Kelownagurl - The Interview

Once again I am so lucky to have another interview with another top Blogger,Podcaster and fellow runner .She has the brilliant and popular blogpost http://kelownagurl.blogspot.com/ and podcast http://kelownagurltris.blogspot.com/ .

I give you Kelownagurl...

Hi Barbara...

Podcasting, Blogging, Training and a family. How does that all fit into a week?

I guess the two main reasons I have time to fit in the podcasting is that I don’t watch TV at all, and I only have one child left at home now. My son is now 12 and he’s pretty independent after school. I can leave school right away and do my training and then go back to school later in the evening to prep for the next day. On weekends, he’s at his Dad’s house so I can be pretty selfish and make the weekend “me” time. My husband is very active as well so we work our weekends around our training schedules. Once in awhile, we get errands, housework and yard work done too.  I recently started running in the morning before work and I’m enjoying that but I have to be more organized the night before. September and June are tough because I get very busy at school and can’t find time to train as much. Summers off work well for training though!

How long does the Podcast take to record and edit?

If I only have to record once, it takes me about 60-90 minutes to record the show. Then it takes 90+ minutes to listen to, find music, and edit it. Once it’s done, I put it in my ipod and listen to it again but I can usually do housework or something while I do that. The upload to mevio takes about 20 minutes and while it uploads, I create the show notes. So on a good day – about 4 hours. Every 2nd or 3rd show, I hate what I recorded and I do it over so that adds another hour or two onto the job.

What time of day do you find best for trainings?

Ideally, about 2 hours after I get up. My favourite time to train is Saturday or Sunday morning after a good sleep and a leisurely breakfast.

How and when did you get into Triathlons?

I started cycling to lose weight in 2006. I fell in love with cycling and bought a road bike within a few months. My husband is a strong cyclist and he encouraged me all along the way. Because I always rode with a man, I became a strong biker pretty quickly but I found there was no real way to compete in cycling, particularly at my age. I also started to think about running. I’d always said I couldn’t run. I started to think that if I could bike, maybe I could run too. So in January of 2007, I did a couch to 5 k program and ran my first 5k race in June.

That fall, I went down to watch a friend do Ironman Canada and when I saw Sister Madonna Buder cross the finish line in her 80’s, I thought to myself, if she could do that, I can too. I just needed to learn to swim. All fall I thought about it and then in January 2008, I signed up for 3 private swimming lessons at the YMCA. I was self-coached and I did my first sprint triathlon in August of 2008!

Out of the three Triathlon disciplines, Cycling, Swimming and Running, which is your favourite?

That’s a tough call – I’ve always said cycling is my favourite - for sure, it’s what I do best, but I have this sick love of running despite the fact that I’ve been plagued with injuries. I rarely miss a run unless I’m injured. My happiest day was doing my first 2 hour run last month....

…And least favourite?

Swimming. Definitely swimming. I am an ok swimmer now and I don’t mind it at all once I’m in the water. In fact, I kind of like swimming while I’m doing it - it can be very ‘zen” but long swims get boring even with intervals and my SwiMP3. But I absolutely despise getting into the water. It’s always too cold. And I hate getting out and trudging to the gross change rooms to shower, and get dressed and have dripping wet hair and goggle marks on my face. Ugh.

What type of bike do you use for your races?

I ride a 2008 Trek Madone 5.1. Full carbon, ultegra components. It’s a beautiful, light, fast bike. I still have clipon aerobars and MT Bike shoes but I’m happy with them both – I ride in the city a lot and it’s hilly here so I really don’t have any need of a tri bike.

Do you use the same bike for training?

Yes I do. I still have my first road bike, a 2006 Giant OCR,1 that I used to use on the trainer, but I love my Madone so much that I used it on the trainer all winter this year. I guess I should think about selling the Giant....

How do you find the transitions in a race, any tips you’ve learnt for speedier changes?

Hmm, practice practice practice. And then practice some more. In my last race, I went into transition and STILL forgot to hit the lap button on my Garmin as I left.

Speed laces are handy for your running shoes. I didn’t bother with them on my last race and found I was a bit slow in tying my shoes.

For a short race, practice riding in bike shoes without socks. I do not get blisters so you may not either. I do get blisters when running sockless but I find it’s a lot easier to put my socks on my feet after the bike, than after the run.

