Very First Blog Post

So, here it is...finally... 

MY VERY FIRST BLOG POST!

I might as well begin with a little information on how this all started:

               I have been an athlete my entire life, swimming since I was 4 and running since junior high. I swam all through high school and in college, and when I was getting closer to the end of my swimming and cross country career, I began thinking about what I would do after college. I could not imagine my life without athletics… and then the sport of triathlon became a real possibility in my life.

               I had known about triathlons thanks to my physical therapist after my first (and second) shoulder surgery-at 18 years old and again at 20 years old. She was very similar to me: about the same height, same build, same swimming background, and even similar shoulder injuries. She was an Ironman. And she was very influential to my recovery back from surgeries. From that moment forward, I knew the sport is something I wanted to get into, but I did not know how.

When one of my very influential coaches I had during my 8 years of club swimming got hit by a car training for his first full Ironman, I vowed to complete an Ironman one day and dedicate it to him, something he would never be able to complete.

Flash back to 2013, my junior year of college at Centenary College of Louisiana. We had a triathlon club at our school, but between swimming, running, and a heavy course load (and not to mention student costs), I did not think I could get started. I didn’t even have a bike. But thanks to the club and the club’s advisor, I was loaned a bike and the opportunity to get involved in the sport.

While I knew I could swim and run, I had never used clip in pedals in my life and never even ridden a road bike… and did not know how I was about to keep steady on tiny little aero bars and skinny tires. But I dove head first into a tri bike that was used by an alumni and donated back to the club. It was an aluminum Quintana Roo Caliente, and I was in love.

In the spring of 2013, I completed my first sprint triathlon-it was a small race, but I won the overall. More importantly, it sparked my love for triathlon racing. That year alone I would end up racing 8 triathlons, including my first Olympic distance. Somehow I managed to get the 2013 Female Triathlete of the Year in the South Midwest Region.

In 2014, I started training a little more than before and even set my sights on my first Half Ironman. I completed the Collegiate Nationals Olympic race-finishing 22^nd overall female with the 4^th fastest swim. I ended 2014 with 14 triathlons that year. My first Half Ironman was 70.3 Austin, and little did I know that I was not trained up for it like I should have been and it ended up being way off my goal time. But in true triathlete fashion, only a few hours later I was wondering what half I would complete next! During that year, I graduated college and of course my graduation present was none other than my very own tri bike!

Not only was I getting heavily into the triathlon world, but towards the end of the year I was approached by John Cobb to work for his company-Cobb Cycling. I had made the short journey from Shreveport, LA to Tyler, TX a couple times to see John Cobb and get fit on both of my tri bikes. After all, he is the best fitter there is. Knowing how much I already loved the sport, and on top of that, knowing I could now be in the industry and giving back to the triathlon and cycling community, I could not say no. In December of 2014, I proudly joined the Cobb Cycling family. Moving to Tyler, TX and working with Cobb has been one of the best things to happen in my life. The company is an amazing one that dedicates itself to bringing the best saddles to the cycling and triathlon industry. They are a genuine company that actually gets to the heart of cycling problems and I am proud to be able to start a women’s development with John-helping women get more involved in the sport while providing them with knowledge and resources they may not receive from their local bike shops or clubs.

Working with Cobb Cycling also allowed me to really work on my training as well. My biking skills and handling improved and I was able to begin building a larger base for my triathlon career. In 2015, I completed 2 more half Ironman’s, winning our local [extended] Half Ironman and winning 1^st in my Age group with a 4:59 at Buffalo Springs 70.3. This September I had the privilege of competing at the Age Group World Championships in Chicago in both the sprint and Olympic. Overall, I completed 9 triathlons and my first duathlon. I made the decision to not compete for the rest of the year after Worlds as I move my focus to the 70.3 distance and building up an even larger base for what I hope to be an explosive year in 2016.

This is just the beginning of my journey, and I am happy to be able to share my experiences along the way!

Thanks for reading and come back for more updates later!