It has been over a year since the last time I updated my blog which is pretty unacceptable. I actually received an email from my friend Ethan the other day threatening me to update my blog or he would remove me from his blog. I obviously did not want that to happen so I finally decided after a solid year to write an update! Below is the email he sent me...


Dear Recipient,

You are receiving this e-mail because your personal blog is listed on the web site of http://ebrownracing.com. It has recently come to the attention of the EBrown Racing staff that it has been over one year since you last updated your blog. Because of the popularity of http://ebrownracing.com and its commitment to provide the latest and most relevant information in the pro triathlete blogosphere, the staff here would like to officially inform you that if you do not update your blog in 10 days (by the 22nd of February), jenniferspieldenner.blogspot.com will be removed as a link from http://ebrownracing.com, thus greatly reducing traffic to your web site. The staff here encourages you to update your blog in order to prevent this from happening, however, we will be forced to take action in the event that you disregard this notice.

Take Care,

The Staff at http://ebrownracing.com


So the past year was filled with a ton of ups and downs. I was injured for a solid 4 months and in all honesty didn't really have one race that I was happy with. I guess everyone has those years, but after coming off a great year in 2009 it was hard for me to deal with. I made some big changes at the end of last year. I decided to leave the coach I had been working with for two years and I started working with Paulo Sousa. At the end of 2010 Paulo started a high performance triathlon squad which meant that the athletes he chose to be in his squad would be training together in camp environments while he was there on deck at every session. When I heard about this I knew that I was not going to let an opportunity like this pass me by! I have always wanted to train in a group because it is proven to improve performance immensely. I also think it is extremely important for me to have my coach at sessions.

Right now I am currently in Tuscon, Arizona for the Triathlons Squad's second camp. Our first camp was in January in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The camps are awesome, tough, and challenging. I have learned a lot about myself these past couple of months that I know will help me in the future to become the best athlete I can be. I have a lot of work left to put in before I get to the level I want to be at, but I am determined and dedicated to getting the work done in order for me to get there! I am going to try to update a lot more regularly than I did this past year. I hope everyone's training is going well and you are all excited about the racing season!

Jen

First Month in Chula!

I can't believe that I have already been in Chula for a month! Time has seriously flown by so fast. This past week was a much needed recovery week after a 3 week build that was by far the hardest I've trained this year. I told the lifeguard at the pool last Monday that this was my recovery week and he immediately asked "What are you doing here, shouldn't you be enjoying a pizza and a beer?" HA! I wish! I had to tell him that a recovery week is just a dummed down version of a normal training week. A little less intensity and volume. Anyways here is a little recap of the past month.....

So for the first two weeks that I was out here I had the pleasure of training with another triathlete, Amanda Felder. We were perfect training partners for each other. It worked out nicely because we are both coached by the same person so he coordinated almost all of our workouts. I forgot how nice it was to have someone to train with since I typically do a lot of my training solo. Just having someone suffering with you makes it a ton more enjoyable. After Amanda left it was back to training solo except for a couple bike sessions where I rode with Steve Sexton. It's always an adventure riding with Steve. Last Sunday on our 4 hr long ride he managed to flat 3-4 times (i lost count) in about 30 minutes. If you want to read more about this crazy ride go to Steve's website http://www.trisexton.com/.

One thing Steve and I try to do every week is to go out to dinner. It is our attempt to be social in the outside world. Living at the OTC is fantastic, but it is easy to seclude yourself from the rest of the world. I look forward to our dinner dates every week because it means another solid week of training is finished. One place we love to go after our weekly outings is Nuyo. It is this awesome frozen yogurt place. You make your own tasty creation. There are a ton of different flavors and topings that satisfy any craving. Here are some pics of Nuyo:

healthy toppings

After a huge training day... indulging in some froyo




the not so healthy toppings

look at the options!

So tomorrow starts the beginning of another build. I am really excited to get back into training hard. My first race is less than 5 weeks away! I can't believe how fast time goes, but I can't wait to race to see where I am at!

Pictures from the Grand Canyon

My dad and I eating dinner at a restaurant in Old Town San Diego
So pretty!

WOW!It was such a perfect day, not a cloud in the sky

reindeer??

this was my favorite view

So everyday in the weight room the strength guy writes quotes on this board. These two quotes were my favorite from this past week:

"Most people never run far enough on their first wind to find out they've got a second. Give your dreams all you've got and you'll be amazed at the energy that comes out of you."

"Winners compare their achievements with their goals; while losers compare their achievementsto with those of other people."

Long Overdue Update

Sorry for the update delay, I had good intentions to post something a few weeks ago but it just didn't happen. I was home in Findlay enjoying time with my family, training, and coaching. Here is a little recap of what I have been up to the past month.

I went out to the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, California from the middle of November until the first week in December. I absolutely love it there! It was great to see everyone again (I trained in Chula from Jan until June of 09). Everyone is just so nice and helping that it makes for the perfect training environment! It was awesome getting to bike and swim outside after having been inside for months. The running out there is fantastic as well. There are a ton of gravel paths that are perfect footing for running. While I was there I had testing done on the bike and run which is always a good time. I also got a body composition done. After getting the results back, all I thought was how happy I was that it was still November.

