Friday, March 20, 2009

Q&A with Mirinda Carfrae: The World Champ Is Setting Her Sights on Kona

Written by Liz Hichens
Photos by Brad Kaminski




The 70.3 and Ironman World Champion Gear Up For a Battle in Kona 2009




Q&A with Mirinda Carfrae: The World Champ Is Setting Her Sights on Kona

Written by Liz Hichens


Carfrae will be competing in Kona in October. Photo by Brad Kaminski.
With Chrissie Wellington dominating the last two years at the Ford Ironman World Championships in Kona, many have raised the question as to who will challenge Wellington in the 2009 race. After sticking strictly to half-Ironman distance races, former Ironman 70.3 world champion Mirinda Carfrae is adding her name to the list of contenders who will challenge for the top spot in Kona.

We sat down with Carfrae to talk about her decision to take on Kona, as well as how she will approach her season leading up to the big event.

Triathlete: How do you feel coming off of 2008?

Carfrae: I was pretty disappointed with the Ironman World Championship 70.3 in Clearwater and how that ended up, but last year was a mixed bag and I did have some good results early last season. In the first ten races, I was on the podium nine times and that was great. Having said that, I would trade all of that for a world title. Looking forward, I'm pretty excited about this whole season with the Ironman World Championship in Kona being the big goal. It is a different focus for me than it has been over the last few years and I'm very excited for what's to come.

Triathlete: What will your race schedule be leading up to Kona?

Carfrae: I will be doing a lot of 70.3s again. I'm racing Ironman 70.3 California at Oceanside, St. Anthony's Triathlon, and St. Croix Ironman 70.3. Then I will have a heavy race schedule in June with Revolution Three, Eagleman Ironman 70.3, and Ironman 70.3 Buffalo Springs Lake. After that, I'm going to be getting ready to do Kona.

Triathlete: Do you enjoy having a heavy racing schedule?

Carfrae: I love racing. I think that was one of my problems last year. I definitely needed to sit down with my coach and say, when are we going to get quality training and rest, and when is the best time to race? I try to get in as many races as possible without hurting my training program and my improvement.

Triathlete: Why did you choose this year to go after Kona?

Carfrae: I always had in the back of my mind that 2009 would be the year that I would do Kona. I'm 28 this year, so I figure it's a good year to give it a shot. Most women peak in their low- to mid-30s, and I definitely think you can stay strong into your late 30s and 40s. I didn't want to do Kona too early in my career, and I enjoyed racing the 70.3 series. I'm ready to take the big leap.



Along with Wellington and Sandra Wallenhorst, Carfrae is part of Cannondale's trio of female triathletes competing in Kona this year.
Triathlete: Will you focus on one area over another leading up to Kona?

Carfrae: I think the bike will be the focus for me. I feel like women's racing in Kona has really taken a step up over the past couple of years. We've got Chrissie, who has really raised the bar, and there are a bunch of women who can run sub-three-hour marathons and are still riding very strong. I think if I can have a strong swim and a really good bike, I just need to be there on the run.

Triathlete: Leading up to Kona you are still focusing on the half-Ironman distance races, will your training throughout the season be any different?

Carfrae: I will be upping my long ride and my long run. With 70.3s you can really get away with training with the mindset that you're training for an Olympic-distance race. The half is so much closer in distance to an Olympic than it is to an Ironman. The last few years I have been putting in longer runs and rides just to see how my body would handle it. I always knew I would do an Ironman.



Carfrae is still considering competing at Clearwater after Kona. Photo by Brad Kaminski.
Triathlete: Will you still be doing Clearwater?

Carfrae: I would like to think so, but everything is geared towards Kona at the moment and I will reassess after the race. I feel like I probably will race Clearwater, but anything can happen in Kona.

Triathlete: How do you feel about Cannondale's recent announcement that Chrissie Wellington will be riding Cannondale for the next three years?

Carfrae: I love Cannondale. I've ridden on their bikes my whole career. Any athlete of her caliber who wants to ride a Cannondale shows the high quality of the product. Any way that we can get Cannondale in the spotlight is a good thing and I'm all for it. I also get along very well with Chrissie. I think she's great.

Wellington saught the advice of Carfrae when making her decision to go with Cannondale. Photo by Brad Kaminski.

Bicycling Magazine reports on the Six Carbon 6....

Mike Cushionbury from Bicycling Magazine reports on the Six Carbon 6...and it's obvious he LOVES the bike!





