December Giving Every Mile a Meaning!!!!

Nov, 25 2011
By Sarah Haskins
Events, Life
2 comments

Now that the 2011 season has come to a close, it is the time of year to visit with friends and family, enjoy the Holiday Season and get ready to plan for the 2012 year. As Thanksgiving Day just passed, I realize I have so much to be thankful for; including my health, family, friends and happiness. Watching my nieces and nephews grow so quickly before my eyes is another reminder of how quickly life can pass you by if you don’t stop and smell the roses once and awhile.

This Thanksgiving was spent in Minnesota and Christmas will be spent in Missouri. In December I will begin to start my official training for the 2012 season, but will also remember to live every moment and enjoy the process. With such a big year approaching and Olympic Trials in May, it’s easy to get wrapped into tunnel vision so early in the season, but I want to make sure to enjoy the holidays, enjoy time with family and be sure to give each moment in training and life 100%.

The holiday time is also the time to give back. I want to give back to others, including my personal charities that I support; Train for Autism, Jenny’s Light and the Alzheimer’s Foundation. For every mile that I swim, bike and run the month of December I am going to donate one dollar, split evenly between my three charities. I will post updates on my Sarah Haskins Triathlete FB page and @sarahhaskinstri twitter and will post updates on my progress. Getting the miles in this time of year can be tough with cold temperatures and the need for trainer rides. It will be an added bonus for me knowing that every mile I cover in water or land will be contributing towards helping others. I invite others to join me on my December quest and help me donate to the charities I support. Top three mileage recorders will l receive a gift package from my personal sponsors; including, TYR, Fuji, Mission AthleteCare, First Endurance, Rudy Project, ISM Adamo, and Zipp. Of course, any donation amount is appreciated! We are all on the honor’s system! Let’s get moving! True joy is in giving rather than in receiving.

Official Rules:

To take part you have to donate one dollar for every mile you complete during the month of December to be eligible for the prizes. However, any donation amount is greatly appreciated and welcomed.
All milage must be recorded and shared daily to “Sarah Haskins Triathlete Face Book Fan Page”.
Every Sunday there will be a Spread sheet with milage from participants for standings on www.sarahhaskins.com it will be twittered and FaceBooked also.
All checks are made out to the charity organizations of your choice or any combination of the three (Jenny’s Light, Train for Autism, and Alzheimer’s Foundation of America) and are mailed to Sarah Haskins at 133 Riggings Way, Clermont, FL 34711.
The top three individuals with the highest miles for the month of December will win a sponsor prize package.
Miles will begin at 12:01AM on December 1st and end 11:59PM on December 31st.
Official results will be announced on January 15th, 2012. Preliminary winners will be announced on January 2nd.
To guarantee eligibility for prizes, checks for the charity donation must be post marked by January 5th.

“First Things First”: First Endurance

First Things First: First Endurance!

The very first thing I do every morning as part of my routine; drinking a glass of water with my FE Mulit-V and Optygen HP products. I like to do this firstthing so that for one I don’t forget to take my supplements, but also so that I’m taking them before my key training sessions of the day. I then think about how many water bottles I need to fill up depending on the length and intensity of my upcoming workouts. I fill my bottles with EFS lemon lime or grape (my favorite flavors), but will also use fruit punch (Nate’s favorite) if necessary and I am out of my top two flavors. Some people in the past have complained to me about the strong taste or flavor of many electrolytes drinks. The mild flavor (especially in the grape) is one of my favorite aspect’s of the EFS drink. Not to mention, the additional electrolytes compared to other brands to help me stay hydrated. If my workout is easy or I’m just about to head to the airport, I will often fill my bottles with half strength or quarter strength EFS since I will not need a full serving of electrolytes or calories to keep my hydration levels up.

When I head out for longer workouts (duration 2.5 hours or longer), I know I need to be prepared nutritionally…or else my training will suffer. Especially mid-season, when the heat and humidity are at it’s peak, keeping hydrated can be just as tough as the workout. Many Sunday mornings this year, Nate and I spent time filling up eight or nine water bottles with a mix of EFS, plain water, Ultragen, and a couple gel flasks. We pile everything into the cooler and are set nutritionally for the next four to five hours. There is nothing that tastes much better than a cold Ultragen after a hard 3-4 hour workout! It is amazing how much faster my body will recover with the proper nutrition during and post workout.

