IM 70.3 St. George- US Pro Champs- 15th Place Report

My first US Pro Championship is behind me and while I had a higher finish in mind, I am still looking at this race as a success, a move towards that goal.

Overlooking St. George from Red Hills Parkway

Ignoring my cold two days prior to race

Since Friday the week before the race I had not been feeling well. Sore throat, cough keeping me up at night, general fatigue and a stuffy nose/ sinus pressure from hell starting the day we left. Brandon and I made the trip from Boulder by car to St. George for the 3rd year in a row because it is usually just such a pretty drive. With our crazy spring snow storms however; we were forced to leave a day early to avoid getting stuck in the mountains, due to a huge mess that had been forecasted for our departure day. Luckily for us, we had no issues and were glad to be out before the snow started coming down.

Photoshoot with my bike and gear @ Snow Canyon

Since the first day of feeling sick, I made sure to overload on vitamins and get enough rest. There really isn't a magic formula to getting a cold out of your system once it's in, so I tried not to stress too much and hoped to be OK come race day. Low and behold, the day before the race my stuffy nose, irritated chest, and most other symptoms started to disappear and I started coming around to feeling back to normal by the day's end. So glad my immune system decided to cooperate!

Pros on stage at the Welcome Mixer

I was invited to do a photo shoot in beautiful Snow Canyon with the AtoZion crew, who also invited me to speak at the welcome mixer later that night. It's always nice to connect with the age groupers, especially since my mom and Mark, and Brandon were all racing as well.

Onto the race. Being a Pro Championship, big names were to be expected. But over 40 women, including Olympians, World Champs, 70.3 and IM Champs were all in the mix, making the pro meeting just a tad intimidating! I felt pretty confident about the course, knowing that I had done a full Ironman on the course before, and in the harshest conditions at that. I may not be able to replicate my past results here, but at least I would know the course in and out. I was ready for whatever conditions would come my way, as I have come to learn the weather is unpredictable in St. George :)

Coming out the water finally. Photo: Santiago Photography

The Swim- It would be one of the fastest swims ever, especially at the start. With numerous ITU swimmers, as well as a ton of fast long course fish, I knew I would need to go completely anaerobic to try and stay with people. The water was cold but bearable and my Zoot Wetsuit did a nice job of keeping me warm and giving me enough room to expand my chest. As the gun sounded, I swam as hard as I possibly could to try and stay on feet, but after a hundred yards or so, those feet were way ahead and I was in no man's land. (yet again). Focus on the positive, Uli, focus on the positive. I kept reminding myself of this and that I had a bike leg and a run leg to go, and that the water was the calmest it had ever been for this race and that I just would have to do this swim solo and try to cover the damage later on.

And so I swam alone, seeing a few arms flailing up in front every time I sighted, but too far to catch. I came out of the water, checked around me and got to my bike with only one other racked. Yep, I had my work cut out for me. My swim wasn't pedestrian slow, but without a pack, it had become another solo effort expending energy I could have saved for the bike. But here really was no time for a pity party, the race had only yet begun.

Trying to make the most of the early flat sections. Photo: Larry Rosa

The Bike- I was looking forward to this leg the most, as the course has to be the most spectacular bike course ever. Snow Canyon is so breathtaking, pictures don't do it justice. Coming out of T1 I had the road to myself. I passed a couple of girls before exiting the park and then picked off more one by one, working my way up to a small pack, something I have never managed before. I can't say enough good things about my BMC TM01, it handled like a road bike and gave me the confidence to go fast on every downhill. I also debuted my HED disc, which worked out great, especially on the numerous downhills.

Climb up Snow Canyon

Ofcourse there were hills on this course, but to me, and maybe others who have raced here before, it didn't compare to the difficulty of the old Ironman course. Snow Canyon was a nice climb, but gradual, with just a little bit of a steeper section on top. The old "wall" was a whole different animal :)

Something I tried to pay extra attention to for this race was my nutrition. Having recently done some good training with Sonja Tajsich, I picked her brain about race fueling and we concluded I need more calories on the bike. I made a conscious effort to eat my Powergels every 20 min to half hour, and not just when I felt like I needed them. I needed to have energy for that run! It was hard to get it all down, I will need to train my stomach a little more, but I did eat more than at Oceanside and I felt 100x better heading out on the run course!

The Run- I had T2 all to myself, and got in and out as quick as I could, although I am sure this could be trimmed down some more. I felt decent, had more nutrition on me for the run and was ready to tackle the beast (aka Red Hills Parkway). I debuted my Zoot Kiawe's on this run and really couldn't feel them at all, super light shoes. I made sure they had pink laces in them to match my kit. (although I'm really not a pink person, but a girl's gotta match!) In these races I never really know what place I am in, and only know of the girls I previously passed. Those included fast runners, and I knew I could not afford to slow down or I'd lose my place.

