Last weekend I had the pleasure of watching the Olympic Marathon trials.  Call me crazy but there is something magical and mesmerizing about watching the best runners is the US work for two plus hours displaying perfect form.

Seen in the headlines is only 2 time Marathoner Shalene Flanagan breaking the Olympic trial record and Kara Goucher going back to the Olympics just 18 months after giving birth.  What wasn’t apparent in the headlines is the previous record holder to Shalene.

30 year old Flanagan, broke the 8-year-old Olympic Trials Record of none other than Colleen De Rouck.  Who is Colleen you ask?  8 years ago she set the Record at the age of 39.  This year she placed 35^th at the age of 47 out of 180 woman who qualified to race trials.  The next time you run a marathon, tell me how many 47 year olds you see that can qualify for the Olympic trials running a 2:30 marathon.  Simply amazing!

As I turned 40 in November of last year, contemplating what the future holds for me regarding the Ironman I can’t help but be motivated and inspired by Colleen and others.  Just 2 years ago at the age of 45 she finished 8^th in the Boston Marathon.  She didn’t grab a headline or a podium finish but her longevity speaks volumes for those of you thinking……it’s been a long time since my last PR.

Before racing the Ford Ironman World Championships in Kona this year I was determined to knock off 6 minutes and break the amateur world record.  A big task?  Consider, there were only 2 women in the history of the event that have ever broken the 10-hour barrier in Kona at the age of 40.  Karen Smyers and Fernanda Keller (according to my husbands research).  Somehow, I was convinced I could break the big 10!  Maybe it’s me hanging on to my youth, maybe it’s my husband who calculates my splits, maybe I simply think I’m only one year older, or maybe I just can’t give into age holding me back.  In the end I joined them in breaking the sub 10 hour barrier at the age of 40 along with Beate Goertz also in my age group and Natasha Badman who raced Pro!  My finishing time was eleven minutes faster then our previous age group world record!  However, Goertz at the age of 42 topped everyone and  is now the Amateur IM World Record holder!

As we get older we look back on our accomplishments with many of them seeming like they were a long, long time ago.  Chalk up slowing times to age or joints that aren’t as smooth.  Our lives continue to get busier with children and our careers.   I reflect on my Ironman last year wondering where the road leads.  I sat back and watched Colleen in awe.  A 2:36 marathon trials, a 2:30 qualifier at the age of 47.  Are you kidding me?  She may not know it but she just lit a fire in this 40 year old.  Thanks Colleen, for your inspiration.  Thanks to her husband Darren, who coached me a few years ago.  Thanks to all of you over 40 who are still giving it your all and have the dream.   Many people ask me if I’m done racing in Kona, but my heart, spirit and smile tell them I haven’t seen the last of the Queen K.

Throughout the years, we have had many different sponsors and supporters. Each of them has brought something different to the table and has allowed all of us to try something new and excited from year to year. We normally run our major sponsors for 2 concurrent years and 2012 was a year to re-sign or find something else. After lots of great chats, our team manager did what was best for the overall group and brought on some new and exciting brands!

The first major change was our bike sponsor! Partnering with American Bicycle Group would mean that the triathletes would the flying on the new and improved Quintana Roos and the roadie’s and off-roadie’s would be smashing it on Litespeeds. I’m very excited about this as I’ve never ridden a Litespeed and our contacts at ABG are extremely eager to work directly with the athletes. From mountain bikes to road bikes to cyclocross bikes, look for some great product review posts throughout the season on my new hardware :)

The second major sponsor change for 2012 was our clothing provider. Champion System offers a variety of custom clothing for all types of athletes. With a strong cycling and triathlon background, it was a no brainer that CS would be a great fit for the team. If you haven’t jumped on Facebook and seen the sneak peek pics of our new kits, I’d highly suggest it…we’re gonna be one sharp looking team this season!

New all around for the Timex Multisport Team in 2012 is a bicycle tire sponsor. Challenge is an extremely well known brand in the cycling world and has a reputation for having some of the best tubulars (sewups) on the market. Not only do they have a sweet selection of cyclocross tires, they are also one of the only company’s to produce a tubular mountain bike tire. This will definitely be a first for me but I’m really excited to give it a go!

This picture says it all doesn't it?

I think it’s good to try something new.  Whether it’s a 5K running race, triathlon, Ironman, or even just a workout, it allows us to learn about ourselves – and ultimately make us a little bit stronger.  A lot of us are experienced athletes, but it’s always good to do something you have never done.  It’s a great way to learn about yourself right?

 Each year I do a few unique workouts that come out of left field to spice up my training.  This year to ring in 2012, my swim workout was simple: swim 12,000 meters freestyle (for 2012) without stopping at all.  And that is exactly what I did. 

