Chris Thomas is 39 and is one of the longest running members of the  Timex Multisport Team.  This is his 5th time to race here in Kona and continues to be a top contender in his age group.  Chris is the owner of Personal Training Professionals of Southport and is married with 3 sons.  The photo of below was taken earlier this year in the wind tunnel.  Watch for this guy, he is a package of dynamite!

Tim Hola is a 10 yr veteran of the Timex Multisport Team.  He celebrates his 37th birthday today and his 13th Kona appearance.  He works for Power Bar and educates retailers about the nutritional side of the products! I happened to run into Tim and his wife, Niki at bike check; they have 2 sons.  He was as poised as ever.  He is an old pro at this race and experience is a huge benefit when dealing with the relentless elements of the Island.

If you’ve been to Kona, you’ve probably witnessed Tom Schuler, Owner of Team Sports, riding this bike around on race day.  Tom loves this race and with the creative designs by Tristan Brown, Timex Team Manager, the bike looks better than ever this year!

The Timex Multisport Team has a fantastic showing celebrating its 10th anniversary this year with 12 athletes here! Best of luck to all of Team Timex tomorrow!  Kim Hager,  Tim Hola, Stu Fitch, Kelly Fillnow, Dave Orlowski, Susanne Davis, Jackie Arendt, Christopher Thomas, Christine Anderson, Barry Siff, DJ Snyder, Luis Gonzalez.

The Annual Underpants Run is always the Thursday before the race.  It is quite a hoot and a Kona tradition.  I was lucky enough to NOT participate, but  be the one taking the photos! I couldn’t have come across a more classy guy in underwear that were actually bigger than than his Speedo.  Dave Orlowski is an Ironman legend; he is one of the Original Ironman and a member of the Timex Multisport Team!

Later today, I was headed to the Ironman offices with the David Schultz, the VP of Sales, Sport and Military, for Timex.  As we were chatting with Luis Alvarez Gonzalez, the Ironman TV Crew stopped us in our steps for a little interview.  Its always fun to be both in front of and behind the camera.  Timex Athlete Luis is celebrating 20 years/10 races in Kona and his 79th Ironman finish.  Luis Alvarez Gonzalez is our Timex Team mate from Mexico. Enjoy your training =) www.tristafrancis.com

Just across the way, UCONN, The Korey Stringer Institute and Timex are sponsoring a study  that examines Performance variables and Physiological Responses in Elite Triathletes during a competitive race.  The Timex athletes are participating plus some additional volunteers bringing the total to 30 athletes.  The study checks heat, hydration, nutrition and other related measures.  The photo below is an athlete receiving a whole body sweat washdown.

They will check the sodium content in the sweat in relation to what he is eating and how they match up. During the race, the Timex Global Trainer will provide important data for the study.  In addition,  they will also be taking core temperature of the athletes during the race as well. At the finish, they will have a Recovery Intervention at the finish line where half of the participants will be cooled immediately following and the other half will not.  Piniciple Investigator is Dr. Douglas Casa and Student Researcher is Rebecca  Stearns.  Timex will be receiving feedback for their athletes.

As I was getting ready to head out for the evening, I saw this wonderful women walking back from the expo; I recognized her shirt right away.  She is a volunteer.  This race like every race, would never happen with out the generous giving of time from so many volunteers.  I remember the first year I was here in 2007, having lunch next to the Finish Line Volunteer Coordinators.  They live in Hawi, came down for 3 days for the race and were ready to return home.  At that point, they had been the volunteering at the finish for 18 years.  I reckon, they might just still be doing that. Enjoy your training =) www.tristafrancis.com

Today was my first full day on the Big Island for the 2011 Big Dance!  This is the first year I have been officially in my Off-Season while  here and I already can tell, I am digging the relaxed mind and the Aloha feeling.

I’m staying on the shore this year, and last night, there were some really loud waves! Regardless, I was ready for my first run and swim of the week red eyed and not quite bushy tailed.  After my run and some breaky with my friends here from Australia, Robin Haywood and Susan Langley; we headed to the pier for a swim.  I ran into my Timex Teammate Stu Fitch from Australia!

It is tradition to stop by the wonderful Farmer’s Market on Ali’i Drive and get Island produce for the week. One of my favorite things about this place.  Now my fridge is stocked with Avocados,  Japanese Cucumbers, Mangos, Dragon Fruit and Persimmon. I have a feeling a return trip will be needed soon.

Today finished up with the Parade of Nations, and as usual, Timex distributed a ton of schwag!  Its always fun supporting the brand and interacting with the crowd.  We threw cow bells, water bottles, hats and visors.