On the run at Pioneer Park. Photo: Kevin Koresky

The aid stations were great as always, volunteers bending over backwards to get you what you needed. When I appeared too slow on an uphill, I was reminded "not to give up now, I am almost done." Thanks guys, for not letting me walk! The climb up to Red Hills Parkway hurt, but I kept reminding myself I only rode 56mi, not 112. It felt better that way. Soon after, the pro men started coming back into town the other way, seemed like a really fast race for them! I made up some more ground, hydrated and fueled as best as I could, but noticing my mid back starting to seize up. My lungs didn't feel too great either, but both were ignored as I. just. wanted. to. get. to. that. finish. I saw my mom zip by on the bike (she got 4th in her AG!), as well as Mark, screaming at me as I could not return the favor (sorry, I was going 2mph up Red Hills :)),  Brandon was not too far behind me now (with having a ten minute later start), he was clearly having an amazing race.

Coming down Diagonal Street, I was trying to open up my stride as it was a slight downhill, but I couldn't close the gap to 14th place, fellow Boulder pro Whitney, and she finished just over 30 sec ahead. I crossed the line in 15th place. (just a few minutes before Brandon did to take second in his AG and 4th Amateur overall. )

Initially, I felt a little disappointed, but after looking over the results, seeing the company I was in, I am happy with my race. I was also sick for a week, which affected my training and taper, so really, I am pretty satisfied with how my day turned out. My bike and run fitness are there, I could have been top 10 with that. My swim held me back, but rest assured, I am working on that! I am more determined than ever to hold onto those feet in front of me. I will be back to race again next year, love this event! And now that the secret is out, I bet a lot more athletes feel the same way. Big Congrats to Meredith on her impressive win over such a deep field! Showing us how it's done!

A big thank you to my support crew who allow me to race fast and help me reach my maximum potential. I feel so lucky to be racing on BMC's TM01, my confidence has gone up tremendously on this bike, HED wheels for helping me be even more aero and faster, ZOOT for the great looking, technical race apparel and footwear, RUDY PROJECT for the best eyewear and aero head protection, and POWERBAR for my training and race nutrition. I am realizing that  nutrition is the 4th, and perhaps most important discipline and I am grateful I got it covered with the wide range of Powerbar products. Also, thanks to ROCKTAPE for the best athletic tape out there. Thank you everyone for your continued belief in me and your support on and off the race course!

Next up will be Boise 70.3, a race I have done every year since turning pro in 2009. I will follow it up with my first Ironman of the year at Coeur D'Alene. June will be busy, time to get this recovery over with and get back to work. Hopefully spring is here to stay!

Thanks for reading. Train hard and race smart :)

Snow Canyon again, because it's so awesome.

Season Opener- Oceanside 70.3

Last weekend marked the first time of me racing in California. I have always wanted to race Oceanside 70.3, and this year it fit well into my schedule so I decided to throw myself in the ring and race one of the strongest 70.3 fields ever. Plus, I'd have the chance to meet some of my new sponsors as well.

Pre- riding the course. Love this bike.

My prep leading into Oceanside was good, as good as you can get with riding the trainer and doing brick runs in the snow. My swims were coming along, my bike fitness was good for this time of year, I felt that I had a good run base with good mileage and some speed sprinkled in over the winter months. Trying to stay realistic with my first half since last August and first race of the year, I just wanted to get a good starting point to my fitness and most importantly, get a race under my belt before St. George 70.3 in May. I had missed a few training weekends due to family trips, but that's life, and I wasn't going to stress about that.

Women Pros lining up at the start

Brandon and I arrived late Thursday night in Oceanside and were greeted by our wonderful home stay family. The next day was spent doing some short pre race efforts, driving the bike course and checking out the water, and the usual pro meeting. (I have never seen a room this packed, had to be close to 100 pros.) I tried my best to stay hydrated and fueled but the day was so jam packed, it was easy to forget those important little details. After a good filling dinner prepared by our home stay, we were off to bed.

This race would also give me the chance to test out all my new equipment, and I mean almost everything. I received my BMC TM01 on Tuesday and took it for 2 rides pre race (luckily, this bike fits me like a glove!), along with my new HED race wheels, wore my new Zoot wetsuit only once in the pool, had a new kit and new shoes to run in. I tried not to think about this, as it could have been a little overwhelming!

The gun went off and I got pummeled at the start of the swim, but was able to find a smooth spot and get going in a good rhythm right away. It was one of the more enjoyable swims I have had in awhile, thanks in big part to a comfortable fitting wetsuit that allowed my chest to expand to get enough air in. I  didn't realize how much of a difference a good fitting wetsuit can make until I started swimming in Zoot. Besides getting a few grabs on my feet ( I was pulling a small train), the swim was pretty uneventful and I was happy to exit the water to the screams of spectators and athletes alike.

Onto the bike I knew from driving the course the day prior that this leg was anything but flat. I settled in to a good position right away and chipped away, trying to control my effort, yet trying to bridge the gaps to the girls up ahead. I passed a few of them early on but most of the ride was spent riding solo. The back stretch of the course on Camp Pendleton proved to be pretty tough- headwinds and hills, with a few pretty significant climbs that had me wishing for an extra gear. I had a hard time taking nutrition as I just wasn't feeling "hungry" at all. My hydration was good, a sip every few minutes, but I certainly should have known to force myself to eat more, as all I got down were two powergels the entire ride. Back to T2 proved to be a series of twisty turns and sharp corners, but I made it back in one piece, taking note of the sun that was now out in full force.

