Favorite Local Triathlon: I just moved to Pensacola, so I'm excited to race a bunch of local triathlons and find my favorite this year!
Bucket List Race: Kona, for the obvious reasons.
Must-Have Gear:
- Tri Slide. At the swim start of a race it's inevitable that someone is going to ask you to borrow your body glide. If you are any bit of a germophobe like myself then you don't relish the idea of someone else slapping your glide onto their nether regions... TriSlide rocks because it is a spray (i.e. it's hygienic), it's super slippery, and it won't degrade your wetsuit like a vegetable oil spray so you can spray it on the outside of the extremities of your wetsuit to speed removal.
- Felt IA Tri Bike. It's no secret I'm obsessed with my Felt IA triathlon bike. Sexy, aero, and hella fast, it leaves nothing to be desired. Compared to other TT bikes on the market it's simply lighter. stiffer. better. faster. It's also pretty cool that the last few women to win the Ironman World Championships did so on this bike!
- Blue Seventy PZ4TX swim skin. Living in FL, I'm willing to bet that a lot of our races are not going to be wetsuit-legal. Wearing this swim skin over your tri suit will increase your aerodynamics in the water and make you look cool at the same time ;)
How I Got Into This: I played soccer my entire life, including D1 at The College of William and Mary. When I graduated I anticipated playing in the women's pro league, but it folded that same year. I played semi-professionally in France for a year, but then decided to return to the US to get my master's in nutrition. While in grad school I initially turned to half marathons and marathons to stay in shape. This long-distance running combined with an obsession for Lance Armstrong, eventually led me to the sport of triathlon. Plus, an Ironman had always been on my bucket list.
Favorite Part of a Tri: Due to the fact that running is inherently a huge part of soccer, the run has always come the most easily to me. I have a huge respect and healthy appreciation for serious swimmers, but it's always fun to run them down at the end of a race!
Goals: I recently took a couple years off of triathlon to focus on marathon training, so now that I'm back in the tri scene I would like to do a half-iron in under 5 hours this year. And after missing it by 10 minutes last year at IM Chattanooga, my big goal for this season is to qualify for Kona at IM Cozumel in November.
Nutrition Advice:
- BeetPerformer Beet Juice. This stuff is like legal doping. There is a plethora of research to show that the nitrates that are naturally present in beet juice are converted into nitric oxide inside the body. Nitric oxide is a potent vasodilator, which means more blood flow and oxygen to working muscles. Additionally, the body can magically extract more energy per molecule of oxygen after consuming beet juice. For athletes, this translates into faster time trails, the ability to go longer until fatigue sets in, and the capability to race faster at the end of a race. As an added bonus, beet juice can help lower blood pressure and reduce risk of heart disease and stroke. To order some for yourself, click here to go to Amazon. Use the code 'martine6' to get 15% off your entire order.
- PowerGel. PowerGels are my favorite gel. The consistency is thinner than other gels, they contain more carbohydrates than other gels, they provide a mixed source of carbs (meaning your body can absorb more carbs per hour and thus more effectively spare muscle glycogen), they contain no amino acids (which for some can cause stomach upset), and they contain 200 mg sodium per gel (by consuming 1 gel per 30 minutes you automatically meet the minimum sodium requirement of 400 mg/hour). Oh yeah, and they taste good too. My favorite flavor is strawberry banana.
FYI:
- I've been vegan for about 8 years
- At one point in time I was a fruitarian for 6 months (only ate fruit & some raw veggies)
- My favorite alcoholic beverage is a whole-fruit margarita (4g fiber per serving). To make this, blend the following in a high-powered blender until smooth, then pour into salt-rimmed margarita glasses.
- 8 oz tequila (I like gold)
- 2 oz Grand Marnier or Cointreau
- 1 medium orange, peeled
- 1 lime, peeled
- 1 lemon, peeled
- Dash agave nectar
- 6 cups ice
Day Job: Registered Dietitian
Why GCCT Rocks: One of the first things I did when I moved to this area was check out some of the local sporting stores. The people at GCCT were so incredibly nice and helpful! I've been to other stores before, where as a woman I felt like the staff did not take me as a serious customer in regards to bikes and cycling equipment. GCCT was the total opposite. They took the time to find out what I was looking for, were interested in meeting my needs, and invited me to the weekly group ride (Saturdays at 7:30 am). I went to the ride and met a bunch of other triathletes and cyclists who were all extremely welcoming and supportive. I'm big on customer service and GCCT is doing this lost art right!
2016 Race Schedule:
- 4/3/16 - SOML Racing Off-Road Duathlon
- 4/17 - Ironman New Orleans 70.3
- 5/7/16 - Gulf Coast Tri
- 5/21 - Leftover 4 Miler
- 6/5 - Ironman Raleigh 70.3
- 7/2 - Firecracker 5K
- 7/10 - Rev3 Williamsburg
- 9/3 - Board Shorts & Bikinis 5K
- 10/15 - Bridge to Bridge 5K
- 10/22 - Pensacola Perfect 10 Miler
- 11/27 - Ironman Cozumel
- 12/10 - Ho Hustle 5K
- 12/11 - Holiday Half Marathon
- Savannah Rock n' Roll Marathon Overall Female Champion, 2014 (2:59:02)
- 3rd AG Finish at Ironman Chattanooga, 2015 (10:38:18)
- 1/2 Marathon PR: 1:25:57 (Quintiles Wrightsville Beach 1/2 Marathon, 2012)
- Half Ironman PR: 4:50:56 (White Lake Half, 2013)
Blog: www.taramartine.blogspot.com
Facebook: Tara Martine
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