More athletes will continue to arrive tomorrow  through Thursday, but there is already a tremendous vibe and World Championship buzz that you can probably feel at your fingertips in all corners of the world…. Enjoy your training =) www.tristafrancis.com

I never in a million years, thought I would travel to Beijing, China.  When I qualified last year at USAT Age Group Nationals, I knew it was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. I was excited to represent the USA, race on the 2008 Olympic Course and  fortunate enough to be able to travel with my great friend, Julie Lyons.  We travel together very well and always have a real good time.

The pollution was a big concern for me.  I had met with Dr. Adinoff to medicate me appropriately so my asthma would have the best chance in such conditions.  The smog the first part of the week was almost unbearable.  The grey sky, no sun, black boogies, was very concerning to me.  The weather took a change for the better and rained. It rained! The morning after, I saw a blue sky.  I had no idea how much I had missed a blue sky.  At this point, I prayed for rain on race day.  I know that adverse conditions separate the weak from the strong and it would also keep the air clear.

Well, it rained on race day! I seemed to be the only one excited about this and I didn’t dare tell anyone that I was the one responsible for it!  The bike was technically challenging and many corners already had padded trees for protection, so I knew I would have to dial the bike back a bit to make sure I didn’t go down.  My swim had a little to be desired, but with it being as cold as it was with no swim warm up, I guess it was good enough.  The bike was a bit sketchy and I almost went down in one of the first turns, but fortunately, my mountain biking skills came to the rescue and with a little luck, I pulled out okay.

I hit the run and felt great!  It was so awesome running in the collosium.  It was a 3 lap run.  On my last lap, I noticed that a girl from Mexico in front of me and was in my age category.  In the last stretch, I tried to catch her and began making gains.  As she turned to head to the shoot, she looked for me.  I had pulled up right behind her.  I decided to make a move to pass her and she quickly caught back up to me and we were running neck and neck.

As we got within 100 meters of the finish, I was worried she might kick it.  I thought to myself, “My children are watching.. GOOOO!” I knew I had to dig deep and find one more notch! I dug…. praying there was something in there… and pulled just ahead… and held… and WON! 

What I didn’t know, is that effort pulled me in for a top 10 finish!  I had only dreamed of this and it now was reality.  I ran solid off the bike for the first time in 2 and 1/2 years post injury.  My A race came together and even though I had some muff ups, like frozen hands that wouldn’t allow me to take off my helmet in a speedy fashion and a few other things due to the cold rain… I had an amazing day, and most importantly, I had fun!

During my time in Beijing, I also was able to tour the Forbidden City with other Team USA athletes as well as the Great Wall! While I was walking the Great Wall, it really hit me where I was.  I yelled to Julie and said.. “Julie, I’M IN CHINA!” Many looked at my as if I were crazy, but at that moment, I had gone back into time and was in a history book.  As a young girl, I remember looking at pictures of the Great Wall of China; and there I was.

I met other amazing athletes from around the world, many of which I will see next year in Auckland, New Zealand. As awesome as the adventure was; I will say, I patted the ground when I landed in Washington, DC. I love America.  Did you hear that… I LOVE AMERICA!  A big thank you to TIMEX, KSWISS and MIX 1 for all the support this season and for the amazing support getting me to Beijing, China: ITU World Championships. I am supported by the best!  Enjoy your training =) www.tristafrancis.com

Sprint Nationals was an interesting race for me, I switched from the Age Group Olympic distance race about 10 days out. It was a noon start which was also interesting for me as well and the first time for this. I anticipated a really great race, as you can tell by the video below, but it didn’t turn out as well as I had hoped. This photo here was taken by Paul Phillips owner of Competitive Image. Great shot!

TIMEX was my first stop of the day.  No surprise here =).  I had been out running earlier that morning and ran past Robin Barsante, the Tech Rep for the Southwest Region in the Timex Ford Flex.  He b,b,b,beeped at me as I ran past him and just made my run!  So fun seeing family in the middle of some random street in Utah!  TIMEX had a prime stop at the front of the expo and it was great to listen to Robin tell all about the new TIMEX RUN TRAINER soft launching in October!

ORBEA was my next stop.  It was so exciting speaking with Tony Karklins about the new Ordu launch for 2012.  It sounds like we might get a preview in about 6 weeks.  I am really anxious to see what the Orbea team has come up with after being a part of the Ordu Focus group a year ago. I have a feeling its going to be SWEET!

SHIMANO/PRO was up next.  It was great speaking with the Shimano Sales Representative and good friend Matt Thompson about the HOT Ultegra Di2 that is hitting the market and will retail for $2283. They also have a NEW XT and Cyclocross Groupo on the mountain side.

ORCA Wetsuits and SwimSkins have to be the best I’ve swam in, hands down.  John here is demonstrating how their new Breakaway Zip System works.  When you flip the zipper up, the zipper pulls apart with with a tug on the fabric.  So fantastic for fast removal of the Skin during transition!  Awesome Orca, I’m loving it!

