Lessons from Africa: Part II

I'll assume all you faithful blog readers read my last blog and have literally been on the edge of your seats this past week waiting for Part II. So I will pick up where I left off which was Danny and I speed-touring London, minding the Gap and just making the 11 hour flight to Jo-burg, South Africa. Phew!  

And let me make it crystal clear that the 11 hour flight was a DELIGHTFUL part of trip. Here's what happened.

1. Store luggage in overhead, take a comfy seat and buckle up. 
2. Decide which 7 of the 30 movies to watch and add to your own personal playlist.
3. Take off. WHHEEEE!
4. Order water, coffee, wine (free!)
5. Watch about 1 hour-ish of first movie in the 7 movie line up.
6. Order MEAL. And it was delicious. And HOT. And there was REAL silverware. And a side salad.
7. Pause movie to take a cat nap (~3 hours in duration)
8. Repeat from line 4.

It. Was. AMAZING. Pretty much like a flying retirement home with a fabulous wait staff. So I was disappointed to leave the land of cat naps and food but also excited to be on the other side of the globe on a crazy adventure.

In the past, landing and dealing with a bike box is a big pain in the rump. But not in Port Elizabeth. And definitely not when you have Theuns and Tess Kotze owners of Cycle Service Center on your side. Theuns met me at the airport, gave me a fist pump and whisked my bike away to build and tune it. I hope he reads this and knows that HE IS THE MAN. If I were to speak Afrikanns I would say: 'Theuns you are ongelooflike!!!'

And speaking of ONGELOOFLIKE humans the van Eyke family welcomed us into their home and fed us espresso and koekesisters and date balls and copious amounts of ostrich steaks and they were also so wonderful that we are still wondering how in the world we can repay them. 

The race adventure/vacation started out on such a positive note that Danny and I decided to ride this high all the way to the Tsitsikamma forest. This was hands down the most beautiful place I have ever been hiking. It was a dream like day full of caves and ocean views and lush single track. However it also involved getting stalked and hunted by a troupe of Baboons. Oh the drama!  And ironically one of the locals had just finished telling us how nasty Baboons can get.  So the GOOD and the BADS of this day pretty much stacked up like this:  

GOOD:

BADS: I honestly can't think of anything bad except the Baboons. This is just an unnecessary gap filler to the longest multi-part blog ever.


The next day was filled with warthog sightings and giraffes and zebras galore. 

However, we had ventured off that day to see the stunning elephant in the wild. Just when we thought this day was not our elephant sighting day a Mom, Dad and Baby elephant came bumbling out of the thicket to drink at a watering hole. We could NOT take our eyes off these magnificent creatures. It gives me chills just thinking about it. 

   
And by the end of the day we had seen so many elephants that it was like. "Move aside elephant! We got places to be!"  And one of those places involves an 8 foot by 8 foot shark tank!

To be continued...OH THE SUSPENSE!!!

Editor's Note: I WILL eventually thank my sponsors and discuss my race.  Stay Tuned!

Lessons from Africa: Part I

I know one thing for certain and that is life is fragile. Relationships, adventures, races, friendships are PRECIOUS. But, eventually, everything comes to and end. "And it is not the strongest of the species, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change." - Charles Darwin.

If you have never been to South Africa I say put it on your bucket list and make it happen. It is a country with breathtaking beauty and energizing adventures.   It's extremely hard to avoid falling in love with the natural wildlife and the beautiful people.

This guy!

My new friends Arnie and Annika. I hope I get to go back to SA some day and visit these two.

  Admittedly I entered this race slightly under prepared after the brutal NH winter, the physical stress/fatigue from the 2014 season and...bronchitis.  Phew! The triple threat! However, being surrounded by awesomeness changed my outlook on the race.  Something about being 2 feet away from elephants and warthogs and giraffes opened up my introspective capacity. I don't think I would have made it to South Africa had I not had the courage to pursue this crazy passion.  Mentally, I wanted to suffer and fight and have a good race but deep down I knew my body was still rebuilding. When it was all said and done I decided to indulge in the beauty of the county, explore, taste the local foods - especially the desserts - and by the way, it's impossible to make an educated decision on dessert yumminess unless you've had at least 2 or 3 servings - and then enjoy the race with whatever energy I had left. And if race energy was measured by pre-race calorie intake I was good to go.

Koeksisters + Date balls  = The reason why I was 6 kg heavier on race day.

Okay so let me back up. Before I talk about THE MOST AMAZING bike mechanic, and the Van Dykes, warthogs galore, giraffs, elephants, a troop of Baboons in tsitsikamma forest, an 140.6 mile adventure, monkeys, the Indian ocean, the beast of the East,  a pod of 200 dolphins that was only overshadowed by a whale sighting which was only shadowed by great white shark diving which was only over shadowed by the most amazingly lush and gorgeous scenery and terrain...