This is not to say that pro’s know everything…as I am still learning year to year. Earlier this year, I was feeling dizzy and fatigued on my transition runs after a moderately intense 2.5-3 hour ride. My transition runs were only 30-45 minutes, but I just struggled to get through the run. We experimented with taking more gel during the bike, instead of just before the transition run. I would take a swing of gel every 20 minutes of the bike in addition to the two bottles of EFS. After this change, I felt so much better on my runs and the “dizzy” feeling was gone. Don’t be afraid to change up your routine and see

what works best for you!

Now that’s it’s my off season, I have cut dramatically back on my training/racing nutrition products. EFS, gels, OptygenHP, and Ultragen will not be needed until 2012. However, I be sure to stay on top my vitamins to help ward off those winter colds and flues. Even when I travel to see friends and family, I make sure I have packed my Mulit-V or whatever FE product will be needed for that trip! First Endurance is a key component to my success in racing and training. Athletes often forget about the importance of nutrition and how much of an influence good or bad it can have on your performance.

Enjoy the “off-season” and best wishes in your preparations for the 2012 year. I;m stocked, loaded and ready to go for 2012!

Fall Season Update.

Season Update:

The 2011 season is coming to a close. I started my racing season way back in March with a sprint race and it’s hard to believe summer is now changing into fall. I am looking forward to finishing off my season strong with three races over the next four weekends.
The past few weeks, I have enjoyed the time training and not traveling! With a busy October ahead, I knew I needed a little stability in September to finish the season off.
This upcoming Sunday is my fifith and final race in the Race to the Toyota Cup Series. I have had a blast every Series race so far this year and also gotten to watch my family race in a few of the races. My Dad and brother will be racing in the Toyota US Open (Dad’s first Olympic distance). I know we all will be giving it our all out there (along with all the other competitors).
I can’t not think about how different I am feeling from one year ago. Last year I was in attendance at the US Open, cheering and hanging out at the Toyota booth, but I was injured with a calf tear. The injury occurred in the middle of September, and I was hoping that after a couple weeks off, I would be able to finish out the series. No such luck, it was an eight week injury off running. I got to see the race from a different perspective; cheering from the sidelines. The hardest part was watching the awards ceremony, watching alone among the crowd and shedding some tears. It hurt knowing my heart and mind wanted to be there, but my body would not allow. As any athlete can tell you, an injury is tough, more mentally than physically, but it also makes you appreciate all the moments when your body is healthy and ready to compete. Those tears I shed through my past injuries reaffirm that we are not invincible. Overcoming those tough times and getting back to form is the biggest testament of an athlete. I am so thankful my body has been injury free this year and I am ready to step up to the start line going to defend my 2009 title. I know that I can’t take any win or race for granted and however the upcoming outcome; I will be proud knowing I gave my best effort and thankful my body is allowing me to race this time around.
After Dallas, I will be staying in Texas for a few days before heading to my second World Cup of the year in Huatulco, Mexico. This race is TOUGH! Not to mention a 20% grade hill 8x, but topple that with 100 degree heat index. I am looking forward to seeing the Ocean, but will have to remember my sunblock! I competed several years ago and had a tough time gripping my bars on the bike because of the high humidity, so I am going to try some Mission Ultra Grip pre-race to curb that problem.
After Mexico, it’s back home for a week before I head back to Mexico for Pan American Games. I am excited to represent USA and hope to be back on the podium again (Silver in 2007). I am grateful for this opportunity and better brush up on my Espanol with my two trips to Mexico in October.
Best Wishes to all and the end of your season! And to those already in your off-season…ENJOY!

Sarah Haskins Talks with David & Elliott at TalkZone.Com Chicago Sports and Torts

July 21, 2011

Sarah, Mike & Verne

David & Elliott welcome 2008 Olympian and 2011 World Cup winner, professional triathlete Sarah Haskins. She is getting set to compete in the Life Time Chicago Triathlon, one of the world’s largest triathlons, taking place Sunday, Aug. 28. Sarah has won the Chicago Triathlon the past 2 years! Plus – sportscasting legend Verne Lundquist and Cy Young Award Winning PitcherMike McCormick.

Episode Segments:


Sports & Torts: Sarah Haskins Sarah has won the Chicago Triathlon two years in a row, and is going for the three-peat. We get the lowdown on the life of a professional triathlete, her training regiment, her dreams of returning to the Olympics.