Tricia Holland: She Does Tri January Camper of the Month

by Christie Carlson

How Tricia Found Triathlon (and She Does Tri)

A friend fromwork (Kelly) introduced Tricia to triathlons six years ago. Kelly had been racing triathlons since she was 17 – Tricia had never even heard of triathlons at the time. Kelly was a strong swimmer and had a bike while Tricia was a strong runner, so they started racing together as a relay team. They had a blast!

After Kelly married and became pregnant, Tricia was already hooked on the sport so Tricia bought her first bike and learned how to swim. After about a year of racing sprint triathlons, Tricia wanted to learn more so signed up for a She Does Tri camp.

Tricia’s Accomplishments

Tricia accomplishments since beginning her triathlon journey:

• Placing in the top three for her age group in the Virginia Triathlon Series for the past three years
• Moving up to the Ironman distance andcompeting in the Ironman World Championship in Kona
• Qualifying for the Boston Marathon

Tricia is proud to say she is in the best shape of her life this past year which was a great feeling and she feels like she can do and take on just about anything.

Tricia’s Goals for 2012

Even as alittle kid, Tricia remembers being very goal oriented. Exercise is the best stress reliever and keeps her with a sound body and mind. When she sets a goal be it in training or racing, it gives her a great sense of accomplishment when she finally reaches the goal, and if she doesn’t, she figures out what she needs to do differently then goes for it again.

Tricia’s primary goal for this year is to have fun! She has been having a lot of fun the past few years racing 3 Ironman races, but is going to take a step back and race Ironman 70.3 (half-Ironman) distance races and shorter in order to have more time with friends and family and travel to new places. With so many friends and family coming to watch her at Boston Marathon, she wants to set a new marathon PR. She also plans on racing in the VTS and achieve a top three standing in the series.

How Triathlon Training Has Impacted Tricia

One important aspect of training Tricia learned from her Ironman races is how in tune with her body she became - everything affects the way she felt, trained, raced, etc. Tricia has become more cognizant of empty calorie foods vs. nutrient dense foods and how they make her feel, perform and look. She now eats better year round, not just during training and racing season. She says she also learned really quickly the importance of nutrition during training and racing. Not drinking only water during her long workouts was one she lesson learned quickly!

Tricia’s Training

This time of year Tricia is lifting a lot more, taking spinning classes, running trails with friends and swimming about once a week. She will soon start focusing more on running and preparing for the Boston Marathon. A typical week for Tricia during Ironman training would include 3-4 days of swimming and running then biking twice. She would do a long brick (long bike followed immediately by a short run) on Saturday and long run on Sunday. She'd take a day off either on Mon or Tue or do a swim one of those days. Add in a couple of days of lifting, yoga and abs and she has a full week. Each aspect of her training important and served as a piece of the total equation with the end result being asuccessful race.

The Ups and Downs of Training

There were ups and downs but her worst moment of training was last September at the Chesapeakman Aquavelo, which was a 2.4 mi swim followed by a 112 mile bike. The Aquavelo was a training race leading up to Ironman Arizona. Tricia had a panic attack at the start of the swim and her whole body went numb - she couldn't catch her breath. She knew quitting was worse and fought through the panic to finish the swim and get to the bike then the finish line.

Tricia's favorite moments in training are the feeling of accomplishment after each long brick and run (and knowing it was over)!

Tricia’s Favorite Recipe: Mixed Berry and Thyme Jam by Giada De Laurentiis

Below is one of Tricia’s favorite recipes that she makes all the time and is delicious over Greek yogurt.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound (about 4 cups) medium strawberries, hulled and quartered
• 8 ounces (about 2 cups) blueberries
• 1 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (1/2 a large lemon)
• 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• 2 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves

Preparation: Place theberries in a medium saucepan. Using a potato masher, lightly mash the berries. Add the maple syrup, lemon juice, orange juice, and thyme. Bring the mixture toa simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 50 to 55 minutes until thick. Cool to room temperature, about 1 1/2 hours (jam will continue to thicken as it cools). Refrigerate in an air-tight container for up to 1 month.

Serving Size: Makes 1 1/2cups