Buy It If
You want a budget carbon bike that rises above the mediocrity

The new Six Carbon line mates that race-bike DNA to affordability

The Six Carbon 6 boast a full-on race-ready frame that's
made entirelyof carbon, including the dropouts

it has the same seat- and head-tube angles as well as
chainstay lengths so you're not getting a watered-down
bike with boring handling

The Six can knife through an angry pack of riders or zag
down a fast descent comfortably without the aggressive
zag of a lean and low race bike

Our testers felt that the Six accelerated and steered well
but the frame isn't a bone crusher on choppy roads

The mostly Shimano 105 drivetrain works flawlessly
within the context of it's price

Chrissie and her Cannondale

Written by: Dan Empfield
Date: Thu Mar 05 2009
from website: www.slowtwitch.com
You can read complete article on http://www.slowtwitch.com/Interview/Chrissie_and_her_Cannondale_712.html







Cannondale is not without superlative athletes aboard its bikes. Kona World Champ Faris Al Sultan, 70.3 World Champ Mirinda Carfrae, and Ivan Basso and the Liquigas cycling team, all ride the Cannondale Slice.

But there's a connection between Lance and his Treks; Zabriskie aboard his (then) Cervelo and perhaps his (now) Felt; Normann aboard his (then) Kuota and perhaps his (now) Scott; that not all companies and their athletes enjoy.

Has that rare connection been there for anyone aboard a Cannondale Slice? I don't think so. Will Ms. Wellington do for Cannondale and its Slice what Merckx did for Colnago? Who knows? Maybe her answers below will tell us whether there's chemistry a-brewing.

SLOWTWITCH
In keeping with today's theme, that is, the advent of a new bike sponsor, I have five or six questions, and most revolve around you and Cannondale. I have had occasion to fit some of the Team TBB gals aboard their tri bikes, but they're usually a bit shy about that fact getting out. Brett, they've told me, is in general uncomfortable with other folks fitting his gals aboard their bikes. Who fitted you aboard your Cervelo previously? Brett? Or one of the guys at Bike Boutique? And who is responsible for your fit aboard your Cannondale Slice?
CHRISSIE
First I'd like to talk about Cervelo. I really enjoyed my time on the Soloist and the P2, they were great bikes, and it is a great company. My move to Cannondale had to do in part with the bike, which I love, and I test rode a lot of bikes over the past two months. I entertained several offers. Cannondale represents both a bike and a relationship. I can ride a bike aboard which I'm comfortable, and powerful, and that handles really well. I also sense that I'm able to run fast off this bike. And, I can be with a company that is responsive, and requests and respects my input. That's why I made this decision.

About fit: The Soloist I set up myself. I got the P2 five weeks before Hawaii. I was set up on it by Ben Distel [a F.I.S.T.-trained fitter from The Bike Boutique] but I'd never been on a tri bike before, so I was tweaking that bike right up to Kona. Afterward, but prior to this year, I was doing my own set up, but with Brett as an advisor. It was a partnership, a shared responsibility.

SLOWTWITCH
Okay, now, let's talk about your position aboard your Slice.

CHRISSIE
I got the Slice, it's a 54cm, same as the Cervelo, Simon [Lessing, Chrissie's new coach] and I set it up, almost the same measurements as the P2, at Colorado Multisport in Boulder. So it wasn't a totally new bike fit, mostly moving the P2 coordinates over. Having said that, I'm slightly lower in the front on the Slice, but I'm still comfortable and powerful. It's super comfortable. The position was worked out with Simon, and [Colorado Multisports F.I.S.T.-trained fitter] Ryan Ignatz.

SLOWTWITCH
I note that you are riding Profile Design aerobars in the photos we're attaching to this interview. Is this what you expect to ride? Have you made up your mind on another aerobar maker? Or are you still deciding on your choice of aerobar going forward?

CHRISSIE
For Ironman Australia I'll ride the bars you see in the picture [Profile T2+Cobra]. I signed a wheel deal with Hed, I'm incredibly happy about that. They've been super supportive. So I'll talk to them about the handlebars as well. What's important to me is optimal bike handling. Australia, Roth, these courses have lots of turns, I'm not the best bike handler. In Hawaii I anticipate riding the bars I've ridden the past two years, and that's a Hed bar [Hed one-piece]. Last year I had road bars in Frankfurt, Alp d'Huez, Timberman.

SLOWTWITCH
If you found a tri bar with a pursuit position that gave you the confidence and handling characteristics you were happy with, would you use that in every race?

CHRISSIE
I don't know that there's going to be one bar for every race for me. But I really like the flat Hed bar for Kona. On a technical course, I don't know. But on the non-technical, flatter courses, that Hed bar is very nice.