It was only day 1 and I spotted my first Baboon! 

Another Baboon! What luck.

 ...let me start in London.  "Being a penny pincher is the only way to be." -Greg Cullen. (My Dad)

 If you agree, when booking your South African adventure you should purchase the cheapest ticket and that golden ticket will have you stop over at the London Heathrow Airport for a luxurious 11+ hours.  However, if Danny and I know how to do one thing right it is SEIZE. THE. DAY.  Sit in an airport for 11 hours or take the tube to embark on a speed tour of London? No brainer! We researched London and sought out the advice of our friend and colleague Neelz who worked in London for a few years and established a master plan.  We minded the GAP and speed walked, beer tasted, and buzzed our way around London on rented bikes.  After 7 hours in the city which included taking a super secret tour of an amazing anatomy museum, soaking in the architecture, admiring Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, the House of Parliment, and the London eye we were minding the Gap again on our way back to the airport to board the plane for South Africa.

Two Baboons in London. Amazing!

To be continued....

Embrace What Defines You

Embrace What Defines You: 4 simple words that are not always so simple to stay true to.

It is never easy to say you have moved on even if it is only in reference to the sponsorship world. My reason for leaving the Maverick Multisport squad this year was simple but hard to make. The decision to change directions was because I wanted to team up with some terrific local companies.  I am truly grateful for the support they gave me in 2014 and the wonderful relationships that transpired. And now from this end, spring new beginnings.

I wanted to put my heart into my 2015 sponsors like I put my heart into training and this sport.  I wanted to EMBRACE what I believed in and I wanted to be a sponsored athlete in an environment that is open to collaboration.  In 2015 I am dreaming of another level of possible and here is the team that will help me raise the bar.

Northeast Delta Dental and Tom Raffio.  This outstanding company and CEO are highly involved in the NH community. Tom is EPIC and has a goal of running 100 races in the 2015 calender year. Holy moly. Talk about putting me to shame.  Tom and Delta Dental have offered to cover some of my travel expenses for the 2015 year and I am honored and grateful.  In return I will be participating in Delta Dental Radio talk shows and will be live on 107.7 The Pulse as well as choosing some local NH races to participate in. (I think part of the contract also stated that I brush my fangs at least 2 times per day.) DOH!

 VELOCIO: My apparal/kit sponsor for 2015 is Velocio. Ever heard of it? Well if you haven't, hold onto your caps. This company is passionate about everything that matters. Design, detail, fit, quality of fabrics and a promise to make sure their mills are energy efficient and environmentally friendly. I actually got to design my own kit for 2015 and and this will be the tri kit that is sold online. And if there is one phrase that sums up this new company it is that they 'sweat the details.' Its evident the company worked tirelessly to hunt down the best fabrics to make garments that are hand sewn in Italian mills. After a 5 hour trainer ride when I am usually feeling EVERYTHING the ruthless reliability of the quality and detail of the fabric shines through. I am 100% stoked on this let’s-look-at-this-differently brand.  

The Mid Jacket is one of my favorite winter riding/running pieces. I snowshoe raced in Canada in -15 degrees and was actually quite toasty and dry. 

If you know me you know I am serious about food and drink! I was so serious about the latter during the off-season that my current training focus is to #burnoffthechristmascookies. I am also very serious about race nutrition and fueling plans and consider this the 4th discipline.  This is the reason I am sticking with Infinit Nutrition for the 2015. I do believe that Infinit is an absolute game changer. When you find a company that makes a powerful customizable (oh yeah that's a world....google it!) isotonic all in one nutrition solution you can't help but picture yourself like this:

No big deal.

4 hour trainer rides = 8 bottles of Infinit Custom Blend.

MC CYCLE and SPORT.  Wanting to support a local brand/shop and hop back on a Felt I decided to partner up with Myles Chase and MC Cycle and Sport located in Laconia. I send everyone looking for great service and product to this shop. Myles has outstanding customer service and top notch brands.  He is passionate about the sport and is a talented athlete himself. The shop is also very passionate about setting a healthy living example and are passionate about getting the community out running, biking, hiking and skiing.  There are multiple group workouts each week which give you a double dose of sweat and shenanigans.  The shop is in their 10th year and Myles and crew challenge you to #LevelUp and make 2015 an epic one!

Two thumbs up for MC Cycle and Sport

Back on the Felt Baby! #LevelUp

 Zone 3 Wetsuits. Let's start by saying I have a very bizarre body structure. You could say I have the body of a 12 year old boy with lats like a line backer. These 2 gems made it nearly impossible for me to squeeze this oblong body of mine into a wetsuit over the years. And then ZONE 3 came along and saved me! Holy awesomeness. Besides for the new freedom my arms and lats are enjoying in this wetsuit Zone3 also fabricated a very low neck line. No more getting choked out by the neoprene mid swim means Amber can smile even harder!