The TRISHOP.com owner, Scott Par was there taking care of business as usual and I was so excited to run into him at the site.  He has a great online model and there has been good growth since he launched it in partnership with the TIMEX MULTISPORT TEAM in February.  Be sure to check them out for all you online Triathlon needs.

POWERBAR was there with ours truly, Tim Hola.  Always good seeing my peep and Team mate everywhere!  Powerbar has GreenTea Power Gel for 2012 and will bring their Power Gel flavors to 1o now!  I love this stuff as it keeps me moving during my training. Note: Tim and I both sporting our amazing NATIVE EYEWEAR!

I finished up my visit at the Tri America Event hosted at the St. Regis.  I enjoyed this time catching up with friends in the industry and discussing somethings that are up and coming.  Power Tap is launching a synched HR strap that will reflect watts based off HR feedback through any ant+ device for only $200!  I should be getting my hands on one soon, so keep posted!  Also, Contour is a new Sports Camera that has GPS and Bluetooth capabilities and a lower profile than others on the market. Lastly, I spent a lot of time with John Cobb, the founder of the new Cobb Saddles.  I am very excited to be mounting the V Flow on my Ordu to give it a ride as well as getting the brand new SHC Dirt saddle on a Clients MTB 29′er who is at the top of the Amateur Xterra Field.  Stay tuned…

Thanks DealerCamp, I will be back in 2012. Enjoy your training =) www.tristafrancis.com

The 4th of July brought several fun opportunities for the TIMEX FORD EDGE!  I started off in Breckenridge, CO and headed over with my Sister and our families to the Breckenridge 4th of July Parade!

It was quite fitting to be lined up next the the Bicycle Tour of Colorado Stage Race float.  It was fun hanging out talking with all the other entrants.  Many were fascinated with the Timex wrapped Edge!

It was incredibly fun.  There was a lot of support of the TIMEX brand and my crew was able to hand out candy and tell spectators to check out our blogs and www.timexironman.com.  There were over 20,000 in attendance.

Next up was the Firecracker 50 MTB race.  This is a huge race that actually starts along the parade route.  It is a challenging 50 mile race which has as much elevation gain in 50 miles as does the Leadville 100.  It was awesome to be there for the start and send off a client of mine, Matt Perkins.  The Edge was parked where the athletes loop through at Carter Park.  Matt in the photo above ended up having a spectacular race placing 9th in his Category.

After the Parade was finished and the race was well underway, the Timex Ford Edge and I headed down to Boulder for a BBQ at Barry’s house.  It was so enjoyable and relaxing chatting with many of our triathlon friends; Mirinda Carfrae, Julie Dibens, Craig Alexander and family, Tim O’donnell, Christine Anderson, and Kim Hager to name a few.  Well, there is no surprise the NBC IRONMAN showed up for the duration of the party and spoke with a lot of us there.  I am quite sure the Timex Ford Edge will hit the big screen too!

Our last stop of the day was back to Highlands Ranch, CO for fireworks at Town Center.  I can honestly say, there had to have been well over 30,000 in attendance. We arrived a bit late coming down from Boulder and had to drive around a bit to find parking.  Little did I know it would be like having the Edge in a parade of its own as we drove past all the people!  We got real lucky and parked 400 meters away from where we watched the fireworks go off.

If you haven’t had a chance to check out the car, you can do so here.  I love the Crossover!

Enjoy your training =) www.tristafrancis.com

Yep, that’s what he said after I finished the hardest half of my life.  My K-Swiss sponsor rocks, he supports me, not only with awesome shoes, but with ongoing, never waivering, strength and encouragement.  I consider him as tight as I am with my Timex Family.  He ALWAYS checks in on me after my races. I know my phone will be blinking with an alert from him when I get back into transition as well as good luck wishes the day before. Yes, I am a lucky girl.

The Rev3 Quassy Half was amazingly brutal.  I was lucky enough to be there with my Client, David Schultz (above). I have never been scared for a race, then I drove the course the day before.  I had sketchy training coming into this race due to illness after St. Anthony’s.  I had lost a lot of volume I was trying to carry to be ready for a half; which can be challenging for this short distance girl.  I didn’t really know what I was up against until 12 hours before I would awake and head over to the race start.  I call this course the 70.3 Xterra.  Unrelenting hill after hill.  I swore I would never race this again, but now I would love to go out being totally prepared for such a course and just crush it!  That’s my fire inside…

I will proudly say that I was 1:10:00 off my best half time.  My swim had hills too I think at a 38:52 ;) Bike was a 3:27, Run was a 2:17 (and yes, I ran the whole thing).  BRUTAL!  I am grateful for optimal weather conditions because I believe I may not have seen the finishline had it been otherwise.

“Sounds like a brutal race, but congrats on finishing! You need a good butt whooping every now and again:)” So there you have it, straight from the mouth of JMS. Enjoy your training =) www.tristafrancis.com

Trista and Ryan Stedeford from Kompetitive Edge

Enjoy your training =)