SLOWTWITCH
We have a place on slowtwitch where our members type in their fit coordinates. It's part of the profile they establish for themselves, and it's a way for triathletes to archive their coordinates for future reference, and also for other readers to learn. Quite a few pros have availed themselves of this. Would you be willing to publish your coordinates, so that our readers can see how it is you ride your new Cannondale Slice?
CHRISSIE
I'd be more than happy to do that. It might not be right away, as in, perhaps not within the week, but certainly within the month.

SLOWTWITCH
What bikes will you get from Cannondale, that is, will you get a Slice, and a road race bike? What bikes in total?

CHRISSIE
A couple of Slices, a road bike, and a mountain bike, perhaps a run-around bike, which might be the mountain bike or a commuter bike. I don't need too many bikes, I don't need six new bikes a year, and I am more than happy with what Cannondale are providing.

SLOWTWITCH
You live in Boulder, now, correct? How are you adjusting to your new surroundings?

CHRISSIE
Obviously the past five months have been a huge change for me. There have been a lot of changes in my life. I'm extremely happy to be settled in one place, that's important for me. I really like working with Simon. It took a long time for me to place my trust in Brett [Sutton, her old coach, of Team TBB], and I'm still building my relationship with Simon. But we get along great, I really enjoy the training, it has changed from what I've been doing under Brett, but not significantly. A lot of my training is with Simon, which I'm really enjoying, and I'm training with [British triathlete] Julie Dibens, and a couple of others.

I'm confident, I'm strong, and in terms of the lifestyle, I really like Boulder. It's not home yet, but I'm settling in. And I've made some new friends, and a little social life keeps me fresh.
SLOWTWITCH
Simon Lessing as your coach, is that mostly his coaching philosophy, or how much is it the chemistry that comes with British culture and sensibilities you might have in common?

CHRISSIE
A coach-athlete relationship for me is not just about the coaching program. It's a lot deeper and wider than that, I enjoy spending time socially with him and his family, his British sense of humor appeals to me.

My running is under Darren De Reuck [husband of former world class footrunner Colleen De Reuck). Along with running with Simon, I run with Darren's runners, the run training is quite varied, different from what I've done before.

Monday, March 09, 2009

Training Race Starts This Tuesday (3/10/09)!



Title: Training Race

Date: Thursday March 19, 2009
Time: 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Repeats: This event repeats every Tuesday and Thursday until Friday October 23, 2009
Location: River Road Entrance to FARR Park 2 Miles South of LSU Vet. School
Notes: This is a tradition ride. Meet @ entrance to Farr Park. "A" group departs 5:30; "B" at 5:33. Pace depends on attendees: "A"s avg. 24-27mph; "B"s 22-25 Distance 34 mi. including warm-up. Route flat. Begin south on River Rd. (Rt 327 South), right veer onto Rt 991 after 11 miles (the "split"). Continue past the Plaquemine Ferry landing @ 6 miles as 991 meets Rt 75. Left (extra caution) on Gummers Ln. approx. 3 miles past the Landing, back onto 327 north. 12 miles to the finish line just south of Farr Park.
Riders wear helmet. Keep right of centerline.
Slow riders should gather behind the B's and consider time of sundown to determine if ride should be shortened.

OR

Guys and Gals,

Please put this on your forums and yahoo groups.

For safety, I would like to start having the start of the training races begin at the split (where the time trials start).

We would do 3 laps (clockwise). We would still start at 5:30.

Please spread the word.

Great thing is if anyone gets dropped they can ride backwards to catch back on. They can also still make it if they come late and they can leave early if they have to- this makes it a great way for new riders to get involved.

Thank you,

Norman

Rouge Robauix Video!




Check it out! It's a great video!

http://www.tunicatrails.org/VIDEO/rougeroubaix2009.html

Saturday, March 07, 2009

Training Race starts this Tuesday!!!

Title: Training Race

Date: Thursday March 12, 2009

Time: 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm

Repeats: This event repeats every Tuesday and Thursday until Friday October 23, 2009.

Location: River Road Entrance to FARR Park 2 Miles South of LSU Vet. School

Notes: This is a tradition ride. Meet @ entrance to Farr Park. "A" group departs 5:30; "B" at 5:33. Pace depends on attendees: "A"s avg. 24-27mph; "B"s 22-25 Distance 34 mi. including warm-up. Route flat. Begin south on River Rd. (Rt 327 South), right veer onto Rt 991 after 11 miles (the "split"). Continue past the Plaquemine Ferry landing @ 6 miles as 991 meets Rt 75. Left (extra caution) on Gummers Ln. approx. 3 miles past the Landing, back onto 327 north. 12 miles to the finish line just south of Farr Park.

Riders wear helmet. Keep right of centerline.

Slow riders should gather behind the B's and consider time of sundown to determine if ride should be shortened.