After leaving Chula I went back to Findlay for the holidays. I spent a lot of time with my family, trained a lot, and coached. I started coaching our local club swim team (FAST) at the end of October. I coached their youngest group (they are all just beginning to swim competitively). I surprised myself with how much I enjoyed it! It is very rewarding coaching young kids because they improve so rapidly and get so excited when they figure things out.

As of today I am back in Chula Vista until Mayish. I spent the past week driving out here from Findlay with my dad. The drive was pretty uneventful, but we did spend a day at the Grand Canyon. It was my second time there and my dad's first. I will post some pictures since my dad took like a thousand. I am excited to be back in Chula and ready to get some awesome training in!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year. Best of luck with any goals or new year's resolutions you are trying to accomplish!

Race Schedule 2010

So here is my tentative race schedule for 2010:

3/20/10: CC Mazatlan, Mexico
4/10/10: CC Lima, Peru
4/18/10: WC Monterrey, Mexico
5/8/10: WCS Seoul, South Korea
5/10: CC Ixtapa, Mexico
6/12/10: WC Hy-Vee-Des Moines, Iowa
7/10/10: WC Holten, Netherlands
7/24/10: WCS London, England
8/8/10: WC Tiszaujvanos, Hungary
8/14/10: WCS Kitzbuhel, Austria
9/8/10: WCS Budapest, Hungary (qualification)
9/25/10: CC Elite Nationals, Tuscaloosa, Alabama
10/3/10: PATCO Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
10/17/10:WC Tongyeong, South Korea
11/7/10: WC Huatulco, Mexico
key: CC=Continental Cup WC=World Cup WCS= World Championship Series

I can't believe how many races I am planning on doing in 2010, it doubles the number of races I did in 2009! But I am really excited for the challenge! So far my base phase is going really well. I will update more in the next few days about what I have been up to.

Team Tobin

Me, Brett, Brian

Brett (with his new helmet), Shane, Me

About a month ago I was riding with my friend, Brian, when he told me about two boys who were hit while finishing up a training ride. Shane Tobin and Brett Hensinger were about a mile from their house when a car struck them from behind. The driver drove away without seeing if the boys were okay, I guess he thought he hit a deer (that’s what he told the police after they caught him). Both boys had some pretty serious injuries. Shane is paralyzed from the waist down and Brett had some broken bones and some serious road rash. I got an email this week that said Shane took 3 steps which is HUGE!! Their families hosted a benefit dinner/silent auction which I was fortunate enough to be able to attend. It was a fantastic evening filled with the local triathlon family getting together to show their support for Shane and Brett. A lot of amazing things happened, both boys got new bikes and were made members of the HFP racing team! I was able to give the boys Rudy Project helmets and sunglasses and Textile Solutions transition towels which were all donated by USAT. Shane and Brett both were escatic and smiling the rest of the evening. They both plan on doing my hometown race, The Flag City Multisport Celebration, in June as their first race back from the accident. I was extremely impressed by Shane and Brett’s determination and motivation to get back to racing. They are truly inspirational! I am excited to watch them race in June! If you want to support them or learn more visit their website http://teamtobin.net/.

A picture is worth a thousand words!

U23 World Championships

Well losing a shoe/riding barefoot and getting a red card (DQ) is definitely not how I wanted to end my 2009 season (see above pic).....I guess I like to end with a bang (My 2008 season ended when I fell in a hole running on the race course the day before the event. I busted up my shin pretty badly and needed to get stitches.) Besides U23 World Champs, 2009 was a fantastic year. I have struggled the past few years, but I finally was able to get past those barriers and 2009 showed that I am on my way. Some highlights include: U23 National Champion, U23 PATCO Champion, and placing 3rd at the PATCO Championships.

I ended my season after U23 Worlds and vacationed with my family in Australia and New Zealand. It was an awesome trip and a much needed break from training. The best part of the trip was snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef! We took this plane that sat 8 people to Lady Elliot Island and spent the day swimming with beautiful fish, sea turtles, whales, sharks, squid, and lots more.

Now I am building into base training getting ready for the 2010 season. I am really looking forward to another great year of training and racing. I want to thank all the people that helped me throughout 2009. My sponsors: Blue Competition Cycles, Speedo, Rudy Project, SRM, Zipp, 2XU, and USA Triathlon. Without the help of these companies I know my season wouldn't have been as successful as it was! I also want to thank my coach, Andy, for being such an understanding and fanstatic coach (who is also a fabulous listener)! Thanks to my massage therapist/psychologist Joy Vogelsong and my chiroprater/nutritionist Dr. Chris Farrell for keeping me healthy in 2009 (which is quite the challenge). Last but not least, I want to say thank you to my wonderful family and friends! Your guys' support means the world to me! My parents are the best, their unconditional love and support has gotten me to where I am today! I am so lucky to have parents like them who would do anything for me (like let me invade their "Empty Nest" or watch my crazy dog).

I will defintely be updating my blog with racing/training news and random everyday life events of a professional triathlete so check back often.


*Jen*