Firstly, I will continue to be a Zooter! I have raced on the Zoot Ultra Team for the last 2 years and really enjoyed it. The people on the team have always been friendly and supportive. This year I will be switching over to the elite squad. The people that work for Zoot are really great and always helpful with equipment questions. I was having trouble with the fit of one of their shoes and their shoe engineer gave me some tips as well as other shoe options among their line. I've been really excited in the last year with the new shoes they have coming out. I started doing the majority of my training in the Tempo trainer. I find that it is substantial enough to withstand the high mileage (I have 300 miles on a pair right now and they barely look worn), but it is still pretty light and I don't feel like I'm wearing a "training" shoe per se. I do half ironman and below in the Kiawe. The Kiawe is very light and responsive and fits the mid part of the foot very snug while keeping the toe box relatively open. This is important in a shoe for me since narrow toe boxes cause problems with numbness in my feet. I feel like I'm not even wearing shoes when I have these on and I can fly. I use the Tempo for Ironman distance races, because coming off a 112 mile bike, my form is probably not perfect and it has just a little bit of stability to aid in any deficiencies in my form. Beyond their shoes, Zoot has some great other stuff. Their compression is the best I've ever used, and very very appreciated after a long day of training. It's so comfy I don't even care about the strange looks I get grocery shopping in my tights after a long run. The prophet wetsuit is flexible in the shoulders and buoyant in all the rights spots to keep me streamlined in the water. Since I don't come from a swimming background, I appreciate all the help I can get in the water! Zoot's running and cycling clothing is comfortable and light. The megaheat layers have been keeping me very comfortable this winter, even in chilly RI. Their running and triathlon tops fit so well that I haven't even worried about buying body glide. I'm excited to see what they have cooking this year and am glad I get to keep training and racing in their gear.
Final Kick Sports in Virginia Beach, VA has brought Brian and I on for the 2014 season. They are a local triathlon and running store. Every time I walk in there I get a happy greeting and am always glad to chat for a few minutes at the end of a long run in the park. Whenever I see the owner, Jim, at a race he always greets me with a hug and a "good job" no matter how I did. Their bike mechanic, Wick, has been helping us to get dialed in on bike choices for the 2014 season and hopefully we will be showing off some new rigs soon. Final Kick supports a pretty large triathlon and running training group. The whole group is fun and positive, and I love being able to make it out for a workout or a cold beer with everyone. I'm looking forward to a fun season with them.
Infinit Nutrition has also brought me on for the 2014 season. I was having trouble with nutrition throughout the 2013 season so wanted to try something different. In the past I had difficulty balancing my electrolytes, as well as getting in the right amount of calories. Infinit makes custom formulas for individual athletes. I made an appointment with one of their dieticians and she talked with me for a little while to learn more about me and then developed both run and bike formulas specific to my needs. The greatest part is that if I am not feeling something, I can change it! For instance, I did my long ride this weekend with the bike formula. I was skeptical whether this only liquid thing would work for me. However, the carbs and protein the use are designed to be more slow releasing. Despite taking in less calories, I did not get hungry like I was all last season at the end of rides! Since I concentrate bottles, the flavor was still slightly too high for me (I like it really light), but all I need to do is fire off a quick email and that can be changed! It's seriously awesome. If I find I need more sodium for hotter races, I can change that too, and I can adjust the calories if needed. I'm excited to dial in my blends and use them for training and racing this year. I also want to try the Napalm, which is their equivalent to gels. It would allow me to carry a bit less on the run. Other favorites among their products so far are Nocturne, Repair and Mud. Nocturne is a nighttime recovery drink. I have mentioned before that during hard weeks I often wake up in the middle of the night to eat a snack. Nocturne has really helped with that because it has slow releasing carbs and protein to stay fuller and aid in recovery, as well as tryptophan to promote sound sleeping. Repair is a delicious chocolate recovery drink mix with a great blend of protein and carbs. Mud is a super yummy chocolate/coffee drink for before or after a workout. I look forward to waking up for swims now so I can have some Mud! Oh and did I mention that Infinit doesn't put any unneeded stuff in their mixes? Like artificial sweeteners and artificial colors? It's awesome stuff.
Ghent Chiropractic is located on 21st St in Norfolk, VA and has supported Brian and I for the last few years. I went in their a few years ago with bad IT band syndrome. I could barely walk without pain and was not hopeful about my chances of competing that season. Dr. Clayton is skilled at a few types of Active Release Technique (ART) and got to work on it right away. Within two weeks of starting treatment, I was back to normal training. I really like that Ghent Chiropractic looks at the whole picture. In addition to the adjustments, they also look at flexibility, balance, muscle tightness/pain and nutrition. Due to my high volume/intensity of training, I go in once a week. Each visit starts off with Dr. Clayton asking if anything is bugging me. If something is, he pays extra close attention to it and works it out. He also often finds little areas of tightness that haven't started to bother me yet. He works them out before they can become a problem. If I have something that is a bit of a recurring issue, he helps me to figure out what might be causing it and gives me stretching and strengthening suggestions to do at home. In addition to the great care that we get from them, everyone that works at Ghent Chiropractic is extremely pleasant and friendly. I enjoy chatting with Dr. Clayton just as much as I enjoy chatting with the ladies that man the reception area. You can often see Ghent Chiropractic at local race expos taping up athletes, and I highly suggest going over and chatting with them, if they can help you half as much as they have helped me you will be in good shape.
Team Atomica is the coaching company that my coach Tara Norton works for, and is headed up by Ayesha Rollinson. I LOVE being coached by Tara. I have seen such a huge improvement over the last 2 years and know that I have so many more barriers that I can break through with her help. I was telling our friend Mike that I love a workout that scares me a little, and Tara definitely delivers. She challenges me weekly but never gives me more than I can handle. She helps me to balance being a full time PhD student, puppy mom, wife and professional triathlete. She is always available if I have any questions or concerns or just to chat about how cute her little daughter or my puppies are :P Tara and Team Atomica are going to be heading up several camps this year and I'm really hoping to make it to one. The first is Epic Woman Camp in Lanzarote in February and then Epic Woman Camp in Kona. She gave me my own little epic camp last year to do in Chesapeake, VA and as awesome as it was to push the limits of endurance for a week, it would be wayyyyy more fun in one of those locations with friends and massage and great food. Tara has made some excellent changes to my training program this winter and I am already seeing the difference. My schedule for the 2014 season is looking to be pretty awesome and I can't wait for her to guide me through it.
I was soooo excited to find out that Biotta Naturals would be sending me some juice. As a scientist, I always skeptical of huge claims that something will increase your ability. I started looking into the beet juice claim and read the research (yes there is actually research on exercise and beet juice!) and was pretty impressed. I started using it before hard rides and although there are many factors, I've been seeing improvements in my cycling. I then started drinking it before races. The only problem with drinking it before races, is that I had to travel with it in a mason jar. Biotta has sent me these sweet bottles of beet juice that not only taste better than my homemade juice, but are also easy to throw in my pack to bring to races or training trips. Now to just keep from drinking it all at once :)
