because at that point I will be y to start a family.  When I have children, I want to focus on my children as my number one priority and step down from elite racing, although I will continue to keep swimming, biking and running part of my everyday life.  Once I retire from racing, I would be very interested in being involved in the sport of triathlon in the coaching aspect.  I have always loved coaching, and I have experience coaching swimming and running in the past.  I would like to continue to pass on the knowledge that I have learned from triathlon over my years of racing.

I believe that my triathlon journey began many years ago when I first started swimming on a swim team at the age of five.  From my earliest memories, I can always remember a love for the water.  I would spend my grade school years throughout the summer swimming a swim workout in the morning and then spending all day playing at the pool---playing sharks and minnows, drag-up, pretending I was an Olympic gymnast and the black line on the bottom of the pool was my balance beam!

 I added competitive running along with my swimming in high school and remained focused throughout my high school years working hard in my studies and my sports.  I was very excited to earn a scholarship to run cross country and track at the University of Tulsa.  Being the oldest of four children, I know that the scholarship took a weight off my parents shoulders knowing they financially would not have to worry about my education.  One of my proudest moments during my high school career was winning the High School State Championship in cross country in the fall of 1997.  I remember running across the finish line, knowing I had accomplished my ultimate goal for the season and everything had fallen into place.  In college, one of my fondest memories was my college team winning the cross country WAC Conference Championships in Honolulu, Hawaii in the fall of 2001.  Celebrating a win with my teammates and coaches was awesome, because I got to share the experience with others who had wanted to accomplish the same goal.  All of my swimming and running experiences growing up, have definitely built the foundation for who I am today as an elite triathlete.  As I take part on this journey, I am still learning more every year and growing as an athlete.  I this way, I feel I am an engine of change.  Even this year, I have learned new strength techniques to improve my swimming, cycling and running.  I have learned mental skill strategies and nutritional strategies to help me with my upcoming season.  As and athlete it is important to keep an open mind and be accepting and ready to change.  Athletics and technology in sport are constantly changing, that is why we continue to break world records every year and that is why I believe it is vital to accept one as an �engine of change� and be open to all the new possibilities.

I love to train and keep my body active and healthy, but my passion is racing.  Getting to race as an elite triathlete as a career is a dream job for myself.  I love to set goals and put all my hard work out on the line, push myself to the limits and use my competitive drive to be the best I can be on race day. Also, getting to race for the USA and representing my country around the world is an honor.  That dream of being up on the medal stand with the National Anthem playing is a moment in time that is worth the satisfaction of a lifetime.

When I graduated from college in 2003 (with a degree in Elementary Education), I had decided I did not want to end my athletic career with collegiate track.  I wanted to race local triathlons in the St. Louis area.  Triathlon was something I had always wanted to try since I had such a strong background in swimming and running.  My family actually signed me up for my first triathlon�it was an Olympic distance in Innsbrook, Missouri.  At the time, I had only been riding for three weeks, so needless to say when I got off the bike in T2 to head out onto the run, I almost fell over!! My legs were not used to going from cycling to running�but after a mile or so, I felt much better and finished the race in second place.  A good friend from St. Louis (John Lynch, ShowMe Cables president and current sponsor) was involved in the local triathlon scene and spent many hours the summer of 2003 helping me develop my cycling skills.

It is hard to pick one charity and clause that I am attached to, because I feel that there are so many important charities.  This past year, I have donated to Walk for Autism (my sister is an early child-hood autism teacher), American Idol Gives Back (helping the needy children in Africa) and to Cancer Research.  I feel it is important to help those in need around the world, but also not to forget about the people in our own country who are in need of help, especially the children.

It is tough to choose a favorite event in triathlon, because there are different aspects I like about each discipline.  However, I must say there is nothing more I like better than going out for a long run, especially on the trails in Colorado right at sun rise or along the river trail in Missouri.  I love the simplicity of going out for a run; just you, your watch and your running shoes.  In just a short hour, you can get a quality workout in and this will keep you feeling great the remainder of the day!

I spend most of my time training on Colorado Springs, CO.  My husband and I own a home in the Springs and we are also privileged to train at the Olympic Training Center.  The center has a fantastic 50 meter pool (which I feel is great for triathlon because it simulates open water a bit more as opposed to a 25yd. pool).  I also enjoy all the great cycling and running in the area and also take advantage of training at       6,000ft.  I feel training at this altitude builds up my red blood cell count over time and I feel a bit �faster� when I drop down to sea level to race.  When the weather is too cold in the winter, I have spent time in Clermont, Florida, Australia, and Chula Vista, CA.  Training in these locations during a few of the winter and spring months allows me to train outside and not worry about if I will be getting caught in a snow storm.  I also spend a good part of November and December in St. Louis and Minnesota.  My family is from St. Louis and my husband�s family is from Minnesota.  This is the off-season and I like to spend time with family while my training schedule is a bit lighter.

7)       Can you share your music tastes:

a.       Does music play a role in your racing and training?

b.      What songs do you listen to while training?

c.       Do you listen to anything race morning?

Music does play a role in my training, especially in the winter while I am on the trainer on the bike or on the treadmill while I run.  I usually like to listen to upbeat songs while I am training�something that gets me pumped up, especially if I am doing a hard workout. 

Race morning and before the race, I don�t listen to any music.  I have never used music in the past, and I just stick to what I am accustomed to doing.  I like to have complete focus with what I am doing race morning, and for me, that means no IPod!

8)       Are there any other things you�d like to share with the fans?

My second triathlon I ever competed in (June of 2003), my front wheel started falling off my bike (my skewer was loose), and fortunately I began to notice.  I was very new into the cycling/tri world and did not even know how to put my front wheel on, let alone know how to tighten the skewer on my wheel!  I got very nervous and worried I was not going to be able to complete the race. I was desperate, so I asked a police officer on the course if he knew how to put my front wheel back on!  Fortunately he did, but I spent the remainder of the bike worrying if my wheel was going to fall off.  I even asked a guy I was riding by if it looked like my wheel was going to come off---he must have thought I was crazy!  Needless to say, I am not a bike mechanic (fortunately my husband is), but I have come a long way since my triathlon journey has begun!!!

Remember the important part of the destination is the journey!  Have fun while along the way while you prepare for the race and don�t sweat the small stuff!  If you have any questions at all about racing, training, nutrition, etc. I would be glad to help out.  Feel free to email me at sarah@sarahhaskins.com or sahaskins@hotmail.com.

9)       If you could customize your vehicle to suit your lifestyle as a professional triathlete, what would you have done to it?

If I could make the Toyota Camry Hybrid custom to an elite triathlete, I would make sure to have a bike rack on the car, so that transporting my bike around town would be made easier.  I would have a CD player and DVD video screen for possible road trips.  A navigational system would be a necessity for me, especially with my poor directional skills, for when I am traveling to a new city and need to find the race site, pool training location, hotel, etc. 

A sun glass holder that is designed to hold my running, cycling, and casual Rudy Project sun glasses. 

Leather seats because they are more durable and often I am getting in and out of the car sweaty and dirty.  In addition, the leather is also easier to clean. 

Heated leather seats would be a perfect addition after leaving a swim practice in the cold of winter.

A rubber trunk liner would be perfect to keep all the muddy shoes and gear from dirtying the floor of the trunk.

This ends the Questionnaire section.