Beet Performer. Drink daily and Drink lots. You get 15% off if you use Ambertri at checkout. That's all. Enjoy!

Rudy Project Award winning technology. And I get to rock an orange helmet. Oh yeah!

.
Rotor Components. Customer service matters. And Rotor is superior. Also Q-rings are the BOMB!

In 2015 I challenge you to Embrace What Defines You even if it gets a little hard... Be true to yourself and never stop believing. Chase your dreams with reckless abandon because nothing is impossible.

It's About More Than Just Endorphins

It's actually about WAY more than just the endorphins. As the dust begins to settle after my 2014 season and after receiving several, very similar e-mails, I found myself reflecting on why sports are so important to me.

The Positive Link Between Sports and Self Confidence:

I remember my mom sitting me down after my first year of Kindergarten and telling me I was going to repeat my Kindergarten year. It's peculiar the specific child memories we remember and those that are lost along the way. But I vividly recall her gently telling me it would be good for me to do another year in Kindergarten because it would give me the chance to grow bigger and stronger. Only much later did I learn I was staying back because I was VERY shy. I hadn't made any friends that year and at lunch and recess I would ask to sit with my teacher.  That summer I remember my mom encouraging me to sign up for the summer track and field program. I shook my head and stomped my feet all summer until she finally convinced me to just go and watch on one of the last nights. Well, I ended up participating that night in the 100 yard dash. My nervous little 5 year old body toed the line nearly in tears.  But something funny happened when the gun went off. All the nerves vanished. I crossed the finish line and they gave me a Thanks For Participating ribbon. I remember how different I felt after that race.  I was always a smiley, shy kid but this ribbon made me smiley and confident.  Slowly but surely my confidence began to grow. Sports made me feel like I had a purpose and I was anything but shy on the field.

Time to go beat up on some boys.

My Eating Disorder and The Turning Point

The love affair with running and sports started early.  The quantity of running and sports ebbed and flowed throughout my childhood years but it was always present in some way.  The reasons I developed an eating disorder are far from simple. It was much more than just performance related.  Although, unfortunately, with the nature of endurance sports that was a small part of it.  At times the disorder and the desire to go faster fed into each other. I had a relentless ability to stay motivated and disciplined. Good for sports, bad for squashing an ED. But soon the eating disorder took over and when it gripped me the hardest was, obvious in hindsight, when my running struggled the most.  During my sophomore year in high school I was deep into anorexia and battling bouts of bulimia.  I remember setting out for a 8 mile run one day until I was forced to stop 10 minutes in, feeling very light headed and broken.  I cried and walked home and realized that if I didn't change I would lose the ability to do what defined me.  Running was vital to who I was.  It empowered the shy little girl unlike anything else and I am lucky I woke up and realized the value of that. And in a role reversal, running saved me and allowed me to quell most of my body issues. I eventually earned a college scholarship and realized after winning the Div 1 New England championship that you don't get a medal for being the skinniest, you get a medal for working hard, getting strong, and having the most heart.

Eating lots. :)

It Was Never About Breaking The Tape

Although it was awesome to take the Win at Ironman Lake Placid. It has never been about that. I have so much respect for the endurance community and I love sharing the course with like minded athletes all fighting their own personal battles. The reward is the journey and hopefully through sports I can be the catalyst for someone to find the courage to go out there and be great.

The Human Connection and Sports

It's amazing how solid a friendship can become after bouts of training. Training side by side and sharing the pain and intense emotions of a session is an invaluable experience.  Conversations may be labored but they are sincere and honest.  Specifically biking and running in packs binds athletes together because everyone has a devotion to the group.  The pack mentality is of extreme loyalty. There is a quiet but extremely strong connection. The ups and downs of an endurance run or ride will expose you at your weakest. But that is why your friends are there to help pick you up, or feed you a GU or give you a hug.

So it is WAY more than just about endorphins. It's about the wonderful unexpected friendships...

My very FIRST homestay after I first turned pro. I consider Jim a GREAT friend.

 It's about the traditions.  You realize Danny ONLY races so he can guiltlessly gorge himself at the Pre-race breakfast buffet:


Pre Ironman breakfast buddy

 It's about suffering with a friend.  A friend who makes you laugh when all you want to do is throw up in your his bento box:

 It's about loving the chase and being chased. Thanks Bree!

 It's about motivating others to do what they never thought possible:

 It's about the thrill of winning and then realizing a second place has strengthened you more than you ever thought possible:

 It's about lovingly nudging your parents to go out and play and laugh like kids (and hope they don't disown you after the snowshoe sufferfest):

And the endorphins don't hurt. I mean look at these crazy fools below. You don't smile like that after sitting on the sofa!