Great shot, thanks Shay Johnson/ TriLounge. 

Since the transition racks weren't marked for this race, I had a tricky time trying to find a spot to rack my bike near my transition bag. After squeezing in and slipping on my Zoot Ultra TT's, I set out for the 13.1mi run, the part of the race that should be my forte, my chance to catch people. Just like getting into T2, exiting T2 was a series of twisty turns to get into the flow of traffic on the relatively narrow run course. I fell in right behind the leading men as they were finishing up their first lap. The run course was much more challenging than advertised I thought, or maybe it was just my perceived effort in a depleted state. As I got going, I immediately felt off. I was getting pretty hot and used every aid station to ingest as many fluids as possible. I got a glimpse of the women ahead and they looked good. Nobody seemed to be slowing and no one looked like they were struggling with the temps.

Feeling the heat

I finished my first lap not knowing any splits since I saw no mile markers on course. Brandon told me I looked great, if only he knew how I felt, ha. I was getting some goose bumps at this point and felt like pulling over, rather than trotting on. Engine fail. It took a lot of inner self talk to get that run done, and I managed to get passed by two other women less than a mile to go- I simply had nothing. My thoughts from certain goals quickly turned to survival and crossing the line. I finished 19th, not a place I am particularly proud of, but under the circumstances I can't complain. I wanted a chance to test myself early season, and I got to do that against some of the best in the sport. I know what I need to do before my next big race, the US Pro Champs at St. George next month. It's a race I can't wait for; it holds a special place in my heart. Until then I hope to get some good weather in Boulder to take the TM01 on some journeys up in the mountains. The bare trees and brown grass around here remind me that it's still early and that the year ahead is long. The next four weeks will be head down and nose to the grind stone, as I prepare for St. George.

Big thanks to my better half for coming along on this trip, our home stay family who went out of their way to show us around and make us feel comfortable,  BMC for getting me on a TM01 for my first race; I can't wait to unleash on this bike this season. Thanks to HED wheels for allowing me to go even faster, next up, start riding that disc! Thanks to ZOOT for outfitting me in some hot and functional gear, Rudy Project for the head and eye protection, and Powerbar for my training and race nutrition. Special Thanks to Candice at XLAB for having some bottle cages ready for me to put on the new bike. And to all those cheering for me near and far, thanks! I appreciate it so much. Here's to great things to come this season, thanks for the test drive, Oceanside!

San Diego Skyline post race

Training/ Racing/ Sponsor Update

With just one week to go until my first race of the year,  it seems like time kind of flew by since my last blog post after IMAZ. Since then I've had some good down time, ramped up my training again (but kept the lid on it so far, long season ahead!) and even got in a few running races, which I love to do in the offseason as they are great workouts and help to whip my running into shape. I signed up for a local race series consisting of a 5k, 10k and half marathon, spread out over three months- Dec, Jan and Feb. I  placed 5th in the 5k just three weeks post IMAZ, 2nd in a very hilly 10k, and managed a win at the half just two weeks later. Races at altitude hurt a lot, but I tell myself it will make sea level racing a bit easier :)

I have also worked hard to establish my sponsorship support and this year I am beyond excited to have the support of the following companies so far:

BMC- I will be riding BMC bikes this season and my race bike will be the TM01. I can't wait to get on this super fast race machine and take my bike leg to the next level.






HED- I finally have some race wheels! HED wheels is supporting me this year with the HED Jet 6 and 9 as well as a disc. I have never ridden a disc before and cannot wait to reap the rewards of going super aero!

ZOOT- Happy to say that I have Zoot's support in terms of wetsuit, apparel and shoes for this season. They are an original triathlon specific company and everything they make is designed with this in mind.   One of the oldest running tri brands out there- proud to be part of the Tribe!



POWERBAR- I am once again lucky to be part of Team Elite and use the largest variety of sports nutrition available. Look for Powerbar's new Energy Blends, all natural and so yummy!

RUDY PROJECT- Since turning pro in 2009, Rudy Project has been supporting me with helmets and sunglasses. Their designs and technology just keep improving and I will be riding in their gear again this year.


All I need to do is train hard and race fast! I am beyond thankful for the support from these companies. Speaking of racing, I have a tentative schedule up on the website (www.ulibromme.com) and will be kicking off my season next weekend at Oceanside 70.3. I have never raced in CA so this will be a great season opener, especially since the field will be stacked. I  plan on going back to St. George and racing the US Pro Champs there (70.3 this year) in May. My first Ironman of the year will be IM Coeur d'Alene in June- a race that has been on my radar for the past few years. My mom will be joining me there, she will race her second full IM. I also plan on returning to Mont Tremblant in August, which is the US Pro Championship for IM this year. It's my favorite IM on the circuit and I can't wait to be back! The goal is Vegas and Kona, so depending on how the points stand, my schedule might get adjusted later in the year.

Here is to a successful and injury- free 2013! Train hard, but train smart and race happy!

Uli