When my good friend and 2004 Olympian triathlete Susan Williams heard what I was going to do, she asked if she could join me (most of the time I do these things solo).  Before we knew it, we were both standing at the edge of the 50m University of Denver pool at 6:05AM.  With a few Power Gels and Oatmeal to fuel the day, I started my Timex Race Trainer, we both dove in, and 3 hours and 4 minutes later I was done.  Yes, it was all freestyle – I didn’t even stop to get a drink.  I thought about kicking for a 1000 or doing different strokes, but I really wanted to make it as mentally challenging as I could.   Most of the time I really was trying not to lose count of my laps!  We finished in time that we both could make church with our families – a well planned workout for a Sunday morning.  Afterward I was a little sore in the arms, but mostly hungry!

 Below are some brief stats:

 University of Denver Pool

12,000 meters freestyle

7.4 miles

Approx. 12,480 strokes

239 flip turns

Think about a workout or race you’ve never done before and just do it.  You’ll be happy you did.

 Train safe,

Tim

Trying to look cool at the overlook on Raccoon Mountain the day before the Snake Gap

Because this was the first race of the year, and quite early in the season, all of us were a little nervous about our fitness. We knew it was going to hurt and we were going to suffer, but at least we would all be hurting together.

Getting ready to throw down at the Snake Gap MTB TT

It was a free-for-all time trial start, which meant that whenever you got to the start line, that’s when you started. Craig and I left 10 seconds apart and I soft pedaled to wait up for him so we could ride together. We then proceed to crush it. Check out the data that I collected on my Timex GPS Global Trainer.

Data from my Timex GPS Global Trainer via Training Peaks

I was stoked and quite pleasantly surprised to feel very strong right from the start. Craig and I rode together until the last few miles, where I turned the throttle and put 1:40 into him to pick up the win in 2:48:55. Not a bad way to start the year!

And they're off!

As the ball dropped and we all rang in 2012 last week, I couldn’t help to think about what this year will bring. My body has been feeling pretty good since my last triathlon in November, so I was excited to race my 1st race of the year.

The Swift Skedaddle is a difficult, hilly, but scenic 5K snowshoe race in Silverthorne, CO that I’ve raced the last few years. This year I toed the line for the first time armed with my Timex Run Trainer at 8,721 ft. (Yes, the watch displays altitude). Everything was going well until I saw my Heart Rate at 180 mid way up the first hill! It was me and one other runner until the last 1/2 mile when I pulled away for the win in 35 minutes.  A nice touch was winning 10 Chipotle Burritos, 10 orders of chips & salsa, and yes, 10 drinks!

This was the "culvert" we had to crawl through just before the finish.

The highlight of the day by far was when a 9 year old boy came up to me after the race and said:

“Hey, you’re Tim Hola right? You came and talked to our school last summer and I’m a big fan. I did my first Iron Kids race last year and I won! Thank You!”

I just about melted.  I felt so happy that not only did he remember me, but I inspired him to race in a triathlon and to keep fit.  That’s what it’s all about.  It’s a moment that will never be forgotten.

Train safe,

Tim

After an extremely rough couple of years, I have a lot of really exciting things to look forward to in 2012! My number one goal for the entire season is the stay healthy and major injury free for 12 consecutive months. Although that might seem easy on paper, I haven’t even come close since December 2008.

I’ll spare you the details, but I had a phenomenal chat with coach Neal Henderson yesterday and we have a concrete plan that should have me rockin’ and rollin’ for cyclocross season this upcoming fall. For the first quarter, I’ll just build back into shape on my own doing minimal exercise and strength training – it will be treated like any normal off season. In the second quarter I will buckle down and become more structured with specific power work and higher intensity training. By the third quarter, I will be racing the Winter Park MTB series that will help build my base and lung capacity. And fourth quarter will be my peaking season to kick ass and take names in Cyclocross. As always, I will be racing the entire RMEC off-road moto series and misc road and MTB races in Colorado, but those will all be for fun and practice as CX is the number one focus this year.

Here’s to an awesome 2012 Timex, I cannot wait!

Now, without further adieu, the 2012 Timex Multisport Team:

Pro Women
Christine Anderson
Erin Kummer
Jackie Arendt
Laura Tingle
Marie Danais
Tamara Kozulina
Kelly Fillnow
Lauren Goss
Christie Sym

Pro Men
Andrew Hodges
Dave Harju
Keegan Williams
Kyle Marcotte
Mac Brown
Toby Radcliffe
Viktor Zyemtsev
Will Kelsay
Nicholas Thompson
Anton Blokhin

AG Women
Ani De Leon Brown
Cassie Maximenko
Cindi Bannink
Hannah Freeman
Juli Fiocca
Shannon Coates
Trista Francis
Wendy Mader
Susanne Davis
Meredith Dolhare
Jennifer Pinto
Melissa Brand

AG Men
AC Morgan
Barry Siff
Bo Parrish
Brian Boyle
Brian Schaning
Bruce Gennari
Chris Thomas
Daniel Brienza
Dave Orlowski
Dennis Meeker
DJ Snyder
Luis Alvarez
Mark Vermeersch
Roger Thompson
Stu Fitch
Tim Hola
Trevor Heller
Ben Greenfield
Dave Erickson

We are very excited to get the 2012 season underway. Congrats to all who were selected.
Happy training!