Put your socks on, roll them all the way off your feet and tuck them in your shoes. They go on much faster that way.

Let water into the neck of your wetsuit just before you get out and then unzip and pull your arms out right away, before you get to transition.

Why Triathlon and not focus on just one of the disciplines?

Mainly, because I like to compete. As I said earlier, there isn’t much opportunity for women my age to compete in cycling. The two main cycling races are Time Trials and Criteriums. TT’s are ok because they are solo races. We do have a local TT but it’s a bit intimidating and I’d be the only woman my age there. In a crit, you need to race with other cyclists, in a pack, which takes a lot of skill and can be dangerous. Unless you’re very good, you can’t really compete with serious bikers at my age.

I do compete in running and I plan to do more road races this year. However, I’d never give up my bike so I’ll always have to have at least two sports.

(I wouldn’t have a chance competing in swimming.)

What is the longest Triathlon that you have done?

So far, I have done 4 Sprint Triathlons (750m swim, 20km bike, 5km run). They are the shortest event and can be a great starting point for beginners, but can also be a very intense, competitive race as well. I take my races very seriously and race a sprint hard. In my race this past weekend, I came in first in my age group and was about 5 minutes ahead of the next woman in my group. However, to be fair, many of the other women were beginners doing their first race so it’s still me against my last time more than anything else.

Back to your question – I am training for a Half Ironman on June 6th. It will be a 2000m swim, 93km bike, and 21.1 km run. This will be a big jump for me. I will have no trouble with the swim or bike – I’ve done those distances many times. The run will be my biggest challenge, particularly doing a half marathon after the 93 km bike ride. Should be interesting!

Why do you exercise?

I started exercising to lose weight and I lost a little over 20 lbs that first year. After that, I exercised to keep the weight off. But more than that, I LOVE the endorphin rush I get from hard exercise – I think I am addicted to it. I also love the sense of satisfaction in doing things I never thought were possible for me. It’s a mental challenge as well as a physical challenge.

What are your three favourite songs to train to?

These change a lot but currently I love to listen to:

“The Middle” by Jimmy Eat World.

“I Gotta Feeling “ by the Black Eyed Peas

Anything from the “Goodbye Blue Monday” album by Jeremy Fisher

If you are away on holiday do you still train?

Yes, I usually do but not as much. I can usually fit in the runs when I’m away but rarely the swims. Often our holidays include cycling anyway. Last summer, my husband and I spent 2 weeks on a self-supported biking trip in France. I think I went for a run or two while I was there. We usually take our bikes on shorter local trips but I have to admit that cycling is more recreational than training when I’m on holiday.

It’s a cold Canadian wet dark morning. How do you motivate yourself to get up and get out there?

I love running in any weather so it’s never an issue. I just bundle up and go. The coldest I’ve run in is -15C. If it was a lot colder than that and I had an important run to do, I’d go to the gym on the treadmill but I’ve only run on a treadmill once in my life. The worse the weather, the tougher I feel when I get back.

Biking - I cycle on a trainer indoors between November and February.

Swimming – I always have to force myself to go for a swim, in any kind of weather.

Who are your inspirations? (Famous or people that you know).

Sister Madonna Buder – she’s a triathlete in her 80’s now. She didn’t start triathlon until she was in her 50’s and she’s amazing!

I’m also very inspired by regular people who have pushed the boundaries and tried things that they’ve never thought possible. My mantra – It’s never too late to be who you might have been!”

What’s the best Sports book that you’ve ever read and got the most out of?

I guess I’d have to say Joe Friel’s book The Triathlete’s Training Bible. If you’re into serious training and can handle to complex jargon, it’s an excellent book. I’d also highly recommend Slow Fat Triathlete by Jayne Williams for anyone who’s never done a triathlon.

Do you have a favourite brand of Sports wear, For example do you always by the same brand of trainers.

I love Sugoi cycling gear and I own a LOT of it. This year, I became a Sugoi Brand Champion and I’m happy to endorse their products.

I have two pairs of running shoes that work for me – my New Balance 1063’s and my Newtons. I am still transitioning to the Newtons but so far, I love them.

...And finally, After all the hard work of training is done, what is your favourite treat you reward yourself with?

Red wine and chocolate!!